The PIECES of SUMMER by Wanda E. Brunstetter

would that be?”
    “Jonah’s not going over to see Meredith right now.”
    “No, and you’ve made sure that we checked on her often, so that ought to make you
     happy.”
    Sadie poured Elam a second cup of coffee. “I’m always happy to see Meredith, but are
     you trying to make some particular point?”
    He placed the magazine on the table and looked directly at her. “I just think you’re
     overly
bekimmere
about Meredith.”
    “I have every right to be concerned. She’s our daughter-in-law, for goodness’ sake.”
    “That’s true, but she’s not our flesh and blood
dechder
, and as hard as this is to say, she’s not married to our son any longer.” Elam leveled
     Sadie with a stern look. “I think it’s time you realize that Meredith has her own
     life to live, and you’re not in control of her destiny.”
    Sadie recoiled. “I’m not trying to control her destiny. I just think Jonah, who isn’t
     even part of the family, should not be doing things for her that we, as well as Meredith’s
     family, ought to be doing.”
    “It’s not our place to decide who should or shouldn’t help Meredith. We should be
     grateful that not all the burden falls on just one person and that Jonah’s willing
     to help her out.”
    Sadie set the coffeepot down and thumped the table. “You might think otherwise if
     Meredith ends up marrying Jonah.”
    Elam turned his hands palms-up. “If she does, she does. That will be her choice, not
     ours.”
    “So are you saying that you’d be okay with it if Meredith should marry Jonah?”
    Elam gave a quick nod; then he pushed his chair away from the table, grabbed his straw
     hat from the wall peg across the room, and headed out the door.
    Tears welled in Sadie’s eyes.
I just can’t bear the thought of Meredith becoming the wife of another man. Oh, I
     hope it doesn’t come to that
.

    “It sure is a hot, humid day,” Meredith commented to Laurie as they sat on the porch,
     drinking iced tea with lemon. They’d just gotten home from her eighth and final childbirth
     class. All the other sessions had been easy to get through: learning the breathing
     exercises and discovering each month how big the baby was as it grew inside of her;
     techniques for coping with pain; and how the partner could help during labor. This
     final class was the most intense and explained the birth in detail. Meredith didn’t
     want to let on, but it made her a bit nervous to think about the pain she would experience
     and how long her labor might last. She knew that some women, like her friend Dorine,
     experienced a long labor with their first child.
    I won’t dwell on it
, Meredith told herself.
I’ll just wait and see how it all goes
.
    She raised the drink to her face, enjoying the cool moisture of the glass as it touched
     her flushed cheek. “Thank goodness it was air-conditioned at the midwife’s clinic,”
     she said to her sister.
    “That’s for sure.” Laurie lifted her dark apron and fanned her face with the edge
     of it. “It’s times like this when I wish we had air-conditioning like Kevin has in
     his car.”
    “Speaking of Kevin, have Dad and Mom said anything more about you going out with him?”
    Laurie nodded. “I think they’ve finally accepted it, but I know they were hoping I’d
     fall in love with an Amish man and join the church.” She sighed. “Since Kevin and
     his parents attend a more modern Mennonite church and don’t use horses and buggies
     for transportation, Mom and Dad are concerned that I’ll succumb to worldly ways.”
    “Has Kevin considered joining the Amish church?” Meredith questioned.
    “No. If he did that, he wouldn’t be able to drive his car anymore, and I’m sure he’d
     have a hard time giving that up.”
    “But if he loves you enough, he should be willing to give up anything.” Meredith’s
     thoughts went quickly to Luke. He’d owned a car during his running-around years but
     had gladly given it up when it was time