You proved that when you walked away. Despite your love for my husband, you walked away. You saved us. You and that great, loving, compassionate heart of yours saved us.
I will enter eternity with gratitude and praise for you on my lips.
Your forever friend,
Charlotte
Bertha folded the letter and slid it back into the envelope.
Charlotte had been a better friend to her than she had ever imagined. A great longing to see her sweet friend once again washed over her.
Unable to sleep, she went to the window. A storm had kicked up, and the rain was blowing against the panes.
“I did the right thing,” she said, with a sense of wonder. “And it made a difference.”
The letter Charlotte had written was still tightly gripped in her hand. Such a healing message. It was so much more than a letter of forgiveness. It was one of understanding and gratitude. It freed her from the cloud of guilt and humiliation she had labored under for so long.
Exhausted by all the emotions of the evening, Bertha slipped on her nightgown and slid beneath the sheets. She fell asleep with a heart lighter than it had been since the day she had first stepped onto Haitian soil.
.
Chapter 69
February was a much better month for Calvin and Alex. Once the landlord found out that he was renting to the newest Sugarcreek cop, he was thrilled and decided to do what he could to help Alex want to stay. He hired some Amish carpenters to redo the cabinets and floors. He also put up new windows and had every room in the place painted. Calvin got to help Alex pick the colors. His room was bright blue! Just like back home at Grandma’s.
Alex wasn’t sleeping so much anymore. They both got up early and got themselves ready like men. Alex said only sissies sleep late. Real men got up early and got on with the day.
Calvin very much wanted to be a real man when he grew up. So when Alex told him that a real man would also stop by the Sugarcreek Inn every morning to check on Aunt Lydia, that’s what Calvin did. The fact that she had a good breakfast waiting for him was a bonus. He would have stopped in any way.
A real man would check in with her after school, too, Alex said. And so that is what Calvin did, as well. The fact that her face lit up and she was happy to see him, made the stop very pleasant. It was exactly how Grandma had always acted, like just the sight of him made her happy.
The fact that there was always a piece of pie waiting for him after school, or some cookies and a cold glass of milk, didn’t hurt. He was always happy to be with Aunt Lydia.
Plus, she was teaching him things. Lots of things. He helped her do the laundry on her wringer washer in the basement. That was fun. He gathered the eggs from Anna’s chickens. He liked watching Lydia quilt and was happy to thread her needle for her whenever she asked. He loved hearing stories about when she was a little girl. It seemed like her life had been much more interesting than what he had experienced so far, but thanks to Lydia, his life was getting more interesting every day.
All in all, it was a perfect arrangement. Calvin loved Aunt Lydia, and she loved him back. Maybe it hadn’t been such a stupid idea for Alex to bring him to Sugarcreek after all.
Chapter 70
Rachel didn’t have the trouble she thought she would at adjusting to being a stay-at-home mom. Even though working for a paycheck had always been part of her adult life, caring for two children and a husband wasn’t exactly boring. She enjoyed little Holly so much, and as the days went on, she began to feel the peace that came from being able to have things organized around the house and a routine in place.
Holly had a bit of a schedule now instead of constantly being passed back and forth. Rachel was also able to be on top of Bobby’s assignments at school and go to all his programs and teacher’s meetings. Best of all, he seemed so happy about getting to come home to her every day.
Joe was more content, too. He got to concentrate on work instead of trying to help her cobble together their schedules to cover all the bases. Rachel had been a hard worker before she gave up her job, and she was a hard worker now, although she was able—at least for this short, sweet, period of time—to put her energies into her family instead of other people.
Of course, the restaurant was a family business with which she and Bobby helped out every day. Little Holly did, too, just by being herself and a joy to everyone who knew her story, which was most of the population of Sugarcreek.
Apparently, Rachel’s old job had made a big difference in Alex’s life, too. It was becoming more and more evident that he was a great choice as the latest Sugarcreek cop. He had even begun learning Pennsylvania Deutsch from Lydia. It helped that he had been exposed to it for a time when he was a child. Calvin was learning it, too. It had gotten to the point that they were both speaking it more and more with Lydia and to each other.
