Snowfall (18 page)

They did, kind of look like Dalmatians. And even more, they looked a bit like a pack of puppies, too. They were bunched together, shoulders and arms touching.

She couldn't help it. She started laughing.

Almost as a unit, everyone stared at her in surprise. Then, little by little, the children started giggling. As did Viola.

Annie still looked a little shocked but amused, too.

And Lovina? Lovina Keim, was wearing an expression that could only be described as pleased as punch.

Christmas is about love and peace and joy. And kittens.

Meg, Age 4

Paying a call on Ruth had been the right thing to do, Lovina decided two hours later when she, Annie, and Viola were packing up to go. Not only had Viola and Annie gotten to meet Ruth, but Lovina felt that they'd also all been able to give Ruth a much-needed break.

And boy, had that poor girl needed a break.

After ascertaining that Ruth was on her own and that the kids were not only itchy and miserable, but also anxious about Christmas, Annie and Viola got right to work.

After Lovina said that she would do some cooking—promising to stay away from anything to do with liver—the girls took the children upstairs.

Then, in the relative peace of the kitchen, Lovina sat Ruth down. “Here, dear. Chicken noodle soup.”

“
Danke
. It looks
wunderbaar
.”

“It's a good batch.” Next, she pulled out a box from the bakery. “Usually, I make fresh rolls, but I decided to buy two dozen for all of you. Why don't you have one with some apple butter?”

After inspecting the refrigerator, she decided to make a shepherd's pie. After setting out a pound of hamburger, an onion, and a couple of potatoes on the counter, she went upstairs to see if Viola and Annie needed any help before she got busy cooking.

But when she peeked into the rooms, it was obvious that the girls had everything well in hand. Lovina straightened two of the beds, gathered some laundry, then went back downstairs to work on supper.

By this time, Ruth was almost done. When she saw the laundry, she got to her feet. “Here, let me help you.”

“Nonsense,” Lovina said. “I've been doing laundry for longer than you've been alive.”

“But you're a guest—”

“
Nee
, child. I came to help. Please let me. Now, why don't you go sit for a spell?”

Ruth look tempted, she really did. But on the edges of her expression was something that seemed a lot like distrust. Lovina wondered just how many people had let her down in the past.

“Ruth, I promise, I am not doing anything too difficult. Let me help you for a spell. Call it my Christmas gift!”

“But I can't let you do everything.”

“Sure you can.”

Ruth bit her lip. “But—”

“It's just laundry and supper, dear,” Lovina reminded her. “Trust me when I tell you that I've done these things before. Go relax for a little bit.”

“Actually, I thought I might go for a little walk, if you don't mind. I haven't left this
haus
for days.”

“That's a grand idea.” Making a shooing motion with her hands, she murmured, “Take your time. But don't forget to bundle up.”

“I'll do that.
Danke
.”

When the back door closed, Lovina smiled to herself and started browning the meat and dicing the onion.

And over the next hour, Viola and Annie were busy as well. They gathered up all the
kinner
to their rooms, organized baths, coated clean children with Calamine lotion, and read stories. Later, they pulled out some construction paper, glue, markers, and scissors, and set them making Christmas cards for their father.

When the shepherd's pie was in the oven, Lovina brought a load of clean laundry upstairs and began putting it all away. It was nice to feel like she was making a difference in others' lives.

And now that she wasn't in charge of the
kinner
, Lovina was finding that she was enjoying being around the Rhodes children very much.

When Brigit had asked if she could make a card for Ruth, too, Annie had given her a hug and said that she thought it was a fine idea. Then, of course, all the children wanted to make special Christmas presents for Ruth, too.

“Mommi, can you keep her busy for a while?” Viola asked.

“Of course, dear.”

“Sure?”

Lovina placed her hands on her hips. “You, my dear, have forgotten that most folks are afraid to say ‘boo' to me. Convincing Ruth to spend another hour resting or chatting with me won't be difficult at all.”

A glint of humor lit Viola's eyes. “Usually I would caution you to not be so heavy-handed. But right now, I think you're just what the
doktah
ordered, Mommi.”

Lovina smiled at Viola, Annie, and all the
kinner
staring up at her with various expressions of doubt and relief.

As she walked back down the stairs, she decided that it had been quite a while since she'd enjoyed an afternoon half so much.

Frank loves Christmas. And he loves me too.

Gregory, Age 7

Day 11 of Christmas Break

Christmas Day had come.

It was so dark outside, Ruth wasn't sure if it was seven in the morning or seven at night.

Of course, that most likely had to do with her state of mind, she reflected. She'd long passed being tired. Actually, she was pretty sure she'd hit exhausted sometime around noon on Christmas Eve. Right between the time Katrina had burst into tears and Meg had shown off the new blisters that had formed on her calves.

With a feeling of doom, she wrapped a crocheted afghan around her shoulders and leaned back against the cushions of the couch. Sometime during the last four or five hours she decided to stop using so much energy to walk to her room.

It was much easier to simply close her eyes in the hearth room.

“Ruth?” Martin called out from the kitchen just as the faintest rays of sun were peeking on the horizon. “Did you ever sleep?”

“I slept.” And she had, kind of. “Just not in my bed,” she said with a smile.

He winced. “I'm sorry about that.”

“Don't be. I've been pleased to be of use.” Taking a chance, she added, “Actually, I'm mighty glad you've asked me to stay here. It's given me lots to do. And given me a break from my usual routine.”

When he entered the room, his eyes looked as bloodshot and tired as she felt. “I wouldn't necessarily call what you've been doing a break. It's been more like an endless amount of work,” he murmured. “If I were you I would be trying to run away from here as fast as I could.”

Surprised, she looked at him, then smiled softly when she realized he was joking.

