“Absolutely. Although I’m not sure I can say the same thing for your little friend there,” Leah jested, pointing to the baby. “I think she got more food in her hair than in her mouth with that last bite. It’s in her eyebrow, too.”
Jonathan chuckled heartily as he wiped off Rebekah’s head with a napkin. “At least the carrots are a similar color. They almost blend in.”
“Nice try, but neh. That child definitely is getting a bath tonight.”
“I’ll give her one.”
“Oh, you don’t need to do that. I wasn’t hinting.”
“I know you weren’t. But you look tired,” he said, studying her. Leah suddenly felt self-conscious that Jonathan must have noticed the dark circles beneath her eyes. Then he said one of the nicest things any man had ever said to her. “I’ll clean up the dishes and put the bobbel to bed after her bath. You should go read for a while.”
Leah was so taken aback she was momentarily speechless. “I—I can’t let you do that. Besides, Gabriel and Esther need to be looked after. I was going to talk to you about them. I think we should ask their nurse practitioner to pay a visit if they still have fevers tomorrow.”
“I agree. But that’s tomorrow. For this evening, I can refill their hot-water bottles or bring them tea or do whatever else they need. Go upstairs and read—close the door so none of us disturbs you.”
The suggestion was appealing but Leah couldn’t let Jonathan do everything by himself. “How will you manage to clean up the kitchen while you’re watching Rebekah?”
“I’ll manage the same way you or Esther or any other woman manages. Just because I’m a man doesn’t mean I can’t tackle dish duty. As I told you, I got accustomed to doing all sorts of chores for myself when I lived alone. Now, go ahead upstairs. I’ll get the fire going extra hot and you can turn the lamp up and pretend you’re lounging on the beach in Florida.”
Leah giggled. “Denki, Jonathan. I’ll be down in forty-five minutes. An hour, tops.”
“Don’t get sunburned,” he quipped.
That really made her laugh. Or maybe she was just giddy from the luxury of leaving the kitchen before the dishes were done. She rose, went to the doorway, and then impulsively spun around and returned to give the baby a kiss on her sticky head.
“Behave yourself for your onkel,” she said. Rebekah bucked upward and Leah quickly moved out of the way so she wouldn’t get clipped beneath her chin. As she straightened her posture, her cheek grazed Jonathan’s. She was so mortified she couldn’t look him in the eye as she apologized, but he just coughed and waved his hand like it was no big deal.
Feeling utterly sheepish, she retreated upstairs as quickly as she could. She looked in on Esther and Gabriel, who were both sleeping soundly. Despite Jonathan’s suggestion, Leah left her door open so she could hear them call if they needed her. Then she chose a book from the pile she’d brought and reclined on her bed.
Instead of opening it, she lay there with one hand on her cheek. Thirty-four years old and I’m all aflutter because my face accidentally brushed against a man’s face, she thought. But it wasn’t merely the physical contact with Jonathan that made her insides ripple like the surface of a pond in a breeze; it was how thoughtful he was being toward her. She knew she ought to dismiss this feeling that she was floating on air, but instead, she found herself savoring it.
Some twenty minutes later, when she heard Jonathan creeping up the staircase and then quietly singing to Rebekah as he filled the tub, she was still touching her face and her book was still lying closed at her side.
It’s too late now, but I wish I’d had someone like Jonathan to help me with the kinner after mamm and daed died... she thought, right before dropping off to sleep.
* * *
After Jonathan gave Rebekah a bath, he tiptoed down the hall to her bedroom to rock her to sleep. He noticed Leah’s door was open and he wanted to allow her to continue reading uninterrupted, at least until the baby was in bed. Maybe by then, he’d be able to wipe the dopey grin off his face. Only a week ago I felt like I’d never smile again and now I can’t stop, he mused.
Undoubtedly, he was smiling in part because Leah’s smooth, silky skin had brushed against his face, setting his senses on fire. But that was an accident and it was a fleeting sensation; what really made him euphoric was what she’d said about how eating meals with him was the best part of her day. It seems as if she likes having me around as much as I like having her here, Jonathan marveled to himself.
