The Love Letters (36 page)

A
week before Marlena planned to leave Brownstown for home, the phone rang. Patricia Munroe was on the line. “Your mother felt strongly that I should be the one to contact you, Marlena,” she told her. “I have some wonderful news.”

Marlena listened, wondering what on earth.

“My nephew's alive! Gordon was wounded but escaped and was rescued. He's well enough to fly back to the States.”

“Oh, what a blessing for your family!” Then, realizing what this meant for Angela Rose, Marlena began to tremble.

“Gordon will come for Angela Rose, of course. I'll contact you soon to let you know when he'll be there.”

“I'll have Angela ready.” Marlena could scarcely get the words out.

“We are incredibly grateful to you, and to your grandmother, Marlena. I know Gordon is thankful, too. You've been very generous with your time.”

“Well, it's been a joy to care for her.”

Thankfully, Patricia didn't linger and said good-bye, then hung up.

Every sorrow of the past months encompassed Marlena, and she slumped down into the chair at the foot of Mammi's kitchen table, unable to quell her tears.

Patricia called again that afternoon to tell when Gordon would be coming. And afterward, Mammi gently insisted that Marlena must not try to be strong and carry around such heartache alone. “Trust our dear Lord Jesus for the peace to bring this to pass with a gentle spirit, my dear. It could be a testimony to Gordon,” Mammi reminded her.

“
Jah,
” Marlena said, praying that her heart would come to match her grandmother's wisdom.

Sarah Mast dropped by hours later with a hot noodle and turkey casserole she'd promised. When Marlena accompanied her back outside to the waiting horse and buggy, she found Luke sitting high in his courting carriage, holding the reins.

“You have been so helpful to me this summer,” Marlena offered, smiling. “
Denki
ever so much for the dinner, Sarah. And I appreciate your listenin' ear, too—both of yous.”

Luke grinned suddenly and quickly looked his sister's way, waiting till she was seated to glance back at Marlena. “We'll miss seein' ya round here, Marlena,” he said, his tone earnest.

“
Jah
, do come back and see us anytime,” Sarah said, lifting her hand to wave.

“Oh, I wish you lived closer,” Marlena said, meaning it for Sarah, but Luke chuckled, and she felt her face go rosy.

Sarah gave her brother a playful prod. “Can we keep in touch?” she asked Marlena.

“I'll write ya, for sure,” Marlena replied, glad at the prospect.

Luke, still smiling, gave her a slow nod, then backed up the horse.

Standing there, she really wanted to call to them—to spend more time. How very dear they'd become to her.
A brother and sister in the family of God!

When she'd watched them head all the way out to the road with more cheerful waves, Marlena returned to the house, where she set to packing some of Angela's things, including bibs and sleeping gowns and handmade booties. She left out the clothes the baby had already outgrown.
So many in the space of less than three months.
Last of all, Marlena carefully folded and wrapped up the crazy quilt, memorizing the random pattern of the pieces from Luella's former dresses.

I pray Angela will cherish this special quilt for always.

The front doorbell rang on the designated Friday afternoon prior to Labor Day weekend. Gordon stood on the porch, his face solemn, wearing tan walking shorts—his left leg bandaged heavily at the knee and a large gash in his forehead. He looked different from when she'd first met him following his marriage to Luella. Marlena couldn't help but think of Luella and how glad
she
would have been to see her young husband back from the war. “Won't ya come in?” Marlena welcomed him into the front room.

Angela was crawling this way, and when she looked up, she rolled up to a sitting position and began to cry. She whimpered through her tears, making babbling sounds that sounded a little like “Maw-ma.” Then, crawling quickly to Marlena, she puckered up her face and raised her little arms to be picked up.

“Wow . . . she's that big already?” Gordon said.

Marlena reached down for Angela Rose, knowing this would be her last chance to hold her. “Your daddy's here to see ya, sweetie. See?” She tried to turn her around to look.

