He slid a sideways glance in Rosanna’s direction. Her face no longer glowed like the embers in the woodstove. His own face had cooled a bit, too. He needed to be more careful to keep both feet out of his mouth. Now he had to think of some neutral but pleasant topic of conversation. “Did Becky and Menno name the twins yet?” That seemed a safe enough question.
“They’re still trying to decide. I think they were leaning toward Abigail and Jacob.”
“Abigail is a different sort of name.”
“I think Becky wants to call her Abby.”
“Is Menno in agreement?”
Rosanna chuckled. “I think Menno would name the twins after planets if that’s what Becky wanted.”
Paul laughed. “Venus and Jupiter, maybe?”
“Now those would be different names.”
Gut. Paul could practically see the tension ease from Rosanna’s shoulders. “Little Mollie seems to be putting on weight.”
“Jah. She’s a great eater, for sure and for certain.”
“And you’re a great mudder.”
“I’m learning. I hope I can be a gut one.”
“I think that Englisch girl picked exactly the right person to take her little one.”
“It’s all so strange, Paul. She could have picked a married couple, Englisch or Amish. I’m very glad she chose me, but why?”
“She wanted her boppli raised Amish, ain’t so?”
“That’s what she said, but I’m not sure how much she really knew about us.”
“She must have been studying us for some time if she knew where you lived and that you and your mamm attended births.” Paul ventured a direct look at Rosanna. “But she wouldn’t have had to study you for too long to know what a kind, gentle, caring person you are and to know you’d love her boppli like your own.”
A pink stain highlighted Rosanna’s face again. She looked away, but not before Paul glimpsed tears in her eyes. “I-I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Rosanna sniffed. She reached out a hand to barely touch his arm, but even that whisper of a touch sent a jolt of lightning through his body. “You didn’t upset me, Paul. I think that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. And I do love Mollie like my own.”
“She is yours, jah?”
“As far as I’m concerned. The papers from Jane were legal, and I’ve already started the proceedings to adopt her.”
“That’s wunderbaar!”
“Do you really think so? I know I’m delighted, but I don’t know how everyone else feels about the whole thing.”
“I’m convinced it’s the best thing for Mollie. If there is anyone who doesn’t think so, well, don’t pay any attention to them. Mollie is a gift from Gott. He chose you to raise her.”
Paul became a bit more alarmed when tears overflowed and coursed down Rosanna’s cheeks. He wanted to wipe them away but settled for squeezing her hand. “Please tell me those are happy tears.”
Rosanna sniffed and smiled. “Very happy tears. That was a beautiful thing to say. I believe Mollie is a gift, too. You’re gut for my spirits, Paul Hertzler.”
Rosanna sat up a little straighter. Paul was well aware that she had tried to hide in the shadows when Henry and Frannie had approached. He hoped it was because she didn’t want anyone to think they were a couple, not that she simply didn’t want to be seen with him, period. Would their becoming a couple be such a terrible thing? He didn’t believe so.
In fact, for a long time he had harbored the hope that Rosanna would show the same interest in him that she did in Henry. If Henry truly was stepping out with Frannie, perhaps he’d have a chance now. He’d have to bide his time, though. He didn’t want to scare her off. Talking about Mollie proved to be a safe subject, so he’d pursue the topic a little more.
“I’m sure your family loves having Mollie around.”
“I-I think so. Mamm was hesitant at first.”
“Your mamm? That’s hard to imagine.”
“Ach! She loves Mollie, that’s for sure. But at first she was afraid having a baby would limit my chances for marriage.”
“Really? Why?”
“Mamm figured most young fellows wouldn’t want to be bothered with having a boppli right from the start.”
“If a fellow cared for you, then he’d accept your boppli, too. Just look at her. Who couldn’t love that sweet little girl?” Paul nodded at Mollie, whose lips were curved up in a slight smile in her sleep, as if she knew some delicious secret.
Rosanna smiled. “That’s pretty much what I told Mamm. Any man that would be interested in me would have to accept Mollie, too. We’re a package deal.” A determined look crossed her lovely face. Paul imagined she would have folded her arms across her chest and huffed, So there! if she hadn’t been cradling the infant.
