Adam yawned as he stood in front of the stove, trying to make supper. He’d been tempted to ask Leah if she could stay awhile longer and fix the meal for him and the girls but figured she’d be anxious to get home and prepare supper for herself and her dad. Besides, things had been strained between them since Tuesday, when he’d forbidden her to massage the girls’ feet, even though he had apologized to everyone for being so harsh.
He reached for a package of macaroni and added the contents to the kettle of boiling water on the stove. Leah may think I’m being impossible, but she doesn’t understand the reason behind my opposition to reflexology. Adam shook his head. And what’s the point of telling her? What happened in my past doesn’t concern her, and it’s really none of her business.
Adam grimaced when he glanced at Amy, whom he’d asked to set the table. She ambled from the silverware drawer to the table, dragging her feet as she carried one item at a time and then placed it haphazardly on the table. It was as though she were moving in slow motion. Was she doing it on purpose, just to irritate him, or did Amy’s placid expression and lack of interest mean that her heart wasn’t in this chore because of her sadness? She was certainly detached, and Adam wished there was something that would bring her out of it.
He had considered setting the girls down and having a talk with them about their folks—maybe try to get them to open up and express their feelings. Would it help for them to know I’m hurting, too? he wondered. But Adam hadn’t followed through on that, because he wasn’t sure what to say. The simple truth was that the girls didn’t relate well to him, and frankly, the feeling was mutual. It wasn’t that Adam didn’t love his nieces; he just didn’t feel comfortable in his new role as their guardian. If he were married and had children of his own, he’d have experience as a father and would understand the girls’ needs a little better.
Well, I can learn, he told himself. It would just be nice if I had a wife to help me through this process. Adam slapped the side of his head. What am I thinking? I don’t want a wife. And even if I did, who would it be? Certainly not Leah—although I find myself fighting an attraction to her.
Pushing the conflicting thoughts to the back of his mind, Adam concentrated on getting the macaroni and cheese finished. Maybe he’d toss in some cut-up hot dogs with it. The girls would probably like that. Then after they ate their meal and cleaned up the dishes, he’d suggest they all go outside and look at the bright, full moon. Maybe that would have a calming effect on everyone and let the girls know that he was trying a little harder to take an interest in them.
CHAPTER 19
The following day, as Adam watched the girls eat their cereal and toast, he reflected on how things had gone last night when he’d showed them the beautiful full moon. The two younger ones had seemed quite interested, especially when Adam gave them the binoculars to get a closer look. They’d gasped at how big and orange it was when it first crested the horizon. Then as the moon went higher, it turned its typical white color, with the craters becoming more visible.
But Amy acted bored with it all. She’d said that she didn’t see what was so special about the moon. It was just a big round ball of nighttime light.
Later, Amy had asked if she could sleep in her own room, across the hall from her sisters. Adam could tell she wanted to be more independent and keep to herself, so he agreed that she could have her own room. He hoped Amy’s indifference wouldn’t affect her ability to do well in school, which would be starting in two weeks. Both Amy and Linda would be attending, which meant Carrie might be lonely without her sisters all day.
I hope Leah will continue to watch Carrie. The other girls will need someone here with them when they get home from school, too. Adam supposed he could offer to bring Carrie over to Leah’s house each morning, after he’d taken Linda and Amy to school, but having her come here was much more convenient. Besides, his home was more familiar, and right now, Adam thought that was important for the girls.
Guess I’d better talk to Leah about this, he decided. I’ll mention it as soon as she gets here this morning.
Adam finished his bowl of cereal and was putting his dishes in the sink when Leah showed up. This time she arrived by horse and buggy.
He watched out the kitchen window as she unhitched her horse, Sugar. He could see she was talking to the mare, while gently rubbing Sugar’s neck. She was as gentle with animals as she was with children. He’d noticed this when Coal ran out to greet her every morning. The dog would sit patiently, after running circles around her, accustomed to the special treat she often brought him.
Adam continued to watch Leah as she put Sugar in the corral and took a small box out of the buggy. He waited until she reached the porch, then he opened the back door.
“Guder mariye,” they said in unison.
“What have you got in there?” he asked, looking curiously at the box Leah held as she stepped into the utility room.
“It’s a hummingbird feeder.” Leah smiled. “Unless you have some objection, I thought I’d fill it with nectar and hang it somewhere in your yard. The hummers won’t be around too many more weeks, but I think the girls would enjoy watching them drink from the feeder until the hummers head south for the winter. Right now, the little birds are quite active, migrating down from the northern states, so I’m sure it won’t be long before they discover this new feeder.”
“I don’t object at all, and I think the girls might like that. At least Linda and Carrie will.” Adam lowered his voice. “I’m not sure about Amy. She doesn’t seem to be interested in much of anything other than telling her sisters what to do.”
“Well, you never know; watching the hummers might catch Amy’s attention. She also might find it fascinating to see how those little birds are just as curious about us as we are about them.” Leah paused, pushing the sleeves on her dress up a little. “You know, Adam, I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out yet.”
He tipped his head. “Figured what out?”
