me.”
Gabe swallowed hard, looking at Katie. Her gaze skirted to Gabe, but then away, like she was frightened to look at him for too long. “ Jah , I know her.” He inclined his head toward Katie. “ Gut day. I hope you and your husband will enjoy our district.”
Katie made a small noise in her throat. Her arms went up to hug herself, and then stilled to fold her hands in front of her. “ Nee , I’m afraid it’s just me. My husband Mark died in a farming accident.”
Her voice was quiet as she said it, and she looked at Gabe for a moment.
Gabe’s mouth went dry. “Oh my, I’m so sorry.”
May patted Katie on the shoulder. “She’s here now and in Gott’s arms, that’s what’s important. Right, Katie?”
Katie nodded, biting her lip. Gabe had an urgent desire to hug her, to comfort her, to let her know she wasn’t alone. Instead, he scratched the back of his neck. “My prayers will be with you.”
“ Denke ,” Katie said quietly.
There was a moment of silence, and Gabe cleared his throat. “Truly, you must let me know if you need anything. May, you as well.”
“Of course, Gabe.” May winked at him. “But Katie is here to help me now, so all my children can stop fussing over me.”
Gabe looked at Katie’s pregnant belly. She had to be at least four months along, possibly more. Who would help with the baby, just May? Did Katie have other family who could help?
Would she remarry?
He wanted to ask, but that would be too rude. It was improper in Amish society to mention pregnancy until the child was born. For another mann to do so would not be right, and after all he hadn’t seen her for two years. This was none of his business.
“I should go,” he said. “I have other deliveries.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay and visit?” May asked, not so subtly nodding to Katie.
Gabe looked to Katie for an idea of whether he should say yes or no.
Her cheeks grew pink again. She kept her head bowed but met his eyes so she was peering through thick, dark eyelashes. “We don’t want to keep you from your duties.”
Gabe tried not to let the disappointment show on his face. “ Jah, my duties.” He rubbed his hands on his pants. “I should go, then. Gut night, Auntie May. Katie.”
She inclined her head and walked him to the door. He opened the door and was about to leave when she said, “We do need to catch up later. It’s been so long since we’ve seen one another.”
Gabe smiled, just a little, though he wanted to beam at her in eagerness. “ Jah . Too long.”
Katie bit her lip again. “ Gut night, Gabe.”
He went out into the cold night feeling like a new man.
* * *
Gabe and Katie were from different districts, but as soon as he saw her all those years ago, he’d fallen deeply in love with her. But that was just before his parents died, so he wasn’t prepared to pursue something, not at that time. He and his brothers were taking care of one another, trying to hold their lives together.
Sometimes he remembered those terrible times and thinking of Katie as a light, in the darkness. The rare times they’d see one another, they’d talk for hours, sometimes long into the night. He used to make her laugh in a way he never saw her laugh with anyone else. And she would make him wonder about the beauty of life. He saw it in her smile, in the stars above them, in the Word as they read it together.
By the time he had gathered up the courage and the emotional capability to even think about proposing to her, she was marrying someone else in a completely different district.
Maybe she’d never been interested. Maybe she’d been polite. Or maybe she’d only seen him as a brother.
He didn’t know because he hadn’t seen her since that heartbreaking news that she’d married someone else. Mark. A man he knew nothing about. Katie had never spoken about him, nor had May. Through rumors, he heard it was an arranged marriage. Arranged marriages were rare in these
Gabe swallowed hard, looking at Katie. Her gaze skirted to Gabe, but then away, like she was frightened to look at him for too long. “ Jah , I know her.” He inclined his head toward Katie. “ Gut day. I hope you and your husband will enjoy our district.”
Katie made a small noise in her throat. Her arms went up to hug herself, and then stilled to fold her hands in front of her. “ Nee , I’m afraid it’s just me. My husband Mark died in a farming accident.”
Her voice was quiet as she said it, and she looked at Gabe for a moment.
Gabe’s mouth went dry. “Oh my, I’m so sorry.”
May patted Katie on the shoulder. “She’s here now and in Gott’s arms, that’s what’s important. Right, Katie?”
Katie nodded, biting her lip. Gabe had an urgent desire to hug her, to comfort her, to let her know she wasn’t alone. Instead, he scratched the back of his neck. “My prayers will be with you.”
“ Denke ,” Katie said quietly.
There was a moment of silence, and Gabe cleared his throat. “Truly, you must let me know if you need anything. May, you as well.”
“Of course, Gabe.” May winked at him. “But Katie is here to help me now, so all my children can stop fussing over me.”
Gabe looked at Katie’s pregnant belly. She had to be at least four months along, possibly more. Who would help with the baby, just May? Did Katie have other family who could help?
Would she remarry?
He wanted to ask, but that would be too rude. It was improper in Amish society to mention pregnancy until the child was born. For another mann to do so would not be right, and after all he hadn’t seen her for two years. This was none of his business.
“I should go,” he said. “I have other deliveries.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay and visit?” May asked, not so subtly nodding to Katie.
Gabe looked to Katie for an idea of whether he should say yes or no.
Her cheeks grew pink again. She kept her head bowed but met his eyes so she was peering through thick, dark eyelashes. “We don’t want to keep you from your duties.”
Gabe tried not to let the disappointment show on his face. “ Jah, my duties.” He rubbed his hands on his pants. “I should go, then. Gut night, Auntie May. Katie.”
She inclined her head and walked him to the door. He opened the door and was about to leave when she said, “We do need to catch up later. It’s been so long since we’ve seen one another.”
Gabe smiled, just a little, though he wanted to beam at her in eagerness. “ Jah . Too long.”
Katie bit her lip again. “ Gut night, Gabe.”
He went out into the cold night feeling like a new man.
* * *
Gabe and Katie were from different districts, but as soon as he saw her all those years ago, he’d fallen deeply in love with her. But that was just before his parents died, so he wasn’t prepared to pursue something, not at that time. He and his brothers were taking care of one another, trying to hold their lives together.
Sometimes he remembered those terrible times and thinking of Katie as a light, in the darkness. The rare times they’d see one another, they’d talk for hours, sometimes long into the night. He used to make her laugh in a way he never saw her laugh with anyone else. And she would make him wonder about the beauty of life. He saw it in her smile, in the stars above them, in the Word as they read it together.
By the time he had gathered up the courage and the emotional capability to even think about proposing to her, she was marrying someone else in a completely different district.
Maybe she’d never been interested. Maybe she’d been polite. Or maybe she’d only seen him as a brother.
He didn’t know because he hadn’t seen her since that heartbreaking news that she’d married someone else. Mark. A man he knew nothing about. Katie had never spoken about him, nor had May. Through rumors, he heard it was an arranged marriage. Arranged marriages were rare in these
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