But Angela clung all the more, pressing her chubby face into Marlena's neck and sniffling.

“She's a shy one sometimes,” Marlena explained. “In a little bit, she'll warm up to ya, though.”

“Maybe it's the bandages,” Gordon said thoughtfully. “And she's never seen me before, since I had to leave before she was even born.” He kept his distance, as though hesitant to intrude farther into the room. Tall with deep dimples on either side of his smile, he was very good-looking, and Marlena understood why Luella had been attracted to him.

“Have a seat, if you'd like to stay awhile,” she offered.

He glanced over his shoulder at the car in the driveway. “My parents are waiting, so I'll have to take a rain check, if that's okay.”

“Would they like to come in, too?” Marlena said, aware that Angela Rose was quivering against her.
Does she sense what's coming?

“Thanks, you're very kind,” he said but declined. “If you're ready, I'll start carrying things out to load up the trunk.”

She said she was and watched with apprehension as Gordon reached for the diaper bag and the suitcase Aunt Becky had brought. Marlena hadn't bothered to pack the little dresses or the Amish bonnet.
Angela won't need them now.
She thought again of the pretty crib quilt and her own initials embroidered into the right-hand border,
MAW,
for Marlena Ann Wenger.

While she awaited the inevitable moment, with Angela Rose still snuggled against her, she pleaded with God to help
her not cry when the time came. It might make the parting harder for the little one.

Mammi wandered into the front room just then, and her red eyes proved that she, too, was heavyhearted.

“Does it seem like we're handin' her over to the world?” Marlena had to know.

“We'll keep her in our daily prayers,” Mammi whispered, patting Angela Rose softly. “Oh, little honey-girl, I pray the dear Lord Jesus will go with you all the days of your life. And may you surrender your life to Him at an early age.”

“I prayed that, too,” Marlena said and walked to the window to let Angela see the car and her father opening the trunk. “You're goin' home with your daddy, my little angel.”

When Gordon came again to the front door, Angela began to cry all the harder.

“I wasn't expecting her to respond like this.” He tilted his head to smile at her and touched her little back. Then he asked, “Is there anything I can do to repay you, Marlena? I don't know how my parents or I would have managed without your willingness to help.”

Marlena glanced at her grandmother. “We love your little daughter dearly. You don't owe us anything. Really, it's been a joy and an honor to have her for these few months.” She bit her lip as tears came. “
Ach
, it's hard to say good-bye to her. It truly is.” She leaned her head against Angela's, then kissed her. “
Ich liebe dich, mei Bobbli.
I will miss ya for always.”

Angela Rose looked up and patted Marlena's face, still whimpering, then pressed her button nose against Marlena's.

“It's obvious the two of you are very attached to each other. I'll do my best to let you know how she's doing from time to time.” Then he added that he wanted to make it possible for
Angela to see Marlena and the rest of Luella's family every so often.

“Oh, if you would, we'd all love that. I know I can speak for my parents and siblings, too.”

Mammi nodded her head and dabbed a hankie at her eyes.

“Well, I'd better not prolong this. Thank you again.” He reached for Angela Rose, who tensed up. Her cries escalated to heartbreaking sobs.

“The dear Lord be with ya,” Marlena said, watching him head out the door and across the front lawn toward the car. She couldn't bear to stand there any longer. It felt like her heart was being taken away.

But Mammi bravely stayed put at the window, telling her later that Gordon had given his howling baby to his mother in the backseat before driving quickly down the road.

Late that afternoon, Ellie walked barefoot to the mailbox and found a letter addressed to Mr. Jake Bitner:
AKA, Small Jay
. She smiled, noticing the Arlington, Virginia, return address, and hurried out to the stable, where Roman was showing Small Jay how to curry their largest road horse, rubbing the brush in deep circles into the muscular part of his body, away from his frame.

“Lookee what came in the mail.” She held the letter high.

Small Jay stretched up to reach it. “Must be from Boston and his perty wife.”