The Harvest of Grace (41 page)

Beckie didn’t want Mamm or Daed or any of their sisters to know what had happened between Elam and Sylvia. Sylvia didn’t ask why, but she hoped that the reason had more to do with keeping peace among the family than personal embarrassment on Beckie’s part. Maybe her little sister was finally maturing.

Sylvia had spent two days thinking about her future and Aaron. She knew without a doubt what she wanted. “Daed.”

He propped his arm on the back of the porch swing he and Mamm shared. “What’s on your mind?”

“I’m going home in a few days.”

“This is home.”

“It’s the home I grew up in. And I’ll keep it in my heart every day. But it’s not
my
home. Remember when I was little, you’d always say, ‘Someday you’ll have a home of your own’?”

“I want you here. We can make this work.”

“No, Daed.” As she spoke, she could feel the impact Aaron had had on her. “Just because you want something from me, that doesn’t mean it’s reasonable to expect it.”

Lilly squeezed her hand. “Hmm, I think those words must be from the book of Aaron.”

She and Lilly had stayed up late last night talking, and Sylvia had told her all about Aaron.

“You shouldn’t have insisted I stay here after Elam married Beckie,” Sylvia said. “I
needed
to go.”

Daed glanced at Mamm before nodding. “I’ve had time to think while you’ve been gone. I was trying to keep my family together and all my daughters safe.” He shrugged, looking pained that he’d lost the battle. “But now I can see that sometimes home isn’t the best place for a daughter to be.” He sighed. “So is the Blank farm home from now on?”

“No.”

“What?” He frowned. “Then where are you going?”

“Wherever Aaron goes. If he’ll have me.”

Lilly squealed. “I thought you must be in love with him.”

Sylvia knew she might have quite a road ahead of her to win him over. It might take a good bit of patience, but Aaron was worth it. “We’ll most likely live above an appliance store, at least for a while.”

“You hate stores,” Mamm said. “You’re barely willing to go in a store to sell yogurt or pick up an item or two. You’ve never bought fabric because it takes too long to pick it out, and you feel sick by the time we’re through.”

“I’ll use my will to get over it or ask a doctor for an allergy pill or something. It has to be something like fumes or dyes that bother me, right?”

Daed smiled that gentle, knowing smile that defined him so well. “You’re determined. I see it in your eyes. You go, Sylvia. Wherever you land, we’ll come visit you when we can.”

Forty

Sylvia had called Ephraim’s shop early Monday morning and left a message for Trevor to pick her up today, Tuesday, as soon as his morning chores were done. That would put her back on the farm in time to have lunch at the Blanks’ table. If Aaron was still on the farm, she imagined they’d set aside farm work for the afternoon, take a long walk, and talk until time to milk the cows that evening. If he’d already moved to Owl’s Perch, she’d go there.

Either way, she intended to talk to him today, to apologize and pledge to help him make a success out of the appliance store—if he’d have her. She didn’t have any skills to offer him that would be useful off the farm, but she’d do her best to learn.

Mamm sat in the rocker next to her, shelling peas. Her Mamm found shelling peas as relaxing as Sylvia did taking baths. All her sisters were nearby, on the porch or in the yard, waiting to tell her good-bye. Beckie and Elam sat on the steps, holding hands while watching their twins play. The three of them hadn’t handled a lot of things right, but healing had begun—thanks to Aaron.

She couldn’t wait to tell him.

Daed came out of the house with a glass of water. He motioned for Lilly to get up. When she did, he took her place next to Sylvia.

Daed put his arm on the back of the swing and laid his fingers on her shoulder. “Girls,” he said, and all her sisters immediately turned to look at him. “Go play or something. I want to talk to Sylvia.”

They quickly dispersed. Beckie and Elam went for a stroll toward Mamm’s vegetable garden, each one holding a twin’s hand.

Her Daed reached into his pocket and pulled out two folded checks. “I shouldn’t have kept your wages this long. You know it’s typical for parents to keep the largest portion of earnings throughout their child’s teen years. I had no right to keep holding the money from you this long, but I was afraid you’d take it and move off. Since you’re determined to leave either way.” He passed her one check.

Sylvia unfolded it and about jumped out of her skin. “Thirty-five thousand dollars?”

“It only amounts to a little over two hundred dollars a month for all those years you worked this place seven days a week, from the time you graduated from the eighth grade until six months ago.”

“Ya, but during that time you gave me some spending money each month.”

“I’m glad you’re pleased.”

Her Daed didn’t like to talk finances with a woman, so she’d wait and ask Aaron if she owed taxes on it.

Daed passed her the second folded check. “It’s also time Elam and Beckie paid a little rent on that house you inherited. Not much, mind you, but say a hundred and fifty dollars a month?”

“That sounds great.” She opened the check. It was signed by Elam and was for … five thousand dollars. She almost choked. “Back rent?”

“Ya.”

“Wow. I should’ve come home sooner.”

Her Mamm stopped shelling peas. “I wish you had. He held his ground, not allowing us to write or visit you so you’d miss us and want to come home, and all the while he’s been a grizzly bear to live with.”

“Susie Mae, do you have to tell everything you know?” Daed asked Mamm.

“It’s true,” she said.

“I didn’t say it wasn’t.” Daed rubbed the back of Sylvia’s neck, silently letting her know that he loved her. “Later on we’ll figure out something about your portion of the farm. Rent it from you. Pay dividends. Buy it. Something.”

Too excited to contain herself, Sylvia wrapped her arms around him. “Denki.”

