Room on the Porch Swing

by Amy Clipston

  The door swung open. Jamie stood on the threshold dressed in his uniform and holding a lantern.

  “Jamie.” She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light. “What are you doing here?”

  “Get dressed,” he ordered. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

  “What?” She shook her head, trying to make sense of his words. “Why?”

  “An ambulance just took Mollie there, and she was screaming for you.”

  Her blood ran cold as she jumped out of bed. “What happened to her?”

  “She’s been vomiting, and she has a fever.” Jamie’s expression was serious. “She was stable when I left his house, but Allen is a mess. They both need you.”

  She shivered and was suddenly queasy with fear. “I’ll be dressed in a minute.”

  “I’ll be downstairs.” He started out the door, and then she called him back.

  “How did you get here?”

  “One of Allen’s Englisher neighbors came out to see why the rescue vehicles were in his driveway. I asked him if he’d give me a ride to come and get you. He’s waiting to take us to the hospital.”

  “I’ll be right down.”

  “Jamie?” Mark’s voice sounded in the hallway. “What’s going on?”

  Jamie stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind him.

  Laura sucked in a deep breath as she pulled on a dress and put up her hair. Panic threatened as tears filled her eyes.

  As she finished dressing, she sent up a silent prayer.

  Please, God. Please heal sweet Mollie and calm Allen. And let me be a blessing to them.

  Allen held Mollie’s hand as he sat in a chair next to her hospital crib. Thankfully she slept as an IV dripped into her little arm. He glanced over at Irma Mae and Milton, who were sitting together on a small sofa with weary eyes.

  “You gave us a scare, little one,” he whispered to Mollie. “I’m not sure how I’m going to recover from this one.”

  A knock sounded on the door and then it opened. Jamie stood in the doorway. “How’s she doing?”

  “She’s going to be okay,” Milton responded.

  “The doctor thinks it’s a stomach virus,” Irma Mae chimed in. “But all her labs looked gut. They’re giving her fluids. Danki for sending someone over to get us.”

  “Gern gschehne. I’m glad she’s going to be okay.” Jamie stepped into the room. He glanced behind him and then over at Allen. “Someone here wants to see you and Mollie.” He gestured behind him, and Laura stepped into the room.

  Allen’s heart seemed to do an unsteady flop as he took in her beautiful face and red puffy eyes. Had she been crying for Mollie? He stood as his heart swelled with love and affection for her.

  “Laura.” He breathed her name.

  Mollie opened her eyes and looked up at Laura. “Lala.” Her voice croaked.

  “Mollie.” Laura came to her and leaned down to touch her hand. “How are you?”

  “Lala.” Mollie reached for her.

  “Oh, I can’t pick you up because you have medicine in your arm.” She looked at Allen. “But I’ll stay if your dat says it’s okay.”

  Irma Mae stood. “I think we can go home since Laura is here.” She looked at her husband. “Right, Milton?”

  “Ya.” Milton stood and turned toward Jamie. “I wonder if we can find a ride home.”

  “Ya. A couple of the guys from the station are in the waiting room. They’ll take you.” Jamie touched Laura’s arm. “I’m going to go too. Call the station if you need me.”

  “Danki.” She smiled at him and then said good night to Irma Mae and Milton.

  “I’ll call you when Mollie is released,” Allen told them as they left.

  “Gut nacht.” Irma Mae blew Mollie a kiss and then followed Milton and Jamie out the door.

  “How is she?” Laura asked as Mollie closed her eyes.

  “She’s going to be okay.” Allen’s voice sounded strange to his own ears. “Her exam was gut, and her lab results didn’t show any sign of infection. The doctor said it’s a stomach virus. They gave her some Pedialyte and the IV fluid to keep her from becoming dehydrated.”

  “Oh, praise God!” Her voice sounded thick. “I was so worried when Jamie came to get me.”

