Esther had decorated the house for fall at the beginning of the season, and the Lord blessed them with a beautiful day for Thanksgiving, filled with sunshine beaming through the windows. A wonderful aroma filled the air as she opened the oven to check on the turkey. Lizzie had prepared the bird, stuffed it, and basted it several times throughout the morning.
Lizzie and Naomi scurried around the kitchen. Dinner would feel more like a family affair this year. Esther had her concerns about Lizzie and Gus being at the same table for a meal, but she wasn’t completely convinced Gus would show up. But it would be nice to have Mary and John in attendance.
She walked into the dining room. “The table looks lovely.” Esther pressed her hands together as she eyed the good china set for six.
“Naomi gets credit,” Lizzie yelled from the kitchen.
Esther headed toward the front door when she heard a knock. It was John and Mary.
“Wie bischt, and Happy Thanksgiving.” She waited while they shed their coats, hanging them on the rack by the door. “We’re so glad you could make it this year. Although, I’m sure you miss your families back home.”
“Ya, we do, but we are happy to be here,” Mary said.
They glanced at each other and smiled, then wished Esther a happy Thanksgiving. Esther was glad to see that the couple looked happy. So many times she’d sensed unease at their house, and she’d worried about the heartbreaking conversation she had with Mary recently.
“If you’d like to take a seat in the dining room, we’re just waiting on Gus, then we’ll fill the table with all the wonderful offerings Gott has blessed us with on this special day of thanksgiving.”
Esther walked back into the kitchen just as someone else knocked on the door.
“He’s here.” Lizzie lifted her eyes to the ceiling. “Stay with me today, Gott. Don’t let me sink to that man’s disgusting ways.”
Esther sighed and left her sister and Naomi in the kitchen. When she opened the front door, Gus was standing in front of her. His Amish haircut had grown out, but he’d brushed the thick gray mass to the side and tucked the rest of it behind his ears. He may even have trimmed his beard a little. He wore a red long-sleeve shirt that was tightly tucked into a pair of tan slacks, held up with suspenders.
“Welcome, Gus. We’re happy you could make it, and you look very nice.” Esther desperately wanted to get a pair of scissors and cut his hair again, but that was a project for another time, if Gus would allow it.
“Yeah, you look okay too.” Gus went to the fireplace, looped his thumbs beneath his suspenders, and shook his head. “Women. Don’t know how to build a proper fire.” He lowered the screen, stoked the wood, and added three more logs from the carrier.
“Danki.” She clasped her hands in front of her and waited.
“Yeah, okay. You’re welcome. Now where’s the food? I’m starving.” He sniffed the air and moved like an animal following a scent until he was in the dining room. He nodded at Mary and John.
“Ha. Can’t believe you two showed up. You’re always looking all—”
“Gus,” Esther said firmly as she gritted her teeth.
He took a deep breath, then pulled out the chair at one end of the table, the one usually reserved for Lizzie.
Naomi and Esther delivered the last of the food to the table, then joined their guests. After a few comments about the weather from John, Naomi looked over her shoulder as they all waited for Lizzie.
“Excuse me.” Esther left the room and found Lizzie pressed up against the counter in the kitchen.
“I can’t do it. I can’t break bread with that man.” She scrunched up her face as she tossed her head from side to side.
“You can, and you will. Stop acting like a child.” Esther tugged on Lizzie’s arm and pulled her along until they were standing in the middle of the dining room.
With two chairs left to fill, one next to Gus and the other across the table, Lizzie chose to face off with Gus at the far end of the oblong table. She slowly eased into the chair, raised her chin, and squinted at him. At least they were as far away from each other as possible. And Lizzie wasn’t making a fuss about Gus being in her chair.
Gus grinned as he stared back at her.
This might have been a very bad idea.
“Let’s lower our heads in prayer and thanksgiving for this wonderful meal and for friends and family.” Esther waited until everyone bowed, except for Gus.
She stared at him and after a heavy sigh, he lowered his head, and Esther followed suit.
Everyone silently prayed. When Esther lifted her head, everyone else did too at about the same time. Except for Gus. He either had a lot to say to God, which Esther doubted, or he was waiting for someone to lead the prayer, like the English normally do.
“How long do we stay like this?” He grumbled with his head down and eyes closed.
Lizzie snickered, which caused Gus to bolt upright.
Here we go.
Lizzie slapped a hand over her mouth and quieted her laughter. Gus snarled at her as he sat back down. Lizzie snarled back. It was like watching two wild animals summing each other up as prey.
Esther cleared her throat, and they both stopped gritting their teeth at each other. Lizzie would likely show her teeth a lot today, since she had gotten more comfortable wearing the dentures. Esther hadn’t seen her moving them around in her mouth all morning.
“John, it’s tradition in our family for a man to cut the turkey. Would you care to do the honors?” Esther nodded to the large bird at Gus’s end of the table.
