The Baby Next Door

by Vannetta Chapman

  Ten minutes later, Doc Amanda tapped on the door. She walked in, placed the tablet on the counter and walked over to a sink to wash her hands. Once she’d dried them, she pulled a chair up in front of Grace so that they were sitting knee to knee.

  “It’s good to see you, Grace. It’s been a while.”

  “A long while.”

  “And this must be Nicole.”

  “We have her fifteen-month appointment in a few weeks for her vaccinations.”

  “I’m glad to hear you’re keeping up with those.”

  “When she started running a fever, I thought I should bring her in today. She’s...she’s not well.”

  “You did the right thing.” Doc Amanda turned her attention to Nicole. “Hey, baby girl. Want to play with my stethoscope?”

  Nicole buried her face in Grace’s dress, and Doc Amanda was easily able to pop the tip of her instrument into Nicole’s ear.

  “Definitely an ear infection.”

  “Ya? But you can give her something?”

  “I can, and I will. Let’s check the other side first.”

  Which was a little trickier. Nicole didn’t want to turn her head and immediately began crying and murmuring, “No, Mamm. No.”

  “Two-word sentences. Very good.”

  Doc Amanda finally managed to take a peek in the other ear, then listened to her breathing and looked into her eyes.

  “The left ear has an infection. The right one looks a bit irritated, so she could be getting an infection there, as well. Don’t be surprised if you see her pulling on both. A little medicine should fix Nicole right up. Let’s try the pink stuff.”

  “Pink stuff?”

  “Amoxicillin. My kids call it the pink stuff.” She tapped something into the tablet. “What pharmacy do you use?”

  “I haven’t needed one.”

  Doc Amanda looked up from the tablet. “You moved away for a while.”

  Grace wasn’t exactly surprised that she knew. Doc Amanda was the pediatrician most Amish families in the area used, and little went unnoticed in a small town. But Grace realized there was an opportunity here, and honestly, she was ready to be truthful with someone.

  “Yes. I moved to Ohio while I was pregnant with Nicole. My family thought it was best if I stayed with an aenti.”

  “Well, it’s good to have you back.”

  “Danki.”

  “And it’s good to meet Nicole. She’s a beautiful child. She looks a lot like you.”

  Why did those words send a surge of joy through Grace’s heart? It was silly, really. Of course a child would look like her mother, though Grace had often wondered if Nicole looked more like her or her father. It was difficult to tell when you were so close to someone, and there was no one she could ask, since no one knew that Nicole was hers.

  She was suddenly glad that she’d been honest with Doctor Amanda. It helped that someone knew her situation and didn’t judge her.

  The doctor was still tapping on the tablet. “Goshen has grown a bit in the last few years.”

  “It certainly has.”

  “We have several pharmacies—the biggest is at the Walmart.”

  “That’s on the opposite side of town from where we live.”

  “How about Meijers grocery store?”

  “Yes, that would be better. I could pick up some other items while I’m there.”

  Doctor Amanda stood and plucked a handout from the counter where she’d washed her hands. “Here’s a sheet on reducing fever in toddlers. You’ll want to pick up something for that, as well. She should be feeling better in twenty-four to forty-eight hours. If not, come back and see me again, or you could call and we’ll prescribe a stronger antibiotic. I like to start with the pink stuff, and it usually works.”

  “Danki.”

  “You’re very welcome, and I look forward to spending a little more time with Nicole when she comes in for her regular checkup.”

  Nicole was still burning with fever and pulling on her ear, but now they had a plan. That made Grace feel immeasurably better. As she paid with the wad of bills her mother had pressed into her hand, it wasn’t lost on her that they had extra money largely due to Adrian. Because of the tours, she didn’t have to worry how much the medicine cost or whether she should buy one bag of diapers or two at the store.

  Many people thought that all Amish babies wore only cloth diapers, and certainly she did use cloth when it made sense to do so. But when they were at church or out in public, she popped on a disposable. Her mamm waited on a bench at the front of the supermarket with Nicole as Grace gathered up supplies, including a few things they needed in the grocery section.

  She was on her way to the checkout line when she passed the ice cream freezers.

  Ice cream.

  What was it Adrian had said he liked?

  She backtracked and hunted around until she came away with a pint of Salted Caramel Almond. Then she added a vanilla to share with her mamm and Nicole, and Chunky Monkey for her dat. Three pints of ice cream was a splurge, but suddenly she felt like celebrating.

  After all, she had the money for it in her pocket.

  She had the medicine for her daughter in her purse.

  And she had Adrian’s tours to thank for both.

  * * *

  It was Monday morning when Adrian learned that Nicole was sick. He was helping Grace’s dat mow the area around the back pond, which was where their guests apparently enjoyed dinner the most. The recent light rains they’d had seemed to have caused the grass to grow a foot. Everything was green and spring-like, and Adrian was thinking of how much he was looking forward to their next tour group, when James pulled him out of his daydreams.

  “Leslie might be cooking tomorrow’s meal.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Baby girl has been sick—she had an ear infection.”