  “I was worried too.” He scrubbed one hand down his face and beard. “She woke me up screaming, and then she started vomiting. All I could think about was what happened to Savilla. I just tried to get her here as soon as I could. I keep wondering if I’d gotten Savilla here sooner, then maybe she’d still be—”

  His voice broke as tears trickled down his cheeks. He covered his face with his hands as all the fear, anxiety, and frustration of the last year poured out of him. His body quaked as he fought for control of his emotions.

  Then he felt arms encircle his waist. Laura pulled him against her, and something inside of him melted—something cold and hard. Was it his fear, his loneliness, or his grief? He knew in a flash that it was all three and more. Laura was here. For the first time since he’d lost Savilla, he felt his ever-present loneliness deflate like a worn-out balloon.

  He rested his cheek on her prayer covering and breathed in the flowery scent of her shampoo. His body relaxed as her touch and compassion calmed him. She was the balm his damaged soul needed.

  “What happened to Savilla wasn’t your fault.” Her voice was warm and comforting in his ear, like a gentle caress. “It was God’s will, so stop blaming yourself. You took gut care of her, just like you take gut care of Mollie.”

  He nodded and sniffed as he worked harder to control his crashing emotions, and then he took a shuddering breath as his tears subsided. “I was so afraid. I kept thinking I was going to lose her and then be all alone.”

  “She’s going to be fine.” Laura looked up at him, her eyes fierce. “And you’re not alone.”

  He stared down at her, losing himself for a moment in the depths of her blue eyes. “How long are you going to stay?”

  “I’m here for as long as you want me.” She cupped her hand to his cheek, and he leaned into her touch. “I’m sorry I pulled away from you after the day you hugged me. I was confused, and I thought staying away was the right solution. But I’ve realized I was wrong. I miss you and Mollie, and I can’t bear to stay away.”

  “I’m sorry I scared you off, but I can’t deny how I feel about you.”

  “How do you feel about me?”

  “You’re my best freind. You taught me how to love again and how to be a better dat.” He took her hands in his, enjoying the feel of her skin.

  “Laura, you’re my first thought in the morning and my last thought before I go to sleep at night. Ich liebe dich. I thought maybe I was confused, but I know it for sure now. I kept telling myself I shouldn’t love you, not only because you’re Savilla’s best freind but because it’s so soon after we lost her. But Irma Mae encouraged me to follow my heart. She said Savilla would want us to be froh, and I’ve concluded that she’s right. Why wouldn’t Savilla want us to be froh?”

  “I love you too.” She sniffed as her eyes glistened with tears. “And I love Mollie. I felt guilty for falling for you because I believed I was disrespecting Savilla’s memory, but last night Florence said something that made me realize it was okay. She said you and I both love Savilla, and it makes sense that we would grieve together. She said it was Savilla who brought us together, and God leads us to the people we’re supposed to love. I think she’s right.”

  His chest swelled with happiness. “I think so too. You’re everything to me. You make me laugh, and you listen to me when I need a freind. You order me around and keep me in line. You’ve been my strength through the hardest time in my life. I can’t imagine my life without you.”

  She gave him a watery smile. “I feel the same way about you. I can’t imagine my life without you or Mollie.”

  He wiped away her tears with the tip of his finger. Then he leaned down and brushed his lips over hers, sending heat roaring through his veins.
/>
  “Ich liebe dich, Laura. If your father agrees, will you be my girlfriend?”

  She nodded. “Ya, I’d love that.”

  As he pulled her into his arms, he silently thanked God for leading him and Mollie to Laura and giving him a second chance at love.

  THIRTY-THREE

  “Laura,” Dat said as he approached her in the back of the barn. “Could you please come over here for a moment?”

  “Ya, of course.” She nodded at some of the guests who had come to celebrate her brother’s wedding, then followed her dat to a far corner of Kayla’s father’s barn. All three of Laura’s siblings stood there with Florence, her three children, and her grandchildren. Laura moved to stand next to Mark.

  “What’s going on?” Mark asked.

