The Healing

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  Hannah frowned as she set her brush down and turned to face him directly. “Are you forbidding me to stay here and help my mamm? Are you going to force me to go to the wedding with you, even though you know I won’t have a good time because I’d be worried about Mom the whole time we’re gone?”

  Timothy shook his head. “I’m not saying that at all. I just think …” He lifted his hands in defeat. “All right then, you can stay home and take care of your mamm, and I’ll take our dochder to Kentucky with me.”

  Hannah shook her head vigorously. “Mindy needs to be here with me.”

  “But you’ll be busy helping your mamm, and Mindy will be underfoot.”

  “No she won’t. I’ll take plenty of things to keep her busy while I’m at Mom and Dad’s house.” Hannah’s face softened as she placed her hand on Timothy’s shoulder. “You know how frustrated you become whenever Mindy cries and you can’t get her to settle down. I’m usually the only one who can make her stop crying and go to sleep.”

  “That’s true.” Timothy hated to give in, but Hannah was right—it would be hard for him to handle Mindy on his own. She’d probably wake up during the night, realize that her mother wasn’t there, and start howling. Most likely, he’d be up all night trying to settle her down.

  “Okay,” he finally conceded. “You and Mindy can stay home, and I’ll go to the wedding alone, but I really feel like you will be hurting Titus and Suzanne’s feelings by not showing up at their wedding.”

  “You won’t be alone,” Hannah said sweetly. “You’ll have your mamm, your daed, and all the rest of your family there with you, and I doubt Suzanne and Titus will even miss me.”

  “I think they will, and it sure won’t be the same for me without my fraa and dochder,” he muttered as he closed the lid on his suitcase and placed it on the floor.

  Hannah wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. “Mindy and I will miss you, too, but you’ll only be gone a few days, and then we’ll be together again.”

  That’s right. We’ll be together until your mamm needs you for something else, Timothy thought with regret. And just when I began to believe things were going better between us.

  Pembroke, Kentucky

  “I’m glad it’s working out that some of Titus’s family can stay here at the bed-and-breakfast,” Esther said to Bonnie as they sat in the living room, enjoying warm apple cider before they went to bed.

  Bonnie smiled. “Since I knew in plenty of time how many were coming and needed a place to stay, I was able to make sure I didn’t schedule any other guests during the time Titus’s family will be here.”

  Esther finished her cider and set the cup on the coffee table in front of the sofa. “When I spoke to Suzanne the other day, she said Titus is really excited about seeing all his family again, and of course, Suzanne is, too. She met his parents when they came to Kentucky once, but the rest of his family she only met briefly when she went with Titus to attend the funeral for Samuel’s wife. So hopefully, she’ll get to know them all a little better while they’re here.”

  “Allen told me about Samuel and Titus’s brother Zach having been kidnapped when Samuel was a child,” Bonnie said. “That was such an incredible story.”

  Esther nodded soberly. “Since Zach wasn’t reunited with his family until he was twenty-one, they all suffered a good deal during those years he was missing.”

  Bonnie stared at the flickering flames in the fireplace across the room. Reflecting on Samuel’s family being reunited with their long-lost son made her think of the baby girl she’d given birth to and never gotten to know. Where was her daughter now? Was she happy? Had she grown up in a good home? On more than one occasion, Bonnie had been tempted to search for the child, but she’d never followed through with the idea. She didn’t want to come between the child and her adoptive parents, and she wasn’t sure she could face her daughter and explain the circumstances of her conception or the reason she’d put the child up for adoption. No, she’d decided sometime ago to leave the matter alone. It was best for her and the child, who would now be a teenager.

  Bonnie yawned and rose from her seat. “I don’t know about you, but I’m tired and ready for bed.”

  “Guess I should head on out to the guest house.” Esther stood, too. “It’s been nice sitting here in the quiet, because in the next few days this old house will be filled with people who will probably be chattering away.”

  Bonnie patted Esther’s arm. “I’m sure you’re looking forward to meeting all of Samuel’s family, because with the way things are going between you and Samuel, I’d say by this time next year, they may be your family, too.”

