“Are you okay?”
“Before or after this encounter?”
She laughed, caressing his face. “I was so worried.”
“I know.” He gazed into her eyes. “I’ve been doing everything I could to get here. I didn’t want you to worry. How’s Beth?”
“The midwife got here, and Beth and Jonah have a healthy baby boy.”
“Gut. Now I’ve got something I want to say.” He pulled a glove off and ran the backs of his fingers against her cheek. “I love you, Sadie. And I want to marry you if you’ll have me. If you need to serve a year or two of missions first, I’ll wait. But I don’t want to live a lifetime without you.”
His words burrowed deep into her soul. He loved her! Not only did he want to marry her. He trusted her enough to fearlessly do so. Her heart jumped and skipped, but she couldn’t find her voice.
Thank You, God, for bringing Levi and me together, for being greater than all the trials that have damaged and molded us.
Her soul overflowed, but she was unable to respond. She stood, and then helped him up. She picked up the snowshoes and held them up to him, silently asking questions.
He shook his head. “I’ve had a night like I can’t believe. The kind only God could get me through.” He put his arm around her shoulders, and they began walking toward the house. “I’d say someone’s been praying.”
She looked up at him. “Lots of someones—including me. One of my prayers went like this: ‘Dear God, please help Levi get home so I can tell him that I’m not leaving Apple Ridge and that I’ll make an excellent wife—not perfect, mind you, but excellent.’ ”
Levi halted and studied her. “Well, I survived last night, and I’m right here with you. I mean … I’m not dreaming.”
She smiled. “I could slap you to prove it.”
He barked out a laugh. “The first memory I have of you is being slapped, and then you threatened to do it again if I didn’t stay awake.”
“And look at us now. If something proves successful, it bears repeating. But we’ve grown a bit since then. Maybe I should kick you instead.”
He laughed and pulled her into his arms. Despite his exhaustion, she felt the magnitude of strength within him. As cold as the air around them was, all she could feel was the warmth of his love.
He held her close. “I look forward to a lifetime of being with you. How about a kiss instead?”
“Well … since it is Christmas.”
His warm lips met hers and lingered. “Merry Christmas, Sadie.”
“The first of many, Levi.” And she looked forward to every day with him between each Christmas, to honor and cherish him and their marriage, to assure him there was nowhere she’d rather be than by his side.
She lowered her head to his chest as the beauty of dawn began to sparkle against the snow. The sky held clouds of lavender and pink and orange.
It was a dawn to remember—the first one they’d share—the dawn of their first Christmas.
OATMEAL AND HONEY SOAP
9 ounces olive oil
4 ounces coconut oil
3 ounces palm oil
1 ounce castor oil
¼ cup colloidal oatmeal
1 ounce honey
2.52 ounces lye
8 fluid ounces water
*optional: extra whole oats and honey
Directions:
1. Prepare the lye water. Set it aside to cool.
2. Melt the solid oils together. Set them aside to cool.
3. Mix the olive oil, castor oil, and oatmeal.
4. When the solid oils are approximately 120° Fahrenheit and the lye water has cooled to approximately 100° Fahrenheit, gently pour the lye water into the oils. (Never pour oils into lye.)
5. Stir until trace.*
6. Add the oatmeal mixture and then the honey until well mixed.
7. Pour into prepared molds and cover with plastic wrap. (Optional: sprinkle whole oats and drizzle honey lightly over the top of the curing soap.)
8. Allow to stand covered for 48 hours.
9. Remove from molds and cut as desired.
10. Allow to age in open air for 2 to 3 weeks before using.
I’d like to thank a reader friend for sharing her soap recipe with us. Thank you, Kristin Lail! I connected with Kristin through Facebook and later discovered she’s an avid reader and book reviewer who loves to make soaps. She’s a wife and mom to five daughters. If you’d like to read Kristin’s reviews or purchase some of her soaps, you’ll find her website at www.ASimplyEnchantedLife.com. Or you can find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Senchanted.
* Trace is the stage of soap making when the ingredients are fully mixed and ready for additives and pouring into molds. In the mixing process when the ingredients resemble vanilla pudding, when the mixture is thick enough that dripping some of it across the top of the mixture leaves a trail of drips that don’t immediately sink back into the liquid, you have reached trace.
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The Dawn of Christmas: A Romance from the Heart of Amish Country Page 15