Anna scrunched up her nose. “That was last week, Papa. I’m feelin’ fine now.”
“Even so, I’d prefer you not breathe any germs on the baby.”
Grace pursed her lips. “Cleon, I don’t think—”
He held up his hand. “She can look at the boppli without putting her face right up to his.”
Grace figured Cleon was just being overprotective and would soon relax, so she decided it was best not to make an issue of it.
“What’s his name?” Anna asked again, looking up at Grace.
“Daniel,” Cleon said before Grace could respond. He reached over and touched the baby’s dark head. “Daniel Jacob Schrock.”
Anna’s forehead wrinkled. “Is he gonna cry all the time? Esta said her little sister, Molly, cried so much when she was a boppli that Esta had to stuff cotton in her ears so she could sleep.”
“Some babies do cry a lot, but hopefully Daniel won’t cry much at night,” Grace said.
“Can I hold him?”
“Yes.”
“No!”
Cleon and Grace had spoken at the same time, and Anna appeared confused.
“He’s too little for you to hold yet,” Cleon said.
Again, Grace fought the urge to dispute what he’d said. She didn’t want Anna to think she was usurping Cleon’s authority. Except for Carl Davis, Anna’s English grandfather, Cleon was the only father the child had ever known. They had developed a good relationship over the last several months, and Grace didn’t want anything to spoil it.
Grace patted Anna’s arm. “You can hold him when he’s a little bigger, okay?”
Anna nodded, but her eyes were downcast. She sat a few seconds, then hopped off the couch.
“Where are you going?” Grace called.
“To my room to play with my faceless doll. At least she’s not too little for me to hold.”
Grace turned to Cleon and was about to comment on his behavior toward Anna when Ruth stepped into the room, followed by Martha, Mom, and Dad.
Anxious to see her nephew, Ruth rushed into the room ahead of her family. “What a sweet little bundle of joy,” she exclaimed as she approached the sofa.
Grace smiled. “Danki. We think we’ll keep him.”
In a confused babble of voices, everyone asked Grace how she was doing, how much the baby weighed, and what name had been chosen for him.
“His name is Daniel Jacob,” Cleon said. “He weighs eight pounds, four ounces, and Grace is doing fine.”
“A nice, healthy size.” Mom extended her hands. “May I hold my first grandson?”
Grace looked over at Cleon as if waiting for his approval. When he nodded, she handed the baby to Mom.
“It feels so good to hold him,” Mom said as she took a seat in the rocking chair. “Makes me think of the days when you girls were bopplin.” She smiled at Ruth. “Isn’t he a fine-looking baby?”
“He certainly is,” Ruth replied. “And when you get tired of holding him, it’ll be my turn.”
“I’ll hold him after that.” Martha turned to Dad. “Guess you’ll have to go last.”
He hunkered down next to the rocking chair. “Makes no never mind to me. Whenever I hold a boppli, they usually start crying.”
Mom’s gaze went to the ceiling. “You know that’s not true, Roman. As I recall, our girls used to fall asleep as soon as you picked them up.”
“Humph! That’s not much better—saying I was so boring I put our girls to sleep.”
“That’s not what I meant, Roman.”
“Where’s Anna?” Ruth asked, changing the subject. “I figured she would be the first in line to hold her little bruder.”
“Anna’s upstairs in her room. She said she wanted to play with her faceless doll,” Grace was quick to say.
“She’s probably pretending she has her own boppli.” Mom placed the baby over her shoulder and patted his back. “I remember when Martha was born, Grace and Ruth played with their dolls and pretended they were little midder.”
Cleon reached for Grace’s hand. “Are you getting tired? Would you like to go to our room and rest awhile?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I’m fine.”
Ruth could see the weariness on her sister’s face, and she felt concern. “Maybe it would be best if we went home and let Grace and the baby get settled in,” she suggested. “The rest of us can hold the boppli tomorrow.”
