Adeline caught her breath, felt Levi’s arm around her waist. Mary had her phone to her ear, her eyes wide, her lip trembling. “Don’t call 9–1–1. I’m fine. I’m not having a heart attack.” Levi kept his arm around her as she straightened.
Mary hesitated, but stowed her phone back in her apron pocket.
Levi eased his arm away from Adeline. “It looked like a heart attack. My great aunt had one during worship service a few years ago.”
Adeline frowned. “I miss church.” Right away, she wished she hadn’t voiced the thought. One of these young people might offer to take her, and they were already doing too much as it was. “But I have my own weekly worship service right here at home, and I give thanks to the Lord daily.”
“If it wasn’t a heart attack, then what happened?” Mary blinked a few times. “It scared me.”
Adeline scratched her forehead. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have one of those episodes while you kids were visiting. They are esophageal spasms. I’ve suffered them for years.” She shrugged. “They never last more than a few seconds usually, but the pain became unbearable a few years ago when they started to last longer and come on more frequently. My doctor put me on medication, but I’ve been having them more often lately. I just need to call my doctor and have the dosage increased.”
Mary’s forlorn expression hadn’t lifted, and her bottom lip still trembled. “I should cart you to the doctor right now.”
“Absolutely not.” Adeline looked at the timer on her oven. “I’ve been dealing with those spasms for years. That bird is going to be ready soon, and I’m not missing out. I’ll just call the doctor.” She cringed, determined to ask God for forgiveness for the lie later. She briefly considered asking Mary to borrow her phone, but cell phones only had a certain number of minutes, and Adeline didn’t want to burn up the girl’s time.
“Are you sure?” Mary bit her bottom lip.
Adeline patted her on the arm as she moved toward her new kitchen table. “I say we find a few border pieces of this puzzle while we wait on the chicken.” She waited until Mary and Levi were seated, then focused on the boy. “And, before I forget, Percy’s closet is full of clothes and shoes, Levi. I know you wouldn’t have use for some of the clothes, but his shoes might fit you, and there are several coats.” She paused to take a deep cleansing breath. “I just haven’t made myself clean out his belongings, but it’s way past time.”
Levi nodded. “That would be gut, Ms. Col—I mean, Adeline. If you’re sure. But you don’t owe us anything for the table and chairs.”
“And you don’t owe me for looking through Percy’s clothes for items you might could use. And whatever you don’t keep can go to one of the local charities for others who might benefit.” Sighing, she said, “I should have done that a long time ago.” Visions of her husband danced in her head. “Percy was a sharp dresser.”
“Ya, sure.” Levi was searching for puzzle pieces with a straight edge. Mary too. After lunch, Adeline would go lie down and give the two young people some time alone.
“I have another new young friend. Actually, she is a distant cousin of Percy’s. She showed up on Wednesday, and we had a nice visit. She was near here for training for her job, and she’ll be coming every Wednesday for a while.” She paused, recalling her time with Natalie as she also began examining puzzle pieces. “Such a lovely girl. The Lord has blessed me with special new friends. Her name is Natalie, and she’s about your age.”
Adeline shared with Mary and Levi the little bit she knew about Natalie before the timer on the oven dinged. Mary was out of her seat right away, pulling out the bird and setting it on top of the stove.
Adeline breathed in the aroma of thyme and sage that had filled the house the past few hours, like a home with family in it. She would enjoy today with Mary and Levi, and then Natalie would be back on Wednesday. She silently thanked the Lord again for bringing these young people into her life and keeping the loneliness at bay.
Natalie knocked on her mother’s front door and waited.
The door swung open after a few moments. “Why do you do that? You lived here your entire life until recently. You don’t need to knock.”
Natalie eyed the top of her mother’s head, the dark layers spreading through the blond strands that curled inward right below her shoulders. “You need to get your roots done.” She scooted past her mother toward her old bedroom. “I left something here that I need to get.”
