“Of course.” He gently patted her back. “If you want me to cancel the barbecue, I’ll call everyone and ask if we can make it for some other time. It was inconsiderate of me to plan something like that so close to Mother’s Day, knowing how busy you’ve been.”
A few tears leaked out from under Sara’s lashes. “You don’t have to cancel, but maybe you could ask everyone if they would mind bringing a salad, chips, or dessert to accompany the meat you’ll barbecue. That would help, and I wouldn’t have to do any major preparation.”
“Sounds good to me.” When Brad lifted Sara’s chin and gave her a kiss, the ache in her heart she’d felt earlier melted like ice on a hot summer day.
By the end of the school day Lenore was more than ready to head for Moyer’s Book Barn. She’d changed her mind and decided to go there and see if any of their used books about the history of Pennsylvania were in good enough condition to buy. If she couldn’t find anything to her liking, she would go to Gordonville. Lenore also planned to give Mark one of her homemade greeting cards to go with whatever present she found.
As Lenore headed down the road a short time later, keeping her horse at a steady pace, her thoughts went to Jesse. Had he really asked about her when he’d stopped to see Grandma yesterday evening?
What would I have said to him if I had been home? Lenore kept a firm grip on the reins. I probably would have kept my focus mainly on Cindy and said very little to Jesse. After all, how does a woman make small talk with a man who broke their engagement? What would there be to converse about?
Lenore swatted at the annoying fly that had found its way into her buggy before she left the schoolyard. I suppose I could have mentioned the lovely spring weather we’re having. Or maybe asked how Cindy’s been doing in the care of his wife’s great-aunt.
Lenore was fully aware of how much Grandma missed taking care of Jesse’s little girl. It was obvious whenever she looked longingly at the toys she’d gotten out for Cindy to play with, kept in a wooden box Grandpa had made when Lenore and her brothers were children.
Maybe I should speak to Grandma about this. I could suggest that she talk to Jesse and volunteer to watch Cindy again. I’ll just make myself scarce whenever he drops Cindy off or picks her up. That way, at least Grandma will be happy.
As the old book barn came into view, Lenore quieted her thoughts and focused on the task of finding Mark an appropriate gift.
Chapter 41
I’m glad you could help us celebrate our nephew’s twenty-eighth birthday this evening.” Mark’s aunt Martha smiled at Lenore as they gathered up supplies to take outside for their meal. “My husband and I are glad Mark’s courting again. He took it hard when his girlfriend back home broke up with him.”
No wonder Mark didn’t want to talk about the reason he decided to move here when I asked him.
Then another thought popped into Lenore’s head. “Did Mark tell you he and I are courting?”
Martha bobbed her head. “And just from the short time we’ve spent together this evening, I can see why he chose you.”
“Thank you.” Lenore’s face heated. She was tempted to tell Mark’s aunt that she and Mark were not courting. If they were, it was only in Mark’s mind, because he’d never asked if Lenore wanted him to court her.
What would I say if he did ask? she wondered. Do I like Mark well enough to be in a relationship that could eventually result in a marriage proposal?
Lenore pushed her considerations aside and picked up the tray full of paper plates, napkins, and silverware. “Should I take these out to the picnic table now?”
“Jah, that would be fine, but be sure you weigh the plates and napkins down with the silverware. It’s a little breezy this evening, and we don’t need our supper plates blowing all over the yard.”
“No problem. I’ll make certain each plate is held fast.”
Lenore left the house and went straight to the oversized picnic table. She’d finished setting everything out when Mark came alongside her.
“Sure am glad you could be here tonight.” His face seemed to shine as he popped his knuckles and grinned at her.
Lenore fought the urge to ask Mark right then if he’d told his aunt they were courting. She would wait for a more appropriate time. “It’s nice to be here,” she replied. “I enjoyed visiting with your aunt Martha in the kitchen. She seems like a nice person.”
“Jah. She and my Uncle are great.” Mark sniffed the air. “Don’t you just love the smoky aroma of meat cooking on the grill?”
