The Quilter's Daughter (13 page)

“I can’t believe we still haven’t had any word on Naomi,” Fannie said to Abby as they sat at the kitchen table cutting lettuce and tomatoes for a tossed salad. This was one thing her mamm could do from a sitting position, and since the swelling in her legs had finally gone down, Abby figured it would be all right.

“I thought from the way Naomi talked, the boppli might be born soon after they got to the hospital,” Abby said.

“Maybe she wasn’t as close as she thought,” Nancy put in from her place at the stove.

Mom frowned, and the wrinkles around her eyes seemed
more pronounced. “Sure hope when my time comes it’ll go quickly.”

“Speaking of your time, what’d the doctor say today? Did they do the ultrasound?” Abby questioned.

Mom nodded. “Jah, but I’d rather wait and tell you the results when Abraham and the rest of the family are here.”

“Is there something wrong with the boppli?” Abby couldn’t help but feel some concern.

Mom reached over and patted Abby’s hand. “Not to worry, dear one.”

Abby set her paring knife aside in order to scratch an irritating itch on her wrist. She didn’t know why she felt so nervous. Maybe it was because she didn’t like to wait for things, especially something as important as the news of her mother’s ultrasound. This had been a day of waiting, and she felt rung out.

“Let’s get the rest of our supper made,” Mom suggested. “As soon as the men come in from the fields I’ll tell you about my appointment.”

Abby resumed her salad making, cutting a few more tomatoes and tossing them into the bowl. She was glad Mary Ann had volunteered to watch Sarah and had taken her outside to blow bubbles. As jittery as Abby felt right now, she wouldn’t have made the best babysitter. She was about to head to the refrigerator for a bottle of salad dressing, when the back door opened and Matthew, Jake, Samuel, and Abraham entered the room. Matthew had gone to the barn after the two of them arrived home from the store, and from the looks of the dirt on the other three men’s clothes, she guessed they must have just come in from the fields.

“Any word on Naomi yet?” Abraham asked as he bent to give Abby’s mother a kiss on the cheek.

She shook her head. “No, but I have some news of my own to share.”

Abraham’s eyebrows shot up. “You’d better not have gone into early labor. The boppli’s not due for three months yet.”

She clucked her tongue. “No need to worry. I’m not havin’ any contractions.”

“That’s a relief.” He dropped into the chair beside her. “So,
tell me what’s on your mind.”

“Would somebody please call Mary Ann? She took Sarah outside awhile ago, and I’d like her to hear my news, too.”

“What about Norman?” Matthew asked. “He’s already gone home for the day.”

“Guess he’ll have to wait ’til tomorrow to hear whatever Fannie has to say,” his daed replied, “because I’m not waitin’ any longer.”

“I’ll go get Mary Ann,” Samuel offered. He scampered out the door and returned a few minutes later with Mary Ann and Sarah at his side.

“Samuel says you’ve called a family meeting,” Mary Ann said. “Is somethin’ wrong?”

Mom wagged her finger. “Not unless you think two bopplin would be wrong.” Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, and she brushed them away.

A muscle in Abraham’s jaw quivered, and he blinked a couple of times. “Two bopplin? What two bopplin—Naomi’s and ours?”

Mom placed one hand against her stomach and smiled. “I’m talkin’ about the two bopplin I’m carryin’ right here.”

“What?”

“
Zwilling
—twins?”

“How do ya know?”

“That’s wunderbaar!”

Everyone spoke at once, until Abraham held up his hands. “Let my fraa tell us the details of this great news.” The adoring look he gave his wife put a lump in Abby’s throat.
He must feel truly blessed.

“As some of you already know, the doctor saw me last week and ordered today’s ultrasound,” Mom said. “He’d wanted me to have one done a few months ago, but I kept putting it off.”

“Why’d he want the test?” Jake asked, as he took a seat at the table.

“Because he’d heard two heartbeats.” Mom patted her stomach. “Now we know why I’ve gotten big so quickly.”

Abby had to admit that her mamm’s stomach had rounded considerably in the last few months, but she figured it was
because she carried a big baby.

“So two babies showed up on the ultrasound? Is that what you’re sayin’, Fannie?” This question came from Matthew, who stood behind Abby’s chair.

Mom nodded and swiped at the tears that had splashed onto her cheeks. “It’s taken me some time to accept the idea of bein’ a mother again, but this news is almost too much to comprehend.”

“Thank the Lord for His goodness,” Abraham exclaimed. “We’re gonna have zwilling!”

A chorus of cheers went up around the room, and no one seemed to hear the pounding on the back door until Abby excused herself to answer it. Caleb’s brother Marvin stepped into the room wearing a huge smile on his face. “It’s another girl! Naomi’s boppli was born an hour ago, and mother and child are doin’ fine.”

Linda was pleased that Beth’s church was within walking distance, because she wasn’t about to ask Jim for a ride. He’d been irritable and impatient with her and Jimmy last night. This morning, when she’d awakened him to say they were leaving for church, he’d nearly snapped her head off. She had tried one more time to get him to go with them, but he’d adamantly refused.

