“What did you gals do?” she asked rhetorically as she began opening the bag. Suddenly she gasped. “Oh! This is magnificent!” she squealed as she removed the quilt. She opened it out to its full size and spread it across the table, “Oh my! This is beautiful. And it reminds me of home!”
“That was our intention, Ruth. This is to remind you of your Amish home.”
“… and it was our way of feeling close to you while you were away,” Anna added.
Ruth gently ran her hands over the quilt with tears in her eyes. “This is so special. In fact, this reminds me of one of the first quilting bees I attended when I was young, maybe around nine or ten. My cousin was getting married soon, and we were helping her make the quilts she would take to her new home. One of the quilts looked very much like this one, and I was allowed to work on it. I remember my fingers were trembling, I was so afraid I was going to mess it up,” she added laughing.
Looking at the simple nine-patch design, Anna realized that it was a very utilitarian quilt, and she wondered if they should have made something fancier, but knowing her sister, this was probably just right. The bright, cheerful colors reminded her of Ruth’s shop and the black border spoke of her Amish background. Yes, it’s just right, she reassured herself.
The group enjoyed the refreshments and talked excitedly about their next projects. Ruth and Martha slipped out to the back room and looked at the spreadsheets Martha had created. “I love this,” Ruth said as she clicked around to see the various elements. “I can see other uses for this. Thank you, Martha. I want to pay you for all your time.”
“Absolutely not!” Martha responded. “You did me a favor. It’s been so good for mother and me to have this experience together. I’ve loved every minute of it, and you just might see me around here a lot more often. I think my mother is interested in teaching a beginning class, but she’ll talk to you about that. If she does, I just might surprise her by signing up for the class.”
“Oooh! That would be wonderful,” Ruth responded, clapping her hands together. Ruth’s words were cheerful and happy, but Martha detected a deep sadness in her eyes. She wondered what it must be like to watch one’s mother die. She briefly thought about her own mother but immediately pushed the thought out of her mind. She knew the day would come, but she preferred to pretend it would never happen. Ruth saw the shadow cross Martha’s face and laid her hand gently on her shoulder. The two women walked back into the shop having shared a meaningful but unspoken moment.
* * * * *
“Hi, Sheila. Where’s Alan? And why’s my door closed?” It was lunchtime and Martha had just returned to the office from Stitches. She was walking toward the door and was reaching for the doorknob when Sheila stopped her.
“Just a minute, Martha.” Martha turned to her administrative aide questioningly. “Alan’s wife is in there with Alan. I hope you don’t mind. They needed a place to talk privately, and I didn’t think you would be back until after lunch,” Sheila explained apologetically.
“That’s fine. I need to speak with Davis, so I’ll head down to his department.” As she turned to leave, she heard raised voices coming from her office and wondered what was going on. She hoped she would have a chance to meet the woman married to her handsome assistant.
When she returned sometime later, Alan had returned to his desk. He greeted her but without the usual enthusiasm. She stopped at his desk, and they spoke briefly, but he made no reference to his wife’s visit. Later in the day, he stopped by her office to say he wouldn’t be working late that night. Martha was surprised considering the impending deadline but knew there must be an important reason. He was always conscientious and willing to give his all to the job.
As Martha left the office late that night, the sky was overcast and there were no stars visible. She glanced around and was pleased to see her car was the only one in the lot. As she pulled away, however, she had the uncomfortable feeling she was being watched.
Chapter 19
“Idon’t feel like a new grandmother,” Sarah complained to Sophie over coffee. “I’ve hardly seen little Alaina, and she’s two months old already!”
“Oh my,” Sophie responded, rolling her eyes. “She’ll be going away to college soon.”
“Oh, Sophie! I’m serious. While I was working at Stitches, I just didn’t take the time to visit the baby. It’s my fault, and I feel bad about it.” She took a sip of her coffee but suddenly put the cup down and looked up resolutely. “I think I’ll call Jenny and see if I can drop by this afternoon. Would you like to go with me?”
