up shop. There seemed to be a lot of buggy accidents due to all the increasing traffic, so more than one buggy maker was needed in the area. Since the Millers were in a different church district than the Kings and Stoltzfuses, Luann hadn’t gotten to know them that well, but she and Sarah had spoken a few times at various community events.
“Wie geht’s?”
Sarah asked when Luann took a seat beside her.
Luann sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. “I’ll be better once I see Dr. Warren and he works on my sore
hals.
“
“What’s wrong with your neck?”
“I think I may have slept on it wrong.”
“I know how painful that can be. Raymond’s in with the doctor right now, getting his back adjusted.”
“Did he injure it somehow?”
“No, he just woke up this morning, complaining that his back hurt. He thinks the mattress we recently bought is too hard.”
“It is difficult to sleep when the bed’s uncomfortable.” Luann released another long sigh. “To tell you the truth, I haven’t slept well since my daughter Meredith’s husband died. It’s been so stressful with all the worrying I’ve done over her. I suppose that could be another reason for my neck pain.”
“Jah, stress can do all kinds of things to a person’s body.” Sarah’s eyes were full of compassion. “That was too bad about your son-in-law. I’d only met him once, when he’d come by the buggy shop while I was taking lunch to Raymond. I’m sure Luke’s death has been hard on everyone in your family.”
“It has been difficult, and try as I may, I just can’t help but worry about Meredith. Even more so now that she’s left her in-laws’ house and has gone back to her home.”
“Oh, when was that?” Sarah asked.
“Sadie left a message on our answering machine this morning, letting us know her husband had taken Meredith home soon after breakfast.”
“I can understand your worry,” Sarah said. “I fretted about my daughter when she lost her first husband, too. But now, thank the Lord, she’s living in Arthur, Illinois, and is happily married to a wonderful man who’s doing a fine job helping raise her two little ones.”
“I know it’s natural for a mother to worry about her children, and I’m praying that in time everything will be okay.” Luann reached up to rub the back of her neck. “We do have some good news in our family, though.”
“Oh, what’s that?”
“Meredith’s expecting a boppli in July. We’re pleased about becoming grandparents, of course, and we plan to help out as much as we can, because it’s going to be hard for Meredith to raise the baby alone.”
“That’s
wunderbaar.
Maybe after a suitable time, she’ll get married again, like our daughter did.” Sarah’s emerald-green eyes shimmered as she smiled.
Luann slowly shook her head. “Meredith loved her husband very much, and she’s taken his death quite hard, so I doubt she would ever marry again.”
“But don’t you suppose after some time has passed, if the right man came along, she might get married—for the sake of the boppli, if for no other reason?” Sarah asked.
Luann shrugged. “I suppose that could eventually happen, but it’s hard to imagine. Right now, though, Meredith just needs her family’s support.”
“Of course she does. So how are Sadie and Elam doing?” Sarah questioned.
“They took the news of their son’s death very hard—especially Sadie.”
Sarah’s lips compressed. “That’s understandable. I don’t know how I could ever deal with it if something were to happen to either of my kinner. Even though our daughter lives in Illinois and her twin brother lives in Ohio, we’re all very close. It was hard for Raymond and me to leave our son and move to Pennsylvania, but we knew it was the right decision once we got here and realized how much my folks needed us.”
“Families needing families; that’s how it should be,” Luann said, fully understanding the way Sarah felt. When
“Wie geht’s?”
Sarah asked when Luann took a seat beside her.
Luann sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. “I’ll be better once I see Dr. Warren and he works on my sore
hals.
“
“What’s wrong with your neck?”
“I think I may have slept on it wrong.”
“I know how painful that can be. Raymond’s in with the doctor right now, getting his back adjusted.”
“Did he injure it somehow?”
“No, he just woke up this morning, complaining that his back hurt. He thinks the mattress we recently bought is too hard.”
“It is difficult to sleep when the bed’s uncomfortable.” Luann released another long sigh. “To tell you the truth, I haven’t slept well since my daughter Meredith’s husband died. It’s been so stressful with all the worrying I’ve done over her. I suppose that could be another reason for my neck pain.”
“Jah, stress can do all kinds of things to a person’s body.” Sarah’s eyes were full of compassion. “That was too bad about your son-in-law. I’d only met him once, when he’d come by the buggy shop while I was taking lunch to Raymond. I’m sure Luke’s death has been hard on everyone in your family.”
“It has been difficult, and try as I may, I just can’t help but worry about Meredith. Even more so now that she’s left her in-laws’ house and has gone back to her home.”
“Oh, when was that?” Sarah asked.
“Sadie left a message on our answering machine this morning, letting us know her husband had taken Meredith home soon after breakfast.”
“I can understand your worry,” Sarah said. “I fretted about my daughter when she lost her first husband, too. But now, thank the Lord, she’s living in Arthur, Illinois, and is happily married to a wonderful man who’s doing a fine job helping raise her two little ones.”
“I know it’s natural for a mother to worry about her children, and I’m praying that in time everything will be okay.” Luann reached up to rub the back of her neck. “We do have some good news in our family, though.”
“Oh, what’s that?”
“Meredith’s expecting a boppli in July. We’re pleased about becoming grandparents, of course, and we plan to help out as much as we can, because it’s going to be hard for Meredith to raise the baby alone.”
“That’s
wunderbaar.
Maybe after a suitable time, she’ll get married again, like our daughter did.” Sarah’s emerald-green eyes shimmered as she smiled.
Luann slowly shook her head. “Meredith loved her husband very much, and she’s taken his death quite hard, so I doubt she would ever marry again.”
“But don’t you suppose after some time has passed, if the right man came along, she might get married—for the sake of the boppli, if for no other reason?” Sarah asked.
Luann shrugged. “I suppose that could eventually happen, but it’s hard to imagine. Right now, though, Meredith just needs her family’s support.”
“Of course she does. So how are Sadie and Elam doing?” Sarah questioned.
“They took the news of their son’s death very hard—especially Sadie.”
Sarah’s lips compressed. “That’s understandable. I don’t know how I could ever deal with it if something were to happen to either of my kinner. Even though our daughter lives in Illinois and her twin brother lives in Ohio, we’re all very close. It was hard for Raymond and me to leave our son and move to Pennsylvania, but we knew it was the right decision once we got here and realized how much my folks needed us.”
“Families needing families; that’s how it should be,” Luann said, fully understanding the way Sarah felt. When
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