28

Following a spaghetti-and-meatballs supper two days later, Mamm asked Ellie if she’d like to go with her to visit Nan Bontrager. “And to say hullo to Sol again,” Mamm said, a twinkle in her eyes. “I baked a rhubarb pie to take along and some snickerdoodles, too.”

“Jah, I’ll go.”

When they arrived on foot, Ellie saw Sol sitting on the front porch this time, his golden bangs shining beneath his straw hat. There’s more to watch on this side of the house, she thought.

Sol waved, then rose to walk down the steps, waiting near the driveway for them. “Hullo again!” he said, smiling. He was dressed nicely in a pale blue long-sleeved shirt and black broadfall trousers and suspenders.

“Hope ya like rhubarb pie,” Mamm said as they approached him.

“Ice cream’ll make it extra tasty,” Ellie said, observing him. Is he feeling better?

Mamm added, “It’s nice to see ya getting some sunshine.”

“It’s such a nice day, I couldn’t help it.” Sol smiled again.

Ellie noticed he’d turned his head to favor his good ear.

Mamm glanced down at her quilted carryall. “Well, I’ll be takin’ this round to the back door. Oh, and we’ve brought snickerdoodles, too.”

Sol chuckled. “I think you’re tryin’ to fatten me up.”

Mamm laughed and went away with the pie and cookies, leaving Ellie there with Sol.

“Might as well go an’ sit a while,” Sol said, motioning toward the front porch.

She went with him up the walkway.

He offered her the rocking chair. “We’ll watch the buggies go by.”

“My Dat says it’s relaxing,” she replied as she sat to Sol’s right, where he could hear her. “He waves at everyone as they pass by.” She glanced at him. “Feelin’ better since I last saw ya?”

He nodded. “Resting and learnin’ to adjust a little more each day.” He smiled again. “Between you and now my Mamm, I’ve been well taken care of.”

“Have ya had more visitors lately?” Ellie asked, never guessing that she’d be talking with Sol alone like this when she’d said yes to Mamm.

“Die Youngie came over again Sunday afternoon to sing for me. Menno and Ruthann were with them.” He paused a moment. “It was interesting to see them together, but I’m mighty happy for them.”

“I saw them at market recently. They were laughin’ and talkin’ like they were the only two people in the world.”

Sol stopped for a moment to look out at the sky like he was thinking hard. At last, he said, “Honestly, I’d often wondered if they might end up together.”

“I was a little surprised at first. But the clues were there, jah?”

Sol nodded. “Things just weren’t clickin’ with her and me. I guess it was complicated because the four of us were such great friends—all the double-dating we did.” He leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh.

“We did all enjoy one another’s company,” she said, relieved they could talk freely about it.

“Ach,” Sol said softly, catching her eye. “Though truth be told, Ellie, it’s always been your company I prefer.”

Surprised but delighted, Ellie’s heart took wing. A few moments of silence passed before she found her voice. “We’ve been friends for a gut long time now.”

“The best of friends,” Sol said, almost in a whisper. He took a breath, as if fortifying himself with courage. “But I’d be mighty hesitant to ask ya to court, if I knew I wouldn’t get any better.”

Her heart beat more quickly at that. “Honestly, the Sol Bontrager I knew before the attack is the same Sol sitting right here. There’s no difference to me.”

“That’s kind of you.” He smiled again, then looked more somber. “Even so, I’d never want ya stuck with someone who might be a burden. Wouldn’t be fair.”

She had been concerned that he might think that. “Do ya remember what I said the night you dictated your letter to Leah?”

He nodded thoughtfully. “I haven’t forgotten,” he said, his eyes searching hers. “And you’re right. Abselutt.”

She breathed deeply, content in this peaceful yet wonderful moment, knowing that Sol cared and wanted to regain his health for her. And as if to seal their words, they sat silently and watched the teams of horses and buggies clip-clop past, not caring who saw them together.

