The Beloved Christmas Quilt

by Brunstetter, Wanda E. ; Brunstetter, Jean; Brunstetter, Richelle

  The paramedics told the siblings which hospital they’d be taking their sister to. Roseanna and Mary talked with Adam. He said he’d drop off Mark on his way back home to tell Dad and Mom. The EMTs loaded Nancy Anne into the ambulance, and Roseanna and Mary climbed in afterward. Roseanna noticed that Mark had walked away moments after they’d joined Nancy Anne in the ambulance. But she wasn’t worried about him. Roseanna was only concerned about Nancy Anne’s condition.

  She grasped her sister’s hand, so cold to the touch. All Roseanna could do for Nancy Anne now was to pray she would be all right.

  CHAPTER 13

  Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

  Roseanna and Mary sat in the waiting-room chairs near the main doors of the hospital. Mary wanted to go into the room with their sister, but Roseanna informed her that the doctor and nurses needed time to diagnosis her. As soon as they had entered the building, Roseanna had wondered if her folks knew about the accident. Adam should be home by now and have given their parents the bad news. Roseanna’s dad and mom would be arranging a driver to take them to the hospital.

  Mary grasped Roseanna’s arm, parting her lips, but nothing came out as she looked past the check-in counter.

  “Mary?” Roseanna placed a hand on top of her sister’s hand. “Mary, she’ll be okay. We need to pray and think positive thoughts.”

  “But what if she…” Mary covered her mouth as if to stop the words. Tears formed in her eyes.

  “Don’t say it. You don’t know for sure.”

  “You don’t know, either, Roseanna.” Mary’s eyes reddened, and her cheeks were stained with tears. “She wouldn’t even need help if it wasn’t for me. I should have been watching her more closely.”

  Roseanna couldn’t blame her sister for feeling guilty. She felt the same guilt, even though neither one of them could have done anything to stop the van from hitting Nancy Anne.

  But I could’ve suggested for us to head home sooner. Roseanna bit her lip.

  A passenger van pulled up to the entrance with Roseanna’s parents, Adam, and Grandpa and Grandma Allgyer. While Roseanna and her family waited to hear about Nancy’s condition, John appeared. He’d heard about Nancy’s accident from his parents’ driver, who had taken Roseanna’s parents to the hospital. With her sister’s condition unclear, and feeling betrayed by Mark, Roseanna didn’t know what to do.

  The doors opened and a doctor approached the family. Roseanna could barely breathe. After confirming their identities, the doctor explained that Nancy Anne had received a minor concussion and a broken arm but would be okay.

  The family’s relief was tangible. The doctor went on to explain that they’d keep Nancy Anne in the hospital overnight for further observation because of the concussion. They were also going to set the break in her arm and would need to wait until the swelling went down before putting it in a cast.

  Roseanna’s parents went back with the doctor to see their daughter and explain to her what would be happening.

  Roseanna leaned back in her chair, thanking the Lord for protecting Nancy Anne during the accident. She looked over at John, glad he’d come. Her family needed all the support they could get.

  Lykens

  After a few days had passed and Nancy Anne was back home, recovering from her injuries, Roseanna decided to make a trip into town to get more sewing supplies.

  “How is your sister, Roseanna?” Catherine asked as she rang up the remaining items. “I heard about what happened to her, and I’ve been concerned.”

  “She’s doing better, even with her arm hurting and in a cast. Nancy Anne just needs some time to heal.”

  “That’s a relief. I hope she’ll get better soon.”

  Roseanna smiled. “Thank you. I appreciate your concern.”

  Waving good-bye to Catherine, she went out the door and walked right into a light snowfall. Roseanna looked at the gray sky. It mirrored her overall mood. She hugged her bag of new sewing supplies close in an attempt to keep them dry as she headed toward her buggy.

  I’ll surprise Nancy Anne with a new dress. I’m glad she’s home and not still at the hospital. But the night of the accident could’ve been a lot worse. She snugged up her scarf around her shoulders.

