The Gift

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  “Jah, we just finished eating supper, and I’m checking on the horses.” Adam didn’t like the furrow of Alton’s brows. “Is something troubling you? Sure hope you didn’t come with bad news.”

  Alton moved closer. “I came to ask you a question, and I’d appreciate it if you were up front with me.”

  “Sure, Alton.” Adam nodded. “What did you want to know?”

  “It’s about you and Leah.” Alton cleared his throat. “Are you two having marital problems? Is that why her things are not in your room?”

  Adam winced. “Did she tell you that?”

  “No, her mamm did.”

  Adam was on the verge of asking how Dianna would know anything about his and Leah’s sleeping arrangements, when Alton spoke again.

  “My wife was here earlier, helping Leah with the laundry. When she took some things into your room, she was surprised not to see any of Leah’s clothes there.”

  Adam shifted his weight and leaned on the stall door, feeling the need for support. “Well, you see—”

  “Dianna also said that you asked Leah to stop doing reflexology. Is that true?”

  Adam nodded slowly.

  “Is that the reason she moved her things out of your room?”

  “Well, no, but—”

  “Leah’s ability to help people through the use of reflexology is her gift. How could you take that from her, Adam?”

  Adam pulled nervously on his shirt collar, feeling like he’d been backed into a corner. Should he tell Alton the truth? Well, what did he have to lose? Sooner or later, Leah’s folks, and maybe others, would figure out that his and Leah’s marriage wasn’t based on love, but on a very special need.

  “Okay, there’s something you need to know,” Adam began cautiously. “Leah and I got married so she could give my nieces full-time care.”

  Alton’s eyebrows shot up. “I knew Leah was fond of the girls, but I didn’t think she’d marry you just to be their substitute mother.”

  “She’s more than that,” Adam interjected. “She’s also my friend.”

  “Humph!” Alton screwed up his face. “If she were your friend, you wouldn’t have asked her to give up something she feels is so important.”

  Adam felt like a heel, but in order to explain his reasons for asking Leah to stop foot treatments, he’d have to tell Alton about his past. I may as well tell him, ’cause if I don’t, Leah probably will. Maybe she already has. I just won’t mention that Cora is living here in Arthur.

  Adam took a step closer to Alton. “I think you should know the reason I asked Leah to give up reflexology.”

  “I’m all ears.”

  Adam quickly told the story about his mother leaving when he was a boy and how she used to do reflexology, even though his dad disapproved. He heard them arguing about it and had always wondered why she wouldn’t give it up when Dad had asked her to. When she finally did give it up, it was to become a nurse—something she couldn’t do and remain Amish. She obviously cared more about helping other people than taking care of her own family.

  Alton stood silently for several minutes, as though trying to let everything Adam had said sink in. Slowly, he reached out his hand and touched Adam’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Sounds like you went through a lot as a child, and I’m real sorry about that. But the past is in the past, and just because your mamm practiced foot doctoring and left to become a nurse doesn’t mean Leah would do that, too. She’s a good woman, devoted to God, your nieces, and I believe to you. Don’t you think you oughtta give her the chance to prove that, Adam?”

  Adam swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump in his throat. “Maybe you’re right. I’ll tell Leah that I’ve changed my mind. As long as it doesn’t take time away from the girls, she’s free to see people here in our home for reflexology treatments.”

  Alton gave Adam’s shoulder another squeeze. “That’s good to hear. Jah, real good.”

  Adam was tempted to tell Leah’s dad about the sudden appearance of his mother, and how he was thinking of moving, but then he thought better of it. He needed to do something he should have done sooner. He needed to commit everything to prayer.

  Cora turned off the kitchen light and was about to head for the living room to watch TV and spend a little time with Jared, when her cell phone rang. She paused. Seeing that it was her ex-husband, she answered the call. “Hello, Evan.”

  “Hey, Cora. How’s it going?”

