Pulling her head scarf a little closer to her face, Cora seated herself on a wooden bench along the back wall of the schoolhouse. Coming here reminded her of the day she’d slipped into Leah and Adam’s wedding without them knowing. She’d left early that day, not wanting to be noticed, and would leave tonight as soon as she saw her granddaughters perform.
Cora glanced around the room, looking for Adam and Leah. All she saw were the backs of people’s heads, so she couldn’t be certain where they were seated. I hope no one recognizes me. If Adam knew I was here, he’d be upset. It’s asking a lot, but I wish he’d give me a second chance.
Cora sat in rapt attention as the program began. Several scholars sang and gave their recitations, some shyly, some wiggling and giggling. A lump formed in her throat when the two young girls she was certain were her granddaughters said their parts. If only I felt free to tell them who I am, she thought once more. How much longer can I go without talking to Adam again?
“I thought you were going to the school Christmas program tonight,” Mom said when she came into the kitchen where Priscilla sat at the table, making Christmas cards.
“I was planning to go, but I’ve been busy helping Elaine with her dinners and haven’t had time to make cards, let alone do any Christmas baking or buy gifts.” Priscilla frowned. “I’m not even sure what to get for Elam or David.”
Mom pursed her lips. “Why would you buy David a Christmas present? He hasn’t been courting you.”
“I realize that, Mom, but David’s a good friend, and he’s laid up with a broken leg. I thought it would be nice to get him something.” Her defenses rising, she plunked the rubber stamp she’d been using into the ink pad a little too hard. “I’ll bet Elam plans to buy David a gift, too.”
“Does Elam know you’re planning to give David a gift?”
“I haven’t told him, but I’m sure he’d have no objections.”
Mom folded her arms across her chest. “I hope you won’t take this the wrong way, daughter, but you’re making a fehler.”
“It’s not a mistake.” Priscilla realized where this was going and was ready to nip it in the bud if Mom went too far with giving her opinion about David. She’d already expressed her disapproval, but Priscilla thought her mother was wrong. Time and again, Priscilla had reiterated there was nothing but friendship between her and David. She was sure Elam was aware of it, too.
Mom took a seat at the table. “If you keep showing David so much attention, Elam is bound to be jealous.”
Priscilla shook her head determinedly. “I think you’re wrong, and I’m sorry you disapprove of David. I can assure you, though, my friendship with him is not going to come between me and Elam.”
“I hope you’re right.” Mom turned and ambled out of the kitchen.
Looking at her ink-stained fingers, Priscilla huffed. If Mom got to know David better, she’d see how nice he is. I wish she wasn’t so controlling.
“That was a nice Christmas program,” Leah said as they headed home. “Amy and Linda, you did a good job.”
Adam nodded. “I agree. And you didn’t seem naerfich at all.”
“I was at first,” Amy admitted. “But when I looked out and saw you and Leah smiling at us, I didn’t feel nervous anymore.”
“Me, neither,” Linda agreed. “It was kinda fun. That nice lady sittin’ in the back of the room smiled at us, too.”
“What lady?” Adam questioned.
“I don’t know her name. She left as soon as me and Amy were done.”
Leah glanced over her shoulder. “Was it Elaine, Priscilla, or one of our other Amish friends?” She’d invited several of their close friends to attend but hadn’t seen Priscilla or Elaine among those in attendance.
Linda shook her head. “It was that English lady who stopped and talked to us on our way to school this morning. She wanted some oier.”
Leah’s forehead creased. “Why would anyone think you had eggs?”
“She didn’t think that,” Amy explained. “The woman asked if anyone sold fresh eggs in the area.”
“Are you sure she was the same person you saw at the program tonight?” Adam questioned.
Linda shrugged. “I think so.” She turned to Carrie. “Next year when you go to school, you’ll have a part in the program, too.”
Grinning widely, Carrie bobbed her head. “It’ll be fun.”
