The Restoration

by Brunstetter, Wanda E. ;

  “She left a few hours ago. Said she had Christmas gifts she wanted to give to a few of her friends.” Iva handed her husband a cookie. “I’m guessing David might be one of those friends. She’s been seeing a lot of him lately, and I’m bekimmere.”

  “Why are you concerned?” Daniel bit into the cookie. “Yum! Nice and chewy, just the way I like ’em.”

  “I’m worried David might be interested in our daughter and persuade her to leave the Amish faith.”

  Daniel shook his head. “That’s not likely. We need to put our daughter’s situation in the Lord’s hands and not meddle in her life. She’s an adult and has a good head on her shoulders.”

  “You’re right, Daniel.”

  “Have you been praying for Priscilla?”

  Iva’s hands went straight to her hips. “Of course I’ve been praying, but David could win Priscilla over if Elam doesn’t ask her to marry him soon.”

  “Just give him some time.”

  “How much time does he need? If Elam really cares about our daughter, then he ought to be committed enough to marry her, don’t you think?”

  Daniel reached into the container and took another cookie. “Not every man is as eager to propose as quickly as I did.” He leaned closer and kissed her cheek. “I could tell you were a good woman when we first met, and I wasn’t about to let ya go.”

  Iva snickered and snapped the lid on the container before he could snatch another cookie. Sobering, she said, “Priscilla was umgerennt when I told her I’d intercepted those letters David sent her when he went off to college.”

  Daniel’s brows lifted. “You did what?”

  “Even back then, I thought they were getting too close, so when I found his first letter in our mailbox, I threw it away.” Iva’s eyes watered. “I knew it was wrong, but when more letters came, I intercepted them as well.”

  Daniel frowned. “When did you admit this to Priscilla?”

  “The other day. As I said, she was very upset.”

  “And with good reason.”

  “After David told Priscilla he’d written to her several times and wondered why she never responded, she asked if I knew anything about the letters.” Iva pursed her lips, heat spreading across her face. “What I did back then was bad enough. I couldn’t look my daughter in the face and lie about it now. I wish I could change the past.”

  “Did you apologize to Priscilla?”

  “Of course.”

  “What’s done is done.” He took a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. “There’s no going back, and hopefully you learned from the mistake.”

  “I certainly did.”

  “Now, getting back to the situation with Priscilla and Elam. If you like, I could have a talk with him—find out what his intentions are.”

  Iva smiled. “Good idea. Maybe all Elam needs is a little nudge.”

  “What’s this?” David asked when Priscilla handed him a gift.

  “It’s a Christmas present.”

  He grimaced.

  “What’s wrong? Don’t you like gifts?”

  “It’s not that.” David propped his foot on the coffee table and leaned into the sofa cushions. “I’m sorry, Priscilla, but I have nothing to give you. Gramps’s back went out two days ago when he hauled in the Christmas tree, and Gram has been too busy taking care of him to drive me into town.”

  Taking a seat beside him, Priscilla shook her head. “It’s okay. I didn’t expect a gift in return. Besides, what I got isn’t anything big, but I hope you’ll like it.”

  David was about to open the gift when his grandmother entered the room.

  “Hello, Mrs. Morgan.” Priscilla stood. “I’m sorry to hear about your husband’s back. I know it means extra work for you right now, so if there’s anything I can do to help out, let me know.”

  “Honey, you didn’t have to get up on my account.” Letty smiled. “It’s nice of you to offer to help, but Walt’s doing some better today, and I have things pretty much under control. We’re going to have a nice, quiet Christmas.”

  “Which is fine by me,” David put in. “I like being here where it’s quiet and peaceful.”

  Letty’s eyes shone as she looked lovingly at her grandson. “We like having you, Davey. And Priscilla, please call me Letty.”

  After Letty left the room to check on Walt and the cookies she had baking, David opened his gift. “Hey, thanks! How’d you know I like western novels?”

  “You mentioned it once.”

  David held the book up. “This will help keep me from being bored while my leg’s healing and I’m waiting to get back on both feet.”

