A Place of Peace (27 page)

“Have a seat,” Lilly said. “I’ll bring a few glasses and ice water.”

“Wunderbaar!”
Naomi clapped her hands. “We can visit for a while.”

“Ya.
Wunderbaar,”
Miriam muttered. “I’ll grab plates.”

They sat at the table and filled their plates with the contents of Naomi’s basket while Naomi chattered on about work.

“Your quilts are the most popular,” she told Lilly. “The Lone Star pattern is the fastest seller we have.”

“Danki.”
Lilly buttered a roll. “I’ll start another one in a few days. I’ve been concentrating on
Daed,
so I’ve fallen behind on my work.”

“Oh, don’t be
gegisch.”
Naomi waved off the thought. “We understand. You take your time. Family first, of course.” She turned to Miriam. “I was so
froh
to hear you’re back to stay.”

“Danki.”
Miriam picked a sticky bun from her plate. “It’s
gut
to be home.”

“I heard you’re going to be baptized! That’s so exciting.” Naomi buttered a bagel. “I’m
froh
for you.”

Miriam nodded, wondering why Naomi was so interested in her life. Was she trying to be a friend or did she have an ulterior motive? Naomi seemed genuine, but looks could be deceiving.

“It’s hard to believe the summer is over,” Naomi continued, her smile growing. “My wedding is coming soon.”

Miriam sucked in a breath. When Lilly and Naomi snapped their eyes to hers, Miriam quickly lifted her glass and took a drink, hoping to hide her reaction.

Naomi glanced down at her bagel, and Lilly’s gaze softened to empathy.

“I can’t believe I’ll be married in just about two months. I can’t wait to live as husband and wife.” Naomi lifted her bagel. “I feared I’d never get married. I’m very blessed.”

Miriam studied her roll, trying to ignore the sick feeling roaring through her stomach. She wished she could excuse herself, but she couldn’t dream up a feasible explanation. If only her father were awake and calling for her …

She glanced at Lilly, hoping her sister would think of a way to steer the conversation away from Naomi’s impending nuptials.

“How’s your
mamm
doing?” Lilly asked.

Miriam breathed a sigh of relief. Danki,
Lilly!

“She’s doing well.” Naomi’s eyes sparkled. “She started on my wedding dress last week. I picked royal blue. I’m so excited.” She paused to take a sip of water. “I told Timothy I want at least six
kinner,
maybe more. I asked him how many he wanted, but he said he didn’t know. I guess men don’t think about those things. He’ll probably be
froh
with as many as God gives us. It’s God’s decision, ya? His plan.”

Miriam coughed, feeling the room closing in on her. The thought of Timothy and Naomi becoming parents was too much. She had to leave before Naomi made her physically ill.

“Miriam?” Lilly asked, her voice a little too loud and deliberate. “Have you had a chance to check the voicemail today? I was expecting a call from Hannah.”

Miriam met her sister’s gaze and raised her eyebrows in surprise. Was Lilly creating a reason for Miriam to leave this torturous conversation? Could her sister read her thoughts and emotions?

“Have you been to the phone shanty?” Lilly’s expression was serious, as if it had a hidden meaning.

“No, I haven’t.”

“Would you please go check it now? I want to be sure Hannah is okay.” Lilly winked so that only Miriam could see. “She mentioned Lena Joy wasn’t feeling well last evening.”

“Oh, right.” Miriam stood up like a shot. “I best go make sure she’s okay.”

“Danki,”
Lilly said.

Miriam started for the door.

“And Miriam,” Lilly added. “Take your time and be sure to call Hannah back. I must know how our niece is.”

Facing her sister, Miriam swallowed a grin. “I’ll do that.”

Thank God for sisters!

Miriam rushed to the phone shanty, not knowing if she should laugh or cry. While she was thankful for Lilly for giving her an excuse to leave, she also wanted to ask Naomi if she had any idea how hurtful her words were. Yet, Naomi most likely had no idea how Miriam felt about Timothy. It would be difficult to believe Miriam still loved him after she’d left him four years ago.

The thought caused Miriam to stop dead in her tracks.

Did she still love him?

She groaned as she stepped into the phone shanty. She knew loving Timothy Kauffman was a lost cause. He was marrying Naomi, and Miriam needed to accept it.

