“I’m sorry to keep you waiting.” She stood in the doorway, gazing at the occupants of the room.
Two children, a boy and girl with identical chins and eyes, stared back at her. The boy sat on Jakob’s left with the girl next to him. As Naomi turned from the woodstove with a plate of steaming biscuits, Jakob and an elderly man scooted back their chairs and rose from their places at the head of each end of the long table. Their respect was not lost on Abby, and she stared at them in surprise. No one had ever stood up for her in her father’s home.
“Here she is.” Naomi spoke in a lilting voice as she showed Abby a happy smile.
“Willkomm to our home.” The elderly man hobbled over and took Abby’s hands in his.
This must be Dawdi Zeke, Jakob’s grandfather. His long beard was white as snow, his face lined with deep creases. A pair of wire-rimmed spectacles sat on the bridge of his nose, his gray eyes sparkling with humor and the experience of a long life. As Abby looked at him, she found nothing to fear.
“Danke,” she said, conscious Jakob was watching her.
“Sit here.” Naomi pointed to a chair on Jakob’s right.
As Abby rounded the table, the two children stared at her...the girl with open curiosity, the boy with open hostility.
“But that’s Mamm’s seat,” the boy said.
Abby hesitated, her hand resting along the high back of the wooden chair.
Jakob’s mouth tightened and he didn’t say a word, but his dark eyes mirrored his son’s disapproval.
“I can sit here.” Abby sat across from Ruby instead, not wanting to stir up any more animosity.
In spite of her effort to please him, Reuben gave a gigantic huff and rested his elbows on the table, his chin cradled in the palms of his hands. He eyed her as though she were a stinky dog that shouldn’t be allowed in the house.
“Sit up straight and mind your manners,” Naomi told him with slightly raised eyebrows.
The boy did as asked, but his glare stayed firmly in place. Abby tried not to squirm beneath his unfriendly gaze and decided that ill-mannered children should be ignored. She instead focused on Ruby and was rewarded for her effort. The girl grinned, showing a bottom tooth missing in front.
“You’re pretty,” Ruby said.
“Danke. So are you,” Abby said, feeling the heat of a blush suffuse her face. She wasn’t used to such praise, even from a child.
“You’re not our mamm. You never will be.” Reuben blurted the words angrily, then scooted back his chair and raced out of the room. The chair toppled to the floor with a loud clatter.
Abby flinched.
“Reuben!” Jakob called, but the boy kept going.
Abby blinked, not knowing what to say.
“I’ll go speak with him.” Jakob stood and walked around the table to set the fallen chair back up, then left the room.
Abby stared at her hands. It was obvious that Reuben didn’t like her. That he felt threatened by her. And if she were going to stay here, she must figure out a way to show him that she meant no harm.
“Where did Reuben and Daed go?” Ruby asked, her little chin quivering.
“Reuben isn’t feeling well. Your vadder will look after him, but he will be fine,” Dawdi said.
The girl accepted this without further complaint.
“It’ll be all right,” Naomi whispered and patted Abby’s shoulder, then set the biscuits in the middle of the table and took her seat.
Dawdi smiled at each person in turn, as though trying to bring a better mood back to the room.
“Let us pray and give thanks to the Lord for the bounty we enjoy each day.” He waited patiently for them to bow their heads.
His words warmed Abby’s heart. She couldn’t help comparing Zeke’s actions with those of her father and brother. Back home, if she didn’t hurry, she could find herself receiving a solid smack with the back of her brother’s hand. There was never any tolerance waiting for children or women in his home.
In unison, they closed their eyes. Silently in her mind, Abby recited the Lord’s Prayer from the New Testament. Then, she quickly thanked Gott for bringing her safely to Colorado and asked that He might comfort Reuben and help her make a successful life here. Everyone at the table released a quick exhale, and Ruby reached for the biscuits. Naomi hopped out of her chair and hurried to pour glasses of milk for them. The woman bustled around, seeing to everyone else’s needs. Abby stood up to help, but Naomi pushed her back into her seat.
“You’ve had a long enough day. Just sit and eat your meal.”
Feeling frazzled and exhausted, Abby sat down.
“How was your ride into town on the bus?” Dawdi asked as Naomi ladled thick soup into his bowl.
“It was long and tiring, but I saw some amazing scenery on my journey. Your mountains are so tall. I’m glad to be here,” Abby said truthfully.
“I’d like to ride on a bus someday, but we only travel by horse and buggy,” little Ruby said.
“Unless we need to travel a great distance, as Abby has done. Then we would take the bus,” Dawdi said.
“Then I want to go on a long trip one day. Then I can ride the bus,” she said.
Dawdi smiled. “I’m sure you will, one day.”
Jakob returned a short time later with Reuben in tow. The boy sniffled, his face and eyes red from crying. He paused beside Abby’s chair and stared at the toes of his bare feet.
“Go on. Do as you were told,” Jakob urged the boy.
Reuben heaved a tremulous sigh. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier.”
Overcome by compassion for the motherless boy, Abby couldn’t resist reaching out and squeezing his arm. The moment she did so, she felt him tense beneath her fingertips, and she removed her hand. He might have apologized, but she could tell he wasn’t really sorry.
“It’s all right. No one could ever replace your good mudder,” she said.
He glanced at her face, as though surprised by her words. Then a glint of suspicion flashed in his eyes. He didn’t say anything as his lips pursed and he took his seat at the table. Keeping his gaze downcast, he ate his meal in silence. And then a thought occurred to Abby. Surely Jakob wouldn’t have beaten the boy into submission. She knew many Amish parents adhered to the spare the rod, spoil the child mantra. But not Jakob. Not the man she’d known and trusted all these years. He wouldn’t do such a thing. Would he? She hadn’t seen him in years and didn’t really know him anymore. Maybe he’d changed. And the thought that she might be the cause of Reuben suffering a spanking, or worse, made her feel sick inside. If so, he now had a viable reason to hate her. And if Jakob had struck the boy, she wouldn’t be able to like him either. Maybe it was a blessing they would not be marrying.
She nibbled a biscuit but had suddenly lost her appetite.
Jakob lifted a spoonful of soup to his mouth. He chewed for a moment, then swallowed. “I’ll start plowing the fields tomorrow, but I don’t want to plant the feed corn too soon. We