Naomi’s Christmas (19 page)

They exchanged places, and he began setting the screws on the opposite end.

“Maybe,” Daad said, but there was a trace of doubt in his voice. “It is a gut quality,
to be persistent when you want something. But…”

“But what?” Nathan’s shoulders tensed. Surely Daad didn’t think he was wrong to want
Naomi to care for the children.

“But we are only human. We can’t always control how things turn out.”

His throat tightened. He knew that better than most people. He’d wanted Ada, he’d
wanted a family, and he’d wanted a gut life for them. But he hadn’t been able to control
the lightning that hit the barn, or the fact that in his absence Ada had been the
one to go into the barn to try to save the horses.

“Having the right woman to care for the kinder is too important to Joshua and Sadie
to leave to chance,” he said, turning the screwdriver so hard that it was a wonder
the board didn’t split.

“I know. But are you sure this is the way to go about it?”

Nathan dropped the screwdriver into his toolbox and faced his father. “Naomi is the
best person for the job. Don’t you agree?”

“Ach, ja.” Daad ran his hand along the molding. “But there
is more to it, ain’t so? What if someday you want to marry? What happens to Naomi
then? It would be like this business with her daad all over again.”

The prospect startled Nathan so that for a moment he was speechless. Then he found
his tongue. “I will never remarry.” His tone was flat and final. He could not share
his life with another woman.

Daad’s gaze was intent on his face. “We don’t know what the future holds. But what
about Naomi, then? What if she should want to marry? Would you deny her that happiness?”

The depth of his surprise at the thought showed Nathan that he had accepted the attitude
of Naomi’s family, their calm assumption that marriage wasn’t for her.

He would sacrifice a great deal for his children, but Naomi’s future wasn’t his to
sacrifice.

“If that should happen, I wouldn’t stand in Naomi’s way.” He knew he sounded stiff,
unnatural even. “Are you thinking that I am being selfish?”

“Not selfish, no.” Daad patted his shoulder. “Just very focused on your own needs.”

He opened his mouth to say that it was the children’s needs, not his own, but he could
hear footsteps on the stairs and picked up his toolbox and held his peace.

“Here you are.” Isaiah poked his head into the room and glanced around. “Looks gut.
Libby wants to know can she start putting some things in the kitchen cupboards. Some
of the sisters have brought dishes and such.”

“Ja, I think the shelves are all cleared out. There’s one latch that’s not working
right.”

“Just needs some oil,” Daad said. “I’ll go and do it.”

Isaiah stepped aside to let Daad by. The house was small enough that two men more
than filled the tiny landing.

“This room is nice,” Isaiah said, glancing around the small bedroom with its sloping
ceiling. “Are you thinking we’ll put the pair of twin beds in here?”

Nathan nodded. “We should have that finished before folks come to help with the moving
in tomorrow.” He hesitated, Daad’s words still hovering in his mind. Maybe he hadn’t
been thinking enough about Naomi. “Your family—will they be coming?”

Isaiah looked down at the toes of his work shoes, his fair skin flushing a little.
Not even the beard kept him from looking like the boy he’d been. “I don’t know. I’m
not sure.”

Nathan’s conscience gave him a kick. “I didn’t want to come between Naomi and her
family.”

“Ach, well, they’ll get over it.” Isaiah shrugged. “There’s talk, I guess, over why
Naomi is willing to take on your kinder when she didn’t want to move in with Lige
and Lovina and do the same.” He used the childhood nickname that annoyed Elijah for
some reason. “I told them that she’d probably rather be working for someone else and
going to her own house at night.” He grinned. “Lige didn’t like that very much, but
Lovina said she could understand.”

“Is Naomi upset about the way they are acting?”

Isaiah shrugged again. “You know Naomi. If she is, she doesn’t show it. Anyway, I
think if Lovina has her way, they’ll be here tomorrow. And Lovina usually does, my
Libby says.”

Nathan nodded. The women probably understood each other more easily than a man could.
“What about your daad?”

“Well, we can’t count on him being here. You know how stubborn he is. Anyway, I wouldn’t
worry about it.” Isaiah stepped back onto the landing. “I’d best go help Libby bring
the dishes over.”

