A Gift of Grace

by Amy Clipston

  Rebecca smiled over at her niece while mixing up a gooey Shoo-Fly Pie. “Oh? What’s that?”

  “How about we plan a birthday get-together for Jessica for Sunday night? It’s her sixteenth birthday.”

  Rebecca smiled. “That’s a wunderbar idea! You can make your famous lemon meringue pie, and I’ll make a chocolate cake.”

  “What are we planning?” Sarah leaned on the counter and lifted a glass of ice water. Her cheeks were pink from the heat of the kitchen.

  “A birthday gathering for my sister.” Lindsay grinned.

  “A birthday?” Kathryn stepped over from the oven. “That will be wonderful gut! I love birthdays! I’ll make apple fritters.”

  “It sounds like a great plan.” Rebecca lifted her wooden spoon. “Should we make it a surprise?”

  “No.” Lindsay shook her head. “Jess hates surprises.”

  “Then we’ll tell her tonight.” Rebecca smiled. Maybe a birthday gathering was the way to get her niece to warm up to life in Lancaster County.

  “Rebecca,” Elizabeth whispered, tapping her shoulder. “I think it sounds like fun, but will Daniel agree?”

  Rebecca met her mother-in-law’s gaze, finding concern in her eyes. She scanned the kitchen and spotted her niece and sisters-in-law engrossed in their baking duties.

  “Is he still not speaking to you?” her mother-in-law asked.

  “Ya.” Rebecca wiped her hands on her apron. “How did you know?”

  “I just know. Eli once was silent for a month.”

  Rebecca’s eyes widened in shock. During her marriage, Rebecca had only seen her in-laws become cross with each other a few times. She couldn’t imagine Eli being so angry with his wife that he would stop speaking to her for a month.

  “You look surprised.” Elizabeth smiled. “Eli is a very stub-born man, and his sons are very much like him.”

  “What did you do?” Rebecca asked.

  Elizabeth poured mixture for bread into a pan. “I let him have his time. Finally, he came to me and asked if we could talk things out. I let him have his say and then told him how hurt I was that he could be silent for so long.”

  “What did he say?” Rebecca leaned in close to hear her mother-in-law over the chatter and noises of the kitchen.

  Her mother-in-law gave a triumphant smile. “He never did it again.”

  Rebecca nodded, her thoughts turning to Daniel. She wondered how he would feel about a get-together for their niece. It had been nearly two weeks since he stopped speaking to her. Although he’d returned to their bed a few days ago, he climbed in without so much as a grunt.

  She wondered what she could do to win his heart back. She’d considered begging him to talk to her, but she stood firm on her convictions that Jessica belonged with them. Rebecca was surprised to find she was almost as stubborn as her husband.

  Or maybe she was as stubborn as Jessica? She pushed the thought aside.

  Turning her gaze to Lindsay, Rebecca bit her bottom lip. Her niece laughed and talked to Sarah while cutting out cookies. Lindsay looked so happy and so comfortable dressed in Plain clothes and talking with Sarah. The girls did belong here, despite what Daniel thought. Rebecca knew in her heart that she was right.

  It was God’s will, wasn’t it?

  She glanced at Elizabeth, contemplating her words. Letting Daniel continue his silence might be the best way to handle him. She’d tell him about the gathering and leave it at that.

  Later that evening, Rebecca cleared the plates from the table and filled the sink.

  “I’ll get it,” Lindsay said, adding a stack of plates to the sink.

  “Don’t be silly.” Rebecca waved off the thought. “I’ll do the dishes tonight. You can sweep the floor if you like.” She glanced across the room to where Daniel rose from the chair and headed for the living room. If she was going to tell him about the plan, now was the time.

  She cut her gaze across the room to Jessica, who was wiping the table with a rag. “Jessica,” she said. “Lindsay and I wanted to celebrate your birthday Sunday.”

  Jessica met her glance and raised her eyebrows. “Oh?”

  “Yeah, we want to give you a party,” Lindsay chimed in with a wide grin. “We invited the rest of the family already, and I’m going to make you a lemon meringue pie.”