  Esther’s eyes twinkled as she gave Bonnie a hopeful-looking smile. “I don’t want to hope too hard for something that might never happen, but marrying Samuel would surely be an answer to my prayers.”

  CHAPTER 46

  It’s so good to see you,” Titus’s mother said when she stepped out of the first van that had pulled in and hugged her son.

  “It’s good to see you, too, Mom.” Titus hugged his father next and then went down the line, hugging his sister, Abby; her husband, Matthew; and their seven children. Last, but not least, he grabbed his twin brother and gave him a big bear hug.

  “Where’s your family?” Titus asked Timothy. “Did Hannah and Mindy ride in one of the other vans?”

  Timothy’s eyes darkened as he shook his head. “Hannah’s mamm sprained her ankle, so Hannah thought she had to stay behind and take care of her.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad.” Titus had a hunch Hannah’s mother could have managed on her own, and from the look of irritation he saw on Timothy’s face, he was pretty sure Hannah may have used her mother’s sprained ankle as an excuse not to come. But why? What was so terrible about Kentucky that she didn’t want to come here? Didn’t Hannah want to get better acquainted with her new sister-in-law, or was she afraid that if she came to Kentucky, Timothy might decide he liked it here well enough to move? Poor Timothy must feel like a part of him was missing with his wife and daughter back in Pennsylvania rather than here with him, which is where they belonged.

  The other three vans pulled in, so Titus pushed his thoughts aside and went to greet the rest of his family. All his brothers and sisters and their children had come for the wedding. If Hannah and Mindy had come, their whole family would be here, and it would be like a big family reunion.

  “So now that we’re all here, tell us where we’re going to stay,” Titus’s mother said.

  He motioned to his double-wide manufactured home. “Well, you and Dad are welcome to stay here with me, but I thought you might rather stay with Samuel, since I’m sure you’re anxious to spend some time with your kinskinner.”

  “I would enjoy being close to the grandchildren,” Mom said with a nod. “Maybe Mary Ann, Abner, and their four kinner can stay here with you. Then your daed, me, Naomi, Caleb, and their kinner can stay with Samuel.”

  “That’s fine, and if Timothy doesn’t mind sleeping on the sofa, I’ve got room for him to stay here, too,” Titus said. “The house Samuel’s renting is big, so I’m pretty sure he’ll be able to put up several of our family members there. Some of the cousins can share a room with Samuel’s girls and some with the boys.”

  “Where will the rest of us stay?” Titus’s sister Nancy asked after she’d given Titus a hug.

  “We’re friends with a young woman who runs a bed-and-breakfast nearby, and she has six bedrooms, so some of you can stay there. Oh, and Suzanne’s mamm wants some of you to stay with them because they have a few extra rooms as well.”

  “Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out,” Dad said, clasping Titus’s shoulder. “So why don’t you ride in the van with us and show us the way to Samuel’s place?”

  “That’s what I figured on doing.” Titus smiled at Mary Ann. “If you and your family want to get settled in here, just go on in and look for the two bedrooms that have a pot of mums on the dresser. Suzanne’s f
amily grows ‘em, and she gave me a couple of plants the other day.”

  Mary Ann smiled, and the depth of her love could be seen in her pretty brown eyes. “It’s sure good to see you and finally know where you live, little brother.”

  “It’s good to see you, too,” Titus replied, giving his sister another hug.

  “Mama Fannie … Dad … everyone … It’s so great to see all of you.” Samuel could hardly speak around the lump in his throat. He hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed his family until seeing them right now.

  Naomi gave him a hug. “You look good, Samuel. You’ve put on a few pounds, which you really needed, and I see a look of contentment and peace on your face.”

  He smiled. “Jah, I think moving here has been good for me. The kinner, too,” he said, motioning to his four children, who were eagerly greeting their cousins.

  She gave his arm a squeeze. “I’m so glad.”

  “Same goes for me,” Naomi’s husband, Caleb, put in. “We miss you and Titus, but we’re glad you’ve begun new lives for yourselves and have found happiness here in Kentucky.”

  “I agree with that,” Dad said, clasping Samuel’s shoulder.

