They drove in silence until Abraham suddenly stopped the horse in the middle of the road and jumped down.
“Why are we stopping?” Rose asked as Abraham reached up and pulled her down off the horse.
“Rose, I can’t hold back any longer. I don’t want to be just your friend anymore, knowing that you could have been killed in this accident, and I might have lost you,” he said, looking deeply into her eyes. “I don’t want anything or anyone to hurt you again.”
Rose looked at him in shock, and Abraham worried he had made a mistake. “Please don’t tell me that you don’t feel the same, Rose.”
“Ach, Abraham, I do feel the same. I’ve denied my feelings for a while,” Rose admitted. She suddenly felt a tremendous amount of relief.
“We are such fools. We’ve been so concerned about feeling sorry for ourselves and our past, we didn’t even see the path Gott was leading us on— to each other.” Abraham smiled. “I have wanted to tell you this for quite some time but was so afraid you would reject me.”
“I felt it too, but ignored it because I didn’t want to let go of the past,” Rose admitted. “I realize now that the only way for me to have a future is to let go of the past.”
“Gott must be laughing at us for being so blind. Our happiness was right there in front of us, and we both ignored it,” Abraham said, smiling down at her. “I promise I’ll never hurt you, Rose. I want to be your husband, and I want to make you happy. That is, if you’ll have me.”
Rose felt her eyes fill with tears. “Abraham, I would be happy and honored to be your wife.”
He breathed a deep sigh of relief. “Rose, you have no idea how I fought with myself. I wanted so much to tell you my true feelings, but at the same time, I didn’t want to lose you as a friend.”
“Let’s make a promise to Gott that we will never talk about our past relationships again. Lydia and Dillon will only be memories never to be brought up again,” Rose said.
“Wait a minute. Did you say Dillon?” Abraham asked.
“Jah, Dillon was the Englisch man I fell in love with,” Rose said, suddenly confused.
“I guess I never mentioned his name but the fellow that Lydia left me for was named Dillon. Was he tall with dark black hair?” Abraham asked.
“Jah, do you think he was the one? It makes sense. Dillon left the second week of September.”
“That’s when Lydia told me it was over and that she had met someone else,” Abraham laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Rose looked at him perplexed.
“Don’t you see? Gott was definitely giving us a sign. Here we were, two strangers brought together because both of the people in their lives broke their hearts and ran off together,” Abraham smiled. “It just proves we were meant to be.”
Rose started to laugh as well. “Well I hope wherever they are, they are as happy as we are.”
Abraham nodded. “I love you, Rose Troyer. We are going to have a wonderful life, full of laughter and happiness and hopefully lots of kinner,” Abraham said, picking her up and swinging her around.
“How many are we talking about when you say lots?” Rose asked.
“Ten at least.”
Rose chuckled. “Hmm, well, I always wanted a large family, but we will see. If Gott wants us to have ten, He will let us know.”
“I better get you home before your Daed comes out looking for you. We have a lot to tell him,” Abraham said, helping Rose get back on the horse.
Wrapping her arms around Abraham’s waist, Rose said a silent prayer to God, thanking Him for making all her dreams come true. She couldn’t wait to start her new life with Abraham, and she couldn’t wait to have Abraham ask her father’s blessings.
* * *
Chapter 10
Everyone sat anxiously in Rose’s bedroom waiting for their father to bring the key.
“I wonder what my quilt will look like,” Rose said as she adjusted her wedding kapp.
“I’m sure Mamm made it extra special just like she did mine,” Miriam said, going over to retie the bow on Rose’s kapp.
Just at that moment, John came into the bedroom and handed Rose the key to her chest. “On this special day, my dochtah, know that your mamm is looking down at you and is very proud.”
“I know she is, Daed,” Rose whispered. Taking the key, she went over to the chest and opened it. Just like Miriam’s chest, a letter was sitting on top of blue tissue paper. Rose felt her throat tighten up as she thought of her mother and the pain she must have felt putting these chests together, knowing that she wouldn’t be there for her daughters’ wedding day.