“If I could afford it, I would. Your father isn’t paying child support since you turned eighteen and moved out, and since Indiana isn’t an alimony state, I’m out of luck.” Her mother stayed on Natalie’s heels all the way to her upstairs bedroom.
“Mom, just buy the kind of dye that comes in a box. I could even do it for you.” Natalie opened the drawer of what used to be her nightstand. She’d opted not to take any of her furniture when she moved out two weeks ago. She didn’t want any reminders of the life she’d lived for the past two years. Prior to the divorce, her parents fought daily. She wanted a fresh start with new everything when she could afford it. Right now, sleeping on an air mattress suited her just fine. And she’d also moved out because her mother needed to learn how to function on her own.
“I’m not dying my hair out of a box.”
Natalie shrugged. “Suit yourself.” She pulled a wad of folded papers from her desk drawer. “Found it.”
“Found what?” Her mother tightened the sash around her robe, then took a sip from the glass she had yet to set down. Natalie hoped it was just orange juice her mother was sipping on, but she doubted it.
“My SAT scores. I’ll need them when I start applying for scholarships and grants to colleges.” She should have already done that before she graduated, but the divorce had consumed all of their lives.
“I told you I don’t have the money to send you to college. And you know we can’t count on your father for anything.” Her mother took a long drink of the orange liquid.
“That’s why I’ll apply for scholarships and grants. And I’ll save my money.”
“I don’t know why you moved out, or why you left all this furniture in your room. You could have taken it. We paid a lot of money for it. It was handcrafted by the local Amish.”
Natalie tucked the papers in her purse. “I’m getting a promotion at work after the training classes, so I’ll just buy some new furniture. If you decide to sell the house like you mentioned, it will show better with my room full of furniture.” It was a partial version of the truth, but her mother didn’t argue about it anymore as she followed Natalie back to the living room. The bedroom set had been a surprise gift from her parents on her sixteenth birthday. It wasn’t her style anyway. She preferred more of a shabby chic– eclectic look, as opposed to her mother’s more traditional furnishings.
“I gotta go.” Natalie found her keys in her purse as she walked to the door.
“I made that chicken casserole you like. You could stay and eat, at least.”
She stared at the woman her mother had turned into. Bitter, unhappy all the time, and apparently going broke. “Mom, I can’t stay. It’s Sunday, and I have work tomorrow, and I want to review my stuff for the class before Wednesday gets here.” She paused, took a deep breath, and said, “Mom. I love you. But maybe if you got a job you would be happier.”
Her mother’s jaw dropped. “I’m not sure what I’m qualified to do besides run a household and tend to a man.”
Natalie didn’t have a lot of argument for that. Her mother had never worked. She’d been totally dependent on Natalie’s father, who had pretty much ditched them both when he hooked up with a younger woman he met at the gym.
“Mom, I’m upset with Dad too. But it’s over and done with. The divorce is final, and you need to get on with your life.” Eighteen seemed too young for role reversal, but Natalie had slipped into the position without even realizing it until now.
Her mother hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. “Good luck with the class. And let me know how it goes with Adeline.”
“She’s a nice lady,” Natalie said just before she closed the door behind her. She’d thought the visits might be a chore, calling on an elderly woman she didn’t even know. She regretted letting her mother push her into the visit, but at the time, it seemed easier than fighting with her.
But she was kind of looking forward to visiting with Adeline again, and it didn’t have anything to do with money. Natalie would find her own way to get to college. Adeline reminded her of her Mimi Jean. Not a day went by that Natalie didn’t miss her grandmother.
Mary had a hard time focusing on the worship service, and every time she looked at Samuel Bontrager, her stomach roiled. He was only a year older than Lydia, but he had dated a lot of girls, most of them right after they started their rumschpringe. The courtships never lasted very long. Mary didn’t want Lydia to get her heart broken. But her sister had put up some good arguments when Mary confronted her about what she’d seen. There was a lot at stake if Mary told anyone about the relationship. The conflict was churning her insides into twisted knots.
