by Brunstetter, Wanda E. ; Brunstetter, Jean; Brunstetter, Richelle
Grandma nudged him with her elbow. “No teasing, now, Atlee.” She smiled at Roseanna. “Are you naerfich?”
“Jah, just a bit.” Truth was, a bit didn’t begin to describe her nerves.
Grandma Allgyer gave Roseanna’s shoulder a squeeze. “It’s normal for a bride to be nervous on the eve of her wedding day.”
“Let’s move into the living room,” Mom suggested. “We can visit awhile, and if anyone’s hungry, I’ll fix a snack.”
The grandparents followed Mom into the other room, but before Roseanna could join them, Adam walked into the dining room and gave her a hug. He had come home earlier from working a half day. “How are you doing, Sister?”
“Okay, but with everything going on today, it’s kind of hard to relax.”
“You’ll be fine tomorrow, Roseanna. My oldest sister will be the perfect bride.” Adam gave her a reassuring smile.
“Thank you, Adam.”
He looked toward the kitchen. “I heard that Mary and Nancy Anne have been busy making some sugar cookies, as well as shoofly and vanilla crumb pies.” He thumped his stomach. “I’m lookin’ forward to sampling those desserts. How about you, Roseanna?”
“I’m really not that hungry, but I might have something later.” Roseanna took a seat at the dining-room table.
“Whatever you want to do.” Adam moved near the doorway. “I’ll be going to the living room to visit with the family. Are you coming?”
“I will pretty soon, but I need to look at my list and go over everything I should do before tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
After her brother left the room, Roseanna looked over her to-do list as she listened to the steady hum of conversation in the next room.
A sudden knock on the door brought Roseanna to her feet. Thinking it might be John, she hurried to answer it.
“Hello, my good friend!” Katie nearly tackled Roseanna to the floor with the force of her hug. “It sounds like you have a full house in there.”
“Hello.” She tried to laugh, but the strength of Katie’s arms around her made it hard to breathe. “How are you doing?”
Katie let her go and placed her purse on the floor near the door. “I should be asking you that question. After all, you’re the one getting married tomorrow.”
Roseanna heaved a deep sigh, dropping her gaze to the floor. “I haven’t forgotten. But let’s take this conversation to my room.”
“Okay, that sounds like a good idea.”
Once inside, Roseanna closed the bedroom door, and they sat on the bed. She stared blindly out the window.
“Hey.” Katie gently shook Roseanna’s shoulder. “Are you all right? You’re not acting like yourself.”
“Jah, I’m okay.” She sighed once more and turned away from her friend, pressing her hand against her chest as it tightened.
A knock sounded on the bedroom door. “Roseanna, are you busy?” her sister Mary called. “Mom sent me to let you know we are starting to get out the desserts. Are you coming soon?”
She got up and opened the door. “We’ll be out in a little bit to join you and the rest of the family.” Roseanna patted her younger sister’s shoulder and looked back at Katie.
“I wouldn’t mind some dessert right now.” Katie spoke with a cheerful voice.
“Okay, Roseanna, I’ll let Mom know.” Mary turned and headed down the stairs.
Roseanna closed the door and returned to the bed, fidgeting with her hands.
Katie edged closer and touched Roseanna’s arm. “Are you having second thoughts about getting married?”
“Not intentionally, but I’m doubting whether this will work out.”
“What do you mean?” Katie tipped her head. “You do love him, right?”
“Oh, jah. I love John so much, and I want to be with him, but…” Roseanna’s words trailed off as her thoughts scattered all over the place. She wanted to be honest with her friend about how she felt, but the words weren’t forming in her head correctly.
“Oh, I see what the problem is. This happens to almost every bride before their big day.” Katie giggled.
Roseanna’s stomach fluttered while she stared intently at her friend. “What are you talking about?”
“Cold feet. That’s what you have right now.” Katie put her hands on her hips. “It’s normal for you to feel this way. It’s all part of the experience.”
“How would you know? You haven’t gotten married yet.”