Rose carefully picked up the envelope and opened the flap. “I’m almost afraid to read it,” she whispered as she unfolded the letter.
“Well, hurry, read it!” Abigail bounced up and down on the bed.
Rose brought the paper up to her nose and sniffed it. “I can smell the lavender Mamm used to use.”
My Darling Rose,
If you’re reading this, it must be your turn to marry. I wanted so much to be there for when my girls married, Gott had other plans for me. I hope the man you are marrying makes you happy, and he treats you well, but then I am sure you would not settle for anything less.
I named you Rose after my favorite flower. When I first saw you, your little face was as red as a rose and it touched my heart in a special way.
You always had a way of making me laugh, and as you grew older, you always seemed to know what you wanted and had a determined way about you. I knew you would be ambitious in life and make your special man a wonderful Amish wife.
I made this quilt especially for you, and I hope you will love it and cherish it for many years.
Be happy, my darling Rose and know that I will be smiling down upon you this day.
I’ll love you always,
Mamm
Rose pulled out the quilt and opened it up. It, like Miriam’s was made from pieces of their mother’s dresses and aprons and any other pieces of material that were a reminder of her. In the middle of the quilt was a beautiful big red rose.
“Ach, Daed, it’s beautiful,” Rose cried as she held it up so everyone could see.
“Your mamm put a lot of work into it. I remember her running around looking for the perfect red material to make the rose,” John said quietly as he admired the quilt.
A slight knock on the door interrupted their thoughts, and they all turned to see Joshua standing at the doorway. “They are all ready for you.” He looked at Miriam. “And I think Caleb’s diaper needs changing.”
“We’ll be right down,” John said, wiping his eyes. “Girls, go ahead. I’d like to have a word with Rose.”
“Sure, Daed. I have to go and quickly change Caleb before the ceremony,” Miriam said, hugging Rose. “Be happy, my shveshtah.”
When everyone left, John looked at Rose and said, “Abraham is a good man. Gott has chosen a wonderful man for you. Are you happy in your heart?”
“Jah, Daed, I am very happy. I prayed so many nights to Gott, and He answered my prayers by bringing me Abraham. We started out as friends, and he will always be my best friend. I can’t wait to start our life together,” Rose said excitedly.
“Then let’s go and have a wedding. The community has been cooking for days; we mustn’t let them down,” John joked as he hugged his daughter.
Rose carefully folded the quilt and put it back in her chest. Closing the lid, she kissed her fingers and touched the top of the chest.
“Danke, Mamm,” she whispered as she walked towards the stairs to marry Abraham.
“So how does it feel to be a married woman?” Abraham asked Rose as they sat at their special table at the reception.
Rose smiled at her husband. “I’ve never felt happier in my life.”
“I know we hadn’t talked about this, but I have my eye on a small farm across town. I thought we could drive over when we get back from our family visits and see if it would suit us,” Abraham said, taking a bite of t
he roast chicken on his plate. “It’s close enough to town that I can keep my job at the printing press and I could do a bit of farming on the side, and you can still be near your family.”
“I’ve been so excited about getting married I hadn’t even thought about where we would live. My daed said we could stay with him for as long as we want, but you’re right, we should get a place of our own.”
“Congratulations, Rose,” Katie said coming up to her sister and new brother-in-law. “I hope I’m this happy when I marry.”
Rose laughed. “Well you have a few years to go, Katie, but I’m sure you will be.” Looking past Katie, Rose saw a young man standing behind her. “And who is this fine young man?”
“This is Thomas Becker,” Katie said proudly, as she stepped to the side to make room for Thomas.
“Hello, Thomas. It’s very nice to meet you. Katie talks about you all the time,” Rose said.
