The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club - 02 - The Tattered Quilt (29 page)

“You can finish the green salad I started, while I take the enchiladas out of the oven,” Maria replied.

“Sure, no problem.” Carmen placed a tomato on the cutting board and cut it into small pieces.

“How are you enjoying your quilting class?” Maria questioned.

“It’s interesting. I’ve learned a lot about quilts, and the wall hanging I’m making is turning out better than I expected,” Carmen replied. “At first I was a little nervous about quilting, but now I’m really liking it.”

“Paul liked the class when he took it, too.” Maria set the dish of enchiladas on the table. “It’s been good for him and Sophia having you here. Paul said Sophia lights up when you’re in the room.”

Carmen felt the heat of a blush. “I’ve enjoyed spending time with them, too.”

“Have you ever considered moving to Elkhart so you could be closer to your niece?” Maria questioned.

“My job’s in Los Angeles,” Carmen replied.

“I know, but maybe you could get a job as a reporter with one of the newspapers in our area.”

“The idea of moving here does have some appeal,” Carmen admitted, “but I’m not sure I could find another job I like as well as the one I have now. Besides, I enjoy the warmth of the California sun, and it’s only October here, and already I had to buy a warmer coat.”

“I know what you mean,” Maria said, going to the refrigerator to get the salad dressing. “Of course, some people go south for the winter, but for those of us who have jobs, that’s not an option.”

“Is supper about ready?” Maria’s husband, Hosea, asked, poking his head into the kitchen. “The girls are getting hungry, and Paul and I are having a hard time keeping them under control.”

Maria gestured to the table. “We’re just about ready, so bring in the crew.”

As Carmen helped to get the rest of the things set on the table, she couldn’t help wondering what she’d be doing if she were in Los Angeles right now. At first, having her own apartment had been exciting—especially after getting a job at the newspaper. But now, she’d begun to question whether she really wanted to go back to California. Sure, the warm weather was great, but everything that had once been so appealing was slowly losing its zest.

As Paul watched Carmen from across the table, a lump formed in his throat. She reminded him of Lorinda—same dark hair and eyes, and a nose that turned up slightly on the end. It was almost painful to look at her. Even though Carmen was a few years younger than Lorinda, she seemed mature and possessed an air of confidence. She had a special way with Sophia, too, and Paul knew his daughter would miss her aunt Carmen when she returned to California in a few weeks.

I’ll miss Carmen, too
, Paul admitted to himself.
If only we had more time to spend with her
.

“Are the enchiladas okay?” Maria asked, bumping Paul’s arm. “You haven’t eaten much on your plate.”

“Uh, yes, they’re fine.” Paul stabbed a piece with his fork.

“Just fine?” Hosea asked, raising his eyebrows. “Usually you can’t get enough of my
esposa’s
enchiladas.”

Paul smiled at Maria. “They’re very good. Guess I’m just a slow eater tonight.”

“Paul’s right,” Carmen agreed. “This meal is delicious.”

“The girls must think so, too.” Maria motioned to Sophia and her two girls sitting near Carmen, eagerly eating their enchiladas.

As the meal continued, the adults talked about the chilly weather that had hit northeastern Indiana, and then the conversation moved to how things were going at the school where Paul taught. After that, Maria asked Carmen what it was like to be a newspaper reporter.

“It’s interesting,” Carmen said. “There’s always something different to report.”

“I imagine there’s a lot more happening in Los Angeles than here,” Paul said.

“There can be,” Carmen responded, “but I’m often asked to travel to other places to cover news stories. My favorite ones to write about are human-interest stories, where I get to meet different people.”

Paul listened with interest as Carmen explained more about her job. He could see that she was passionate about her work, and it made him doubt that she would ever give up her life in Los Angeles.

“I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m so full I couldn’t eat another bite,” Hosea said, pushing away from the table. “Paul, would you like to join me in the living room to watch the evening news?”

Paul shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts. “You go ahead. Think I’ll help Maria with the dishes. It’ll be like old times when we were kids.”

“I’d be happy to help Maria,” Carmen was quick to say.

“That’s okay,” Paul said. “Why don’t you spend some time with Sophia and the girls? Maria and I used to make a good team when we did the dishes together.” He stood and started clearing away the dishes. Truth was, he’d hoped for a little one-on-one time with his sister this evening.

When Carmen, Hosea, and the girls left the kitchen, Maria filled the sink with warm water and added some liquid detergent. “You know,” she said, smiling at Paul, “some people might think it’s strange that a busy woman like me doesn’t own a dishwasher, but I actually enjoy washing the dishes by hand.”

Paul chuckled and reached for a clean towel, in readiness to dry. “I guess you take after our mother. I can’t remember how many times I’ve heard Mom say over the years, ‘I’ll never own a dishwasher; they’re just not for me.’ ”

“Like mother, like daughter,” Maria said with a laugh. She glanced over at Paul as she placed some clean dishes in the drainer. “I sense you have something you’d like to talk about.”

He nodded slowly. “You know me so well.”

“What’s on your mind?”

“Carmen.” Paul lowered his voice. “Ever since she came here, she’s been on my mind.”