  “What are your plans once your cast comes off?” Priscilla asked.

  “I’ll probably have to do some physical therapy.”

  “I meant after that. Will you return to Chicago and get more schooling?”

  He shook his head. “My mind’s made up about not becoming a vet.”

  “I thought you might go back to school to study something else.”

  “Nope. I’m staying right here. Maybe I’ll follow in my grandpa’s footsteps and learn the carpentry trade. I’ve always been pretty good with my hands. Bet he’d be happy to teach me the trade, too.” David rubbed the back of his neck. “Unless there’s no room in this area for another Amish carpenter.”

  Her brows drew together. “What do you mean?”

  “Like I told you before, I’m considering becoming Amish.”

  “You’re such a tease.” Playfully, she swatted his arm.

  “I’m not teasing, Priscilla. I might be happier living the simple life.”

  “Our life is not simple, David. We face as many complications and trials as the rest of the world.”

  “I realize that, but I admire your lifestyle and values.” He touched her shoulder. “I’d really like to know more about them.”

  “I’d be happy to answer any questions, but if you’re seriously interested in joining the Amish church, you’ll need to meet with our ministers and discuss what needs to be done.”

  “Sure, I’m willing to do that.”

  Priscilla could hardly believe David was considering such a thing. He’d probably feel differently once he found out what changes he’d have to make.

  When Elam pulled his rig into the Morgans’ yard, he spotted Priscilla’s horse and buggy parked by the garage. Apparently she was here to see David, same as him.

  Elam looked forward to having Christmas dinner with Priscilla and her family. Besides enjoying all the good food, he would get to visit with Priscilla. When he had enough money saved up, he was going to ask her to marry him.

  Elam knocked on the front door, expecting one of David’s grandparents to answer. Instead, Priscilla greeted him.

  “Hey, Elam, I didn’t expect to see you until tomorrow.” She smiled up at him.

  “Came by to see how David’s doing and wish him a merry Christmas.”

  “That’s why I came, too.” Priscilla led the way to the living room, where David sat on the couch.

  “Good to see you.” David grinned and held up a book. “Look what Priscilla gave me for Christmas.”

  “Looks like you’ll have some reading to do.” Elam wished he’d brought David a gift. He was surprised Priscilla had. Seeing the way David smiled at Priscilla made him feel a bit jealous. Could David have more of an interest in her than friendship?

  “Take a seat so we can all visit.” David motioned to the recliner across from him.

  Elam lowered himself into the chair, wondering why Priscilla had taken a seat on the couch beside David. He glanced at the only other chair in the room and realized a little black terrier occupied it. Guess she didn’t want to disturb the hund.

  Priscilla looked at David. “Why don’t you tell Elam what you told me awhile ago?”

  “You mean about joining the Amish church?”

  “Who’s joining the church?” Elam asked.

  David pointed to himself. “Me. Well, not right away of course, bu
t eventually.”

  “Really? A change like that isn’t simple, David. Fact is, there aren’t many who can make it.” Elam looked at Priscilla. “Was this your idea?” It would be just like impulsive Priscilla to suggest such a thing.

  She shook her head. “No, of course not.”

  Elam’s gaze went to David again. “If you’re born into the Amish life, it becomes a part of you, but to be raised in the English world and then give up those modern conveniences is a challenge. One I’m sure you’re not up to.”

  David sat up straight. “Why not? I’m not a wimp, you know.”

  “Never said you were. You just don’t realize what the changes would involve.”

  David shrugged. “I won’t know till I try.”

  Hearing this caused Elam to worry. What if David joined their church and decided to go after Priscilla?

  Don’t be ridiculous, he told himself. Neither of those things is likely to happen.

  CHAPTER 14

  Sure was a nice evening.” Ben reached across his buggy seat and took Elaine’s hand. “I’m glad you could spend Christmas Eve with me and my folks.”

  Elaine smiled. “It was fun. I enjoyed getting to know your sisters and their families, too.”