Thomas nodded. “Nice to meet you, too.” He quickly turned to Katie and said, “Let’s go see the cake and pie table.” Katie and Thomas quickly headed across the room.
Rose and Abraham grinned as they watched them go. “Those two will be married one day, I’m certain,” Rose said.
“Ach! I forgot to tell you the good news! Joshua’s buggy will be replaced,” Abraham said. “The rail company took full responsibility and have agreed to purchase a new buggy.”
“I’m so glad! That was one expense they didn’t need right now, especially with Caleb just being born.”
“Jah, we have a lot to thank Gott for today, but I am especially thankful for you, Rose. You allowed me to love again and I have a future to look forward to,” Abraham said, reaching and resting his hand on Rose’s cheek.
Blushing, Rose looked at her husband. “Jah, thanks to Gott and I can’t wait to start our journey together.”
Just then, a group of men came to talk to Abraham. Rose sat back and surveyed the room, thankful for each and everyone of the people there. She loved her community, and she loved her God.
Closing her eyes, she silently prayed, Thank you, Gott, for allowing me to love again, and for bringing me Abraham, and for mending my heart. Thank You to everyone who made this day very special, for all the women who provided the food, for the men for setting up, for my shveshtah’s for helping me prepare and especially for the love of my daed who taught me to be the type of person I am. And thank You for watching over Mamm. I know she is here in spirit.
Opening her eyes, she looked over and saw Abraham looking at her with a big grin on his face. Feeling her heart flutter, she knew her future was going to be bright. With Abraham by her side, she would make sure that the journey they were about to begin would be full of laughter, love, and happiness, forever.
THE END
Book 3
(Katie’s Story)
Chapter 1
“Katie Troyer, you are the most stubborn person I know,” Rose called out to her sister. “Daed told you that the wringer washer was broke and we would be getting a new one. Why have you wasted all morning fiddling with it instead of helping me with the windows?”
Katie sat up from the floor and looked over at her sister. “Rose, if I can get the wringer to work again then Daed won’t have to waste the money. Besides, I’m determined now to find out why it broke,” she said, picking up a screwdriver and laying back down to look at the washer.
“Well, fine, but when Daed comes home and asks what we’ve done all day, I’m telling him you left me with the job of cleaning the windows while you did nothing,” Rose snarled as she picked up the bucket.
“And I’ll tell him how I fixed the washer,” Katie said as she jumped up and turned the wringer handle and smiled. “See, I said it could be fixed. There was a piece of rock stuck in the gears. It must have been in someone’s pocket.”
Rose stood staring at the washer. “You never cease to amaze me, Katie. I’m sorry I doubted you. Now will you help me with the rest of the windows?”
Katie smiled at her sister and put away the tools she had taken out of her father’s toolbox. She always had a curiosity of how things worked and when she was younger she would always be found out in the barn with her father; helping and asking hundreds of questions.
“I don’t understand why you always want to know how things work or why they don’t work,” Rose asked as they started to wash the outside windows.
“Because, my dear shveshtah, when Thomas and I marry, and we have our farm, I want to be the type of wife that can help in everything. Not only do I want to run the house and raise the kinner, but I also want to help with the farming, too,” Katie said confidently. “I think it’s important for a wife to help any way she can.”
“How do you know Thomas is going to ask you to marry him?”
“I just know. We’ve liked each other since first grade, and besides, why wouldn’t Thomas marry me? We are always together,” Katie said wiping down a window. “I know that this is the path Gott has chosen for me. To be Thomas Becker’s wife, raise his kinner and own one of the most prosperous farms in the county.”
Rose furrowed her brow and looked at her sister. “I guess it is okay to have dreams, but what are you going to do it they don’t happen? Perhaps Gott will change your path when you least expect it. Look what happened to Miriam and me.”
“That was different. You and Miriam had your hearts broken, and Gott changed your path. Thomas will never break my heart,” Katie said, picking up her bucket.
