Plain City Bridesmaids

by Dianne Christner

  “I don’t understand. Are you saying that you wouldn’t have a problem going to a church like mine? It sounds like you might even welcome it.”

  “Once I thought I might change churches. I always wished I’d been born in a different church.”

  “You’re a Christian, right?”

  “Yes, but that’s what I’m trying to tell you. Since I moved home, I’m seeing things differently. That’s why I’m pinning back my bangs and wearing my covering. I’m not so sure that I can leave the Conservative Church, after all. I saw the way it hurt my parents when Matt left. And all the people I love are in that church. They are wonderful people.” With that she blushed. “You know what I mean. And my conscience has been bothering me lately. I’ve been praying more. Seeking God, and I don’t know yet what that’s going to mean for me.”

  “I understand how you don’t want to hurt your parents, but faith is a personal thing. I have to be honest; I can’t picture myself attending your church. This is all very revealing. I think we are going to need another date to figure out the puzzle.”

  Lil stopped walking. Removed her hand from Fletch’s and faced him. “I thought that was what today was all about.”

  “This is going to take time. I don’t want to give up on us though.” He pulled her close and whispered, “Do you?”

  She knew that her friends wanted to meet him. If anybody could help her work through her concerns, it was Katy, Jake, and Megan. On one hand, it wasn’t fair that her allies were all of the Conservative faith. But an evening with her friends might help them come to a solution. Maybe Fletch would see that living the Conservative lifestyle could be fun, too.

  “Yes, but we can’t skirt around the issue either. One of us might get hurt.” Probably me.

  “If you won’t see me again, then that somebody is me,” he insisted.

  “Would you like to meet my best friends? Spend an evening playing Rook with them at the doddy house?”

  “Yes,” he said. “And if we don’t get any time alone, we might have to go on a third date to talk about this again.”

  “Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched,” she warned, pulling away before he could kiss her. But then she let him hold her hand all the way back to the parking lot.

  When Lil returned from her date, her dad met her in the kitchen. “So you are dating the vet,” he said.

  “I thought you knew. That you heard him ask me the other day.”

  “Lillian, I don’t understand you. I have tried to teach you the difference between right and wrong. But you are like your mother. You have your own ideas.” He pressed his lips together and stared at her.

  Her heart pounded, wondering if he was going to say more about her mother. Things she wasn’t ready to hear. “But I thought you liked Fletch.”

  “I do. That’s not the point. If you insist on dating him, then at least bring him to church. Maybe then Matt will come to his senses, too.”

  “He might not want to come to our church.”

  “Be real careful, Lil. Don’t be like your mother and live with regrets.”

  Lil was relieved he hadn’t forbidden her to see Fletch again. That was something.

  “You need to start making good choices. Dating a Conservative man would be a better choice. Choosing to follow the Lord.”

  “I understand your concern.”

  He narrowed his eyes and said gruffly, “I think it’s time to bring your mother home. It’s time that she makes her choice, too.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We can’t make her do anything. She has to choose to live.”

  Lil nodded. “I’ll go get her. Unless you want to?” she asked hopefully.

  “It was your idea. You get her,” he said. “I have enough to worry about around here.”

  “The hogs?”

  “The Plain City Bank turned down your brother, even after I signed all the paperwork. After all these years. They said the loan was too high. But it’s what we need.”

  “There are other banks,” Lil suggested hopefully.

  “You sound so much like Matt. I’m going to go read my farm magazine.”

  All Lil had wanted was some time to reflect on her date with Fletch. That had just been stolen from her, like everything else she wanted. But she wasn’t the only one in the household who was disappointed or had problems.

  She snatched up her purse and headed for the door.

  Later on the drive back home, Lil’s mom seemed miffed, too. As soon as she arrived at the house, she announced she was going to her room to rest. From the miracle Lil had witnessed firsthand at Michelle’s earlier—the pretty rows of canned tomato sauce, the delicious aroma coming from the slow cooker, and the way she handled her granddaughters with a cheerful ease—Lil was sorely disappointed. She’d hoped that Mom would walk into her own home, see the details that had been neglected, and just carry on. She had envisioned Mom bustling about as though she’d returned from a trip and had never sunk into her earlier depression.

