Gabriel's Bride (40 page)

He hooked his arms under her elbows and lifted her to her feet. In one efficient move, he spun her to face him, wiping her tears and smoothing back her hair. “
Was iss letz, mei liewe? Was iss letz?”
he crooned over and over as she continued to cry.

How did she explain that it was just so much? This love that she carried for him, his
kinder
, his family
,
and the babies she carried. It was a
gut
love, but overwhelming, filling her up and spilling out around her. But that he couldn’t love her in return . . .

“Why did you come after me?” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

“I’ve already told you that.” He brushed the tears from her cheeks, planting a small kiss in each spot where his thumbs had been.

“Because it doesn’t look good for a deacon to have a wayward wife?”

“Because I love you.”

Oh, how she wanted to believe that. “But you said—”

He shook his head. “Forget what I said. That was before I knew you, before you let your goats eat my hybrid wheat, before you burned the cookies, and taught my
sohn
to write.”

“I don’t know.”

“I do.”

She shook her head. “I’ve prayed and prayed for direction and my prayers have gone unanswered.”

“A prayer cannot be answered twice.”

“I—” she stopped unable to finish the thought.

“You’ve prayed for understanding of God’s will, a family of your own . . .”

“And the love of a husband.”

“
Jah
,” he said, and kissed her then.

She moved closer to him, as close as her new girth would allow. Her belly pressed between them, and she laughed despite the tears that rolled down her cheeks.

“I’ve tried so hard, Rachel, to give you time, let you adjust. But I am only a man. I am weak. I’m tired of you sleeping a world away. I want to wake up in the night and hear you breathing beside me. Knowing that you are mine and you will always be there. I love you, Rachel, but more than that, I
need
you.”

“You love me?”

“
Jah
,” he said, his thumbs still caressing her cheeks though her crying had subsided. “
Ich liebe dich
. And I think I have always.”

Rachel laid her head on his shoulder, content for the first time in a long while. Gabriel loved her, truly loved her.

“I love you too, you know.”

“I didn’t.” His chin bumped against the top of her head as he spoke the words. “But I am very glad to know it now.”

Somehow he drew her closer still, enveloping her in his warmth and love.

What had she done to deserve such goodness in her life? She might never know, but she’d spend her lifetime trying to figure it out, all the while knowing that she was as loved and as blessed as one woman could be.

Epilogue

S
he had thought that having two more
buwe
around the house would be a challenge, but she was way off. Tuesday was her normal pie baking day, but she had barely got the dough rolled out when the ruckus started. Any pans that happened to be within reach were pulled onto the floor, resulting in a clatter Rachel was sure could be heard all the way to the General Store.

She washed her hands, then gathered the pans, placing them back where they belonged. Fast as she could, she waddled to the toy chest and fetched them each a wooden pull toy in hopes it would keep them occupied long enough to roll out the dough for at least two pies. She wanted to get them over to the Old Esh place for Zane Carson and Katie Rose. Katie had just given birth to a beautiful baby girl they had named after Ruth. Baby Ruthie was just now two months old and the apple of her
dat’s
eye. Zane Carson had turned out to be a quite
gut
Amish man, contributing regularly to
Die Botschaft
while taking on the business with Rachel of raising goats for milk and cheese. Between the two properties they had nigh on one hundred goats, each one carefully named by Samuel.

Zane Carson’s help with her business had benefited them both, though Rachel thought she got the better of the deal. She was able to keep her favorites close and still maintain her high standards of cheese making and organic feeding.
And
she was able to contribute to the household monies and still have plenty of time to spend with the
kinder
.

“Now stay out of there before I nail your
frack
to the floor.”

Micah sat down on his diapered bottom and chewed on the wheels of the toy, babbling and grinning, showing her his pearly teeth.

Yes, the Lord must have a sense of humor for making them identical. Truth be known, no one could tell them apart. Rachel hoped that one day they would grow a little differently, gain a freckle or a mole or some type of distinguishing mark, but for now she had tied a strip of leather around Micah’s ankle so she’d know him from Adam.

At eighteen months old, they gave double trouble a whole new meaning.

Satisfied that they would play for a few more minutes, Rachel went back to her pies. She really wanted to do this for them, to pay them back for all their help after the twins were born. Katie Rose had sewed quilts for them, helped make clothes for them, and Zane Carson had given assistance with the goats.

A couple more weeks and she would be giving birth herself. She pressed a hand to the mound of her belly and smiled. Every day she prayed for a girl. A healthy girl, she amended, lest the Lord think her too demanding. But after watching Baby Michelle grow into a toddler she knew that girls were easier to raise than boys. Right now, she would be mighty grateful for any break she could get.

She swung Adam down from the kitchen table. “Oh, no you don’t.” Last time he’d climbed up there he had taken a bite out of every peach in the basket. She had definitely learned from that mistake.

“
Mamm, guck. Guck
!” Samuel came bursting through the front door holding a bunny by its hind legs. At least it wasn’t a garter snake or a frog.

She stifled a shudder at the thought of the reptiles. “Samuel Fisher, take that bunny outside right now.”

“Okey-dokey.”

She shook her head as he skipped from the room, rabbit in hand.

She was going to have to speak to John Paul about the things he was teaching the
bu
. Samuel was too impressionable by far. But her talk with John Paul would have to wait until another day. She still had pies to bake. She’d like to have them in the oven before the rest of the boys finished their chores. Then maybe she could sit for a minute and rest her aching back.

A clatter from behind alerted her that her rest might be a fading dream.