“Love to! Here’s my cell phone. Give her a call.” Sarah dialed and Jennifer answered sounding frazzled.
“Are you okay?” Sarah asked. “You sound out of breath. Did I call at a bad time?”
“No, Mother Miller. It’s not that. I haven’t had sleep for what feels like a year. This baby is adorable all day long, but she cries all night! I’m just beside myself. I need sleep!” Jennifer’s voice was strained, and she sounded anxious.
“I was going to ask if I could come see you two this afternoon, but it doesn’t sound like a good time for a visit.” Sarah waited for a response, but the line was quiet. “Wait! I have an idea! Why don’t Sophie and I come over and take care of her this afternoon, and you take a nice hot bubble bath followed by a long nap. How does that sound?”
“It sounds heavenly! Would you really do that?”
Sarah looked at Sophie and raised her eyebrows questioningly. Sophie shrugged and said “Why not.”
When they arrived, Jennifer met them at the door with her coat in her hand. “Are you going out?” Sarah asked, looking surprised.
“I’m going to do just what you suggested, a bubble bath and a nap, but I’m going to do it at my mother’s house! If I stay here, I’ll be constantly listening for Alaina and getting up to see if she needs me. Do you two think you can handle this?”
Sarah assured Jenny they would be fine but asked her to show them where everything was before she left. Jenny had written everything down for them including her phone numbers and Jason’s just in case. Despite being eager to get time for herself, when it came to actually walking out the door, Jennifer had trouble. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?” she asked again as she came back and kissed Alaina’s cheek for the third time.
“Go!” Sophie ordered. Once Jennifer’s car pulled out of the driveway, Sophie turned to Sarah and asked, “What does a baby this age do?”
“Not much I don’t think. Let’s just sit down with her on my lap for now and see how it goes.” Within minutes, Alaina began to get fussy. The two women looked at each other, and Sarah said, “Let’s check her diaper.” Sure enough, the diaper needed changing, and the three headed for the baby’s room upstairs.
While Alaina was lying on the change table, she seemed to be focusing on a colorful mobile that was hanging above her. Sarah reached up and pushed the switch, which caused it to rotate and play a tune. Alaina flailed her arms and kicked her legs with excitement while watching the movement.
There was a portable carrier in the corner of the room and Sarah decided to put her in it and take her back downstairs. They went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee only to discover the sink was full of dirty dishes. “Let’s take care of these,” Sophie said rolling up her sleeves and attacking the mess.
“I’ll make coffee,” Sarah said setting the carrier on the counter so Alaina could watch her. “Do you think she can see me?” she asked Sophie.
“I don’t know, but people are always getting really close to a baby’s face. Maybe they can only see up close.” Sarah moved the carrier closer. “I think she just smiled at me.”
“Have you totally forgotten about babies? You raised two of them. That’s no smile, friend.” Moments later, Sarah was carrying the baby upstairs for yet another diaper change.
When she returned to the kitchen, she didn’t have Alaina.
“Where’s the baby?”
“She was yawning, so I put her
in her crib, and she went right to sleep.” Sarah found cleaning supplies and did a thorough cleaning of the kitchen and the downstairs bathroom while Sophie did the dishes. By the time the baby woke up, the living room had been vacuumed and dusted. “I hope Jenny doesn’t mind that we did this.”
“How can she mind? You go get the baby, and I’ll warm up a bottle,” Sophie said.
Alaina spent the next hour downstairs with Sophie and Sarah taking turns holding her. Sarah especially enjoyed walking around the house carrying her and softly singing. Alaina lay quietly in her arms and stared at her, appearing to be memorizing the face of her grandmother. Sarah noticed she was always quiet while she was singing and kicked noticeably when she stopped as if she were asking for more.
“I wish we could take her for a walk,” Sarah said at one point.