“It does smell good.” Lenore glanced toward the house and saw Martha carrying a cardboard box. “I should go see if your aunt needs any more help.”
“I’m sure if she does, she’ll ask for it.” Mark put his hand against the small of Lenore’s back. “Why don’t the two of us take a walk? It’ll be a while before the chicken is done.”
Lenore hesitated but finally nodded. “Let’s not be gone very long though. I want to be here to help with any last-minute things that might need to be brought out to the picnic table.”
“We’ll be back in plenty of time before we’re called to eat.” Before Lenore could offer a response, Mark grabbed hold of her hand and began walking in the direction of the barn. Lenore assumed he might want to show her some special animal inside.
“Let’s go in here,” Mark said. “There’s something I want to ask you in private.”
Lenore’s heartbeat picked up speed again. Was Mark going to ask if he could court her? If so, would he expect an immediate answer?
When they entered the barn, the distinctive aroma of dried hay and sweaty horseflesh wafted up to Lenore’s nose, causing her to sneeze. Achoo! Achoo! She removed a tissue she’d tucked inside one of her dress sleeves.
“Bless you.” Mark led Lenore over to a bale of straw and asked her to take a seat. After Lenore sat down, he seated himself beside her. Mark was so close to Lenore, she could smell the musky fragrance of his aftershave—or maybe it was whatever shampoo he’d used to wash his hair.
“I really like you, Lenore, and I think we should start courting.” He leaned even closer, so his mouth nearly rested against her ear. “Are you okay with that?”
Swallowing hard, she shifted on the bale of straw. Did she want Mark to court her? Did they have enough in common to begin a relationship? Lenore wasn’t sure how she felt about Mark. He seemed nice enough, but her stomach didn’t flutter in his presence, the way it had whenever she’d been with Jesse. Still, it was nice to have someone to do things with, and Mark seemed to have a pleasant personality.
A light nudge brought Lenore’s contemplations to a halt. “So what do you say, Lenore? Are you willing to let me court you?”
She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. “I … I suppose it would be okay.”
“That’s great. I look forward to spending more time with you.” Mark reached for Lenore’s hand and gave her fingers a squeeze. His hand seemed chilly and a bit sweaty too. He’s probably as nervous as I am right now.
Lenore let go of Mark’s hand and stood. “We should go back to the picnic area now. Your aunt and uncle might wonder where we are, and as I mentioned before, I want to offer my help if needed.”
His brows gathered in. “Okay, if you say so.”
As they left the barn, Lenore couldn’t help wondering if she’d done the right thing by agreeing to let Mark court her. Well, it was too late to take back her words. She would just go through the courting procedure and see how things went. Maybe in time she would develop strong feelings for Mark. If not, then she would have to tell him they could only be friends. One thing’s for sure, Lenore decided, I will never agree to marry Mark if I don’t love him. And if Mark and I should ever become engaged, I will not break it off the way Jesse did to me.
“Well, I think all the meat and vegetables are about ready for our barbecue,” Brad announced after he’d cut up the onions and tomatoes and placed them on the table.
“I have all the eating utensils ready to set out
on the picnic table too.” Sara pointed to the stack of paper plates, cups, silverware, and napkins on the counter.
“While we’re waiting for our guests to arrive, I’m going to give my mom a call.” Brad pulled out his cell phone. “Since she and Dad will be leaving on a cruise to the Bahamas tomorrow morning, I want to wish her a happy Mother’s Day now.”
“Good idea.” Sara took a seat at the table while Brad made the call. Once he had his mother on the phone, he put it on speaker so Sara could hear what was being said and join the conversation.
“Happy Mother’s Day,” Sara and Brad said in unison.
“Thank you,” his mother replied. “And thanks for the lovely African violet you had sent to me.”
“You’re welcome,” Sara said. “I hope the plant will be okay while you’re away on vacation. I should have thought about that before I had it sent to you.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine. A friend of mine will be housesitting for us while we’re gone, and I’ll make sure to leave instructions on watering and fertilizing the violet.”