  How do you think it’s going? she silently screamed. I’m here trying to raise our rebellious son by myself, and I’ve just met my other son, whom you know nothing about, but unfortunately, he would barely speak to me. “Fine, Evan. Everything’s just fine and dandy,” she said dryly.

  “Okay, good. Well, the reason I’m calling is I thought I’d drive down to Arthur on Tuesday and pick up Jared so he can spend Thanksgiving with me and Emily.”

  Oh, great. Now you want to spend time with our son. Cora was tempted to say that she’d made plans for her and Jared’s Thanksgiving, but the truth was, she had no real plans. Besides, it might do Jared some good to spend a little time with his dad. After all, they hadn’t seen each other since Cora and Jared left the city.

  “Sure, Evan, that would be fine. I’ll let Jared know right away. I’m sure he’ll be glad.”

  “Okay, great. I’ll be there late Tuesday afternoon to pick him up, and I’ll bring him back on Sunday.”

  “That sounds fine.”

  When Cora hung up, she headed to the living room to give Jared the news. She knew he’d be glad, and she was happy for him, too, but oh, how she dreaded spending Thanksgiving alone.

  CHAPTER 45

  Saturday morning, Adam awoke at the crack of dawn. He’d spent several hours last night praying and mulling over the things Leah’s father had said to him. He’d come to the conclusion that asking Leah to give up reflexology just because his mother used to practice it probably wasn’t fair. Perhaps Alton had been right when he’d said Leah had a gift for helping others. He remembered how Amy had said Leah’s foot treatment had relieved her headache, so maybe foot doctoring wasn’t hocus-pocus. Maybe he’d just associated it with that because of negative things his dad had said.

  Could my mother have had that gift as well? Adam threw the covers aside and crawled out of bed. He wouldn’t think about his mother right now. Even if she’d had the gift, she quit doing it and ran off to become part of the English world. No God-fearing Christian woman would have done something like that. Not if they had been in their right mind.

  Adam shook his head and muttered, “It would be a lot easier to forget about the past if she hadn’t shown up.” He still had to make a decision about whether to sell out and move to another state. If Cora would just leave, he wouldn’t even consider moving. But how could he get her to do that?

  I need to clear my head. Maybe I’ll take a walk before breakfast and have another talk with God.

  After getting dressed, Adam left the house, being careful to close the door quietly so he didn’t disturb Leah or the girls while they slept upstairs. He’d just reached the end of his driveway, when Jonah’s father, Raymond, pulled in with his horse and buggy.

  “Guder mariye,” Adam said, stepping up to the buggy. “You’re sure out and about early this morning.”

  Raymond’s grim expression gave Adam cause for alarm. “Is something wrong?”

  The older man nodded. “I came with bad news.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Sara passed away last night. Since she and your wife were friends, I thought she’d want to know.”

  Adam drew in a sharp breath. “What happened?”

  “Jonah found her in the barn, lying on the floor beneath the ladder leading to the loft. He thinks she may have climbed up to get one of their kittens and fallen.” Raymond’s voice faltered, and his eyes glassed over. “It appeared that her neck was broken.”

  Stunned by this news, Adam touched his pounding chest. “That’s baremlich! I’m so sorry for y
our family’s loss. Please let us know when the funeral arrangements have been made and also if there’s anything we can do to help out.”

  Raymond nodded. “Guess I’d better move on. I still have others in the community that I need to notify this morning.”

  Adam turned and shuffled back to the house. He dreaded telling Leah this news.

  Leah yawned as she entered the kitchen to start breakfast. She hadn’t slept well last night, tossing and turning as she thought about the situation with Adam. Seeing his tender way with the girls had made her fall in love with him, but Adam’s bitterness toward his own mother troubled Leah. It was a wedge that would always stand between them unless Adam’s heart softened and he became willing to forgive Cora for what she’d done.

  I need to keep praying about the situation, she told herself as she opened the refrigerator and removed a carton of eggs. There was no time to dwell on this now; the girls and Adam would be up soon and they’d expect to have breakfast ready.