“It’s too cold out there for a baby,” Sophie responded. “And it’s too cold for me, too,” she added. “My bones have ached all winter.” Sophie’s arthritis had been bothering her more than usual, especially her right knee. She was using her cane now all the time.
“What does the doctor say about your knee?” Sarah asked.
“Oh, he’s just talking silly stuff.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know. He talks about turning me into a robot with bionic parts.”
“Are you talking about a knee replacement, Sophie?” Sarah asked, trying to get Sophie to be serious.
“I guess.”
“And …?”
“And what? Am I going to do it? What do you think?”
“I think …” Sarah began.
“Stop! I decided I don’t want to hear what you think. It will be the same as what the doctor thinks and what Timothy thinks. I’m going out of this world with all my body parts intact.”
Alaina was becoming restless and had her face scrunched up on the verge of crying. “I think we may need another diaper change,” Sarah said. “You stay down here. No reason you should climb those stairs in your condition.”
“In my condition? Excuse me, friend, but I was the first one up those steps this morning.” She grabbed her cane and hobbled to the stairway.
“Sophie, you are climbing the stairs too fast. Slow down.” Sarah held her breath fearing that Sophie was going to tumble back down the stairs, but she made it to the top.
“Let’s give her a bath,” Sophie suggested when Sarah and the baby came into the room. “See? There’s a little bathtub over there and a pot for carrying water. I’ll sit down in the rocking chair and hold Alaina while you fill the tub.” Sarah thought this was somewhat overstepping their role but agreed to do it.
As it turned out, they all three had a great time. Alaina kicked and splashed the water and even squealed once or twice. Once she was dried and powdered, they dressed her in a soft flannel nightgown. Sophie again held her in the rocker while Sarah cleaned up the splashed water and put the wet towels over the shower rod in the bathroom. Then she took the baby and walked her until she fell asleep in her arms.
“Now I feel like a grandmother again,” Sarah said with a relaxed smile as they were driving home.
Chapter 20
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Martha had picked up the phone without looking at the caller ID, something she rarely did. “Who is this?” she demanded.
“You know perfectly well who this is! The police were here yesterday questioning me about ‘lurking around your house’ as they put it. What’s the meaning of this?” She realized it was Derek. His voice intensified until he was practically screaming into the phone. “You flirt with me shamelessly, you humiliate me in public, you ignore my letter, and now you lie about me to the police. What are you trying to do to me?”
Martha struggled for the right response. If Derek wasn’t the stalker, she owed him some sort of explanation. If he were the stalker, she would be playing right into his hands by becoming defensive. She didn’t speak.
“Martha!” he snarled angrily.
“Derek, if you want to discuss this with me, call Officer Holmes at the police station and arrange a time for the three of us to sit down and talk.”
Derek slammed the phone down. Martha picked up Officer Holmes’ card and dialed her number.
“Holmes,” the officer answered.
“Officer Holmes, this is Martha Miller. You were at my house last week. …”
“Yes, I remember. How can I help you?”
Martha told the police officer about her call from Derek Kettler and her suggestion about meeting at the police station. “Well,” Officer Holmes responded, “that would be unusual, but I’m willing to do it. Generally, these kinds of meetings would be with your lawyer rather than the police department.”
“I don’t have a lawyer and don’t think I need one. I just thought …”
“It’s fine, Ms. Miller. I’m willing to meet with him, but I doubt that he’ll ever call. If he’s your stalker, it’s unlikely that he would walk into the police station.”
Martha had no sooner hung up the phone that it rang again. This time she checked the caller ID and was pleased to see Sophie Ward’s number displayed. She and Tim had been out to dinner several times since his arrival and were planning to go to the movie and dinner on Friday. “Hello,” she answered cheerfully, setting her concerns about Derek aside.
“Hi, Martha. This is Tim Ward.”
“It’s good to hear from you, Tim.” They chatted for a few minutes before he got to the point of his call.