By the time they returned home after worship, Mary found Lydia in her bedroom and entered, closing the door.
“I’m not going to talk about Samuel, if that’s what you’re here for,” Lydia said.
Yelling at Lydia the way she had early Saturday morning hadn’t worked and only fueled Lydia’s determination to be with Samuel. Mary had to take another approach.
“It must be a wonderful feeling to think you are falling in love,” Mary said as her thoughts spiraled to Levi, but she refocused. “But you must realize that Samuel has dated a lot of girls in our community, and he never dates them for long. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“We were just kissing. And besides, he’s different with me.”
Mary hoped so, for Lydia’s sake.
Her sister sat on her bed, and Mary sat beside her. Lydia turned to face Mary. “If you tell Daed, he might fire him. Samuel provides sole support for his parents, ever since his mother took ill in the fall. You know that.”
“Ya, I do know that. I don’t want Daed to fire him either. But sneaking around isn’t gut. Samuel should ask Daed if he can date you properly.”
Lydia sighed. “Lots of couples in their rumschpringe sneak around.”
Mary never had, but it was true. “Ya, I know. But Daed specifically told us both, when we entered into our rumschpringe, to be honest with him and Mamm, not to sneak around. They are willing to give us both some liberties, but if you get caught with Samuel, it won’t go over well with our parents. You need to just tell them.” Mary wasn’t sure her father wouldn’t fire Samuel anyway, just because of his reputation when it came to girls.
Lydia ran a brush through her long dark hair. There would never be any denying they were siblings. People had mistaken them for twins when they were younger. Lydia had Mary’s dark hair and dark eyes, as well as similar facial features. But that was before Mary shot up in height and now stood at least three inches taller than her younger sister.
Lydia knotted and tucked her hair beneath her prayer covering as she huffed. “It’s my life. Just don’t tell anyone, at least for now.”
Mary swallowed back a lump forming in her throat as she recalled the way Samuel and Lydia had carried on in the yard. “I don’t know if I can promise that.”
Lydia stormed out of the room and left Mary sitting on the bed. She couldn’t talk to their mother about this because Mamm would tell their father. Samuel was a hard worker and generally a good man. But if he took liberties with his boss’s daughter, acted in a way the Lord wouldn’t approve of, their father would fire him for sure.
This might explain why Lydia had been in the shop working with their father so much. Mary scanned her memory, trying to remember how much time Lydia might have been in the shop with Samuel when their father wasn’t with them. She shivered to think that more could be going on between them than just kissing. She wanted to talk to Samuel, no matter how mad Lydia got. He was playing with fire and putting his family’s welfare at stake.
She finally stood and went to her own room. Sunday was supposed to be a day of rest, but all Mary felt was worry, and there was nothing restful about that.
Levi dumped the clothes he’d taken from Percy’s closet on the couch in the living room as his brothers hovered around like vultures. He couldn’t blame them. Levi was equally anxious to go through the clothes and coats. He’d already chosen a pair of shoes and put them in his room underneath his bed. Lloyd and Ben wore the same size as Levi, and they would have taken the shoes. Levi needed them more than his brothers did.
“I don’t know about wearing a dead man’s clothes,” Jacob said. “It might be bad luck.”
Levi sighed. His people were prone to superstition, but not enough that it kept Jacob from pulling a heavy coat from the pile and trying it on.
Their mother walked into the room, frowning as she moved toward them. “Be very careful what you choose. Black slacks, blue shirts, and black shoes only.” She looked at Jacob. “And you’re not keeping that coat. It’s much too fancy.”
Levi thought his mother should bend the rules a little since there was a shortage of coats in the winter, but he stayed quiet, knowing his father would back her up.
“Adeline said to take whatever was left to a charity place.” Levi managed to pull a pair of black slacks from the pile. He was taller than some of his brothers, and as he held the pants up, he thought they would be the right length. Percy had obviously been bigger around in the middle, but his sisters could take in the waist area, and they all had suspenders.
