The Promise of Palm Grove
Page 23
If anything, it began to imprint on everything in their lives.
Over the years, instead of venturing out into the world more, her parents had become more reclusive. Their fears began to center on Penny. Her restrictions became more and more pronounced. At first, Penny had been glad for all the rules. She’d been afraid of strangers and most of her nights had been haunted by memories of her sister and visions of what must have happened at the kidnapper’s hands.
Eventually, however, the memories faded. And Penny had begun to feel the pinch of her circumstances. She’d kept her silence out of respect for her parents.
But their rules and fears had begun to chafe. Their refusal to see her as a grown woman instead of a susceptible child was aggravating.
It had festered. Now it pained her. And when she woke up this morning, she knew she couldn’t take it another day.
Not for one more hour.
“Mamm, you and Daed are going to have to give me more freedom.” Truly, she was proud of her firm tone of voice.
But even that didn’t make an impression. “Don’t be silly. You have freedom, Penny.”
“Not really. You haven’t let me take a job, you don’t like me walking anywhere alone.”
“That’s because it’s not safe.”
“Mamm, if I was still a child, I would agree with you. But I am a grown woman. Of course it’s safe.”
The skin around her mother’s lips tightened. “Things can happen.”
“That is true, but I will be careful.”
“Bad things can happen even when one is careful.”
“I know that. But I can’t live like this any longer. I have a feeling if you let yourself actually see me as I am, you would see that, too. Why, many women my age are married and have their own children.”
“Is that what this is about? You are wanting a husband?”
“Nee!” How could her mother have jumped from her needing to be able to walk down the street by herself to her wanting a husband?
Her mother’s expression gentled. “Don’t worry, dear. We’ll all go to more gatherings. You’ll meet a man.”
“You don’t understand. I am not simply looking for a husband. I am looking for friends, activities.” Around a sigh, Penny added, “I am looking for a life.”
“You have a life. And a good, safe one, too. Daughter, everything we’ve done has been to protect you.”
“Jah. But it’s also been to protect you and Daed. Mamm, you and Daed must loosen your hold on me.”
“I’ll speak to your father. Perhaps we can come up with a plan . . .”
“Mamm, tonight there is a gathering at Pinecraft Park. A missionary group, the Worldwide Address, is speaking. I am going to go with Violet Kaufmann.”
“Violet? But she’s not Amish anymore.”
“I know. But she is a nice girl from a nice family.” She was also one of Penny’s few friends. “I’m going to go with her.”
“Your father is going to be upset when he hears about this.”
“I know and I’m sorry about that. But I can’t live my life trying to make him happy with me.” Especially since she knew that nothing was going to truly ever make her father happy again. “Please try to understand my point of view, Mamm. I feel like I’m trapped. No one wants to live like they are confined and restricted.”
“I’m sorry, child. But you know I cannot support this . . . this whim of yours.” She paused, looking as if she was trying to add something more, but then merely stood up and walked back inside.
Penny slumped against the back of the wooden bench. In that moment, she knew she had two choices. She could either back down so she wouldn’t hurt her parents . . . or she could finally please herself.
And suddenly, her decision was so very easy. Everyone at some point in their life had to stop being someone’s daughter and start being their own person.
It seemed that it was finally time to do that.
With a new resolve in her heart, Penny stood up and started walking. It was time.
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Also by Shelley Shepard Gray
SISTERS OF THE HEART SERIES
Hidden • Wanted
Forgiven • Grace
SEASONS OF SUGARCREEK SERIES
Winter’s Awakening • Spring’s Renewal
Autumn’s Promise • Christmas in Sugarcreek
FAMILIES OF HONOR SERIES
The Caregiver • The Protector
The Survivor • A Christmas for Katie (novella)
THE SECRETS OF CRITTENDEN COUNTY SERIES
Missing • The Search
Found • Peace
THE DAYS OF REDEMPTION SERIES
Daybreak • Ray of Light
Eventide • Snowfall
RETURN TO SUGARCREEK SERIES
Hopeful • Thankful • Joyful
OTHER BOOKS
Redemption
Credits
Cover design by Mumtaz Mustafa
Cover photograph by Steve Gardner
Author photograph by The New Studio
Copyright
“Orange Pie” recipe from Simply Delicious Amish Cooking by Sherry Gore (Zondervan, 2012) reprinted with permission.
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
P.S.™ is a trademark of HarperCollins Publishers.
THE PROMISE OF PALM GROVE. Copyright © 2015 by Shelley Shepard Gray. Excerpt from The Proposal at Siesta Key © 2015 by Shelley Shepard Gray. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
Illustrated map copyright © by Laura Hartman Maestro
Photographs courtesy of Katie Troyer, Sarasota, Florida
EPUB Edition January 2015 ISBN 9780062337719
ISBN: 9780062337702
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