by Amy Clipston
“I’m certain our aenti would be happy you’re getting some use out of it.” Rhoda smiled at Kaitlyn, who gave a sweet sigh while fingering the ribbons on Rhoda’s gauzy head covering.
“Thank you so much.” Mia was overwhelmed. “I’ve missed the swing we had before.”
“We’re grateful you can use it,” Vera said.
“Let’s take Kaitlyn into the family room and see if she likes this swing.” Rhoda gestured for her sister to follow her.
“So what would you like to learn how to make today?” Vera put a large cookbook on the table and started flipping through it.
“I’m open to learning anything. My mom never cooked, so I never learned. When I was in college, I mostly ate in the dining hall or out at restaurants.”
“Your mamm never cooked?” Vera furrowed her brow.
Mia shook her head. “We had a housekeeper. She did the cooking and the cleaning so my mom could spend her days socializing and volunteering for charities.”
Vera nodded. “I see. Would you like to try a chicken casserole?” She examined the book as she spoke. “I already have enough leftover cooked chicken. We can put it together, and then you can store it in your refrigerator until you’re ready to bake it. Does that sound gut?”
“That sounds fantastic.” Mia gnawed her lower lip. “I can pay you for the ingredients when Chace gets home.”
Vera peered up at her. “I’m not concerned about that. I just want to make sure you’re eating well. Let’s get started.” She pulled out a mixing bowl and baking dish.
As she walked over to the counter, Mia scanned the large, open kitchen, taking in the plain white walls, sparsely decorated with a single shelf that held a few candles and an antique clock. The floor was a worn tan linoleum pattern, and a long wooden table with six chairs sat in the middle of the room.
The far end of the kitchen included a propane stove and refrigerator, resembling the appliances in the cabin. This kitchen, however, had ample counter and cabinet space. A small window over the sink looked out over a yard with large, thick trees decorated with bird-houses. The kitchen was warm and homey, despite the absence of her mother’s ornate decorating.
“How was the meat loaf last night?” Vera asked.
Mia groaned and rolled her eyes. “Terrible. That’s why I need cooking lessons. I burned it. I put it in the oven and then Katie woke up from her nap. I changed her diaper and spent time with her, and I lost track of time. I didn’t realize it had burned until I served it to Chace, but obviously the meat loaf had been in too long.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I’ve done that too.” Vera explained the recipe to Mia and soon they were gathering the ingredients and supplies.
“How did you meet Isaac?” Mia asked while dicing chicken.
“We met at a singing.”
“What’s a singing?”
“That’s when the youth get together to play games and sing hymns. Isaac grew up in a neighboring church district, so we went to different schools. Our youth groups were combined that night, and we became friends.” She looked over at Mia. “How about you and Chace?”
Mia wiped her hands on a paper towel. “It was sort of the same situation. I was in college and we met at a party. I didn’t want to go, but my roommate insisted I studied too much and needed some fun. Chace and I saw each other across the room. He smiled, and I smiled back at him. He was the most handsome man there.” She laughed. “He introduced himself to me, and we spent the rest of the night talking. He asked me for my number, and that was it. That was almost two years ago.”
“What did you study in college?”
“I wanted to be a teacher, but I didn’t get to finish.” Mia frowned, waiting for Vera to ask why. She was too embarrassed to admit she’d gotten pregnant, but Vera didn’t question her. Vera never questioned or judged her, and Mia was grateful. Besides, once she mentioned how recently they had married, Vera would know the truth.
“We met when I was nineteen and only in my second year of college,” Mia continued. “When we decided to get married last March, I quit school. I hope someday I can finish up my degree. I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, even though my mother didn’t approve.”
“Why didn’t your mamm want you to be a teacher?” Vera sliced more chicken.
“Teachers don’t make enough money. My mother only cares about status. She always told me to marry well so I could enjoy a nice lifestyle. That’s why she never approved of Chace either.”
“Have you asked them for help? I’m sure they would want to help you.”
“They disowned me.”
“How can that be? You’re family! Kaitlyn is their grandchild.”
Mia shared what her father said when Chace called him yesterday.
