Levi checked the clock on the wall of the pizzeria. It was four fifteen. Maybe Mary was just running late, but he feared she wasn’t coming. Could his invitation for supper have been too forward? He wasn’t sure he would have had the nerve to ask her out in person, so he’d taken advantage of the opportunity to write her a letter.
He reached into his pocket and counted his money again, hoping she didn’t want a salad or breadsticks with the pizza. He had already planned to order water, so if she ordered a soda, he would still have enough for the meal.
Levi had talked to his father about taking on some extra painting jobs after Adeline’s house was done, maybe even some outside of their district. Surprisingly, his father said it might be all right. His brothers all had side jobs, but only in their district since that’s all their father would allow. They all had more pocket money than Levi. The little bit of money he had saved was from breaking two horses for a neighbor a few weeks ago. In the end it hadn’t felt like a victory because he’d cracked a rib in the process.
He was lost in thought and didn’t see Mary until she slid into the booth seat across from him. “Sorry I’m late.”
He opened his mouth to say something but froze. Just like almost every other woman he was around, Mary didn’t have on any makeup. Her dark hair was tucked beneath her kapp. He’d seen her this exact same way before. Had missing one Saturday caused him to forget how beautiful she was?
“Wie bischt?” he finally said, hoping the shakiness in his voice wasn’t as obvious as it sounded to him. He’d been a little nervous around her at Adeline’s some of the time, but not like this. He’d have to carry the conversation if she didn’t. Adeline was cheerful and always talking, so there hadn’t been any awkward moments. Levi could feel one building if he didn’t think of something else to say. “I’m glad you could make it.”
The waitress took their order. One pepperoni pizza with extra cheese. Two waters. No breadsticks or salad. Levi hoped it wouldn’t always be like this. Adeline would give him a good reference, so once he started some painting jobs that paid, hopefully he could save more. And eventually get his own house.
When the waitress turned the corner and was out of sight, Mary reached across the table and took one of his hands in both of hers and held tightly. Levi looked around to see if anyone was watching. Public affection was frowned upon in his district.
“What you did for Adeline . . .” She sighed, smiling. “It was a wonderful thing to do.”
Levi felt as much like a deer in the headlights as he probably looked. “Huh?”
Mary chuckled. “The furniture. All that beautiful bedroom furniture you had delivered.” She shook her head, still clutching his hand. “Although neither Adeline nor I could find more than a few little nicks here and there. And we had to really look hard. I couldn’t believe it when I saw that she’s been sleeping on a blow-up mattress in her room. How did you know?”
Levi’s jaw dropped farther. He forced his mouth closed and remembered he had his hat on, so he eased his hand out from under hers, took off his hat, and lay it on the seat next to him. Then he scratched his chin. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Mary chuckled again, and it made her dimples show. She found his hand again when he put it on the table. He liked that she wasn’t afraid to show affection in public, even if it was just hand-holding. But it was new to him.
“You don’t have to pretend with me. It was a wonderful thing to do. I’m even going to ask my father if maybe he has some spare furniture in his shop that we could give to Adeline. She needs a couch, at the least. Have you ever sat on the one she has in the front room?” She frowned as she shook her head. “It has springs poking out everywhere.”
Levi was having trouble forming thoughts with her hands on his, and he still had no idea what she was talking about. “Um . . .”
“I’m sure Adeline sold her belongings because she didn’t have enough money to sustain her. It’s wonderful the way you are helping her refurnish her house. She’s such a dear woman, don’t you think? And not to mention, you are doing all that work outside, painting and all.”
Levi eased his hand from hers, probably quicker than he should have because she stopped smiling. “Mary, I didn’t send any bedroom furniture to Adeline’s house. I have no notion as to what you’re talking about.”
She sat taller, pressed her lips together for a few seconds. Then she slumped against the bench. “If it wasn’t you, maybe someone else in your family? The furniture is beautiful, and one of the delivery boys said it was handcrafted by the Amish.”
Levi shook his head. “Nee, I would know. I don’t know of any bedroom furniture that mei daed would be giving away.” He paused as the server brought two waters and a pepperoni pizza. After Mary thanked her, Levi said, “It had to be another friend of hers.”
“I don’t think she has any friends. I mean, I think she used to see people before she wasn’t able to drive anymore. But she looks forward to our visits so much, I think she gets lonely.”
“Ach, well, somehow a gut Samaritan must have gotten word that Adeline needed a bed.”
“It’s more than a bed.” Mary picked up a piece of pizza. “It’s a bed, two nightstands, a dresser, and a small writing desk and chair.” She was about to take a bite of the pizza but held it away as she locked eyes with Levi. “Adeline was so happy, she cried.”
