Gideon pulled into Esther and Amos’s driveway. Ruth and Becky were sitting on the porch steps with a picnic basket between them. Gideon’s mind drifted back to when he was sixteen and on his first picnic with Ruth. They had their whole lives to look forward to, and he still remembered that first kiss like it happened yesterday.
He opened the truck door and walked toward them. Ruth stood, toting the basket. She was wearing a light blue shirt, jeans, white sneakers, and her dark hair flowed well past her waist. Even after all these years, he felt weak at the sight of her.
“Hello, ladies.”
“I’m not really a lady.” Becky scowled a little, her cheeks dimpling the same way as when she smiled. “I’m a girl.”
Gideon squatted down in front of her and grinned. “And a beautiful girl you are. But one day you’ll be a beautiful lady.”
The child smiled before she twisted in circles, her light-blue dress catching in the wind beneath her black apron. “Mei mamm made me a new dress.”
Gideon stood. “It’s a very pretty dress.” He walked around to the passenger side of his truck and opened the door for Ruth, then helped Becky into a booster seat he’d found at his parents’ house.
It was a short drive to the creek. Once they parked, Ruth led the way while Gideon followed, picnic basket in one hand and Becky holding on to the other. Gideon might have suggested coming to the creek, but Ruth seemed to be following his lead. She chose the exact spot where they shared their first kiss and frequented throughout their courtship. They brought Grace here countless times as well.
“Is this okay?” Ruth avoided his eyes as she took the picnic basket from him.
“Uh, yeah. This is fine.” Gideon didn’t want to analyze her intentions. He would focus on the beautiful day the Lord had gifted them. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and a cool breeze rustled the leaves as it blew through and met with the babbling creek. Ruth spread out a red-and-white checkered blanket, then sat and unpacked the basket.
Gideon instinctively followed Becky. He remembered how Grace would get too close to the water’s edge. It wasn’t deep in this area, but falling in would yield some nasty scrapes from the rocks barely peaking above the ripples of water.
“Careful,” he said as he reached for her hand.
They sat on a rock facing the creek. “Mamm and Daed brought me here once for a picnic too. It’s pretty here.”
Gideon gazed at her profile, and once again he saw Grace. Esther and Ruth looked a lot alike, so maybe it wasn’t surprising that he kept seeing Grace in Becky. Or maybe he just wanted to see Grace. For months after she was gone, he’d dreamed about her. Each time, she was happy and smiling, and Gideon tried to hold on to that image through the darkest days.
“Everything’s ready.” Ruth had the food spread out in front of her, and her feet were tucked beneath her as she smiled at them.
Gideon had taken plenty of pictures since he moved away. He wanted to take out his cell phone and capture this moment, the way Ruth’s hair blew free in the breeze, her smile. The last time he saw his wife, her face was contorted into an expression that didn’t even resemble the woman she was. This was his Ruthie, a postcard vision of the way things used to be. Then he glanced at Becky, their niece, and wondered if it would be possible to cherish the old memories but also make new ones.
After they bowed their heads in silent prayer, Ruth helped Becky spread chicken salad on her two pieces of bread. Ruth had gotten up early and found all the ingredients, and Esther baked an apple pie the day before so Ruth snagged three slices.
“This is the best chicken salad ever,” Becky said with a mouthful. After she swallowed she asked, “What’s different about yours? Mamm’s doesn’t taste the same.”
Gideon chuckled. “There’s a secret ingredient in it.” He picked up his own sandwich and pretended to study it, squinting and holding it at eye level. “At least, that’s what your mother tells everyone.”
Ruth froze, even stopped chewing, as she wondered if Gideon realized his blunder.
Becky giggled. “She’s not mei mudder, she’s mei aenti.”
Gideon’s cheeks turned a rosy shade of red. “Uh, yeah.” He looked at Ruth, his eyebrows furrowed. “Sorry about that.”
Ruth finally finished chewing and swallowed. “It’s fine.” Becky obviously reminded Gideon of Grace too.
