"What?"
"He was very young at the time, brought me three bowls of food and demanded I eat them all." Katie got up and pulled Anna to her feet. "Walk with me. Emily had her baby a month ago and I have not yet seen it."
"The children do not like me. I see them when I walk, but they do not come near."
"Their mothers have forbidden it."
"Why?"
Katie led Anna around the corner of the Keep and chose the nearest path. She wondered why she hadn't thought of it before; let the children keep Anna occupied. "The mothers were afraid one would hurt you. Shall we tell them you are well enough now?"
Anna's eyes lit up.
As soon as they neared Emily's cottage, the door opened and Emily welcomed them inside. Her cottage was neat and clean with simple furnishings, including one bed for her children, one for the adults and a table and chairs. She spoke in Gaelic and Katie interpreted. "Emily is honored to have you in her home. She wants to know if you would like to hold her baby."
"I do not know how." Anna confessed.
"Did you not hold your little sister?"
"No, I was not allowed."
Katie explained it to Emily, who quickly pulled a chair away from the table and urged Anna to sit down. The box the baby slept in was made of strong sticks securely tied together with strips of leather. She lifted her child out of the box and carefully placed her in Anna's arms.
Anna beamed and leaned down to put her cheek next to the baby's cheek. It was the softest thing she had ever felt and she closed her eyes to savor the feeling. Then two little boys ran in, saw Anna and abruptly stopped. She handed the baby back to her mother and motioned for the boys to come. Each looked to their mother for permission and once she nodded, they ran to her. Anna was surprised when they wanted to touch her face. It was as though they needed to be sure it did not still hurt, and when the smallest one poked her cheek, she poked his back. That made him laugh.
"There now," Katie said. "By nightfall, all the mothers will know, the place will be crawling with children again and they will all want to poke your face."
"I will love it."
*
It was a true blessing. Every time Anna went out to walk, the children gathered around. They poked her at first, but she knew games and tricks they had never seen before and they were fascinated. Once when Katie looked out the window, Anna was flat on the ground with laughing children crawling all over her and Katie couldn't wait to tell Kevin --his wife doesn't know it, but she wants children.