  Leah took out a bowl and cracked open several eggs. She’d just begun mixing them, when the back door opened and Adam entered the room.

  “Ach, you startled me, Adam.” Leah gestured to the bowl. “I was just getting breakfast started and figured you were still in bed.”

  “I went outside to clear my head, but then…” Adam paused and moved closer to Leah. “Raymond Miller stopped by to deliver some very distressing news.”

  “What is it, Adam? You look umgerennt.”

  “I am upset, and you will be, too, when you hear what I have to say.”

  Leah held her elbows tightly against her sides. “Adam, what is it? Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “It’s Sara Miller. She… she’s dead.”

  Leah clasped her hands over her mouth to cover a gasp. “Oh, no! Oh, no! That just can’t be. What happened, Adam?”

  She stood in stunned silence as Adam told her everything that Raymond had said. Her legs felt so weak she could barely stand. Had it not been for the fact that Adam had taken hold of her arm, she might have collapsed.

  As the reality of the situation sank in, Leah began to sob. Sara had visited her regularly for foot treatments, and they’d gotten to know each other quite well. In addition to Elaine and Priscilla, Sara was Leah’s good friend. She had confided in Leah many times during her treatments, and Leah’s heart had gone out to Sara when she’d learned that she had MS. Then when Sara married Jonah and had his baby, Leah had shared in their joy. Poor Jonah was alone now with the responsibility of raising Mark and baby Martha on his own. It wasn’t fair. Life wasn’t fair. Where was God in all this?

  Adam pulled Leah into his arms, gently patting her back. “It’s all right, Leah. Let the tears flow and grieve all you want.”

  Despite her pain, Leah found comfort in Adam’s embrace. It was the first time they had been this close, emotionally or physically.

  When Leah’s sobs subsided, Adam leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. “This may not be the best time to say this, but there’s something I need to get off my chest.”

  She tipped her head back and looked up at his face. “What is it?”

  “Your daed came by last night while I was in the barn.”

  “Really? I didn’t know Dad was here.” Leah paused to use her apron to wipe at the tears wetting her cheeks. “Go on, Adam. Tell me the rest.”

  “You were probably preoccupied doing something with the girls and didn’t hear his horse and buggy come in.”

  “What did Dad want?”

  “He wanted to talk to me about something.”

  Leah waited for Adam to continue, finding comfort in his embrace.

  “He thinks we’re having marital problems.”

  Leah blinked. “What made him think that?”

  “Apparently your mamm was in my room putting some laundry away, and when she saw that none of your things were there, she figured out that you don’t sleep there. So she just assumed—”

  Leah groaned. “Oh no.”

  “Your daed also said that your mamm had told him that I’d asked you to stop doing reflexology.”

  Leah pulled away from Adam and sank into a chair at the table. Not only did she need to deal with her grief over Sara’s death, but now she also faced having to explain her relationship with Adam to her folks.

  Adam pulled out the chair beside her and sat down. “I admitted to your daed that the reason we got married was so you could live here full-time and help me care for my nieces.” He paused. “I could tell that Alton was none too happy about that. He accused me of marrying you just so you could be a substitute mother for the girls.”

  “Didn’t you?”

  “Well, yes, but that wasn’t the only reason.” Adam’s cheeks colored. “The truth is, Leah, I care about you, and you’ve become a good friend.”

  Just a friend? Is that all I am to you, Adam?

  “That’s not the only thing I told your daed, Leah.” Adam rushed on. “I told him about the situation with my mother—how she used to practice reflexology and then ran out on me, Mary, and our daed.”

  “Does he know that your mother is here in Arthur and that she wants to make amends with you?” Leah questioned.

  Adam shook his head. “I figured, at that point, enough had been said.”

  “Sooner or later, it’s bound to come out, Adam.”

  “Not from me, it won’t. And I hope you won’t say anything, either.”

  “I won’t say anything without your approval, but we can’t know about Cora. She could tell someone she works with or anyone else she may know.”

