All the better if he’s serious about someone else by the time I move home, she thought.
Brushing that thought aside, she read the rest of Wilbur’s letter, thankful to know that their five younger brothers were doing well in school, minding their manners, and praying every day for Lena Rose.
And finally, he wrote, I’ve saved the most important news for last: Tubby Tabby’s recovered from her escape and shows no signs of wanting to stray away a second time. Frankly, I think she’d have a hard time getting away—Mammi and Chris have kept a close eye on her, for certain. And the rest of us have kept a close eye on Chris!
Lena smiled. Oh, to be there, she thought, folding the letter lovingly.
Later, when Lydia dropped by, the two of them hurried upstairs and sat for awhile in Lena’s room.
“I missed ya again at the last Singing,” Lydia said, going to sit on the chair near the window.
Lena leaned back against her bed pillows, thankful for Lydia’s friendship. “I just decided to spend the evening with Mimi, is all.”
Lydia frowned. “What ’bout the next Singing?”
Lena stared down at the bed quilt, smoothing it with her hand.
“C’mon, you know ya want to go.”
“It sounds a little like you’ve decided for me.” Lena reached back and rubbed her neck.
“Besides, everyone was askin’ where you were.”
Lena wondered if by everyone she meant Arden, yet she didn’t dare ask, not wanting Lydia to misconstrue the reason for her interest. At least she hasn’t mentioned how attentive he was at Second Christmas.
They visited a bit more, and Lydia mentioned a wagon ride coming up on the nineteenth, after Sunday’s Singing. “There was talk of taking out a few sleighs, but with the roads mostly clear of snow now, it’s not practical, and besides, there’s really much more room in a wagon than a sleigh. ’Course that might change if it snows ’tween now and then.”
Lena wondered if Eli would be going. If he was, Lydia would naturally want to spend time with him, and Lena would likely be thrown together with Arden again. “I’ll think about the hayride, but I’m not sure I should make a habit of going to Singings,” she told Lydia.
“What could keep you away?” her friend asked. “You’re part of our group here now.”
Lena shook her head.
“Still sad over Hans?” Lydia asked her right out.
“Nee, I’m fine with things ending with Hans.” Lena rose and walked to the window. “It’s just sometimes I wonder if it makes sense to go, since I should be moving home anytime. To be honest, I thought I’d be back home by now. Can ya imagine how you’d feel if you were over five hundred miles away from your family?”
Lydia went to stand next to her. “Plain miserable. But I’d like to think that I’d do exactly what you’ve been doing . . . makin’ the best of where the Lord put me. We need to be content with that, ain’t?”
Lena nodded, knowing all too well how easy it was to talk about being at peace with where God had placed you . . . but much harder to live it out.
Melvin Ebersol met Harley in the barnyard the next day with a strange request. “My mother-in-law’s closest sister is terribly ill,” Melvin said, pulling his woolen scarf tightly around his neck. “And Cora Ruth thought it might help comfort Rebekah some if Lena Rose could drop by for a while. She’s takin’ the news awful hard.”
It wasn’t Harley’s place to speak for Lena Rose. “I’ll see if she can get away from her sewin’ later. If so, I’ll bring her over . . . prob’ly after the noon meal.”
“Lena has such a gentle way with folk, I’m sure ya know.”
Harley clapped a hand on Melvin’s big shoulder. “I’m sorry to hear ’bout this on top of all Rebekah’s been through. We’ll remember her sister in prayer.”
Melvin nodded.
“Let us know if there’s anything else we can do.” Harley headed out of the barnyard with Melvin, through the wooden gate to the driveway. As they went, he glanced up and saw the smoke curling out from the chimney and counted his blessings—dearest Mimi and all the family were healthy and doing well this day.
We never know when our time is up, he thought, recalling how he’d felt when the word had come that Lena Rose’s parents had died. His own father had impressed on him the importance of making every day count, and he hoped for Rebekah’s sake her sister would pull through this illness all right.
Lena Rose went as soon as she could and tried her best to console Rebekah. After a time, Cora Ruth urged her mother to go and lie down. Accompanying Rebekah to the bedroom just off the front room, Lena felt concerned enough to stay after getting the woman settled in for an afternoon rest. Lena covered her with the extra quilt at the foot of the bed as Rebekah lay there, trying not to weep. “I should be with her,” Rebekah whispered, choking back a sob.
“It’s all right to cry,” Lena said quietly as she moved the cane chair close to the bed. “Holdin’ it in is hard on ya.”
“Tomorrow, I must make the trip home. I need to see her . . . can’t bear the thought she might die before I can talk to her again,” Rebekah said falteringly. “Cora Ruth can’t go along ’cause the children need her, so I’ll be goin’ alone.” The woman’s hands trembled, and she folded them beneath her chin.
“Please try not to worry, Rebekah. The Lord is with your sister . . . and with you,” Lena said, wishing there were some way she could accompany the poor woman home, but her first responsibility was to Mimi. “Try to rest now.”
Rebekah nodded and reached for Lena’s hand. She held it for the longest time as silent tears rolled down her
