The Gift (33 page)

“It’s not about the wedding.” Leah poured herself a cup of coffee and sat in the chair across from Dad. She wished she felt free to tell him about Adam’s mother. If she broke her promise to Adam and told Dad, he’d probably tell Mom when she got home tomorrow evening. And if Mom knew about it, she would no doubt tell someone else, because Mom had never been one to keep a secret.

“If it’s not about the wedding, then why’d you have trouble sleeping?” Dad asked.

“Some nights are like that, I guess.” Leah massaged her forehead, thinking if she gave herself a foot treatment it might help. “I’m afraid if I go to church today, my koppweh will turn into a sick headache, and I may throw up. Now wouldn’t that be an embarrassing thing to do in the middle of church?”

Dad gave Leah an understanding nod. “Then you’d better go back to bed and take care of yourself. And don’t worry about fixing breakfast. I’m perfectly able to make something for myself.”

Leah felt relieved. As much as she’d looked forward to seeing Adam and the girls this morning, she needed to return to her darkened room and try to sleep off this headache.

Adam had a hard time concentrating on the church service, knowing Leah wasn’t there. Had she been so upset by what he’d said to her last night that she’d stayed home from church in order to avoid him? Or could Leah have come down with something and be sick in bed? He could hardly wait until church was over so he could talk to Leah’s father and find out.

Adam glanced over at Amy, Linda, and Carrie. Usually they sat with Leah, but since she wasn’t here today, Adam had asked Elaine to sit with them. They seemed to be doing fine, for which he was glad. When snacks were given out to the younger ones, Carrie appeared to be quite content. Adam was thankful that Leah had good friends like Elaine and Priscilla. She’d told him once that they would be there for her if she had any need. They’d both been willing to be Leah’s witnesses at their wedding, just as Ben and Elam had agreed to be Adam’s. It should work out well, since Ben had been seeing Elaine, and Elam was courting Priscilla. He figured it wouldn’t be long before both couples would be getting married.

Maybe we can all be friends and do some fun things together,
Adam thought, letting his mind wander even further from the sermon that was being preached. Since he and Leah would be getting married, Adam figured it would be good for him to establish a few friendships.

Thinking more about the conversation he’d had with Leah about his mother, Adam wondered just how much Leah knew about Cora. He’d been so upset by the news that she was in the area that he hadn’t let Leah finish telling him everything.

Sure wish I hadn’t told Ben anything about my childhood. I’ll need to speak with him about that after church.

Sometime later, Adam was roused from his musings when all the men around him stood. Church was obviously over, and he’d missed nearly all of it.

Not a very upright, Christian thing to do,
Adam thought as he made his way out of Marcus Gingerich’s barn.
I should have been paying attention, and I probably missed out on a timely sermon.

“I’ll keep the girls with me until you’re ready to go home,” Elaine told Adam as the men began to set up tables for their noon meal.

“Danki. I’ll probably leave as soon as we’re done eating. I want to drop by Leah’s and find out why she didn’t make it to church today.”

“I’ve been wondering that myself.” Elaine’s voice tensed. “I hope she’s okay. With your wedding coming up next week, she’s been working too hard to get things ready. She may have worn herself out.”

“You could be right. Leah’s a hard worker and sometimes doesn’t know when to stop and rest,” Adam agreed. “She’s taken on quite a bit in these last couple months.”

“Hopefully after the two of you are married, she won’t have quite so much to do. It’s been difficult for her to watch the girls, keep up with everything at your place as well as her folks’ house, and squeeze in time for her reflexology patients.”

She won’t be doing people’s feet once we are married,
Adam thought, but he didn’t say anything to Elaine, because he didn’t want her to tell Leah. Surely after they were married, Leah would understand his reasons for wanting her to quit practicing reflexology.

Seeing Leah’s father on the other side of the barn, Adam excused himself. “I noticed that Leah’s not with you today,” he said, catching up with Alton. “Is she grank?”

Alton shook his head. “Said she wasn’t sick—just woke up with a koppweh and didn’t get enough sleep last night.”

Adam frowned. “Sorry to hear that. If it’s all right with you, I think I’ll stop by after we’re done eating and check up on her.”

“I have no problem with that.” Alton smiled. “If she’s awake and feeling better, I’m sure Leah would appreciate seeing you.”

Adam wondered if Leah’s headache had anything to do with their discussion last night. Could Leah be as upset about Cora coming to town as he was?

“Hey, Adam, how’s it going?” Ben asked, stepping up to Adam and thumping his shoulder.

“I was just going to come looking for you. Could we talk privately for a minute?”

“Sure, what’s on your mind?”

“Let’s go outside.” Adam led the way and found a place on the other side of the yard where no one was at the moment. “Remember when I told you about my mamm running out on my daed when my sister and I were kinner?”

“Jah.”

“I heard that you told Elaine about it, even after I asked you not to tell anyone.”

Ben averted his gaze. “I’m sorry about that, Adam. Elaine and I were discussing you and Leah getting married, and it just sort of came out. I don’t think Elaine will blab it to anyone though.”

Adam’s muscles tensed. “She already has. I found out last night that she told Leah.”

Ben sighed and rubbed his chin. “Isn’t Leah supposed to know? I mean, she’ll be your
fraa
soon, and—”

“I never saw the need to tell her until last night. Then I found out she already knew.” Adam wasn’t about to tell Ben that Leah had said his mother was in the area. If he knew that, too, he’d probably tell Elaine and maybe some others. From this point on, Adam would be careful what he told Ben, and it sure wouldn’t be anything about his personal life.