Then it occurred to him that if Esther and Gabriel were still sick, Leah could stay in Fawn Crossing longer. He immediately felt remorseful for having such a thought and silently prayed the Lord would heal his brother and sister-in-law quickly.
“Ah-ah-ah,” Rebekah murmured. Her eyelids fell shut when Jonathan rocked backward and they sprang open again when he rocked forward, so he kept up the rhythmic motion until her eyes stayed closed the entire time.
Leah’s right—I have to break the habit of constantly holding the bobbel, he thought as he continued to rock Rebekah a little longer, to be sure she was fast asleep. Then he very warily inched toward her crib and lowered her into it before slinking into the hall. He didn’t hear any noise coming from Leah’s room and he figured she was engrossed in her book, so he went downstairs to stoke the fire.
While Jonathan would have enjoyed chatting with her alone, he wanted Leah to have as much time to herself as she needed. Settling into an armchair, he spent the next hour reading the Bible and praying. Then his sweet tooth got the best of him and he got up to see if there was any more fudge cake left, but he was halfway to the kitchen when he heard Rebekah whining upstairs. He paused, listening for Leah’s footsteps, but when the baby increased her volume, he took the stairs by twos and swept her from her crib.
After changing her diaper, he tried to rock her back to sleep but she babbled so loudly he decided to take her downstairs. He hesitated at Leah’s doorway. He didn’t want to wake his brother and sister-in-law by talking in the hall, nor did he want to intrude on Leah’s privacy by poking his head in the door unannounced.
“Leah,” he whispered. Then he whispered it again, and again a third time, but there was still no response. When Jonathan glanced in, he realized why: fully clothed, Leah was sleeping soundly with one hand touching her cheek and the other clutching a book at her side.
Jonathan cuddled Rebekah to his chest, warning, “Not a peep out of you.”
He tiptoed into the room and turned off the lamp. He made it all the way to the top of the staircase when Rebekah gurgled. Jonathan flew down the stairs and into the kitchen before she started babbling at full volume.
“What’s that?” he asked, holding her in front of him at eye level. “You say you want me to put you down? That’s gut because my arms are getting very tired, even if you’re wide-awake.”
Jonathan took some measuring cups from a drawer and put them on the living room floor at various intervals. Then he set Rebekah on her belly, so the first cup was just beyond her reach, and he sat down beside her. While she was able to pull herself arm-over-arm across the floor, kicking her legs behind her, she didn’t get up on her knees into a crawling position.
Remembering something Leah had said about the baby needing more exercise, Jonathan spread the measuring cups even farther apart. Each time Rebekah reached one, he’d urge her on by tapping the next one against the floor and she’d jabber gleefully as she set out again. Finally, she tired of the game, so he picked her up and snuggled into the armchair, hoping to pacify her into sleeping again.
He must have pacified himself, too, because the next thing he knew, he woke with his fingers interlaced over her belly as she dozed, faceup, on his belly. A quick glance at the clock on the shelf indicated it was two thirty. Jonathan’s legs were stretched out in front of him and his muscles were stiff, so he had to slowly shift into a standing position.
After carrying Rebekah to her crib, he listened for sounds that anyone else was awake, but he didn’t hear a thing. Downstairs, as he added more wood to the stove, he realized the fire at his own home would have died out hours ago, so he figured he might as well sleep on Esther and Gabriel’s sofa for the rest of the night.
Jonathan woke at daybreak, rebuilt the fire and went out to the barn to tend to the animals. When he returned, the house was still quiet, so he put on a pot of coffee. He was shredding cheese for an omelet when he heard footsteps overhead. By the time Leah came downstairs, he had set the table and flipped the omelet. It was almost ready to serve.
“Guder mariye,” Leah greeted him when she walked into the kitchen with Rebekah on her hip. “Did you really put the bobbel to bed last night and now you’re making breakfast, or am I dreaming?”
“You’re not dreaming,” Jonathan answered. He saw no point in mentioning the baby had spent half the night sleeping in his arms. “Have a seat.”
