The Dawn of Christmas (6 page)

“Someone give the lady a cigar.”

“No thanks. I gave them up last week.”

“My turn to guess yours. Brown?”

“Nope.”

“Blue?”

“Nope.”

“Green?”

“Nope.”

“Okay, you’re just lying to me.”

“I’m not.” Sadie giggled.

“I’m injured, and you’re fibbing to win the game.”

“They’re hazel.”

“Isn’t that a shade of brown?”

“Technically I think it is. But if I wear green, my eyes look green. If I wear blue, they look gray.”

“So what color do they look when you wear purple polka dots?”

“I told you, I’m as Amish as you are. There is no wearing of polka dots. Did you fall off your horse or something?”

He liked her spunk and how she said things dryly when teasing. “I hope we’re here when the sun comes up, because I want to see your weird eyes.”

“Do you want my entire family, including Mammi Lee, to turn my future inside out just so you can look into my eyes?”

“Well, since you put it that way … yes.” He smiled as she chuckled. “I know a few Mammi Lees in the area.”

“No shortage of Lees in this neck of the woods.”

“You know someone Amish who has a unique name?”

She chuckled again. “You can choose any combination of names, and I bet you and I both know at least ten people with the same name.”

“Which Mammi Lee is yours?”

“Verna Lee. Her husband was a woodworker who once made toys for Hertzlers’.”

“I know Verna. We don’t live in the same church district, so I haven’t seen her in years. But my older brother apprenticed under your grandfather, and I went with him a time or two when I was around fifteen. One time she received a package from you. She loved her little Sadie, the girl who made soaps and candles and sent them to her.”

“One of Verna Lee’s grandchildren. Number four thousand five hundred and eighty-two, I think.”

He chuckled.

Fireworks boomed in the distance, and Sadie jolted. “It’s okay,” he said. “I’ll keep you safe.”

“Uh-huh.” Her playful tone mocked him.

Without moving his head, he could see multicolored flashes of light in the sky behind Sadie. “Look.”

She turned. “Beautiful.”

If the fireworks weren’t exploding in the sky within his direct gaze, he wouldn’t be able to see them. Of course, they could see only a portion of the light display. She moved to his other side so she could see them and face him. They watched in silence for a little while.

She patted the blanket, probably to make sure it was keeping him warm. “Does your brother make toys?”

“He did. I took over.”

Her eyes grew large, and for once he didn’t feel self-conscious for admitting he made toys. It wasn’t his only business, but he enjoyed doing it. Their conversation kept a steady pace, and they stopped talking in English. It surprised him how much they could talk about and how interesting he found each topic. It’d come naturally to tell her he lived with his brother and nephew, but he’d stopped short of saying anything about his missing sister-in-law. Thankfully, either Sadie hadn’t noticed, or she was too polite to ask. They even talked about where she lived and her need to earn money to return to the mission field. He was so caught up in their conversation, he didn’t notice when the fireworks ended.

She tilted her head and sat up. “I hear a siren. It’s probably the ambulance. I’d better move to the road so I can flag them down.” She stood,
brushing off her clothes. “I need to get back to Mammi’s as soon as you’re in the ambulance. Is there someone I can call for you?”

“You can find my brother’s phone number in your Mammi’s Amish directory. It’s Andy Fisher on Hertzler Drive.”

“You stay still. Okay?”

“
Denki
, Sadie.”

She smiled. “You’re most welcome, Levi.”

She hurried toward the road, and Levi wondered if he’d ever see her again. As odd as it seemed, he hoped he would.

Beth fidgeted with her patient gown as she sat across from the doctor. Her heart was racing.

Pregnant?

She had missed a couple of cycles, but that wasn’t unusual.

Pregnant? By the time she and Jonah had married, they were a decade older than most Amish newlyweds. They’d discussed children before they married, and their conclusion was to be grateful and content to have each other. Their well-meaning relatives on both sides of the family had said that because of their ages, it could take them longer to conceive than most Amish newlyweds. So she and Jonah had agreed not to put pressure on themselves about having babies.

Jonah had stronger opinions about conceiving than she did. He suggested they ignore the possibility, not think or talk about it for at least two years. After they were married, she’d found it very comforting to know he wasn’t quietly pacing the floors, needing her to come up pregnant before he could feel satisfied or complete. Now, a mere seven months later, they were expecting.

“You’re sure?” Beth tried to steady her voice.

He chuckled. “My practice is among the Amish, and whenever a married woman comes in with any flu-type symptoms, we run a blood test to check for pregnancy.”

Beth ran her hand over her flat stomach. Jonah would be beyond thrilled. Excitement skittered through her.

The doctor stood. “Since you’re unsure of your last cycle, I’d like to do a sonogram.”

She nodded. He helped her lie back on the table. A nurse came in, and within a minute Beth saw a tiny, shadowy image on the monitor. Tears trailed down her face as the baby’s heartbeat pulsed fast and loud. This tiny being had a heartbeat! Their child had been growing inside her, and she hadn’t even realized it.

The realization of life’s many gifts lingered in front of her, and she couldn’t help but admire them. How had she gone from being a lonely woman wearing all black to being married to someone as perfect for her as Jonah? And now they were expecting their first child!

The doctor angled the wand one way and then another. Each time, he tapped some keys on the keyboard, and then green lines showed up on the monitor. “According to the measurements, I’d say you’re about eleven weeks along. Most women feel a surge of nausea at around eight weeks.”