“And what a great package!” Paul mumbled the words, but then bit his lip in horror that the thought had slipped out.
“What?”
“You’re right. You do kumm together. But not all fellows would run from a boppli, you know.” Did he really say that? What was wrong with his misbehaving tongue today? He reached over to gently pat the blanket surrounding the infant.
“Maybe not.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Paul saw Rosanna frown and chew her bottom lip for a second. “I hope not.”
He barely heard her whispered words. He gave her arm what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze. This time he managed to keep his tongue from betraying him again, because he almost said he’d like to be that fellow. If Rosanna could look past Henry Zook, she would see him ready and willing to wilkom her and Mollie into his heart and life.
“We’re here.”
“What?”
“My house. You’re getting ready to drive past it.”
“Right. I guess I was lost in thought.” More like daydreaming. Paul pulled on the reins to slow the horse so they could make the turn onto the Masts’ long gravel driveway.
“Danki for bringing us home, Paul, and for your kind words.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
“You’re a gut freind.”
Paul nodded. He wanted to be so much more than that, but he would accept friendship for now. He would pray that one day—preferably before he was old and gray-haired—Rosanna would regard him as more than a mere freind.
He stopped the buggy near the back door of the two-story house and hopped out. “Wait right there,” he called over his shoulder. “I’ll help you.” He raced around the gray buggy and held out his arms for Mollie. He shifted her to one arm to help Rosanna step down. A tiny movement in his arms caused him to look down. Mollie’s big blue eyes had opened to gaze right into his face.
“Ach, Rosanna! She smiled at me!”
“She doesn’t smile yet except for that little quirk of her lips when she sleeps.”
“Honest! She smiled. Look! She’s doing it again!”
Rosanna stood on tiptoes to get a closer look. “You’re right, Paul! She is smiling!”
She stroked Mollie’s little cheek. “Aren’t you a precious one,” she cooed.
“Danki.”
Rosanna laughed. “Not you, Paul Hertzler. The boppli.”
“I’m not precious?”
“Well, maybe. Mollie certainly thinks you’re special. She bestowed her first real smile on you.”
“I’m honored.” Would Rosanna ever think he was special, too? “I’ll carry her inside for you. I know you’re tired.”
Rosanna climbed the cement steps and opened the back door leading into the mudroom. “Kumm into the kitchen. It should be warm in there.”
Paul obediently followed, murmuring to Mollie as he walked.
“Would you like more tea or kaffi or a glass of milk?” Rosanna crossed the room, lifted the lid on the woodstove, poked around a bit with the long iron poker to stir up a flame, and added a chunk of wood. She lifted the teakettle and set it back down. “Jah, there’s plenty of water. Would you like something?”
He’d
like very much to prolong his time with her, but he should be getting home for evening chores. Such a quandary!
Rosanna must have sensed his dilemma. She seemed to have a knack for reading his thoughts. Not all of them, he hoped. “Why don’t you sit for a minute with Mollie while I hang up my cloak and bonnet? Then I’ll fix a quick bottle for Mollie and get you some cookies for the road. Do you have the time?”
“Sure.” He’d make time. He pulled a heavy oak chair back from the table and eased himself down onto it. Mollie still gazed at him. If she was hungry, she didn’t seem too upset about it. He could get used to Rosanna bustling about the kitchen while he held their kinner without any problem at all. Instantly his cheeks burned. He’d better rein in those thoughts fast. He dipped his head to smile at the infant and to give the flush time to fade from his face. “What a gut little girl you are,” he whispered.
“She certainly is.”
Oops! Rosanna caught him talking to the boppli. Oh well, maybe that was a positive thing.
* * *
Rosanna smiled as she closed the door behind Paul. What a caring fellow he was, and he certainly seemed at ease with Mollie, even though there weren’t any little ones at his house.
“Isn’t he nice, Mollie?” The infant had managed to get one tiny fist to her mouth and sucked vigorously. Rosanna chuckled. “You sure aren’t going to get any nourishment out of that. Let’s get you changed and fed.”
