For almost two weeks, the greenhouse had been closed for business, and Henry had finished his schooling. Ezekiel and his family had returned to Clymer a week ago. It was time to get things up and running again so they would have some money coming in. The one thing that hadn’t been settled yet was which of them would be in charge of what tasks.

“If we’re opening the greenhouse today, shouldn’t we come up with a plan for who will be responsible for that?” Amy asked her mother as they prepared breakfast on Monday morning.

Mom continued stirring pancake batter, giving Amy a sidelong glance. “I suppose you’re right. You and Henry will need to make sure that the plants are arranged properly and that the watering system is working as it should.” She paused long enough to add a few sprinkles of cinnamon to the batter. “And of course we’ll need to take turns waiting on customers.”

“Who will be responsible for placing orders and tallying up the expenses as well as the items sold each day?” Amy placed silverware on the table. “Since Dad used to do that, and now he’s not here …”

“I didn’t need that reminder, Daughter.” Mom’s jaw clenched as she tapped her foot, the way she often did when she was annoyed.

“Sorry, Mom. I just meant …”

“I know what you meant, and I apologize for overreacting. The agony of losing three members of our family is still raw, and it’s hard to control my emotions.” Mom teared up. “We’re taking on a daunting job, especially without Sylvia’s help.”

“Maybe you should have accepted Ezekiel’s offer to move back here.”

“No! I will not ask him to make that sacrifice.”

Amy could see by the stubborn set of her mother’s jaw that she was not going to change her mind, so she decided to drop the subject, at least for now. Perhaps once they got the greenhouse going and Mom saw what a chore it was, she would come to her senses and call for Ezekiel. In the meantime, Amy would do all she could to keep the greenhouse open for business, because they certainly needed some money coming in.

“Sylvia could do the books and place orders if she were feeling better,” Mom said. “But right now, she’s barely able to take care of herself and the kinner. Losing Toby has been the most difficult thing she’s ever faced, not to mention losing her father and brother in the same accident.” She moved over to the stove with the pancake batter. “Your sister has always been the sensitive type and doesn’t adjust to change easily. And losing one’s mate is a terrible thing for anyone. I had no idea how difficult it would be until it happened to me.” Her voice faltered. “I am still struggling to comprehend how I could have lost my husband and son the same day. Abe was in the prime of his young adult life, and so was Sylvia’s husband.”

“It was a terrible tragedy, and I doubt any of us will ever fully recover.” Amy’s lips trembled, and she pressed them together.

Mom turned and placed one hand against her chest. “We will always miss them, but we must find the strength to go on. As our bishop said when he and his wife stopped by the other day: ‘In time, the pain will lessen.’”

Amy wasn’t sure that was true, but it was obvious that Mom was trying to set an example for the rest of the family. She would persevere despite her grief and their current situation.

Amy went to the cupboard and took out the glasses. If only there was something I could do to lighten Mom’s load.

In frustration, Amy marched toward the outbuilding where her brother had gone. It was time to eat, and she’d been asked to go get him. She and Henry weren’t getting along these days.

I sure miss the old Henry. Before the accident, her little brother had usually been in good spirits and often told goofy stories or jokes that made others laughed. Now all he did was sulk, complain, or say curt things that hurt Amy’s feelings. She wished there was a way to reach him, but she had no idea what to do.

Amy opened the barn door and poked her head inside. Looking around the dimly lit area, she spotted Henry seated on a bale of straw with his head down. Amy understood they were all trying to get through their grief, but Henry dealt with it in such a negative way. At least Sylvia, who was almost drowning in sorrow, didn’t say snappish things or gripe about every little thing.

How can I talk to my brother without him getting temperamental or defensive? Amy collected herself the best she could. Okay, here goes.

“Mom sent me out here to tell you that breakfast is ready.” Amy moved closer to him. “I assume your chores in here are done, or you wouldn’t be sitting there doing nothing.”

“I ain’t doin’ nothin’.” He lifted his head and crossed his arms.

“Looks like it to me.”

Henry’s eyes narrowed as he stared at her with a look of defiance. “I’m thinkin’ on things—trying to figure out what all’s expected of me now that Dad and Abe are gone.”