  After having released most of her pent-up emotions over the past few days, Roseanna still struggled with guilt and frustration—especially toward Mark.

  “Roseanna?”

  Her shoulders jerked when she realized who was behind her. “Mark.”

  “Hey. I’m sorry for startling you.” His eyes shifted to the side.

  She waited.

  Mark looked back at her. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there at the hospital. After you got mad at me, I assumed you wouldn’t want me there.” He lowered his head. “Adam gave me a ride home. That was nice of him, considering how I was behaving.”

  Roseanna swallowed hard. She knew Mark cared about her. He had brought joy to her life, after the emotional upheaval she’d experienced from being jilted by John. But one thing was certain: they needed to address a few issues.

  “I forgive you, Mark.”

  “Thank you.” He slid his hand down the side of his trousers. “So, do you want to continue where we left off?”

  “Mark, I know you mean well, but I—”

  “Roseanna, I upset you, but things can go back to the way they were. We could be happy again. Please give me the chance to make it up to you.”

  “Mark, I don’t think—”

  “Please.” He clutched her arm. “Don’t do this.”

  Roseanna swallowed against the lump forming in her throat. “I’m sorry. I don’t think it’s destined for us to be together.”

  Despite Mark’s pleas, Roseanna held firm. Even though he had apologized for not going to the hospital to see Nancy Anne, he had not apologized for the things he’d said about her being deaf. That’s what hurt Roseanna the most.

  “You’ll find someone else, Mark, and I wish you well.”

  “Does this mean you’re going back to John?”

  She shook her head. “I can’t be with anyone right now.”

  Roseanna hurried away. It was over for them, and at that moment, she saw faithfulness in God’s plan. There was hope for her to continue to grow from the troubles she had faced, and the best thing to do was to move forward, even though her future was uncertain.

  Mark isn’t the right person for me, and neither is John, since he can’t commit to marriage. Roseanna climbed into her buggy.

  John paced around his parents’ home, attempting to clear his head. He wanted to confess to Roseanna why he hadn’t been able to commit to their relationship before and explain why he was ready to do so now. Yet how was he supposed to approach the issue in a way that she would understand? What about Mark? Is Roseanna committed to him now? Does she love Mark more than she loved me?

  “I need to do something,” John mumbled. “I need to talk to her and sort this out.”

  John headed out the door, but a few minutes in the cold sent him back inside to get his hat and jacket.

  Even though the ground was covered with almost a foot of snow, he decided not to take his buggy. John stumbled a bit as he lifted his feet while walking. I hope you’ll be able to understand, Roseanna. Understand why I left.

  When he reached her home, John breathed deeply, hoping to get his nerves to calm. He wasn’t sure how Roseanna would respond to everything he was about to tell her, but she needed to know the truth. Maybe then, she would be willing to give him another chance.

  John knocked on the back door and waited. As he stood there, looking up, snowflakes landed on his face.

  The door opened. “John?” Roseanna’s fingers touched her parted lips. “What are you doing here?”

  He clasped his hands together. “I was just wondering…. Would you mind taking a walk with me? I need to talk with you.”

  She cleared her throat. “Okay. I’ll go get my jacket.”

  Roseanna closed the door, leaving him waiting. He let out a soft breat
h. I’m glad she didn’t reject my offer.

  Roseanna returned, bundled up in her jacket, and closed the door behind her. “Lead the way, John.” Her blue eyes looked even more vivid with the snowflakes landing on her long lashes.

  They walked from the house, side by side. As much as John tried to hide it, he was pretty sure Roseanna could sense his nervousness as they neared the frozen pond by her home. If he was courting Roseanna again, he would suggest they come here to ice skate.

  Hesitantly, John took Roseanna’s gloved hand and was relieved when she didn’t pull away. “Roseanna, I know you are still with Mark, but I have to get this off my chest.”

  “No, John.” She looked down at her feet. “I’m not with him anymore.”