By the time Rosanna had Mollie tucked into the cradle, she heard footsteps downstairs in the kitchen. Her own bed called to her, but she forced herself to ignore it. She didn’t think Mamm would be home yet, but her younger schweschders had probably darted into the kitchen for a snack. She needed to recruit them to help with supper. As tired as she felt, she might fall headfirst into the pot of stew she planned to heat up.
“One cookie each.” Rosanna entered the kitchen to find a scuffle over the cookie jar.
“Mamm lets us have two,” Katie wailed.
“It’s close to supper time, and I need your help.”
“Where’s Mamm?” Sadie bit off a huge chunk of a peanut butter cookie.
“She stayed with Becky and the twins a little longer.”
“Twins!” Katie squealed. “I can’t wait to see them. Did she have buwe or girls?”
“One of each.”
“Are they cute?” Sadie asked around her mouthful of cookie.
“All bopplin are cute. You need to swallow that wad in your mouth before you speak.”
Sadie wrinkled her nose before gulping down her bite of cookie. “There.”
Rosanna wagged her head. “You’re going to get choked one of these days. Where’s James?”
“He came in before us. I heard the cookie jar rattle before he ran out to help with chores. I bet he took more than one cookie, too.”
“Don’t worry about it, Katie. I don’t think you’ll starve. Can you get the canister of flour, and Sadie, would you pull out the pan for biscuits?”
Both girls stuffed the remainder of their cookies into their mouths before doing as asked.
“Can we help roll out and cut biscuits?” Sadie always seemed so eager to help and to learn new things. Katie usually preferred to race outside to check on the animals or discover some new facet of nature.
The biscuit making would take longer with the two of them, but Rosanna couldn’t refuse their request. With any luck, she’d still have supper on the table before Daed and her bruders came inside. Mamm should be home soon, too, and she would be even more tired than Rosanna. “Let me stir the stew, and then we’ll start on the biscuits. I’ll get down the big measuring cup and the mixing bowl, and you two find the rolling pin and spoons.”
A short time later, Rosanna heard four pairs of feet clomping up the steps and through the back door as she pulled the pan of biscuits from the oven. “Perfect timing,” she told the little girls who were hovering around the oven to see the emerging biscuits.
“Some of them look funny,” Katie observed.
“Jah, they’re kind of lopsided.” Sadie frowned as she looked at the pan.
“That’s okay. They will all taste delicious. Are cookies always perfectly shaped?”
“Nee,” two voices answered simultaneously.
“Don’t they taste yummy anyway?”
Both girls nodded.
“Then these biscuits will all taste great whether they are round or oblong or triangles.”
“Triangles?” Katie and Sadie giggled.
“Do you think your bruders will even notice the shape of the biscuits?”
“Nee. They’ll gobble them up like they’re starving.” Katie knew her bruders well.
“Exactly.” Rosanna slid the biscuits off the baking pan and into a napkin-lined basket. “Here.” She handed the basket to Sadie to set on the table. “Katie, will you please set the apple butter and honey on the table?”
“Mamm’s home!” Sadie squealed. “I saw a buggy drive up.”
“Everything worked out just right, ain’t so? Supper is ready, and everyone is here.” Rosanna began ladling stew into ceramic bowls for everyone.
* * *
“You’ll never guess who I saw today,” Tobias said around the bite of biscuit he was chewing.
“Swallow first.” Rosanna shook her finger at her older bruder. “I can see why Sadie talks with her mouth full. She learned from you.”
Tobias made a face at Rosanna and gulped his tea. “As I was saying before I was interrupted, you’ll never guess who I saw today.”
“I’m sure you’ll tell us.” Joseph elbowed his bruder before reaching for another biscuit.
“I was on my way back from picking up some supplies for the furniture shop when I passed Henry Zook and Frannie Hostetler. Riding together. In an open buggy. In broad daylight.”
“Don’t go spreading rumors, Tobias,” Mamm admonished.
“It’s no tall tale. I saw them with my own two eyes.”