  “I have an announcement to make.” Dat glanced at Florence, and they smiled at each other. “Florence and I have been talking, and we’ve decided we’re ready to start a life together. We’re going to get married next month, and we couldn’t wait to tell you.”

  Laura’s mouth dropped open as she turned to look at her shocked twin.

  “That’s wunderbaar,” Jamie said, hugging his father. “We’re so froh for you.”

  “Congratulations.” Laura hugged her father and then hugged Florence. “Welcome to the family.”

  Florence rested her hand on Laura’s shoulder. “I know this will be an adjustment for everyone, but I promise I’ll take gut care of your dat.”

  Laura smiled. “I know you will.”

  Mark tapped her shoulder. “I’m going outside for some air.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you later.”

  After talking with Florence’s children for a few minutes, Laura searched the sea of faces for Allen. She couldn’t wait to tell him the news. He’d run to the house to check on Mollie a short while ago. She crossed the barn and then made her way to the doors leading to the outside.

  She shivered and hugged her wrap against her body as she stepped out of the barn and breathed in the cold December air. She looked up at the sunset splashing the sky with vivid colors of red and orange.

  The day had been perfect. Her older brother had married the love of his life, and Kayla was now her sister. And to make the day even more perfect, her father had announced his engagement. How her life had changed in just a few months!

  “Laura.” Allen jogged over to her and took her hand. “I was just coming to find you.”

  “How’s Mollie?” She smiled up at him.

  “Fast asleep in her play yard in Kayla’s parents’ room. I think the wedding wore her out.”

  Laura covered her hand with her mouth to cover a yawn. “I agree. The wedding wore me out too.”

  He laughed and then pointed to the back porch. “Can we sit and talk for a bit?”

  “Ya, that would be nice. I have something to tell you.” She allowed him to steer her down the path leading to the house and then up the steps to the porch. They sat together on the glider, and she couldn’t help but think of their conversations on Allen’s front porch. That was where their special friendship had blossomed, and her love for him had started to grow.

  There’s room on the porch swing for you, he’d said.

  “What did you want to tell me?” he asked as he pushed the glider into motion.

  “Mei dat just announced he’s engaged and getting married next month.”

  “No!” Allen’s eyes widened.

  “Ya, he did.”

  “How do you feel about it?”

  “I’m okay.” She hugged her wrap even tighter against her body. “It’s going to be challenging as we become a blended family, but we’ll get through it. I just want mei dat to be froh.”

  He smiled. “That’s a gut way to look at it.”

  Laura’s gaze moved to the bench near the pasture fence, and she shook her head when she spotted Mark sitting there, surrounded by a group of four young women. He looked as if he were telling a story while they all listened with rapt attention.

  “What are you looking at?” Allen’s voice was close to her ear.

  “Mei bruder.” She pointed to the bench. “He’s the life of the party. All the maed love him. When is he going to settle down?”

  “Who knows?” He shrugged. “Maybe never?”

  “Oh, don’t say that. I’d like to see him fall in love. He’d make a gut husband and dat if he could just pick one maedel.”

  “Speaking of picking one maedel, I want to talk to you about something.”

  She turned toward him, and her pulse zipped at the intensity in his eyes. “Okay.”

  He angled his body toward hers and took her hands in his. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. You’re very important to me. In fact, you’re the most important person in my life—other than Mollie, of course.”

  “You’re important to me too.”

  “I believe God sent you to help me with Mollie for a reason. You quickly became my confidante. You were the only person who would ask me how I was doing and really want to know the truth. You saw me at my worst and encouraged me when I felt like I was falling apart.” He paused. “I’ve thought about what Florence said to you about how Savilla brought us together, and I believe that.”

  “I do too.” She squeezed his hands. “You’ve been my best freind since I first came to work for you in July, but I was too blind to see it. I was so worried about hurting Rudy that I didn’t even realize you were a better freind to me than he could ever be. You were the one protecting me and encouraging me when I was low. You helped me through my grief for mei mamm and Savilla, and you listened to me when I was confused about mei dat’s relationship with Florence. You’re the person I want to share all my secrets with. When something exciting happens, you’re the first person I want to tell. I can’t imagine my life without you or Mollie.”