Her father held her. She knew he didn’t want to let her choose her own path, yet he’d given her the funds to do just that. She rose and embraced her Mamm before returning to the porch swing. She rubbed the checks between her fingers. This money would keep Aaron from owing so much on the appliance store. Then he’d have an easier time meeting the monthly bills. That always made life more pleasant.

Or he might want to use it to pay off the extra loans on his parents’ farm so it’d be easier to sell.

She couldn’t wait to see him, but she had so much she needed to tell him that she wasn’t sure what to say first or how to say it.

Gratefulness and relief filled her. Aaron had been right—she’d asked God to forgive her, and He had.

Today, as she reaped a harvest of grace, she felt forgiven. While sitting on the porch swing, gently swaying back and forth with her Daed beside her, waiting to return to Aaron and make things right, her heart cried
thank you
to God time and again. She was forgiven.

Trevor pulled into the driveway.

“My ride’s here,” Sylvia called out.

A stampede of young women and fast-growing girls hurried to the front yard.

Trevor jumped out and took her overnight bag. “Morning.” He barely glanced at her before putting her suitcase in the trunk.

The next few minutes were a blur of hugs, farewells, and promises to write and visit. Her Daed held her for nearly a minute before opening the car door and saying good-bye.

She waved out the window to her family until she could no longer see them. Then she turned toward Trevor. “So what’s going on at the farm?”

He grimaced and fidgeted with the steering wheel.

“What’s wrong? Did we lose Charlotte or her calf?”

He shook his head. “Mom and calf are fine. It took me awhile to finish the milking and feed the calves, that’s all.”

“You did all that by yourself?”

“Yeah. Michael hurt his back, and … Aaron wasn’t available.”

A nervous chill ran through her. “What does
not available
mean?”

“Can’t say exactly.” Trevor shook his head.

Disquiet ruffled her insides. “Trevor, don’t do this. Is something wrong?”

“I’m under orders to keep my mouth shut, but Michael will tell you everything you need to know.”

Nausea rolled through her. She’d been unfair to Aaron and then walked off. Had he left the farm for good and Michael didn’t want Trevor telling her? Was it possible Aaron had started drinking again? There’d certainly been enough stress on him lately to tempt him. They rode in silence, but Trevor seemed anxious. He pulled into the driveway.

“Go on up to the main house,” she said.

“Let’s drop your stuff off first.” He turned onto the small lane that went to her cabin. She waited in the car while he stopped, got out her suitcase, and set it on the porch.

A stranger came around the corner of her house, spotted her, and retreated. She got out of the car and called to him. “Excuse me.”

The man didn’t return, but she heard a noise inside her cabin. She hurried up the steps and ran in. There were muddy shoe prints everywhere.

“Hello?” She followed the sound of dripping water and walked to her bathroom. New tile. New cabinets. New sink. Same beautiful old tub.

She ran her hand along the teal and beige tile. “Trevor?” She turned toward the hallway. “Tre—”

She gasped. Aaron stood there, so tall and strong.

“Aaron!” She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m so, so sorry.”

He held her. “Me too.”

“I was so scared. Trevor wouldn’t tell me anything.”

“I wanted to surprise you. Do you like it?”

“Yes, of course.” She took a deep breath before letting him go. “I have something for you.” She pulled the folded checks out of her hidden apron pocket and placed them in the palm of his hand. “This is to go toward your purchase of the appliance store.”

He opened them. “Where … But …”

“It’s back pay and back rent. My Daed wanted me to stay, but I told him I had to go home, and that home is wherever you are.”

Aaron’s eyes grew large. “I … I wasn’t expecting.” He put his arms around her. “I got my money back from Leo, all but a thousand dollars, and he’s put the store up for sale again.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I realized that this farm means too much to me to give it up and walk away. It’s home.”

“But …”

“So much happened while you were gone. Daed saved my life.”

“He did? How?”

“It’s quite a story. I’ll tell you all about it later. But after he rescued me, we talked. He opened up and apologized, and I could feel how deep his sorrow ran. Like mine did after I got sober.”

“I’m so glad.” Tears stung her eyes. “But it doesn’t mean we have to stay here. I don’t care where we live, as long as we’re together.”

“You really missed me.” He cradled her face, looking a little baffled by that realization.

“I did.”

“Daed was afraid that once you got to Path Valley, you’d have to stay there. I told him you’d be back, that nobody could keep you from this farm.”

“Nothing and nobody could keep me from
you.
”

His hands were warm on the sides of her neck as his thumbs caressed her face. “I want to stay here. Even before your money, we had enough to revamp and start fresh. If you want to add yours, we can—”

She placed her fingers over his lips, stopping him from saying anything else. “Forget the farm, Aaron. Be here with me, just us and nothing else.”

He drew her close. “Sylvi, will you marry me?”

She leaned in, her lips inches from his. “You know I will.”

E
pilogue

At the edge of the yard, Cara paused under a canopy of golden leaves, soaking in the remnants of her wedding. Her day had begun at sunrise. Now stars twinkled. The cool October air smelled delicious and earthy. Conversations and laughter carried on the breeze as the last of the wedding guests departed in their horse-drawn carriages, leaving only family and the closest of friends.

Nine hours ago, under crystal blue skies, Ephraim had walked her down the aisle between rows of borrowed chairs set up in his Daed’s backyard. Before the bishop they vowed their lives to each other. Ephraim said it was the first outdoor Amish wedding he’d ever heard of, but the church leaders allowed it, and it couldn’t have been a more gorgeous day.