Chapter Ten

For the next month Dinah helped the Mullets with the harvest. She and Amos spent their evenings together reading, and Amos even showed her how to draw. But she was terrible at it. She and Aenti Judith had canned enough vegetables to fill three pantries, and her aunt had shared the bounty with several families at church. Dinah had become more comfortable at church services, and had even gone to Bekah Mullet’s house a few times to visit.

When October rolled over into November and the harvest was finished, Dinah realized she didn’t want to leave Middlefield, her aunt and uncle—and especially Amos. She had fallen in love with him. For the past week they had worked on his handwriting so he wouldn’t have difficulty writing her letters when she returned to New York. But what would happen to their relationship then? She could come visit more often, of course, but it wasn’t the same as being here with the family she had grown so close to.

One evening she and Amos were in the barn. They were supposed to be working on more letter writing, but Amos had something else in mind. They were sitting close to each other on the hay bale. The weather had turned cold at night, and even though the barn was warmer than the outside air, Dinah was still a little chilly in her light jacket. She hadn’t packed a coat. She hadn’t planned to be here this long.

Amos put his arm around her and drew her next to him. “Better?”

“Better.” She snuggled against his shirt, which smelled of firewood smoke, hay, and Amos. He rubbed his hand over her shoulder and she glanced up at him. He was staring straight ahead, as if deep in thought. He did this sometimes, and usually when he turned his attention back to her he didn’t seem to realize he had mentally left. This time when he looked down at her, he appeared fully present. And when he kissed her, she knew something had changed. His kiss was deep, loving, and full of promise.

When they stopped kissing, he touched her cheek. “I had a dream last night, Dinah. I had a dream that we were married.”

Her breath caught.

“Do you think we could be married? Like Jeremiah and Anna Mae?”

Dinah put her hand over her pounding heart. Then she settled her pulse. “Amos, do you know what it means to be m-married?”

“I know you live together. Like Jeremiah and Anna Mae. Like mei daed and yer aenti.”

“And what about . . .” She swallowed. Oh, this was hard. She tried not to blush, but she couldn’t help herself. “What about kinner?”

He thought for a moment, rubbing his chin. “We should have some.”

She laughed and realized that she didn’t want to live her life without this man. She’d have to explain some things to him—okay, a lot of things—but that didn’t matter. All the important things did. Their faith, their ease with each other, how right things felt between them. That’s what mattered. “Amos, I need to know one thing.”

“Ya?”

“Do you l-love me?”

Without hesitation he took her hand in his. “Ya. I love you, Dinah. I think mei dream was a promise from God. A promise that we will be together forever.”

“Then ya, Amos. I will marry you.”

He grinned. “Okay.”

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

Dinah took Amos’s hand as they stood in the backyard.

“I’m worried,” he said, looking at Dinah.

She looked up at her husband-to-be. “Don’t be worried,” she said.

“What if mei daed gets mad? What if he doesn’t think I’ll be a gut husband?”

Dinah squeezed Amos’s hand. “I know what your father thinks is important to you, and it should be. But I think you will be the perfect husband. That’s all that matters.”

That brought a smile to Amos’s face and he let out a deep breath. “Okay.”

Although on the outside she sounded confident, inside butterflies were crashing together in her stomach. Not because she doubted what she felt for Amos, but she did have the same fear he had. What if his father didn’t accept her? What if Aenti Judith disapproved? She was almost positive her parents and brothers would think this was a terrible idea. But hadn’t her mamm been eager for Dinah to find someone? She’d said herself that this trip would be good for Dinah. She was right.

And Dinah knew what she felt for Amos was right. It didn’t matter that they’d only known each other for a couple of months. They knew their hearts. There would be obstacles ahead, but she was prepared to face them. Amos was worth it.

They walked inside to the kitchen where David was sitting at the table with Judith. They were both sipping hot cups of tea, as if they had been waiting for Dinah and Amos to appear.

“Where have you two been?” David asked. “It’s late, Amos.”

Dinah could already feel her hackles rise, but Amos didn’t seem bothered. “Ya, Daed. I know.”

David looked up at Amos, his expression contrite. “I’m sorry. Of course you do. Sometimes I forget that you don’t need much reminding anymore.”

Dinah couldn’t believe it. David was apologizing? She remembered what her aunt said about David loving his family. Loving someone means admitting when you’re wrong. Her mother had told her that. Dinah had been ten and Samson eleven. Samson had poured glue into her shoes when she was asleep. When she stuck her bare feet inside the shoes, her feet got covered in the sticky, thick glue. Instead of telling her mother, she had retaliated by cutting the hems off all Samson’s pants legs. Neither of them had thought about the cost of replacing the clothes. Both of them were grounded. And both of them had to apologize.