  “I’m glad we could all be together.” Ben paused, taking a slow, deep breath. Giving her fingers a gentle squeeze, he said, “I was wondering if you’ve thought any more about my marriage proposal.”

  Elaine swallowed hard. Truth was, she had thought about it but wasn’t ready to give him an answer. Being with Ben was like wearing a comfortable pair of slippers. But when she looked at him or he touched her, she didn’t feel any sparks or tingles of anticipation. Ben was more like a big brother. If she married him, he would be a good provider, kind, and nurturing, but was it enough? In order to say yes, shouldn’t she feel something more—something like she felt when she was being courted by Jonah? If she and Jonah might get back together, she wouldn’t consider marrying Ben. But Jonah might never feel ready to marry again. Besides, the love he’d felt for her had ended when he married Sara.

  “Your silence makes me wonder if you don’t want to marry me.”

  Elaine jerked her head. “It–it’s not that. I just need a little more time. Marriage is an important decision—not to be taken lightly.”

  “You’re right, and if you’re not ready to make that commitment, I understand.” Ben let go of her hand. “Would you rather I stopped seeing you, Elaine?”

  “No, Ben. I enjoy your company.”

  “But you don’t love me. Is that it?”

  “I… I care for you, Ben. But I’m not sure what I feel is love.” Elaine held her elbows tightly against her sides, unable to look directly at him.

  “Maybe after we’ve courted longer, your feelings will change.”

  Ben’s tone sounded hopeful, and maybe he was right. “Jah,” she murmured. “Sometimes love needs a chance to grow.”

  “You’re right. When you make a decision, please let me know.”

  “I will.”

  Elaine remained quiet the rest of the way home. She felt bad stringing Ben along, but if she didn’t keep seeing him, she might never know if he was the one. If she said yes to his proposal now, one or both of them might regret it later on. One thing was certain: she didn’t want to hurt Ben. Lord, I need Your guidance. Please show me what to do.

  Leah smiled, watching Adam with Linda and Amy on either side of him and Carrie curled up on his lap. They’d had a wonderful Christmas Eve, just the five of them. After a delicious dinner of baked chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, homemade rolls, and a platter of fresh vegetables, everyone had helped with the cleanup. Then they’d all bundled up and taken a walk toward the fields behind the property. While they sang Christmas carols, Coal bounded ahead, with snow flying off his feet. At times the dog would stop to bury his nose in the snow, most likely because of a scent he’d picked up. As far as the eye could see, the radiance of light had illuminated every object. Leah still remembered the smell of wood smoke permeating the air.

  Returning to the house, where it was warm and toasty, Leah had fixed hot chocolate and popcorn; then they’d gathered in the living room to listen to Adam read the Christmas story. Even Coal joined them, lying near the fireplace with his nose between his paws.

  Like most children on Christmas Eve, the girls had been wound up but were getting sleepy now, and they would soon need to be tucked into bed. Tomorrow they’d visit Leah’s folks for the day and enjoy Christmas dinner. Leah’s brother, Nathan, and his family would be there, too. The girls got along well with Leah’s parents and had recently started calling them “Grandma” and “Grandpa.”

  As much as Leah looked forward to being with everyone, she couldn’t imagine feeling any more joy than she did now. Adam looked relaxed with his nieces clustered around him, and Leah was content just watching the scene. The only thing that would make it any better would be if Cora could have been here to spend Christmas with her son and granddaughters.

  Leah had a hard time understanding how Cora could have left her Amish family so many years ago. But from talking with Cora, it wasn’t hard to figure out how much the poor woman regretted it. How long must a person pay for mistakes they’d made years ago? Leah could only imagine how much it hurt Cora to have her son reject her like this. But Adam and his sister had been rejected, too—not to mention Adam’s father. No matter how one looked at the situation, it was horrible. The selfish mistake Cora had made back then was coming back at her, full circle.

  Leah wouldn’t push Adam to forgive his mother, however. If he and his mother were going to establish a relationship again, it had to be his decision.