However, her heart refused to let him go. He’d left an imprint on her soul. He’d stolen her heart.

Shoving those thoughts aside, she dialed the voicemail and punched in the password. The first message was from Hannah confirming supper for tomorrow night. The second was from Lilly’s friend Mary Anne Hostetler checking to see how Abraham was. And the last was from Zach, asking Miriam to please call him back as soon as possible.

Remembering Lilly’s order to take her time, Miriam dialed Zach’s shop and hoped he would answer in order to avoid another round of phone tag.

“Fisher’s Saddle Shop,” Zach said. “How may I help you?”

“Ya,
I’d like to order two dozen saddles, and I need them by Tuesday,” Miriam joked with a grin.

“Why, Miriam Lapp,” Zach began. “I’d thought for certain you’d moved back to Indiana.”

“You can’t mean that.” Miriam lowered herself onto the small bench seat. “You think I’d move away without telling you?”

“You never returned my calls. I left a message for you at the bakery and in the phone shanty.”

Miriam slapped a hand to her forehead. “I’m so sorry, Zach. I meant to call you. It’s just been
narrisch. Daed
came home, and my sisters and I have been taking turns caring for him. I really meant to call you.”

“How’s your
daed?”

“Doing
gut. Danki,”
she said.

“You owe me supper,” he said.

“Ya,
I do. How about tomorrow night? You can come to the cabin, and I’ll make your favorite.”

“No. I’ll come get you and make you supper.”

“Oh.” She blinked, surprised. “What time?”

“I’ll pick you up around five.”

“Sounds wunderbaar.”

“Gut.
Don’t disappear again.”

She chuckled. “I won’t.”

“See you then. Good-bye.”

“Good-bye.” Miriam replaced the receiver in the cradle and smiled. Zach was a good friend, and he would be perfect for Lilly.

She stood and glanced toward the house, her thoughts moving to her younger sister. Lilly deserved a good man like Zach Fisher. Tomorrow night she would tell him how Lilly felt about him and try to get him to consider courting her. She knew it would be awkward since Zach had asked her to court him, but in her heart, she believed Lilly and Zach belonged together. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they would click and become fast friends. They both loved to read, and Miriam was certain they would spend hours discussing books. Miriam had never considered herself a matchmaker, but this seemed so right. If Miriam couldn’t have her true love, perhaps she could help Lilly and Zach find each other.

Miriam left a message on Hannah’s voicemail saying she hoped everyone was doing well and she would come to visit in a couple of days. She then took her time walking back toward the house, hoping Naomi would take the hint and leave.

Climbing the porch stairs, Miriam took a deep, cleansing breath and then entered through the kitchen doorway. She forced a smile and nodded to her sister and Naomi.

“Did Hannah call?” Lilly asked.

“Ya, she left a message confirming supper plans for tomorrow night. She said Lena Joy is doing fine. Mary Anne also left a message asking how
Daed
is doing.” Miriam stood by the counter. “I called Hannah back and left her a message telling her we were thinking of her.”

“Oh,
gut.”
Lilly smiled.

“It was no trouble.” Miriam picked up the cookbook. “You two continue your conversation, and I’ll start the meatloaf for supper.”

“Danki.”
Lilly gave Miriam an exasperated look behind Naomi’s back.

While Naomi prattled on about her family, the quilt business, and her upcoming nuptials, Miriam tried in vain to tune out her voice and throw together a meatloaf.

Miriam was thankful when her father awoke and called her in to sit with him. She sank into a chair beside him, and he handed her a piece of paper.

“Read,” he whispered. “N-nurse w-wrote for me.”

Miriam glanced at the note that the visiting nurse must have transcribed for her father. Her eyes welled with tears as the words echoed through her mind:

Miriam,

As the words filtered through her mind, she recalled the letter she’d found from her mother. While discussing SIDS, her mother had written: “You
must trust me that I know more about this than you could imagine.”
Now it all seemed to make sense.

Glancing up at her father, she found tears in his eyes. “You lost a baby to SIDS?”

He nodded, a tear streaking his cheek.

“Is that why you were so upset with me?” she asked, her voice trembling. “What happened to Jeremy opened up old wounds?”

He nodded again. “I-I-I’m so sor-ry.”

She sniffed, hoping to curb her threatening tears. “Now so much makes sense,
Daed.”