Now, as she and Jimmy walked up the steps to the church, she had second thoughts about her decision.
Maybe I should have only agreed to come to church and not Sunday school. It might have been best to work our way into things.

“There’s Allen!” Jimmy shouted, giving Linda’s hand a tug. “See, right over there.”

Linda turned and saw Beth, Allen, and Beth’s other two boys coming up the sidewalk. A feeling of relief washed over her. She found comfort in seeing some familiar faces.

“I’m glad you could make it,” Beth said, giving Linda a hug. “My husband wanted to meet your husband, but he came down with the flu last night and couldn’t be here this morning.”

Linda swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Jim won’t be here, either. I’m afraid he’s not interested in attending church.”

“Maybe we can plan a barbecue sometime and get our men together that way,” Beth said as they entered the building.

Linda’s only response was a noncommittal shrug. She knew it wasn’t likely that Jim would be willing to get together with her new friend’s family. She couldn’t get him to do much of anything she wanted these days.

“The boys’ Sunday school class is downstairs,” Beth said. “Allen knows the way, so he, Brent, and Ricky can take Jimmy there while we go to our class.”

Linda halted at the top of the steps, clutching her son’s hand.
Am I really ready for this?

“They’ll be fine,” Beth whispered, as though sensing Linda’s reservations.

Linda didn’t admit it to Beth, but she was more nervous about going to the adult Sunday school class than she was about letting Jimmy attend his class without her. He had done well during Bible school and would be going to first grade in the fall, so she was sure he would be okay.

The boys bounded down the stairs, and Linda followed Beth down the hall.
Maybe I should have dropped Jimmy off at church and gone home to be with Jim this morning. We need some time alone, that’s for sure.
She thought about her mother’s comment when they’d gone to Boise to visit her family the last time.
“I can tell things are strained between you and Jim. Have you thought about seeing a counselor before things get any worse?”

Linda had made light of it to her mother that day, but the truth was, she knew her marriage was in trouble. Later she’d mentioned counseling to Jim, but he’d blown up and said she could have her head shrunk if she wanted to, but he wouldn’t be going.

As Linda and Beth entered a large, cheerfully decorated classroom, she forced her thoughts aside and drew in a deep breath to help steady her nerves.

“This is the Young Marrieds’ class,” Beth said with a sweeping gesture. “For the last few weeks we’ve been studying the book of Ruth.”

Linda took a seat at the table next to Beth, and Ray and
Christine Bentley, a middle-aged couple who seemed quite pleasant, introduced themselves as the teachers.

For the next hour, Linda sat in rapt attention as she listened to the biblical account of Ruth and Boaz. She was amazed to learn what a caring man Boaz was and couldn’t get over how Ruth had willingly gone with her mother-in-law to a strange country. By the time class was over, Linda felt a deep yearning to return to Sunday school next week and to read her Bible at home, which she had discovered yesterday near the back of their bookcase.

When she and Beth reached the sanctuary, they met Jimmy and Allen inside the door. Jimmy’s face was flushed and beaded with perspiration.

“If you’re running a fever, son, we’ll have to go home,” Linda said, reaching out to touch his forehead.

“I ain’t sick,” he insisted with a shake of his head.

She pulled her hand back, relieved to discover that his sweaty forehead was actually cool.

“I think the boys are just overheated from playing,” Beth assured her.

Allen nodded. “We always have playtime after the Bible story and snacks.”

“Are you ready for church?” Beth asked, turning to Linda. “Pastor Deming’s sermon and the music during morning worship are always so uplifting.”

Linda nodded, feeling almost hungry for spiritual things. The notion startled her.
If Jim were a better husband, I might not need anything else. But maybe I’ll find what I’m looking for here at this church.

A
bby rubbed her eyes, trying to relieve the gritty, burning sensation. She had worn herself out trying to run the quilt shop and help Mom as much as she could. Since Naomi had given birth to the baby, whom they’d named Susan, Nancy went over to Caleb and Naomi’s place to help out whenever Caleb’s mother wasn’t available.

Cousin Edna dropped by to help Mom as often as she could, and Mary Ann would be around until school started in a few weeks. Even so, Abby felt compelled to pitch in whenever she could. The doctor had cautioned Mom again to stay off her feet as much as possible. But Abby knew how stubborn her mother could be, and she couldn’t help but worry about her and the bopplin she carried. Abby continued to have more of those bad dreams and wasn’t sleeping well, either, which only added to her exhaustion.

“You look tired,” Matthew said, stepping into the quilt shop. “Maybe you should close the place up for the rest of the day and go home so you can get some rest.”

Abby shook her head. “We’re in the middle of tourist season, and there’s much to be done.”

He tipped his head, and a lock of dark brown hair fell over one eye. “Know what I think, Abby Miller?”

“What’s that?”

“You work too hard, worry too much, and concentrate on everyone else’s needs but your own.”

Abby made no comment as she reached for a bolt of material on the shelf overhead. Matthew didn’t understand how
important it was for her to keep Mom’s shop running smoothly.

“When was the last time you did something fun—just for you?” he questioned.