“Ya, sure.” John rose from his chair just as Gus scooted back his own chair and stood.
“Boy, how many turkeys have you carved? And it’s already right in front of me.” Gus sighed.
Esther wondered when he had last washed his hands. Judging by the looks of his fingernails, not recently. He positioned the large fork and knife and began to slice the turkey with surprising precision.
“I used to work at a meat market.”
Esther hadn’t known that detail about him. Actually, she knew very little about Gus. He continued carving, then took a big breath. “This is one good-looking bird. It’s juicy, cooked just right.”
“Lizzie was in charge of the turkey.” Esther smiled.
Gus froze.
Lizzie covered her mouth, coughed, and mumbled something under her breath.
“You got something to say, Woman?” Gus set down the knife and fork, glaring at Esther’s sister.
Mary clinked her fork against her glass of tea. “Um, I have something to say.” She turned to John and smiled. “Actually, we have something to say.”
Esther put a hand to her chest, thankful for Mary’s perfect timing. She hoped and prayed it might be the news Mary and John had been waiting for.
“We are with child,” Mary said as she sat taller, her eyes moist.
“Ach, sweet maedel, we are so happy for you.” Esther softly clapped her hands. “This just adds to our celebration today.”
Naomi and Lizzie also congratulated the young couple.
“Kids ain’t nothing but trouble.” Gus didn’t look up from his work on the turkey, carving it as if his life depended on perfection. “First it’s diapers and crying all night, then the next thing you know, they’re sneaking out of the house, drinking, and partying. Oh, and stealing your car. Nothing but trouble.”
Lizzie stood up and slammed her palm on the table. “You shut your mouth, Gus Owens. A child is a blessing! Esther and I would have given anything to have kinner. Just because you ruined your relationship with your dochder doesn’t mean all children are trouble.”
“Please stop!” Esther said loudly as her stomach began to churn.
Gus glowered at Lizzie. “I thought if I came today, maybe you’d have the good sense to keep your mouth shut. I should have known better.”
Lizzie turned to Esther. “I told you so. He’s a mean man, and he’s never going to change.”
He set down the knife and fork. “I don’t need this. I’m going home.” He glared at Lizzie. “I’ll send Whiskers back over here in my place, since I know how much you like the critters.”
“Get out!” Lizzie yelled.
Instead of leaving, Gus turned to Esther. She could feel the tears burning the corners of her eyes, but she also saw the raw hurt in Gus’s expression.
“I’m sorry, Esther.”
“Gus, I appreciate that,” she said, her voice trembling. “But please apologize to Lizzie and the others too.”
He turned to the young couple, who both donned perplexed expressions. “Mary, John, I’m sorry.” Then he looked at Naomi and apologized.
“Lizzie too.” Esther took a deep breath as Gus’s face turned bright red and he turned to Lizzie.
“Say it nicely,” Lizzie said, batting her eyes at him.
“I ain’t doing it!” Gus’s jowls hung low as he bellowed at Lizzie.
“Because you’re never going to change!”
“It’s Thanksgiving. Stop!” Esther stood up. “Both of you be quiet. If you have nothing nice to say to each other, then don’t talk.”
* * *
Naomi eyed the food on the table, a tremendous meal they’d worked so hard on. Esther had wanted this to be a special day, and Lizzie and Gus were ruining it. For all of them. She cringed as they continued to spat insults at each other, despite Esther’s plea. It was a horrible display. Poor Mary and John, their eyes grew rounder and rounder. Naomi wanted to scream, but she didn’t want to add to the chaos.
A loud whistle filled the room, and all the yelling came to an abrupt halt. Naomi looked in the direction the noise had come from and her jaw dropped as her heart flipped in her chest.
Amos.
He scratched his forehead. “I tried to knock, but obviously no one heard me.” He glanced around the table. “Since everyone is yelling.”
Naomi stood up, her heart thumping wildly. “What are you doing here?”
He grinned. “Ach, well . . . I was accepting your invitation for Thanksgiving. I only received your letter three days ago, and I got on a bus as soon as I could.” He smiled at Naomi before his expression sobered. “I didn’t know I’d be walking into this, but whatever is going on here, I’m happy to see you.”
Naomi swallowed hard. “What letter?”
Amos reached into his pocket and held up a piece of paper. “The one you sent me.”
“Um . . . I didn’t—” She clamped her lips together as she rubbed her forehead. Then she saw Lizzie slouching farther and farther into her chair.
“There’s your culprit!” Gus pointed to Lizzie.
Naomi stared at the woman, her heart still beating like a base drum. “Lizzie?”
She slouched farther into her chair. “You two just needed a little push. I saw the letter you wrote to him all torn up in your trash can.” She shrugged. “I couldn’t read it. It was in so many little pieces. So I did the best I could to recreate it.”
“Lizzie! How could you?” Naomi laid her palms on the table and hung her head before she looked back at Lizzie. “How could you do something like that?”