  “I’ll deal with that when the time comes. Right now, we have issues of our own to deal with.” Adam touched Leah’s flushed cheeks, lightly brushing away her tears. “I thought hard and prayed about things last night, Leah, and I’ve decided that it was wrong of me to ask you to give up reflexology. Since my mother practiced it when I was a boy, I saw it as something evil, like her.”

  Leah shook her head. “No, Adam, I don’t think Cora is evil. What she did was wrong, but I believe she’s truly sorry and regrets her decision to leave like that. I think she deserves another chance.”

  Adam lowered his gaze. “You might be right, but I don’t think I’m ready for that. I do want you to know, however, that if you’d like to continue doing foot treatments, you have my blessing. I may even ask you to work on my feet once in a while.”

  “Really, Adam? You don’t mind if I do reflexology here in this house?”

  He shook his head. “As long as it doesn’t interfere with the care of the girls, you can foot doctor whenever you like.”

  Leah smiled, despite her tears. “Danki, Adam. Danki for that.”

  CHAPTER 46

  Cora stared out the living-room window at the falling rain. It was such a dismal day, which only added to her depression over having to spend Thanksgiving alone. She’d thought about going out to dinner at one of the restaurants that were open on the holiday, but the idea of eating by herself held no appeal. So she’d stayed home and fixed a small turkey, just so she would have the leftovers for making sandwiches and soup.

  Cora moved away from the window and took a seat in the rocking chair to be closer to the warmth of the fireplace. I wonder what Adam and his family are doing today? She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, willing herself not to cry. She’d done enough of that already, and where had it gotten her? Tears wouldn’t change the fact that she’d been dumped by Evan, nor would they bring Adam back into her life. Crying and feeling sorry for herself wouldn’t give her a good relationship with Jared, either. He’d been angry with her ever since the divorce and hated living here in Arthur.

  Maybe it would be best for everyone if Jared and I did move back to Chicago. Since my house hasn’t sold, we could take it off the market and move into it. And I don’t think it would be that difficult to find a nursing job. It just won’t be at the hospital where I’d have to see Evan and Emily.

  A horn tooted from outside, and Cora’s eyes snapped open. Ob
viously a car had pulled into the yard. Moments later, the front door opened and Jared stepped in.

  “Jared! What are you doing here?” Cora asked in surprise. “I didn’t expect you to come back until Sunday.”

  Jared frowned and tossed his coat on a chair. “As soon as we finished eating dinner today, I asked Dad to bring me home.”

  Cora’s eyebrows rose. “How come?” Did Jared just call this place home?

  “Dad didn’t really want me there, Mom.” Jared grunted as he flopped onto the couch. “The first night I was at their house, he and Emily went to a party and left me home alone. Then on Wednesday, they both went about their business as though I wasn’t even there.” He folded his arms. “Guess they thought I could entertain myself by watching TV or playing some computer games.”

  Cora frowned. “I thought he wanted to spend some quality time with you. That’s what he said when he called.” She glanced at the door. “What’d he do—just pull into the driveway and drop you off?”

  Jared gave a nod. “He’s bent out of shape because I asked him to bring me home. Guess he didn’t like being pulled away from his fancy friends.”

  “What friends?”

  Jared shrugged. “Beats me. I can’t remember any of their names, but I think they were all doctors from the hospital. A few of them brought their wives and kids along.”

  “Did Emily host the meal?”

  “Nope. The dinner was held at one of the other people’s homes, but Dad pretty much ignored me the whole time. Made me feel like a stranger—even to him. To tell you the truth, Dad seems like someone I don’t know anymore.”

  “I’m sorry, Jared.” Cora got up and sat on the couch beside him. “I was hoping you would have a good time.”

  “Yeah, me, too.”

  “Do you still want to move back to Chicago?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “No way! Being around Dad, Emily, and their snooty friends made me anxious to get back here to be with you.”

  Cora’s heart melted, and she gave Jared a hug. “I’m glad you’re back, because I missed you. It wasn’t Thanksgiving without you.”