Levi’s heart was full. This was a good day. He loved hearing the good news for Adeline, and he was spending time with Mary. He said a silent prayer of thanks as he chose a slice of pizza. Levi was sure he could eat the entire thing, so he would try to eat slowly to make sure Mary had enough.
“What about that cousin Adeline said was coming over on Wednesdays? Maybe she sent the furniture.” Levi couldn’t keep his eyes from drifting to Mary’s lips. He’d wanted to kiss her since the day he saw her at Adeline’s as a grown woman. At ten, he’d only been afraid she’d tell someone he played Percy’s piano.
“Maybe. But that would seem like a huge coincidence that the cousin’s family was in the furniture business too. Don’t you think?”
Levi forced himself to finish chewing and then swallow, something he wouldn’t have done at home. But Mary was proper, so Levi was determined to do better about his manners.
“My family isn’t really in the furniture business. We mostly farm. Jacob just builds some furniture on the side. But Daed is real picky about it. He doesn’t want anything going out that isn’t perfect.”
“Well, whoever sent it did a gut thing.” She took a sip of water.
He smiled, trying to work up the courage to ask her what he’d been thinking about since he wrote and mailed her letter. Her eyes homed in on his face.
She tapped a finger to the left side of her nose. “How did you get that scar?”
He instinctively reached up and touched it.
“It doesn’t look bad or anything. I was just wondering about it.”
Levi had been reprimanded by his bishop only once in his life, and the scar was his constant reminder. “I got in a fight at school when I was twelve.” He could still remember the terror he felt when the bishop arrived to talk to him and the other boy, who moved away about a year later.
Mary grinned. “So you were a fighter, ya?”
Levi shook his head. “Nee. It was a one-time thing.”
They were quiet for a few moments as Levi thought about that day on the playground. He’d gone against their ways and promised the Lord that he’d never fight again. With six brothers, he’d had plenty of temptations.
“Will you be at Adeline’s Saturday?” Mary asked. She was still working on her first piece of pizza.
“Um, ya. I’ll be there.” Levi had downed three slices, and his focus kept shifting from Mary’s lips to the uneaten pizza still on the pan.
“Gut.” She smiled at him.
His courage was building. She’d shown up, held his hand, and now she wanted to make sure he would be at Adeline’s Saturday.
“I want to ask you something.” He’d gone out with a few girls in his district, but not enough to feel confident about putting his heart on the table. “I’d like to, um . . . take you on a date. I mean, a real date.” He raised an eyebrow and waited for her reaction.
She playfully batted her eyes at him. “I thought this was a real date.”
“Well, ya. It is.” Levi could feel his face turning red. “But mei daed is a stickler about manners. I’d like to pick you up and take you somewhere, and he said I need to meet your family.”
Her expression fell flat. Not even the hint of a dimple remained. Levi should have expected this. Her family was obviously well-off, and they were real modern. Levi’s family lived the way generations before him lived. Those differences shouldn’t matter, but maybe they mattered to Mary.
The server returned with the check and placed it on the table by Levi. He picked it up and knew right away he didn’t have enough money. Extra cheese was two dollars, and he surely didn’t have money for a tip. He reached into his pocket, pulled out some bills, and began fumbling with the few coins he had, counting them out on the table.
Mary came to his aid. “I’d like to leave the tip, if that’s okay.”
He couldn’t even look at her as she reached into her purse and placed a five-dollar bill on the table. Levi opened his mouth to tell her he didn’t need it, but the server came back right then. Levi put the money on the tray, including Mary’s five-dollar bill.
“Thanks,” he mumbled.
She’s embarrassed to introduce me to her family. Can’t say that I blame her.
Mary’s heart beat like a bass drum. Levi was blushing, clearly embarrassed that he was short on cash, but Mary couldn’t care less about that. She didn’t want to lie to Levi, but there was no way she could introduce him to her family right now. It was horrible at her house, and twice she’d heard her father yelling—once at Lydia and once at Mamm. There had been lots of crying, and Lydia wasn’t speaking to Mary, even though she knew Mary hadn’t spilled the beans about Samuel.
Lydia and Samuel had been caught kissing in the barn by their father, and her pregnancy came out amid her tears. She wasn’t allowed to see Samuel now, although their mother was working hard to get the two married as quickly as possible.
They were all nervous about an upcoming meeting with the bishop. If Levi walked into all of that, he’d never want to see her again. Lydia’s actions were attached to the word shame now.