  Samuel looked at Mama Fannie, hoping she would add her affirmations, but she merely smiled and said, “In the nine months you’ve been gone, the kinner have sure grown.”

  Samuel glanced across the yard to where his children and their cousins were playing with Lucky. “You’re right about that. I can hardly keep ‘em in shoes anymore ‘cause their feet are growing so fast.”

  Titus motioned to the suitcases that had been unloaded from the van. “Why don’t we take all the luggage inside, and then we can ride over to the B&B with those who’ll be staying there? Mom and Dad are probably tired from the trip, so they can get settled in while we’re gone, and all the kinner can stay here, too, if they like.”

  “I’d like to go along,” Mama Fannie said. “Samuel’s told us so much about the B&B, and I’m anxious to see what it’s like.”

  “Sure, that’s a good idea,” Samuel said. “It’ll give me a chance to introduce you to both Bonnie and Esther.”

  “I see a couple of vans pulling into the yard,” Bonnie said, peering out her living room window. “I’ll bet it’s Samuel’s family.”

  Esther’s mouth went dry, and her palms grew sweaty. What if his family didn’t like her? What if they disapproved of Samuel starting to court again?

  “Come on, let’s go outside and greet them.” Bonnie hurried out the door, and although a bit hesitant, Esther followed.

  Esther did a double-take when she saw two men who looked very much alike standing together on the lawn. It didn’t take long for her to realize that one of them was Titus and the other was his twin brother, because the twin wore a beard, indicating that he was married.

  “This is my brother Timothy,” Titus said, motioning to the young man on his left.

  Esther smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Timothy.”

  “Wow,” Bonnie said, “you and Titus look so much alike. If Timothy wasn’t wearing a beard, I probably couldn’t tell you apart.”

  Titus chuckled and thumped his brother’s back. “We’ve been hearin’ that for most of our lives.”

  Timothy nodded with a grin. “We used to play tricks on our teacher when we were in school. Kept her guessin’ many times as to who was who.”

  “That’s not funny,” said the older woman standing beside a tall man with gray hair and a matching beard. “I think you and Titus are the reason your daed and I have so many gray hairs today.”

  Samuel stepped forward and motioned to Bonnie. “Mama Fannie, Dad, this is Bonnie Taylor. She owns the bed-and-breakfast.” He smiled at Bonnie. “These are my folks, Fannie and Abraham Fisher.”

  Bonnie extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you both.”

  Abraham smiled warmly, but Fannie barely gave Bonnie a nod.

  If Samuel’s stepmother is this unfriendly to Bonnie, Esther thought, I wonder how she’ll be with me.

  Samuel, red-faced and looking a bit uncomfortable, introduced Esther next.

  Esther shook his parents’ hands and was relieved when Fannie smiled and said, “It’s nice meeting you, Esther.”

  After Samuel had introduced Esther and Bonnie to the rest of his family, everyone went inside.

  “This house is so cozy,” Samuel’s sister Nancy said as Bonnie showed them around the B&B. “You’ve made it nice with so many special touches.”

  “Thanks, but Samuel gets the credit for a good deal of it,” Bonnie said. “He worked really hard painting and fixing things that were broken, as well as remodeling most of the rooms before I was able to open for business.”

  “So we heard.” Fannie’s forehead wrinkled as she glanced at Samuel. Esther wondered what the woman’s deep frown meant. Did Samuel’s mother feel that Bonnie had worked Samuel too hard, or was she displeased because Samuel had moved his family to Kentucky? Esther had heard him mention a few times that his mother had tried to talk him out of moving, so maybe that was the reason for her apparent displeasure.

  Samuel moved to stand beside Esther. “Uh—Mama Fannie, Dad, I’ve been wanting to tell you something.”

  “What’s that?” Fannie asked.

  “Not long ago, Esther and I began courting.”

  Esther held her breath and waited to hear their response. After several agonizing moments of silence, Fannie smiled and said, “I’m glad to hear that.”

  Abraham bobbed his head in agreement. “Jah, and I’d say that’s a real good thing.”

  Esther released her breath in a sigh of relief. If Samuel should ever decide to marry her, maybe his folks would be pleased about that, too.