Leah slid a chair out from the table, but instead of sitting, she swayed in place with the baby. As she moved, he caught the faint scent of lavender wafting toward him. “I’m so sorry I fell asleep last night. You could have woken me—but I have to admit, I’m hallich you didn’t. I got such a gut night’s rest and I feel a hundred times better this morning.”
“You look better, too,” Jonathan said. Ach! What a clod I am. “I—I mean you look like you feel better. More rested. Not that you didn’t look gut before, but—”
“But I had dark circles beneath my eyes, right?” Leah cracked up, an indication she wasn’t truly insulted, and Rebekah chortled, too. Leah gave her a little bounce, lightheartedly scolding, “That’s nothing to laugh about. You’re the reason I haven’t been getting enough sleep.”
After Leah told Jonathan she’d been taking Rebekah into bed with her at night rather than to risk having her crying wake Gabriel or Esther, Jonathan confessed he’d slept with the baby on the armchair last night for the same reason. Leah sympathized profusely, again repeating that Jonathan should have woken her up.
“You’ve really gone above and beyond,” she told him. “I think you’ve spoiled me even more than you’ve spoiled Rebekah.”
“Aha, I knew you thought I spoiled the bobbel,” he ribbed her.
Now it was her turn to stutter. “N-neh, I didn’t mean to criticize. I meant, you—you shower her with your attention.”
Jonathan guffawed. “It’s okay. You’re right. I have been holding her too much. I don’t want to develop a habit that’s going to be difficult for Esther to keep up once she’s better. So, starting today, Rebekah’s going to sit in her high chair for meals.”
He took the baby from Leah’s arms and put her into her high chair. She went willingly, at first, and was content to stay there until Leah had finished feeding her her cereal. But after that, she kept reaching out her arms for Jonathan to pick her up and when he didn’t, she clamored for his attention. First, by cooing and prattling, and then by scowling and whining. When her bottom lip came out and her eyelids formed into two upside-down crescents, Jonathan could hardly bear to look at her.
Fortunately, Leah loosened her from her high chair and deposited her on Jonathan’s lap. “Habits take a while to break. You’ve both done very well for today.”
“She’s got me wrapped around her little finger, doesn’t she?” Jonathan asked with a sigh.
“I can’t blame you—she’s awfully schnuck,” Leah answered. Then she put her hand to the side of her mouth, as if telling the baby a secret. “And I don’t blame you, either, Rebekah—he’s awfully kind.”
Jonathan realized Leah was only joking around, but he felt his chest swell. An hour later, he was still reveling in her comment as he headed toward the phone shanty to call the nurse practitioner because neither Gabriel’s nor Esther’s health seemed to be improving. Once again, Jonathan couldn’t completely suppress his hope that Leah might have to postpone her departure a couple more days.
His elevated mood made him recall how he’d felt when he first began courting—or dating, the Englisch called it—Lisa. It reminded him of the headiness he’d experienced in her presence and the way his self-esteem billowed when she paid him a compliment. And it made him think of how eager he’d been to get to know her and to hear her opinions and ideas.
Yet although his feelings might have been similar, the situations were entirely different. I’m only showing Leah hospitality like my bruder asked me to, he convinced himself. If that makes me feel livelier than usual, where’s the harm in that? Because of his budding friendship with Leah, he’d been able to accomplish more in a single week than in all of the previous month, but it wasn’t as if he was about to let his emotions get the best of him. There was certainly no danger that he’d do anything to compromise his better judgment, like cutting his hair or learning to drive, the way he’d done for Lisa.
And although I wouldn’t wish continued illness on Gabriel and Esther for anything in the world, if they are still sick, who better to care for them than Leah and me? After all, as she’d said herself, they made a terrific team.
* * *
Since the nurse practitioner wasn’t able to make house calls until she’d completed her last appointment at the clinic, she didn’t arrive until after suppertime.
“The good news is, their lungs are clear, so I’m not concerned about pneumonia, which is also going around,” she reported to Leah and Jonathan after she’d examined Esther and Gabriel. “The bad news is, they definitely have the flu. And while I do think the worst of it is behind them, it’s difficult to say how long it will be before they’ve got their strength back.”
