A Love Like Hers: Mother's Day Stories, #1

By Abigail Kay Harris, M.L. Milligan, Erika Mathews and 3 more

In honor of Mother's Day Beyond the Bookery brings you A Love Like Hers.

A mother's love is special. It's one-of-a-kind.

With stories of a mom's love, from a young mother with small children, she'll do everything to protect to adult children returning home to their roots and their mother, and more stories each featuring a mother's love.

From authors Abigail Kay Harris, Erika Mathews, Deigan Marie, Ria Martin, M. L. Milligan, Jewel Windall.

• Language: English
• Publisher: CDXC Aurora Lux Libri Publishing
• Release date: May 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223260684

Abigail Kay Harris

Abigail Kay Harris is a daughter of the King with a personal degree in book-nerdiness. A sister to seven, her passionate love of the written word and deeper meanings hidden in normal things leads her to spend her time reading, writing, using sarcasm, and defining obscure words. When she’s not chasing words, she enjoys watching shows, classic romance movies, tea, sunrises, and the outdoors, especially mountains, beaches, and forests.

Book preview

The Gift of Love

Abigail Kay Harris

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

Proverbs 31:25-27 (King James Version)

Gracelynn tilted her head, studying the canvas before her.

The soft tones blended together into what would soon be a soft pastel watercolor painting of a mother holding her child. The swaying of the mother caught in the tender swishes of paint. A soft baby hand clasped in the mother’s hair shown in the darker hints of brown smoothed to show the warm colors of a simple yet pretty dress.

She stepped back an inch or so, taking in the wet image as it grew beneath her hands. Her labor of love must be perfect. She thought as she reclaimed the hold of her tools, biting her lip in concentration.

Gracelynn, she heard a deep voice call from outside of her small yet warm and welcoming tiny house.

Muttering under her breath, she quickly cleaned her tools and set them aside before half running to the closed door of her small studio. Stay out there! She shouted at her brother as the doorknob of her special art studio in her small home wabbled under his grasp. Yanking the door open enough to slide out of the room, she slammed the door closed behind her and leaned against it.

Eeeshh, little sis. What’s got you in a mood? He cocked a brow at her and crossed his arms.

Nothing! It’s just something I’m working on.

He hummed under his breath as she glared at him. You’ll see it when it’s done. It’s for Momma. She stated, marching her way down the foot steps under the loft of her tiny house she caught his wrist in a crushing grip to pull him along. Not that it’s any of your business.

Awww, I’m wounded! I’m hurt! My very own darling baby sister doesn’t trust me with her secret works and projects. I’ll just perish from the sadness of it all. He moaned in a dramatically high voice as he tugged his arm from her grip and threw himself backward on her light pink loveseat under the window overlooking the fields that were quickly filling with the fresh bloom of flowers. I’ll perish due to the horror!

Brat. She said under her breath which drew a laugh as her brother must have heard her after all.

All in love, m’dear, all in love. He waved off the joking, Anyway, we need to talk about Mom.

Sweeping past the small island, she ignored his words and set about preparing a small lunch of meat and vegetable sandwiches with mayo from the fridge. Want one? She asked, holding a half of a sandwich in view.

Nah, had something on the way over. Thanks. He sat up as she returned to the front of the loveseat. Nudging him with her foot, she waited for him to sit properly before she sat down with an ankle folded under her.

What’s up?

Well, you know that I’ve been wanting to be here more than just for visits like now. I’ve been talking with Lyds...

Why, no, Mark Newton Brooks, I hadn’t noticed! She giggled, What does this have to do with Mom? I know she wants you to move back so she doesn’t have to travel halfway across the country to see you or you up here when you’re here for work. She wants you and Lyds here. Make it easier to have her second favorite daughter home, you know!