“It’s about time you got up,” Cora snapped when Jared made an appearance at noon. “What were you planning to do—sleep all day?”

Jared yawned and stretched his arms over his head. “Cut me some slack, Mom. You’re getting yourself all worked up for nothing.”

Cora’s jaw clenched. “Don’t talk to me like that, young man. I’m your mother, not one of your friends.”

“Sorry,” he muttered, while sauntering over to the refrigerator. Pulling out a carton of milk, he drank right out of the container and then flopped into a seat at the table.

Cora rolled her eyes. What had happened to the manners she’d taught her son? “Jared! Don’t drink from the carton. How many times have I told you that?”

“You don’t have to get so bent outta shape, Mom.” Jared smirked. “There was hardly any milk left. See.” He turned the carton upside down, and only a few drops dripped onto the table.

“It’s still an unsanitary habit, and I wish you wouldn’t do that.”

“Thought I was saving you a glass to wash.” Jared sauntered across the room and threw the empty milk carton away.

“Would you like me to fix you a piece of toast?” she asked, lowering her voice in the hope that she and Jared could have a sensible conversation for a change.

He shook his head. “Naw, I’m not that hungry. I’ll just get some more milk and head back to my room.”

“Please drink it from a glass this time.”

“Yeah, okay… whatever.”

Cora bit the inside of her cheek. If Jared hid out in his room all day, she’d be sitting here alone with nothing to do but feel sorry for herself. “I thought the two of us could go for a ride. Then maybe we can stop somewhere for a bite to eat.”

Jared looked at Cora as if she’d lost her mind. “What’s the big deal in going for a ride? That sounds really boring.”

“Well, I just thought—”

“Scott and I planned on doing something today.”

“Like what?”

Jared shrugged. “We’re just gonna hang out.”

Cora shook her head. “I don’t think so, Jared. You saw Scott yesterday, and today is going to be our family day.”

“Family day?” Jared jammed his hands into his jeans pockets. “We ain’t no family anymore, Mom. Not since you made Dad leave.”

Anger bubbled in Cora’s chest. “I did not
make
your father leave! He’s the one who wanted a divorce so he could marry someone else.”

Jared finished the rest of his milk and set his glass in the sink. “I don’t blame Dad for leaving. Listening to you yammering away all the time would make any man leave.”

Cora’s hand shook as she pointed at Jared. “Now, you listen to me young man, your dad left because—”

“I don’t wanna hear it, and I’m getting sick of you bad-mouthing Dad all the time!” Jared tromped across the room, opened the back door, and stepped outside, slamming the door behind him.

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Cora sank into a chair and sobbed. She was almost at the end of her rope. Would things ever be right between her and Jared again? The other night, she had felt good about the decisions she’d made. But now, Cora wasn’t so sure. Had she made a huge mistake leaving Chicago? Should she give up and move back or keep trying to make a go of things here?

L
eah, are you up?” Dad called from the hall outside Leah’s bedroom.

“Jah, Dad, I’m out of bed,” she responded. “Just putting my head covering in place.”

“That’s good, because Adam is here with the girls, and if you’re feeling up to it, they’d like to visit with you awhile.”

“My koppweh is better. Tell them I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

“Okay.”

It pleased Leah that Adam cared enough to come by. Perhaps he had missed seeing her at church and stopped on his way home to check on her. She took one last look at herself in the mirror to be sure her covering was on straight and that no stray hairs stuck out. After smoothing the wrinkles from her dress, she hurried from the room.

Downstairs, she found Adam and the girls in the living room, visiting with Dad.

“We missed you at church,” Adam said, rising from his seat on the couch. “Your daed said you stayed home because of a koppweh, so we decided to drop by and see how you’re feeling.”

As Adam moved closer to Leah, she could see such a look of concern in his eyes that it made her wonder if he might feel something more for her than friendship.
Don’t be ridiculous,
she chided herself.
If Adam cared for me in a romantic sort of way, I’m sure he’d have said so by now.

“I’m doing better,” she said, smiling up at him. “A couple aspirin and a few hours’ rest in a darkened room cured the headache.”

“Glad to hear it.” Adam motioned to the door. “Do you feel up to going for a walk? There’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”

Leah glanced at the girls, and seeing that they were occupied with some of her childhood books Dad had given them to look at, she said, “That would be fine, Adam.”

Leah slipped her shawl over her shoulders and followed Adam out the door. Then, taking a seat in one of the wicker chairs, she turned to him and said, “What did you wish to talk about?”

Looking more than a little nervous, Adam lowered himself into the chair beside Leah’s. “Umm… guess here is fine for us to talk.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. You wanted to take a walk, didn’t you?” Leah couldn’t believe she’d forgotten that.
I must be as nervous as Adam appears to be.

“That’s okay. We can talk here just as easy. It concerns my mother.”

Leah waited quietly for him to continue, sensing that he was having a difficult time talking about this sensitive subject.

Adam clasped his fingers together and flexed them as he stretched his arms out. “I’ve been wondering why Cora came here to Arthur.”

“She’s recently gone through a divorce and was looking for a new start.”

Adam snorted, as he tapped his foot against the floor of the porch. “Another divorce, huh? Why am I not surprised by that? If I could just find some way to get that woman to leave town, I’d feel a whole lot better.”