Like their mother, Amy didn’t approve of her sister’s decision, but it was Sylvia’s life, and she had a right to do as she pleased. Amy hoped everything would work out okay, and that Mr. Weaver would prove to be a good renter and not take advantage of Sylvia’s willingness to offer him a place to stay.
Refocusing, Amy watched as Sara held up the pair of light-weight blankets Mom had taken the time to make. In addition to those, they’d all chipped in and put seventy-five dollars in the card that went with the gift.
“We thought you could use some money to buy whatever you still need for the baby,” Mom explained when Sara removed the bills from the envelope.
“Thank you all so much. This money will surely be put to good use.”
Amy looked over at Henry. He and Brad sat in chairs next to each other, but she couldn’t tell if they were actually talking to one another, because their heads were turned away from her.
Sara got up and went over to stand beside Brad. “Look at the nice blankets Belinda made for the baby.” She handed the card to him. “And the Kings gave us money to get the baby something he needs.”
“That was a thoughtful gift. Thank you.” Brad smiled up at Mom and thanked Amy, Sylvia, and Henry as well.
“Have you had many visitors since you brought your little one home from the hospital?” Amy asked.
Sara nodded. “A lot of the church people have come by with gifts and food, so I wouldn’t have to worry about cooking.”
“Mary Ruth along with Lenore and her family were here last night,” Brad interjected. “We enjoyed having them, and it was good to see how Lenore and Jesse’s children are growing.” He looked at Rachel and Allen, playing on the floor with some toys Sylvia had brought along. “It’s also nice to see your little ones, Sylvia. They’ve both grown since the last time we saw them.”
“They don’t stay little long enough to suit me,” Sylvia commented. There was that wistful expression again. Amy hoped her sister could hold it together and wouldn’t start crying, like she often did at home.
“How does it feel to be a daddy?” Mom asked. “Have you gotten used to the idea yet, Brad?”
He shook his head. “It’s sort of surreal. The first night Sara and the baby came home from the hospital, I hardly slept a wink.”
Sara chuckled. “It was the baby’s crying that kept us both awake.”
Everyone laughed, including Sylvia, but her expression continued to appear strained. Amy was almost positive her sister was merely going through the motions of being polite and trying to do the right thing. It had probably taken all of Sylvia’s willpower to come here tonight.
Poor Sylvia, she thought. I hope someday she finds the kind of happiness I’ve found with Jared.
Strasburg
“How’d your day go at work?” Virginia asked as she took a seat on the couch beside her husband.
“Okay.” Earl’s gaze remained fixed on the newspaper he held.
Virginia grimaced. Sometimes I wonder how he can be so engrossed in that stupid paper. She looked down at her clenched fingers. It’s either the dumb news blaring on the television, or him staring at the newspaper in front of his nose.
“Did you sell many cars?” she asked.
No response.
Virginia waited a few seconds then she bumped his arm. “Did ya hear what I said?”
“Uh-huh.”
Virginia grew weary of her husband’s lack of attention. I’d like to wad up that newspaper and toss it in the trash.
“Then why didn’t you answer my question?” she asked through clenched teeth.
He looked away from the newspaper and blinked. “What question was that?”
She lifted her gaze to the ceiling. “I asked if you sold many cars today.”
“A few.”
“Guess a few is better than none.”
“Right.”
“Don’t you wanna know how my day went?”
“Sure.”
“It wasn’t the best. I started to clean and organize the guest room but discovered the sheets for that bed are worn out and need to be replaced. The curtains also need to go, because they’re faded.”
“Okay, sure. Do whatever you think needs to be done.”
“Something else bothered me too.”
“What was that?”
“There was more traffic than usual going down the road.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, and as I have pointed out before, it’s because of that stupid greenhouse.” Virginia groaned. “I didn’t have a moment’s peace.”
Earl dropped the paper into his lap and turned to look at her with furrowed brows. “Will you please keep your mouth shut long enough for me to read the paper? All you ever do is flap your gums about things you can’t control.” His eyes narrowed as he breathed audibly through his nose. “It’s no wonder your first husband left you.”
Virginia pounded a fist against her right thigh. “He did not leave me. I’ve told ya before—he died. Did ya hear me, Earl? My first husband died!” Wow, how hard can it be for my man to remember something like that? Furthermore, doesn’t he realize how much it hurts for me to talk about my first husband?
Earl let the paper fall to the floor as he held up his hands. “For heaven’s sake, woman, calm down. You’re makin’ a big deal out of this.”
Virginia sucked in some air and tried to relax. Just talking about her first husband made her edgy. Why did Earl have to bring up this topic, anyhow?
He reached over and clasped her hand. “Sorry, if I upset you. I just wanted a little peace and quiet tonight and a chance to read the paper without interruption.”
“No problem, Earl. You can have the rest of the evening to yourself. I’m going to bed.” Virginia stood up and limped out of the room. She still hadn’t told Earl about Stella coming, but tonight was not the time to do it. Hopefully, tomorrow he’d be in a better mood and then she would let him in on the plans. In the meantime, Virginia needed to spruce up the guest room a bit, to make sure it was ready for her friend.
