Chapter 29
ARE YOU SURE YOU DON’T mind me going home earlier than originally planned?” Emma asked her grandmother the following morning.
Grandma slipped an arm around Emma’s waist. “As your grandpa and I expressed to you last night when you told us what Ivan had said, we completely understand your reason for returning to your parents’ home now.
Of course, we will miss you, but we shall keep in touch through letters, and hopefully we can come to visit you and your family soon. ”
Emma heaved a lingering sigh. “I feel so bad leaving you—especially with your back issue and you not being able to do all of your chores.”
“Now don’t you worry about me. I’ll be fine, and what I’m not able to do, your grandpa will take care of. So we’ll get along okay, just like we did before you came to stay with us.”
Emma sniffed as tears rolled down her cheeks.
She would miss her grandparents very much, but the remembrance of time spent with Ivan would be even more painful.
Emma was sure she would never love anyone the way she did him.
It would probably be a long time before her strong feelings for Ivan would pass.
A horn tootled from outside, and Emma knew it must be her driver.
It was time to say goodbye to her grandparents.
It was time to head for home and somehow move on with her life.
She gave Grandma and Grandpa a tight hug, and then Grandpa grabbed her suitcase and tote bag while Emma scooped up her dog before heading out to the vehicle.
She looked back and saw Grandma waving, and the sadness that came over Emma was unlike any she’d ever known.
Luellen stood on the front porch with Marlin, watching as Emma’s driver, Holly, backed her vehicle out of the driveway and onto the road. A lump formed in Luellen’s throat, and she swallowed hard, trying to push it down.
“We’re gonna miss our precious granddaughter, that’s for sure,” she murmured. “I’ll even miss that pesky mutt she ended up calling her own.”
“Jah, and I’m glad she could take Fawn with her. I’m sure the dog will offer some needed comfort to Emma in the days ahead.”
Marlin rested his hand on Luellen’s shoulder and gave it a few tender pats. It was the comfort she sought in the moment while watching the car disappear from sight. She’d become used to Emma’s company and would miss her so much.
“When things had become serious between Emma and Ivan, I’d begun to think there was a possibility that our granddaughter might stay here in Arthur permanently,” Luellen said with a catch in her voice. “Wasn’t it silly of me to hope for that?”
“Not at all. It would have been nice, and I’d hoped for that too, but I guess it was not meant to be,” Marlin responded.
Luellen lifted a shaky hand to dab at the tears on her cheeks. “I can hardly believe how things turned out.”
“Jah, well, it’s all Ivan’s fault. He brought this on by making a foolish decision during his rumspringa.”
“You’re right,” Luellen agreed, “but at least he owned up to it and didn’t run from the problem. I’m sure there are a lot of young men—even among the Amish—who would have denied their role in creating a baby and run from the situation, leaving the poor mother to raise the child.”
“I suppose that’s true. Even so, it’s hard to see Emma hurting so badly over this ordeal.” Marlin groaned. “Our sweet granddaughter deserves better than that.”
“True, but life doesn’t always give us what we want.
And moving forward, we must learn to accept the bad with the good and try to make the best of whatever comes our way.
” The skirt of Luellen’s dress swished as she turned away from the porch railing.
“Well, we can’t stand out here for the rest of the day feeling sorry for ourselves.
I need to get busy with something, which I hope will take my mind off the sadness I feel right now. ”
“I agree,” he said with a nod. “But my question now is do you have any idea what kind of busyness either of us should be doing today?”
“No, not really, but I’m sure we’ll find something meaningful to do. After all, neither of us has ever been one to sit around all day and do nothing.”
“That’s true enough—even when your back is painful you still manage to do a few things around here.” He lifted a finger. “And by the way—how do your back muscles feel today?”
“Not too bad. I think the chiropractor’s adjustment really helped.”
“I’m glad. We’ll make sure that you get regular appointments with him.”
Luellen appreciated Marlin’s concern for her well-being. Not all husbands were as attentive as he was.
After heading into the house, with tears still trickling down her cheeks, Luellen plodded down the hall to her sewing room.
She hoped that someday Emma would find a man as loving and caring as the man God had blessed her with.
Luellen paused to whisper a silent prayer for her granddaughter.
Lord, please bless Emma and fill her life with joy again.