“You’re right,” Mom said as she handed the baby to Ruth. “You can put this little guy back in his mamm’s arms, and we’ll be on our way.” She smiled. “I’ve got a big batch of stew simmering on the stove, so I’ll have Martha bring some over for your supper.”
“Danki, that’d be nice,” Grace replied with a yawn. “It’ll be a few days before I feel up to doing much cooking.”
“We’ll chip in to help wherever we’re needed.” Ruth stared down at baby Daniel, and a lump formed in her throat. Oh, how she longed to be a mother.
“Did you hear that Grace had her baby yesterday afternoon?” Martin asked Abe as he stepped into the harness shop and hung his hat on a wall peg near the door.
“Nope, I hadn’t heard that. What’d she have?”
“A boy, and he was born in the backseat of Donna Larson’s car.” Martin moved over to the desk, where Abe sat making a list of supplies he needed. “Ruth came over to my folks’ place last night and told us about it.”
Abe’s eyebrows lifted. “How’d that happen?”
“Donna was giving them a ride to the Doughty View Midwifery Center, and her car overheated. I guess Cleon was in the backseat with Grace when the boppli decided it couldn’t wait to be born.”
“Whew!” Abe let out a whistle. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like for Cleon to deliver his own son. I’d have been a nervous wreck.”
“Ruth was on her way home from work and spotted Donna’s car. When she stopped to see if there was a problem, she discovered Grace in the backseat about to give birth.” Martin leaned on Abe’s desk and smiled. “I can’t wait until Ruth and I are married and can start our own family.”
“You might change your mind about that when you have to change dirty windle and are kept up all night with a colicky baby.” Abe grunted. “Never liked either of those things, but then I—”
Abe’s oldest son, Gideon, entered the shop. “Aw, Papa, do you have to work today?” he grumbled. “It’s Saturday, and I was hopin’ we could go fishing.”
“Not today, son.” Abe motioned to the stack of papers on his desk. “I’ve got supplies to order and bills that need to be paid.”
Gideon kicked a scrap of leather lying on the floor and grunted. “If you’re not workin’, you’re sleepin’. If you’re not sleepin’, you’re workin’.”
“I’ve got to make a living,” Abe said. “Otherwise there’ll be no food on our table.”
Gideon shuffled out the door with his head down and shoulders slumped.
Abe looked up at Martin. “See what I mean? Being a daed isn’t all sugar and cream. Fact is, there are times when it’s more like vinegar and sauerkraut. ’Course, I wouldn’t trade my kinner for anything. On their good days, they can be a real blessing.”
Martin moved over to the cupboard where the dye was kept. One thing he knew: When he became a father, he would never be too busy to spend time with his kinner.
I can’t believe Ruth is getting married today,” Grace said as she placed a dish of oatmeal in front of Cleon. “It seems like only yesterday that you and I were preparing for our wedding.”
He smiled. “Are you sure you’re feeling up to going? It’s only been a few weeks since the boppli was born, and I know you’re still pretty wrung out.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said, taking a seat across from him. “There’s no way I’m going to miss my sister’s wedding.”
Cleon nodded. “If you get tired or Daniel gets fussy, you can always come home and rest, since the wedding will be at your folks’ place.”
“Tha
t’s true.” Grace looked over at Anna, who sat in the chair beside her. “Are you excited about attending your aunt Ruth’s wedding?”
Anna merely shrugged in reply.
“There’ll be lots of good food served during the wedding meal.”
“Will Esta be there?”
“I’m sure she will, and the rest of Abe’s family, too.”
“Will Daniel be going?”
“Of course. We sure wouldn’t leave him home by himself.” Cleon frowned at Anna.
Anna reached for a piece of toast. “Can I take my doll along? Then I’ll have a boppli to bring to the wedding, too.”
“That’s fine with me.” Grace pushed her chair away from the table. “Speaking of babies, I hear your little brother fussing in the other room, so I’d best tend to his needs.”
“Want me to get him?” Cleon asked.
“I’d better do it. He’s probably ready to eat by now.” Grace smiled. “And then we’d better hurry or we’ll be late to the wedding.”