She said that while she appreciated how committed the Amish were to honoring the Sabbath, she’d strongly urge Esther and Gabriel not to go to church on Sunday, even if they felt up to it. The nurse practitioner also informed Jonathan and Leah that the general guideline she gave her patients was not to go out in public until they were fever-free for twenty-four hours, because they might still be contagious. And since one of them could contract the virus a full day before showing symptoms, she advised that Leah and Gabriel wear paper masks to church, which she supplied.
“You’re doing everything right, so keep it up,” she encouraged them. “Aside from getting lots of rest and drinking plenty of fluids, all that Gabriel and Esther need at this point is more time to recover.”
After Leah saw the nurse practitioner to the door, Jonathan plunked himself down at the table and released a heavy sigh. “I’m glad they’re getting better, even if it will take a while before they’re up to their usual speed. Please don’t feel you have to stay here beyond Monday, Leah. Now that there’s nothing serious to be concerned about, I’m sure I can take care of them.”
Leah pulled her chin back, surprised. “On your own?”
“Jah. Well, not completely alone—Rebekah will help me,” he joked, and the baby, who was sitting on his lap, echoed him with a grunt.
Leah felt completely deflated that Jonathan didn’t seem to care if she left. For one thing, it indicated he didn’t fully appreciate just how much work she’d done if he thought it would be a snap for him to do it all on his own. For another, she thought he liked having her there as much as he needed her support. But she wasn’t going to plead with him to remain in Fawn Crossing if it didn’t matter to him one way or the other.
Leah went over to the sink to finish drying the supper dishes, her back to Jonathan. “Okay, then, if you don’t want me to stay, I won’t.”
“Are you kidding me?” Jonathan asked incredulously, exactly as she’d done the evening before when he’d misunderstood how much she valued his help. “I do want you to stay. But you heard what the nurse practitioner said. There’s no telling how long it will be until Gabriel and Esther get their strength back. I don’t want you to postpone your trip indefinitely.”
“I won’t postpone it indefinitely,�
�� she told him, turning to look him in the eye so she could read his reaction. “But I don’t see any reason I couldn’t stay another week.”
“That would be wunderbaar!” The bright smile that lit Jonathan’s face quickly dimmed. “Well, it would be wunderbaar for me, because I’d have your help. But you weren’t expecting to work so hard when you planned your vacation. You should be having schpass.”
Leah was struck with an idea. “I know what I could do for schpass. How about if you put Rebekah to bed and I’ll make popcorn and we can play cribbage. Or checkers?”
“Jah, we can do that if you’d like, but I don’t think it’s going to be any schpass for you,” he warned.
“Why not?”
Jonathan deadpanned, “Because I never, ever lose at checkers.”
“Is that because you never, ever play checkers?” Leah gave him a saucy smirk.
“Ha ha.” Jonathan rolled his eyes but she could tell he was enjoying their banter, too. On the way out of the kitchen, he very distinctly whispered to Rebekah, “Leah’s going to be in for a big surprise when she finds out I always win at cards, too.”
After he left, Leah reflected on how silly she’d been to think he wanted her to leave. Clearly he just hadn’t wanted her to feel obligated to stay if she didn’t want to. And to be honest, two days ago, she might have been tempted to take advantage of his offer to go before Gabriel and Esther’s recovery had progressed further.
She never actually would have left early, of course; serving her friend’s family in a time of need was much more important than vacationing. But now her perspective about lingering in Fawn Crossing had completely changed; instead of feeling tearful and at her wit’s end, she felt cheerful and capable. I suppose that’s the difference a full night of sleep can make.
Of course, the connection Leah was forming with Jonathan also made it a lot easier for her to forfeit seven days of vacation. While she was aware he probably would have been as considerate to any of Gabriel and Esther’s friends or other relatives, she was utterly charmed that he’d made a point of giving her an evening to herself. In turn, she was delighted she could reciprocate by helping him for a while longer.
An Amish Winter (Love Inspired) Page 13