“We can drop the rest of the clothes at a place I know of on Saturday when you cart me to Widow Stutzman’s haus.” His mother limped toward her room, and Levi followed her.
“I can’t, Mamm. I go to Adeline’s on Saturday. We always visit Widow Stutzman during the week.”
“You’ll just have to skip this Saturday at Adeline’s. Annie is out of town all week visiting relatives near Bloomington.”
“Why can’t someone else take you?” Levi heard the snappiness in his voice, and his mother apparently did too. She turned to face him, and thrust her hands on her hips. “Everyone will be working that day.”
“I have work plans that day too. Why can’t one of the girls drive you? Or you could drive yourself.” He winced, regretting that last part.
His mother’s eyes narrowed into slits, her nostrils flaring. “The girls will be helping their friend Rachel with her wedding preparations. It’s been planned for two weeks. And I don’t drive the buggy anymore. You know that.”
The room behind them had gone quiet. No one ever mentioned their mother’s decision not to drive the buggy anymore. Levi had noticed that one of his brothers—or his father—had pounded out the dent, which was now barely visible.
“If this is about that girl you see at Adeline’s, then maybe you should invite her here. Maybe for Sunday supper since we don’t have worship service.”
His brothers snickered, and Levi huffed before he left the room. He didn’t answer his mother. He wasn’t proud of his behavior, but there was no way he was going to invite Mary to his house. He suspected her home life was perfectly organized. What would she think about the reign of chaos at Levi’s house?
He would have to mail Adeline a note explaining why he wouldn’t be there. Hopefully it would arrive before Saturday. He hadn’t realized how much he looked forward to the visits until now. He recalled the fine meal they’d had, working on the puzzle, and the feeling of accomplishment he felt after finishing a large part of the painting later in the day. And before Levi had gone back to work, Adeline laid down for a nap, which left him a little time with Mary by himself.
Levi had been pleasantly surprised at all the things they had in common in addition to their love of music. They both had a fondness for cats, which wasn’t something Levi mentioned to many people since it didn’t seem very manly. They had read some of the same Christian books. They both despised beets, fried eggs, and liver with onions.
But it was more than their common interests that kept Mary at the forefront of his thoughts. She was beautiful, but something about her made his heart rate speed up every time he was around her.
Adeline had managed to connect one side of the puzzle border while drinking her coffee Wednesday morning. She’d been up and dressed about an hour when Natalie pulled in her driveway. The girl had a blue SUV about the same color as the car Adeline had before the estate sale. A woman had purchased it for her teenage daughter.
“I’m so glad you came back,” Adeline said when she opened the front door. “Although I’m not sure if I’m good company for someone your age.” She chuckled.
Natalie stepped across the threshold and smiled. “Wow. It smells good in here, like lemons.” She glanced around the house. “You’ve been busy cleaning.”
Adeline sighed. “I wish I could take credit, but I have two young Amish friends who come to see me every Saturday. Levi is painting the outside of the house, and Mary did almost all the cleaning inside. This coming Saturday I think we’re going to the market. They are wonderful friends. I haven’t known them long, but Percy knew their parents.”
“I noticed the fresh paint on the outside of the house. It looks nice.”
“They’re getting the place spiffed up, that’s for sure.” Adeline motioned for Natalie to follow her into the kitchen. “They brought me a kitchen table and chairs.”
Natalie moved closer to the table and hung her purse over the back of one of the chairs. “I’m a whiz at puzzles. Mom says I had a natural knack for it.” She smiled. “I haven’t worked on one in forever.”
“You’re here earlier than last time. Would you like to work on it with me? I’m still trying to get the border finished.”
Natalie pulled out a chair. “Sure, I’ve actually got a couple hours until my class starts.” She began searching for border pieces and setting them aside.
“How is your mother doing? We didn’t talk much about her during your last visit, just that your parents had divorced not long ago.”
