The Christmas Quilt: Quilts of Love Series (2 page)

2

L
eah had chosen a hanging bag for disposable diapers, decorated with farm animals and trimmed in lavender, blue, and green. She was walking back up the aisle when she heard Rachel’s voice. It was a hard thing to miss, rather like the voice of a schoolteacher Leah had had in fifth grade. She’d been terrified of Sally Detweiler—a Mennonite woman who smelled like rubbing ointment and rarely smiled.

But she wasn’t afraid of Rachel Zook.

Why were her two boys standing half-in and half-out of the back door?

They didn’t seem frightened, exactly. Maybe disappointed.

“I know you are not done with your chores.” Rachel didn’t bother turning around, instead she directed her attention to the bolt of fabric she was finished with, a lovely lavender Annie would use on the crib quilt she was sewing. “Back outside until you’re done.”

“Yes,
mamm
.” Both boys reversed direction, back toward the area behind the store.

Leah noticed that the older one, Matthew, was careful to catch the screen door so it wouldn’t slam. What could their chores possibly be? What was there to do in the alley behind the store?

She rubbed her stomach, more to feel the connection with her
bopplin
than because they were causing her any discomfort at the moment.

What was it like for the boys to live in the apartment above the store? Did they miss having a yard to run and play in?

How did Rachel manage, raising them alone?

“I don’t think you’ll be needing the diaper holder, since you’ll be using cloth. I’ve had Plain women try to use it for cloth diapers and they don’t fit in it well, no matter how you fold them.” Rachel moved to the register to ring up Annie’s fabric purchase. “Though I do not enjoy discouraging you from purchasing something. I can use every sale I scrape together in this town.”

Annie stopped at Leah’s side as she studied the diaper holder. “Perfect colors. Matches the quilt I’m sewing.”

“And the other your
mamm
is doing.” Leah smiled and released the worries being around Rachel always brought to mind. “I still have some money left over from my vegetable booth.”

“
Ya
. Your garden did much better than mine. I had that rabbit problem.”

They started laughing again, but stopped when they realized Rachel was staring at them.

“Oh. I’m sorry. We’re keeping you.” Annie quickly counted out the amount showing on the register display. “Samuel wanted me to remind you about the luncheon at our house tomorrow.”

“I couldn’t possibly drive out—”

“
Onkel
Eli will be coming. He has to drive through town on his way to our place. He’ll be happy to give you and the boys a ride.”

Rachel’s face scrunched up and she began shaking her head. “Oh, I don’t know.”

“My parents would so love a chance to see the boys. I believe
dat
has been working with Matthew on his checker skills.”

Leah watched the interplay with interest. She understood all too well the stress that existed between Annie, who was now her sister-in-law, and Rachel, who was Samuel’s sister-in-law. The fact that Rachel had tried to persuade Samuel to move to Ohio and marry her should have caused an insurmountable wall of jealousy between the two, but Annie had assured her it didn’t.

Annie had said she and Samuel talked about everything—including the situation with Rachel.

It seemed to Leah that she hardly talked to Adam at all these days. He tumbled into bed exhausted, when he came to bed at all, and rose before daylight.

Glancing down at her stomach, which blocked the view of her feet, Leah couldn’t help wondering if it was because of her size. She knew her husband loved her, but perhaps he didn’t like her very much right now. Maybe things would be better between them in a few months.

“I suppose we could come if I didn’t have to drive. I’d rather not use the mare and buggy more than necessary.”

“
Wunderbaar
. It’s settled then.”

Leah made her purchase, without anymore commentary from Rachel, and was happy to see two more families enter the store as they were leaving. The last thing Annie needed was for Samuel to bear the financial responsibility of Rachel Zook and her two sons. The emotional baggage the woman had brought to town was enough of a burden.

Stepping outside into the November sunshine reminded Leah of being released from a long day at school. She stopped on the sidewalk, held her stomach in both her hands and pulled in a long, deep breath.

“
Was iss letz
?” Annie moved in front of her, reached forward and placed her palm against Leah’s forehead. Then she moved her fingertips to Leah’s wrist.

Leah knew Annie was counting her pulse.

Always the nurse, always checking on her.

Leah opened her eyes and smiled. “Rachel’s store is a little oppressive.”

“That’s it?”

“
Ya
. Outside feels
gut
.”

“It does, but you scared me.”

“You frighten easily, maybe because you are worried my babies will come early.”

“Early, yes, but not today, Leah. Now let’s go and have a cup of tea.”

Five minutes later, they sat down in the shop where Annie’s mother worked. Leah had always been close to her own parents. Six months after she married Adam they made the decision to move to Wisconsin. She’d been completely shocked. It was something they had talked about for several years—because the cost of land was less there, but she hadn’t thought they were serious.

Since then Leah’s feelings toward Rebekah and Jacob had changed. Perhaps it was because her family had moved.

Maybe it was the fact that Annie was expecting her own first child, or because hers were twins.

Whatever the reason, in the last two years, she’d grown incredibly close to Annie and Adam’s parents.

Rebekah moved toward them, calmness and joy on her face. “I was hoping you two would come in today. Let me help Charity see to the other tables, then I’ll come and sit with you.” Round, motherly, with gray hair peeking out from under her
kapp
, Rebekah Weaver was a balm to Leah’s soul. They ordered and soon Rebekah was back, setting two mugs of tea in front of them and a plate filled with three kinds of cheese, crackers, and fruit.

“
Mamm
, we only ordered the tea—decaffeinated.”

“No caffeine. I remember, and the lunch is on me. I have three
grandkinner
at this table. Can’t start feeding them
gut
things too soon. I’ll be back in a snap.”

She was gone before they could argue.

