had thoughtfully cooled, swished down her raw throat with blissful ease. Before she even started on the thick slice of ham, Joseph returned.
“This pregnancy is draining your Ma. Thank God she’s at the end of it.”
Rebekah nodded, her mouth too full to speak.
“Do you need anything else?”
She swallowed, a task which had proven better in theory than in action. The chunk of meat almost didn’t go down. “Ow!”
Joseph shook his head. “That’ll go away in a day or two. Throat’s a little swollen from all the smoke you breathed in.”
Rebekah let her eyes fall to her quilt, her hand absently stroking the odd blue square in the middle. She had been about to ask how he knew all this, but before she could, the memories returned in a rush.
She and Joseph had returned earlier than expected from rumspringa . Before they had even exited the English family’s wagon, both could smell the stench of death and burned timbers permeating the usually serene Indiana night. The fear in Joseph’s eyes was like nothing she’d seen before, or since.
“My family’s place,” he kept repeating as they trotted together through the night, made darker still by the smoke-thickened air. As they had stepped onto the Graber place, a small forest of blackened sticks, still glowing orange at the ends, stood where the barn once was. Black shapes lay smoking and unmoving.
Her father’s voice, solemn and grave, came from somewhere behind them. “Joseph, your family is alright, everyone is alive.”
“Pa? Where’s my pa?”
Samuel’s strong hands came down, one on each of their shoulders. “Lucas collapsed in the barn. Your ma is tending him now.”
In a flash, Joseph had disappeared into the night.
Samuel’s arm tightened around his daughter’s shoulders. “Welcome home, Rebekah. Not a fine reception, is it?”
“Oh Pa.” She squeezed his middle. “Are the Graber’s really alright?”
Samuel held her close and made no move to release his bear hug. “They’ll be fine. We will get started on another barn in the morning. I also plan to give him Bacon, our new heifer.”
Rebekah bit her lip. “Did they lose a cow to the fire?”
“ Ja , daughter. They lost them all.”
Tears pricked Rebekah’s eyes. “Oh, Pa. If only we’d come back a little sooner ...”
Samuel cut her off and guided them back toward their buggy. “ Gelassenheit , daughter. We must trust the Lord’s reasoning and perfect timing.”
Rebekah shook her head, clearing the sad and smoky memories from her tired mind. “Would you mind bringing me my quilting bag?” Her voice was a whisper. “It’s in the next room.”
With a curt nod, Joseph stepped out of the room only to reappear seconds’ later, quilting bag in hand.
She let the corners of her mouth flicker upward into a smile. “I suppose I should practice my stitching, if I have to lie here.”
He plopped the bag at the foot of her bed and helped himself to a pinch of ham. “I still can’t believe you ran into a burning barn after a calf.”
“You would have done the same thing.” Ever unable to take a compliment, she bit her tongue the moment she said it.
“I would have, had I been around.” Eyeing her, he continued. “Rebekah don’t bite your tongue. You can speak your mind around me, I ain’t made of glass.” He grinned that dazzling grin again, the one that seemed to light up wherever he happened to be. “It’s just me, your old friend Joseph.” He screwed up his face and stuck out his tongue.
With a giggle, she brought her hand up as a makeshift shield against his silly antics. Her fingers brushed against a lock of her hair. Her smile faded slowly as she realized what had happened. “Oh.” Rebekah fingered the fried ends. The more she felt, the worse off her hair seemed to have fared the fire. “Oh Joseph, it must be hideous.” A crushing wave of embarrassment threatened to drown her.
He shook his head.
“What you did took courage.” He spoke those simple
“This pregnancy is draining your Ma. Thank God she’s at the end of it.”
Rebekah nodded, her mouth too full to speak.
“Do you need anything else?”
She swallowed, a task which had proven better in theory than in action. The chunk of meat almost didn’t go down. “Ow!”
Joseph shook his head. “That’ll go away in a day or two. Throat’s a little swollen from all the smoke you breathed in.”
Rebekah let her eyes fall to her quilt, her hand absently stroking the odd blue square in the middle. She had been about to ask how he knew all this, but before she could, the memories returned in a rush.
She and Joseph had returned earlier than expected from rumspringa . Before they had even exited the English family’s wagon, both could smell the stench of death and burned timbers permeating the usually serene Indiana night. The fear in Joseph’s eyes was like nothing she’d seen before, or since.
“My family’s place,” he kept repeating as they trotted together through the night, made darker still by the smoke-thickened air. As they had stepped onto the Graber place, a small forest of blackened sticks, still glowing orange at the ends, stood where the barn once was. Black shapes lay smoking and unmoving.
Her father’s voice, solemn and grave, came from somewhere behind them. “Joseph, your family is alright, everyone is alive.”
“Pa? Where’s my pa?”
Samuel’s strong hands came down, one on each of their shoulders. “Lucas collapsed in the barn. Your ma is tending him now.”
In a flash, Joseph had disappeared into the night.
Samuel’s arm tightened around his daughter’s shoulders. “Welcome home, Rebekah. Not a fine reception, is it?”
“Oh Pa.” She squeezed his middle. “Are the Graber’s really alright?”
Samuel held her close and made no move to release his bear hug. “They’ll be fine. We will get started on another barn in the morning. I also plan to give him Bacon, our new heifer.”
Rebekah bit her lip. “Did they lose a cow to the fire?”
“ Ja , daughter. They lost them all.”
Tears pricked Rebekah’s eyes. “Oh, Pa. If only we’d come back a little sooner ...”
Samuel cut her off and guided them back toward their buggy. “ Gelassenheit , daughter. We must trust the Lord’s reasoning and perfect timing.”
Rebekah shook her head, clearing the sad and smoky memories from her tired mind. “Would you mind bringing me my quilting bag?” Her voice was a whisper. “It’s in the next room.”
With a curt nod, Joseph stepped out of the room only to reappear seconds’ later, quilting bag in hand.
She let the corners of her mouth flicker upward into a smile. “I suppose I should practice my stitching, if I have to lie here.”
He plopped the bag at the foot of her bed and helped himself to a pinch of ham. “I still can’t believe you ran into a burning barn after a calf.”
“You would have done the same thing.” Ever unable to take a compliment, she bit her tongue the moment she said it.
“I would have, had I been around.” Eyeing her, he continued. “Rebekah don’t bite your tongue. You can speak your mind around me, I ain’t made of glass.” He grinned that dazzling grin again, the one that seemed to light up wherever he happened to be. “It’s just me, your old friend Joseph.” He screwed up his face and stuck out his tongue.
With a giggle, she brought her hand up as a makeshift shield against his silly antics. Her fingers brushed against a lock of her hair. Her smile faded slowly as she realized what had happened. “Oh.” Rebekah fingered the fried ends. The more she felt, the worse off her hair seemed to have fared the fire. “Oh Joseph, it must be hideous.” A crushing wave of embarrassment threatened to drown her.
He shook his head.
“What you did took courage.” He spoke those simple
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