If it be Your will, bring the right man into Emma’s life.
When the prayer ended, Luellen determined that she would pray for Emma every single day. Of course, she would be praying for Rachel too. Both of their granddaughters deserved to find good husbands, have children, and enjoy a happy, fulfilled life.
Terre Haute, Indiana
“Well, we’ve made it to the state line now, but we still have a good many hours left to go,” Holly called over her shoulder. Emma had opted to sit in the back seat of the station wagon so she could be near her little dog, who’d been stuck in a cage.
“You’re okay, little Fawn. Just lie down and relax,” Emma said soothingly when the dog began to whine. “Once we get to my home, you’ll be free to run and play in the yard.” Although Emma knew her pet didn’t understand her words, she felt sure that Fawn recognized the soothing tone of her voice.
“You really like your furry friend, don’t you?” Holly asked as she looked at Emma through the reflection of the rearview mirror.
“Yes, I do.” She stroked the dog’s nose through the slats in the cage and was rewarded with a slurp from Fawn’s pink tongue as she licked Emma’s finger. Emma didn’t mind, though. The dog’s attention was a healing balm to her wounded soul.
As Emma rested her head against the side window, she observed the surrounding landscape of crops and pastures that blurred together.
It still didn’t seem real that she could be heading home several weeks earlier than planned, and the only thing she had to show for the time away from home was the ability to cook and quilt.
She had never fully mastered the art of using her grandmother’s treadle sewing machine, but at least she could get by with needle and thread.
And it didn’t really matter whether she was equipped to be some man’s wife or not, because for Emma, the thought of marriage was impossible.
Once Fawn settled down and fell asleep, Emma leaned heavily against the seat back, hoping to drown out all her thoughts with much-needed sleep.
She tried focusing on the whirring of the tires and the faint vibration of Holly’s vehicle.
Sleep … sleep, she told herself. I just need to fall asleep and stay that way till I get home.
Shipshewana
Emma’s driver pulled onto her parents’ property. With a hand around Fawn’s carrier, Emma gazed at her parents’ yard, which was dotted with bird feeders, spaced several feet apart.
“Are you awake, Emma?” Holly asked.
“Yes, I am. I’ve been awake for the last hour or so.”
“You’ve been awfully quiet, so I wasn’t sure.”
Emma arched her back, and she reached up to make sure her head covering was in place.
Her stomach growled, so she figured it must be close to suppertime.
In fact, it was quite possible that her family had already eaten their evening meal, and she wouldn’t have blamed them if they had.
After all, they had no way of knowing the exact time she would arrive.
After Holly turned off the engine, Emma unlatched the dog carrier and took her faithful companion out.
In one way, it was good to be home, but in another, sadness prevailed.
Thanks to her grandparents’ neighbor calling Mom and Dad’s neighbor with a message that was to be given to Emma’s parents, they knew she’d be coming home today, but they didn’t know any of the details as to why.
Telling them about her breakup with Ivan would be difficult, but Emma had no choice.
They deserved an explanation as to why she’d decided to return to Shipshewana so abruptly.
There was no way Emma could simply state that she’d missed her family and decided to come home earlier than originally planned.
Mom and Dad were smart and would know something was up.
“Do you need help getting out?” Holly’s question pushed Emma’s thoughts aside.
“No, I was just thinking, is all. I’m getting out now with my dog.” She stepped out of the vehicle and set Fawn on the ground. “Stay close by me now, you understand?”
As though she completely understood, the dog let out a couple of barks and ran circles around Emma’s legs. There was no doubt that the pooch had plenty of pent-up energy from being cooped up in the carrier for so long.
Holly got out, and Emma had barely taken Fawn’s cage out of the vehicle when Rachel came rushing up from the side yard with outstretched arms. “Oh, Sister, it’s so good to see you.
” She hugged Emma tightly. “But I don’t understand why you came home now.
I thought you were staying in Arthur until summer was over. ”
“I was, but things changed,” Emma replied. “You’ll hear the whole story when I tell Mom and Dad about it.”
Holly opened the back of the station wagon, and just as she got out Emma’s suitcase, Mom and Dad showed up. After hugs were given and a few tears were shed, Dad paid Holly for bringing Emma home, while Rachel picked up Emma’s suitcase and tote, quickly heading for the house.