———

It was all Ellie could do to slow her pace enough to match Mamm’s as they walked down the hill toward home. Oh, she wanted to run, to fly! But the spring in her step might give away the reason for her exhilaration, and Ellie wanted to keep this latest talk with Sol close to her heart for now. Besides, she and Sol wouldn’t be going out as a couple till he was stronger, but knowing he wanted to court her made the evening sky seem brighter and the orchard in the near distance all the more beautiful.

The very next day in the mailbox, Ellie found the letter from Leah she’d been anticipating. Glancing at the postmark, she saw that Leah had sent the letter on Monday morning, two days ago.

So she’s received both Sol’s and my letters, Ellie thought, making her way back up their lane with its leafy green maples.

She had waited to check for mail just before suppertime since she’d worked in the orchard right up until then. Going up the side steps and around to the back part of the porch, she plopped down onto the glider and tore open the letter.

Dear Ellie,

You’re such a good friend to me . . . and to Sol. When I saw your handwriting in his letter, my heart fell. It’s a frightening and very sad world around us, ain’t so? But I’m so glad there are kind and caring friends like you and your family. What would Sol have done otherwise? I’m so glad you can encourage him as he gets better. If I were there, I’d do the same, for sure.

Well, can you believe that it’s been nearly a year since I left Bird-in-Hand? May twelfth it was, and you nearly cried when I came to say good-bye, I remember. You never knew it, but I wept all the way home that day, hating to leave my closest friend and my family behind. But if I hadn’t taken that risk, I probably never would have met Reuben. Oh, I wish you could meet him, Ellie. Goodness, I wish Sol could, too, and my parents. As you may have guessed, we’ve started to court now, and I enjoy spending time with him as much as anyone I’ve ever known.

As always, I can’t wait to hear back from you.

Your friend,
Leah

Ellie pondered Leah’s words. She’d sometimes imagined how she might feel when or if she received this sort of news from Leah. She won’t be moving back home, Ellie thought, but it didn’t bother her the way she’d expected. She’ll be so surprised when Sol and I start courting!

The dinner bell was ringing, summoning her, Dawdi, and Dat inside for supper.

Ellie rose from the glider and went around to the side door, folding the letter and placing it in her dress pocket.

After Dat led in the silent mealtime prayer, Ellie thought more about Leah’s letter . . . and Sol. It had sounded like he’d known he and Ruthann weren’t meant to move forward in their relationship for a while before she ended it.

Meanwhile, Dawdi was talking about his childhood, reminiscing about how he’d sometimes played in the smithy’s shop while the horses and mules were brought in to be shod. “I was prob’ly five, if that, when I decided I was gonna be the next Bird-in-Hand smithy,” he said with a grin. “Never did I think I’d end up plantin’ an orchard.”

“Tell us the story ’bout what made ya want to plant fruit trees,” Ellie said.

“Alrighty.” He salted his sweet potato. “If it was written on the palms of these here callused hands, it couldn’t’ve been any clearer to me.” He told of staying overnight at his Mammi Hostetler’s old farmhouse when he was around nine and opening the window that first morning to the beauty of God’s creation. He said it was the first time he’d paid much attention to the two rows of fruit trees in his grandmother’s side yard. “Well, I ran right outside in my nightclothes and stood under a tree with the tiniest fruitlets budding, staring up through the branches and leaves in astonishment.”

“At breakfast, it was all I could talk ’bout,” Dawdi said, his eyes alert. “Mammi said those trees were the best thing she and Dawdi had ever planted, and the happiest days of their lives had been takin’ care of them together. ‘God’s wunnerbaar-gut way to give us apples,’ she said.” Dawdi paused, looking now at Ellie. “I’ve never forgotten that.”

“No wonder it made a big impression on ya,” Ellie said, enjoying hearing this story again.

“Oh, it did. And for years I daydreamed ’bout the queen of fruit, wanting to have apple trees right outside my own windows someday.”

Ellie couldn’t agree more. “Every spring when the trees blossom, I think of it as a gift from God. Did ya know?”

“Well now, Ellie-girl, we’re cut from the same branch, ain’t we?” He was grinning so big it made his wispy white beard move.

In that moment, she realized that she longed to tell Dawdi and her parents that Sol, who also loved the orchard, wanted to court her.

And I want to be his girl!