As she entered their bedroom, a horrible thought came over Virginia. Earl got really upset when I tried to talk to him about how I feel. His angry expression made me think he might want to hit me.
She flopped down on the bed and let her head fall into her hands. Would he ever go that far? If so, what would I do about it?
“I didn’t realize this house was so dirty,” Sylvia said as she swept the area in her bedroom closet where all her and Toby’s clothes had once been. His, she’d donated to a local thrift shop, and hers had been taken to Mom’s and hung in the closet of the bedroom where she’d been sleeping since Toby’s death.
“Places we don’t see have a way of accumulating dust bunnies.” Amy laughed. “Like under a bed. When no one is in a home for a while, the dust can truly settle on things.”
“Jah.” Sylvia stepped into the middle of the room and looked around. “Everything in here looks pretty good now, don’t you think?”
Amy nodded.
“We have more to do upstairs, in the other rooms—also the closets and bathroom need to be cleaned.
“I have a feeling we’ll be here for a while, Sister.”
“Probably so.”
“Too bad Mom didn’t have the energy to come with us. You could have let the kinner fall asleep here while we all pitched in and cleaned.”
“If they would have cooperated, that is. More than likely we’d have spent most of the time getting my two active little ones out of things.”
Amy chuckled. “You could be right about that.”
“I know I am.”
“So which room do you want to tackle next?”
“Let’s head upstairs and work on the bathroom.” Sylvia held onto the mop and bucket.
Amy carried the broom with the dustpan and headed for the stairs.
“I’ll be right up,” Sylvia called. “I’d better grab some disinfectant wipes from the downstairs bathroom.”
“Okay. I�
��ll see you upstairs.”
After entering the bathroom at the end of the downstairs hall, Sylvia picked up the box of wipes. My sister looks tired this evening. I hope I’m not pushing too hard to get this work done. She should have said no if she wasn’t up to helping.
Sylvia left the bathroom and started down the hall. I’m looking forward to renting this house out and earning some money. Now I’ll be able to help Mom with some bills, or at least pay for groceries so I won’t feel like I’m taking advantage of her hospitality.
At the bottom of the stairs, Sylvia paused, recalling how sounds of her own little family used to be heard in this home. She wasn’t ready to let go of this house permanently, but maybe someday she would feel strong enough emotionally to make that big decision.
She climbed up to the second floor and entered the bathroom, where her sister stood in front of the counter, cleaning the mirror.
“Mind if I ask you something?” Amy questioned.
Sylvia set the wipes on the counter. “Of course not. Ask me whatever you want.”
“Is there a specific reason you decided to rent this place, rather than sell?”
Sylvia winced. This topic was difficult to talk about without crying, and she’d done way too much of that since Toby, Dad, and Abe died.
“I’m trying to understand your reasons,” Amy persisted, “but if it was my house, and I had no plans to move back, then I’d sell and use the money to buy something else.”
“You and I handle things differently. Also you’re not married yet and don’t have children. The bond between Toby and me was strong. We enjoyed our life together until the accident.” Sylvia stared toward the window. “Why would I need to buy another home? The kinner seem content to live at our folks’ place. They like being close to their grossmammi, and she enjoys them.”
“What about you, Sylvia? Are you content to live there indefinitely?”
Sylvia lifted her shoulders in a brief shrug. “I’m okay with it, at least for now.”
“If you’re content to stay with Mom, then why not sell your house?” Amy slipped an arm around Sylvia’s waist.
She swallowed hard, trying to push down the lump that had formed in her throat. “If I sell my house, it’ll be like parting with the last shred of evidence that I was married to Toby.”
“That’s not true. You have Rachel and Allen. There’s a part of their daadi in each of them, just like there’s a part of you.”
Sylvia dabbed at the tears that had escaped her lashes and rolled onto her cheeks. “This is the place where Toby and I set up housekeeping together. We made so many wonderful memories.”
“Being here makes you sad, though, right?”
“Jah.” Sylvia could barely get the word out.
Amy’s hand went from Sylvia’s waist to the middle of her back, and she gave it a few gentle pats. “I’m sorry that I don’t fully understand the way you feel, because I’ve never lost a husband. Even so, if it were me, I’d sell the house.”
“Maybe someday I will. Just not now.” Sylvia picked up the box of wipes and pulled a few out. “We’d better get this room done so we can work on the others and make sure they look presentable. Now that the furniture I decided to keep has been taken to Mom’s, I plan to let Dennis Weaver know he can move in. Who knows—maybe someday I’ll sell the house and property to him.”
Belinda leaned back in her easy chair and closed her eyes. This feels good, and the smell of the lavender lotion I rubbed on my hands is soothing. If I could, I’d take a warm bath and soak for a while. But since my daughters are still gone, that wouldn’t be a good idea in case one of the children needed me.
Today had been busy at the greenhouse from the moment they’d opened until Henry put the Closed sign in the window on the front door. It had been nice to see so many regular customers as well as a few tourists come in. Two women who’d come together bought some of Belinda’s canned goods and several potholders Sylvia had made to sell. Belinda remembered the comments they’d made while she rang up their purchases at the checkout. The first woman mentioned stopping by the bigger greenhouse on the other side of town, but said she enjoyed the Kings’ greenhouse more. The second woman added, “My sister and I traveled all the way from California because we wanted to see Amish country and learn more about Plain living. We’ve enjoyed chatting with you because there are no Amish people where we are from.”