Turning to face the front of the buggy, Leah reflected on what Linda had said. I wonder who the English woman was. How come she left early? I wish I’d thought to turn and look in the back. I may have recognized her.
CHAPTER 12
As Cora drove home, with Christmas music playing on her car radio, she thought about the program she’d just attended. It had been difficult to sit at the back of the room, watching the Amish children say their parts, unable to acknowledge her granddaughters in public. Leaving before the program was over had been just as hard. Cora imagined what it had been like after the play, when parents, relatives, and friends greeted the children. If only I could have been a part of tonight, giving hugs to my granddaughters and telling them how well they’d both done. When I see Leah again, I may ask her to speak to Adam on my behalf.
Since Christmas was a few days away, Cora would wait until the holiday was over.
Maybe I should send anonymous gifts to the girls. Cora’s shoulders tensed. Guess that’s not a good idea. Adam would probably figure out who had sent them and pull away even further.
Cora felt sure this was part of her punishment. She felt cheated not being able to share in tonight’s activities. She wondered how it had been for Adam or Mary when they’d taken part in school Christmas programs. How terrible it must have been for them to look out into the audience and not see their mother.
Cora realized this Christmas would be bittersweet. The sweet part would be spending time with Jared—especially since they’d been getting along better. The bitter part was being unable to repair her relationship with Adam. She also longed for a connection with her granddaughters, instead of seeing the girls from a distance or speaking to them as a stranger. If I’d known who little Carrie was the day Leah brought her to the clinic after she’d been stung by bees, I would have given her a hug.
The more time that passed without speaking with Adam, the more frustrated Cora became. The damage she’d done by leaving Adam and Mary could not be repaired. But if he would give her a chance, she would prove that she could be a good grandmother to Mary’s girls. In time, she might even be able to restore the broken relationship with her son. After all, everyone deserved a second chance, didn’t they?
As Cora drew closer to home, she took several deep breaths to calm her nerves. It wouldn’t be good if she walked in the door, tense and moody. When Jared returned from Scott’s, it wouldn’t be good if she was tense and moody. He might ask questions she wasn’t ready to answer.
When Cora pulled into her driveway, she was surprised to see a parked car blocking her access to the garage. At first she thought it might be Scott’s dad dropping Jared off. But she’d seen his vehicle before, and this car definitely was not his.
Turning off the ignition, Cora stepped out of her car. Being careful not to slip on the icy sidewalk, she made her way to the house.
When she entered her living room, she was taken by surprise. Jared sat on the couch watching some crazy TV show. His friend from Chicago sat beside him.
“What’s going on?” Cora stood between the boys and the television. She grabbed the remote from the coffee table and hit the mute button.
“Oh, hi, Mom. Where have you been?” Jared looked up at her and smiled. Did he really expect a smile in response?
“Yes, I am, and never mind the meeting. I thought you were studying with Scott this evening.” She motioned to Chad. “What are you doing here, young man?”
“He came to see me,” Jared responded before Chad could open his mouth.
Cora tapped her foot. “I thought I had made it clear…”
“My mom and stepdad kicked me out.” Chad frowned. “Can you believe they’d do somethin’ like that right before Christmas?”
“I thought your parents were on a cruise.” Either Jared had lied to Cora, or Chad lied to him. Either way, Cora was going to find out the truth.
Chad reached for the can of soda pop on the coffee table and took a drink. “They were gonna go, but then somethin’ came up and they had to cancel at the last minute.”
Cora didn’t know whether Chad was telling the truth or not, but she did know this young man had been deceitful when he’d hung around Jared in Chicago. “Would you mind telling me why they kicked you out?”
Chad shrugged his shoulders. “Beats me. Shawn’s never liked me much. And Mom, well, she goes along with whatever he says.”
Jared left his seat and stood beside Cora. “Look, Mom, Chad came all the way here, and he has no place else to go. Is it okay if he spends the night?”