Vera shook her head. “I’m so sorry for everything you’ve been through. I hope someday your parents will realize how wrong they’ve been to reject you—and your family.”
“I do too.” Mia’s voice was thick. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for us. We would probably be in a shelter right now if it weren’t for you and Isaac.”
“I meant it when I said we know how hard times can be. Isaac’s dat had a dairy farm, but Isaac wanted to become a cabinetmaker. We struggled when we first started his business. Our parents tried to help us, but they had fallen on hard times too. We made it through, but there were days when I wondered if we had enough food to last until Isaac finished a job. When he told me Chace needed a place to live, I wanted to help you.”
Mia sniffed as tears flooded her eyes. “You are a blessing to us.”
“We’re happy to see a family in the little cabin.” Vera turned back toward the recipe. “Now let’s finish this casserole so we can figure out what we want for lunch.”
“Okay.” Mia smiled, grateful for her new friend.
“I can’t believe how big Katie has grown during the past month.” Susannah looked down at Kaitlyn, who sat on her lap and sucked on her pacifier.
Mia nodded as rain pounded on the cabin roof above them. “She’s outgrowing her clothes. I need to go by the consignment shop after Chace gets paid next week.” She carried four mugs to the table and then gathered tea bags and creamer. As she turned toward the table, she stepped in a puddle. She looked up at the ceiling to see water dripping. “Is the roof leaking?”
Vera turned in her chair and frowned. “Ya, I think it is. I’ll tell Isaac.”
“Chace can help him fix it.” Mia brought the tea bags and cream to the table. “He has plenty of experience with roofs.”
Rhoda stood. “I’ll finish the tea, and you can find a pot to catch the water.”
“Thanks.” Mia dried the floor and then set out a large pot. They could hear water splash into it as Mia sat down at the table.
“The past month has gone by so quickly.” Vera lifted her mug. “It feels like you just moved in.”
“I know,” Mia agreed. “Our first wedding anniversary is next week.”
“Oh, that’s so exciting.” Susannah held Kaitlyn up to her shoulder.
“Do you want me to take her?” Mia asked.
“No, she’s fine.” Susannah caressed Kaitlyn’s head.
Kaitlyn nuzzled closer against Susannah. Would Mia’s mother be affectionate and cuddle with Kaitlyn the way Susannah and Rhoda did? Mia pressed her lips together.
“We can help you plant a garden in the spring,” Rhoda said, yanking Mia from her thoughts. “My grandmother had a garden right outside the back door.” She pointed toward the mudroom. “If you want, we can plant one there.”
“That’s a great idea,” Vera chimed in. “Your mammi had the most beautiful vegetables.”
“That sounds great.” Mia cupped her mug in her hands. Would they still live in the cabin by the time the vegetables were ripe? Her heart tugged at the thought of leaving her new friends. But was it fair to raise Kaitlyn in the cold, rustic cabin with a leaky roof and no electricity? Would Mia be a terrible mother if she chose to
raise her child here?
Chace rolled over in bed and yawned. His back and neck were sore from sanding and painting cabinets all day yesterday. He reached his arm to the left and expected to feel Mia beside him, but he found cold sheets instead. He rubbed his eyes and then focused his attention on the bright green numbers on the clock next to the bed. It was almost nine. He’d overslept.
Groaning, Chace rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. It was Saturday, and he felt like a train had hit him. He’d worked hard all week, hoping to help Isaac get ahead on projects and also increase his paycheck. Now he had to fling himself out of bed and complete the honey-do list Mia had prepared for him all week. First on the list, he’d promised Mia he’d fix the leaky roof today after she’d complained about it last night. Now he just had to find the energy to do it.
With a moan and a grunt, he shoved himself out of bed and shuffled out to the kitchen, where Mia stood at the counter, beating an egg in a bowl. She glanced over her shoulder at him, her pink lips turning up in a breathtaking smile. She was so beautiful with her thick, dark hair falling to her lower back. What possessed Mia to pick him when she could’ve had any man she wanted?
