When the meal was over and her siblings had left the kitchen, Anna began helping Mom clear the table. She’d just placed the first stack of dishes in the sink, when Dad spoke up. “Anna, what was it you wanted to talk to me and your mamm about?”
Anna swallowed hard and turned to face him. “It was nothing important. It can wait till another time,” she said, hoping the trembling she felt in her body didn’t show in her voice.
“Now’s a good time for me.” Dad leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands behind his head. “Take a seat, Anna, and tell us what’s on your mind.”
Anna hesitated, and then looked at Mom, hoping she’d come to her rescue and say she didn’t need to talk about anything tonight. But Mom took a seat at the table and motioned for Anna to do the same.
“Is this about the bracelet that young woman from the quilting class gave you?” Mom asked after Anna had seated herself in the chair next to her.
Anna gasped. “H–how do you know about that?”
“Susan told us,” Dad announced. “She also admitted that she took the bracelet from your purse and put it in a shoe box in her closet, but that you found it there and took it back.” He released his hands from behind his head, leaned forward slightly, and stared hard at Anna. “Why would you feel the need to have a fancy bracelet?”
“I—I didn’t feel the need,” Anna stammered. “Carmen gave it to me as a gift, and I—”
“And you just couldn’t say no?”
Dad’s piercing gaze made Anna shiver, and she quickly looked away.
“So was the bracelet what you wanted to tell us about?” Mom asked, reaching over to touch Anna’s arm.
Anna knew bringing up Florida right now would cause a rift, and she wasn’t prepared to deal with an uproar. As she tried to think of something to say, a cry from her youngest sister arose from the next room.
“Mom, Susan knocked your pretty vase on the floor!” Becky shouted.
Anna watched with relief as both her parents jumped up from their chairs and headed for the living room.
While Mom and Dad were gone, Anna got up and quickly finished washing the dishes. When that chore was done, she went up to her room and shut the door. A headache had been coming on all afternoon, and now her head was thumping so hard she could hardly think.
I’m going to bed, she told herself. All she wanted was to get rid of the pain in her head and blot out what she knew would be coming when she finally found the nerve to tell Mom and Dad she was leaving.
CHAPTER 33
Shipshewana
Today was Emma’s fifth quilting class, and Terry looked forward to going. Not because he liked to quilt, but he was anxious to see Cheryl again and hopefully go to lunch with her after the class. He hoped by getting there early he’d be able to sit beside her while they worked at the sewing table. It wouldn’t set well with him if Blaine got there first and nabbed that chair. As far as Terry was concerned, after what Blaine had pulled last Saturday, leaving Cheryl without a ride home, she shouldn’t give him the time of day.
Terry had just parked his truck and gotten out, when “Mr. Clean’s” SUV pulled in. As soon as Blaine hopped out, Terry marched up to him and said, “I can’t believe you’d have the nerve to show your face here this morning.”
Blaine blinked, taking a step back. “Wh–what do you mean?”
“You left Cheryl alone without a ride home last Saturday, remember?”
Blaine’s eyes narrowed as he came forward, poking his finger into Terry’s chest. “As I recall, you stole my date.”
Keeping a lid on his temper, Terry looked Blaine right in the eye and calmly said, “You were nowhere around, so what was I supposed to do, leave her stranded?”
Blaine shook his head. “Do you really think I’d leave her alone like that, without transportation? I can’t believe you’d confront me with a statement like that.”
“Look,” Terry said, trying to smooth things over and not wanting to provoke a fight, “I was only trying to help by giving her a lift.”
“Well, you could have helped a lot more if you hadn’t shown up and whisked Cheryl away. Eventually, we’d have found each other, and then I would have taken her home.”
Cheryl joined them on the porch just then. Terry was surprised; he’d been so intent on his discussion with Blaine, he hadn’t heard her car pull in.
“Do you really need to rehash this again? I thought I’d explained all this to you on the phone last weekend,” she said, looking at Blaine.
