The Christmas Quilt: Quilts of Love Series Read Free Page A

come back from Philadelphia. I hadn’t even told my family yet about earning my nursing certification, and I was still all bound up with guilt. Samuel saw through all of those things. He saw something inside me I didn’t even know existed.” Annie set her package on the empty chair and reached for her tea. “Hard to believe we’ve both been married two years, Leah. Seems yesterday we were girls playing with our dolls on a summer afternoon.”
    Leah didn’t answer; instead she studied the cracker she’d half eaten. Should she tell Annie about all the things worrying her? She didn’t want to ruin their day out. And maybe it was nothing.
    “Have you and Adam decided on names?”
    “ Nein. ”
    “Oh. Have you narrowed it down?”
    Leah shook her head, certain if she spoke now, the tears would start.
    Annie picked up the packages and moved them so she could sit in the chair beside her rather than across from her. “Leah, what’s wrong? You were so happy a minute ago, out on the sidewalk, and now you look miserable.”
    “Maybe it’s nothing . . .” Leah pulled the napkin out from under her silverware. Rebekah was finishing up with the last table of customers and she did not want to be blubbering when her mother-in-law joined them.
    “Probably it is nothing, but I’m certain you’ll feel better if you talk about whatever is weighing on your heart.”
    Leah nodded and rubbed at her eyes with the napkin. Rebekah headed toward them, and she didn’t want to worry her. “Later. I’ll tell you later.”
    “Promise?”
    “ Ya. ”
    “Everyone is served and it should be the end of what we call our lunchtime rush.” Rebekah settled into the fourth chair with her own cup of hot tea. “Now show me what you purchased at the store.”
    Leah was relieved to focus on the baby things. Thinking of the babies eased the worries in her heart. Preparing for them helped her feel as if she were doing something useful.
    Rebekah agreed that the diaper holder was perfect. “Folks think Amish don’t use disposable diapers, but I’ll tell you—with my five children it would have been a nice thing to have when we were going to church meeting or in town for shopping.”
    “Rachel didn’t approve,” Leah admitted.
    “Oh. I wouldn’t worry about what others think. It’s not as if you’re going to use them all the time. Cloth diapers are better overall, but there are situations when disposables will come in handy.”
    “If I have your blessing, that’s gut enough for me. My mamm wouldn’t give me an opinion when I wrote to her. I tried to describe the ones with the pull-tabs, but when she wrote back her comment on the subject was ‘It wonders me’ and nothing more! I couldn’t tell if she approved or not.”
    “It’s hard to understand some things from a letter, but I know your mother well, Leah. She isn’t one to judge, so don’t be worrying.” Rebekah took a sip of her tea as she watched Charity to be sure she could handle the other three tables of customers. “Did you pick up your fabric, Annie?”
    “ Ya , let me show you.” Annie pulled it from her bag, running her fingers over the soft cotton.
    Leah could imagine what it would look like once she’d finished. She could see it lying in the cradle.
    “What a pretty color. I’ve always favored purples,” Rebekah said.
    “It will be perfect for the nine-patch.”
    “You’re using it for Sunbonnet Sue’s dress, ya ?”
    “I thought I would. I haven’t actually begun the quilt yet.”
    They all studied their food for a moment. Leah wasn’t going to broach the subject that Rebekah was dancing around.
    “Go ahead and say it, mamm .”
    “No, dear. I’m not about to say anything—”
    “I know I’m running a little behind, but I’m a fast quilter once I begin . . .”
    “I know you are. You’ve been busy, what with helping Belinda.”
    “And Samuel. You know I can’t tell him no when he asks me to go along on his visits to care for