  Instead, the moment Mom had gotten into Jezebel, she’d stiffened her shoulders. When they got home, she had started toward the house as if she was heading for her execution. Lil couldn’t figure out what had caused the change between Michelle’s house and the Landis farm, unless it was coming home to reality.

  Surely Mom wouldn’t hold a grudge against her?

  When Rose had been sleeping or hiding in her room for at least two hours, Lil slipped into an apron. Swiping at the tears that welled up in her eyes, she opened the fridge door. She needed to make supper for her father, who was presently napping off his bad mood.

  “What time is it? I slept like a rock.”

  Lil whirled around, astonished to see her mom’s hair combed and her head covering on crisp and straight.

  “Oh.”

  If Mom noticed the condition of Lil’s red eyes, she didn’t comment. Her gaze went to the rooster clock in the kitchen. “Six already? The clock in the bedroom said eleven. I knew that couldn’t be right.”

  Coming to her senses, Lil said, “It must need batteries. You look rested.” Afterward, she feared she’d said the wrong thing again. Usually any positive remark incited a negative response or reaction, with her mom refusing to be drawn out of her gloom.

  “I am. I don’t know how Michelle does it. Those little girls are so active. But why are you standing with the refrigerator door open?”

  “Oh.” Lil released the door with a grin. “I was figuring out what to make for supper.”

  Mom grabbed the refrigerator handle. “Let’s take a look and see what you’ve got in there. I’m starved.”

  Stunned, Lil found it hard to step aside or move at all. She watched Mom pull out remnants of a ham, which had always been a Landis staple. “Grab that lettuce. Do we have any cheese? We’ll make a chef’s salad for supper.”

  “Okay!” Lil said, breaking free from her stupor and jumping to do whatever Mom bid.

  Mom donned an apron from the yellow peg shelf, and they began chopping and dicing. She snacked on bits of ham and told a cute story about Trish and a garden frog. Then as the reminiscence ended, her gaze rose to Lil’s. “I was furious at you. But you did the right thing. Taking me to Michelle’s. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed my grandchildren.”

  “Thanks, Mom. In the car I thought you were holding a grudge against me.”

  Mom straightened her shoulders. “I was exhausted, is all. You should know by now that Mennonites do not hold grudges.”

  Her transformation was surreal, and Lil could only hope it was permanent. She hadn’t taken on a mother’s role for such a long time, it almost seemed foreign for Lil to receive instruction and not be the one giving it.

  Suddenly Rose laid down her knife, her eyes panicky. “I’m afraid, Lil. I don’t want to slip back into the darkness again.”

  Lil slipped her arms around her mom’s waist and whispered, “I won’t let you.”

  After the embrace, Rose wiped her hands on her apr
on. “Well! I guess we’re done here. I’ll put plastic wrap over the bowl and chill it till supper.”

  “I think Dad fell asleep with his farm magazine, but he’ll be hungry as soon as he wakes up. I’ve got something to show you first. Get your shoes.”

  Mom glanced at the bowl of freshly cut vegetables with uncertainty.

  “It’ll just take a moment.”

  She shrugged and went to the mudroom’s yellow rocker that she had once painted to match the shelf. Mom loved the colors of yellow and lilac. When she was finished putting on her shoes, she followed Lil outside.

  Lil noticed a sad pallor fall across her mom’s face when she glanced toward the barns. “This way,” she said quickly.

  They stepped onto the grass and went around the corner of the house. “What?” her mom squealed. She looked at Lil skeptically. “You planted tomatoes?”

  “No. They’re yours. They reseeded themselves.”

  “But they’re doing well,” she observed, touching the twisted vines that bent to the ground, laden with ripening tomatoes. Rose plucked one and turned it over in her hands. Suddenly she started laughing.