As Ruth listened to Bishop King deliver the main wedding sermon, her hands turned sweaty, and her mouth felt so dry she could barely swallow. It seemed as if she’d waited her whole life for this moment. Becoming a wife and mother was what she had dreamed about ever since she was a girl. She glanced over at Martin, who sat across from her, and the rhythm of her heartbeat picked up when he smiled. Today was their day—a perfect day with clear blue skies and plenty of sunshine. Their families and friends were here to see them become husband and wife. There had been no more attacks on Ruth’s family for the past several weeks, and despite the swirling sensation of excitement she felt in her stomach, her soul was filled with peace.
“ ‘Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body,’ ” the bishop quoted from Ephesians 5:22–23.
He paused and said, “We have two people who have agreed to enter the state of matrimony—Martin Gingerich and Ruth Hostettler. If anyone here has objection, he has this opportunity to make it known.”
Ruth breathed a sigh of relief when everyone in the room remained quiet. Not that she thought anyone would really protest.
“Since there are obviously no objections, you may come forth in the name of the Lord,” the bishop said.
Martin and Ruth left their seats and stood before him.
As Ruth stared into Martin’s eyes and answered each of the bishop’s questions, her heart swelled with joy and hope for the future—a future as Mrs. Martin Gingerich.
After the wedding service, Martha took a seat at the table with the others from the wedding party and glanced across the room. Her breath caught in her throat when she spotted Luke sitting with a group of young men. He smiled and seemed to be joking around, so she was fairly certain he wasn’t upset about Ruth marrying Martin. Funny thing, though, she hadn’t seen him hanging around any other Amish women since he and Ruth broke up. She figured either Luke had decided he wasn’t interested in courting right now, or he was seeing some English girl on the sly.
I don’t suppose he’d be interested in anyone like me, she thought ruefully.
“You’re awfully quiet.” Sadie poked Martha’s arm. “Are you upset because Ruth will be moving out of your house and settling into a new home with Martin?”
Martha frowned. “Of course not. I’m happy that both of my sisters have found good husbands.”
“Martin and Ruth didn’t have a very long courtship, did they?” Before Martha could comment, Sadie added, “Then there’s me and Toby. He’s been courting me over a year now, and still no proposal of marriage. I’m beginning to wonder if he’ll ever ask me to marry him.”
“Maybe he’s having too much fun courting and doesn’t feel ready to be tied down to marriage yet.”
Sadie grunted. “Jah, well, if he doesn’t make up his mind soon, I might just look for another fellow.”
Martha blinked. “Do you have someone else in mind?”
Sadie shook her head. “There’s no one I’d rather be with than Toby.”
Martha glanced at Luke again. He wore his Dutch-bobbed hair a little longer than it should be, but she thought he looked appealing. The jaunty way he held his head whenever he spoke caused Martha’s heart to race and made her wish she could be his girlfriend.
“How are things going with your business these days?” Sadie asked, changing the subject.
“Not so well.” Martha sighed. “Flo still isn’t pregnant, and neither is Heidi. As soon as I have enough money saved up from my job working for Cleon’s mother, I hope to buy a couple more dogs.”
“Have you considered offering boarding services?”
Martha nodded. “I have. In fact, I mentioned that idea to my daed not long ago, and he said he would think about it.”
Sadie smiled. “Now that Ruth’s married and won’t be returning to the bakeshop, you might consider applying there if you need more money.”
“Between my part-time job working for Irene and taking care of my dogs, I’m pretty busy these days. But I’ll keep the bakeshop in mind.”
“Don’t wait too long to decide, because I’m sure the Clemonses will find a replacement for Ruth as soon as they can.”
Martha shrugged. She caught sight of Luke and two other young men leaving their places at the table and heading out the door. She figured they were probably in need of some fresh air or wanted to visit without having to talk over the loud voices in the room. She was tempted to follow but knew that wouldn’t be proper. Besides, she was one of Ruth’s attendants, and her place was right here.