Cora clenched her teeth. She couldn’t very well send the kid out into the cold, but having him stay here was not a good choice, either.
“Please, Mom.” Jared tugged on her arm. “I know we don’t have a spare bedroom, but Chad can sleep on the couch, or on the floor in my room.”
Unable to keep from sighing, Cora said, “Okay, but it’s only for tonight. Understand?”
Jared nodded.
“Thanks, Mrs. Finley.” Grinning, Chad ran his fingers through the ends of his shaggy blond hair. “I sure appreciate it.”
“The couch will be more comfortable than sleeping on the floor. I’ll get you a blanket after I have some tea.” Handing the remote to her son, Cora reminded him to keep the volume lowered.
I must be out of my mind, Cora thought as she made her way to the kitchen to brew some tea. In the morning, she would fix Chad some breakfast and insist he go home. Surely his parents would take him back.
“Danki for making penuche this morning,” Amy said as Leah and the girls sat at the breakfast table the next morning. Since he needed to open the store a bit early this morning, Adam had already left.
“You’re welcome.” Leah smiled. “I know how much you girls like pancakes.”
“I like french toast, too,” Linda said around a mouthful of food.
“Please don’t talk with your mouth full,” Leah reminded. “It’s not polite.”
Linda finished the pancake and grabbed her glass of milk. “Sorry ’bout that.”
Leah noticed a blotch of syrup on Carrie’s chin, so she reached over and wiped it with a napkin.
“I’ve been wondering about something.” Leah leaned closer to Linda. “The woman you mentioned who asked you about eggs, what did she look like?”
Linda shrugged, but Amy answered Leah’s question. “She had red hair.”
“Was she young or an older woman?”
“Older, I guess.” Amy paused to take another pancake. “Course she wasn’t old like our bishop’s wife. Margaret has lots of wrinkles.”
“Wrinkles can be a sign of several things, Amy. They can be an indication of many years of life. Unfortunately, wrinkles can also be due to stress, or even pain someone is dealing with,” Leah explained.
“Sorry. Guess I shouldn’t have said that.” Amy lowered her head.
“We learn from many lessons in life, so I’m glad you understand.” Leah patted the child’s arm. “Do you remember the color of the lady’s car?”
“It was gray,” Linda spoke up.
Leah dropped her fork. Could it have been Cora who talked to the girls? Was she at the schoolhouse last night, watching from the back? I’d better not say anything to Adam about this. At least not until I know if it was Cora.
Cora entered the living room and groaned. Chad lay sprawled on the couch in a pair of sweat pants, but no shirt. With his bare arms and shoulders exposed, she couldn’t help noticing several tattoos. What was that boy thinking, and where were his parents when he marked up his body that way?
Since she was a nurse, Cora had seen a good many people with tattoos that they had chosen to get. But seeing Chad’s and knowing he was barely eighteen made her wonder how long ago he’d done it and whether he’d had his parents’ permission.
Moving into the kitchen, Cora was surprised to see Jared at the table, eating a bowl of cereal. “You workin’ today, Mom?” he asked, barely glancing at her.
“Yes, of course I am, and when I get home this afternoon, I expect your friend to be gone. Is that understood?”
Jared’s posture slumped. “So you’re just gonna throw Chad out on the street, the way his folks did?”
“I am not throwing him on the street. He doesn’t belong here, Jared. I went against my better judgment letting him even spend the night.”
“If Chad leaves here, he’ll have no place to go and will spend Christmas alone.”
“Chad doesn’t have to be alone. He can go home and make things right with his mother and stepfather.” Cora moved across the room to get some coffee started. “If I’d known you were going to give me a hard time about this, I would have insisted Chad leave last night.”
Jared’s chair scraped the floor as he pushed away from the table. “I promise, when you get home from work today, Chad won’t be here.”
“That’s good.” The last thing Cora needed was one more problem. All she wanted was for her and Jared to enjoy a nice, quiet Christmas without any issues or complications.