  “What?” Lil asked.

  “I’m so sick of tomatoes right now, canning all that tomato sauce at Michelle’s. And yet this bush excites me.”

  Lil laughed, too. “Sorry about that. But I thought this would make the perfect addition to our chef’s salad.”

  “It makes the perfect addition to my homecoming,” Mom said cheerily as though she’d been gone for months. In a real way, she had.

  CHAPTER 14

  Fletch came out of one of the Landis barns to notice Lil standing by the back door of the farmhouse. That was odd. She usually bustled around like a hummingbird. Yet there she stood, absolutely motionless.

  He watched her staring at some shrubbery, and his curiosity escalated. Then his phone jangled. He pulled it out of his jeans pocket, and it was an unidentified caller. Since he’d been getting weird calls all day, he stuck his phone back in his pocket and kept his gaze riveted on Lil. The caller could leave a message.

  As he drew nearer, he called out so that he didn’t startle her. “Hi, Lil.”

  She raised her finger to her lips, warning him to proceed quietly, and motioned him forward. More curious than ever, he quietly joined her, surprised when she gripped his hand.

  “It worked,” she whispered.

  He didn’t know what had worked, but surely his heart wasn’t working given the way it was flopping insanely inside his chest. Her unexpected touch had sent his entire body reacting as if they were back at the lake, hand in hand. Following her silent gestures of instruction, he leaned forward and peered through the bushes, even more startled to see Lil’s normally glum dad kissing Lil’s mom. Dismayed, he jerked his gaze away. “Didn’t anybody ever tell you it’s not nice to spy?”

  “As the youngest kid, I spied on all my siblings. Anyway, in this case, I can’t help it,” she whispered. “My mom is happy again. I can’t see enough of that.” She tugged his hand. “Come with me.”

  He allowed her to lead him around the opposite corner of the house, which faced the road and front porch. “I’m glad,” he said, knowing his words weren’t nearly strong enough to match Lil’s elation. He took her free hand, drawing her close to face him. His voice low, he said, “I mean, it’s a miracle, isn’t it?”

  “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but I was beginning to think there was something wrong between Mom and Dad. But they seemed okay, didn’t they?”

  “I’m not a great one to judge relationships, but it seemed to me like they were getting along fine.”

  Lil didn’t seem to catch his humor. “And I have you to thank. I don’t think I would have had the brains or the courage to dump Mom off at Michelle’s if you hadn’t told me that she needed to get involved again.”

  “I’m happy for all of you,” he said, wishing he didn’t have to tell her or her dad what he’d just told Matt out in the barn. Besides that, Rose’s improvement could be just the beginning of a long process of healing. “Is she still going to help out at Michelle’s?”

  “I’m not sure what she’ll do.” He felt Lil’s grip tighten on his hands, as if she was experiencing a moment of panic.

  “I’ve been praying for her. For you.” He didn’t add that he’d been praying about their relationship as well.

  She looked up at him with misty blue eyes. “Thanks.” She released one of his hands and touched his cheek. “That means a lot. I’ve been praying, too.”

  Standing so close to her, taking in her sweetness, he felt himself pulling her close. He bent his head and whispered, “It’s natural. You’re special to me.”

  Her eyes widened then filled with longing.

  She melted into his embrace, and he cupped the back of her head, forgetting all about the fact that they were standing in broad daylight in the Landis front yard. He’d given her a brief kiss after their date, but this one was the most meaningful. It gave him a warm feeling, the “I’ve come home” feeling for which he’d always longed. Afterward, he could only marvel and wonder over its meaning. Lil was precious, and he had to treat her with care so that he didn’t harm her or lose her. He couldn’t bear that. “Very special,” he repeated, giving her a winsome smile. Lil smiled then, and his world brightened like when the sun came out on a cloudy day. “Sunshine,” he said, feeling instantly foolish.

  “What?”