“Whatever,” he said with a brief shrug before heading into the house.
Cheryl looked at Terry with questioning eyes. “I just got in on the end of your conversation with Blaine. Was he giving you a hard time about last Saturday?”
Avoiding the fact that he’d been the one who’d confronted Blaine, Terry nodded. “Yeah, but it’s okay. We didn’t come to blows or anything, so no harm was done.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about Blaine. I’m not going out with him again.”
“You’re not?”
She shook her head. “We really don’t have anything in common, and I don’t enjoy being with him the way I do you. For some reason, Blaine and I couldn’t seem to connect.” Cheryl lowered her gaze, while Terry watched a blush appear on her beautiful face. “With you, I feel like I have a connection,” she said in a voice barely above a whisper.
Terry felt ten feet tall. Yet he was uncomfortable about expressing to Cheryl how he felt about her. “So does that mean you’ll go out to lunch with me after class this afternoon?” he asked, trying to sound casual.
“That would be nice. I’d be happy to go.”
Carmen entered Emma’s quilting room, feeling a bit nervous and distracted. All she could think about was how she felt forced to write a story that wasn’t true about the precious Amish friends she had made. I don’t think I can do it, she told herself. I need to write the truth, not something that will please my editor. For now, though, I have to quit thinking about this and focus on something else. Carmen took a seat on one side of the table. Paul would be coming by after class with his daughter, because they’d made plans to take Sophia for a carousel ride at the Davis Mercantile in Shipshewana, so that was something to look forward to.
From what Carmen had read in a brochure she’d picked up, the carousel had been fully restored and featured hand-carved farm animals. Later they’d be going to the Red Wagon, a toy store also in the Davis Mercantile. She was sure Sophia would be excited about that. Paul had mentioned that he would treat them to lunch at the Daily Bread, where several Amish-style dishes were served. Carmen hoped if there was time that they could stop by the Scrapyard, where a variety of scrapbooking supplies were sold. With all the pictures she’d taken here in Amish Country, not to mention the ones of Paul and Sophia, Carmen had decided to begin a scrapbook, as a remembrance of this special trip.
As Emma stood at the head of the table, ready to teach the class, she felt concern. Terry and Cheryl were the only ones smiling, and she figured that was because they were sitting together. It was interesting to see how their attitudes had changed toward one another from the first quilting class until now. They’d obviously set whatever differences they had aside and found some things they enjoyed about each other.
Sort of like how it was with Lamar and me, Emma mused.
She turned her attention to the others. Blaine’s shoulders sagged, as if in defeat; Carmen appeared agitated as she twisted her finger around the ends of her hair. Anna, whose eyes were red and puffy, appeared to have been recently crying. Selma hadn’t arrived yet, and Emma hoped that when she came in today, she’d be in a good mood.
Emma was about to begin the class, when Selma finally showed up. Instead of the usual lime-green attire, Selma wore a pretty fall sweatshirt with light brown slacks. Her sweatshirt wasn’t plain, either. It had a delicate white collar and on the front was an image of a maple tree in vivid colors with a hay-filled wagon underneath. Nestled on top of the bales of
hay was a cat, much like the one Selma had described that she’d taken in.
“You look nice and fallish today,” Emma complimented. “That’s a pretty top you’re wearing.”
“Thank you,” Selma answered. “Sorry I’m a little late, but my cat got into a fight with another cat, and I spent some extra time this morning getting him to eat his food.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Emma said with concern. “Is the cat going to be okay?”
Selma nodded. “The vet stitched his wounds and gave him an antibiotic, so as long as I keep him inside and quiet until he heals, Scruffy should be fine.”
“That’s good to hear,” Terry spoke up. “That little critter’s a mighty nice cat.”
Selma smiled, looking perkier than Emma had seen her before. “I didn’t think so at first, but he’s sort of grown on me.” Selma turned her attention to Emma again. “Did I miss anything by being late?”