“Good morning, sleepyhead.” She nodded toward the bowl. “Do eggs and toast sound all right?”
“Sounds great. Thank you.” He smiled down at his daughter, kicking her feet in her baby seat. “Hey, princess. How are you this morning?” He clicked open her safety belts and lifted her into his arms. He breathed in her familiar scent, baby lotion and diaper cream. “Are you going to help me fix the roof today?”
Kaitlyn babbled a response, latching a hand to his T-shirt.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” He leaned against the table and faced Mia. “I didn’t mean to oversleep. I’m just exhausted.”
“It’s all right.” She scraped the egg into the pan. “I suppose you deserve it after working all week.”
Kaitlyn coughed, and Chace’s eyes widened. “How long has she been coughing?”
“She started yesterday. I have some medicine left from her last cold.” Mia adjusted the flame under the frying pan. “Hopefully that will take care of it since we can’t afford to take her to a doctor.”
Frowning, Chace rubbed Kaitlyn’s golden hair. Someday soon he’d find a way to give his daughter everything she needed.
Mia wiped a cloth over the pane of one of Vera’s kitchen windows later that afternoon. She hummed to herself while enjoying the simplicity of the work.
“You really don’t need to help us clean,” Vera said as she scrubbed the counter.
“I’m happy to help you. You’ve done so much for us.” Mia peered out the window to where Chace helped Isaac and two other men carry benches into the barn. After Isaac and Chace finished fixing the roof on the cabin, Chace had offered to help Isaac prepare for the church service they would host in their barn tomorrow.
Vera chuckled a little. “You can’t possibly want to clean my windows. One of the girls can do it if you’d rather do something in the cabin.”
“It’s no trouble at all. I’m glad to help you prepare for the service.” Mia moved the cloth over another pane as she again looked out toward the barn. Chace laughed as he and Isaac stood with another Amish man. Mia admired how the sun brought out the golden hue of Chace’s sandy-blond hair. He was so handsome dressed in jeans and a blue, long-sleeved T-shirt, with mirrored sunglasses shielding his eyes. He chuckled again before he and Isaac unloaded another bench from the long buggy that had delivered the benches yesterday.
Vera sidled up to Mia. “It seems as if Isaac and Chace have known each other for years. He thinks very highly of Chace. That’s why Isaac sometimes slips into speaking Pennsylvania Dutch with him. He just feels that comfortable with Chace, and now we all feel comfortable with both of you. And also, your husband is a talented carpenter.”
“Thank you.” Mia began working on another windowpane. “He is talented, but he often doesn’t acknowledge how good he is.”
Kaitlyn squealed, and Mia turned to where Rhoda sat at the table feeding Kaitlyn a jar of pears.
“Let me know if you get tired of holding her,” Mia said.
“It’s fine. We’re having a gut time, right, Katie?” Rhoda smiled. “She’s a gut boppli. She’s much happier than Joel was.”
“That’s true,” Susannah called from the family room, where she was mopping the floor. “Joel cried all the time.”
“Do you two go to youth group?” Mia asked the girls as she continued to work.
“Ya, we do,” Rhoda said. “We like seeing our friends.”
“Do you have a boyfriend, Rhoda?” Mia asked.
Rhoda’s cheeks turned bright red as she focused her eyes on Kaitlyn.
“Rhoda has a crush on Sam Swarey,” Susannah sang.
“Be quiet,” Rhoda warned through gritted teeth.
“Sam?” Vera asked. “Lydia’s son?”
Rhoda nodded, her cheeks as bright red as an apple.
“I had no idea,” Vera said.
“I’m sorry.” Mia frowned. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“It’s not your fault.” Rhoda rested Kaitlyn on her shoulder and caressed her cheek. “Sam is nice to me. We enjoy talking to each other at youth gatherings.”
“It’s gut to start out as friends.” Vera wiped down the refrigerator with a rag. “Your dat and I were friends before we started dating.”
“We’re just friends,” Rhoda said.
“He likes you,” Susannah insisted.
“You think so?”
Susannah nodded. “It’s pretty obvious with the way he looks at you.”