Rosanna’s last bite of biscuit hit her stomach with a thud. She only hoped it stayed there and she wouldn’t have to make a mad dash from the table. Evidently Henry and Frannie didn’t care who saw them. A pinprick to her heart let all her hopes and dreams escape. She stared hard at the peas and carrots floating in her stew so her family couldn’t see the tears flooding her eyes.
“Maybe they simply had been at the same place at the same time and shared a ride home,” Sarah suggested.
“I don’t know. They looked pretty cozy to me.” Tobias scooped up a spoonful of stew and stuck it in his mouth.
Rosanna blinked and stared harder. Why did Tobias have to bring this up now? When she wanted him to talk to her, wild horses couldn’t drag information out of him. Now he prattled on like his tongue was loose at both ends. Did he want to make sure she knew Henry was probably out of her reach? Rosanna stirred her spoon around in the bowl but didn’t dare raise a bite to her lips. There wasn’t any way it could possibly slide past the boulder nearly clogging her throat. She had thought Henry and Frannie looked pretty cozy, too.
“Do you know anything about that, Rosanna?” Tobias lowered his spoon to the bowl and stared at her.
“Why would I?” Rosanna tucked her napkin under the edge of her bowl and jumped up. “I-I think I need to check on Mollie.” She ran from the room but could still hear Tobias’ voice.
“What’s up with her? I didn’t hear the boppli.”
The pent-up tears overflowed their banks as soon as Rosanna’s feet hit the stairs. She raced up with one hand over her mouth to try to contain a sob. If Henry and Frannie didn’t care who saw them, they must truly be a couple. Rosanna would have to say goodbye to her dream.
She slowed her pace when she reached the door to her room and tiptoed inside. She had almost made a little bed for Mollie downstairs but at the last minute had decided to tuck her into the cradle next to her own bed. Now she was glad she’d done that. She needed to be alone. A quick peek through the film of tears told her Mollie still slept.
Rosanna threw herself across the bed and buried her face in the pillow to muffle the sound of her sobs. She should have kicked her door completely closed but couldn’t drag herself off the bed to do that at this point. She cried for her lost dream. She’d pinned her hopes for marriage on Henry Zook about six months ago and had thought she’d been moving closer to realizing that dream. She talked to Henry after each singing, inquired about his work and his family, extracted his opinion on current happenings, and learned his likes and interests. He had always treated her politely and even smiled and nodded. He never seemed eager to escape, so he must have at least found her presence tolerable. Her last sob ended as a hiccup. But wait . . .
Rosanna pulled her face from the pillow and rolled to a sitting position. She gulped in a quivery breath. Something clicked in her brain, something she hadn’t noticed previously. Or maybe she had chosen not to notice. Had Henry ever once asked about her likes and opinions? Had he ever asked about her day or how she spent her time? She couldn’t remember his ever showing such an interest. Had he even taken the initiative to seek her out, or had she always gravitated toward him?
Her thoughts traveled back to the singings over the past six months. Rosanna had always been the one who had wandered in Henry’s direction. He’d never sought her out. She had been the one to offer him a cup of juice or to take him brownies and cookies, particularly if she’d been the person who baked them. Henry had never offered to get her a drink. Had he merely been enduring her presence?
How embarrassing! Rosanna slapped her palms to her burning cheeks. Had she appeared foolish or even desperate to Henry and everyone else? She’d never noticed the other youngies watching them. They all seemed to pursue their own interests. So maybe she’d only looked completely ridiculous to Henry. Should that make her feel better?
A little lip-smacking sound from the cradle captured Rosanna’s attention. Her boppli. She’d focus on her boppli. Henry never asked her about Mollie or seemed interested in her at all. He’d probably make a terrible daed anyway! She’d worry about being the best mudder she could be and forget about all the fellows she knew.
Rosanna swiped at the remaining tears and slid from the bed to tend to Mollie. She had her little girl and her family. She didn’t need one of those buwe who wouldn’t want to be a daed to her boppli. But then a little voice way in the back of her brain whispered, One fellow is different.
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