Rosanna's Gift

by Susan Lantz Simpson

  Tears streamed down Rosanna’s cheeks. She swiped at them with the back of her free hand.

  “Ach, Rosanna! I’m so sorry I upset you.” He tried to pull away, but she tightened her grip on his hand.

  “These are tears of joy, Paul. Sometimes women cry silly, happy tears. I would be honored to have you court me. I think it’s safe to say that Mollie would agree. She adores you.”

  “I think she’s pretty special, too.”

  “And if she’s taken away?”

  “We’ll pray that never happens, but we will always have each other.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Rosanna had tucked Mollie into her crib and crawled beneath the quilt on her own bed.

  Tired as she was, her eyes refused to stay closed as the thoughts whirred through her brain. Had she really consented to a courtship with Paul? Not a business deal, but a real courtship?

  Little tingles raced up her spine before shooting out in all directions throughout her body. Her heart beat out a new, joyful rhythm. Paul cared about her. He really cared. He wasn’t merely suggesting a deal between them to try to ensure she kept custody of Mollie. How had she never noticed he cared about her?

  When did her feelings for Paul change? Rosanna couldn’t put her finger on a specific date or time, but at some point she had begun to see Paul in a whole new way. His ease and gentleness with and obvious affection for Mollie touched her deeply. She knew he would make a great daed someday. And he had been so supportive of her and so quick to offer his help. None of the other young men, nor most of the girls, ever gave Mollie more than a passing glance. Paul never hesitated to hold her, rock her, or feed her. He would probably even change her diaper without a single qualm. He had been a gut freind for sure.

  Somewhere along the line Rosanna’s feelings had deepened. Paul had become more than a freind. Much more. And to think she had wasted so much time trying to get Henry’s attention while Paul already cared for her in a way Henry never would. Thank You, Gott, that things didn’t work out how I planned with Henry. You truly do know what is best for me. And the best for her could only be Paul Hertzler. Rosanna smiled into the darkness. She couldn’t be any happier. She had a wunderbaar man who loved her and whose love she was ready to return and a precious little girl they both adored.

  * * *

  Paul whistled the song he’d sung to Mollie earlier in the day as he plodded toward home. He hadn’t gotten around to teaching Rosanna the words tonight, but now there wasn’t any rush. He would have plenty of time to teach her during their courtship. He could scarcely believe Rosanna had agreed to that. One day soon, he hoped, she would become his fraa. The woman he had feared would always remain simply a fixture in his dreams had agreed to be a part of his life. Gut things do kumm to those who wait. And he had waited a long time for Rosanna Mast.

  He didn’t believe Rosanna had consented to their courtship only to give Mollie a daed, since she didn’t jump at that chance when he first mentioned it. Nee, she truly seemed to care. She had slipped her tiny hand into his as they walked to the door moments ago. Did she have any idea how very much he wanted to kiss her? Ach! There would be time for that later. He shook the reins but really didn’t need to encourage the horse to trot faster. He seemed to want to get home to his warm stall as much as Paul wanted to sink into his dreams of Rosanna.

  * * *

  Rosanna happily settled into a pattern of caring for Mollie, helping her mamm with household chores, assisting with births, and strengthening her relationship with Paul. He visited one or two evenings during the week. On Saturdays or Sundays, they often bundled Mollie up and took her for rides with them.

  “I don’t imagine many courting couples take a boppli along with them on outings.” Rosanna laughed as she threw an extra blanket over Mollie.

  “I don’t mind one bit, Rosanna.” Paul reached over to squeeze her hand. “It’s like we’re already a family.”

  “That’s a very nice thing to say.”

  “It’s the truth. Don’t you feel that way, too?”

  “I do.” Rosanna squeezed his hand in return. She counted her blessings every day. She stole a quick glance at the handsome young man beside her. She couldn’t have asked for a more caring, supportive, dependable man. And he had been there all along. Waiting. Thank You, Lord, that Paul waited for me to kumm to my senses.