“She’s okay, I guess. Dad left her for another woman, someone a lot younger, and Mom is super bitter about everything.” She glanced up for a moment. “I don’t really see my dad. He sends me a text every now and then.” She hooked two border pieces together as she shrugged.
Adeline shook her head. “That’s a shame. I suppose divorce is like death in some ways.”
Natalie clicked a few more pieces of the border together. “Maybe this is wrong of me to say, but they probably should have gotten a divorce a long time ago. They fought all the time. I finally moved out a couple weeks ago. My mother needs to learn how to function on her own, and I just needed a fresh start.”
“Where do you live?”
“On the outskirts of Montgomery. You might remember us living on the other side of Indianapolis, but we moved about four years ago so Dad could be closer to his job. I didn’t get a place too far from Mom because I worry about her, but it’s a little closer to work. But I just couldn’t live under the same roof with her anymore. I rented an apartment. It’s super small. I’m saving my money to get the things I need.”
Adeline thought for a few moments as she pulled the tan puzzle pieces into a pile. “I have a lot of room in this big old house. I sold most of my belongings. You know, simplifying things. But I do have a spare bedroom that didn’t get stripped like most of the house. A few pieces sold, but there is still a twin bed and a small dresser in there. You’d be welcome to stay with me if you’d like to save on rent. Montgomery isn’t that far by car.”
Natalie stopped lining up puzzle pieces to see if they’d fit and locked eyes with Adeline. “Really? You’d let me live here?”
“Of course. You’re family.” Adeline had enjoyed her time with Mary and Levi, but it was only on Saturdays. If Natalie lived with her it would feel almost like having a granddaughter living with her.
“Ms. Collins, that’s so nice of you to offer.” She smiled. “But I want to try to make it on my own. I’m terrified of ending up like my mother. She has no skills other than being a housewife. I want to get a good education so I can always be independent, no matter what life throws my way.”
Adeline’s vision of a granddaughter faded, but it didn’t disappear. She had three new young people in her life, and she was grateful for that.
“Well, I’m proud of you. And maybe you can just call me Adeline. Mary and Levi do.”
They worked on the puzzle quietly for a while, then Natalie cleared her throat. “I-I do have a favor to ask, though. And if it’s too much trouble, please tell me. I just really don’t want to ask my mother because every time I talk to her it turns into a conversation about the divorce and how awful my dad is.”
Adeline hoped the favor didn’t have anything to do with money. She’d help Natalie with anything she needed, but by the time she’d gotten caught up on bills with money from the estate sale, she had barely enough left to live on. She was trying to save her small social security checks to rebuild her savings, in case of anything unexpected. “What’s the favor, dear?”
Natalie took her purse from the back of the chair. “I’m applying for college scholarships and grants, and I had to write an essay for them about the person who has most influenced my life. Would you be interested in reading it?” Her cheeks turned a bit pink.
Relief washed over Adeline as she pressed her palms together and smiled. “I would love to. I actually used to be an English teacher.”
Natalie nibbled on a fingernail for a few seconds. “Uh-oh. Grammar isn’t my strong suit. You’ll probably pick up on that.”
“Well it’s a good thing you asked me to help you. If the emotion is there, we can fix the grammar.”
Natalie handed Adeline her essay. No way she wanted her mother to read it. She’d only skim through it and pretend to be interested, then want to talk about the divorce.
“Thank you so much for agreeing to read it.” Natalie excused herself to go to the bathroom. She crossed through the parlor—as Adeline referred to it—since her mother would surely ask her about the piano. She leaned close to look at the inscription, and sure enough, it was a Steinway.
Natalie didn’t know anything about pianos or their value, but her mother had specifically mentioned that brand. She wasn’t sure if she should tell her mother the piano was a Steinway. She left the room and walked down the hallway.