  “Is she okay? Does Grace need anything? Does Nicole need—?”

  James held up his hand to stop the flood of questions. “The first medicine didn’t work, so Doc Amanda called out something stronger. It’s been a tough few days for both Grace and Nicole, for all of us, really. When the baby doesn’t sleep, no one sleeps.”

  “I had no idea.” In that moment, Adrian realized it wasn’t the tour group he’d been looking forward to as much as it was seeing Grace again.

  He’d spent quite a bit of time thinking about their walk to the fence line. He’d reached the conclusion that he’d like to be friends—close friends—with Grace. Nothing romantic, of course. He knew zilch about courting a woman, and he wasn’t really in the right place to do so from a financial standpoint. But friendship? That he was ready for.

  “Is there anything I can do?”

  “Nicole was better this morning, but poor Grace. After three nights of very little sleep, she’s a bit of a mess.”

  “I guess so.”

  “She’s finding out what it means to be a mamm—fortunately, the good outweighs the bad, which is one reason we all have so many children.”

  “I guess. I mean, I’m sure Nicole is a great kid. It’s just that I don’t have any experience in that area.”

  “You have nieces and nephews.”

  “True, though I suspect that’s drastically different from having your own.”

  “What are you waiting for?”

  Adrian looked up from the mowed grass that he was raking out of the picnic area. For a moment, he was confused by the question, then he realized that James was asking him why he wasn’t married, why he hadn’t started a family. “I’m not sure what I’m waiting for. The right time? The right person?”

  James laughed. “In my experience, the right time is now.”

  “I don’t know...”

  “As for the right person, that’s often someone you already know, but simply have to look at in a di
fferent light.”

  Wait a minute... Was he dropping a hint?

  Did Grace’s dat want him to court her?

  Before he could think of how to ask either of those questions, James had started up the diesel-powered weed eater again and was proceeding around the pond.

  Adrian spent the rest of the time he was doing yard work with his thoughts bouncing around in his head. On the one hand, he was consumed with concern for Grace and Nicole. On the other hand, he was puzzled. Why had James brought up families and marriage? Both were distracting thoughts, which he couldn’t shake even after he went back to his place. He found himself dumping bird food in Kendrick’s feed bucket and trying to groom Cinnamon with a dog brush.

  You could have knocked him over with a feather duster when Grace showed up at his place an hour before sunset.

  “Is Nicole okay?”

  “Ya. She’s much better.” Grace was holding something in her hands, a paper bag from the grocery store, but she seemed to have forgotten about it. “Thank you for the wildflowers you left on the front porch.”

  “Your dat shared that it’s been a hard few nights.”

  “Indeed. I thought teething was difficult, but it’s nothing compared to ear infections.”

  “You’re certain Nicole is better?”

  “I am. The second antibiotic that Doc Amanda sent out worked wonders.”

  Adrian crossed his arms and leaned against the wall of his barn. “I went to Doc Amanda when I was a child.”

  “So did I.”

  “Hard to believe she’s still practicing.”

  “I know, right?”

  “Whatcha got there?” He nodded toward the bag in her hands.

  “Oh. This.” She thrust it toward him. “I bought you something.”

  “For me?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  He pulled out the pint of Ben & Jerry’s. “Oh, man. This will hit the spot. Let me run inside and grab two spoons.”

  “Oh, I didn’t mean—”

  But Adrian didn’t hear the rest. He ducked into his barn, jogged to the tiny kitchen at the end of his living area and snagged two spoons. By the time he made it back outside, Grace was sitting on the bench, her head back against the wall and her eyes closed.

  “You must be beat.”

  She opened one eye and glanced at him, then shrugged and resumed her nap. The sun was nearing the horizon, and like during the walk they’d taken just a few nights before, it was dropping its rays across her. She reminded him of a cat sleeping in the sun, and he started to laugh.

  “What’s so funny?” Grace kept her eyes closed and her face tilted upturned toward the sun.

  “Just thinking how you remind me of a cat, in more ways than one.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Sure. You’re sleeping in the sun.”

  “It’s comfortable here. And quiet.”

  He sat beside her, placed the bag between them on the bench and the ice cream on top of the bag. “If you’re cross with someone, you tend to hiss.”

  “I do not hiss.” She didn’t look at him, but now she was smiling, too.

  “And you take care of Nicole with as much love and attention as our old barn cat used to take care of her litter.”

  “I don’t know whether I should feel complimented or offended.”

  “Oh, it’s a compliment, for sure and certain.” He popped the top off the pint, stuck a spoon in and took the first bite. “Mmm, so rich and creamy. Don’t you want some?”

  “Ice cream is probably the last thing I need. All that sugar will keep me awake when I need to go home and sleep.”

  “The second bite is even better than the first.”

  “Though now that you mention it...” She sat up and accepted the spoon he was holding out to her. The expression on her face after the first bite was pure bliss.

  “There’s a reason it’s my favorite.”

  “I’ve never had... What is this again?”

  “Salted Caramel Almond. Hey, wait. How’d you just so happen to have a pint of my favorite ice cream?”