  John blinked rapidly. “But, I thought you’d—”

  “Worked things out? Well, we did, and we’re not a couple anymore.” Roseanna lifted her head. “But that doesn’t mean you can swoop back in and expect that I’ll take you back. It doesn’t work like that.”

  John let go of her hand. He would do whatever he could to have Roseanna back in his life, even if it meant falling to his knees and begging for another chance to prove himself. But he couldn’t do that and expect Roseanna to change her mind.

  He sighed. “At least let me explain why I left. Why I left the first wedding, too. You deserve to know that much.”

  “All right.”

  Sitting down on a log near the frozen pond, John prepared to speak. “Remember when you met my grandfather who lives not far from here?”

  “Jah. I remember.” Roseanna sat down next to him.

  “You also know that my grandmother passed away when I was younger.”

  She nodded.

  John shuffled his feet against the bottom of the log, attempting to process his thoughts. “He did live in Ohio with the rest of us at one point. We were all together as a family. Being an only child and having just a few friends, I would visit my grandparents fairly often.”

  John shifted on the uncomfortable log. “My grandparents were nice people. They looked after me and made every single moment I had with them enjoyable. But like most folks, they weren’t perfect. They argued with each other over the smallest things. Sometimes those arguments would escalate to the point where I couldn’t bear hearing them yell at one another.”

  He fiddled with the buttons on his jacket, struggling to keep his words on track. “The problem was both of them thought they were always right. It was a challenge for them to admit when they were wrong or that they’d spoken too rashly over something so minuscule. So they were left with a lot of unresolved issues that complicated their marriage.”

  “I didn’t know that.” Roseanna looked intently at him. “Your grandfather seems laid back and willing to hear someone else’s point of view.”

  “Jah. He’s more like that now than he used to be.” John bit his lip. “Grandma and Grandpa got into an immense argument one time. I don’t even remember what it was about. I think I was six or seven then.”

  “Didn’t your grandmother pass away when you were around that age?”

  John nodded. “My grandmother passed away a few weeks after that big argument, but she and my grandfather had never apologized to each other or resolved their issues.” He looked away from Roseanna and stared at the pond. “My grandfather regretted not resolving their marital issues, and regrets it to this day. Part of him is still stuck in the past, unable to move on.”

  “So you thought the same thing would happen if you got married?”

  “Jah. I’ve been afraid of marriage ever since.”

  “But you’re nothing like your grandfather, and I’m not your grandmother. I can’t really say much about the first person you were going to marry, but you can’t determine how our marriage would’ve been based on what your grandparents went through. Not all marriages are that way.”

  “Roseanna, throughout my life, people have told me how much I resemble my grandfather. Especially when I got upset and wouldn’t back down from an argument.” His shoulders shook. “Just look at how much I’ve hurt you.”

  “You only hurt me because you left.” Her voice cracked. “I thought it was my fault. I thought you didn’t think I was suitable. And the truth is, I was afraid to commit, too. But I was certain we would be okay until the moment you ran out of that tent.”

  “I know. I made a terrible choice, Roseanna.” John rubbed at his chin. “When I was courting Sara, we argued a lot. But we somehow believed we were ready to get married. When I ran out on that wedding and then met you, I thought I’d made the right choice.”

  “Then why?” Roseanna looked away from him, her voice more quiet. “Why did you leave me, John?”

  John’s chin dipped to his chest. Guilt cut through him like a knife. He’d been worried he would hurt Rosanna by marrying her, yet he had hurt her more by leaving.

  Swallowing hard, he forced himself to look at her. “I didn’t want either of us to regret not being able to resolve our problems. I didn’t know if I could commit to being a good husband to you and be happy with our marriage.” John’s voice tightened and his vision blurred, as he struggled to keep his emotions at bay. “To be a good father. To be a good role model. I have no experience in that, Rosanna. You’re the one who’s suitable for marriage. Not me.”

  Roseanna looked at him through the increasing snowfall. “I’ve been listening to what you have said, John. Your faith is suffering the most from what I can tell. Your grandparents may have had problems with their relationship, but you can move on from it.”