Adeline had referred to her home as a big old house. It really wasn’t that big, although it had several rooms. As she made her way down the hallway, she passed by an empty bedroom with nothing but a few boxes stacked against the wall, then she slowed her stride when she passed by a room with a twin bed and a small dresser. She tiptoed inside and tried to envision it being her bedroom. Her room at home had been twice the size, but this one was about the same size bedroom she had at her apartment. It was cozy with light-tan walls and two windows. There were square smudges where pictures had hung, and a few nails still in the wall.
She walked out and saw another room, the door just barely cracked. She pushed it all the way open. There was an air mattress, about the size of the one Natalie was sleeping on. It was covered with a bedspread and two pillows in shams, like a regular bed. There wasn’t any other furniture in the large room.
Natalie found the bathroom, and when she was back in the kitchen, she stood by the kitchen table. Her cousin looked up.
“Adeline, why are you sleeping on an air mattress?” She hung her head for a few seconds. “Sorry, I just wanted to see the rest of your house, and the door was cracked.”
“Honey, you’re welcome in any room in this house. As for the air mattress, I’m fine with that. I really am.” Adeline refocused on the puzzle.
Natalie sat down, but she wasn’t interested in the puzzle anymore. “Why don’t you sleep in the room across the hall with the twin bed in it?”
There was a hint of a smile on Adeline’s face as she locked eyes with Natalie. “I spent my entire married life in my bedroom with Percy. After all my furniture sold, I couldn’t bear not to lay my head down and picture him next to me.”
“But we could move the twin bed into your room.” Natalie couldn’t stand the thought of someone Adeline’s age sleeping on an air mattress. She thought of her Mimi Jean, who would have been around the same age.
“It would seem strange for me to sleep in that small bed.” She lowered her gaze. “It’s silly, I know, but all these years later, I still sometimes reach over looking for Percy. I’m perfectly fine sleeping on that air mattress.”
Natalie’s wheels were turning. “But if you had a queensize bed, would you sleep in it?”
“I reckon I would, but I’m in no hurry to purchase one.” Adeline avoided Natalie’s eyes as a blush filled her cheeks.
Natalie suspected the estate sale had been a way for Adeline to get money. She let the subject go so as not to embarrass her further.
They worked on the puzzle for a while longer, losing track of time. When Natalie glanced at the time on her cell phone, she stood up abruptly and lifted her purse from the chair. “I have to go. I didn’t realize I’d been here this long, but I enjoyed our visit. Thank you for saying you’d read my essay. It definitely needs proofing before I send it in.”
Adeline stood and hugged her. “I’m happy you asked me to read it. And will I see you next Wednesday?”
“I’ll be here.” Natalie stared at the puzzle, at the groups of colors that had been separated. “There’s a lot of tan and blue in this puzzle. Where’s the box? What’s it a picture of?”
Adeline chuckled. “I have no idea. I bought it at a yard sale. The pieces were in a plastic bag.”
Natalie looked at the blue and white pieces, likely sky. There was another shade of blue bunched off to one side that looked like maybe the ocean. And there was some red. “It’s hard to tell without the border done and only a few inside pieces fitting together so far, but it looks like a beach scene.”
“I used to love the beach when I was young. I hope it’s a beach scene.”
Natalie continued staring at the pieces. Adeline was right. It was too soon to tell.
“My young Amish friend, Mary, suggested that she, Levi, and I should each write down five ideas about what the puzzle might be. You should do the same.”
“I’ll do that next Wednesday when there’s more of it put together.” Natalie studied the colored groupings. “It could be anything, I guess, but I think my vote would be that it’s something red on the beach. All that tan has to be sand.”
She told Adeline goodbye and hugged her again. After she was in her car, she thought about what to tell her mother. Should she tell her about the Steinway? If she told her Adeline had offered for Natalie to move in with her, Mom would have a fit that Natalie declined the offer, since that might have solidified Adeline leaving the house to them.
But as she called her mother, another subject was on her mind. And it would require telling her a big fat lie.