Their father didn’t fire Samuel, but he sent him home the moment he found out Lydia was pregnant. Maybe he would come to accept the circumstances and let Samuel continue working for him. It was too soon to know.
“It’s too far for you to travel by buggy to meet my family.” She took a deep breath. “Besides, don’t people in your district who are dating keep it a secret? In our community, no one knows a person is dating until it’s serious. And even then, most folks don’t know until an engagement is published.” She put a hand to her mouth as a timid gasp escaped. “I-I don’t mean that I’m thinking that far ahead. I just, uh . . .” Be quiet, stop talking. She bit her lip so hard, she was afraid it would bleed.
Levi shrugged and didn’t seem bothered by her words. “I could give the horse a gut long rest, the same way we do when we go at Adeline’s. By late afternoon, the animals have had plenty of rest to get us home. Or I bet Adeline would let me stay in her extra bedroom in the twin bed, then I could make the rest of the trip the next day to meet your family.”
It was a good argument, and she wanted to see Levi more than just on Saturdays, but she just couldn’t expose him to her family right now.
“It’s not necessary to meet mei family. And mei parents know you’re doing work for Adeline. I’m sure they’ve already decided that you are a gut man.”
“Okay. We can just keep seeing each other at Adeline’s on Saturdays.” Levi wouldn’t look at her, and she wondered if his feelings were hurt.
“Since it’s important to your family that you meet my family, they probably want to meet me too. That same arrangement, staying at Adeline’s, could work for me, and I could come meet your family.”
Levi opened his mouth to say something but then didn’t.
“Should we do that?” Mary finally asked.
“Nee, that’s not necessary either. As the man, they just felt that I should introduce myself to your daed.”
She felt the sting she had delivered to Levi bounce back at her. He didn’t want her to meet his family either. Gossip, although forbidden, was known to travel quickly, but Mary didn’t see how Levi could have gotten word about Lydia yet. Eventually, someone from Montgomery would talk to someone in Orleans or Shoals, and everyone would know that Mary’s sixteen-year-old sister was unwed and pregnant. Mary understood the shame her parents must feel.
“Maybe we can just enjoy today and talk about it another time.”
“Ya, sure.” Levi nodded at the last piece of pizza. Mary hadn’t even finished her first slice. “Are you going to eat that?”
Mary shook her head. The atmosphere had grown cold, and she needed to say something to bring their conversation back to a good place. But Levi wasn’t looking at her as much as he had when she arrived. And he wasn’t saying anything.
“I’ll see you Saturday, ya?” Mary twisted the string on her prayer covering as she chewed on her bottom lip.
“Ya. I’ll be there. I’ve still got a lot of work to do.”
Mary wanted to confide in him, to tell him that she’d love for him to meet her family. Normally, her mother would put out a perfect spread of food and they would present themselves as the truly happy family that they were. Until now. It was wrong for anyone to judge another person. Only God could do that. But they were all human, and all it would take was one outburst from Lydia to get everyone screaming and yelling again.
She couldn’t put Levi in that situation.
After an awkward silence, Levi walked Mary to her buggy. “You should be able to make it home before dark.”
She smiled. “If you had a cell phone, I could call you to let you know I made it safely home.”
That was never going to happen. His parents wouldn’t allow it, and Levi didn’t have the money for it. Mary’s world was so different from his. Maybe it was best not to let his feelings for her grow. Maybe they needed to stay friends and keep their time together limited to Adeline’s house.
But when Mary reached for his hand and smiled, thoughts of friendship jumped out of his mind and scurried across the asphalt parking lot.
“Danki for the pizza and for inviting me.” She smiled as she moved a little closer to him. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. If Levi didn’t know he’d still see her on Saturdays, this might have felt like goodbye. But as her lips hovered near his, so close he could feel her breath, he decided it was now or never.
He was going to find out if Mary was interested in more than friendship. After glancing around the parking lot to make sure there was no one around, he cupped her cheeks in his hands and pulled her lips to his. And he kissed her the way he’d been dreaming of. And it wasn’t the way you kiss your friend. When she returned the kiss, Levi was sure they were going to be more than friends, no matter how different their upbringings.
Adeline woke up Wednesday morning after another good night’s sleep. Since her new furniture arrived on Saturday, she’d slept better than she had since she sold her bed. Which was a dumb thing to do. She couldn’t wait to thank Levi on Saturday.
But today she had Natalie’s visit to look forward to. She learned a little more about Percy’s cousin every time she popped in. Most telling, however, was the essay she’d asked Adeline to read. It was beautifully written. The girl was right to admit she had some issues with grammar, but the emotion that spilled out on the pages touched Adeline deeply.