Katie’s hazel eyes widened but then narrowed. “I don’t need to be married to know. I’ve heard stories of this happening. Well, these stories came mostly from my mamm, but you get what I mean. The point is, you have nothing to worry about.” Katie clasped Roseanna’s hand. “If you have any doubts, pray about it. I know God will get you through this, and I’ll do whatever I can to help. You’ll feel better after the wedding is over.”
Even though Katie could sometimes be a little overbearing, Roseanna was grateful to have a friend like her. Katie always seemed so sure of herself. Roseanna wasn’t the best at making decisions, which was something she needed to pray about.
Roseanna coughed and turned onto her side. The sheets wrapped around her felt hot against her skin. She sat up and stared out the window on the right side of the room. It was still dark. She’d gone to bed earlier than usual, hoping it would help her relax and knowing she needed to be well-rested for her big day. Turning on the flashlight and glancing at the clock beside her bed, she noticed she’d only been sleeping two hours.
Roseanna pulled the rest of the sheets aside. “Ouch!” She turned her head and felt strands of her long, curly hair caught on the bedpost. Roseanna always let her hair down when she went to bed, but this usually didn’t happen. Careful as she was to unwind most of the strands, Roseanna felt a few of them pulling out of her scalp. She rubbed that part of her head and winced.
“Maybe a cup of warm chamomile tea would make me relax and feel more tired.” She got out of bed and made her way to the door. The soles of her feet felt like they were sliding on ice.
Roseanna’s vision blurred in the dim hallway as she lifted her foot over the top step. The next thing she knew, she was toppling down the stairs. Her head hit one of the steps near the bottom, but other than that, she wasn’t seriously hurt. “Well, that was fun.” She groaned, placing both hands on the bump.
She pulled herself up from the floor and crept quietly into the kitchen, hoping she hadn’t wakened anyone.
After preparing the tea, Roseanna placed an ice pack on her head. Steam rose from the cup. Since it was getting colder outside, having something warm to hold was comforting.
“John,” she whispered, rubbing her thumb against the cup. “I think I’m ready to be with you. I wouldn’t have said yes if I didn’t love you.” She closed her eyes. Dear Lord, please, give me the strength I need for tomorrow as I enter this long-term commitment with my groom.
CHAPTER 2
Roseanna’s eyes opened to the light shining on her face. She pulled the warm blankets off and placed her feet on the floor, stretching her arms toward the ceiling.
Today’s already here. Roseanna walked over to her bedroom window. The sun peeked over the trees in the yard. Although today was her wedding day, Roseanna felt as relaxed as the colored leaves falling to the yellow-tinted blades of grass.
She pulled the window open and breathed in the chilled air, helping her to feel more awake. I’m not hungry right now, but it would be good to eat something. She lowered her head and patted her stomach. I don’t want to pass out from a lack of energy.
Yawning, Roseanna went over to the door hanger where her wedding dress hung neatly and humbly. The garment matched the color of a bright blue sky and brought out the color of her eyes. She was glad she’d chosen that shade of fabric. Roseanna scooped up the dress and laid it on her bed, smoothing the folds. She glanced at a small stack of dresses sitting on a table across from her. She had been working on some orders and had finished a couple of navy-blue fr
ocks just the other day.
These folded dresses were much more muted than her own wedding dress and reminded Roseanna that this was, indeed, a special day. She’d never worked so hard on an outfit as she had on the beautiful wedding dress waiting for her. Roseanna had made sure every seam was sewn with care.
Roseanna had pressed her kapp and apron to a pristine smoothness, and there was no doubt from all the positive comments Mom and her grandmas had made that they all appreciated the effort she’d made. She tried to picture John wearing his new suit for their wedding. He would certainly look handsome.
I kind of like the idea of moving in with John’s parents after we’re married. She rubbed her forehead. Since the rental Roseanna and John had looked at was no longer available, they had no choice but to live at one of their parents’ homes until another rental became available. The owner of the house they both liked had backed out of their agreement because he had a relative who wanted to live there.