Yeah, about that... Lyds' parents want to move out here too. What I mean is they are moving. They told Lyds that we’ve convinced them to move out here with how much we love the land. Oh! The false gasp of suprise had her rolling her eyes at her brother’s dramatics. They want us out here too and you know how much they love Mom. So, they decided that they’re going to buy the old Jones lot next to our land. They’re buying it all and have this crazy plan to build a ranch for them to run with Lyd, and they want to build a like... Rustic barn restaurant for me to run. These people have always been so sweet, but the sweet is currently lost in the crazy. Sis, stop laughing. He said jumping up to pace. It’s not funny! This is crazy. You know I’ve worked hard to get to where I’m at in my company. I can’t just quit! It’s a hard job to get.

Finishing the last of her lunch, Gracelynn set her plate on the end table. "May I remind you, big brother, you never really wanted this job. That when you got it you said you were thankful for God’s provision, but if you could ever see a way to fulfill your dream as a chef you’d take it if He gave it to you? So what if it’s through your crazy awesome in-laws!"

He paused in his fourth turn in front of her. But it’s my in-laws!

So? Just a bit over a hundred years ago and they’d have given you a dowry for her. It’s right for parents to provide. Besides, they’re been your parents just as much as our parents have been to Lydia. Our moms are best friends and our dads talk more than we do with them! We’re all family. Stop with this... Scaredy cat fit and say yes. After praying, of course! She went to throw her hands in the air at the silliness of it all before she realized she still held a plate. One of the plates her great-grandma had gifted her when she moved out of the main house. Oops! She’d never forgive herself had she broken the beautiful old china.

He blinked at her, Gracey, I can’t just do this. What if they run themselves into the ground? I can’t do this. Not now, not with the baby coming in four or five months. He muttered as if an afterthought.

Twisting around sharply, she stared at him, setting her plate aside without care because now her mission was to punch her brother. "Baby? Baby!" She said.

Oh, no. Lyds is gonna kill me.

Smirking, Gracelynn swatted his arm, No, brother, no, she’s not. I’m going to kill you! How could you not tell me!

Lyds wants to surprise Mom! She’s actually going to stay down here for a while, at least until we decide if we’re moving back home. Gracelynn smirked, the move was as good as done if Lydia stayed in town. It’s her Mother’s Day gift, esssh, sis!

You should have told me! You should have told me. She repeated This is so not fair. Crossing her arms, Gracelynn glared at her brother. You waited nearly half of the time to actually let me know. I understand a couple of months, but half of the pregnancy!

Just be glad I convinced Lyds not to surprise Mom with the baby. That woman is completely crazy!

She’d have to be some sort of crazy to have married you. Gracelynn snarked going back to the kitchen area. Anyway, I think this is an answer to so many of everybody’s prayers lately! Mom praying you and Lydia would be closer, me in deciding to stay here or move back to the house, which I’m not going to if you move out here, and Lydia wanting to be closer to the friends she made when she was here, plus her parents wanting a fulfilling retirement, and you wanting to follow your dreams. This is such a blessing!

I haven’t dedicated to it yet. You do know that, right?

Smirking again, Gracelynn raised an eyebrow, Actually, you did. And Lydia made sure to let me know all of this before you got here. It just took you longer to spill the beans than she expected. We talked most of the last night when you were driving out here. She took great pride in watching his mouth fall open. You must have noticed she was texting someone. Who else, but me?

An eye roll was his only response as he still seemed to be processing her prior words.

Love ya, big bro, but I really have to go. Gotta pick up some flowers, make a stop for some art supplies, and get home in time to make dinner for tonight. With that final parting, Gracelynn caught up her purse from its hook and swept from her home without a fear of locking up with the knowledge that her brother would consider their conversation before checking over each of the windows and doors few though they weren’t many in the small house she’d built in the midst of the garden that spanned the entirety of an acre of the land that her parents had owned since she was a child.

Slipping her feet into the white floral rain boots on the tiny porch that was dry even with the damp grass surrounding it. Running down the path that led to the dirt driveway beyond her parcel of the family land, she paused a moment to take in the smell of the freshly bloomed flowers her mother had planted with her help.

Carefully plucking a bloom that matched her warm blonde hair, she tucked it behind her ear, making a mental reminder to make a full bouquet to go with her painting when gifting it upon the arrival of Mother’s Day.

WITH MOTHER’S DAY THE coming day, Gracelynn sighed as she stared at her work. Displeased with the look of it,