STEPHEN SAT AT THE LARGE KITCHEN TABLE ACROSS from the New Jersey couple and pierced another bite of roast beef. The food reminded him of the delicious meals his mamm made and caused his homesickness to intensify. He put his fork down and drank some of his meadow tea.
“This is delicious.” Robin wiped her mouth with a napkin. “These mashed potatoes and gravy are the best I’ve ever had.”
“This is much better than anything you’ve ever made, Robin,” Greg said with a crooked smile, clearly teasing her.
“You said you liked my store-bought meals.” Robin swatted him with her napkin. “Frozen lasagna and garlic bread was a hit last weekend with our bridge club. They almost believed I’d slaved all day making it.”
Stephen glanced at Hannah, hoping to catch her reaction to the conversation. She smiled, and his heart turned over in his chest as he thought of Lillian. He missed Lillian’s beautiful smile, a feature people often commented on. Perhaps God had put Hannah in Stephen’s life to allow him to say good-bye to his Lillian—to gain some closure.
Stephen watched Hannah gather more rolls from the oven. He couldn’t help studying her delicate features and ivory skin. The more he looked at her, the more he saw that she didn’t look as much like Lillian as he first thought. She had bigger eyes, and they were brown instead of blue like Lillian’s. And she was much taller than Lillian.
“Do most Amish families stay in one house and never move?” Robin scooped more mashed potatoes onto her plate.
“Ya, we stay close to relatives. Some build homes for their children on their land.” Hannah refilled the guests’ glasses, never losing her pleasant expression. “They normally stay nearby so they can visit often and attend church together.”
Stephen supposed Hannah fielded questions like this all the time. The guests’ inquiries didn’t seem to bother her in the least.
“This meat is excellent. Is that rosemary I taste?” Greg said.
“It is. That’s something my mother always added.”
“Appeditlich,” Stephen echoed. “Reminds me of mei mamm’s cooking.”
“What does apple—” Robin laughed. “I can’t say it, Stephen. What does it mean?”
“Appeditlich. It means delicious. I was echoing what you said.”
“Oh.” Robin lifted her tea glass. “Are you from this area too?”
Stephen shook his head. “I’m from Ohio.”
“Are you visiting for a while?” Greg asked.
“Ya. I’m going to see where the Lord leads me.” Stephen glanced at Hannah and found her studying him. Although he longed to tell her the truth about his past, he shuddered at the thought of her reaction. He never should’ve taken the buggy out in that pouring rain. If only he’d waited until the rain stopped . . .
“How do your appliances work without electricity?” Robin buttered a dinner roll.
“Are they gas powered?” Greg asked.
Hannah nodded. “Ya. Powered by propane.”
Stephen admired how Hannah kept her expression pleasant and her demeanor professional.
Once dinner was over, Hannah refused Robin’s help with the dishes and insisted the guests go on their way and enjoy their stay in Paradise.
Stephen carried his dishes to the sink. “I can help clean up.”
“Don’t be gegisch.”
“I don’t mind at all.” Standing close to her, he could smell her lilac shampoo. He gathered up the rest of the dirty dishes and placed them in a stack on the counter. “Do you always cook for your parents?”
“Sometimes mei mamm cooks, but I try to help as much as I can since she has to care for mei daed.” She turned on the faucet and waited for the water to warm.
“Your daed is grank?”
“He had a stroke a year ago.” She kept her eyes on the sudsy water.
“I’m sorry.” He gathered up the utensils. “Mei daadi had a couple of strokes before he passed away.”
“He did?” Hannah’s eyes widened. “Did it affect his speech? Was he paralyzed?”
“His right side was paralyzed after the first stroke, and his speech was slurred. The second stroke was minor, but the third impaired his speech permanently.” He shook his head. “It was hard to watch his health deteriorate.”
“Ya, it is difficult.” Hannah looked away for a moment. He could tell she wanted to say more. A moment later she said, “It’s as if I’m mourning mei daed, but he’s not in heaven yet.”
“I understand. I did a lot of little projects around mei daadi’s haus to help make things easier for him, like walking down the stairs. Everything took enormous effort. He was very active before the stroke.” Stephen studied Hannah’s eyes. He felt an instant connection with her. He’d never met anyone with whom he could share the depth of his feelings about his grandfather’s illness. Not even Lillian.
“You must have been close.”
“We were. He passed away five years ago.” He smiled. “I used to help mei mammi plant flowers so mei daadi could enjoy his favorite pastime—sitting on the porch and watching the birds and butterflies. We planted a butterfly garden in the corner of the yard, and Daadi loved it.”
“I love growing flowers too. I’ve thought about planting a butterfly garden.”
“I know it’s not normal to hear that a guy likes to garden, but it’s the truth. Mei mammi taught me all she knew about plants. Mei daadi insisted we had the most colorful garden in Sugarcreek, but I’m not certain that was true.”
“If you’re still here closer to spring, maybe you can help me plant a butterfly garden.”
“I’d be glad to.”
“That would be wunderbaar.” She paused for a moment and then smiled. “Tell me more about your life in Sugarcreek. Do you have a big family?”
“I have an older bruder named Jacob.” He thought of Hannah’s brother. “How often does Andrew come by to help?”
“As often as he can.” She shrugged. “He’s busy with his farm and family.”
He nodded toward the bathroom. “I noticed the toilet is running.”
She raised her eyebrows. “I’ll mention it to Andrew.”
Another easy job I can do to keep my mind off Lillian.
“I’d like to get a ride to town tomorrow,” Stephen said. He placed the utensils next to the sink. “Do you have a regular driver?”
“Ya.” She wiped her hands on a towel. “His name is Curt.” She pointed toward the large barn through the kitchen window. “There’s a phone in the barn, and Curt’s number is pinned to the bulletin board. Tell him that you’re staying here.”
“Gut. Danki.” As he headed out to the barn, Stephen sent up a little prayer asking God to heal his heart so he could move on with his life here in Paradise.