“Well, that explains a lot,” Amos said, frowning, and blushing slightly as he lifted the letter.
“Everyone is yelling at me!” Lizzie’s bottom lip began to tremble.
Esther covered her face with her hands and shook her head.
“Amos, can I please talk to you in the other room?” Naomi pointed at Gus and Lizzie. “When we come back, this better be a room filled with love and thankfulness.” She turned to Mary and John. “I’m so sorry you had to see all of this, but please, everyone go ahead and eat.”
Mary and John waved her off, saying it was fine. Which, of course, it wasn’t.
“Sounds like I made a long trip for nothing,” Amos said when they reached the mudroom where they would have some privacy.
“I am horrified that Lizzie did this.” Her stomach swirled and she was scared to read the letter, but seeing Amos tempered her nerves. “Can I please read the letter?”
“It didn’t sound like you, but I was so excited to receive it . . .” He handed her the piece of paper.
Naomi took a deep breath and began reading the handwritten letter that didn’t even resemble her penmanship.
My Beloved Amos,
I have missed you since the day you left here. I broke things off with Thomas. Lizzie was right, he’s a cad. I don’t laugh anymore since you’ve been gone. The truth is, I love you very much, and I belong with you. I don’t paint either because you are my red color.
Naomi covered her mouth with her hand, really scared to go on, as humiliation filled her from head to toe.
There is no peace in mei heart without you here. You shouldn’t have left without saying goodbye. Our heart armor is gone, so let’s try to make a romance work. I’m willing if you are because I think you are the most handsome man I’ve ever met. You work hard too.
Come back to mei, mei lieb. I’ll be waiting with open arms. Can you be here by Thanksgiving?
All my love forever and ever and ever and ever,
Naomi
She bent over, torn between laughter and tears. When she straightened, she didn’t know what to say, and Amos was pale.
“I feel like a dunce.” He pushed back the rim of his hat. “It didn’t sound like something you’d write, but I wanted to believe it so much that I ignored the obvious. I should have known Lizzie or Esther wrote it.”
Naomi started laughing. “You do know, only Lizzie would do something like this?”
“Did you really write me a letter, then tear it up?” Amos’s expression was unreadable.
“Ya, I did. I didn’t mail it because your letter sounded so final.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “You didn’t call or write.”
“I assumed you were working things out with Thomas. I wanted you to have time to figure out what you really wanted.” He stepped closer to her, his eyes locking with hers. “Is that part of the letter true, that you are no longer with Thomas?”
“That part is true.” Naomi couldn’t pull her eyes from his as the familiar longing to be in his arms consumed her.
“Do you want me to leave?” Amos’s chest rose and fell as he spoke.
Naomi shook her head. “Nee, I want you to stay.”
He tugged at his ear as he avoided her eyes. “I feel silly, thinking you wrote all of that.”
She stepped closer to him, close enough to lean up and kiss him softly on the mouth. “It’s a terribly written letter, and I would never write such things.”
He eased her away, and when their eyes met again, she said, “But every single word of that letter is true.” She’d put her heart out there, and she held her breath as she waited for a response. “So I guess I need to know how you feel.”
He cupped her cheeks and brushed a gentle kiss on her lips. “Maybe I should show you just how much I lieb you.” And he kissed her the way she remembered, and she went weak in the knees.
“Listen,” he said after several seconds. “It’s quiet in the dining room.” Then he grinned. “I’m hungry.”
Naomi laughed, and they walked hand in hand back to the dining room. Someone had already set an extra place setting on the table.
Amos walked to where Lizzie was still slouching in her chair. “Shame on you, Lizzie.”
“I know, I know. I was bad.” She squeezed her eyes closed and bowed her head.
Amos leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “But danki.”
Lizzie glanced at Esther, who was smiling. Then she turned to Gus. “See, you baboon. It worked!”
Gus looked directly at Esther, then he forked a bite of turkey and stayed quiet.
Esther glared at Lizzie, who threw her head back and groaned.
“Okay, okay.” She sat taller and looked at Gus. “I’m sorry I called you a baboon.”
“Apology accepted.” Gus cleared his throat. “I’ve been waiting a long time to hear you apologize for the way you treat me.”
Naomi braced herself for the explosion to come. Then Gus grinned. “You look nice today, Lizzie.”
“Danki, Gus.” The words seemed unnatural coming from Lizzie’s mouth, as if someone was holding a gun to her head.
Naomi’s mouth fell open, but when she looked at Esther, the woman winked. There must have been some coaching going on while she and Amos were away.
Lizzie turned to Amos. “Are you staying?”
He looked at Naomi and grinned. “Forever and ever and ever and ever, if she’ll have me.”
Naomi blinked back tears and silently thanked God for this second chance for her and Amos.
“I will,” she said. “Forever and ever and ever and ever.”