Lydia boasted that Alex was achieving an even better accent than Rachel.
“You’ve lost that lilt, Rachel,” she said, “The one that the older Amish generation has. Alex said that if he’s going to learn this language, he wants to learn it right.”
Rachel and Joe agreed that if Ed truly needed her for an emergency, she would still go, but she hoped there weren’t any emergencies for a while. After so many catastrophic and traumatic events these past three years, she was ready for things to be calm for a very long time. She had helped keep Sugarcreek safe for many years. Now it was someone else’s turn, and she was happy to abdicate.
“We need to take a picture, Sweetie,” she crooned to the baby. Dane had told Rachel that he would rather she not bring Holly to see him or even tell her about him as she grew older. He didn’t want her knowing that her father was in prison. He thought it would make her feel less of herself. But he also said he wouldn’t mind getting a photo every now and then.
For all he had done for this baby girl, and all he had sacrificed, Rachel felt it was the least she could do.
Sometimes men didn’t survive prison. She wanted to be able to tell her daughter that her biological father had known all about her and had loved her.
Of course, there was a slight danger in allowing him to see pictures of his daughter. Even though the papers he had signed were legal, there was always in the back of her mind, the problems that could arise if he changed his mind. But there was more danger—in Rachel’s opinion—in not allowing him to see her. He had given the baby to her and Joe because he wanted Holly to be safe and loved and have a better life than he had endured as a child. As long as he knew absolutely that she was well cared for, Rachel was fairly certain he would be okay with the arrangement.
She knew it would be a good idea as well as a kindness to send regular letters and photos of Holly to Dane. She would send pictures of Joe, as well. Dane had been impressed with Joe’s athletic prowess and a little in awe of the thought of his daughter being raised by a world-famous ballplayer. If there were photos of Joe holding and caring for little Holly, it would help reassure Dane that he had made the right choice.
Chapter 71
It was a delicious feeling, walking into Bertha’s beloved Sugar Haus Inn after living in Florida for two months. The place smelled of vanilla sugar cookies, which was understandable since Lydia was pulling a baking tray out of the oven covered with cookies shaped like stars. Several cooling on a dish towel had already been sprinkled with white confectioner’s sugar.
“They are starfish to celebrate Anna’s return!” Lydia said. “I’m so excited to have you home!”
And it was so good to be home! The familiar house with light streaming through its large windows, the comfortable-looking rocking chair in a corner, the sight of her beloved sister. Lydia, wearing her lavender dress and white apron, sprinkled with errant confectioner’s sugar.
“I am so glad to be back,” Bertha said. “But first, I have something for you.”
Anna, who had been hiding directly behind her, jumped out and shouted, “Boo!”
“Oh, my goodness!” Lydia feigned surpris
e as Anna stood there, grinning at the success of her favorite joke.
Then, suddenly, Lydia’s pretend surprise turned real.
“Anna! Let me look at you!” Lydia exclaimed. “You look wonderful. So much healthier!”
It was true. The long, slow walks every day, along with frequently stopping to bend over and pick up shells, had done good things for Anna. That, along with the fewer calories available at Rosa’s house had helped her lose weight. The fresh air and sunshine had impacted her emotional health as well. Anna looked like a younger, healthier image of herself.
“The new doctor was right,” Bertha said. “Anna needed to go to the seashore for the winter.”
“Cookies!” Anna exclaimed.
Bertha and Lydia exchanged looks.
“Only two cookies, Anna,” Lydia said. “Then I need to put the rest away.”
Bertha expected a small tantrum. They had never limited Anna when it came to Lydia’s cookies, but she got a surprise.
“Okay,” Anna said, simply. “Wanna see my shells?”
“I can’t wait to see your shells,” Lydia said. “Let’s go into the living room. There is a surprise waiting for you and Bertha in there.”
“A surprise?” Bertha said.
“It came this morning,” Lydia said. “Come see.”
There, on the coffee table in front of the couch, sat a large vase filled pink roses.
“For me?” Anna asked astonished.
“That’s what the envelope said,” Lydia said. “For you and Bertha.”
Anna had never received flowers before. While she exclaimed over and smelled each rose, Lydia handed Bertha the small, white envelope with their names written on it. Inside was a card.