“What’s the secret ingredient?” Becky’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Well . . .” Ruth tapped a finger to her chin. “It wouldn’t be a secret if I told you, now would it?”
Gideon laughed again, and the sound of his voice melted away the tension that had built up about this trip. Even though she’d looked forward to it, she worried that at any minute things might explode. Ruth believed that part of the reason they’d split up was because the sight of each other reminded them too much of Grace.
“She won’t even tell me her secret ingredient.” Gideon grinned as he rolled his eyes.
Becky smiled. “And you’re her husband.”
Ruth lifted her eyes to Gideon’s, but he looked somewhere over her shoulder, lost in . . . what? Memories? Regrets? Thoughts of Grace?
Becky set her sandwich on the paper plate. “If you’re married, why don’t you live together?”
It was an innocent question, but Ruth wanted to keep things light today. She looked at Gideon and hoped he’d answer the child in a way she could understand. But he had just put the last bite of sandwich in his mouth and merely raised an eyebrow at her.
“We just don’t.” Ruth forced a smile and tried to sound casual as she eased a plate with pie closer to Becky, eager to steer the conversation in another direction. “Your mamm made this yesterday.”
Becky’s doe eyes found Ruth. She blinked several times, a look of confusion on her face. Ruth thought about what Esther said, how you never knew what would come out of Becky’s mouth. Or any five-year-old for that matter. Ruth needed to grab the reigns of this conversation.
She set down her plate and pressed her palms together, smiling. “You know what? I’m only going to be here a week, so I want to hear all about you. What are your favorite things to do? What’s your favorite color? Or anything else you’d like to share with us.”
Becky put the rest of her sandwich on her plate and pulled the slice of pie closer. Ruth should probably tell her to finish her sandwich first, the way she’d had to do with Grace, but redirecting the conversation seemed more important.
Becky shrugged, not looking at Ruth or Gideon. She forked a bite of pie then slowly raised it to her mouth, her eyebrows knitted as if she was in deep thought.
Ruth braced herself for more questions about she and Gideon. The wait seemed to go on forever, but Becky finally said, “Blue is my favorite color.”
“Mine too.” Ruth pointed to her dark-blue blouse and then to Becky’s light-blue dress. She looked at Gideon. “It was Grace’s favorite color too.”
Gideon genuinely smiled, and Ruth was happy to see that he was open to talking about Grace.
“So, I remember you being named Rebecca,” Gideon said after wiping his mouth with a napkin. “Do you always remember being called Becky?”
The child let out an exaggerated sigh before dramatically throwing her head back. Once she straightened, she sighed again and said, “I want to be called Beatrice.”
Ruth bit her lip to stifle a smile, then she glanced at Gideon.
“Beatrice?” Gideon scratched his forehead.
Ruth was still getting used to seeing him without the cropped bangs he’d always had. Now his dark hair was combed to the side. But when the wind blew, it fell forward, resembling the cut of the man she remembered.
“Why do you want to be called Beatrice?” Gideon chuckled. “I don’t think that’s an Amish name.” He looked at Ruth. “Is it?”
Ruth shrugged. “If it is, I’ve never known anyone Amish who has it. Where did you even hear that name?”
“I think a bird whispered it in my ear.” Becky covered her mouth with both hands and giggled. She lowered her hands slowly, looking back and forth between Ruth and Gideon. She laughed so hard it was contagious, and within seconds Gideon and Ruth were guffawing as if they’d just heard the funniest joke ever.
The more they laughed, the more Becky giggled. And before Ruth knew it, tears of joy pooled in the corners of her eyes from the gut-busting laughter she hadn’t experienced in a long time.
There is nothing more glorious than the laughter of a child.
When she finally caught her breath, she looked at Gideon. He’d stopped laughing, but Ruth recognized his expression. It was original to Gideon, a look that came into his eyes, the way his jaw twitched, the manner in which his mouth was slightly open. It was the look he’d given her every time he wanted to make love.