  “Danki.” He swallowed, and something that looked like fear flashed across his face. “We haven’t been together officially for very long at all, but I can’t stop feeling like God and Savilla want you, Mollie, and me to be together permanently. I think they all want us to be a family.”

  Her breath stalled in her lungs as her hands quaked.

  “I’ve already spoken to your dat, and he’s given me his blessing. Now I need to ask you.”

  Her heart thumped, and now her whole body trembled.

  “Laura, I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I’d be honored if you would marry me and adopt Mollie.” He held up his hand before she could respond. “I know this is soon, but I can’t wait to start a life with you. Would you consider being mei fraa?”

  “Ya! Ya! I’d be honored to be your fraa and Mollie’s mamm.”

  “I’m so glad.” He leaned down, and her breath hitched in her lungs.

  When he brushed his lips across hers, the contact sent her stomach fluttering with the wings of a thousand butterflies. She closed her eyes and savored the taste of his mouth against hers. This was how true love was supposed to feel. Allen was the one God had sent to her.

  When they parted, his baby-blue eyes were intense once again. “I’m so thankful God brought you into our lives. Mollie and I will cherish you forever. Ich liebe dich.”

  “I will cherish you and Mollie forever. I can’t wait to start my life with you both.” She cupped her hand to his cheek. “Ich liebe dich. Danki for being mei best freind.”

  As Allen pulled her close for a hug, Laura felt overwhelming gratitude—and silently thanked God for allowing her to love him and Mollie.

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1.Laura is certain she’s supposed to stay with Rudy even though their relationship has deteriorated over time. She’s also worried she’ll never find true love or have a family if they break up. What do you think caused her to change her point of view on love throughout the story?

  2.Allen is devastated when Savilla dies unexpectedly. Have you faced a difficult loss? What Bible verses helped you? Share this with the group.

  3.Toward the end of the story, Florence con
vinces Laura to allow herself to love Allen. She tells her Savilla would want Laura and Allen to be together, if that’s what makes them happy. Do you agree with Florence’s assessment of the situation? Share this with the group.

  4.Laura feels alienated from her family when she’s the last to know her father is dating Florence. Think of a time when you felt lost, alone, forgotten. Where did you find your strength? What Bible verses would help?

  5.Laura is shocked when Rudy admits he had his mother tell the bishop Laura was staying overnight at Allen’s house to help care for Mollie. Why do you think Rudy did that? Do you think his motive was pride, jealousy, or something else?

  6.Vernon is concerned his new relationship with Florence might upset his children, but he also feels it’s time for him to find love again. Can you relate to Vernon and his experience? How?

  7.By the end of the book, Allen believes Savilla would approve of his feelings for Laura. What do you think helped him realize it was okay for him to not only love again, but to love Laura?

  8.Which character can you identify with the most? Which character seems to carry the most emotional stake in the story? Is it Allen, Laura, Rudy, or someone else?

  9.What role did Mollie play in Allen and Laura’s relationship? How did she help to reconcile their relationship at the end of the book?

  10.What did you know about the Amish before reading this book? What did you learn?

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  As always, I’m thankful for my loving family, including my mother, Lola Goebelbecker; my husband, Joe; and my sons, Zac and Matt. I’m blessed to have such an awesome and amazing family that puts up with me when I’m stressed out on a book deadline.

  Special thanks to my mother and my dear friend Becky Biddy, who graciously read the draft of this book to check for typos. Thank you, Becky, for your daily notes of encouragement. Your friendship is a blessing! Thank you also to Jessica Miller, RN, for her medical research for this book.

  Thank you to Janet Jeter for help with the twin research. You’re so blessed to not only have a twin brother, but also another set of twins in your family! Thank you for giving me pointers on Laura and Mark’s connection. I’m so grateful to have you as one of my work buddies.