The Gift (41 page)

Dianna parked her bicycle and joined Leah by the clothesline, where she was removing her clean laundry.

“It’s good to see you. What brings you by here today?” Leah asked.

Dianna smiled and gave Leah a hug. “Can’t a mother drop by to see her daughter without there being a reason?”

“Of course.” Leah placed one of the little girls’ dresses in the basket. “I just thought maybe you came by for a special reason.”

“I did. Came to see you.” Dianna playfully tweaked the end of Leah’s nose, like she’d done many times when Leah was a child. “So, how are you doing?”

Leah dropped her gaze to the ground. “Just trying to get these clothes off the line. I left them hanging outside all night.”

“I can see that. But I didn’t ask what you were doing; I asked how are you doing?”

“Okay, I guess.”

“Just okay? You’re a new bride, for goodness’ sake. You ought to be smiling from ear to ear.”

When Leah made no comment, Dianna felt concerned. “Is something wrong, Leah? You look unhappy this morning.”

“I am unhappy, Mom.” Leah glanced at Carrie playing with Coal on the porch, and lowered her voice. “When I told Adam yesterday morning that Priscilla would be coming by for a foot treatment, he said he didn’t want me doing that anymore.”

“Really? Why not?” Dianna could hardly believe Adam would object.

“He didn’t explain. Just said he didn’t want me doing it anymore, and then he left for work.”

“Don’t you think you ought to find out the reason for his request?”

“Jah, but I don’t want to do it in front of the kinner. They don’t need to hear Adam and me involved in a disagreement—especially now that we’re married.”

Dianna shook her head. “I should say not.” She was tempted to say more on the subject but decided it would be best to let Leah and Adam work out their differences. It might be that after Adam had time to think about it, he would change his mind.

“I’ll help you get the clothes off the line,” Dianna said, reaching up to remove another dress.”

“Danki.”

Dianna remained quiet as she and Leah finished the job. When they stepped onto the porch, Carrie announced that she was hungry.

“Guess it is about time for lunch,” Leah said. “Would you like to stay and join us, Mom? Thought I’d reheat some chicken noodle soup I made for supper last night. Does that sound good to you?”

“That’d be nice.” Dianna smiled. “While you’re doing that, I’ll fold the clothes and put them away.”

“Come on, Coal. You can come inside, too.” Leah held the door open until Coal walked through.

Dianna followed Leah and Carrie into the house, and when they went to the kitchen, she took the clothes to the dining room, where she placed them on the table to fold. Once that was done, she carried Adam’s trousers down the hall, remembering that when she’d been watching the girls, Linda had mentioned that her uncle’s room was downstairs.

Dianna stepped into the bedroom and opened the closet door to hang up the trousers.
Now that’s sure strange. Where are all of Leah’s dresses?
she wondered, looking around.

Going to the dresser, she opened each of the drawers, but there was nothing in any of them to indicate that Leah shared this room with her husband.
What in the world is going on here? Could Leah have moved her things to one of the rooms upstairs because she was upset with Adam after he’d said she couldn’t practice reflexology? Should I say something to Leah about this or just let it go? If Leah and Adam are having marital problems, she may need someone to talk to about this. Maybe I’d better discuss it with Alton first and see what he thinks I should do.

During lunch, Leah chatted with Mom about the usual things going on with her friends and how some of the stores in Arthur were having preholiday sales.

When Carrie finished eating, she went to the living room to be with Coal, who had bedded down by the fireplace. “Since Carrie’s in the other room, now’s a good time for me to tell you what happened yesterday.”

“What was that?” Mom asked.

Leah explained how Carrie had run off and how frantic she’d been when she couldn’t find her. “Even when I realized that Coal was with her, I was still scared.” Leah continued to explain the details of how Carrie and the dog came back and how Adam had allowed the dog to come in the house last night.

“I would have done the same thing myself,” Mom said. “And I’m pleased to hear that everything worked out okay.”

Leah was about to say more, when Carrie yelled for them to come quick. Thinking something must be seriously wrong, Leah jumped up and hurried into the living room. There stood Carrie by the fireplace, giving the dog her own performance of making shadow figures on the wall.

When Cora got off work that afternoon, she headed straight for Adam’s store. She’d gone there yesterday, but because she worked later than usual, by the time she’d arrived, the hardware store was closed.

As she drove along, she noticed a horse and buggy pulled off to the side of the road. An Amish man with his back to the road was squatted down by the buggy wheel, as though there might be a problem.

Cora pulled in behind the buggy and got out of the car. “Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked.