Rhoda sighed, and Mia and Vera exchanged knowing smiles.
“How did you know you were in love with Dat?” Rhoda asked Vera.
Vera smiled. “He was my best friend, and we could talk about anything. I always felt comfortable with him.”
“What about you, Mia?” Rhoda asked.
Mia looked out toward the barn, where Chace helped carry another bench inside. “Chace and I clicked the first time we met. He was easy to talk to, and he treated me with respect. I just knew he was the one.” She turned toward Rhoda, who grinned. “Make sure Sam treats you well. If he makes you feel bad about yourself, then he’s not the one.”
“Mia is right,” Vera added. “Take your time and get to know him. Marriage is for life.”
Rhoda nodded. “I plan to take my time and get to know him. There’s no rush.”
“That’s right,” Vera chimed in.
“We should plan a big meal together.” Susannah had moved to the doorway where they could see her. “Mia, Chace, and Katie can eat at our haus. Maybe we can do that one night next week. What do you think, Mamm?”
Vera nodded. “That sounds like a great idea. What do you think, Mia?”
She smiled at Susannah. “We would love to come. What can I make that’s easy? I don’t want to mess it up.”
“You won’t mess it up,” Vera said.
As Rhoda began discussing the menu for their supper, Mia glanced over at Rhoda and Susannah and smiled. What would it have been like to grow up in a warm, loving family like the Allgyers’?
Then Kaitlyn coughed in Rhoda’s arms and Mia frowned.
Mia held Kaitlyn to her chest as she looked out the window Sunday morning. “Look at all those buggies. Probably two hundred people are sitting in Isaac and Vera’s barn for church this morning.” The rock driveway and the nearby field were clogged with buggies while horses filled the nearby pasture.
Chace came up behind her and rested his hand on her shoulder. “That’s a sea of buggies.”
“It is.” Mia smiled up at him. “It was nice of you to help Isaac set up the benches yesterday. I heard him tell Vera you were a tremendous help.”
He shrugged as he kneaded the knots in her shoulders. “I heard you were helpful inside the house too.”
“It was the least I could do.” Mia looked out the window again. “I think it’s neat ho
w they have church in their barns. It’s a lot of work for the family that’s hosting the service, but it’s also special to share church in your home.”
“Yeah, that would be special.” Kaitlyn coughed, and he rubbed the baby’s arm. “I told Isaac I would help him load up the benches tomorrow. They aren’t permitted to do it today since they don’t do even that much work on Sundays.”
“That sounds like a great idea.” Mia turned toward the sofa. “Why don’t you get comfortable and I’ll make us hot chocolate. Let’s just relax today.”
He grinned. “That sounds amazing.” He held out his hands and took Kaitlyn. “Let’s snuggle, baby girl.”
Mia smiled as she walked to the kitchen. She couldn’t wait to spend the day with her family.
Mia sat between Rhoda and Susannah at the Allgyers’ kitchen table Tuesday night. Just as Susannah had suggested, they had planned a family dinner, surprising the men when they arrived home from work. Mia smiled across the table at Chace as Joel and Adam shared stories about their day at school.
“How was work today?” Vera asked Isaac when the boys were done talking.
“It was gut.” Isaac nodded. “Chace is doing fantastic work, and we got a contract for another new haus.”
“That’s great.” Mia grinned at Chace.
“Thanks.” He shrugged.
“Chace,” Mia said, and he looked up at her. “I’m proud of you.” Something unreadable flashed across his face.
Katie coughed from the swing they’d brought with them behind Mia, and Mia spun to face her. When Katie coughed again, Mia pulled her from the swing and held her close to her shoulder.
“Is she okay?” Vera asked.
“I think her cough has gotten worse since the weekend.” Kaitlyn coughed again, and Mia stroked her back.
“Do you want me to hold her?” Chace offered.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll hold her.” Mia balanced Kaitlyn with one arm and ate with her free arm.
When supper was over, Chace followed Isaac, Joel, and Adam outside to take care of the animals. Mia strapped Kaitlyn into the swing and helped take the dishes, glasses, and utensils to the counter.
