Epilogue

Epilogue

One year later

Rochelle’s hands trembled as she handed the house key to Betsy. “Here. I know you’ll take good care of the place.”

“You have our promise we will.”

“And the freezer in the garage, it’s quit working, and I haven’t figured out what to do with it—”

“We’ll dispose of it properly.” Betsy glanced past Rochelle’s shoulder. “Aenti Chelle.”

The women embraced, and Rochelle willed the tears away.

“I’ll write. Maybe I’ll even call. Let me know as soon as you can, when the baby, he or she, arrives.” Rochelle smiled down at the first signs of new life growing inside her niece.

Betsy nodded as Thaddeus stood at her side. “We will.”

“Rochelle . . .” The sound of her name on Silas’s tongue sent a happy shiver down her spine. “We need to leave now if we’re to make our connecting flight.”

“I know, I know. I didn’t think it would be so . . . so hard.”

“Thaddeus.” Silas shook hands with Thaddeus.

“We’ll be praying for you, brother.”

“Thank you.” Silas’s smile was warm as he gazed at Rochelle. “Before we say good-bye a dozen more times, we must go.”

“We’ll see you again, God willing.”

“Gotte willing.” Betsy waved as Rochelle and Silas drove away.

The lump in Rochelle’s throat swelled as Silas maneuvered the car through Pinecraft’s streets. The last few weekends of the winter season still made the village’s population feel a bit crowded.

Someone—one of the Lapp brothers—was attaching a flier to a corner light pole on Fry Street.

Even from the van windows, Rochelle read the notice someone had painstakingly written in precise black lettering on a plain piece of paper: SINGING TONIGHT AND HAYSTACK SUPPER, PINECRAFT PARK.

She would miss everything about this dear place. Nellie Bontrager, pedaling her three-wheeled cycle, waved, then slowed down to meet up with a trio of women chatting on the opposite street corner.

“I know you’re a little sad.” Silas reached across the space between them and squeezed her hand.

“I’m happy, too, you know. About you and me. Overseas. How much good we can both do. I feel like I’m waking up from a dream, but oh, what a sweet dream it’s been. And yet, it didn’t have you.” She’d had a ton of convincing to do—convincing herself she wasn’t taking up where Belinda left off, and she wasn’t trying to make Silas’s dream her own, just so she could have him.

“I loved Belinda, but she wasn’t you.”

“We won’t go down the road again. It’s time to go forward.” She tried not to look wistfully at the palm trees.

Pinecraft had helped her grow up, by encouraging her to spread her wings and run her own business, yet stay true to her Plain faith. Silas coming to Pinecraft had taught her about grace, truly forgiving. Surely, some in the village might talk about their “hasty” betrothal and swift wedding beside Betsy and Thaddeus. However, the seed had lain dormant for decades.

“Pinecraft will always be here.”

“I know. We’re only leaving for a year, but it feels like it’ll be longer.”

They now arrived at the Bahia Vista traffic light and Big Olaf’s Ice Cream parlor. Rochelle wanted to ask Silas to stop the van so they could get one more taste before leaving.

Instead, she kept silent and allowed her last glimpses of the village, of the Plain people—her people—walking its sunny streets, to etch themselves into her memory.