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Authors: Kathleen Fuller
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said, “Joel and Rebecca are announcing their engagement tomorrow.”
The rest of the color drained from Abigail’s face. She didn’t move. The small smear of chocolate now shined like a brown beacon from the corner of her lip. He waited for her to say something. Even a cough would be good right now. Anything but the catatonic reaction she was having now. Then she spoke. “I . . .” The garbled word sounded like it was forced from her lips.
His heart swelled with compassion. Now he was glad he’d ignored his cowardly instincts and told her ahead of time. “I’m sorry.”
She looked down at her lap. “ Danki . . . for . . . telling . . . me.”
This wasn’t good. He leaned forward and looked in her eyes. “Abigail? Are you okay?”
She didn’t respond.
Take her hand.
His whole body jerked and he nearly dropped his hat. This was the first time he’d heard God’s voice in months. Before he returned to Birch Creek, he’d never heard God speak in actual words. Now it was as though his brain was tuned in to a divine frequency. I don’t think I should—
Take her hand.
An unseen force seemed to propel him to put his hat on the table. Or maybe it was his own volition—he was starting to get the two confused lately. He glanced at Abigail’s lap. Her hands lay there, limply, right beneath the gentle swell of her abdomen. He leaned forward and covered his hand over her plump fingers.
She still didn’t move.
At least she wasn’t pushing him away. He curled his hand around hers. “I really am sorry. I thought you should know so you wouldn’t be surprised in church tomorrow.”
Abigail nodded.
Her lack of reaction gave him time to look at their hands entwined together. She had the softest hands, especially the tops of her fingers. He moved his thumb across the inside of her palm.
That seemed to bring her back from whatever void she’d gone to. She pulled her hand from his and jumped up from the chair. “I’m sorry, Asa,” she said, her lips curling into a strained half-smile. “I’ve been rude. Do you want anything to drink? To eat? I can make kaffee , we’ve got, uh, candy bars . . .”
He rose from the chair and went to her. “ Nee. And you haven’t been rude.”
“ Ya , I have.” She put the heel of her hand on her forehead, not looking at him, and her pretend smile disappeared. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately. I know how to be hospitable.”
“Abigail, it’s okay.”
“ Nee , it’s not.” She finally looked at him. “But trust me, I’m over Joel. I’m happy for him and Rebecca. I really am. I should have expected it, anyway. It’s not like they’ve been secret about their relationship.”
His heart went out to her. The words had poured out of her like water rushing over a cliff.
“I should probably check to see if Sadie needs help at the store.” She moved past Asa without looking at him. “I . . . I hope you don’t mind seeing yerself out.” Then she opened the door and disappeared into the blowing snow.
As soon as she stepped out the back door, Abigail froze as the windy cold whipped around her. Joel was engaged. Or at least he would be, officially, when it was announced in church tomorrow. She didn’t understand her reaction to the news. She was over Joel. When she thought of him now, it wasn’t with love, but with regret. Yet here she was, unable to sort out how she felt. Asa probably thought she was ab im kopp .
The door behind her opened. She flinched and closed her eyes. Asa. He always seemed to be around at her most embarrassing moments. She nearly died inside when he caught her stuffing her face with candy. Then she grew angry at the thought of him judging her. Never mind that he never did actually judge her. But she knew what he had to be thinking. As fat as she is, she shouldn’t be eating that candy. She even imagined the words in his deep voice. So she did the only thing she could think of to keep her humiliation at bay—she continued
The rest of the color drained from Abigail’s face. She didn’t move. The small smear of chocolate now shined like a brown beacon from the corner of her lip. He waited for her to say something. Even a cough would be good right now. Anything but the catatonic reaction she was having now. Then she spoke. “I . . .” The garbled word sounded like it was forced from her lips.
His heart swelled with compassion. Now he was glad he’d ignored his cowardly instincts and told her ahead of time. “I’m sorry.”
She looked down at her lap. “ Danki . . . for . . . telling . . . me.”
This wasn’t good. He leaned forward and looked in her eyes. “Abigail? Are you okay?”
She didn’t respond.
Take her hand.
His whole body jerked and he nearly dropped his hat. This was the first time he’d heard God’s voice in months. Before he returned to Birch Creek, he’d never heard God speak in actual words. Now it was as though his brain was tuned in to a divine frequency. I don’t think I should—
Take her hand.
An unseen force seemed to propel him to put his hat on the table. Or maybe it was his own volition—he was starting to get the two confused lately. He glanced at Abigail’s lap. Her hands lay there, limply, right beneath the gentle swell of her abdomen. He leaned forward and covered his hand over her plump fingers.
She still didn’t move.
At least she wasn’t pushing him away. He curled his hand around hers. “I really am sorry. I thought you should know so you wouldn’t be surprised in church tomorrow.”
Abigail nodded.
Her lack of reaction gave him time to look at their hands entwined together. She had the softest hands, especially the tops of her fingers. He moved his thumb across the inside of her palm.
That seemed to bring her back from whatever void she’d gone to. She pulled her hand from his and jumped up from the chair. “I’m sorry, Asa,” she said, her lips curling into a strained half-smile. “I’ve been rude. Do you want anything to drink? To eat? I can make kaffee , we’ve got, uh, candy bars . . .”
He rose from the chair and went to her. “ Nee. And you haven’t been rude.”
“ Ya , I have.” She put the heel of her hand on her forehead, not looking at him, and her pretend smile disappeared. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately. I know how to be hospitable.”
“Abigail, it’s okay.”
“ Nee , it’s not.” She finally looked at him. “But trust me, I’m over Joel. I’m happy for him and Rebecca. I really am. I should have expected it, anyway. It’s not like they’ve been secret about their relationship.”
His heart went out to her. The words had poured out of her like water rushing over a cliff.
“I should probably check to see if Sadie needs help at the store.” She moved past Asa without looking at him. “I . . . I hope you don’t mind seeing yerself out.” Then she opened the door and disappeared into the blowing snow.
As soon as she stepped out the back door, Abigail froze as the windy cold whipped around her. Joel was engaged. Or at least he would be, officially, when it was announced in church tomorrow. She didn’t understand her reaction to the news. She was over Joel. When she thought of him now, it wasn’t with love, but with regret. Yet here she was, unable to sort out how she felt. Asa probably thought she was ab im kopp .
The door behind her opened. She flinched and closed her eyes. Asa. He always seemed to be around at her most embarrassing moments. She nearly died inside when he caught her stuffing her face with candy. Then she grew angry at the thought of him judging her. Never mind that he never did actually judge her. But she knew what he had to be thinking. As fat as she is, she shouldn’t be eating that candy. She even imagined the words in his deep voice. So she did the only thing she could think of to keep her humiliation at bay—she continued
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