Nathan nodded, following him down the stairs. He’d been determined to make Naomi so
settled here that she wouldn’t think of anything else. Had he let his own needs blind
him to what was best for her?

T
he
small grossdaadi house seemed full to bursting on Saturday with the people who kept
streaming in to help. Naomi’s heart swelled with gratitude at the sight of Leah Glick
and several other friends from their running-around group arriving early, all of them
laden down with baskets and bags. She hurried to the door to greet them.

“Leah, Rachel, it is wonderful gut of you to be here. And Mary Ann and Elizabeth,
as well.” All of them were married now, of course. All of them had families except
for her, but that didn’t make a difference today.

“We have brought some kitchen things,” Leah said. “And some groceries, too. I know
you’ll be cooking over at the farmhouse, but you’ll still want your own kitchen and
pantry to be well-stocked.”

“That’s for sure.” Rachel carried a box filled with what looked to be canned food.
“Point me to the pantry, and I will start organizing these things.”

“Right over here.” Naomi showed her into the small pantry that adjoined the kitchen,
its shelves freshly painted. One section was already filled with her own jars of honey
and the few things she’d brought from Daad’s house. “But you didn’t need to bring
so much.”

Rachel set down the bag and gave Naomi a quick hug. “Everyone wants to make you feel
happy in your new home.”

“It is ser gut of you.” This was almost like setting up a house for a newlywed couple.
Maybe it was a different sort of announcement. Perhaps they felt her move was declaring
her singleness.

She chased that thought away. Her friends were being kind, that was all, just as they
would for anyone moving into a new house.

She went quickly back into the kitchen, leaving Rachel happily organizing the pantry.
There she found Leah arranging dishes in the cabinets.

“Where did the others go?” She started unpacking glasses, removing their newspaper
wrapping.

“Putting linens away,” Leah said. “And indulging their curiosity, I think. They wanted
to see the rest of the house.”

“It’s a nice little place, isn’t it?” Naomi glanced around the kitchen, already beginning
to feel as if it were hers. “Just two rooms down, plus the pantry and the laundry.
And two bedrooms and bath upstairs. Plenty of space for me.”

Leah nodded. “I can vaguely remember, I think, when Nathan’s great-aunt lived here.
He’s kept it in gut shape since then.”

“Ja, for sure.” She began putting glasses in the cabinet to the right of the sink.

“Nice and close to Isaiah and Libby, too.” Leah glanced out the kitchen window, to
where Naomi’s brother’s place stood just across the lane. “They’ll like having you
so close.”

“I hope so.” Naomi glanced at the house as well. “They didn’t exactly have a choice
about it, since both properties belong to Nathan.”

“Ach, you get along fine with those two,” Leah said. She paused, blue eyes questioning.
“Is it any better with the rest of the family?”

Naomi’s throat tightened. “Not really. I had hoped that today…” She let that trail
off. No sense in hoping for the impossible. Daadi did not forgive easily, and maybe
Elijah had decided to follow Daad’s lead.

Leah clasped her hand for a moment. “It will get better,” she said. “Things will settle
down to normal soon.”

Naomi nodded. There wasn’t really anything else to say, and it was hardly fair to
grieve over those who hadn’t come today. She must just be thankful for those dear
friends who had.

Libby came in the door, her cheeks flushed from the cold, saying something back over
her shoulder to Isaiah. The box she carried must have been heavy, because she set
it down with a thump on the table.

“Goodness, what have you brought?” Sliding the last glass in the cabinet, Naomi closed
the door and went to greet her young sister-in-law. Excitement was sparkling in Libby’s
eyes, and maybe it was that feeling, rather than the nip in the air, that had brought
the flush to her cheeks.

“This came yesterday to the house. Isaiah said I should wait until today to bring
it and surprise you. It’s from Anna and Sara.”

“So your sisters didn’t forget you,” Leah said, smiling. “They might be too far to
drop in easily, but they wanted to join us.”

“I didn’t open it, much as I wanted to,” Libby said. “But hurry, Naomi.” She darted
to the counter and came back with a pair of scissors. “Let’s see what they sent.”

Smiling at Libby’s enthusiasm, Naomi slit the tape and pulled the box lid open. She
drew back the tissue paper to reveal the vibrant colors of a quilt.