Roseanna smiled, thinking about the time she’d spent chatting with both sets of grandparents last night, as well as the driver who’d brought Grandma and Grandpa Zook up from their home in Paradise. The bishop and his wife were there for dessert, too. Even their English neighbors, the Thompsons and their children, visited for a while. They had been good friends to Roseanna’s family over the years. Roseanna would often babysit for the Thompsons, and Mary would help sometimes, too.
Roseanna couldn’t help but giggle, thinking how the previous night, Katie couldn’t stop taking samples of nearly everything Mom had set out. There was no doubt about it—her best friend had a sweet tooth.
Roseanna had been happy when Mom said what a beautiful bride her eldest daughter would make, and Dad’s eyes glistened as he agreed.
Glancing out the window toward the hills, Roseanna smiled. “Thank You, Lord, for calming my fears.”
Karen grabbed the pastries from the counter and placed them on the kitchen table. Since everyone in the house needed to be up early today, and the cooks and waiters were outside, she figured a simple breakfast would be the best choice. She needed to go out soon and make sure everything was going smoothly.
Her muscles quivered as she grabbed a stack of plates from the cupboard. I can’t believe this is really happening. My first daughter is getting married. Oh my, where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday when Roseanna was a baby.
“Good morning, Mom.”
Karen knew who was behind her. A mother always recognized the voices of her children, even in the midst of a crowd. “Good morning, Roseanna. Why don’t you sit down?” She joined Roseanna at the table. “How are you feeling? Did you sleep well?”
“As well as I could, I guess.” Her daughter opened the container of pastries.
Karen clasped her hands as she observed Roseanna’s demeanor. She didn’t appear very nervous. Well, not as nervous as Karen had been when she married Seth. People took experiences in differently, but most women she knew were overly anxious on their wedding day.
Roseanna sat at the table with a cup of tea, and Karen stood behind the chair, massaging her daughter’s shoulders. “It’s all right to be open about how you’re really feeling, Rosey.”
“What? No, I am fine.”
“You don’t want to talk about it?”
Roseanna rubbed the left side of her cheek. “There’s not much to say. I mean, I am slightly overwhelmed, but who wouldn’t be?”
Karen watched in dismay as Roseanna scooted her chair away from the table and started out of the room.
“Are you sure you don’t want anything else?” Karen asked. “There are plenty of pastries on the counter. Or I’d be happy to fix you some eggs.”
“No, I’m not really hungry.”
Adam entered the kitchen and bumped into Roseanna. “Ach! You should watch where you’re going.” Adam frowned.
“It takes two people, you know. You could’ve moved around me.” Roseanna crossed her arms.
This teasing wasn’t what Karen wanted to deal with. She had enough stress supervising the waiters and waitresses. Before anything escalated between Roseanna and Adam, she stepped between them. “Both of you, please stop this. I don’t have time to deal with this right now, especially not today.”
“Okay.” Roseanna rolled her eyes and walked away from Adam. “I should go upstairs and get ready.”
“Only because you know I would win.”
“Adam, you also have some responsibilities today, as do your sisters. So please do not go around taunting them. I’m depending on you, so try to act your age and set a good example. Understood?”
He nodded. “Jah, Mom.”
Nancy Anne came in and signed: “I’m glad I got the last shed power-washed yesterday. Dad said it looked good.” She gave her brother a silly grin. “I slept good last night. I love being with my whole family.”
“Thank you, Sister, for working so hard in my behalf.” Roseanna signed then went over and gave Nancy Anne a hug. Once Roseanna pulled away, she noticed Mom smiling as she watched the two of them.
Nancy Anne paused to look at the pastries sitting on the counter, then she went to the refrigerator and took out the pitcher of apple juice. After filling her glass and placing it on the table, she signed: “The pastries look good. I’ll try not to eat them all.”
“We all need to remember to model good behavior,” Karen both signed and spoke.
Roseanna nodded.
Adam combed his fingers through his dark curly hair. “Yes, Mom.”