  Now she shifted uncomfortably on the bench and was suddenly completely focused on digging out one more spoonful.

  “Grace, did you buy this just for me?”

  She put a huge spoonful in her mouth. “Can’t talk. Mouth full.”

  “You did buy it for me. Just the other night we were discussing how I didn’t have a freezer, and I said—”

  She licked the spoon clean, reminding him again of a cat. Finally, she glanced at him and smiled. “You said that you loved Salted Caramel Almond.”

  “I can’t believe you remembered.”

  “When Nicole first started running a fever, and I was so worried, all I could think of was getting her well.” She dug out another spoonful, ate it, then stood, brushed her apron smooth, and finally looked at him. “Mamm had given me this wad of money from our emergency jar. That’s a jar that we—”

  “I know what an emergency jar is, Grace. My family has one, too.”

  “As I was leaving Doc Amanda’s office and paid the bill, then went to pick up the medicine, I realized what a blessing it was not to have to worry about money at a time like that.”

  “You don’t ever have to worry about money. Any number of people from our church will help if you need it, including myself.”

  “I realize that’s probably true.”

  “It is true.” He’d finished the pint of ice cream. He set it on the bench next to their spoons. And that simple sight, two spoons next to an empty pint of ice cream, reminded him of what James Troyer had said earlier.

  What was he waiting for?

  Did he need to look at the woman standing in front of him in a different light?

  “So when I went by the store to get her prescription—this was the first prescription, the pink medicine, which didn’t help Nicole much—I thought of you.”

  “You thought of me?” He stood and stepped closer.

  Instead of stepping back, she glanced up at him and smiled. It was maybe the first easy smile he’d seen from her. Maybe that was what exhaustion did—helped you to drop all pretenses.

  “Well, danki. That was very kind.”

  “But I ate half of it,” she teased.

  “Maybe a quarter.”

  “Okay, a third.”

  “Guess we’ll have to buy another.” He moved beside her, and they both turned to look at the colorful display in the sky to the west.

  “We have a habit of watching sunsets together.”

  “You can bring me ice cream anytime.” He bumped his shoulder against hers, wishing he was brave enough to reach for her hand.

  At that very moment, Triangle jogged around the corner, holding a squirrel in his mouth.

  “Ew.”

  “Just bringing us a gift.” Adrian picked up a dustpan leaning against the wall of his barn, then squatted down in front of the dog. “Good boy.”

  Triangle dropped the squirrel into the dustpan, then flopped onto the dirt, panting and looking for all the world as if he was quite pleased with himself.

  “Guess I need to dispose of this. If you’re not too tired...”

  “Nein, I’ve been trapped inside for four days.”

  “...want to go with me? We can stop and pet Cinnamon.”

  “I can think of nothing I’d like to do more than pet your camel.”

  Which was how they ended up walking across his place, on a perfect spring evening, as the sun set on another day.

  Adrian wasn’t thinking about animals or ice cream or even whether or not he should reach for Grace’s hand. Instead, he was thinking of what her father had said.

  The right time is now. As for the right person, that’s often someone you just have to look at in a different light.

  Which
really left him with only two questions.

  Was he falling for Grace Troyer?

  And if he was, what was he going to do about it?

  Chapter Seven

  The next day was the first time in a week that Nicole finally acted like her old self. She smiled when Grace first went in her room, ate all of her breakfast and squealed with delight when Kendrick the Llama paused in his daily run to look in their kitchen window.

  Grace felt good about leaving her doschder with Adrian’s schweschder Lydia, and the evening’s tour group was one of their most enjoyable yet. Now that she wasn’t working against Adrian, against the tour’s success, she could actually enjoy planning and preparing each meal. It was fun to cook for Englischers who claimed that Grace’s homemade bread was wonderful and the fresh cheese they bought from down the road tastier than any they’d ever had before.

  Grace was limited only by what she could serve in a picnic setting. She had a lot of ideas, and suddenly a part of her was once again that young girl who’d dreamed of being a chef. Moreover, she didn’t have to skimp on ingredients because she had the money to spend and she knew that she’d more than earn it back.

  Nicole plopped down, clapped her hands and hollered, “Lydee,” when she saw Adrian’s schweschder.

  Her mamm once again sold another dozen items, further depleting her inventory.

  Everything was going well. It made no sense that she woke on Friday restless and out of sorts.

  “Your mood is probably caused by our beautiful weather.”

  “Shouldn’t the weather make me feel better?”

  “Not when you’ve been stuck in this house for a week.”

  “Gut point.”

  “I heard Adrian say he was going to be working in his vegetable garden. Why don’t you go and help him? You could take Nicole with you. Some time outside would do you both good.”

  Grace knew that she could go out and work in their own garden, but perhaps her mamm was wanting some time alone. She could certainly understand that. So she packed a sippy cup and snack for Nicole, grabbed an old blanket, put on Nicole’s lavender sweater and kapp, then tucked everything—including her doschder—into the stroller. They’d have to go down the lane and around by the road, but perhaps the walk was just what she needed.