  CHAPTER 47

  Well, this is the big day,” Suzanne’s mother said when Suzanne entered the kitchen. Mom poured a cup of coffee and handed it to her. “Are you naerfich?”

  Suzanne nodded. “I am a bit nervous, but I’m sure I’ll feel better once the wedding service starts.” She glanced around. “I’m surprised none of Titus’s family are out of bed yet.”

  “Oh, they’re up,” Mom said. “The men are outside helping Nelson and Chad with their chores, and the women and children went out to the barn to see the kittens that were born a week ago.”

  Suzanne smiled. “Kittens are always fun to watch—especially once they begin to move around and start wanting to cuddle.” She moved toward the stove. “What do you need my help with this morning?”

  Mom shook her head. “This is your special day, so I think you should just eat your breakfast and then go back to your room and get ready to become Titus’s wife.”

  With a sigh, Suzanne dropped into a chair at the table. “Do you think I’m really ready for marriage, Mom?”

  “Are you concerned about your cooking skills? Because if you are, I don’t think you need to worry at all. Esther taught you well, and your new husband should have no complaints. Besides, as I understand it, Titus likes to cook, too.”

  “I wasn’t thinking so much about my ability to cook. I’m more worried about how well Titus and I will get along once we’re living in the same house.”

  Mom poured herself some coffee and took a seat beside Suzanne. “You get along well enough now, so I don’t think it’ll be any different after you’re married.”

  “But I have my own opinion on things, and I know a wife is supposed to be submissive.”

  Mom gave a nod. “Being submissive doesn’t mean you don’t have a right to your opinion. When your daed was alive, we sometimes disagreed on how things should be done, but he always listened to my opinion. If we couldn’t reach an agreement, then I respected his wishes and went along with whatever he decided.” Mom patted Suzanne’s arm. “Just remember what the Bible says in 1 Peter 3:1 about marriage: ‘Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands.’ I’m sure the ministers will be talking about that in the wedding service today.”

  “Danki for the advice.” Suzanne smiled and clasped Mo
m’s hand. “I hope that by next fall, Esther and Samuel will be the ones getting married.”

  Walking beside his father, Timothy headed to the Yoders’ barn, where Titus and Suzanne’s wedding service would be held, since the Yoders’ house wasn’t large enough to accommodate all the guests. He spotted the bride and groom waiting to be seated, and his thoughts went to Hannah. He could still remember how beautiful she’d looked on the day of their wedding, and how nervous and excited he’d felt sitting across from her, listening to their bishop’s message on marriage and waiting to say their vows. He and Hannah had been so happy that day, and he’d been certain that was how it would always be.

  But things were different now; it seemed like all they did anymore was argue. If only he could get Hannah away from her mother, he was sure things would be better between them. If Hannah had just agreed to come here for the wedding, maybe seeing the love Suzanne and Titus felt for each other would have caused her to remember that she’d promised to love and be faithful to her husband. Not that she’d been unfaithful, but Timothy was still convinced that his wife cared more about her mother’s needs than his, and that had caused him to feel as if he didn’t hold first place in Hannah’s heart anymore. He felt cheated and hurt every time she wasn’t at home when he needed or wanted her to be.

  “Are you okay?” Dad whispered in Timothy’s ear. “You look umgerrent.”

  Timothy shook his head. “I’m not upset. Just thinking about Hannah right now.”

  Dad gave him an understanding nod. “It’s a shame she’s not with you today.”

  Maybe things will be better when I go home, Timothy thought. I’ve heard it said that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Since my birthday’s next week, maybe Hannah will plan something special for me, but if not, it would just be enough knowing she truly missed me.

  As Esther sat in a straight-backed, wooden chair next to Suzanne, tears pricked the back of her eyes. Her best friend would be standing in front of the bishop soon, saying her vows to her groom. She was happy that Suzanne was marrying the man she loved but wondered if things might change between her and Suzanne now that Suzanne was about to become a married woman. She’d be moving into Titus’s house, and her responsibilities would increase. Once children came along, she’d be busier than ever. Would Suzanne continue working at the woodshop with Titus and Nelson, or would she give that up and become a full-time housewife?