“I think Amy is bossy because she’s covering up her true feelings. She’s trying to be strong for her sisters and doesn’t want to appear weak in front of them. Since Amy is the oldest, she probably feels that she’s the only mother her sisters have now, even though she’s only ten.
Adam nodded slowly. What Leah had said made sense.
“Oh, and there’s one more thing I wanted to talk to you about,” Leah said.
“What’s that?”
“Next Wednesday morning one of my neighbors will be coming over to our place to band the hummingbirds that flock around my feeders every day. Would it be all right if I take the girls over there so they can watch the procedure?”
Adam shrugged. “Sure. It sounds interesting. Maybe I’ll go into work a little later that day so I can watch the banding, too.”
Leah blinked, and her mouth opened slightly. “Oh, I didn’t realize that would be something you’d be interested in.”
He nodded. “I may be tied up with my store a good deal of the time, but I do enjoy all things related to nature. I find watching God’s critters to be relaxing.”
“Same here; and you’re more than welcome to join us that day. I’m sure it’ll be a learning experience for all of us.”
Adam hadn’t been sure how Leah would feel about him inviting himself to the banding session, but he was glad he’d mentioned it. Right now, he couldn’t seem to take his eyes away from Leah’s as he noticed how easily she blushed.
When Leah broke eye contact and started for the kitchen, he touched her shoulder. “Now there’s something I need to ask you.”
She halted and turned to face him. “What is it, Adam?”
“As I’m sure you’re aware, school will be starting the week after next, and even though Amy and Linda will be in school most of the day, Carrie will still need a sitter. So I was wondering…”
“If I would continue watching her?”
“Jah.”
“Of course, I will, Adam. I enjoy being with the girls, and si
nce I’m seeing people for foot treatments in the evening hours, that leaves me free during the daytime.”
“Are you sure? I could ask around and see if there’s someone else willing to watch Carrie and be here after Linda and Amy get home from school.”
Leah shook her head. “No, really, I’m fine with the way things are now. The schedule I’m on has been going fairly well for me.”
Adam breathed in a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear. Jah, real good.”
“So, girls, how would you like to help me with something?” Leah asked after Adam left for work.
“What do you want us to do?” Linda looked up at Leah inquisitively.
Leah went to the box she’d placed on the kitchen counter and removed the feeder. “This is a special kind of feeder for hummingbirds. Do you girls know what a hummingbird is?”
“Course we do,” Amy spoke up. “They’re little birds with long beaks.”
“And they fly real fast, too,” Linda added.
“That’s right,” Leah agreed. “And hummers, as they’re sometimes called, don’t eat birdseed like most other birds do. They drink sweet nectar instead.”
“What’s sweet nectar?” Linda asked.
“It’s sugar water.” Amy poked her sister’s arm. “I’ll bet even Carrie knows that.”
Linda poked her back. “Bet she doesn’t.”
“Let’s go ask her then.” Amy tromped across the room to where Carrie sat, stirring the milk around in her cereal bowl. “What’s sweet nectar, sister?”
Carrie grinned at Amy and said, “It’s zucker wasser.”
“That’s right!” Amy patted Carrie’s back.
Linda rolled her eyes. “I’ll bet she was listening to what we said. That’s how she knew.”
“Let’s mix some of that sugar water right now,” Leah was quick to say. “First, we need to rinse the feeder real good, to make sure it’s nice and clean. Then we can all go outside and get the feeder hung.”
“Do you know how much to mix?” Amy questioned.
“I sure do. The general rule is four cups of water and one cup of sugar. At home, I prepare the mixture every night and keep it in a container in the refrigerator. So if your uncle has something in his kitchen to store it in, we’ll do the same thing here.” Leah watched as all three girls listened intently. “So what do you say? Are you ready to find a good spot for the feeder?”
Carrie and Linda bobbed their heads agreeably. Amy merely shrugged her shoulders, but she did get a bag of sugar from the pantry while Linda found a plastic container and got the cup to measure water in. Leah had a feeling that Amy was more interested in feeding the hummers than she let on.
“I wonder how things have been going for Leah since she started watching Adam’s nieces,” Elaine commented as she and Priscilla headed down the road in Priscilla’s horse and buggy. They’d gone out for breakfast and were on their way back to Elaine’s.
“I don’t know. It’s been awhile since I’ve talked to her,” Priscilla said. “Maybe we should stop by Adam’s and say hello.”
Elaine smiled. “That’s a good idea. If you have the time, that is.”
Priscilla nodded. “Mom closed our store for the day so Dad can paint it. When I left this morning, she said not to hurry back and to take the rest of the day for myself. I can’t think of a better way to spend it than with my two best friends.”
“I would have invited Leah to join us for breakfast,” Elaine said, “but I knew she’d have to be at Adam’s early to watch the girls.”
Priscilla pulled back on the reins a little to slow her horse some. “I wonder how much longer Leah will keep watching Adam’s nieces.”
“I would think at least till her mamm comes home. And who knows, she might even keep on after that.”
