The Amish Quilter by Mindy Starns Clark

Author:Mindy Starns Clark
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780736962957
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

ELEVEN

The next morning Stephen and I rode our scooters over to Sadie’s long before the sun came up, the way we did every morning now. I yawned several times. I’d hardly slept at all. I felt as if my heart were shriveling, which physically hurt.

Isaac was already in the barn with the lights on, heading toward the far door to let in the first of the cows. He turned and waved at us before continuing on his way. We all worked in silence, including Stephen. I wondered if he sensed something was wrong.

When we’d finished, I told Isaac goodbye. He stood for a moment looking at me.

“What?” I asked.

“Could we talk?”

“I need to go check on Sadie,” I said, not meeting his eyes.

Stephen waved and headed toward home, most likely hungry for his breakfast. As Isaac and I left the barn and then turned in different directions, Whisper rubbed up against my leg. I bent down and scooped him up, holding him for just a moment, but then he squirmed and jumped down, running after Isaac.

When I reached Sadie’s house, Bobby was in the highchair and the girls were still in their nightgowns. Sadie wore her robe, and she had dark bags under her eyes. Bobby began to fuss, and I stepped toward him. He put his arms up, and I lifted him out of his chair.

“How are you?” I asked Sadie.

“Sick again today,” she said.

“Have you been to the doctor yet?”

She shook her head.

“When do you plan to go?”

“Soon.” She turned toward the table and the box of crackers. “Could you serve the girls’ their oatmeal?”

I did that as I held Bobby and then dished up a bowl for him too while Sadie sat at the table, nibbling on a cracker. The girls ate their breakfast without saying anything as I fed their baby brother. “Have you told Mamm?” I asked Sadie.

She shook her head.

“Have you told anyone but me?”

She nodded, glancing at the girls. They were both staring straight ahead as they ate, not paying us any attention.

“I told Jedediah,” she said in a low voice.

That surprised me. “What did he say?”

“He’s worried.”

“About?”

“Me. My health. He’s afraid grief will affect…” Her voice trailed off, and I didn’t press the matter.

I stayed while Sadie and the girls got dressed. Then I changed Bobby and played with him for a bit. A little while later I handed him over to his mother and said, “I have to go. I start work at ten.” I headed toward the door, and she followed me out onto the porch, into the bright sunshine.

“Oh, wait,” she said. “Tell me about your trip to Philadelphia. I had no idea you were going until Mamm told me.”

“It was fine,” I said, feeling humiliated again.

Sadie’s eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong?”

I sighed. I didn’t want to go through the whole thing, but I did have one question for her. “Why did you tell Isaac I knew he’d been married before?”

“Because you did.”

I shook my head. “Well, I do now. But I didn’t.

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