“I thought Mom made it clear what chores she’d like you to do around here this summer.”

“She did, but I’m wondering how I’m gonna get ’em all done with no help from anyone. Mom will probably come up with some other things she wants me to do—stuff in the greenhouse.”

“We will need help in there because Mom and I can’t do it alone.”

“If Sylvia helped out, I’d be free to look for some other kind of work—something I’d like to do rather than a job that’s expected of me.” He looked at Amy with a glassy stare. “Ezekiel oughta be here doin’ his fair share, even if he doesn’t like working in the greenhouse. He may be livin’ someplace else, but he’s still part of this family, ya know.”

Amy placed both hands behind her back, gripping one wrist with the other hand. “Our brother has responsibilities in his church district now that he’s a minister. He also has a business to run.”

“I don’t care. If I have to do a bunch of things I’d rather not do, then he should too.”

Amy realized she wasn’t going to get through to Henry—at least not today. He needed time to mature and come to grips with the way things were. “Let’s go inside. Breakfast is ready.”

“You go ahead. I ain’t hungry.”

This isn’t good. Now look what I’ve done. I don’t want to be the reason my brother isn’t cooperating again. Amy drew a quick breath and released it before speaking. “You’ll have more energy to get your work done today if you eat, but it’s your choice.” She whirled around and tromped out the door. Things were bad enough with everyone attempting to deal with their loss. Did her little brother have to make it worse by being so uncooperative and martyring himself?

Sylvia sat at the breakfast table, forcing herself to eat one of her mother’s banana-flavored pancakes. Allen sat in his highchair beside her, enjoying the breakfast treat with his sticky fingers full of maple syrup. He’s lucky to be young and carefree—barely noticing that his daadi is missing.

Sylvia wondered what the future held for her and the children. It would be difficult for them to grow up without a father. Some widows her age might hope for remarriage but not Sylvia. She could never love another man the way she loved Toby. She would not get married again for the sake of providing Allen and Rachel with a father either. The children’s uncles would have to be their father figures. Of course, with Ezekiel living several hundred miles away and Henry taking no interest in the children whatsoever, it wasn’t likely they would have much “uncle time” either. They still had one grandfather left. It was too bad Toby’s parents didn’t live closer.

“Would you like a cup of tea, Sylvia?”

Mom’s question pulled Sylvia out of her musings.

“Uh, no thanks. I’m fine with my glass of millich.”

“Okay.” Mom looked over at Amy. “I wish you could have talked your brother into eating breakfast. He’s gonna turn into a twig if he doesn’t eat more.”

“His appetite will come back in time. And if I know Henry, he probably has a stash of candy bars to snack on.”

“Puh!” Mom wrinkled her nose. “I taught all my kinner that too much zucker isn’t good for them.”

“Right now, I’m afraid my little brother doesn’t know what is good for him.”

Sylvia tuned out their conversation as she put all her energies into finishing the pancake that seemed to have no flavor at all. Nothing tasted good to her these days, but at least she was forcing herself to eat.

About the time they finished eating, Sylvia heard the baby crying. “I’d better feed Rachel and change her windel. I’ll wash the dishes after I’m done.”

“If you’re not up to it, I can do them,” Amy said.

“No, you and Mom need to get the greenhouse opened.”

Sylvia pushed back her chair and was about to take Allen from the highchair when Mom said, “I’ll take care of getting the boy cleaned up. You go ahead and tend to the baby’s needs.”

Sylvia gave a quick nod and hurried from the room. This was only the beginning of another long day—a day when she would only be going through the motions of trying to take care of her children’s needs. Truthfully, she wished there was someone who could provide for her needs right now. She blinked back tears of frustration. It would help if I had someone to watch Allen and Rachel for a while so I could lie on my bed and let the tears flow all day.

When Belinda stepped into the greenhouse and saw all the plants waiting to be sold, a flood of emotions threatened to overpower her. Oh Vernon, how can I do this without you by my side? If only you were still alive and could be here right now. Nothing about the greenhouse held any appeal for Belinda anymore. Yet this was their livelihood and the only way she knew of to make a living for her family. Even if they closed the doors on the business permanently and she and Amy found other jobs, they would never make enough money between the two of them to equal what they could make here in the greenhouse. In addition to their returning customers, as well as new ones, they earned a decent amount selling flowers to some of the florists in the area. Those businesses counted on them.