Loving someone means apologizing when you need to. She hadn’t loved Samson that day. Not even close. But she had apologized. She’d also worked extra chores to pay for her brother’s new pants, and he had bought her a new pair of shoes.

She swallowed, missing home again. Suddenly she wished her parents were here and her brothers and their wives. That she could announce to everyone that she was getting married, and so they could celebrate with her. Instead she’d have to call her mamm and break the news over the phone. Right now they needed to share the news with David and Aenti Judith. “W-we . . .” She felt Amos squeeze her hand. “We have something to t-tell you.”

“We’re getting married,” Amos blurted.

Dinah would have preferred to ease into the conversation, but she couldn’t help but smile. That was so like Amos to get to the point. She would always know where she stood with him.

Aenti Judith’s brows shot up while David’s mouth dropped open. “What?” he said, his teacup rattling against the table.

“David,” Aenti Judith said with calm sternness.

“Did you hear what he just said?” David’s brows knit together.

“I heard.” Aenti Judith looked at Amos and Dinah.

So much for good news. She should have known it would be like this. There would be no celebrating. Even her aunt, who she had thought would be the one person who would unconditionally understand, looked baffled.

“Amos, what have you done?” David gripped the teacup so tightly Dinah thought it would shatter in his hand.

Dinah felt Amos shrink into himself. This time she took his hand and squeezed. She also asked God to put her stammer on hold for a little while. “He hasn’t done anything. We have decided to get married.”

“You’ve only known each other for a few weeks,” Aenti Judith said. “You can’t possibly be in love in that short period of time.”

“Why not?” Amos asked.

The question was asked so earnestly and with such seriousness that it left everyone in the room speechless.

“Because you don’t know what love is!” David exclaimed after the long pause. Then he hesitated, looking apologetic again. Dinah gave him credit for at least knowing he hurt his son’s feelings. “Amos, I know you know what love is,” David said. “You know you love Jeremiah, and me, and Anna Mae, and Judith. But you don’t know what romantic love means.”

“Dinah’s been teaching me.” Amos lifted his chin.

Aenti Judith’s brow nearly lifted to her scalp. “I thought you were teaching him how to read.”

Oh, this was going badly. She wished she could converse easily enough to speak clearly. Lord, help me—help us—make them understand.

Her aunt let out a breath. “Why don’t we all sit down and discuss this calmly.”

Leave it to her aunt to be the voice of reason. Dinah sat down, Amos joining her. They were both opposite Judith and David, the large wood table between them. But it might as well have been a chasm separating them.

Aenti Judith folded her hands together, her brow still creased, but at least she seemed willing to listen. “Now, exactly what plans have you two made?”

“Plans to get married.” Amos rubbed his large palms on his thighs. “And after we get married we are going to have lots of kinner.”

David’s face fell into his hands. “This can’t be happening,” he muttered.

“David.” Aenti Judith touched his arm. “Let’s hear them out.”

Dinah said another quick prayer for her stutter to settle. “Amos is very special to me. He understands me, and I understand him. We have had some talks, and I did tell him what marriage was about. That’s how we knew we loved each other.”

“Like a husband and wife,” Amos added.

“And exactly how are you going to handle a household and kinner?” David’s gaze pinned both of them. “How will you raise them?”

“Like any other husband and daed,” Amos said.

Didn’t David see that Amos was so much more capable than he gave his son credit for?

“I don’t think you two need to be hasty about this,” Aenti Judith said. “Why don’t you take some time and get to know each other better? Then you can revisit this subject at a later date.”

“Or never,” David grumbled.

Dinah tried not to lose hope. If she couldn’t convince her aunt that she and Amos belonged together, how was she going to convince her family?

Amos stood. “We don’t have to revisit anything, whatever that means.” His square jaw was set with determination. “Daed, you’re married. Jeremiah is married.” He didn’t sound like Amos usually did. He sounded sure of himself. Like he completely understood everything. “Why can’t I do the same? Why can’t I have a wife?” He looked at Dinah. “Why can’t I marry the woman I love?”

Judith and David exchanged a look. The kitchen grew silent. Dinah had never been more impressed with Amos than at this moment. If he hadn’t shown the kind of man he was with this small speech, she didn’t think his father would ever understand.

“Amos,” David said, this time his tone subdued. “Why don’t you and I geh outside and talk? Judith and Dinah can talk alone too.”