  “Wow.” Jessica blinked, looking surprised. “Thanks.”

  “A party?” Daniel asked from the doorway, his scowl trained on Rebecca.

  “Ya, just a gathering of friends and family.” Rebecca folded her arms across her chest in defiance. Her body trembled with anticipation of his reaction. She wondered if he’d yell or simply remain reticent. She hoped for the former, since yelling would encourage a conversation, something they hadn’t experienced in a long while.

  “Can I invite Jake?” Jessica asked.

  Rebecca nodded. “Of course.” She looked over at Daniel, whose frown deepened. “You may invite anyone you like, Jessica,” Rebecca said, still staring at Daniel. “It’s your day.”

  “Cool!” Jessica said. “Thank you.”

  Daniel grunted and retreated into the living room.

  Facing her nieces, Rebecca plastered a smile on her face, despite the hurt and disappointment surging through her. “I’ll make a chocolate cake and get some ice cream,” she said. “We’ll make this day one to remember.”

  Jessica stared at the calendar on the wall the following day. Two whole months had past, but it seemed like only yesterday that she had come to the store for the first time. Where had the last eight weeks gone?

  She scanned the front of the store, studying the furniture pieces for sale. It may have been two months, but she still didn’t feel as though she belonged. She wondered if she’d ever feel as though she belonged here.

  Lindsay, on the other hand, went off dressed in her Plain clothes and laughing with Rebecca every morning. Jessica could hear Lindsay and Rebecca talking about recipes and gossiping about bakery customers late into the night. Lindsay participated in Daniel’s evening devotions while Jessica stayed in her room listening to music. Jessica was still the outsider, and Lindsay became more and more a part of the Kauffman family every day.

  Jessica sauntered across the front of the store and flipped the sign to “Open” and then retreated back behind the counter. While she shuffled papers on the desk and prepared the ledger for the day, the door whooshed open.

  “Good morning,” Jessica said without looking up. “Welcome to Kauffman and Yoder.”

  Glancing up, her stomach twisted when she spotted Arnold Browne, a customer who’d recently demanded a corner curio cabinet built at light speed as a gift for his wife.

  She forced a smile onto her face. “Mr. Browne. How are you today?”

  “I’d be better if my curio cabinet was done.” He slammed his hand on the counter. “My anniversary is tomorrow. If you people can’t get it done in time, then you should’ve told me! I want a full refund, plus 10 percent for my inconvenience.”

  She stood and leaned forward on the counter. “Actually, Mr. Browne, I told you that this is our busiest time of year, and we’re backed up with—”

  “I don’t want to hear about your summer orders.” The middle-aged man tapped his finger on the counter. “I want to hear about my order!”

  “I can tell you about your order if you stop yelling,” a voice said.

  Jessica glanced at Jake standing in the doorway clad in blue jeans and a black T-shirt. His eyes were brewing with confidence and determination as he folded his arms across his chest.

  She smiled. How cool of him to come to her defense.

  “Well, Jake?” The older man folded his arms over his flabby chest. “I’m waiting.”

  “I’m putting the final coat of stain on it.” Jake stepped over to the counter, sidling up beside Jessica. “I’ll finish it up and have it ready later today.”

  Mr. Browne eyed Jake for a moment and then nodded. “Fine then. I’ll check back later.”

  “Sounds
good.” Jake motioned for the door. “I’ll get right to work on it. You have a good day now.”

  Jessica gave Jake a sideways glance. He winked at her, and she grinned.

  The door whooshed open and closed, and Jessica breathed a sigh of relief while sinking into her chair. “What a way to start off my day.”

  “I’m sorry about that.” Jake shook his head. “I knew Mr. Browne was a jerk, but I never imagined he’d yell at you like that.”

  “I’m so glad you came out when you did.” She nodded toward the door leading to the shop. “I was going to come back and get your grandpa to help me handle him.”

  “I was heading up to say good morning, and I heard him start in on you.” He scowled. “That ticks me off. You didn’t deserve that.” His expression softened. “But don’t let that cranky old man ruin your day.”

