LITMIR.BIZ

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shot her a grateful look. “If we have a quick lunch this afternoon, I’ll have time to show you around then. That way, you and the kinner will have more options for your outdoor activities.”

      “If you’re sure you don’t mind, we’d really like that,” Sadie replied.

      “It would be my pleasure.”

      Elizabeth screwed up her face and asked, “Why are you and Sadie talking funny, Daed? It sounds narrish.”

      “Elizabeth,” Levi admonished, “that’s not any way for a kind to speak to her eldre.”

      Elizabeth apologized, but Sadie silently admired how astute the child was; Sadie and Levi were being overly polite and their conversation sounded artificial to her ears, too. Although it was better than the previous day’s tense discussions, Sadie hoped in time they’d relax around each other enough to talk naturally.

      After Levi left, Sadie washed the dishes while the children brushed their teeth, made their beds and took turns sweeping the floors. Then she read to them from the Bible and helped them practice writing their names before they went outside, where Sadie taught them how to play Simon Says and Mother, May I, followed by another round of Freeze Tag.

      She must have needed more time to get used to the climate because Sadie wanted to go back inside before the children did. “If we keep playing Freeze Tag, I’m going to freeze for real!”

      “Five more minutes, please?” Elizabeth cajoled and David echoed her request.

      Sadie realized playing outdoors was so new to them they probably felt like they couldn’t get enough of it, so she gave in to their request. After another twenty minutes of chasing each other, they returned to the house to warm up and make hot chocolate, which they then brought to the workshop to share with Maria.

      “You must have known I needed your help again, Elizabeth and David,” Maria said. “Would you like to decorate one of the trunk ornaments you made yesterday? We’ll hang them up as examples for the Englisch kinner.”

      “Do you need my help, too?” Sadie asked as Maria situated the children at their workbench, out of earshot.

      “I won’t turn it down, that’s for sure. We’re shipping these to our vendors on Thursday and then I’ll assemble more for sale here. I’m worried I won’t have enough made by the time we open, especially since I won’t be here next Tuesday.” Maria snapped her fingers and set down her mug. “Ach! That reminds me, I have something for you.”

      “What’s this?” Sadie asked instead of opening the envelope Maria had fished from her tote bag and handed to her.

      “It’s from Grace Bawell. You didn’t get to meet her Sunday because she was visiting relatives in Unity but I saw her yesterday evening and she asked me to deliver this to you. It’s a note inviting you to her hochzich. She wanted to invite you in person, but she’s so busy with the preparations she can’t make the trip over here.”

      “An invitation to her hochzich?” Sadie repeated blankly. She felt as if her face were made of brick and she couldn’t have smiled if she wanted to.

      “Jah, a week from today. I can’t wait. I love hochzichen!”

      “Well, I don’t.” The words escaped her lips before Sadie could stop them and she scrambled for something to say that wouldn’t sound rude. She repeated, “Well, I don’t...want her to feel like she has to invite me just because I arrived at the wrong time—at the last minute, I mean.”

      “That’s narrish. Open it. Read her note. She really wants you there.”

      Sadie unsealed the envelope and scanned the card for details. On the bottom in tiny print, Grace had written, I truly hope you’ll come, Sadie! I can’t wait to meet you and introduce you to my husband (to-be). Until then, may the Lord bless you—Grace. Sadie’s groan was audible.

      “What’s wrong? You’re acting as if you’ve been summoned to a funeral, not invited to a hochzich.”

      Realizing how ill-mannered she appeared, Sadie said, “It’s lovely of Grace to invite me, but...but Levi might not give me the day off.”

      “Lappich! Levi and the kinner will be attending, too. I don’t know how your district does things in Pennsylvania, but here in Serenity Ridge, we close our businesses and the teacher and scholars take the day off school for hochzichen, too. The entire church is expected to go—it would be unthinkable for anyone to stay home.”

      Of course, that was exactly how things were done in Sadie’s district, but she’d been hoping it was different in Maine. She stammered, “I, uh, I guess I’ll be there, then.”

      Maria clapped. “Gut! And don’t worry about being new here and not knowing anyone—Grace will pair you up with a friendly bachelor for supper.”

      “Neh, she shouldn’t do that!” Sadie objected.

      Amish weddings lasted all day. There was the three-hour church service and ceremony, which was followed by a big dinner. Guests socialized, sang and played games throughout the afternoon, and in the evening there was a second, informal meal. It was tradition for the bride and sometimes the groom to play matchmaker, seating young, unmarried people together for supper.

      “Why not? Do you have a suitor back in Pennsylvania?”

      “Back in Pennsylvania, I wouldn’t tell you if I did,” Sadie retorted, irritated by Maria’s persistence. “We consider courting to be a private matter.”

      Maria blinked rapidly and the tips of her ears went red. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I’m sorry.”

      Sadie felt terrible; her new friend was only trying to make her feel welcome. “You have no reason to apologize. I’m the one who’s being rude and I’m sorry. It’s just that I came to Maine to avoid going to hochzichen.”

      In a hushed tone she described what had happened—what hadn’t happened—between her and Harrison. Abashed, Sadie concluded by telling Maria she’d decided to put all thoughts of romance out of her mind so she wouldn’t be so desperate to be in a courtship that she made a mistake like that again.

      “I understand why you wouldn’t want to attend Harrison’s hochzich, but I’m not sure you can just make up your mind you’re finished with romance,” Maria countered. “It has a way of creeping up on you.”

      Sadie giggled. “You make it sound like catching the flu. Which might actually be an accurate comparison, judging from my experience.”

      Waving a bough at her, Maria said, “That’s because you haven’t met the right man yet.”

      “I don’t want to. Not right now and certainly not here, since I’m going home in a month.” Sadie fiddled with a lopsided bow, pulling it straight before venturing to ask, “You said you love hochzichen, but be honest. Doesn’t it bother you to watch meed much younger than you getting married?”

      “Are you asking if I feel like a bitter old maid? I’m only thirty-one, you know. That’s hardly ancient.”

      “Neh, I didn’t mean it like that—”

      “It’s okay,” Maria said with a laugh. “But neh, it doesn’t bother me, because I wouldn’t want to marry the men they’re marrying. Not that they’re not wunderbaar men, because they are. But their suitors wouldn’t have been the man for me. I’d rather wait however long it takes to marry the man Gott intends for me to marry than get married simply because I’ve reached a certain age.”

      “Then you still think...” Sadie realized the question was rude, so she let her sentence dangle but Maria seemed to read her thought.

      “Do I think there is a man out there the Lord has intended

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