The first thing Belinda did was put the OPEN sign in the window. Then she checked a row of plants to be sure they’d been getting enough water. Next, she got out a dust rag to clean off the counter where they waited on customers. She’d just finished cleaning it when Amy came in.

“I finished the dishes and checked on Sylvia and the kinner.”

“Are they doing all right?”

Amy nodded. “Sylvia’s in the rocking chair with the baby, and Allen’s stacking wooden blocks on the living-room floor.”

“Did you by any chance think about going out to the phone shed to check for messages?”

Amy shook her head. “No, but I can do that now since we have no customers yet. I’ll see if the mail’s come too.”

“Danki.” Belinda heaved a sigh. “If you see Henry, would you please tell him there are a few chores in here I’d like him to do?”

“Sure, Mom.” Amy opened the door and stepped outside.

Belinda took a seat on the tall wooden stool behind the counter. I probably should pick some dead blossoms off some of the flowers, but I honestly don’t feel like it. She really didn’t feel like doing anything at all. Everything about the greenhouse seemed so overwhelming. Things she used to take for granted that had once seemed like simple chores now felt like heavy burdens she could hardly bear. As time passed, she hoped they would settle into a routine and things would become easier.

The bell attached to the main door at the front of the greenhouse jingled, and Belinda turned her head. She was surprised to see Mary Ruth Lapp enter the building, since she’d been under the weather recently with sinus issues. Mary Ruth was such a dear, sweet woman—always helpful and putting others needs ahead of her own.

“Guder mariye.” The elderly woman smiled as she approached the counter. “I came by to see if there was anything I could do to make your load a bit lighter.”

Tears gathered in the corners of Belinda’s eyes, and she was powerless to stop them from spilling over. “Bless you, Mary Ruth. I appreciate the offer so much, but I really don’t know what you can do. Besides, from what I understand, you haven’t been feeling well lately, so you should probably be home resting.”

“I’m doing much better since the antibiotics the doctor gave me did their work on my sinus infection. It’s not easy having such horrible face pain and pressure, but I was able to get through it.”

Belinda patted her friend’s arm. “Glad you’re doing better.”

“Danki. Now back to what I’m here for…. What can I help you with?” She set her purse on the counter. “If not out here in the greenhouse then how about inside the house? I’m sure there are plenty of things I can do there.”

Belinda couldn’t deny it as she slowly nodded. “Sylvia’s in the house with her children, but I doubt she’ll get any housework done. She’s taken Toby’s death really hard and can barely function.”

“It’s understandable. It was difficult for me when Willis passed, but keeping busy helped.”

“Busyness is a good antidote for depression. However, Sylvia hasn’t realized that yet.”

Mary Ruth stepped around the counter, put her hands on Belinda’s shoulders, and massaged them. “I don’t have a lot to do these days except dote on my great-grandchildren, so feel free to let me know whenever you need anything done in the way of housecleaning, pulling weeds in the garden, cooking, or even babysitting the little ones.”

“That is so kind of you, Mary Ruth.”

“So, what should I start on today?”

“The kitchen may need some tidying. Amy did the dishes, but she probably didn’t take time to do much else.”

“I’ll take care of it. Anything else?”

“Maybe sweeping the front and back porches.”

“Consider it done.” Mary Ruth stepped back around to the other side of the counter. “I’ll check in with you after those chores are done and see what you all might like for lunch.” She ambled out the door before Belinda could respond.

How nice it was to have friends willing to help in a time of need. Several other women from their Amish community had come by these past two weeks with food and offers of help. Belinda didn’t know how anyone could get through something like this without family and friends.

A few minutes later, Amy came back in and handed her mother a stack of mail.

“Did you see Henry and give him my message?”

“No, Mom. I didn’t see him.”

Belinda lifted her gaze to the ceiling. Oh, great! This is certainly not what I need today.