So she joked right back. “I've been tempted, but I wouldn't do that to Frank.”

“Kind of you.”

Looking at the puppy who was now sprawled asleep on the couch, too worn out from being manhandled by sick children to squirm, Ruth smiled. “I never thought I'd see the day when Frank would be this exhausted.”

“That's because most people never get to experience chicken pox times six.”

“Praise God for that.”

“Amen.”

He sat down beside her, propped his feet up on the coffee table.

She said, “I just got out of the boys' room. They're both sound asleep. Gregory looks much better. Thomas looks feverish but he's sleeping.”

Continuing the report, she said, “I checked on the twins about three hours ago. They were both itchy and miserable. I rubbed some more lotion on them.”

“They're asleep now. And, wonder of wonders, Katrina isn't crying. I don't think she's cried for the last six hours.”

“That is
gut
news.
Wunderbaar
.” She wasn't even being sarcastic. For a while last night, Ruth didn't know if she was ever going to be able to get Katrina's tears to stop flowing.

Martin leaned his head back against the couch. “Gosh, here I am, doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“Acting like you have no thoughts except for ones about my
kinner
.” Looking her way, he said, “Merry Christmas, Ruth.”

“Don't be so hard on yourself. I have only been thinking about the
kinner,
too
.
And Merry Christmas to you, too.”

And then, she couldn't seem to stop smiling at him. It was like everything she'd been trying so hard to hide needed to shine through.

She was helpless to stop it.

As Martin gazed at her, he felt something warm float over him, and he recognized it for what it was: happiness.

The peaceful kind. The easy kind. The kind that came along when a man was content with his lot in life and his house and home.

He recognized it for what it was, too. A feeling of comfort that he'd once shared with Grace and then, for a while, had convinced himself he'd only imagined.

“I am so sorry that this is how you are having to spend your holidays,” he said.

“I thought we were going to stop apologizing to each other.”

“That is true, but that was also before things got so bad.”

“Please don't take this the wrong way, Martin, but I don't think things are really that bad.”

“You actually look like you mean that.”

“I do.” She rubbed a hand over her eyes in an embarrassed way before she continued. “I'm tired and exhausted and a bit slap-happy. But I'm also happy.”

“Truly?” He scanned her face, looking for signs that she was lying.

“Truly. I've spent many Christmases in other people's homes. Most of them, actually. But few families ever made me feel so welcome or so wanted.”

“You have been wanted.”

“I'm glad I could be of use.”

“No, it wasn't your helping hands that made things so special, Ruth. It was your warm heart. It was your smile and your loving nature. It was the way you made each of us feel better just by being you.”

“But I didn't do anything.” Ruth shook her head like she was trying to shake off the praise.

“You did everything.” Though it was tempting to continue to keep his private feelings close to his heart, he knew it was time to be completely open. “You changed this house, made it a home again. You made me realize that things can change for the better. For the first time, I'm not only looking at the past and wishing for things that are no longer there, but I'm thinking about the future. I'm thinking about a future with you.”

She blinked. “What are you saying, Martin?”

“I'm saying that I want our relationship to grow and continue to change. I want us to be more than just friends. I want, one day, for you to be mine.”

She blinked, her expression a mixture of fear and happiness and cautious hope. And he recognized those emotions because he was feeling the very same ones.

The very same ones.

Grasping her hand, he pressed his lips to her knuckles. “Don't say anything. There's no need. I simply didn't want to go another moment without you knowing how I felt . . . and where I hoped our future would one day be.”

Ruth looked at him closely. Opened her mouth. Closed it again.

Then blurted, “I want the same things.”

His shoulders eased. His lips curved. He inhaled, preparing to say something more. Say something—anything—to make sure she understood that he had no doubts. . . .

“Snow!” Thomas yelled as he burst into the room.

With a jerk, Martin dropped his hands. “What?”

Ruth got to her feet and walked to the window. Then pressed her hands on the windowsill and her face to the glass. And smiled. “Lots and lots of snow!”

Feet pounded on the floor above them, sounding like a herd of cattle. And then, one by one, each of the
kinner
came flying down the stairs, ignoring Ruth's warnings to walk and to be careful.

But Martin supposed he couldn't blame them. They'd been spotty and itchy and miserable for days. They'd been missing him and stuck inside.

And now snow had come on Christmas Day.

Meg pulled at his shirt. “Daed! Daddy, snow?”

He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the window so she could see everything perfectly. “Snow, Meg. A perfect, beautiful, fresh blanket of snow.”

“Just for us.”

“I think maybe you're right, dear. If there ever was a group of children who deserved a beautiful white Christmas, it would be the six of you.”

“And Ruth, too.”

“Yes. And Ruth.”

Gregory sidled up next to him. “And Frank, too.”

“Indeed,” Ruth said. “Frank needs some snow, too.”

Martin glanced at the line of faces, did a mental head count, then made a decision. Setting Meg back down on the floor, he said, “
Kinner
, hurry and go put on your coats and hats and boots.”

“We can go outside even though we're sick?”

“Yep. A little bit of snow on Christmas Day shouldn't hurt anything. We're going outside. We're going to get some fresh air and feel snow on our cheeks. Now, one of you help Meg and go get ready.”

With a cheer, they ran through the kitchen and started shuffling against each other to get their items on their bodies.

As the children scattered around them, Ruth met Martin's gaze. Right then and there, time seemed to stop. And just for one small second, they were alone again. Filled with the understanding that this was only the first of many days they were going to have together.

Then, as one of the girls yelled that she couldn't find a mitten, the spell was broken.

Ruth blinked, then started walking toward the line of coats on the wall. “Come on, Martin. It's time, don't you think? It's time to enjoy the first snowfall of the season. It's always the best, don't you think?”