“Mama, is it all right if I spend the night at Esta’s?” Anna asked as she tugged on Grace’s dress sleeve.
“Jah, sure, that’ll be fine,” Cleon said before his wife could respond.
Grace turned in her chair and gave him an icy stare. “Don’t I have anything to say about this?”
“I figured you’d be okay with the idea,” Cleon said. “It’ll be nice for us to have a quiet evening alone with Daniel.”
Grace’s eyes narrowed into tiny slits. Cleon knew she wasn’t happy about what he’d said—but didn’t she realize how important it was for them to have quality time with the baby without Anna being there asking questions and begging to hold her little brother?
“Is it all right if I go home with Esta?” Anna asked, giving Grace’s sleeve another tug.
“Does Esta’s daed know about this?” Grace questioned.
Anna nodded. “He said it’s fine with him, and so did Esta’s aunt Sue.”
“All right, you may go.” Grace squeezed her daughter’s shoulder. “Grandma Schrock’s holding baby Daniel right now, so I’m free to walk you home to get your nightgown and a change of clothes for tomorrow.”
Cleon shook his head. “You look tired, Grace. I think we should go home now. You can pack Anna’s things, and I’ll bring her back over here so she’s ready whenever Abe says it’s time for his brood to go.”
Grace didn’t argue, and he felt relief. She did look done in.
Cleon pushed his chair aside and stood. “I’ll get the boppli from my mamm, and we’ll be on our way.”
“Everything’s going well today, wouldn’t you say?” Martin asked Ruth as they sat at their special corner table eating a piece of wedding cake.
She smiled. “All our guests seem to be having a good time.”
He thumped his stomach and grinned. “Can’t remember the last time I ate this much food.”
Ruth nodded. “There’s so much chicken, mashed potatoes, dressing, gravy, salads, and vegetables, not to mention all the desserts and cakes. This morning I felt so nervous I could barely eat breakfast. But I’ve more than made up for it this afternoon.”
Martin glanced across the room and spotted Abe sitting at a table with his boys. His shoulders were slumped, and he wore a forlorn expression, making Martin wonder if the man wasn’t having a good time. Poor Abe still missed A
lma and was probably thinking about their wedding day. It had to have been hard for him to come here today. Abe was not only Martin’s boss, but a good friend. Martin was sure Abe had come to the wedding to let him know that he approved of his marriage.
Martin was about to excuse himself to speak with Abe when—kaboom!—an explosion sounded from outside, causing the windows to vibrate.
“Wh–what was that?” Ruth’s eyes widened, and her mouth hung slightly open.
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”
Martin, along with several other men, rushed outside. A quick glance around the yard revealed that one of the portable outhouses set up to accommodate the guests had been blown up.
“Talk about starting your marriage off with a bang.” Toby slapped Martin’s back. “Looks like some of our yuchend thought it would be fun to shake things up a bit.”
Everyone laughed, and someone pointed to what was left of the outhouse. Martin was fairly certain it had been blown up by one of his youthful buddies as a prank. Well, he wasn’t going to let it rile him. With a chuckle and a shrug, he headed back inside to carry on with the wedding meal. Someone else could clean up the mess.
Ruth’s heart hammered so hard she feared it might burst open. “What was it?” she asked when Martin returned to the house. “What caused that horrible noise?”
“It’s nothing to worry about,” he said, taking a seat beside her. “Someone blew up one of the outhouses.”
“What?” Ruth touched his arm. “Oh, Martin, have the attacks on my family begun again?”
“I don’t think so. Some of the fellows were outside snickering, so I’m pretty sure they had something to do with the outhouse blowing up.”
“How can you be so sure? I mean, with all the other things that have gone on—”
He smiled and took her hand. “It wasn’t an attack—just some tomfoolery going on with some of the single fellows who wanted to be sure we remembered our special day.”
“I’ll always remember our wedding day.” Ruth’s voice was thick with emotion. “We sure didn’t need some verhuddelt friends of yours blowing up an outhouse in order to make this day special.”
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