“I think that’s a gut idea.” Aenti Judith rose. “I’ll cut some of that coffee cake Dinah made yesterday.”

“I’m not hungry,” Amos said.

“That’s a first.” Judith’s chuckle disappeared quickly. “Amos. Talk to yer daed. We’ll be waiting here for you.”

Amos didn’t want to have this conversation. He’d already said his piece back in the kitchen, and he meant it. He was happy, like his brother and father were. He wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t incapable. He was different, and for once that was fine by him.

“Amos.” Daed looked over at him as they stood on the patio. He pulled out a chair. “Have a seat.”

“I don’t want to sit. I don’t want to talk. I want to get married.”

His father sat down. “Mei leg is bothering me, so do you mind if I sit?”

Amos felt bad. He sat down next to him.

“I think I might have handled this wrong.” Daed looked at Amos. It was dark outside, but the gas lamplight from the kitchen shone enough light on the patio that Amos could see his father’s face. “You surprised me, sohn. That’s all.” He shook his head. “You always surprise me.”

“I’m getting married.” Amos wasn’t going to budge.

“I know that’s what you want to do. You’ve made that clear.” He ran his hand over his face. “Now I need to make myself clear. Marriage isn’t easy. The love you feel at first, it’s special. Exciting. But after a while, when the newness wears off, you’re only left with each other.”

“Right.”

Daed frowned. “What do you mean, ‘right’?”

“I don’t want to be with anyone else. I want to be with Dinah.”

His father didn’t say anything, and Amos could tell he was thinking. He was also rubbing his palm across the back of his neck, something he did when he was upset. But for once Daed stayed calm. “Amos, you’ve never been on yer own. You don’t know what it’s like to pay bills, to keep a bank account . . .” He sighed. “You can learn that stuff. What will be the hardest thing for you to learn is how to understand yer wife.”

Amos frowned. “I understand Dinah.”

“You don’t know Dinah. She’s been here only two months.”

“How long did you know Mamm before you loved her?”

Daed sat back in his chair. “That’s not a gut example. Yer mamm left. I loved her, but she didn’t love me enough to stay.”

“Dinah won’t leave me.” Amos couldn’t explain how he knew this was true. He just did. “And I won’t leave her.”

“Amos . . .” His father’s shoulders slumped, and he gave Amos a crooked smile. “Why don’t you at least sleep on it?”

“But I sleep on mei bed.”

“I mean think about it overnight. We can talk again in the morning.”

His mind wouldn’t be changed by morning. He knew he wouldn’t have any trouble falling asleep tonight. And if he was lucky, he would dream about Dinah again.

“Dinah, this isn’t like you.” Judith leaned over the table, genuine worry on her face.

Dinah hoped Amos and David’s conversation was going better than this one. Her aunt was definitely trying to talk her out of marrying Amos.

“You don’t do things impulsively,” her aunt continued.

“I-I don’t do much of anything.”

“And now you want to take care of Amos?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Nee. I want to m-marry him. That’s not the same thing.”

“Dinah, Amos is—”

“I k-know how A-Amos i-is! And I love him for it. There’s a lot he doesn’t know. I understand that. B-but I want to teach him. I w-want us to learn about l-life and each other t-together.” Her lower lip trembled. “I’ve been so sheltered, Aenti Judith. By mei own choice. Amos has shown me that I don’t have to be a-afraid anymore.”

Aenti Judith didn’t say anything for a long while. Then she touched Dinah’s elbow. Dinah unfolded her arms and clasped Judith’s hand. “I don’t want either of you to get hurt.”

“Neither do I. God never p-promised us life would be easy. But it will be easier facing it with Amos.”

Her aunt closed her eyes. “What will yer mutter say?”

“She’s always wanted me to get married.”

Aenti Judith looked at her. “That’s true. She has.” Tears shined in her eyes. “I’ve prayed for Amos from the moment I met him. That he would be happy. Safe. And loved.” She wiped away her tears from beneath her glasses. “I don’t know why I was surprised that you want to marry him. You’re both special. I can’t think of a better woman to be Amos’s wife.”

Dinah started to cry, and she and Judith hugged each other. Amos and David walked into the kitchen just as the two women were drying their tears on a dish towel. Amos went to Dinah and knelt by her side. “You’re crying,” he said.

“Happy tears.” Dinah smiled. She touched Amos’s face. “They’re happy tears.”

“Does this mean we’re getting married?”

She looked at her aunt, who nodded, then at David, who was frowning. Finally, he gave a small nod. Dinah would take it. “Ya, Amos,” she said, grinning. “We’re getting married.”