Emma shook her head. “I was about to tell the others what we’d be doing today.”
“I hope we’re going to continue quilting,” Cheryl said, “because I’m not finished with that part of mine yet.”
“Neither am I,” Terry agreed. “And I’m all thumbs, so I’m not sure I’ll ever get it done.”
“I’ll help you with it,” Lamar volunteered. “You, too, Blaine,” he quickly added.
Blaine perked up a bit. “Thanks, Lamar, I appreciate that. And I’m really looking forward to going fishing with you after class today.”
“Same here,” Lamar said. “Let’s hope the fish will be biting this afternoon. Oh, and by the way, Emma made us some sandwiches to take along.”
Blaine smiled at Emma. “Thanks, that was nice of you.”
“I was happy to do it,” Emma responded. She was glad to see that Blaine’s attitude had improved. She’d noticed that he still seemed a bit withdrawn around everyone and hoped going fishing with Lamar might loosen Blaine up a bit. Now if she could just see a smile from Carmen and Anna.
“Today we’ll finish the quilting part of your wall hangings and then get the bindings pinned in place,” Emma said. “Next week we will sew the bindings, and your wall hangings will be completed.”
With Lamar’s help, Emma handed everyone’s project to them, along with pins, needles, thread, thimbles, and large embroidery hoops. While everyone worked, she went around to make sure the women were doing okay, while Lamar supervised the men. After each of them finished quilting, Emma showed how to cut and pin the binding. Following that, she suggested they take a break for refreshments.
“That sounds good to me,” Terry said, rubbing his hands together. “What have you got for us this time, Emma?”
She smiled. “I made some apple crumb bread. And if any of you want the recipe for it, I’ll gladly share.”
Cheryl and Selma’s hands shot up, but the others just sat there. Well, maybe after they tasted it, they would change their minds.
During their refreshment break, Emma told Cheryl that she was making progress on her grandmother’s quilt. “I’m sure I’ll have it done for you by next week,” Emma said.
Cheryl smiled. “I’m looking forward to seeing the quilt and anxious to give it to Grandma when I go there for her birthday.”
“How long will you be gone?” Terry asked.
“Probably just a few days,” Cheryl responded. “Unless my boss gives me some extra time off, I can’t be away from work too long, so I’ll fly to Portland on a Friday morning, and return to Indiana Monday or Tuesday of the following week. I don’t have my plane tickets bought yet, though. I’m waiting to hear from my mother about the date for Grandma’s party. We may have it on a different day than her actual birthday in order to work around my parents’ busy schedules.”
“I hope your grandmother appreciates you coming for her birthday,” Selma spoke up. “I didn’t even get a phone call or a card from my daughter on my last birthday.” She sniffed and blinked a couple of times, as though trying to hold back tears. “Cora hates me, and it’s probably my own fault.”
The room got deathly quiet. Emma glanced at Lamar to get his reaction, but he said nothing. Since everyone looked so uncomfortable, Emma felt she had to say something. Placing her hand on Selma’s trembling shoulder, she quietly said, “Would you like to talk about it?”
Selma drew in a quick breath and released it with a shuddering sigh. “Cora left home after she graduated from high school, and the only time’s she’s been back was for her father’s funeral. She never calls or writes, and whenever I’ve called her, she’s always cut me off, saying she’s too busy to talk.”
“Why’d your daughter leave home?” Lamar asked.
Selma’s voice quavered. “For years, my husband and I didn’t think we could have any children, but then in my late thirties, we were blessed with a daughter.” She dabbed at her tears. “Everything was wonderful when Cora was little. We did lots of fun things together. But as time went by, we started to disagree about things. Cora excelled in the business courses she took during high school, and John and I thought she should go to college to better her skills, so that one day she might get a job in management. I managed a flower shop during that time, and I loved my job, but Cora was satisfied with just doing office work.” Selma paused again and blotted her tears with the tissue Emma handed her. “Cora said I was hard on her and expected too much and that I wanted her to be just like me. All I really wanted was for my daughter to reach her full potential.” Selma drew in a deep breath and continued. “I’m afraid Cora was right. I didn’t listen to what she wanted, and there were other issues, too. Even with my husband, I looked for the negative instead of the positive. I’ve wished so many times that I could go back and change things.”