Adeline’s chest tightened, and she got ready for a spasm. It was longer this time, and a moan actually slipped out as she waited for the pain to pass. She regretted that Mary and Levi had witnessed one. Maybe Saturday she would ask to borrow Mary’s phone. The doctor’s office wouldn’t be open, but she could leave a message and ask them to increase her dosage. Then the following Saturday, she’d ask Mary to cart her to the pharmacy to pick it up. She said a quick prayer and asked God to temper the spasms, or at least help her bear the pain. Adeline didn’t want to make a big fuss in front of Natalie, so she bargained with herself, saying she’d ask to borrow the girl’s phone if the pain continued during their time together.
Natalie arrived a few minutes later, and Adeline greeted her with a hug. They got settled at the kitchen table, and Natalie was already fitting puzzle pieces together when Adeline mentioned that she’d read the essay.
“I’m sure you found plenty of mistakes.” Natalie sighed.
“Dear girl, it was a lovely essay. I’m sure your Mimi Jean is smiling from heaven. Yes, there were some grammatical errors, but it would have been easy to overlook them if I didn’t have trained schoolteacher eyes.” She pointed to the counter. “I left it over there, marked up with my handy red pen that I hadn’t used in a long time.”
Natalie looked up and smiled. “Thank you so much.”
“I have a confession. I made a copy. Is that all right?” Percy’s ancient photocopier hadn’t sold at the estate sale. There’d barely been enough ink to make copies of the three pages.
Natalie slipped a piece of the puzzle into place. “Sure, that’s fine.” She looked up. “But why?”
“It’s filled with such hope, and it reminds me of myself at your age. I’d like to be able to pull it out and reread it from time to time.”
Natalie’s eyes shone with deserving pride. “That makes me feel good.” She refocused on the puzzle and grouped together more of the tan pieces. “You and your friends got a lot done this past Saturday.” She clicked more pieces into place.
“Your mother was right.” Adeline chuckled. “You are a whiz at this. But actually, only Mary was here Saturday. Levi wasn’t able to come. But I’ve worked on it in the evenings.” She brought a hand to her chest and smiled. “Levi and Mary should both be here this coming Saturday. At least I hope they are. I can’t wait to thank Levi for a most generous gesture.” She pushed back her chair and stood up. “Follow me. I want to show you something.”
When they got to Adeline’s bedroom, she pushed the door open. “All of this was delivered to me on Saturday. Levi’s family is the one who gave me the kitchen table and chairs, and now they’ve given me this beautiful bedroom set.” She frowned a little. “I don’t think that boy’s family has much, and I’m floored that they would do this. But I am grateful beyond words.”
“It looks really pretty in here.” Natalie smiled a little. “I’m glad you don’t have to sleep on the floor now.”
Adeline lifted one shoulder and dropped it slowly. “I wasn’t actually sleeping on the floor.” She laughed. “But my back is thanking me every morning. It didn’t care much for that air mattress.”
Natalie pulled her long hair into a knot and tied it on top of her head.
“I’m sorry it’s so warm in here. I think my air conditioner is going out. I haven’t needed to turn it on until yesterday, but it doesn’t seem to be blowing cool air.” It would be a hot summer with no AC, if it was in need of repair.
“It’s okay.”
They walked back to the kitchen table. Adeline sat, but Natalie stayed standing, folded her arms across her chest, and eyed the puzzle. “I used to think this was a beach scene, with all the shades of blue and tan.” She leaned in closer. “But I don’t think that’s sand, Adeline.”
Adeline rose from her chair and stood beside Natalie, seeing if she could get some perspective. “Well, that looks like sky.” She pointed to the top of the puzzle where shades of blue blended with white, like clouds.
Natalie tapped her finger several times on the tan places that were starting to come together toward the bottom of the puzzle. Then she looked up at Adeline grinning. “That doesn’t look like a beach. And I don’t know about the red, but the tan isn’t sand.”
Adeline studied it. “Well, I don’t know what it is, but I think you’re right. It’s not sand.” She pressed her palms together and smiled. “This is half the fun, wondering what the picture is. Oh! We forgot to make lists of what we think it might be.” She turned to Natalie, who had an odd look on her face.
“Adeline, that looks like skin. And that looks like it could be, uh . . .”
Adeline gasped as she finally saw what Natalie saw. “Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear.”
“Are you sure you want to finish this puzzle?”
Adeline eyed the picture that was forming and shook her head. “Maybe not.”