“That’s it,” she said scooping up the twins and depositing them in their highchairs. She gave them each a hard toast biscuit and a smear of honey goat cheese. Maybe if she kept them busy eating she could get her work done.

She went back to the pie crust, turning it over on the counter and rolling out the dough quickly and efficiently. It might be a bit boastful to say, but her cooking had improved. At least these days she properly cooked more than she burned. But either way, her husband didn’t seem to mind.

She knew that he had more on his mind than cookies.

Mary Elizabeth had set off for the
Englisch
world again, but she stayed close, taking a job at a vet’s office in Pryor. It was the perfect job for her, requiring less schooling than that of a veterinarian and still allowing her to be around her beloved animals. She came by every Saturday afternoon for supper. Bishop Beachy turned a blind eye to her visits, knowing firsthand how hard it was to let
kinder
out into the world of the
Englisch
.

If that wasn’t enough for Gabriel to spend more time on his knees prayin’ than half the men in the settlement put together, Matthew had entered his
rumspringa
and was taking his lead from John Paul. Whatever his young
onkel
did, Matthew was right behind.

It wouldn’t be so bad if John Paul wasn’t heartbroken himself. Bethany Weaver got tired of waiting around for him to join the church and up and married Danny Detweiler. It was a
gut
match. Danny worked in construction with his father and grandfather roofing houses as far away as Claremore. When John Paul found out, he just shrugged it off, but Rachel recognized the pain in his eyes. To the outside she was certain he appeared like any other Amish young man, nearing twenty-one and taking his sweet time about joining the church. But she knew there was more to it than that.

Rachel brushed her hair back from her forehead and ignored the pain in her belly. Practice contractions were not going to get the best of her today. She had a mission and she intended to see it through.

Adam babbled something that sounded like
puppy
, then began squealing. Not about to be outdone, Micah started in as well.

That’s when she saw the puppy biting at Adam’s toes.

“Who let the dog in?” Like it mattered. It was probably Samuel when he brought in the rabbit.

When no one answered she went to the back door, using her elbow to push it open instead of her flour-covered hands. She had not yet managed the art of
neat
baking.

She looked down at herself. Flour covered her front as far as she could see. Chances were it was smeared across her lower belly as well. She opened her mouth to call one of the boys to come get the dog when another pain hit, this one far worse than the last.

She stumbled, placing one hand on her stomach and one on the door frame to steady herself. Yet the pain was intense, and she found herself on her knees.

“Rachel,
was iss letz
?” Simon came running from the direction of the goat pen. It was his afternoon chore to milk the creatures using the fancy gas-powered milking machine that Rachel had bought when they expanded.

“The
boppli
,” she gasped, feeling the wet stain of her water. “It’s time.”

“It’s time?” He hopped up and down, whipping his hat in the air.

She pushed herself to her feet. Pie making would have to wait.

By then Simon’s antics had gained the attention of the other boys. Joseph and David rounded the corner of the house with Samuel close behind. “
Was iss letz
?”

“It’s the
boppli
,” Simon said proudly.

“Simon,” Rachel called. “Go get your father. He’s in the north field of corn.”

“
Jah.”
Simon sprinted away, his hat flying off. He back tracked, picked it up, and with a grin, was back on the way to get his
vatter.

“David, you run over to your
grossmammi’s
house. Tell her it’s time for the baby.”

Wide-eyed, David nodded and trotted off to the road, one hand holding his hat in place as he ran.

“What can I do,
mamm
?” Samuel ran a hand over her distended belly.

“Go get the dog out of the house,” Rachel instructed.

She led them back inside, each step growing more painful as the baby prepared to make its way into the world.

The twins were still seated in their highchairs though they had managed to smear soggy biscuit and cheese through their soft blond hair. They both needed a bath, but that would have to wait until their father came into the house. If Gabriel acted anything like he had when she was delivering the twins, he’d need a diversion for sure.

“What can I do? What can I do?” Joseph asked, jumping up on his tiptoes in excitement.

“Pray,” Rachel said with a smile. Another contraction hit and she knew the
boppli
would be here soon. “Pray that this time it’s a girl.”

Glossary

ab im kopp
— off in the head (crazy)

Ach
— oh

Aeamen
— Amen

aenti
— aunt

allrecht
— all right

boppli
— baby, babies

bruder
— brother

bu, buwe
— boy, boys

dabbich
— clumsy person

danki
— thanks

Dat
— Dad

Deutsch
— Pennsylvania Dutch

dochder / dochdern
— daughter / daughters

dumm
— dumb

dunnerwetter
— thunderweather (used like dang)

eck-
— special place for the bride and groom at the corner of the wedding table

Englisch
— non-Amish person

ei, yi, yi
— my, oh, my

elder
— parents

der fisch
— a fish

fraa
— wife

frack
— dress

freind / freinden
— friend / friends

froh
— happy

gern gschehne
— You’re welcome

goedemiddag
— Good afternoon

grossdaadi / daadi
— grandfather

grossmammi / mammi
— grandmother

guck datt hie
— Look there

guder mariye
— Good morning

gut himmel
— Good heavens

gut nacht
— Good night

halt
— stop

haus
— house

ich liebe dich
— I love you

jah
— yes

kapp
— prayer covering, prayer cap

en katzfisch
— a catfish

kind, kinder
— children

kshpassich
— strange

kumm dummel
— Come hurry

liebschdi
— Dear child

liebschen
— Dearest

mach schnell
— Hurry up (make quickly)

mamm, mammi
— Mom

middawk
— noon meal