Dear Anna and Bertha. Welcome home! I hope you had a good trip back to Ohio! Does your Sugar Haus Inn have room for two visitors for the entire month of April? My daughter is in great need of a vacation, and I am in great need of more time with Bertha.
Love, Anthony
“It looks like Anna isn’t the only one who had a nice time in Florida!” Lydia said. “Who is this Anthony? Is there something you want to tell me?”
“Yes,” Bertha said. “I want to tell Rachel, too. Would you call and invite her over while I unpack? I need to tell both of you the story of my first months in Haiti. It’s been a hard journey, but God, in His great compassion, has given it a happy ending.”
Author’s Note
Of all the characters I have created over the years, Bertha remains my favorite. I think it is because she is so very flawed in spite of her stellar intentions, and I identify.
Some of Bertha’s behavior is contradictory. She is consistently upset that her niece, Rachel, chose not to become Amish despite the fact that Bertha left the Amish religion for many years to become a nurse. Her own choice in her youth makes perfect sense to her, but Rachel’s decision to become a cop irritates Bertha no end.
Bertha is blunt, frequently impatient, and even though she is an Amish woman, her sewing and quilting abilities are dismal. She’s also not thrilled with the idea of cooking. Given a choice between going out to a cold barn to milk the cow, or staying inside and baking cookies, Bertha will choose the cold barn every time.
And yet, in spite of her flaws, my Bertha sometimes does things that are truly extraordinary; like taking in a homeless man and his son, or writing twenty years of letters filled with healing to the prisoner who killed her brother, or turning away from the only man she will ever love because she refuses to destroy his family.
Many people ask where my ideas come from. The genesis of this story came from the work my husband and oldest son did in Haiti through a church group called Hope for Haiti’s Children. We have continued to help support this group, which has an impressive 100% transparency and accountability rating from Charity Navigator.
As always, my goal as a writer is to entertain, inspire, teach, and leave readers—as they finish the last paragraph of the story—not with just a happy ending, but with a feeling of hope.
-Serena
Also by Serena B. Miller
Love’s Journey in Sugarcreek Series
The Sugar Haus Inn (Book 1)
Rachel’s Rescue (Book 2)
Love Rekindled (Book 3)
Bertha’s Resolve (Book 4)
Love’s Journey on Manitoulin Island Series
Moriah’s Lighthouse (Book 1)
Moriah’s Fortress (Book 2)
Moriah’s Stronghold (Book 3)
Eliza’s Lighthouse (Book 4)
Michigan Northwoods Historical Romance
The Measure of Katie Calloway (Book 1)
Under a Blackberry Moon (Book 2)
A Promise to Love (Book 3)
Uncommon Grace Series
An Uncommon Grace (Book 1)
Hidden Mercies (Book 2)
Fearless Hope (Book 3)
The Doreen Sizemore Adventures
Murder On The Texas Eagle (Book 1)
Murder At The Buckstaff Bathhouse (Book 2)
Murder At Slippery Slop Youth Camp (Book 3)
Murder On The Mississippi Queen (Book 4)
Murder On The Mystery Mansion (Book 5)
The Accidental Adventures of Doreen Sizemore (5 Book Collection)
Uncategorized
A Way of Escape
More Than Happy: The Wisdom of Amish Parenting
About the Author
USA Today Best Selling Author Serena B. Miller has won numerous awards, including the RITA, the CAROL, and was a finalist for the CHRISTY Award. A movie, Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, was based on the first of her Love's Journey in Sugarcreek series, The Sugar Haus Inn, and won the coveted Templeton Epiphany Award. Another movie based on her novel, An Uncommon Grace, airs on Hallmark regularly. She lives in southern Ohio, in the country, surrounded by three hardworking sons, three talented daughters-in-law, six utterly brilliant grandchildren, and five lazy porch dogs. When she isn't writing, researching, or traveling, she spends her time playing with grandchildren, failing at yet another decluttering mission, or sitting on the front porch counting her blessings.
For More Information, Please visit
serenabmiller.com
Bertha's Resolve: Love's Journey in Sugarcreek, Book 4 Page 26