  “Thank you.” She smiled. “Listen, do you have plans for Sunday night? My sister and Aunt Rebecca are throwing me a birthday party. Can you come?” She bit her bottom lip suddenly feeling self-conscious. “I understand if you’re busy.”

  “Are you kidding?” he asked with a grin. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’d be happy to come.”

  “Jake Miller.” His grandfather appeared in the doorway. “Every time I see you, you’re chatting. Do I need to rethink making you a master carpenter?”

  “No, Grandpa.” Feigning a dramatic sigh, he faced his grandfather. “I was just making sure Jessica was okay up here. She’s already had a run-in with Mr. Browne this morning.”

  “Old Arnie was at it again, huh?” Milton asked, shaking his head. “I hope he didn’t get to you too much.”

  “Jake came to my rescue, so it was okay.” Jessica smiled. “Jake is going to have the curio done before closing.”

  “Well then, Jacob, you’d best get to it.” Milton gave a stern expression.

  “Yes, sir.” Jake’s smirk faded. “I’ll be right there.” Milton disappeared through the door and Jake gave Jessica an apologetic expression. “I guess we’ll chat later on.”

  “Get to work before you lose your job.” She pushed her hair back from her shoulders. “I don’t want to be responsible for your unemployment.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t think my grandfather would fire me. My mom might have something to say about that.”

  “Go on.” She waved him off. “If you keep talking we won’t have anything to discuss later.”

  “I find that hard to believe.” He pulled his keys from his pocket and tossed them to her. “Feel free to plug your phone in. The charger is still on the dash where you left it last week.”

  Jessica frowned, placing the keys on her counter. “What for? No one has called me in almost a week.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Not Brian or Morgan?”

  “Neither of them.” She yanked her phone from her purse and glared down at the display. “It’s like I don’t exist to them anymore.”

  “It’s their loss.” His eyes mirrored her frustration.

  “They promised they’d keep in touch, but I guess since school has ended they forgot about me.” She shook her head. “Trisha hasn’t called either, but I got a letter from her a few days ago.”

  “If they can forget you that easily, then they aren’t your friends.” He headed for the door. “I’ll see you later. If you have problems with any more customers, yell for me. I’ll set them straight.”

  Jessica stared at the doorway after he left, his words echoing in her mind. Was he right that Morgan and Brian weren’t true friends? But they’d been through so much together in school—bad teachers, bullies, broken hearts. How could they just drop Jessica like yesterday’s midterms?

  The office phone rang and Jessica bounced back to reality. She had to push aside her heartache and concentrate on work. At least she could look forward to chatting with her true friend, Jake Miller.

  [Return to Table of Contents]

  Daniel’s footsteps crunched across the gravel driveway while he headed from the barn to the house. He glanced up at the sky and blew out a frustrated sigh. The dark, threatening clouds overtaking the sky reflected his mood.

  In less than an hour, he’d have to feign happiness while his family descended upon his farm to celebrate the birthday of a child who did not belong in his home.

  He wondered how much longer he’d have to endure this façade. For two weeks he’d avoided any conversation with his wife in hopes that she would listen to him and consider sending the girls to live with Trisha. He knew in his heart that the girls belonged in Virginia in an English home with their English friends. Keeping them in Bird-in-Hand wasn’t good for them or for the Kauffman family. They were just delaying the inevitable—when the girls left and broke Rebecca’s heart.

  Glancing at the house, Daniel’s thoughts turned to his wife. Before the girls came to live with them, their lives were close to perfect. They were happy, despite their inability to have children. He and Rebecca rarely quarreled.

  However, since the girls had arrived, their lives had been turned upside down. Of course he still loved his wife, but he missed the way things had been.

  It didn’t make sense that Grace, who had left the community to marry and live among the English, would want her children raised here. She’d said she wanted them to experience her heritage. It would’ve made more sense to have the girls come and visit rather than send them here to live. Grace claimed in her letter that Philip prevented her from visiting. Daniel snorted with disagreement at the thought. He found that hard to believe, considering how headstrong and strong-willed Grace and Rebecca were.