  With the extended cold spell St. Mary’s County had been experiencing, the ground stayed frozen as hard as concrete, so any snow that fell stayed around. Better yet, the pond had frozen. Young folks could haul out the ice skates they didn’t always get to use in the unpredictable winters and glide across the ice for hours. Paul and Rosanna had taken Mollie with them to watch the skaters twirl and zoom around the pond.

  When the nip in the air turned into a snarl, they decided to head for Rosanna’s house. The sudden strong wind snatched Rosanna’s breath away and nearly yanked the black bonnet off her head. She hugged Mollie tighter. “Where did this wind kumm from?”

  “I think we were more protected down in the woods by the pond. Out here in the open, there’s nothing to block the wind.”

  Rosanna shivered and picked up her pace. She wanted to hurry and get Mollie inside the buggy. The wind had become so strong it almost knocked her to the ground.

  “Do you want me to take Mollie?”

  “I’ve got her. I think we’re keeping each other warm, if only I can stay on my feet.” The wind tugged at her again. Paul wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her and Mollie closer to him. She leaned into him and let him help her battle the wind.

  “There.” Paul slid close to Rosanna on the buggy seat. He tucked the blanket in around Rosanna and Mollie. “Feel better?”

  “Much. Just getting out of that ferocious wind makes me feel one hundred percent warmer.”

  Paul shook the reins and started the horse moving. “It was fun watching the skaters, though.”

  “It was, but I think I’m ready for some hot chocolate now.”

  “Sounds great. And cookies, too?”

  Rosanna elbowed him. “Of course.”

  “Chocolate chip?”

  “Definitely. I baked them yesterday with you in mind. There are probably some oatmeal and peanut butter cookies left, too, if my bruders didn’t eat them all.”

  “I like that.”

  “What? That there are other kinds of cookies?”

  “Nee. That I was in your thoughts.”

  “You are always in my thoughts.”

  Paul leaned over and lightly pressed his lips to Rosanna’s cheek, sending her heart tumbling over itself.

  * * *

  Rosanna reached to the back of the big metal mailbox to slide the envelopes forward. Something sure felt thick. With her heart thundering, she separated the fat letter from the rest. It can’t be. Please, Lord Gott, don’t let this be the correspondence I’ve been dreading. Tears pooled in her eyes, making the return address blurry, but the bold print shouted out the name of the law firm anyway. The other mail dropped to the ground as she ripped the envelope open and drew out the contents. She scanned the message and moaned when she really wanted to scream. Calm down. Breathe. She tried to obey her brain’s commands but instead scooped up the mail and raced to the house.

  “What does this mean, Mamm?” Rosanna’s lower lip began to tremble as much as her hands did as she shook the letter in Sarah’s face.

  “What is it?” Sarah jerked back from the paper under her nose. She gave the meat loaf she’d just shaped a final pat, then rinsed her hands and dried them on a paper towel. “Who is that from?”

  “A-a lawyer.” A huge tear slid down Rosanna’s cheek.

  Sarah snatched the paper from Rosanna’s hand and began to read. Rosanna watched her mamm’s eyes travel down the page and then return to the top to repeat the process more slowly. She gasped and fixed wide eyes on Rosanna.

  “D-does this mean what I think, Mamm?”

  “It looks to me like Kandi is filing for custody of Moll
ie.”

  “Ach, Mamm!” Rosanna threw her hands over her face and sobbed into them. She felt Sarah pull her into an embrace and pat her back.

  “It doesn’t say she’s been given custody, just that she’s going to file.”

  “How can she?”

  “I believe she feels it is her duty since Mollie is her niece.”

  “But Mamm, she won’t even feed her or change a diaper!” Rosanna knew her voice came out in a pitiful whine, but she couldn’t help it. Whining had to be slightly better than wailing, which is what she really wanted to do.

  “She would have to learn to do that.”

  “She wouldn’t mix the formula. She didn’t want to feed Mollie. She didn’t want to risk getting spit up on. She couldn’t even soothe Mollie when she cried.”

  “She will have a lot to learn, then.”

  “She hasn’t even visited in a while. Mollie doesn’t know who she is. And what will she do with Mollie while she’s acting or dancing or whatever it is that she does? Being shifted around from place to place and handed off to one person after another is not a gut thing for a boppli.”

