Maybe she was more English than she realized.
“I’ll take care of you and Emmy,” he said. “Give you money and such.”
She nodded.
“You can stay with me until you find a place to live. I’ll sleep on the couch,” he said before she could turn him down. She was grateful for the addition. She had been worrying about what to do, where she and Emmy were going to stay.
“But when you move out, you’ll still let me see her, right?” he asked.
“Of course. I wouldn’t keep her from you.”
His shoulders slumped in relief. “I’ve got a buddy who hasn’t seen his son in two years.”
That was terrible, but she had no plans to keep Melvin from Emmy. He was her father, after all. “You can see her whenever you like.”
“So it’s settled, then,” he said.
She drew in a deep breath. “It’s settled.”
“Are you going to tell your parents?”
“Not all of it,” she replied. “Just that you and I are going back to the English world.” The thought unsettled her stomach, but it was done. It was what had to be.
So why did Levi Yoder once again pop into her thoughts?
“It’s Second Christmas,” he said. “I don’t suppose we need to say much else. It might ruin the holiday spirit.”
She nodded. “That is one thing we can agree on.”
* * *
She should tell them all, right now. There was no sense in going through all the talk with the bishop tonight, no sense in putting her family through all that stress. But she couldn’t bring herself to say the words. Her mamm was so happily bustling around the kitchen, getting things ready for supper.
Tillie couldn’t bring herself to kill that jovial mood and break her heart.
“Dat told me to come in and tell you that we’re going to move the tree,” David said from the kitchen door.
“So the man’s here?” Mamm asked.
David nodded.
Their father had rented a tractor for the day to move the tree from blocking the road to the house. The ice storm had gotten the better of it and, mixed with disease, hobbled mighty oak. Part of it was still good and could be chopped into firewood, or maybe even a tabletop for the English. She had heard her father talking about it the night before. Just one more thing for the Gingeriches to discuss with the bishop.
“Melvin’s already on his way up there. I told everyone I would stop and tell you where we are. Just in case you need one of us.”
“Danki,” Mamm said.
David gave them both a smile and disappeared back to the front of the house. Moments later they heard the screen door slam. Mamm shook her head. “I never did manage to get that boy to shut that door quietly.”
But that was just David.
From her place on the table in her snug little baby carrier, Emmy started to fuss.
“I think it’s that time again,” Tillie said. She unbuckled the baby and picked her up. Emmy stretched like she was prone to do.
Mamm turned from the stove, waving a hand in front of her nose. “Phew! I think it’s time to change her too.”
Tillie wrinkled her nose with a small nod and a smile. “I think you’re right.”
She took the baby to the other room to change her diaper and feed her. In a couple of days she and Emmy would move to Columbus with Melvin. The thought was perplexing; it made her happy and sad at the same time. She was happy for Melvin, and she knew that eventually she could be happy in the English world, but she knew that her leaving would once again break her mamm’s heart. Someone’s feelings would have to be sacrificed. She was just not so happy that it was her mamm’s. But Mamm was tough; tougher than Tillie. It might take a while, but they would all heal.
She took a clean and fed Emmy back to the kitchen, where her mamm was still bustling around. Tillie was certain Mamm hadn’t cooked this big of a meal for Christmas, but Tillie knew that she wanted everything to go off without a hitch. A well-fed man was a little more yielding.
But the problem was she didn’t need to go to all this trouble, and Tillie should tell her now. She supposed she could talk to her dat about it when they got done with the tree. But tonight’s dinner would not be about Tillie and Melvin joining the church; instead, it would be about her father and his plan to build stools and sell them to the English.
“Mamm,” she started as she settled Emmy back into her seat on the table. “I think I should tell you something.”
Her mamm turned around slowly, as if she knew she wasn’t going to like what Tillie had to say. “You think?”
“I mean, I know. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
Mamm wiped her hands on her apron and waited for Tillie to continue.
She just didn’t know where to find the words. How could she, when she knew what she had to say would break her mamm’s heart in two? She inhaled, opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
She tried again, but this time her effort was interrupted as her brother David rushed into the room. His face was red from the cold, his nose running, and his eyes filled with tears. “Come quick,” he hollered. “There’s been an accident.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
A funeral was always a solemn occasion, but a funeral at Christmastime was especially sad.
It was a gray and drizzly day when they buried him, the crowd a sea of black umbrellas as they laid him to rest. Tillie could only stare at the mound of dirt in shock. Mamm stood next to her, dabbing her eyes. Hannah, Leah, and Gracie stood on the other side of her. She just couldn’t believe it.
Back at the house everyone was bringing food, more food than the family could ever eat, but they wanted to pay their respects even if Melvin