“You … f-f-for-give m-m-me?” he asked, his voice soft and unsure.

“Of course I do.
Danki
for telling me.” Leaning over she hugged him. “Would you like to read the Bible together now?”

He nodded.

She read the Bible to him and enjoyed the comfort of the Lord’s Word.

An hour later, Lilly appeared in the doorway. “How are you,
Daed?”

Instead of speaking, he nodded.

“Do you need anything?” Lilly asked.

Shaking his head, he closed his eyes.

Lilly turned to Miriam. “Would you please help me in the kitchen?”

“Of course.” Miriam placed the Bible on the end table, grabbed the note from him, and followed Lilly to the kitchen.

“She’s gone.” Lilly leaned against the counter. “I’m so sorry, Miriam,” she touched Miriam’s arm. “I thought Naomi would never leave. She’s a sweet person, but she has no concept of appropriate topics.”

Miriam stuck the letter into her pocket and preheated the stove. “It was nothing. She probably didn’t even realize that Timothy and I were once a couple.”

“No, she knew. You’d think she’d be a little more respectful of your feelings.”

Miriam busied herself by placing the basket of rolls on the counter. “But Timothy and I are ancient history. She would have no reason to think I still have feelings for him.” She glanced around for something to clean up, but Lilly had already straightened the kitchen.

“Miriam. Stop.” Lilly placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay to be upset. Naomi was thoughtless. I wish I’d known she was coming to visit, so I could’ve stopped her. I could’ve come up with some excuse to put her off.”

“It’s not your fault.” Miriam smiled. “Naomi had no idea.”

Frowning, Lilly sighed. “That’s where you’re wrong. It
is
my fault. The whole reason why you left and didn’t marry Timothy is because of me and my big, fat mouth.”

“What’s done is done.” Miriam shrugged. “I can’t change what happened. It’s in God’s hands. Timothy will marry whomever he’s meant to marry. And maybe someday I’ll marry someone too.”

“I wish I could fix it.”

“It’s not yours to fix. It’s up to God and His plan.” Miriam pulled the letter from her pocket and handed it to Lilly. “Look at what
Daed
had a nurse write.”

Lilly gasped as she read the note.
“Mamm
and
Daed
lost a baby before Hannah was born?”

Miriam nodded. “Ya. Now it makes sense why he was so angry with me when Jeremy died. He asked me for his forgiveness.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I feel so much better knowing that
Daed
still loves me.”

“Of course he does.” Lilly hugged her. “I’m so glad you’re back, and I’m so glad that it all worked out.”

“Me too.” Miriam stepped over to the refrigerator. “I’m in the mood for some freshly squeezed lemonade. How does that sound?” She was happy that she and her father had worked things out, but her heart still ached for Timothy. Pushing Timothy from her mind, Miriam took the near-empty pitcher from the refrigerator.

T
imothy climbed the steps to his porch Saturday night.

Glancing up, he silently admired the clear September night. The stars twinkled in the bright light of the moon.

It had been a typical Saturday evening—delicious supper at his parents’ house with the whole family, abundant desserts, and lots of chatter and sharing.

Naomi had joined Timothy again this Saturday and had taken to the Kauffman family like one of the fold. While Timothy had talked with the men, Naomi had joined the women as if she were already a Kauffman. Seeing her with his mother and sisters should’ve made Timothy smile and should’ve made him love her even more. Yet, an inkling of regret had nipped at him. He repeatedly found himself imagining Miriam standing with his sisters and mother.

Why am I torturing myself?

Sighing, Timothy shook his head. He was wrong to think of Miriam when Naomi loved him so. He could see the love shining in her eyes whenever she looked at him. It wasn’t right of him to think of another woman. He should’ve been thinking of Naomi and only her.

The clip-clop of hooves drew his attention to the lane. Turning, he found a horse and buggy maneuvering past the house and steering toward his.

His eyebrows raised in question. He wasn’t expecting company. In fact, it wasn’t common for visitors to arrive unannounced so late at night.

Timothy leaned on the porch railing and pushed his straw hat up further on his head while he focused on the buggy that stopped in front of his house. A man hopped from the driver’s seat and tethered the horse to the hitching post. The man met his gaze, and Timothy was surprised to see a member of the Lapp family.