UNBROKEN PROMISE

~33~

The last few weeks had brought a quiet shift in the air around the Tawney ranch. Where once the atmosphere between Logan and Oma had been tense and awkward, it now seemed to carry a gentler warmth. Logan wasn’t a man of grand gestures or flowery words, but there was something softer in the way he moved around her these days—a little smirk here and there, a helping hand when she least expected it. It wasn’t much, but for Oma, it was everything.

She was beginning to feel like she belonged, and that was something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

One afternoon, the sound of Caleb’s delighted laughter echoed across the yard. The little boy was running after Cookie, his mischievous puppy, who had grown braver and bolder with each passing day. Cookie darted through the rows of Oma’s garden, the plants trembling under his small but determined paws. Caleb followed close behind, giggling and calling out, “Come here, Cookie! Stop runnin’!”

Oma had been hanging freshly washed linens on the line when she turned and saw the commotion. Her heart sank as Cookie plowed through the rows of her carefully tended garden, uprooting seedlings and crushing delicate leaves.

“No, no, Cookie!” she cried, rushing toward the garden, her apron flapping in the breeze. Caleb, realizing he was in trouble, stopped in his tracks, his wide eyes filling with tears as he looked from Oma to the damage his puppy had caused.

Megan appeared moments later, her sharp eyes taking in the scene. Her hands went to her hips, and Caleb immediately ducked his head, knowing he was in for it.

“Caleb John Tawney!” Megan’s voice rang out, firm but not unkind. “What did I tell you ’bout lettin’ Cookie near the garden?”

The little boy sniffled, tears beginning to stream down his chubby cheeks. “I-I’m sorry, Mama,” he stammered, clutching Cookie tightly as if the puppy could protect him.

Megan knelt down and gently pried the wriggling puppy from Caleb’s grasp. “Sorry’s good, but it don’t fix what you’ve done,” she said, her voice firm. She set Cookie aside, then turned back to Caleb. “You need to learn to be more careful.”

With that, she turned him and gave him three quick, firm swats to his bottom. Caleb let out a wail, his little hands flying to his backside as he cried harder. He ran to Megan, clinging to her skirt and burying his face in the fabric.

“There, there,” Megan said, stroking his hair. “Mama’s not mad, but you gotta understand that actions have consequences, alright?”

Caleb nodded into her skirt, his sobs gradually quieting.

Oma watched the scene unfold, her heart aching—not for Caleb, but for the garden she’d worked so hard to nurture. She knelt down beside the damaged rows, her hands trembling slightly as she picked up the broken plants. Her lips quivered, and she blinked back tears, trying to hold herself together.

“I’m so sorry, Oma,” Megan said, her voice full of regret as she walked over with Caleb still clinging to her. “I should’ve been watchin’ him better. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

“It’s... it’s alright,” Oma said softly, though her voice wavered. She didn’t want Megan to feel worse, but she couldn’t help the sadness that welled up inside her.

True to her word, Megan returned later that afternoon with a basket full of fresh seedlings. “Here,” she said, handing it to Oma. “These should replace the ones Cookie ruined. Caleb and I picked ’em out ourselves.”

Oma smiled faintly, her heart warming at the gesture. “Thank you, Megan. I really appreciate it.”

Megan grinned, then turned to Caleb, who was holding Cookie in his arms. “What do you say to Auntie Oma, Caleb?”