When the man turned around, Cora felt as if her heart had stopped beating. She’d seen him at the hardware store the day she’d gone looking for lightbulbs and an extension cord. She had seen him again a week ago, when he’d stood before the bishop with Leah, saying his wedding vows.

“I appreciate you stopping, but I don’t think there’s much you can do,” he said.

He doesn’t recognize me. He has no idea I’m his mother.
Cora moved closer to Adam. “You don’t know who I am, do you?”

He stared at her several seconds. “Oh, now I remember. Aren’t you the lady who came into my store a week or so ago, looking for lightbulbs?”

“Yes, Adam, that was me.”

He blinked rapidly. “How do you know my name? Don’t think I introduced myself when you came into the store.”

Barely able to get the words out, Cora murmured, “My name is Cora. I’m your mother.”

A
dam’s throat tightened as he stared at the person claiming to be his mother. She was the same woman who’d come to his store, but he hadn’t recognized her then, nor did he now. “You’re not my mother,” he mumbled, forcing himself to look into her eyes. “A real mother would not have abandoned her own flesh-and-blood children.”

Cora reached out her hand but pulled it back when Adam moved aside. “I know what I did was wrong, and I—”

Adam held up his hand. “I don’t want to hear your excuses, because that’s all they would be, excuses. A real mother loves her children and wants to be with them. A real wife doesn’t run off and get a divorce for no reason.” Adam’s hands shook as he dropped his arms to his sides. “Didn’t the vows you took when you married Dad mean anything?”

“I thought they did at the time, but then things changed.”

“You mean
, you
changed! One day you were my mother who wiped my nose when I had a cold and created hand shadows on the wall when I was afraid of the dark. The next day you were gone.” Adam gulped in a breath of air. “You never returned or kept in touch with me or my sister.”

“I know how it must seem, but if you’d just let me explain—”

“I’m not interested in your explanation. Nothing you could say or do would ever make up for all those years that you were not a part of our lives.”

Tears welled in Cora’s eyes, but Adam felt no pity. Why should he? Had she felt pity for him or Mary when they’d called out for their mother and cried themselves to sleep so many nights? Did she care that she’d not only broken her husband’s heart but had also left him to raise their children alone?

“You’re not welcome here.” Adam motioned to her car. “You left me and my sister by your own choice. Now I’m asking you to leave again, but this time it’s my choice.”

Cora shook her head determinedly. “I can’t do that, Adam. I lost you once. I won’t let that happen again.”

“You lost me?” His jaw clenched so tightly it was a miracle he didn’t break a tooth. “You didn’t lose me. You threw me away! If you don’t leave Douglas County, I’ll have no choice but to take my family and move.”

Cora gasped. “Oh no, Adam. Please, don’t do that. I have a new job here, and it’s given me a new start. I promise I won’t bother you or try to force myself on you at all. If the day ever comes that you reconsider and allow me to be a part of your life, then—”

“That will never happen!” Adam turned away abruptly. “Now please go.”

As he moved back to his buggy, Adam heard her car door open. When the engine started, he let out his breath in relief. Even if Cora didn’t come around or try to see him and the girls, she’d still be in the area, and Adam would no doubt see her from time to time. He wasn’t sure he could deal with that painful reminder of the past and be constantly looking over his shoulder for fear of running into her again. It might be better for him and the girls if he did leave Arthur, and it would serve Cora right!

“Alton, I need to speak to you about something,” Dianna announced when she arrived home from Leah’s that afternoon.

Alton set his newspaper aside. “What is it, Dianna? You look umgerennt.”

She took a seat on the couch beside him. “I am upset. I was at Adam and Leah’s today, and when I went to put some clothes in their bedroom, I discovered that none of Leah’s things were there—only Adam’s.”

Alton gave his beard a quick tug. “Are you sure about that?”

She nodded.

“Did you talk to Leah about it?”

“No, I wanted to discuss it with you first.” Dianna sighed. “Leah said something while I was there that troubled me, too.”

“What was that?”

“She said that Adam asked her to stop doing reflexology.”

Alton’s expression turned grim. “Did she say why?”

“No, but it got me to thinking that if Leah is upset with Adam about this, maybe she moved her things out of their room and is sleeping upstairs in the guest room or with one of the girls.”

Alton crossed his arms. “I’m thinking maybe I should have a little talk with our new son-in-law. Find out why he doesn’t want Leah doing foot treatments anymore. I’m also going to ask how come they are sleeping in separate rooms.”

“Oh, dear.” Dianna clutched the folds in her dress. “I hope Adam won’t think you’re interfering in things that are none of your business.”

Alton’s knuckles whitened as he clasped his hands tightly together. “Anything that concerns our daughter is very much my business.”