Plain Paradise (35 page)

“She did?” Josie lifted her arm and eyed the IV. “I don’t remember much.” She reached for Robert’s hand. “I’m so glad you’re home. So very glad.”

He leaned down and kissed her again. “Me too. And I’m not leaving you again. I don’t care what kind of business presents itself.” Robert hung his head. “I’m so sorry, babe.”

Josie reached up and cupped his cheek with her hand. “It’s all right, honey. I had an amazing time getting to know Linda. And Mary Ellen . . . well, who would have ever thought that we might become friends? She’s a wonderful woman. And Robert, she taught me so much while I was there.”

Robert smiled. “I imagine she did. I bet it was interesting to find out about their ways, live the life for a while.”

“We prayed, she explained some of the
Ordnung
, their way of conduct, and we read the Bible. It was wonderful.”

Robert stopped smiling, and his expression filled with concern. Then he seemed to be forcing a smile. “I’m glad you had a good time.”

“I did.” She paused, seeing the hurt in his eyes. “But I missed you terribly.”

“The doctor said you can go home. They’re sending home yet another new medication that hopefully will help with the seizures.”

“Robert, I want you to get to know Linda.”

“I’d like that.”

“Maybe she can come stay with us some over the next few— few months.”

“Josie, we can do anything you want to do. Anything.” He ran a hand through her tangled hair again. “My precious Josie.”

“She’ll be eighteen in August. And I’ll be praying that I make it to her birthday party.”

Robert tried to hide the shadow that crossed his face, but Josie knew him too well for that.

“That bothers you, doesn’t it?”

“What’s that?”

“That I would mention praying.”

Robert shrugged. “No.”

She intertwined her fingers within his and stared into his eyes. “Do you know that people all over the country are praying for me? I know you don’t believe, Robert, but I think that is just amazing.”

Robert lifted her hand and kissed her fingers tenderly. “Josie, if you think it’s amazing, then I think it’s amazing.”

“Get me out of here.” She grinned. “Take me home and hold me all night long.”

“Deal. We’re just waiting for the nurse to come take out your IV. Then we can go.”

Josie gazed into Robert’s eyes, the love of her life.
Please help him
to believe, God. Even if just a little
.

The door swung open, and the nurse walked in. “I understand someone is ready to go home?”

“Yes! Release me, please.” Josie playfully lifted her hand with the IV up and down.

“You got it.”

With Josie’s IV out, Robert helped her dress and took her home.

Linda pushed herself along on the foot scooter, pumping her leg faster the closer she got to the bridge in Ronks. Stephen had told her he’d left a poem for her there, and sure enough, she saw a pink ribbon as soon as she entered the shade from the covered bridge. She fought to catch her breath and pulled the note from between the slats.

My heart belongs to the recipient of this letter; the one who makes my heart
feel better
.

My emotions for you I cannot hide; as you are the warmth I feel inside
.
Please believe me as this is true; my entire world revolves around you
.

I love you, Stephen

She smiled at Stephen’s gentle words. “I love you too,” she whispered, and she wrote those same words on the note before stuffing it back in place. As much as she loved these exchanges on the bridge, her heart ached for Stephen to propose. She worried that Bishop Ebersol didn’t think she was a suitable choice for a
fraa
, and perhaps Stephen would never get around to asking her to marry him. They’d been dating for over a year and were in love.

It was bothering her more and more, and even though she was only approaching her eighteenth birthday, she was sure she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Stephen. She sighed, then kicked the scooter forward, wishing she’d taken the time to hook the horse to the buggy. This July heat was almost unbearable. Lines of sweat rolled down her cheeks as she continued to Josie’s house. She hadn’t seen Josie in three days, and she knew that tomorrow Josie would get the results from the special test she’d had last week, the test to check the tumor inside her head.

“Hey, there,” Robert said when Linda rolled onto the driveway. “Josie will be so glad to see you. She’s had a great couple of days.”

“
Ach, gut
!” Linda dragged her foot a bit, pulling the scooter to a stop. “What ya doing?”

Robert’s hands were on his hips and he was staring at a leafy green plant in a big red container. “Wondering why this thing looks so sickly. I water it every day since it’s so hot.”

“Maybe it doesn’t need water every day.” Linda propped the scooter up on the stand, then leaned forward. “I reckon I’ve never seen a plant like that.”

Robert chuckled. “Me either. It was actually here when we bought the place.” He lifted his head and pointed toward the front door. “Go on in. Josie’s making a shoofly pie.”

“She learned that from me,” Linda said.

“I’m quite sure I don’t need to eat all the molasses in those things, but I sure enjoy her making them. You’re probably just in time to have a warm slice.” Linda turned to head toward the front door. “Save me a piece,” Robert said.

“I will.”

Over the past few weeks, she’d had time to get to know Robert. He was so good to Josie. He waited on her constantly, went out of his way to make her happy, and just the way he looked at her caused Linda’s heart to fill with anticipation.
I want to live my life
with Stephen like that
.

She entered the house, walked through the living room, and made her way to the kitchen. Josie was just pulling the pie out of the oven.

Linda walked to Josie’s side as Josie placed the pie on a cooling rack. “Smells
gut
.”

“Linda!” She threw her arms around her. “I’m so glad you stopped by. You’re just in time for pie.”