  “You’re like sunshine.” Then he clamped his mouth shut before he blurted out, I can actually feel you on my skin. Foolish or not to admit, it was exactly how she affected him, making him all warm and tingly.

  “That’s the nicest thing to say.” From around the back of the house, they heard a door close. Lil’s gaze lowered to the ground and swept up again. “So I guess I’ll see you on Saturday? To meet my friends?”

  Her question momentarily caught him off guard. He was still thinking about sunshine. “I’m looking forward to it. I just need to get off work.”

  “Oh? Do you think that’ll be a problem?”

  “I’ll be persuasive.” At her worried expression, he added, “And persistent.”

  “Hello,” Fletch snapped, interrupting the caller midsentence. “No, my car is not for sale. You have the wrong number.” The call was one of a dozen he’d received that week asking if his car was for sale. At first he’d thought that it was merely the matter of an ad gone awry, his number getting posted by mistake. But every time someone called, they described his exact car.

  Puzzling over the situation that was getting increasingly inconvenient and aggravating, he strode toward the Landis barn.

  “What’s that all about?” Vic asked.

  Fletch explained the situation to Vic, adding, “I guess I’m just on edge. I hated to hear that there’s more sick hogs.”

  Inside the barn, Matt led them to a batch of sick piglets and a couple of other hogs they had isolated. After a thorough examination, Vic explained, “See the sow’s ears—the blue tint? I’m afraid this is the beginning of PRRS, after all. As you know, we found it in one of our most recent blood draws, too.”

  Just then Will entered the barn. “Saw your truck.” He stopped when he saw their glum expressions. His shoulders sagged.

  Vic explained, “This is nothing to be overly alarmed about. Although we’ve found evidence of PRRS in the last batch of blood draws and this sow has the blue ears, I think we’ve caught it early on. The fact that it was in the blood before we saw sick hogs means it could be a mild strain. There’s over twenty strains, and some are mild and don’t cause major loss. They can even help to bring immunities into the herd.”

  “So the other piglets were infected, after all? We need to isolate that sow?”

  “No. They were all negative. Just a coincidence. But lucky for you, it brought us in to start vaccinations and be here from the start of your first real outbreak.”

  “Maybe not luck. Maybe God?” Fletch suggested.

  Matt gave him a
sadly wistful smile.

  “So what now?” Will asked.

  “Early weaning of pigs at fourteen days. Clean and disinfect the nursery and allow it to rest for two to three weeks. We can give antibiotics to infected hogs. We can sacrifice one to come up with a custom-made vaccination, or you can use a commercial one that works for various strains.”

  “You know we’re strapped for money,” Will reminded the vet.

  “I think a commercial one will work for you since it’s my gut feeling that this is a milder strain.

  “Back to treatment,” Vic continued, “Practice a sixty-day isolation for new breeding stock. We’ve already done the vaccinating, but we need to keep vaccinating the weaned pigs. Those need to be tested at sixteen weeks and again at twenty-four weeks, and if they are negative, they can be entered into the herd.”

  Will lifted his straw hat and ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know where we’re going to get the room to isolate all these hogs. We need another barn, but we just got turned down at the bank. You know that whenever we fill out paperwork, they ask about the health of the herd. And now this.” He shook his head and replaced his hat.

  Vic replied, “Fill out the paperwork as soon as possible. I can give you a letter that gives the small percentage of infected hogs. Really, it’s a rare farm that doesn’t have some infection.”

  “Then I guess we’ve been fortunate until now. We never should have let up on the vaccinations.”

  “We can only go forward,” Fletch said. “But disappointing as this must be, remember that Vic brought up a lot of positive factors.”

  Fletch followed Vic to his truck.

  Vic jumped in his cab and cracked his window. “Meet you back at the clinic after your next appointment.”

  They exchanged knowing looks, for Fletch’s next appointment was the farm shelter, but Vic had been discreet not to mention it in front of Matt. “Right. I’ll see you in an hour or two,” Fletch replied.