  John gazed at her and nodded.

  “I have seen the other side of a marriage with my folks and two sets of grandparents.” Roseanna paused. “They interact most of the time with respectful accord.”

  John lifted a gloved hand to shake snow from his hat. “I understand that not all families have problems with getting along. I was worried more how we—or more myself—would handle conflicts when they arose.”

  “But you didn’t give us a chance to find out how we’d deal with difficulties.” Roseanna shifted her weight. “Anyway, that wasn’t a good enough reason to take off on our wedding day.”

  “I know it wasn’t, and I am truly sorry for putting you through all of that.” His tone was sincere. “If you will give me another chance, I promise not to let you down.”

  “John, I would like to pray about this.” She moved away from him. “I’m going to head inside. I am getting cold sitting out here, and you probably are, too.”

  “Thank you, Roseanna, for hearing me out.” John gave her a quick wave and headed to his buggy.

  Once inside, Roseanna removed her outer garments, went up to her bedroom, and closed the door. Roseanna lay on her bed and grabbed the Bible on the nightstand. She turned to Proverbs 16:20 and read out loud: “ ‘He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.’”

  Roseanna felt a strong confidence that she could trust the Lord. During her visit with Grandma and Grandpa Zook, Grandma had said Roseanna should follow what her heart told her to do and follow God’s leading.

  She stared up at the ceiling. Roseanna was thankful for the time she’d spent with her grandparents. She appreciated their advice and enjoyed being with them. She prayed that God would give her wisdom about her relationship with John.

  As she continued to lie there with the Bible in her hands, she tried to think of the verse embroidered on the back of Mom’s beloved Christmas quilt. Roseanna remembered it was from a psalm, but which one? She began skimming through the book of Psalms, trying to find it. While she searched, Roseanna reached a conclusion: in the morning, she would speak to John and give their relationship another chance. She would trust God to make clear to her if John was the man He wanted her to spend the rest of her life with.

  CHAPTER 14

  Eight Months Later

  Waking up to the light shining through the crack in her window shade, Roseanna sat up in bed and unraveled the covers. She
could hear the early risers visiting downstairs.

  Today feels vaguely familiar. She laughed nervously. It had been more than eight months since John had begun courting her again. She honestly didn’t know what today had in store for her, but she wanted to be optimistic about it.

  Roseanna went to the window. The leaves were showing signs of autumn, with the summer colors fading away, offering reassurance of her special day. It was the second time she and John had arranged to be married.

  She walked over to her closet. Although she still had her original wedding dress, Roseanna had sewed another one for this occasion. She used a blue fabric again, but it had a hint of iris to the shade. Her blue eyes stood out as she looked at herself in front of the mirror, holding the dress.

  “I made a good choice with this fabric color,” she mused.

  A knock sounded on her door. “Roseanna, are you coming down for breakfast?” Mary asked.

  “Jah. I’ll be down in a minute.” She laid the dress on the bed. I better hurry and get ready once I finish eating. Roseanna opened her bedroom door. The aromas of familiar and favorite foods drifted in, causing her stomach to growl. I can’t wait to sample breakfast this morning. Hopefully I’ll be able to control how much I eat.

  Roseanna met her father at the bottom of the stairs. “Good morning, Daughter. Did you sleep well?”

  “Good morning.” She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “For the most part, but I kept hoping I didn’t forget to do something.”

  “Your list should help you with that, right?” He motioned her to lead the way.

  “It’s pretty much checked off as of now.” She smiled at him then walked to the kitchen.

  “How’s my daughter and the soon-to-be-wife this morning?” Mom gave her a hug.

  “I’m doing fine.” She returned the embrace and took a seat at the table.

  Everyone was all smiles. Roseanna watched her mother buzzing around the kitchen. Her dad poured himself some coffee and offered to get anyone else some. Grandpa Zook’s voice boomed his need for a cup.