“I’m not surprised,” Maria said, handing him another dish to dry. “She looks a lot like Lorinda.”

“You’re right, but it’s more than that. I really enjoy being with her, and…” Paul’s voice trailed off as he swiped the dish towel over the clean plate.

“Are you falling for her? Is that what you’re saying?”

Paul shrugged his shoulders. “I–I’m not sure. I just know that being with Carmen makes me feel happier than I’ve been in a long time. Do you think it could be just because I miss Lorinda so much? Or could I actually be falling in love again?”

“Only you know that,” Maria said in a big-sister tone of voice. “But if you’d like my opinion, I think you should spend as much time with Carmen as you can—maybe take her out a few times, just the two of you. If there is something brewing between you, you’ll know soon enough.”

“If Carmen and I go out by ourselves, would you be willing to watch Sophia?” he asked.

“Of course. The girls love spending time with their cousin.”

Paul knew he didn’t have much time since Carmen would be leaving in a few weeks. “All right then,” he said. “I’m going to ask her out.”

Goshen

Think I’ll call Mom and see how Grandma’s doing
, Cheryl thought, glancing at the clock on her kitchen wall. It was almost ten, which meant it would be seven in Portland, so maybe she could catch her folks at home.

Cheryl reached for the phone and punched in her folks’ number. Her father answered on the third ring.

“Hi, Dad. How are you doing?”

“I’m fine, Cheryl. How about you?”

“Doing good and keeping busy as usual.” Cheryl switched the phone to her other ear. “Is Mom there?”

“No, she’s at her garden club meeting. Should I ask her to call when she gets home?”

“No, that’s okay. I’m just calling to see how Grandma’s doing, and I’m sure you can tell me that.”

“She’s about the same. Doesn’t say much when we go to the nursing home to see her, and she seems to be getting weaker.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. As soon as Emma finishes Grandma’s quilt and I’m done with the quilt classes, I’ll be coming there to see Grandma. Maybe seeing that her quilt has been repaired will perk her up.”

“I wouldn’t count on it, Cheryl. I’m not even sure she’ll know who you are.”

“Why wouldn’t she? Grandma knew me when I went to see her before I moved here.”

“Some days she’s fine, but other times she doesn’t seem to know your mother. That’s one reason we don’t go as often to see her.”

“I think Grandma needs people around here—people she knows and loves.” Cheryl fought the urge to go see Grandma right away, but she wanted to wait until she could take the quilt for her birthday. She felt sure it would make a difference.

“If there’s nothing else, I’d better hang up,” Dad said. “There’s a game show coming on TV that I want to watch.”

“Okay, Dad. Have a nice evening.”
I can’t believe Mom doesn’t visit Grandma very often. How can she be so selfish and unfeeling?

When Cheryl hung up, she decided to check her e-mails before going to bed. She found one from April, with an invitation to her and Lance’s wedding the first week of December. To add insult to injury, April had asked Cheryl to be one of her bridesmaids.

Cheryl grimaced.
The nerve of some people. If they think I’m about to go to their wedding, after what they did to me…What I should do is e-mail them back and give them a piece of my mind!

“Be angry and sin not.”
The verse of scripture Ruby Lee had quoted to Cheryl a few weeks ago, came to mind.
Okay, I won’t give them a piece of mind. But I’m not going to the wedding. It would be too painful. I’ll send them an RSVP that I won’t be attending
.

Middlebury

Anna slipped out of bed and tiptoed down the hall toward her sister Susan’s bedroom. She should be asleep by now, and this was the perfect chance for Anna to search for her bracelet. She’d already looked in Arie’s and Becky’s rooms while they were helping Mom do the supper dishes. She would have checked Susan’s room during that time, too, but Susan had been in there playing.

Holding a flashlight in one hand, Anna quietly opened the door. She shined the beam of light toward the bed, and when she saw that her sister was sleeping, she padded across the floor to Susan’s dresser. The first drawer squeaked when she opened it, and she held her breath, hoping she hadn’t awakened Susan. Hearing nothing, she pulled it the rest of the way out and rummaged through Susan’s clothes. No bracelet there.

Anna continued to pull out drawers and look through each one, but there was no sign of her bracelet.
Let me think—where else could I look?

Being as quiet as possible, she made her way to the closet and opened the door. Several of Susan’s toys were on the floor, along with some shoes, a pair of rubber boots, and a jar of marbles. Anna thought it was strange that a young girl would collect marbles, but then Susan was a bit of a tomboy.

Anna knelt on the floor, where she discovered a stack of shoe boxes near the back of the closet. She opened the first one and saw that it was full of feathers. The second box held a collection of dried flowers, and the third box was full of pictures Susan had drawn of horses, cows, and chickens. Anna frowned.
Maybe Susan didn’t take my bracelet after all
.

There was one more shoe box, and when Anna opened it, she gasped. Hidden under several pieces of paper, she found her bracelet.
So Susan must have gone through my purse, discovered the piece of jewelry, and hidden it here. Should I wake her and ask about it right now, or wait till morning? Or would it be better if I just took the bracelet and said nothing?