  Hope welled in Cora’s soul as she stared at the twinkling lights on their artificial tree. In addition to Jared’s friend Chad returning home to his family, she’d gotten a call from her Realtor yesterday morning, saying an offer had come in on her house in Chicago. The offer was fair, so she’d accepted it without reservation. Once the deal closed and Cora received the money, she’d look for a house to buy in this area—something bigger and more updated than their tiny rental. Maybe by next Christmas she’d be able to get a real tree; perhaps a potted one that could be planted in the yard in the spring.

  “Are we gonna open our Christmas presents now, Mom, or did ya plan to stare at the tree the rest of evening?”

  Jared’s question drove Cora out of her musings, and she turned to face him. “Sorry. I was lost in the moment.”

  “Yeah, I could tell.”

  “We can open gifts now, but wouldn’t you rather wait until tomorrow morning?”

  He shook his head. “We’ve always opened gifts on Christmas Eve.”

  “True, but it might be nice to do something different this year. We could start a new tradition.” Cora’s mind flitted back to the last Christmas Eve she and Jared had spent in Chicago, when she was still married to Jared’s father. The three of them had sat around their stately tree, drinking hot cider, eating open-faced sandwiches, and opening the mounds of presents under the tree. Evan had spared no expense when it came to buying gifts. Cora thought his gifts were too lavish and they were spoiling Jared, but she never said a word. Evan was king of his domain, and since he made the bulk of the money, Cora seldom questioned his financial decisions. Now, even though Evan paid child support, money was tight, and Cora had been forced to learn the art of penny-pinching.

  “You’re phasin’ out on me again.” Jared nudged Cora’s arm. “I like our old traditions. Let’s open our gifts now.”

  “Okay.” Cora picked up a gift and handed it to him.

  Jared’s nose wrinkled when he opened the box and pulled out a pairs of jeans and two shirts. “Aw, Mom, you know how I hate gettin’ clothes for Christmas.”

  “With the way you’ve been growing, you really need them.” Cora placed another gift in Jared’s lap. “See what you think of this.”

  Jared tore the paper aside and let out a whoop when he opened the smaller box. “My
own cell phone! Thanks, Mom!” He leaped out of his chair and gave Cora a hug. “Now here’s a gift from me.” Jared grabbed a gift bag from under the tree and handed it to her.

  Cora figured he’d made something or picked it out at the Dollar General. Instead, she discovered a birdhouse made to look like an Amish buggy.

  “Since we live in Amish country and you enjoy watchin’ the birds so much, I thought you might like this.” Jared grinned.

  “It’s a wonderful gift, but where did you get the money to buy it?” Something this precise was obviously not made by Jared. Besides, he didn’t have the tools necessary to build anything like this.

  “I’ve been workin’ at Beachy’s Hardware Store the last two weeks so I could earn some money.” Jared slumped in his chair. “Sorry for lyin’ to you about workin’ on a project with Scott. I wanted your gift to be a surprise.”

  Cora’s heartbeat picked up speed. “You—you’ve been working at Adam Beachy’s?”

  He bobbed his head. “That’s where I bought the birdhouse.”

  Cora gulped. Did Adam know who Jared was? “I appreciate you wanting to get me a nice gift, Jared, but what you did was wrong. And I can’t imagine Mr. Beachy hiring you without my permission. You’re still a minor.”

  Jared hung his head. “I asked a friend at school to write a note for me. She signed your name.”

  Cora’s mouth dropped open. “I can’t believe you would do such a thing, Jared. Didn’t you know what you were doing was wrong?”

  “Calm down, Mom. Your face is red. I know what I did was wrong, but I thought you’d appreciate that I bought the gift with my own money. Money I worked hard for, by the way.”

  “I am proud of you in that respect, but I can’t condone your deceit.” Cora’s hands shook as she set the birdhouse on the coffee table. “Did Mr. Beachy say anything about me?”

  “Yeah. When I went there with Scott to ask for a job, he said I’d have to get one of my parents’ permission.”

  “How did this so-called friend of yours sign my name?”

  “Mrs. Finley.”

  “Is that all? She didn’t include my first name?”