his whole life. It was always German at home and church, and English at school and everywhere else. He hadn’t even thought about the fact that he would likely lose the German out in the world. He felt a strange hollowness in his chest.
Soon Aaron heaped spaghetti and sauce onto plates, and David stood by one of the middle chairs at the dining table, with Isaac across from him.
“Sit, sit!” Jen said as she pulled the cork out of a bottle of wine by the counter.
David and Isaac looked at each other, hesitating. David realized with a sinking sensation that after his belated morning prayer, he hadn’t said his silent prayer at breakfast or lunch. He bowed his head now to recite the Lord’s prayer in his mind, speeding through the familiar words. He looked up to see Isaac finish a moment later.
Jen hovered by the table with the wine in one hand and a basket of bread in the other. Her smile was apologetic. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt. My family only really says grace on the holidays, so I’m not used to it. But you can pray out loud if you want. We don’t mind. We want you to be at home here.”
“It’s always silent when they pray at meals,” Aaron said as he brought two plates of steaming spaghetti to the table. He smiled ruefully. “Wow, I haven’t thought about that in a long time.”
They . Aaron had spent the first nineteen years of his life Amish, but in ten years gone it had ceased to be an us . As David pulled out his chair, he wondered if he’d feel that way too. He supposed it was inevitable. He could see the sadness on Isaac’s face as they took their seats, and he extended his leg under the table to rub his bare foot briefly against Isaac’s.
Isaac smiled softly, and then cleared his throat. “These chairs are nice. So comfy.”
Indeed, the dining chairs were padded with a thick material. David had never built any with cushioned seats. He knew it was silly considering the scope of his sins, but he’d felt a little better creating furniture in his secret workshop at June’s that was still plain.
Jen poured wine into their glasses before taking a seat at the end of the table with Aaron at the other. David sipped his wine. It was very strong, and he wasn’t sure he liked it. He took a bite of the crusty baguette, which Aaron had sliced and baked. Now that , he liked. He couldn’t stifle his groan as he chewed the butter-soaked bread. “Is this what the English call garlic bread?”
“Yep.” Aaron plucked a piece from the basket. “Delicious, huh? Garlic butter is one of humanity’s greatest inventions.”
“It’s my new favorite thing.” Isaac took a vigorous bite. “I can’t believe you cooked all this,” he mumbled.
Aaron laughed. “Well, the salad’s from a bag, and the spaghetti and garlic bread are pretty easy. And thank you for getting the bread.” To Jen he added, “They survived their first foray into the city alone. Although apparently they had to outrun a marauding gang of baguette thieves.”
Jen whistled. “Close one, huh? Gotta keep those baguettes under wraps.” She swirled the wine in her glass. “I feel like there’s a ‘is that a baguette in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?’ joke in there, but I’ll refrain.”
Aaron laughed. “Masterful restraint, darling. As always.”
David smiled as Jen blew Aaron a kiss across the table. They seemed so free in a way he’d never witnessed before. So open and warm. He’d never seen Mother and Father even touch affectionately, although he knew they must have done more in private considering they’d had so many children.
As he ate, David found the wine went down more smoothly. He savored the beef sauce and listened to Jen tell a story about a patient who went crazy on the full moon, although he wasn’t sure what the moon had to do with it. Isaac looked a little confused as well, and they smiled at each other.
“Oh my God, you guys are going to give me a cavity. But in the best
Soon Aaron heaped spaghetti and sauce onto plates, and David stood by one of the middle chairs at the dining table, with Isaac across from him.
“Sit, sit!” Jen said as she pulled the cork out of a bottle of wine by the counter.
David and Isaac looked at each other, hesitating. David realized with a sinking sensation that after his belated morning prayer, he hadn’t said his silent prayer at breakfast or lunch. He bowed his head now to recite the Lord’s prayer in his mind, speeding through the familiar words. He looked up to see Isaac finish a moment later.
Jen hovered by the table with the wine in one hand and a basket of bread in the other. Her smile was apologetic. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt. My family only really says grace on the holidays, so I’m not used to it. But you can pray out loud if you want. We don’t mind. We want you to be at home here.”
“It’s always silent when they pray at meals,” Aaron said as he brought two plates of steaming spaghetti to the table. He smiled ruefully. “Wow, I haven’t thought about that in a long time.”
They . Aaron had spent the first nineteen years of his life Amish, but in ten years gone it had ceased to be an us . As David pulled out his chair, he wondered if he’d feel that way too. He supposed it was inevitable. He could see the sadness on Isaac’s face as they took their seats, and he extended his leg under the table to rub his bare foot briefly against Isaac’s.
Isaac smiled softly, and then cleared his throat. “These chairs are nice. So comfy.”
Indeed, the dining chairs were padded with a thick material. David had never built any with cushioned seats. He knew it was silly considering the scope of his sins, but he’d felt a little better creating furniture in his secret workshop at June’s that was still plain.
Jen poured wine into their glasses before taking a seat at the end of the table with Aaron at the other. David sipped his wine. It was very strong, and he wasn’t sure he liked it. He took a bite of the crusty baguette, which Aaron had sliced and baked. Now that , he liked. He couldn’t stifle his groan as he chewed the butter-soaked bread. “Is this what the English call garlic bread?”
“Yep.” Aaron plucked a piece from the basket. “Delicious, huh? Garlic butter is one of humanity’s greatest inventions.”
“It’s my new favorite thing.” Isaac took a vigorous bite. “I can’t believe you cooked all this,” he mumbled.
Aaron laughed. “Well, the salad’s from a bag, and the spaghetti and garlic bread are pretty easy. And thank you for getting the bread.” To Jen he added, “They survived their first foray into the city alone. Although apparently they had to outrun a marauding gang of baguette thieves.”
Jen whistled. “Close one, huh? Gotta keep those baguettes under wraps.” She swirled the wine in her glass. “I feel like there’s a ‘is that a baguette in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?’ joke in there, but I’ll refrain.”
Aaron laughed. “Masterful restraint, darling. As always.”
David smiled as Jen blew Aaron a kiss across the table. They seemed so free in a way he’d never witnessed before. So open and warm. He’d never seen Mother and Father even touch affectionately, although he knew they must have done more in private considering they’d had so many children.
As he ate, David found the wine went down more smoothly. He savored the beef sauce and listened to Jen tell a story about a patient who went crazy on the full moon, although he wasn’t sure what the moon had to do with it. Isaac looked a little confused as well, and they smiled at each other.
“Oh my God, you guys are going to give me a cavity. But in the best
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