“I guess that’s possible, but being at Adam’s all day is probably affecting Leah’s ability to practice reflexology.”
Elaine shook her head. “From what Leah said when I saw her at church the last time, she’s been working on people’s feet during the evening hours.”
Priscilla drew in a sharp breath and released it slowly. “Wow, that makes for a long day. I wonder how long she’ll be able to keep up with that schedule.”
“We do what we have to at times when it’s needed.” Elaine reflected on her own situation when her grandmother was alive. She’d put in long hours caring for Grandma, in addition to doing whatever she could to make a little extra money. But she had no regrets. She had made a commitment to Grandma and kept her promise to Grandpa before he died. As tiring and stressful as those days had been, she would do it all again if it meant having Grandma with her right now.
Life keeps moving on, she thought, and I’ve had to learn to live by myself and carry on. The pain of losing both her grandparents was still with Elaine, but she’d learned to trust God and look to the future. The question was, would Elaine’s future be with Ben Otto, or did he only see her as a good friend? An easy friendship was all she wanted from Ben for now, but perhaps someday it could turn into something more.
Elaine closed her eyes, and an image of Jonah Miller popped into her head. She’d never loved anyone the way she had him. But that was in the past, and she’d forced herself to let go. Their relationship had ended the day Elaine had learned that Grandma had dementia. She reminded herself once more that her love for Jonah had prompted her to break things off with him. Setting him free to live a life with Sara and her son had been the best thing for Jonah. He and Sara were happy. Every time Elaine saw the couple together, their love and devotion to each other was more evident.
“We’re here. Wake up, sleepyhead.”
Elaine’s eyes opened. “I wasn’t really sleeping—just thinking is all.”
Priscilla smiled. “I hope they were good thoughts.”
Elaine nodded.
Once Priscilla had the horse secured at the rail near Adam’s barn, she and Elaine headed across the yard, where they found Leah and the girls sitting in chairs on the porch.
“It’s good to see you,” Leah said. “Look what I put up for the girls.” She pointed to a hummingbird feeder hanging from a hook under the porch eaves.
“How nice.” Elaine looked at Amy and smiled. “Have you seen any hummers yet?”
The child shook her head. “Probably won’t, neither.”
“What makes you think that?” Priscilla asked.
“Nothing good ever happens for me.”
Leah put her arm around Amy. “Good things come to those who wait. It’s going to take a bit of time for the hummingbirds to find our feeder, but when they do, more hummers will come. Who knows? We may even need another feeder or two. Oh, and let’s not forget that next Wednesday morning we’ll be going over to my place to watch my neighbor put little bands on the hummingbirds.” Leah looked at Elaine and Priscilla. “If you two aren’t busy that day, you’re welcome to come and watch, too.”
“I wish I could,” Elaine said, “but I have a dental appointment that day.”
“I’ll try to make it,” Priscilla said. “I’m sure it’ll be fun. Don’t you think so, girls?”
Linda nodded, and Amy said nothing, but Carrie moved closer to Leah and climbed into her lap. “I’m gonna sit right here and wait for the hummers to come.”
Elaine looked over at Priscilla and smiled. It was obvious that Leah had won Adam’s youngest niece over. Elaine figured it wouldn’t be long and her friend would have them all coming to her for the love they surely needed.
That night, Adam read Carrie and Linda a bedtime story in their room. According to Amy, it was Carrie’s favorite story. Carrie had closed her eyes after he’d only read halfway through the book. Thinking she had fallen asleep so he wouldn’t have to read the whole story, he’d skipped to the last page to finish it quicker. When he was about to close the book, Carrie sat up and announced that he’d skipped the most important part. Linda agreed. Sheepishly, Adam went back and finished reading the rest of the story.
He smiled
as he came downstairs and headed to the kitchen to get a drink. At least he was making some progress with Carrie, although she still preferred Leah over him. As he stepped into the kitchen, he realized that the moon was very bright. He could see everything he needed by its glow shining in through the window.
“Let’s see now, what do we have in here to drink?” He opened the refrigerator door. There was a carton of milk and some orange juice, but he wasn’t in the mood for either. Then Adam spied another container he assumed Leah had made for the girls—probably lemonade, he decided. After pouring himself a glass, he stood by the window and took a big gulp. “Ugh! What is this sweet stuff?” Then he realized he’d forgotten all about the nectar the girls had helped Leah mix for the hummingbirds that day. During supper, Linda hadn’t been able to stop talking about the feeder Leah had brought them and how they’d waited patiently for the first hummer to arrive.
Adam had to admit he was happy to see Linda’s enthusiasm. If only Amy would come out of her shell and try to find some interests. He was glad that Leah was so good with his nieces. Carrie had especially warmed up to her. This evening, she’d started crying when Leah was getting ready to go home. It was hard watching Carrie cling to Leah’s dress, pleading with her not to go. Leah had even teared up, assuring the child that she’d be back bright and early the next day. It seemed to satisfy Carrie when Leah said they would have lunch out on the porch tomorrow so they could watch for any hummingbirds that might come to the new feeder.
The Gift Page 12