Mattoon
“I’m glad you were free to go shopping with me this morning.” Priscilla smiled as she and Elaine made their way down the aisle at Wal-Mart. “In addition to picking up a few things I need myself, I want to get a Christmas present for David.”
Elaine tipped her head. “Really? I thought you’d be buying something for Elam.”
“I am. I’ll be going to the Country Shoe Shop to buy a new dress hat for Elam.” Priscilla wrinkled her nose. “The one he’s been wearing for church has seen better days.”
“A hat sounds like a nice gift. I’m sure he will appreciate getting a new one.”
“I hope so.” Priscilla gestured to the books. “This is what I’m looking for. David enjoys reading stories set in the Old West, so I’ll buy him a paperback novel, but it needs to be from the inspirational section.”
Priscilla looked at several books and finally settled on a historical novel, written by a Christian author. “What are you giving Ben for Christmas?”
Elaine rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I’ve been so busy with all the dinners we’ve hosted lately, I haven’t had time to do any shopping until today.”
“Do you know what he would like?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe I’ll ask one of Ben’s sisters.”
Priscilla looked to her left and spotted Jonah’s mother, Sarah Miller, heading their way.
“I see I’m not the only one out shopping on this chilly morning.” Sarah smiled. “Are you two looking for Christmas presents or just shopping for general items?”
“A little of both.” Priscilla gestured to Sarah’s shopping cart, full of grocery items. “Are you buying for Christmas dinner?”
“Jah.” Sarah pushed a strand of silver-gray hair back under her head covering. “We’re keeping Christmas fairly simple this year, what with Jonah losing Sara and all. But it’s still important to share a nice meal and do something special for the kinner.”
“Speaking of Jonah’s children, where are Mark and the baby today?”
“They’re with the parents of Sara’s first husband this morning. It would have been too difficult for me to get any shopping done with the two little ones. Besides, Mark’s grandparents have a right to spend time with him, and it’s good for them to get to know Mark’s half sister, too.”
“How is Jonah doing?” Elaine asked, joining the conversation.
Sarah sighed. “He’s still struggling with his wife’s death, but taking one day at a time. Raymond and I are doing our best to help him get through it. Fortunately, the baby is too little to know what’s happened to her
mamm, but for Mark’s sake, we need to put on a happy face and make Christmas special. He still cries for his mother and clings to Jonah when he comes home from work at night.” Tears welled in her eyes. “Jonah has been working twice as hard since Sara died, so he doesn’t spend as much time with the children as he should.”
“Maybe he needs to stay busy in order to keep going.” Elaine rubbed her arms, as if she were cold. “That’s how I got through the loss of my grandmother.”
“I suppose you’re right. I’m thankful Raymond and I left our home in Pennsylvania and moved here when we did. Not only has it given Jonah and his daed the chance to work together again, but we’re clearly needed to help raise Jonah’s kinner.” Sarah turned her shopping cart around. “Guess I’d better get checked out. I’ve kept my driver waiting long enough.”
When Jonah’s mother moved on, Priscilla noticed Elaine’s pained expression. She felt certain her friend had never stopped loving Jonah. No doubt Elaine wanted to reach out to Jonah but didn’t think it would be appropriate so she was holding back.
Priscilla wondered how things would be right now if Jonah had married Elaine and not Sara. Certain events that happened to people could cause them to take a different course than they’d originally planned. It was hard to know sometimes which way to go. David was a prime example, for the course of his life had changed the day he’d given up the idea of becoming a vet and dropped out of school. Priscilla wondered whether he would stay in Arthur or return to Chicago and resume his schooling to study for some other profession. If he stayed here, what would he do for a living?
CHAPTER 13
Arthur
Where’s Priscilla?” Daniel asked as he entered the kitchen where Iva was busily putting ginger cookies into a container. “With everything to be done before our family arrives for Christmas Eve, I thought she’d be here helping you.”
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