“Robert said you’ve had a
gut
couple of days. I’m glad.”

Josie eased out of the hug, then studied her pie. “A very special young lady showed me how to make the perfect shoofly pie, so let’s have a piece.” She paused. “And yes . . . it’s been a great couple of days.”

Linda nodded and went to the cabinet where she knew the plates were stored, and she pulled out two small ones. Josie sliced the pie, and they took a seat at the kitchen table. They both bowed their heads in silent prayer, and Linda added an extra special one for Josie.
Please God, leave her with me for a long time
.

“This air-conditioning feels so
gut
.” Linda took a bite of her pie, then grinned.

Josie chuckled. “I have to admit, I never appreciated air-conditioning so much until recently. Stay as long as you like.”

“Tomorrow you find out about your test, no?” Linda tried to sound upbeat as she made the statement, but Josie’s expression soured just the same.

“Yes. The results from my MRI. They’ll be able to tell how fast the tumor is growing.” Josie shrugged. “Whatever. I feel good today, so I’m going to enjoy it.”

Linda watched Josie shoveling the rest of the pie into her mouth. “I guess you do feel better.” She brought her hand up to stifle a giggle.

Josie chuckled. “Think I’ve put on a few pounds too.”

Linda didn’t want to focus on anything negative. For now, she was going to pretend that Josie would be around forever. “Guess what?”

“What?” Josie put her plate in the sink, then returned to the table.

“My birthday party is in two and half weeks.
Mamm
wanted me to tell you to come over at four o’clock that day, Saturday. She’s going to make meatloaf. All my aunts and uncles and cousins will be there too.
Ach
, she’s also making yellow cake with chocolate icing. My favorite.”

Josie’s face shriveled up until she looked like she might cry.

“What’s wrong?” Linda reached across the table and touched her hand.

Josie sniffed. “I’m just incredibly grateful to be included. This year, I’ll get to see you blow out your candles.” Then she gasped. “You do blow out candles, right?”

Linda giggled. Englisch
folks, they can never keep things straight
. “
Ya
. We have birthday parties just like everyone else. Cake, candles, and homemade ice cream. We’re making vanilla ice cream. Luke and Matt will take turns churning the ice cream during the afternoon, like I do when it’s one of their birthdays.”

“And singing?”

“
Ya
, singing too.”

Josie smiled. “It will be a wonderful day.”

Linda gazed into Josie’s eyes, eyes still filled with happy tears.
Please God, don’t let anything happen to her before my birthday
.

Stephen pulled the buggy to a stop in front of his house and wished he could see Linda’s face one of the times she read his notes from the bridge. As he stepped down from the buggy, he heard wagon wheels churning the gravel on the driveway, and he turned to see his grandfather pulling up to the house.

Daadi
pulled beside Stephen, but didn’t get out of the buggy, so Stephen walked closer.

“Hello,
Daadi
. Are you here for supper?”

“No, I was just on my way home from Bird-In-Hand, and I saw you pulling in.” He stroked his long gray beard. “How are things at the Huyard home? I understand the
Englisch
woman is back at her home, no?”

“
Ya
, she is.”

“This pleases me, as I don’t think it was appropriate for her to be their guest. Too complicated.” He shook his head.

Stephen took a deep breath and smiled, too tired to argue with his grandfather.

“Does Linda plan to continue a relationship with this woman?”

“That
woman
is her birth mother. I reckon so.” Stephen’s heart started pounding in his chest the moment he made the wise comment, and he could tell by the look on
Daadi’s
face that his statement was not well received.

His grandfather narrowed his eyes in Stephen’s direction. “I was against Mary Ellen and Abe adopting Linda for reasons such as this. Linda is a fine
maedel
, but I worried something like this would happen, the girl’s
mamm
showing up to claim her.”

“She’s not claiming her, just being friends with her.”

Daadi’s
forehead wrinkled with concern. “We all have
Englisch
friends, Stephen, but this is not the same. Are you sure that Linda still plans to be baptized into the faith?”

“
Ya
. For sure she is.”

Stephen knew his parents didn’t have any concerns about Linda, but he worried his grandfather might persuade them.

“Even before this woman entered Linda’s life, I heard many stories of Linda stretching her
rumschpringe
to the limit. Much time at the movies and malls with
Englisch
girlfriends. It wonders me if she will be able to stay on course with her studies of the
Ordnung
.”

Stephen fought the anger building, but also realized he’d been guilty of having these same thoughts where Linda was concerned. But that was in the past.

“
Daadi
, Linda will not stray from her faith, even if she is friends with Josie. I’m sure of it.” Stephen recalled briefly the scene with Linda wearing Josie’s blue jeans, but quickly wiped it from his mind.

His grandfather tipped back the rim of his straw hat with his thumb. “I hope you’re right.”

I know I’m right
.

If that was the case, why couldn’t he bring himself to propose to Linda? He’d gotten up his nerve once, only to have her disappoint him.

“Besides,
Daadi
. . .” Stephen looked down and kicked the gravel with one foot. “Josie is sick.”

“
Ya
, I know. God’s peace be with her.”

Stephen knew how much Josie’s passing was going to affect Linda, and he was planning to be by her side.

“
Ya
, God’s peace be with her,” Stephen echoed.