  “I know that, dear. You don’t have to convince me.”

  “Do you really think they’ll allow her to take my boppli? Jane wanted me to have Mollie. She had it all planned out and written up legally.”

  “I know that, too. I’m not sure how the Englisch court system makes a decision. We need to keep taking the best care of Mollie that we can, like we’ve always done. And pray.”

  Rosanna sniffed. “But what if—”

  “Stop! Don’t borrow trouble. We will trust Gott. He knows what is best.”

  “We’re what is best for Mollie, ain’t so, Mamm?”

  “Rosanna, you have been a wunderbaar mudder for Mollie. We all love her dearly. We must try not to worry. Now, dry those tears before that dear little one wakes up. She will want to see your happy face.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Rosanna did her best to carry on as usual. The fear of losing Mollie hovered in the back of her mind when it wasn’t front and center. Every bump or thump caused her heart to leap into her throat until she assured herself Kandi had not arrived for a cursory visit or to whisk Mollie away. She shared her fears and doubts with Paul, who did everything he could think of to bolster Rosanna’s spirits. Together they played with Mollie, cared for her, and took her on outings. Rosanna prayed they weren’t storing up memories for a time when Mollie was no longer with them.

  Saturday afternoon had been beautiful. Though the calendar said it was still winter, the air hinted at spring. Of course, they could have snow the next day. That’s the way the fickle weather behaved in Southern Maryland. Rosanna and Paul had taken advantage of the lovely day. Since he had worked extra hours during the week to complete a big order, Eli had let him off early. They had taken Mollie to watch the skaters again. Another day or two like today and the ice would thaw too much for skating.

  “I’m sure you could borrow Emma’s skates and take a twirl or two around the pond,” Paul said. “I’ll watch Mollie.”

  “I’m fine watching, but you can skate if you want. It looks like Tobias is off early, and I’m sure he would loan you his skates.”

  “I’ll settle for watching, too. It seems like everyone has the idea that this might be the last opportunity to skate this year. Most people who usually work on Saturdays have shown up.”

  Rosanna nodded and sniffed the air. Pine wood smoke from the crackling bonfire drifted over to where they sat on a log. Mollie perched on Rosanna’s lap, biting on a teething ring. She was sitting now and even trying to crawl. When Rosanna placed her on her tummy on the floor, she could push up to her hands and knees and rock back and forth. Rosanna knew the little girl would soon figure out how to propel herself either forward or backward.

  Rosanna gradually breathed a little easier when each day’s mail contained only the usual letters or junk mail, not a single legal document. The notice she had previously received had not yet been followed up by a court summons or any other official papers. The doubts and fears didn’t dissipate, but she was able to push them farther back in her mind. She concentrated on enjoying every moment with Mollie.

  She watched a few people poke sticks with marshmallows on the ends into the fire. She laughed when some lost their treats to the flames. When Paul nudged her, she looked where he pointed. Tobias and Emma skated side by side, seemingly oblivious to everything around them. “I knew it! I knew he was interested in Emma!”

  “They make a nice couple,” Paul observed. “Like us.”

  “Like us.” Rosanna beamed at him. She hoped things worked out for Emma and Tobias, as they had for her and Paul. Her bruder and her best freind were perfect for each other. Maybe she would visit Emma soon for a little chat. She’d never get any information out of Tobias.

  “Do you want some marshmallows? I can try my hand at toasting some. I can’t do any worse than the folks over there.”

  Rosanna glanced at the people gathered around the bonfire. Some held up sticks with charred marshmallows. Others held empty sticks, since their marshmallows had slid off. Only a few popped gooey masses into their mouths. She laughed and shook her head. “Maybe later.”

  “You just want to keep an eye on your bruder,” Paul teased.

  “It is kind of fun watching them.”

  “What do you think?”

  “I think they are great together. Emma would certainly be able to hold her own with Tobias’ teasing.”

  “They certainly look like they’re enjoying themselves.”

  “They look oblivious to the universe.”