  The clip-clop of a horse slammed Daniel back to the present. Glancing up, he wondered who had arrived early. He met the buggy at the end of the driveway, and his stomach twisted as Abner Chupp emerged from the rig. When the bishop arrived unannounced it could never be good. Daniel’s worst nightmare was playing out right before his eyes.

  “Wie geht’s,” Daniel said, hoping his stomach would ease.

  “Wie geht’s,” Abner echoed, tethering his horse to the post by the barn.

  “What brings you out here this evening?” Daniel asked, leaning back on the fence.

  “A situation has been brought to my attention that I need to discuss with you.” Abner’s expression was impassive.

  “Oh.” Daniel glanced toward the house and then met Abner’s gaze, his shoulders tightening. “What seems to be the situation?” He took a deep breath, preparing for the tongue lashing.

  “I’ve heard your niece’s behavior is causing quite a bit of concern among the People.” Abner folded his arms across his portly frame.

  “My niece?” Daniel asked, even though he assumed he knew what the bishop was referring to. “I can’t imagine what my nieces could have done to upset anyone.”

  “Ya. Jessica.” Abner paused as if gathering his thoughts. “A few members of the community have told me that she is behaving like a harlot. She’s forced her rock music and the Internet on your niece Katie. She was seen going out alone with Jake Miller and later kissing him. Plus, she was seen wearing hardly any clothes while working in Rebecca’s garden on a Sunday.”

  Abner’s expression transformed to a frown. “And she was caught alone in Robert’s barn with Samuel. When Robert discovered them, Samuel was holding her hand and Jessica was covered in hay.”

  Daniel’s body trembled while white-hot anger roared through him. Speechless, he grasped the fence post. How dare members of his community make such heinous accusations about an innocent child? He took a deep breath to gather his thoughts.

  “Jessica is not a harlot!” he said through gritted teeth. “Maybe she doesn’t understand our ways, and she does not belong here, but she’s still a child. She’s a good girl. She needs guidance and understanding while she learns her way around our community.”

  “As the head of the household, it’s your duty to keep your family members in line,” Abner continued. “The girl needs to learn boundaries. She must learn to respect our ways and obey our
rules.”

  “I don’t appreciate these cruel accusations about my niece,” Daniel said, his voice quaking with ire. “This is nothing but cruel gossip. All children need to learn boundaries, but she also is still learning our culture. She can’t be expected to learn our ways overnight.”

  “You must keep your family under control.” Abner wagged his finger at him. “The community is very concerned about things that are going on in your house.”

  Daniel pursed his lips. He could read between the lines, and he knew what could happen. If the community turned against him, he’d be an outcast, possibly shunned. He couldn’t risk that. If he were put under the ban, he could lose the rest of the Kauffman family and possibly his place in the shop.

  If he lost his job, he and Rebecca would lose everything.

  Daniel refused to let that happen. He’d worked too long and too hard to build this life for him and Rebecca. It was his job to take care of his family, and Rebecca was his family. She mattered most to him. She was his life. Daniel folded his arms across his chest in the hopes of stopping his body from trembling with rage. How could his community turn on him over a teenager’s actions? This was absurd!

  “I understand your concerns,” he whispered. “However, I’m offended that members of my church district would bring these horrible accusations to you without consulting me or giving my niece the benefit of the doubt. She’s merely a child.”

  Abner sighed and rubbed his beard. “Ya, she’s a child, but she’s your responsibility. If the community is feeling threatened then they turn to me.”

  “Threatened?” Daniel’s voice rose. He gestured wide with emphasis. “How can a sixteen-year-old girl threaten them? Our history is full of stories of persecution! We’ve survived religious genocide. We’ve met in secret and fled countries in order to keep our beliefs alive. Why on earth would a teenage girl cause the community grave concern?”

  The bishop studied him, his eyes narrowing to slits and his expression becoming stony. “Daniel, it’s your duty as the head of the household to keep your family in line. If you can’t, then the community will have to handle this for you.”