lunch?”
“Oh, whatever you want to fix. Sandwiches are fine.”
“Can they eat peanuts?” Lily had heard of children dying from eating peanuts. And wheat. Should she ask about wheat?
Ruth gave Lily a reassuring smile. “They can eat most everything. But be sure to cut Amanda’s food into small pieces for her. We don’t want her to choke.”
Lily’s heart did a flip-flop. “How small of pieces? Do you want me to feed her one bite at a time? What should I do if she chokes?”
Ruth’s smile faded. “We’ll hurry back as soon as Matthias’s tests are over, won’t we, Mamm?”
“Not to worry,” Anna said. “Aden will be here.”
Aden. The boy who had a bear for a pet and who had practically ignored Lily for two weeks. They’d have to speak to each other if one of the children broke an arm and had to be taken to the hospital.
Lily breathed a sigh of relief. At least Aden would be here. He had younger siblings. She hoped he was as capable as he was handsome.
He walked in the door just as she thought about him.
Jah, very handsome.
“Aden!” Junior put little Amanda on her feet, and he and the other boy threw themselves into Aden’s outstretched arms.
Aden stumbled backward and flashed that nice smile that Lily hadn’t seen for days. “I almost didn’t recognize you,” Aden said. “How tall are you now, Uriah?”
The younger boy, Uriah, raised his hand to the top of his head. “About four feet.”
“Four feet? Oy anyhow.”
Aden’s dog bounded into the house and tackled Junior to the ground. Like Aden, Junior didn’t seem to have a problem with giant dogs knocking people over and licking their faces with that sticky, wet tongue. Uriah giggled with glee and nuzzled his face into the dog’s fur. Ruth’s three daughters broke ranks and gathered around the dog, petting him and cooing as if he were the most wonderful animal in the world.
The dog wagged his tail and smiled at all the attention.
Lily looked again. Dogs didn’t smile.
“Does he still eat socks?” Uriah asked while scratching the dog’s fur.
“He doesn’t eat them,” Aden said, pointing to a small pile of stockings near the sofa. “He collects them.”
Anna gave her daughter a decisive pat on the arm as if Aden’s presence solved everything. “He’ll be here to help Lily if she has questions, won’t you, Aden?”
Aden studied Lily’s face for a moment before wrapping his arm around Uriah’s neck and digging his knuckles into the top of Uriah’s head.
“Hey!” Uriah protested as he struggled to free himself from Aden’s grasp.
“The boys can help me work on a new chicken coop,” Aden said, as if it were the most exciting news all morning. Lily bit her bottom lip. Uriah looked so small. What if he smashed his thumb with the hammer?
Ruth’s oldest daughter pulled a ball of cheery yellow yarn from a small fabric bag she held. “I brought my knitting.”
“Gute,” Anna said. “You can show me your progress when I get back.” She and Ruth gave each of the children a kiss.
“The driver’s here,” Felty said, patting his pants pocket. “I’ve got my notebook in case we see any good license plates.”
Ruth smiled. “Oh, Dat. Are you still playing that license plate game?”
“Every year.” Felty beamed. “I found Alabama last week.” Felty took the bulging bag of hospital necessities from Anna. Anna had packed it with sandwiches, knitting supplies, baby booties, and a board game—because you never knew what you were going to need at the hospital, she had said.
Ruth gave Lily one last doubtful look as she shuffled out the door. Aden and the two boys followed close behind, leaving Lily alone and helpless with the three little girls. At least Aden had taken that dog with him. Lily would truly be beside herself if the dog ate one of the children.
The three girls, even the tiny one, stood like statues and stared at Lily until the littlest one began to cry. Lily didn’t blame her. She’d cry
“Oh, whatever you want to fix. Sandwiches are fine.”
“Can they eat peanuts?” Lily had heard of children dying from eating peanuts. And wheat. Should she ask about wheat?
Ruth gave Lily a reassuring smile. “They can eat most everything. But be sure to cut Amanda’s food into small pieces for her. We don’t want her to choke.”
Lily’s heart did a flip-flop. “How small of pieces? Do you want me to feed her one bite at a time? What should I do if she chokes?”
Ruth’s smile faded. “We’ll hurry back as soon as Matthias’s tests are over, won’t we, Mamm?”
“Not to worry,” Anna said. “Aden will be here.”
Aden. The boy who had a bear for a pet and who had practically ignored Lily for two weeks. They’d have to speak to each other if one of the children broke an arm and had to be taken to the hospital.
Lily breathed a sigh of relief. At least Aden would be here. He had younger siblings. She hoped he was as capable as he was handsome.
He walked in the door just as she thought about him.
Jah, very handsome.
“Aden!” Junior put little Amanda on her feet, and he and the other boy threw themselves into Aden’s outstretched arms.
Aden stumbled backward and flashed that nice smile that Lily hadn’t seen for days. “I almost didn’t recognize you,” Aden said. “How tall are you now, Uriah?”
The younger boy, Uriah, raised his hand to the top of his head. “About four feet.”
“Four feet? Oy anyhow.”
Aden’s dog bounded into the house and tackled Junior to the ground. Like Aden, Junior didn’t seem to have a problem with giant dogs knocking people over and licking their faces with that sticky, wet tongue. Uriah giggled with glee and nuzzled his face into the dog’s fur. Ruth’s three daughters broke ranks and gathered around the dog, petting him and cooing as if he were the most wonderful animal in the world.
The dog wagged his tail and smiled at all the attention.
Lily looked again. Dogs didn’t smile.
“Does he still eat socks?” Uriah asked while scratching the dog’s fur.
“He doesn’t eat them,” Aden said, pointing to a small pile of stockings near the sofa. “He collects them.”
Anna gave her daughter a decisive pat on the arm as if Aden’s presence solved everything. “He’ll be here to help Lily if she has questions, won’t you, Aden?”
Aden studied Lily’s face for a moment before wrapping his arm around Uriah’s neck and digging his knuckles into the top of Uriah’s head.
“Hey!” Uriah protested as he struggled to free himself from Aden’s grasp.
“The boys can help me work on a new chicken coop,” Aden said, as if it were the most exciting news all morning. Lily bit her bottom lip. Uriah looked so small. What if he smashed his thumb with the hammer?
Ruth’s oldest daughter pulled a ball of cheery yellow yarn from a small fabric bag she held. “I brought my knitting.”
“Gute,” Anna said. “You can show me your progress when I get back.” She and Ruth gave each of the children a kiss.
“The driver’s here,” Felty said, patting his pants pocket. “I’ve got my notebook in case we see any good license plates.”
Ruth smiled. “Oh, Dat. Are you still playing that license plate game?”
“Every year.” Felty beamed. “I found Alabama last week.” Felty took the bulging bag of hospital necessities from Anna. Anna had packed it with sandwiches, knitting supplies, baby booties, and a board game—because you never knew what you were going to need at the hospital, she had said.
Ruth gave Lily one last doubtful look as she shuffled out the door. Aden and the two boys followed close behind, leaving Lily alone and helpless with the three little girls. At least Aden had taken that dog with him. Lily would truly be beside herself if the dog ate one of the children.
The three girls, even the tiny one, stood like statues and stared at Lily until the littlest one began to cry. Lily didn’t blame her. She’d cry
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