  Paul laughed. He scooped Mollie off Rosanna’s lap and held her high in the air. Mollie’s blue eyes opened wide before she let out a squeal of delight.

  After they had mingled with the other young folks who had finished skating and had eaten marshmallows Paul had toasted to perfection, Rosanna decided they should head for home. The sky had turned mostly gray, and the temperature had dropped. Mollie’s little cheeks glowed bright pink.

  Rosanna and Paul sang silly songs to Mollie all the way home and laughed when she babbled along with them. All merriment died when they rolled up the Mast driveway. A battered green car sat close to the house.

  “Did you know she was visiting today?”

  “I didn’t have any idea. I haven’t heard from Kandi in ages. I only got that letter from a lawyer.” Goose bumps unrelated to the temperature marched up and down Rosanna’s arms. Her breath came in short gasps.

  “Calm down.” Paul reached for Rosanna’s hand. “She can’t take Mollie today.”

  “I-I hope not.” Rosanna gripped Paul’s hand like a drowning man grabbed a rope.

  “It will be all right.”

  Rosanna nodded and prayed he was right.

  Paul hopped out of the buggy as soon as it stopped rolling and jogged around to help Rosanna and Mollie out. “Do you want me to kumm inside with you?”

  “Please.” She clutched Mollie tighter. Together they climbed the steps to enter the front door, since Rosanna figured Sarah had probably parked Kandi in the living room.

  “There you are!” Kandi called out as soon as the threesome crossed the threshold into the room.

  “I wasn’t expecting you.” Rosanna held her head high. She would not let this woman think she intimidated her, even if her insides had turned to jelly.

  “I can’t call to make arrangements.”

  “You could write when you plan to visit.”

  “I could if I had a set schedule.”

  Kinner need a set schedule. They need someone they can depend on. Rosanna fought to keep those words inside. “Oh” was all she said.

  “My lawyer said I should visit more often if I plan to get custody. You did get the lawyer’s letter, didn’t you?”

  “Jah.” Rosanna paused a moment to think but had to get an answer to the question burning in her brain. “Don’t you want to visit her, Kandi?”

  “Oh, s
ure. It’s just so hard with my crazy hours and all. I’ve been so busy lately. I’ve had a lot of gigs, which is a real boost to my career.”

  “I see.” Rosanna didn’t see at all. It sounded to her like Kandi was visiting only because it would look gut to do so, not because she really wanted to visit her niece.

  “Man, she’s really grown.”

  “She seems to get bigger and learn something new every day.”

  “Is this your boyfriend?”

  Heat crept up Rosanna’s neck and face like mercury rising in a thermometer at noon in the middle of August. “I think you already met Paul Hertzler.”

  “Hello.” Paul nodded at Kandi.

  “Nice to see you.” Kandi stuck out her hand.

  Surprised, Paul extended his hand and allowed Kandi to pump it up and down. “Would you like me to wait in the kitchen, Rosanna?”

  She cast a sideways glance at Kandi. Rosanna could really use Paul’s support right now. Would Kandi mind if he stayed?

  “You don’t have to leave on my account. The more, the merrier.” Kandi’s laugh sounded forced. She batted at a wisp of platinum hair.

  Rosanna could have wept with relief. She sank down on the edge of the rocking chair and began unwrapping Mollie from her warm layers of clothing.

  “She’s a beauty. She still has her blonde hair.” Kandi leaned forward slightly. “Hi, Mollie.”

  Rosanna had wondered when Kandi would ever address her niece. She had seemed almost hesitant to do so. “Would you like to hold her?” Rosanna wanted to hug Mollie close and never let her go, but she knew she had to give Kandi a chance to know her. After all, the woman was Mollie’s aenti.

  “I . . . well, sure.”

  Rosanna stood and dropped the blankets and outerwear onto the chair behind her. She took the three steps toward Kandi’s chair since the other woman didn’t make any effort to move. She lowered Mollie onto Kandi’s lap.

  “Oh my, you seem heavier than last time.” Kandi threw awkward arms around Mollie to keep her from sliding off onto the floor.