“Sounds good. Well, I’ll let you finish up with Brad,” Sara said. “We have company coming soon, so I need to double-check on things and make sure everything is ready.”
“You go right ahead, Sara. And thanks again for the lovely plant.”
Sara wished Jean a good trip, said goodbye, and went to the refrigerator to take out a pitcher of iced tea.
As Brad continued the conversation with his mother, Sara’s mind wandered. With tomorrow being Mother’s Day, she couldn’t help thinking about her own mother and how much she still missed her.
She rubbed a hand over her face. All the years I spent with Mama before she died, I took so much for granted, never expecting she would be gone so unexpectedly. What I wouldn’t give to spend tomorrow with my mother.
Changing her focus, Sara looked forward to going over to see her grandmother after church tomorrow. She had a plant for Grandma too, and it would be great just to sit and visit awhile. No doubt there would be food and beverages. Sara almost laughed out loud. No one could visit Grandma’s house and not be invited to partake of a meal or at least some tasty refreshments.
By the time Brad ended the phone call with his mother, their first few guests had arrived. Making sure she was wearing a pleasant smile, Sara left the kitchen and went to greet them.
Clymer
“It’s time to get up, schlofkopp.”
Michelle rolled onto her side and groaned. “You’re right, Ezekiel, I am a sleepyhead this morning, and I have every right to be. Our boppli kept me awake most of the night, kicking and moving around in my belly.”
Ezekiel smiled. “He must be eager to make his appearance.”
“Well, he or she will have to wait a little longer. I want our first child to be born right on schedule.”
“Same here.” Ezekiel climbed out of bed. “We need to eat and get ready for church.”
She yawned and stretched her arms over her head. “Okay, I can take a hint. You want me to fix breakfast.”
Ezekiel chuckled. “You know me too well.”
She smiled.
“I hope my mamm got her Mother’s Day card yesterday.”
“Are you planning to call her?”
“I did that last night. Had to leave a message, of course, because no one was in the phone shack. Since my folks don’t usually check messages on Sundays, Mom probably won’t hear what I had to say till Monday.”
Michelle pulled herself to a sitting position. “At least you have a mother to send a card to and leave a phone message for. I, on the other hand, don’t even know where my mom is. For all I know, she might not even be alive.” Michelle placed both hands across her stomach, rubbing in a circular motion. “I am determined to be a better mother to our baby than my mother was to me, Jack, and Ernie.”
“You will be. I’m certain of it.” Ezekiel’s reassuring tone comforted Michelle. She rarely thought about her abusive mother anymore, but with today being Mother’s Day, it was hard not to think about the past and what she and her brothers had been through.
She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. Dear Lord, even though I have no idea where my mom and dad are living these days, You do. You know everything about them. If Mom and Dad are still alive, would You please send someone into their lives to light the way so they can know You personally, the way I do?
When Michelle’s prayer ended, she felt a bit better. She could honestly say she no longer hated her parents. Now all she wanted was for them to find the same sense of peace she had found since she’d accepted Christ as her Savior.
Strasburg
“Thank you all for the lovely gifts and cards you gave me today.” Mary Ruth sniffed as she made an effort to hold back tears. What a joy it was to have her family around her right now—Sara, Brad, Lenore, Ivan, Yvonne, Peter, and Ben—all gathered in her living room to wish her a happy Mother’s Day.
“I’m a fortunate woman to have you all as my family.” Mary Ruth nearly choked on the words as she expressed her gratitude. “I can’t imagine what I would do without all of you.”
“We love you, Grandma,” Lenore spoke up. “And there isn’t anything we wouldn’t do for you.”
All heads nodded in agreement.
“Danki. Danki so much.”
Lenore cleared her throat a few times, and all heads turned in her direction. “I have an announcement to make.”
“What is it, dear one?” Mary Ruth asked. She couldn’t help noticing her granddaughter’s rosy cheeks.
“Last night at Mark’s birthday party, he asked if he could begin courting me.”
“That’s wunderbaar, Daughter.” Lenore’s mother reached across the couch where she sat and clasped Lenore’s hand. “I hope Mark is the right man for you.”