“That’s what my folks do with me, too,” Anna interjected. She pursed her lips. “They don’t really listen to my feelings or hopes for the future. I talk, but they don’t listen, if you know what I mean. That’s why I’m planning to…” Her voice trailed off.
“What are you planning to do?” Emma questioned.
Anna shook her head. “Nothing. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Standing at the head of the table, Emma looked at each of her students. “In 1 John 4:12, it says: ‘If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.’ ”
“That’s a good verse,” Lamar added. “It reminds us of the importance of loving others—and that includes our families, whom we often take for granted. Just because we don’t always see things the same way doesn’t mean we should give up on someone in our family or shut them out of our lives.” He smiled at Selma. “In hindsight, I think we all wish we could go back and do things differently. But then, if we’ve learned something from the experience, that’s important, don’t you think?”
Selma nodded slowly.
“Would you like a piece of advice?” he asked.
Selma nodded once more.
“Get in touch with your daughter as soon as possible and let her know how much you love her. If you’ve done something to offend her, apologize and ask if you can start over.”
“That’s excellent advice,” Emma agreed. She turned to face Anna. “You might need to think about that as well, where your parents are concerned.”
“You don’t understand,” Anna said, choking on a sob. “Nothing I do pleases Mom and Dad. They want to keep me a little girl forever, never letting me make my own choices. Well, I have made my choice, and today I’m going to start doing what will make me happy!” She jumped up, grabbed her sweater and purse, and raced out of the house, leaving everyone in the room with their mouths hanging open.
CHAPTER 34
Why don’t we take your car when we go out to lunch?” Terry suggested as he and Cheryl left Emma’s house. “You probably wouldn’t want to ride in my truck.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Cheryl said with a shake of her head. “I don’t mind riding in a truck.”
“Okay, but I’ve gotta warn ya, my truck’s kinda noisy.”
“Then I guess I’ll just have to talk a little louder,” she said with a chuckle.
Terry grinned and opened the door on the passenger side for her to get in.
“Your truck’s not so bad,” Cheryl said as she climbed in and looked around. “In fact, you keep it pretty nice inside compared to some I’ve seen.” She ran her hand over the leather seat.
“Well, you haven’t heard the engine yet. And to be honest, the inside of my truck doesn’t always look this good,” Terry admitted.
“You could have fooled me. Even this bench seat looks brand new.”
“Actually, it is. I had it replaced a few weeks ago, which is what prompted me to clean out the truck.” Terry chuckled. “Couldn’t have a cluttered truck with a brand-new seat.”
Cheryl smiled. “I know what you mean. When I get something new for my apartment, it almost always triggers me into buying something else. Guess I get that from my mom. She used to drive Dad crazy every time he did some kind of improvement or repairs to the house. I remember the time she asked him to paint the living room. After it was done, Mom wanted all new furniture and pictures for the room because the walls looked so clean and nice.” Cheryl giggled, as she reminisced. “She said the old stuff just wouldn’t do.”
As they drove out of Emma’s yard, Terry glanced at Cheryl and said, “Speaking of nice—I think you’re pretty nice, and easy to please.”
She smiled, feeling the heat of a blush erupt on her cheeks. “I try to be, but I’m sure my parents might say otherwise. When I was a little girl, my dad said I was spoiled.”
“How come? Did your folks give you everything you wanted?”
Cheryl shook her head. “Far from it. But my grandma sort of spoiled me. Not with gifts so much, but by giving me lots of attention—something I didn’t get much of from Mom or Dad.”
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