Leah beamed at him. “Stevie’s already wrapped up in this baby girl,” she said. “He says they have a lot in common, because their mamms have both left them.”
Jude’s heart lurched, and he had to blink to clear his vision.
“So your visit with Jeremiah went well? And how’s your mother?”
Leah’s question brought him out of his momentary sorrow. “I saw firsthand just how accomplished my daughters are at playing charades,” he muttered. “As we sat in the kitchen telling Jeremiah about finding Betsy on the porch, Adeline and Alice were sitting as primly as a pair of schoolgirls in church—as though they knew nothing about sneaking out last night, or defying my orders to stay home. Mamm fell for it,” he added with a sigh. “She remarked how pleased she was to see that the rumors about them hanging out in the pool hall couldn’t possibly be true. The twins just smiled sweetly and went along with Mamm’s bent for looking the other way.”
Leah’s eyebrows rose. “She didn’t see those bruises on their necks?”
Jude shook his head as they stepped into the guest room next to the room he shared with Leah. In years past this room had served as a nursery for the twins and then for Stevie until they’d graduated to their own rooms and regular beds. He’d always hoped that someday, another baby would need this room. “Alice and Adeline sat on either side of her, positioning themselves so those marks were on the sides Mamm wasn’t looking at as she chatted with them,” he explained. “They sounded sincerely interested in Betsy’s welfare, and eager to gather the supplies we need for her.”
“Hmm.” A wide range of emotions played upon Leah’s face. “When you and Stevie were doing the chores, they were a lot more interested in telling me how inept I am with a baby. You could’ve taken Betsy to sleep in the barn and they would’ve been fine with it, as long as she stopped crying.”
Jude’s eyes closed in regret as he slipped an arm around Leah. “I’m sorry the girls are treating you so deplorably. I’ll have to have another talk—”
“Let it go, Jude,” Leah whispered. “They’re not entirely wrong, because I am at a loss when I’m around human babies. But if I let the twins’ rude remarks upset me, they’ll continue talking that way because they’ve found my weakness. If I counter them—or ignore their insults—they’ll tire of trying to get my goat. So to speak.”
Jude smiled sadly at her humor. Leah was proving to be one of the wisest—and strongest—women he knew. And at this moment, she looked totally comfortable with Betsy dozing on her shoulder. “Jah, but that doesn’t excuse me from setting them straight,” he said softly. “If they’ve allowed those English boys to kiss them so roughly on the neck, I’m concerned about where else they might have bruises . . . and what else they’ve been doing.”
“Jah, there’s that.” Leah nodded glumly, gazing around the small room. “What if we put the bassinet in the corner of our bedroom? I’d hate for Betsy to wake up all by herself in here and wonder if she’s been abandoned again. Baby animals begin to shut down from stress when they realize they’ve been orphaned, so why should we assume that human babies don’t do the same?”
Jude hugged her close, kissing Betsy’s soft hair. “God knew what He was doing when He sent Betsy’s mamm here,” he said with a gentle smile. “I’ll bring the bassinet upstairs. While Betsy sleeps, you can decide where to put all those diapers and clothes the neighbor ladies loaned us.”
He quietly slipped toward the door, and then turned. “By the way, I took the liberty of calling your mother,” he said. “She sounded delighted about coming here for an extended stay to help with Betsy, so I—I hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind?” Leah’s face lit up the dim room. “Oh, denki for thinking of that, Jude! Betsy’s only been here a few hours, but I already understand why mothers with wee babies and children can’t possibly have enough hands—or hours in the day.”
* * *
After Lenore parked her buggy in the lane on Sunday afternoon, she walked toward the Shetler home with a twinge of apprehension, but her eager anticipation of spending time with Leah propelled her to the door. Neither the church in Cedar Creek nor the one in Morning Star had a worship service today, so this visiting Sunday was the perfect time to begin her stay with Leah’s new family. She hoped she could bring harmony and healing to a household she sensed was in chaos after the startling details Jude had shared with her over the phone on Friday.
Lenore was pleased to see that the porch was swept and that the house had been painted recently. The lawn was well maintained, too, and the outbuildings were in good repair—signs that Jude was prosperous and was taking good care of his family. Often during the past few months she’d wished for an invitation to come to her daughter’s home, yet she suspected Leah had been too busy—or too overwhelmed—keeping up with Jude’s teenage twins and little Stevie to ask her over.
I could’ve come here any time and I would’ve been welcome, Lenore reminded herself. But I didn’t want to interfere while Leah settled in as a new wife and stepmother . . . even though she sounded as if she were keeping her troubles to herself whenever we talked on the phone.
The front door opened and Stevie stepped out onto the porch. He gazed at her shyly at first as Leah joined him.
“Mama, it’s so gut to see you!” Leah blurted out as she hurried across the porch. “And it’s so nice of you to come help us with baby Betsy, too.”
Leah’s embrace dispelled Lenore’s doubts about coming and restored her lonely soul. “How could I stay away when Jude