“I hope so too, but I’ll have to wait and see how it goes after we’ve spent more time together and gotten better acquainted.”
Mary Ruth cringed inside, but she tried to hide her feelings by putting a smile on her face. If Mark begins courting Lenore, then how in the world am I ever going to get Lenore and Jesse back together?
Chapter 42
The months of June and July were hot and muggy, but that didn’t keep Lenore from helping Grandma in the garden or doing all the necessary chores around the place. Lenore’s father or one of her brothers still came over regularly to take care of the larger tasks, but for the most part, Lenore managed to get things done on her own and still squeeze in some time to spend with Mark. It surprised her, though, that Mark never volunteered to help out at Grandma’s place. Even though he worked five days a week in his uncle’s shop, Lenore figured he would at least be willing to offer his help to do some things for Grandma.
For the most part, Lenore enjoyed Mark’s company, but she couldn’t see herself in a permanent relationship with him. She hoped he felt the same, because she didn’t want to hurt his feelings by turning down a prospective marriage proposal.
Maybe Mark will never ask me to marry him. He might only see me as a friend, Lenore told herself as she got out the gardening tools in readiness for her cousin’s arrival.
Sara had been closing the flower shop on Mondays lately so she could work Saturdays, which seemed to be one of the busiest days for her business. They’d reached the last Monday in July, and Sara should be arriving soon. Lenore looked forward to this time of working together and getting caught up with each other’s lives. Between Sara’s full-time business and her involvement in the church Brad pastored, they didn’t get to see each other as often as Lenore would like.
Grandma had wanted to help out in the garden today, but she’d pulled a muscle in her back a few days ago, so pulling weeds was out of the question. That was okay; she deserved some time to rest.
“Guess there’s no point in waiting for Sara to get here. I may as well get started on these weeds.” Lenore spoke out loud. She went down on her knees next to a row of bush beans and stuck her hand shovel in the ground. Normally,
she was able to keep up with the weeds, but this summer they’d gotten away from her, as she’d spent too much time doing other things. Today, however, Lenore was determined to get all of the weeding done.
Clymer
Michelle sat in a chair on the front porch, rubbing her stomach. It was so hot and humid this morning she could hardly breathe. The flower and vegetable gardens needed watering, and another batch of laundry waited to be washed. She couldn’t muster up the strength, though. Even if she weren’t pregnant, the exceptionally warm, muggy weather would have pulled her down. In Michelle’s condition, it seemed almost unbearable.
Michelle continued to rub her stomach, as though in doing so, she might create some action. “Come on, sweet baby, when are you going to be ready to make your appearance into this world?”
Whimpering, Val, who’d been lying on the porch near her chair, got up and put her head in Michelle’s lap.
She stroked the dog’s head. “Are you sympathizing with me, girl, or do you just need some attention?”
With another whimper, Val nuzzled Michelle’s hand.
“Oh, you’re such a big boppli. I wonder how you’ll act when my real baby is here.” Michelle hoped the dog wouldn’t be too jealous or become aggressive. It would be a blessing if Val got along with the baby, and even acted as a protector should the child ever be put in a dangerous situation.
Michelle had heard about dogs rescuing people who were in peril, or even alerting a person when something like a fire got started in their home. She felt sure her dog was smart enough to alert them of any danger.
“Would you like to take a walk to the mailbox with me, girl?” Michelle rose from her chair. As she stepped off the porch, Val followed. Walking down the driveway, the dog stayed close to Michelle’s side.
Michelle looked down at Val and smiled. “You’re my protector, aren’t you?”
Val wagged her tail.
When they reached the mailbox, the Irish setter stood beside Michelle, waiting patiently while she retrieved the mail. As they turned to walk back to the house, Michelle felt her stomach contract. She paused and waited for it to subside. It wasn’t a strong contraction, but it could mean the beginning of labor. She certainly hoped so, because she was more than ready to become a mother. As far as she was concerned, it couldn’t happen soon enough. Ezekiel was out in his shop, and if the contractions continued, she would let him know.
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