“Food has tasted funny, and I haven’t been very hungry. I remember feeling sleepy at the oddest times for a while, but I thought it was because the store’s been busier than usual since we added larger-ticket items to our inventory.”

He put the wand on the cart, and the nurse cleaned the gooey stuff off Beth’s stomach.

“We’ll let you get dressed, and then I’ll be back to talk.”

Both the nurse and the doctor left the room. She felt … invincible, as if the fear and death and sadness of the world couldn’t erase the joys she and Jonah would have raising this child. Tears welled again. Once dressed, she sat in a chair and poured out thanks to God for this gift.

There was a knock on the door, and the doctor came in. He asked questions, answered the ones she could think up at the moment, gave her papers and pamphlets and loads of instructions and a prescription for vitamins. She couldn’t wait to tell Jonah.

As hard as it was to keep secrets from her driver, Beth didn’t say anything to her about being pregnant. Gloria had been her driver since Beth was eighteen, but Jonah had to be the first to hear Beth’s news. When Gloria parked in front of the store, Beth hurried inside.

She made sure her expression was normal. Numerous employees said hello when she entered. She spoke to each while looking around the store for her husband. Finally she spotted him stocking candles.

As soon as he saw her, he asked, “How are you feeling?”

“Better.”

He smiled, a sense of calm radiating from him. “Gut.”

“But I didn’t need a doctor because of a virus. By the time I arrived at his office, I was over it.”

“It’s still good you went.”

“True.” She took him by the hand, and without asking any questions, he followed her into the office and closed the door. They shared lunches here and talked about business, but most of all, this was where they went when they needed to talk … or steal a few kisses.

When they were courting, after their engagement but before he moved to Apple Ridge, she’d sit in the office and talk to him on the phone for hours.

Now she sat on the front edge of the desk. They were about to share the greatest gift yet with each other.

“What’s on your mind, sweetheart?”

“I have news. Good news.” She took his hand and put it over her stomach. “I heard our child’s heartbeat today.”

Jonah’s brows tightened, as if he feared he’d heard her wrong. “You’re pregnant?”

“Due the third week in January.”

Jonah hollered and picked her up. She giggled. “Shh. Everyone must have heard you.”

He set her down and jerked open the door. Several people were staring at the office.

“It’s okay, folks. I just heard good news concerning the arrival of an important item.” He closed the door. “They’re fine now.”

She laughed.

He hugged her tight. “I never imagined being so happy.”

“Me either.” Her lips met his, and she relished the moment.

The phone rang. She had to answer it. If she didn’t, one of the girls would come into the office to get it. Beth picked up the receiver. “Hertzlers’ Dry Goods.”

A woman’s voice said, “Beth, is that you?”

“Yes, it is. How may I help you?”

“It’s Priscilla.” Beth couldn’t recall the last time Levi’s mother had phoned the store. “Levi won’t be able to keep his appointment with you today.”

Beth flipped open her calendar, realizing Levi should have been at the store two hours ago. She wouldn’t have been here, but Jonah would have made time for Levi. “That’s fine, Priscilla. Does he want to reschedule for tomorrow?”

Priscilla explained what the last sixteen hours had been like for Levi. Beth’s nausea returned, and when her eyes met Jonah’s, he moved in closer.

“Levi has a mild concussion, a tiny fracture in his neck, and a broken leg.”

While Beth’s day had been one of exciting news, the Fishers’ day had been one of turmoil. She let Priscilla tell her everything, and then they said their good-byes.

Jonah leaned against the desk. “Will he be okay?”

“Apparently so. His horse threw him. According to Priscilla, a doctor told him it’s a good thing he didn’t try to get up. Seems a lot of people ignore this kind of injury until it paralyzes them down the road. A woman found him and called for an ambulance. He’s not even home yet. The hospital hasn’t released him, but his family expects him in a few hours.”

“One of us needs to go see him. I can’t get away tonight. I have a shipment arriving after hours. Maybe Mattie could go with you.”

“Ya, sure.” Beth sighed. “Sometimes it seems there are too many accidents among our people.”

“A lot of it is how we live—as rugged in some ways as our pioneer ancestors.” Jonah put his finger under her chin. “Speaking of safety, I want you to make an appointment with the midwife. When she says it’s time, you keep a cell phone with you so you can reach her. You don’t balk. Okay?”

Beth grinned and moved into his arms. “Since you know exactly how you want this pregnancy to be handled, maybe you should be carrying the baby.”

Jonah pursed his lips. “God knows what He’s doing. You carry the baby, and I’ll save my strength to carry or drag you as needed.”

She chuckled. “Are you saying I’m stubborn?”

“No way I would say such a thing”—he kissed her—“out loud to my expectant wife.”

With Levi and last night still fresh in her mind, Sadie put her bag into the car, said an awkward good-bye to her parents, and got into the vehicle.

Whitney put the car in reverse. “Did you have a nice visit?”

“It had some interesting moments.”

Like meeting a stranger who saw life as she did. She’d like to know how Levi was doing. She’d used the phone in Mammi Lee’s shanty last night to call Levi’s brother. The phone had rung for a while before a groggy voice answered. At least it was summer, and the windows of the house were open, making a phone ringing in a shanty a couple hundred feet away easily heard.

“Whitney, would you mind taking me by a house about five miles from here and give me a few minutes to visit?” She pulled Levi’s address out of her purse and handed it to her.