“So,” Tim said, “I was wondering if we could skip the movie next Friday and drive up to Hamilton instead? There’s a new club up there with dinner and dancing and …”
“That sounds wonderful,” she responded enthusiastically. “I haven’t been dancing since …” She couldn’t finish the sentence because she realized she had never been dancing!
“I’ll have to warn you,” Tim confessed, “there’s not much dancing going on along the Alaska pipeline. Wear shoes with protective armor!” They laughed and agreed they would both have challenges to overcome on the dance floor.
They chatted for a few minutes about what they had been doing when Tim said, “By the way, I just got off the phone with my boss up in Valdez. I talked to him about the possibility of retiring in the next year are so. I just might do it.”
“I’m surprised,” Martha responded. “You seem to love your work.”
“I do, but I’ve been at it for over thirty years and my aging joints are beginning to show the wear,” he responded with a chuckle. Then in a more serious tone, he added, “After spending some time down here with Mom, I’m beginning to see there’s life outside of Alaska.” Lowering his voice, he added, “Besides, I’m concerned about Mom. She’s alone here and not in the best of health although she’d never admit that. I’d like to be closer to her.”
“I understand what you’re saying. The mother of one of Mom’s friends just died, and it’s making me appreciate the time I spend with my mother.”
After they hung up, Martha caught herself smiling. She liked the idea of having Tim around. He was interesting and fun. Also, she liked that he was concerned enough about his mother that he would consider taking such a big step. As she put her dinner on the table, she caught herself hoping he would decide to retire. Much to her surprise, she was actually enjoying his company.
* * * * *
“Hi, Sarah. What are you up to today?” Ruth asked as Sarah entered the shop. “Are you starting another quilt?”
“No, but I wanted to talk with you about that beginning class we discussed. I was working up a potential curriculum and wanted to get your input.”
Ruth read down the list of subjects Sarah was proposing: the parts of a quilt, choosing a pattern, choosing fabric, accurate cutting, and the perfect seam. “I thought we would do each of these steps while making a simple four-patch quilt, perhaps with sashing and one border,” Sarah interjected when Ruth finished reading the list.
“A bed quilt?” Rut
h asked tentatively.
“No. I thought a throw would be easier for new quilters to handle.”
“I think starting with a throw is a good idea. Something around 50˝ by 70˝ is an easy size to work with while you’re learning. There aren’t too many blocks to deal with, and it doesn’t get heavy and unmanageable.”
“So what do you think of my outline?” Sarah asked somewhat reticently, still reluctant to acknowledge she knew enough to teach a class.
“I think it’s an excellent plan, and you’ll be my most popular teacher in no time! How about early spring? Maybe we could advertise that the classes will meet weekly beginning in March?”
Sarah left the shop smiling. Another new adventure!
Chapter 21
“Absolutely!” Sarah responded to her daughter who had called early Saturday morning. “I’m sure Charles would be happy to give you a brush-up dancing lesson. He’s a very good dancer, too.”
Sarah was surprised by the request and tickled to think Martha would ask for Charles’ help. She was also pleased that her daughter was showing some interest in social activities. Martha had told her that she wasn’t romantically interested in Timothy Ward, but she was enjoying going out with him. She was especially intrigued by his stories of Alaska, and she was beginning to consider visiting there one day. “Maybe we could take an Alaskan cruise?” she had suggested to her mother one day.
“When do you think Charles would be able to do it? Tim has invited me to a club on Friday.”
“He’s coming for lunch today. How about you come too, and you and Charles would have the afternoon to work on it?”
“Perfect! But call Charles and make sure this is okay with him.” Martha was concerned that her mother had referred to it as a brush-up lesson, considering she had never actually learned to dance at all. She had watched her mother and Charles dancing at Sophie’s party, and he certainly knew what he was doing. She hoped she wouldn’t make a fool of herself Friday night, or this afternoon for that matter!
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