she’d expressed her desire to become a teacher, Daadi had insisted on setting up her bedroom accordingly. She had a desk in front of the window with a comfortable chair and a long bookcase that still wasn’t quite big enough for all of her books. The file boxes she used for teaching materials were stacked next to the desk.
Each time she walked into the room, she felt a wave of gratitude toward her father. He hadn’t waited until she’d obtained the job as a teacher. He’d shown the family’s confidence in her even before that happened. Somehow knowing other people believed she could do it had made her believe it, too.
She settled at her desk, trying to focus on her lesson plans for the coming week, but her thoughts kept straying. The arithmetic lesson for her second graders slipped away as she stared out the window and across the road to the King farm. Aaron would be past the initial reactions to his homecoming by now, and she could only pray they’d been everything they should be.
And maybe she ought also to pray about how he’d respond to them. Aaron had always been hard to predict, like a minnow in the creek slipping this way and that, always out of her grasp. Sally smiled at herself, thinking of Aaron’s probable response to being compared to a minnow.
Still, even her brief encounter with him was enough to convince her that the Aaron who’d returned wasn’t the Aaron who’d left. He’d had a quick temper back then, but it had been as quickly gone, leaving sunshine behind it. Now—well, now he looked like a man with a chip on his shoulder, daring someone to knock it off.
Maybe he’d found that attitude necessary in the Englisch world, but it would be very out of place here. He’d have to get used to the give-and-take of Amish family life in order to get along. To say nothing of the sheer noise with so many people in the house—two kinder and a new boppli soon to arrive. If he’d been living a solitary bachelor existence among the Englisch, he’d find this very different.
And the King household was more than usually wound up at the moment, with Daniel’s wedding approaching as fast as Jessie and Caleb’s baby. Some days she thought it was turning into a race to see which would be first. But they’d cope, however it turned out. Everyone from the church would pitch in to help, and as neighbors, they’d expect to be called on.
Sally gave herself a little shake and firmly removed her attention from the house across the road. The upper grades needed some extra map work—she’d been appalled at how much they’d forgotten over the summer vacation. Still, it was always the way, and—
Sally’s pencil dropped to the desk as she swung around. That sound...what was it? A soft cry? She shot from her chair when it came again...a half-choked sob. Elizabeth? Hurrying to the door, Sally rushed into the hall. The door to Ben and Elizabeth’s bedroom was closed, but it couldn’t muffle the noise of Elizabeth’s crying.
Tapping at the door, she called out. “Elizabeth? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
A moment’s silence. “No, I...I’m... It’s nothing. It...” The words dissolved in tears. Her heart twisting, Sally turned the knob, murmured a prayer for help and walked in.
Elizabeth sat on the side of the bed, her apron askew, a pillow from the bed held against her lips as if to muffle her sobs. Horrified, Sally rushed to her, sitting so that she could wrap her arms around Elizabeth.
“Komm, now, tell me. Something is wrong. Let me help you,” she coaxed, keeping her voice soft even as her thoughts tumbled. Should she run to find Ben? This weeping was unheard of for practical, controlling Elizabeth.
“Please, Elizabeth. Tell me why you’re crying. I want to help.”
“I’m not...not crying.” Elizabeth mopped at her eyes ineffectively. “I never cry. I...I just thought for sure I was expecting at last. But I’m not.” Tears overflowed again. “Maybe I never will be.”
“Ach, no, don’t think that.” She patted her sister-in-law, hoping that was the right thing to say. “Surely it will happen for you and Ben.”
Elizabeth turned her face away, and Sally realized she didn’t want anyone to see her like this. But what could she do? She couldn’t just go away and pretend it hadn’t happened. If only Mammi were here. Mammi would know what to say. She felt very young and very useless for all that she was supposed to be a grown woman.
“Maybe...maybe it’s just not time yet,” she said. It sounded stupid to her own ears, but after all, some women did take longer to start a family than others. “Or maybe there’s some little thing wrong that the doctor can fix. Did you talk to a doctor?”
Elizabeth shook her head, wiping the last of the tears away with her fingers like a child would. “I asked the midwife. She wants me to see a doctor—she gave me the name of someone. A woman doctor, a specialist. But I don’t know. Maybe it’s not God’s will, doing that. Maybe I should just be waiting and praying.”
Sally rubbed her back gently, the way Mammi always did when she was hurting. “Surely it can’t be wrong just to talk to the doctor.” She took a breath. “Why don’t you let me call and make the appointment for you? Then I’ll go with you, so you won’t be alone.”
Elizabeth stiffened, drawing away. “Ach, I couldn’t even think of letting you do such a thing. What would your mamm say, and you not even a married woman?”
It seemed Sally had gone a step too far, but at least Elizabeth’s tears had stopped.
“Mamm would say I should do what she would if she were here, ain’t so? Let me do this for you.” And forgive me for all the times my quick tongue let me snap at you.
Why hadn’t she seen or even suspected that this was tormenting her sister-in-law? Was she really so self-centered she couldn’t look past her own wants? If she could help now, maybe it would make up for her failures.
“Please, Elizabeth.” She clasped Elizabeth’s hand.
Elizabeth got up so quickly the mattress bounced. She pulled her hand free and shook out her wrinkled skirt. “What am I doing, sitting here being silly when there’s work to be done? Don’t you say a word about it. It was foolishness.”
“Elizabeth...”
“Forget it. You must get back to your schoolwork. You can’t let those scholars get ahead of you, ain’t so?”
“That’s certain sure.” She knew what was happening. Elizabeth had shown weakness, and it embarrassed her. More than that, she didn’t consider Sally capable of helping her.
Well, they were agreed on that. She didn’t feel capable either.
* * *
Aaron had been relieved to learn that the next day wasn’t a church Sunday—he’d be spared the task of seeing the entire Amish community until the following week. If he stayed that long.
But he hadn’t gotten off entirely. By noon the neighbors were arriving for a picnic, and there was no getting out of it. After all, these were people who’d known him all his life, and they expected to celebrate his return.
Visit, he kept telling himself. Visit, not return.
Wondering if Caleb had any chores for him in the barn, he headed out of the house, only to meet Sally, arriving from across the road with a basket in one hand and a bowl in the other.
“Aaron.
