to carry on adult conversation.”
David grinned as he seated himself on the sofa and scooted close to her. “You visited with some of the women from church today. Wasn’t that adult conversation?”
Barbara nodded. “Jah, but that was some time ago. I’ve spent the last couple of hours feeding our boys, listening to their endless chatter, and getting them ready for bed.” She took hold of his hand. “Now I’m ready for some quiet time.”
“You just said you wanted some adult conversation. If you need quiet time, then maybe I’d better sit here and keep my mouth shut.”
She chuckled and squeezed his fingers. “I’m sure you know what I meant.”
“Jah.” David leaned his headful of thick, dark hair on her shoulder and closed his eyes. “This does feel good.”
They sat in companionable silence until Barbara decided to ask him a question. “What did you think when you saw Faith at church today?”
David lifted his head and opened his eyes. “It was a surprise to me, as I’m sure it was to most. She’s been gone a long time, and I didn’t figure she would ever come back. How about you? What were your thoughts about seeing your old friend again?”
Barbara frowned. “It was strange, David. . .very strange.”
“In what way?”
“Faith was dressed in Amish clothes, so she looked sort of the same, but her personality has changed.”
“How so?”
She released a groan. “Faith isn’t the same person I used to know. Even after only a few minutes of talking with her, I could tell that she’s unhappy.”
“Well, of course she would be. Her husband died recently, isn’t that what you heard?”
“That’s true,” Barbara said with a nod, “but I have a feeling that Faith’s unhappiness goes much deeper. Truth be told, I think Faith’s misery goes back to her childhood. I suspect she carried that sadness and sense of bitterness along with her when she left home ten years ago.”
“You think it’s because her folks disapproved of her yodeling and joke telling?”
“Not the yodeling, exactly—or the joke telling, either. There are others in our community who like to yodel and tell funny stories.”
“That’s true,” he said with a nod. “Mer yodel laut, awwer net gut.”
She nodded. “We do yodel loudly but not well. But I think what the Stutzmans disapproved of was Faith cutting up all thetime when she should have been getting her chores done.”
Deep lines etched David’s forehead. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like for her to get up onstage in front of a bunch of people and put on an act. It goes against everything we’ve been taught to show off like that.”
“I don’t believe Faith saw it as showing off, David. I think she only ran away and became an entertainer because she didn’t feel what she enjoyed doing the most was accepted at home.”
“Sure hope none of our kinner ever feels that way. I don’t know what I’d do if one of them were to up and leave home.”
“Sell kann ich mir gaar net eibilde.” She patted his hand and repeated, “I can’t conceive of that at all. I’m sure neither of our boys will do something like that as long as they know we appreciate their abilities and God-given talents.”
David leaned over and kissed Barbara’s cheek. “You’re a schmaert woman, you know that?”
She nodded and stroked his bristly, dark beard. “I had to be smart to find a good husband like you.”
“Church was good today, jah?” Noah’s mother asked as she handed Noah and his father each a cup of coffee, then took a seat at the table across from Noah.
Noah nodded. “It’s always good.”
“Seemed a little strange to see Faith Stutzman back and with a little girl she said was her daughter, no less,” Noah’s father put in from his seat at the head of the table.
Mom smiled. “It’s nice that she’s come home and wants to be Amish again.”
Noah stared into his cup of coffee as he pondered things. After his short visit with
David grinned as he seated himself on the sofa and scooted close to her. “You visited with some of the women from church today. Wasn’t that adult conversation?”
Barbara nodded. “Jah, but that was some time ago. I’ve spent the last couple of hours feeding our boys, listening to their endless chatter, and getting them ready for bed.” She took hold of his hand. “Now I’m ready for some quiet time.”
“You just said you wanted some adult conversation. If you need quiet time, then maybe I’d better sit here and keep my mouth shut.”
She chuckled and squeezed his fingers. “I’m sure you know what I meant.”
“Jah.” David leaned his headful of thick, dark hair on her shoulder and closed his eyes. “This does feel good.”
They sat in companionable silence until Barbara decided to ask him a question. “What did you think when you saw Faith at church today?”
David lifted his head and opened his eyes. “It was a surprise to me, as I’m sure it was to most. She’s been gone a long time, and I didn’t figure she would ever come back. How about you? What were your thoughts about seeing your old friend again?”
Barbara frowned. “It was strange, David. . .very strange.”
“In what way?”
“Faith was dressed in Amish clothes, so she looked sort of the same, but her personality has changed.”
“How so?”
She released a groan. “Faith isn’t the same person I used to know. Even after only a few minutes of talking with her, I could tell that she’s unhappy.”
“Well, of course she would be. Her husband died recently, isn’t that what you heard?”
“That’s true,” Barbara said with a nod, “but I have a feeling that Faith’s unhappiness goes much deeper. Truth be told, I think Faith’s misery goes back to her childhood. I suspect she carried that sadness and sense of bitterness along with her when she left home ten years ago.”
“You think it’s because her folks disapproved of her yodeling and joke telling?”
“Not the yodeling, exactly—or the joke telling, either. There are others in our community who like to yodel and tell funny stories.”
“That’s true,” he said with a nod. “Mer yodel laut, awwer net gut.”
She nodded. “We do yodel loudly but not well. But I think what the Stutzmans disapproved of was Faith cutting up all thetime when she should have been getting her chores done.”
Deep lines etched David’s forehead. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like for her to get up onstage in front of a bunch of people and put on an act. It goes against everything we’ve been taught to show off like that.”
“I don’t believe Faith saw it as showing off, David. I think she only ran away and became an entertainer because she didn’t feel what she enjoyed doing the most was accepted at home.”
“Sure hope none of our kinner ever feels that way. I don’t know what I’d do if one of them were to up and leave home.”
“Sell kann ich mir gaar net eibilde.” She patted his hand and repeated, “I can’t conceive of that at all. I’m sure neither of our boys will do something like that as long as they know we appreciate their abilities and God-given talents.”
David leaned over and kissed Barbara’s cheek. “You’re a schmaert woman, you know that?”
She nodded and stroked his bristly, dark beard. “I had to be smart to find a good husband like you.”
“Church was good today, jah?” Noah’s mother asked as she handed Noah and his father each a cup of coffee, then took a seat at the table across from Noah.
Noah nodded. “It’s always good.”
“Seemed a little strange to see Faith Stutzman back and with a little girl she said was her daughter, no less,” Noah’s father put in from his seat at the head of the table.
Mom smiled. “It’s nice that she’s come home and wants to be Amish again.”
Noah stared into his cup of coffee as he pondered things. After his short visit with
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