“I think Thomas would be too scared of you,” Rose teased. “You’re too stubborn.”
“Well, stubbornness is a gift from Gott. That’s what Daed always says.”
Rose laughed at her sister. “There, the windows are washed. Daed will be happy when he gets home.”
Katie brought her bucket to the back of the house and emptied the dirty water. Going into the house, she checked the clock to see what time it was. She and Thomas were going to the community center with some friends tonight, and she wanted time to freshen herself up.
Katie picked out a clean apron from her closet and put it on.
“Where are you going?” Abigail asked as she came in the door from school. “Going to see Thomas again?”
“As a matter of fact, I am.” Katie grinned at her younger sister. “One of these days you’ll understand.”
Abigail had just turned fourteen and still had time to go before she could eventually marry, but that didn’t stop her from teasing her sister.
“Thomas and Katie, sitting in a tre…,” Abigail sang as she limped into the kitchen.
“Shush, Abigail, you know Daed doesn’t like you to sing that song,” Rose warned her sister when she came into the kitchen.
“I know, but I know it bugs Katie,” Abigail snickered as she pulled out her homework books at the kitchen table.
“Is my kapp on straight?” Katie asked Rose. Do I look alright?
“You look fine; besides, it’s only Thomas. He sees you all the time. Why does it matter?” Rose asked, filling a pot with water for the potatoes.
“It just does. My Englisch friends ask that of each other all the time,” Katie said, glancing quickly in the small mirror that hung in the hallway.
“You are getting too many bad habits from your Englisch friends. “You know that vanity is a sin according to Gott. Daed would not approve with you fussing about.”
Katie glanced at her sister and smiled. “I know, Rose, but I want Thomas to ask me to court him one day soon. Then we can begin our wedding preparations. I just don’t want him to see me with stains on my apron or my kapp on crooked.”
“Katie, you look fine and Thomas would be a fool not to marry you,” Rose hugged her sister. “Now go and have fun.”
Katie ran outside just as Thomas drove his buggy up the driveway.
“Hello, Katie, sorry if I’m a bit late,” Thomas said, tipping his hat slightly which was something he always did whenever he said hello to anyone.
“Hi, Thomas, I was running behind too. I
had to help Rose wash the windows today. It’s such a boring job,” Katie said, climbing into the buggy. “I was looking forward to this all day.”
Thomas nodded. “Jah, me too. It was sweet of Rebecca and James to invite us along. I haven’t seen them in a while.”
Katie smiled at Thomas. She thought he was so handsome and strong. Staring at him, she thought of the day she would be his wife and wondered when or if he had ever thought about asking to court her. Do men often think of these things? she thought to herself as they drove along the road into town. Does he lay awake in bed at night thinking of our life together like I do?
Katie felt strongly in her heart that Thomas would one day be her husband. From the first day she met him, she knew that God had brought them together. Now it just seemed to be a matter of God’s timing. Katie prayed every night that Thomas would ask her that crucial question. She knew that when that day came, she would be the happiest she had ever been.
* * *
Chapter 2
“Good morning, Rachel,” Katie said as she walked into the house of Rachel Turner. Rachel was a widow whose husband had been killed in a terrible factory fire; and at a young age, found herself alone trying to raise four children all under the age of five. The community helped Rachel cope, but still she needed to find work to make ends meet. She found herself a part time job at the local library and relied on Katie to watch her children for her while she worked.
“Good morning, Katie,” Rachel said as she finished feeding her youngest child. “Gott has given us another glorious day.”
“Jah, He has.” Katie smiled while going over to sit beside Jordan who had just turned four. “Are you going to be a good boy for me today?”
Jordan smiled and nodded his head, but Katie could already see the mischief in his eyes. She certainly had her hands full but enjoyed the challenge. She thought that this was an excellent experience for her when she and Thomas would have their own children.
“Is there anything special I need to know today, Rachel?” Katie asked, wiping Jordan’s face.
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