Love’s Journey Home Read Free Page B

widow?”
    “Jah.”
    “Seven years.”
    A man in the house would’ve had a handle on the discipline. A second thought chased
     the first: seven years of the kind of loneliness he had experienced for the last three.
     He never expected to be lonely with eight children in the house, but lonely he had
     been. Continued to be. Each night when he went to bed alone and each morning when
     he arose to face another day without Laura. He didn’t wish that on anyone.
    “Seven years is a long time. Why didn’t she remarry?”
    “You said it yourself. Everyone comes through that darkness on their own time.” Emma
     fanned herself with a handkerchief and then used it to pat the sweat from her shiny
     cheeks. “There have been a few who’ve tried to court her, but it seems she hasn’t
     found the right person.”
    “Maybe it’s because she’s so doplich .”
    “She’s clumsy because people—men like you—make her nervous.”
    “Not a sign that she would make a good fraa.”
    “She was a good fraa.”
    “Spoken like a true freind .”
    “I didn’t know her very well then.” Emma leaned forward, her gaze on the parade route.
     “I know her now. She is a simple, kind woman who works hard and prays hard. You’ll
     like her.”
    “Again, you are a good friend.” Her meaning sank in after a few seconds. He squirmed
     in his chair. “You…I…nee…I…her skills as a mother…”
    “You’ve only met her once.”
    “I have eight kinner, one of whom will need special attention for a lifetime. If I
     were to marry again, I would need a fraa who can handle that.”
    “Are you looking for a fraa or a caregiver?” Emma’s smile took the sting from the
     words. “My Aenti Louise says love overcomes many things. Only God knows why and in
     time, He reveals His plan. Until then, it’s best to enjoy the good moments, like a
     parade, and leave the rest to Him.”
    Gabriel knew her words were true. Hard as he found it to understand why God would
     take his wife from him so soon after the birth of their eighth child, there had to
     be a reason for it. She’d mentioned a headache in the afternoon. By evening, she’d
     been gone from a blood clot in her brain. The shock of her sudden passing still took
     his breath away when he awoke in the morning, slowly coming to consciousness. Groggy.
     Drowsy. Then wide awake and the pain of it sucking the air from his lungs. What greater
     purpose did this turn of events serve? Not that it was his place to ask that question. Forgive me .
    A fat drop of rain smacked Gabriel on the nose as if to punctuate the prayer. He glanced
     up at the sky. The clouds seethed overhead, black and heavy. As much as the region
     needed rain, Gabriel prayed it would hold off. Just a few more days, God. A few more days until the wheat is in. Thomas needs that.
     The whole district needs it . “We may not have the parade after all.”
    “As much as we need rain, the timing couldn’t be worse.” Emma gave voice to Gabriel’s
     thoughts. “Thomas has worked so hard. All the men have.”
    “Nothing can be done about it.”
    “I know God will provide even if we lose the harvest.” Her steady voice told him she
     truly meant those words. Thomas had married a stout believer. “But it hurts my heart
     to see him work so hard to provide for us only to have the fruits of his labor wash
     away in a rain that we truly need. God’s timing…well, it’s God’s timing, I guess.”
    She held up both hands, palms up as if to ask a question she dare not put into words.
     Gabriel had no answer. Caleb mimicked her moves and giggled when raindrops splashed
     in his chubby hands. Emma smiled and Gabriel joined her. Some questions didn’t have
     answers.
    Like why he’d moved to this community to escape the world that invaded his old district
     only to find it overtaking the new one. Had he been wrong to uproot his family? Would
     he have to do it again?

Chapter 3
    F inally.
    Blessed silence.
    With one last