“I’d better start getting ready for the busy day ahead.” Roseanna hurried from the room.
“I’ll come up soon to see how you’re doing,” Karen called after her.
Seth came in from outside, with his father-in-law patting him on the shoulder. “Work is a snap with all the extra help out there this morning.”
“There are plenty of pastries here and leftover pies in the refrigerator. Not to mention all the meals we will be eating later on, starting with the noon meal after the wedding.”
Karen’s mother walked in. “When all of this is done, if we complain today, of all days, that we are hungry, we have a big problem.”
His brows raised, Karen’s dad laughed. He removed his hat and hung it on the wall peg. “I’d best wash off my hands and break out that shoofly pie waiting to be eaten for breakfast.”
“We’ll have to all go on diets after today.” Karen’s mother chuckled.
Soon, everyone had grabbed a drink and something to eat and gone out into the dining room. Karen felt the excitement growing in the house as the wedding drew nearer.
After Adam headed out the door, Karen sat down at the table for a moment, resting her head on her hands as she prayed. Nancy Anne sat next to her and laid a hand on Karen’s shoulder.
When she finished praying, Karen looked at her daughter and smiled. “You are a smart young lady and know how to make your mom feel good,” Karen signed.
Roseanna’s morning could have gone better. Yes, she was used to butting heads with Adam, but that didn’t help the situation. Then while she was in her room getting dressed, Mom had come up to see how she was doing. Katie and Mary were there, too, which helped as Roseanna fussed with her dress, making sure everything was perfect, and they gave her the reassurance she needed.
Later, as she was going downstairs, she heard her father making a fuss over spilling coffee all over his white button-up shirt. Since her mother had to go back outside to see how things were progressing, Roseanna hurried into the kitchen and started treating his shirt while he went to grab another one. Grandma Zook came in and offered to soak the shirt in cold water. Dad wouldn’t be wearing it today, but at least a good soaking should help keep it from staining.
Grandpa Zook carried his black dress hat and joined Roseanna in the kitchen. “Did someone’s white shirt get ruined?”
“It’s probably not ruined, but Grandma is going to soak it for Dad while he gets a fresh shirt out of the closet.” Roseanna gazed at her grandfather. He l
ooked so handsome and well dressed. Except for his completely white hair, one would never know he was sixteen years older than Grandma.
Grandma stood in front of the sink, running cold water on the stain. “Your son-in-law spilled coffee on his shirt, and his mother-in-law is trying to help out,” she called over her shoulder.
“What man hasn’t spilled his drink down the front of a white shirt at one time or another?” He laughed.
“I’m glad we don’t have to wear white dresses,” Roseanna said. “That would be a challenge for sure, even with our white church aprons to cover up the front.”
Roseanna’s dad hurried into the kitchen, adjusting the loose side of his suspender. “How do I look now? Does this shirt look okay?”
“Yes, it does. Now just be sure and keep it that way, Seth.” Grandpa’s voice boomed with a chuckle. “Look, here comes our groom.”
John stepped into the kitchen.
Roseanna gazed at him. He looked as handsome as she’d dreamed.
“You look very nice, young man,” Grandma said.
“Th–thank you.” His voice appeared thin.
Roseanna watched her father slip on his black vest, followed by his new black jacket. He moved to the small mirror on the wall near the utility room and positioned his black dress hat. “I’d better get out there and see if Karen wants me for any last-minute help.”
“We need to head to the tent, Luella.” Grandpa tugged at his long beard. ”By the way, you look nice today, dear.”
“Thank you, Husband.” Grandma blushed. “Let’s go, my dear Atlee.” She fussed with the sleeve of her new, deep gray dress on the way out the back door.
I guess Dad’s spilled coffee could’ve been worse. Roseanna cupped her chin and leaned forward. It could always be worse.
“Are you ready, Roseanna?” John hummed in her ear.
“Jah, I believe so.” She grasped his clammy hand and gave a gentle squeeze. Roseanna knew John loved her very much and was obviously just as nervous as she was.