“That leaves Nancy, Anna, and Bart.”
“And a young man?”
“Maybe.” Could she tell I’d developed a crush on Troy? “It looks as though most of these items are for women though.” I noticed a bookrack of Amish paperbacks. Tables of potholders and glorious quilts I could never afford. One hanging on the wall with a red diamond in the center, trimmed by green on a navy blue background, caught my eye.
“Isn’t that one marvelous?” Naomi’s gaze followed mine. “Linda sewed and quilted it. It’s an Old Order Amish pattern. Not many quilters sew them anymore. And the hand-stitching on the back is meticulous.”
I stood staring at the bold shapes and patterns for a minute, then turned my attention to my task. I noticed a display of honey. A sign above it stated that the amber-colored nectar was from the Millers’ hives. I selected a jar and, on a whim, selected a jar of peach preserves.
Naomi picked up a pair of potholders. “I remember when these came in. Anna loved this fabric and made a big fuss.” A grin widened her mouth. “I’ll give you the special family discount.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“Yes, it is. I insist.”
I peered around the room. “What do you think Nancy would like?” I noticed some quilted purses and moved over to them. “Would she use one of these?”
“Her father may not approve, but she loves the color purple.”
“I don’t want to get her in trouble.”
“She’s in her Rumspringa. So far, she hasn’t even tried wearing Englisch clothing or jewelry.”
I selected a shoulder-strap purse of purple and lavender hues I wouldn’t mind owning myself. Naomi snipped off the price tag before I could see it.
I scanned the plethora of quilted items. I could spend all day in here. I pulled out my wallet, but Naomi shook her head. “I don’t want to have to get out the credit card slips.”
“Okay.” I put away my wallet. “Please be sure to make me a receipt so I can pay you back.”
“We can worry about all that later.” She wrapped the items in tissue and placed them inside an opaque plastic bag. “Are you satisfied Linda is not your mother?”
“Yes.”
“I wish it could have been so.” Naomi passed me the bag. “I’m afraid I didn’t pay much heed to Linda when she was a teenager.” Her cheeks brightened. “Once I met Silas, all my attention turned to him. We married early, and God blessed us with a son right away, followed by another. We had our own farm, so I spent little time at my parents’ home.” I noticed her features growing sad.
“Understandable,” I said. “You must have been extremely busy.”
“Yah, I was. And Linda was busy with a housekeeping position. I didn’t see her for months.” She handed me the bag. “We should get back in the house and check in on her.”
Ten minutes later, she and I stomped our boots off at the back porch and then stepped out of them and into our slippers. Not that the slippers were actually mine.
Nancy and Anna had cleaned up the kitchen. Nancy stood by the stove, stirring the caramel frosting for the Christmas cake in a saucepan, while Anna assembled the other ingredients.
Naomi discarded her jacket and hurried into the next room to check on Linda. She knocked on the bathroom door when she didn’t find her in the living room. “Are you in there?”
No answer.
Naomi tried the knob, but the door was locked. “Please rap on the door if you’re in the bathroom.” Finally, the door handle rotated, and Linda toddled out. She pointed to her mouth and shook her head.
“I understand,” Naomi said. “You’ve gone and lost your voice.” As she exited the bathroom, Linda glanced over to me, but her features remained flat. I wondered if she’d really lost her voice or if she’d found a convenient way not to communicate with me.
“Charlene said to keep you hydrated.” Naomi picked up Linda’s empty mug from the tray. “I’ll make more tea.”
I trotted up the stairs to my room and stashed the bag in a closet. I’d worry about wrapping things later. I spun around and jogged down the staircase just as Linda was settling herself on the couch. Saucy jumped into her lap and Linda cuddled her.
I settled on the easy chair nearest the fireplace. “Linda, Naomi showed me some of the quilts you sewed. They’re marvelous.” My words hung in the air. Had Linda even heard me? “I wonder if I could learn to quilt.” I’d never thought of quilting before, but when viewing the masterpieces in the shop, the idea circled through my mind. “Do you think you could teach me?”
Linda seemed to be nodding, but then she coughed.
Naomi swished into the room carrying a cup of tea and placed it on the table. “Is your throat feeling better, dearest Schweschder? No, never mind, don’t answer me. Save your voice.”
“We were having a one-way conversation,” I told Naomi.
Linda’s nod was barely visible.
“Yoo-hoo.” Troy poked his head into the living room. “Silas said to come right in.”
The sight of Troy ignited a warm buzz in my chest. Yes, I was infatuated with this guy.
“Here you go.” He handed me my phone. “All charged. Thought you might need this to call your family.”
“Thanks.” I slipped it in my pocket. “I do want to wish my sister a merry Christmas.”
Troy turned to speak to Naomi. “Mom wants to know if you’ve taken Linda’s temperature.”
“I will right now, before she has her tea.” Naomi bustled to the bathroom, then returned with the thermometer and placed it under Linda’s tongue. Moments later, Naomi announced, “It’s lower.”
“Great. I’ll call Mom with that information.” He pulled out his cell phone as Silas entered the