Belinda had to admit she felt better hearing those women talk positively about her business. She needed to let go of the worry she’d been carrying about the future of the greenhouse.
She stretched out more fully and wiggled her bare toes. I need to pray more and keep trusting God to provide for our needs.
Belinda didn’t know how Amy had found the strength to go with Sylvia to her house for cleaning after such a long day of waiting on customers. But the two of them had headed out as soon as they’d finished supper, after Belinda offered to wash and dry the dishes.
Although tired herself, Belinda would have gone with them if they’d had someone to watch the children. Taking them along would have been a mistake. Henry had gone over to see his friend Seth again, but even if he’d been here, he wasn’t responsible enough to keep an eye on Rachel and Allen. It seemed like he always had his nose in a magazine or some book about birds these days. She’d hoped he would take more interest in the honey bees, but that didn’t seem to be the case. At least he complained about the job less, so that was a good thing.
Since the children were tuckered out from playing so hard, Belinda had been able to put them to bed sooner than their normal bedtime. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to spend time with her grandchildren. She just felt too exhausted tonight.
The house seemed peaceful as evening crept along. Belinda hoped her son and daughters would arrive home soon. Another day of work was around the corner, and she needed to get her rest. Even if I went to bed, the fact is, I’d just lay there worrying until they all arrived home.
Belinda yawned. Think I’m going to check on Allen and Rachel. She rose from her chair, then headed upstairs. When she peeked in on the children and heard their soft, steady breathing, she smiled. Since all was well, she headed back to the main floor and went to her room.
After slipping into her nightgown, robe, and slippers, she couldn’t help but smile. Vernon had given them to her for Christmas two years ago. He’d been such a thoughtful husband. Oh, how she missed him.
Back in the living room, she took a seat in the recliner again. She sat with her eyes closed, thinking about Vernon and how, when their children were young, they used to enjoy spending a few hours alone each evening after their sons and daughters went to bed.
Switching her train of thought back to the greenhouse, lest she give in to depression, Belinda reflected on how Maude, the near-homeless woman, had come by looking for a handout today. Belinda had never said no to someone in need and ended up giving Maude a jar of honey, a loaf of bread, and several other food items that didn’t need refrigeration. Even though the bedraggled woman hadn’t said thank you, Belinda felt good about helping her.
Thankfully Monroe hadn’t come by since their conversation after Christmas. Apparently he respected her wishes and realized she was not ready for a relationship that went deeper than friendship. She was certain there was no way she could ever get married again. She’d done the right thing by letting Monroe know where he stood.
She glanced at the clock across the room and frowned. It was almost ten-thirty. Henry should have been home by now. I told him no later than ten.
As worry took over, Belinda got up and went to the window, looking out into the darkened yard. A chill of apprehension shot through her as she thought about Amy, Sylvia, and Henry, who could all be out on the road at this very moment, heading for home. She knew all too well how suddenly an accident could occur, and hoped no one in her family would ever experience such a tragedy again.
Leaning against the windowsill, Belinda closed her eyes. Dear Lord, Please keep my
children safe and bring them home soon.
A horse whinnied, and when Belinda opened her eyes, she saw the lights on the open buggy Henry had used this evening. She sighed with relief. At least one of her children had made it home safely. Now if Amy and Sylvia would only get here.
Belinda moved away from the window and went back to her chair. A short time later, Henry came in.
Belinda got up and went over to give him a hug.
“What was that for, Mom?” He looked at her with a curious expression.
“I missed you, and I’m glad you’re home, even if you are late.”
“Sorry, there was more traffic on the road than usual.”
Belinda tilted her head toward him and sniffed. “Is that cigarette smoke I smell on your hemm?”
Henry’s posture went rigid as he took a whiff of his shirt. “Umm…yeah…guess so.”
“Henry King, have you been smoking?” Her body tensed as she waited for his response.
“No, Mom.”
“Then why do your clothes smell like schmoke?”
He blinked rapidly while rubbing the back of his neck.
She tapped her foot. “I expect an honest answer, Son.”
“Seth’s the one who smokes cigarettes.” Henry shifted from one foot to the other. “I’ll admit, I did give smoking a try once, but I hated the way it smelled and tasted.”
“So the smoke your sisters and I have smelled in the barn a few times was from Seth?”
Henry shrugged. “I’ve never seen him light up a cigarette in our barn, but I suppose he could have come in there sometime when I wasn’t looking.”
Belinda’s fingers clenched into her palms. “Seth is a bad influence on you, Henry. I don’t think you should hang around with him so much anymore.”
The door opened and Belinda’s daughters stepped in.
“I’m so glad you’re home.” She gave them both the same kind of hug she’d given her son. “It’s late, and I was getting worried.”
“We had more cleaning to do than I realized,” Sylvia explained. “Were the kinner good for you? I assume they’re in bed?”
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