“How lovely,” Leah said. “A bear paw design.” She stroked the patches. “It must be
from Anna, for sure. She always was so artistic.”

Since Leah had been Anna’s teacher in school, she would remember. Naomi lifted the
quilt out. Sure enough, a note from Anna was tucked inside.

For your new home. Love from Anna.

She stood still for a moment, holding the quilt against her, almost feeling her little
sister’s arms around her neck.

Libby, not waiting for sentiment, was diving into the box, pulling out a stack of
tea towels, pot holders, and quilted place mats. “These are from Sara,” she said,
glancing at the note before passing it over to Leah. “I remember her telling me she
didn’t have the patience to make a whole quilt.”

“Ach, but it was so sweet of her to do these.” Naomi looked at each place mat and
pot holder. Her family had not all lined up with Daadi, it seemed.

Leah raised her eyebrows, as if she knew what Naomi was thinking. “You see, your family
is happy for you.”

“Of course we are,” Libby said, immediately indignant. “Just because…well, never mind.”
She censored herself.
“And I will have my favorite sister-in-law right next door to me.” Her eyes danced.
“Don’t tell the others.”

Leah laughed. “I won’t.”

Nathan and the children came in the back door just then, and the small kitchen was
suddenly very crowded. Before she had time to do more than greet Joshua and Sadie,
Naomi was swept away to make decisions about where the various pieces of furniture
were to be placed, and whether she wanted the rocking chair in the living room or
the bedroom.

The next hour passed in a haze of activity. If she ever figured out where everything
was that someone else had put away, it was going to be a miracle.

She was setting a box of books on top of a bookcase to be sorted through later when
she realized Nathan was standing next to her. She straightened. “Do you need me for
something?”

“Not really. We’re going to set up the big bedroom next, but you may as well stay
out of the way until the bed is put together.” He hesitated. “I just wanted to be
sure everything is all right with you. That I didn’t rush you into something you are
regretting.”

The concern in his eyes caught at her heart. “Denke, Nathan. But I have no regrets.”

“Not even about your family?” He’d lowered his voice, although there was no one else
in the living room to hear.

She sighed, feeling not so much sad as rueful. “Those regrets were there already,”
she said. “They don’t really have anything to do with you.”

His straight eyebrows drew down a little. “Are you sure? I can’t help but see that
Elijah didn’t come today. If he’s resentful—”

“If he’s resentful of my decision, I am sorry. I love him dearly, but I must do what
is right for me.”

“Naomi—” Whatever Nathan was about to say was lost when Isaiah thudded down the stairs.

“We’re ready to set up the bed, Nathan. Are you helping?”

“Coming,” he called, and hurried toward the stairs without another word.

Naomi stood where she was for a moment, lost in thought. Nathan had seemed almost
tentative, which was unusual in someone who was always so sure of himself. All in
all, it was turning out to be a day filled with surprises.

And apparently the surprises weren’t finished, because when she returned to the kitchen,
Elijah and Lovina were just coming in the door.

“I’m sorry we weren’t here earlier,” Lovina said, setting the basket she was carrying
on the counter and lifting the lid to reveal steam coming gently from a casserole
dish inside. “Elijah had to be sure the morning rush was over and he had enough help.”

“Saturday morning is always busy,” Elijah said. He took off his gloves and slapped
them together. “You know that about the store.”

If his voice and his posture were a bit stiff, Lovina more than made up for it with
a cheerful smile and a warm hug.

“Well, we are here now.” Lovina was brisk. “Elijah, I hear hammering upstairs. Why
don’t you go and help?”

He nodded curtly and headed toward the stairs. Lovina’s gaze met Naomi’s.

“He’ll get used to it,” she said. “Don’t let it worry you. Now, komm, let’s get to
work.”

The rest of the morning passed with much coming and going. Naomi didn’t have time
to think about her brother’s attitude, and maybe that was just as well. At least he
was here. She could simply be happy for his presence.

A flurry of snowflakes in the early afternoon caused a sudden exodus, as people realized
the snow might turn into something more than flurries. Naomi was kept busy saying
good-bye and thanking folks, only to suddenly realize that the house was almost empty.