“Your
mamm
is the best,” Leah said, reaching for a cracker and some cheese.

“Our
mamm
.”

“Right.” Leah sighed, suddenly happy they had come into town.

“I love this cafe.” Annie stared around the room as if she didn’t come in to see her mother at least twice a month, as if she were seeing it with new eyes.

“What’s not to love?”

“Did I ever tell you about the time Samuel followed me in here?”

“At least twice, but I don’t mind hearing it again.”

“I thought he’d gone crazy. I’d recently returned home, recently come back from Philadelphia. I hadn’t even told my family yet about earning my nursing certification, and I was still all bound up with guilt. Samuel saw through all of those things. He saw something inside me I didn’t even know existed.” Annie set her package on the empty chair and reached for her tea. “Hard to believe we’ve both been married two years, Leah. Seems yesterday we were girls playing with our dolls on a summer afternoon.”

Leah didn’t answer; instead she studied the cracker she’d half eaten. Should she tell Annie about all the things worrying her? She didn’t want to ruin their day out. And maybe it was nothing.

“Have you and Adam decided on names?”

“
Nein.
”

“Oh. Have you narrowed it down?”

Leah shook her head, certain if she spoke now, the tears would start.

Annie picked up the packages and moved them so she could sit in the chair beside her rather than across from her. “Leah, what’s wrong? You were so happy a minute ago, out on the sidewalk, and now you look miserable.”

“Maybe it’s nothing . . .” Leah pulled the napkin out from under her silverware. Rebekah was finishing up with the last table of customers and she did not want to be blubbering when her mother-in-law joined them.

“Probably it is nothing, but I’m certain you’ll feel better if you talk about whatever is weighing on your heart.”

Leah nodded and rubbed at her eyes with the napkin. Rebekah headed toward them, and she didn’t want to worry her. “Later. I’ll tell you later.”

“Promise?”

“
Ya.
”

“Everyone is served and it should be the end of what we call our lunchtime rush.” Rebekah settled into the fourth chair with her own cup of hot tea. “Now show me what you purchased at the store.”

Leah was relieved to focus on the baby things. Thinking of the babies eased the worries in her heart. Preparing for them helped her feel as if she were doing something useful.

Rebekah agreed that the diaper holder was perfect. “Folks think Amish don’t use disposable diapers, but I’ll tell you—with my five children it would have been a nice thing to have when we were going to church meeting or in town for shopping.”

“Rachel didn’t approve,” Leah admitted.

“Oh. I wouldn’t worry about what others think. It’s not as if you’re going to use them all the time. Cloth diapers are better overall, but there are situations when disposables will come in handy.”

“If I have your blessing, that’s
gut
enough for me. My
mamm
wouldn’t give me an opinion when I wrote to her. I tried to describe the ones with the pull-tabs, but when she wrote back her comment on the subject was ‘It wonders me’ and nothing more! I couldn’t tell if she approved or not.”

“It’s hard to understand some things from a letter, but I know your mother well, Leah. She isn’t one to judge, so don’t be worrying.” Rebekah took a sip of her tea as she watched Charity to be sure she could handle the other three tables of customers. “Did you pick up your fabric, Annie?”

“
Ya
, let me show you.” Annie pulled it from her bag, running her fingers over the soft cotton.

Leah could imagine what it would look like once she’d finished. She could see it lying in the cradle.

“What a pretty color. I’ve always favored purples,” Rebekah said.

“It will be perfect for the nine-patch.”

“You’re using it for Sunbonnet Sue’s dress,
ya
?”

“I thought I would. I haven’t actually begun the quilt yet.”

They all studied their food for a moment. Leah wasn’t going to broach the subject that Rebekah was dancing around.

“Go ahead and say it,
mamm
.”

“No, dear. I’m not about to say anything—”

“I know I’m running a little behind, but I’m a fast quilter once I begin . . .”

“I know you are. You’ve been busy, what with helping Belinda.”

“And Samuel. You know I can’t tell him no when he asks me to go along on his visits to care for someone.”

Leah reached for a strawberry and popped it in her mouth. Her worries faded away as she listened to the good-natured bantering between Rebekah and Annie.

“Our community is so lucky to have the two of you.” Rebekah straightened the tablecloth. “I knew when you came home from Philadelphia
Gotte
would use your talents in some special way.”

When Annie stuffed the material back into the bag, Leah felt she should encourage her. “It’s true, Annie. Your nursing comes in handy quite often. You were busy last week helping with the birthing of that calf over at David Hostetler’s place.”

“Birthing a calf. To think I went to nursing school—”

“Now, Annie.
Gotte
cares about the animals, too, and the vet couldn’t be reached in time.” Rebekah was trying to hide her smile behind her teacup. “Adam told me you enjoyed the birthing.”

Leah’s heart lurched. Adam had told her nothing of the calf’s birthing. She’d heard about it from David when he’d stopped by to bring fresh milk, which he traded with them for eggs.

“I wouldn’t say I enjoyed it. It was messy and frightening. I didn’t exactly know what I was doing. Calves are bigger than babies and harder to birth in several ways. Fortunately, David and Samuel were there because another heifer was birthing at the same time. They needed an extra pair of hands.”

“And yours were there,” Rebekah added.

“They were.” Annie grinned. “He was a white-faced calf,
mamm
. Pretty as shoofly pie.”

“So, no quilting,” Leah added.

“I mean to start this week.” Annie pushed her plate away.

“You’ll learn to set aside a specific time each day or evening for your sewing, which could be difficult since your schedule is never the same. Didn’t you sit with Bishop Levi’s mother one night this week?”

“We did. He brought her home from the hospital. There’s nothing more they can do there, and it’s
gut
for her to be at the farm where she at least remembers some things.”