griddle.
“I think so too.”
They shared a smile as Andrew pulled out the chair opposite Caroline and took a seat.
“Onkle,” Andrew said without taking his eyes from Caroline, “after we eat, why don’t you take Esther down and show her that new horse the breeder brought in yesterday?”
Abe looked at Esther as if startled that she had followed him home from church.
Caroline hid her smile. She and Andrew might need divine help in order to get those two together.
“You want to see the horses?”
Esther beamed. “I’d like that, jah .”
“Then that is what we will do.”
Bowls of soup were poured, sandwiches served, then they all sat down to eat.
Caroline bowed her head and said a prayer of thanks for the beautiful day, the good company, and the food they were about to eat.
“Aemen,” Abe uttered.
Caroline had no more than raised the spoon to her lips when Emma cried out.
She tried not to sigh as she pushed back from the table. But she was hungry. Beachy services were as lengthy as Old Order ones, and breakfast had been a long time ago. Yet duty called.
“I’ll get her.” Esther started to stand.
Caroline smiled politely but firmly, stilling Esther half in and half out of her seat. “I’ve got it.”
Emma was kneeling on the bed rubbing her eyes and still surrounded by pillows when Caroline walked in.
Once Emma spied her, she raised her pudgy arms to be picked up. “Mamm.”
Caroline’s heart melted all over again.
She scooped Emma into her arms, loving the warm weight of her form. She planted a kiss on the dark curls of her hair. “Are you hungry, wee one?”
After a quick diaper change and hand washing, Caroline made it back to the table just in time for everyone to finish their meal.
“I’ll reheat your soup,” Esther offered, but Caroline shook her head.
“Tomato is good cold as well.” There was no sense in dirtying another pan.
“Want me to hold her while you eat?”
“I thought you were going down to the pasture to see the new horse.”
“I haven’t seen the old horses yet. They will be there after a while.”
Caroline settled Emma into the crook of her arm. “I can handle this. You go on ahead and see the horses.”
Esther frowned but let the subject drop as Caroline tore off a piece of her now-cold grilled cheese and gave it to Emma to gnaw.
The screen door slammed shut with a springy bang as Esther and Abe made their way outside.
Andrew stood at the sink, looking out the window as his uncle and Esther made their way to the horse pasture. “I think it’s working,” he said once again, turning back to Caroline. “Want me to hold her while you eat?”
Caroline scooped up a spoonful of soup and held it toward her toddler’s mouth. “I can manage.”
“I didn’t ask if you could manage. I merely offered my help.” He sat down opposite her, but Caroline avoided his searching gaze, instead focusing on feeding Emma.
“Why do you do that?” he asked.
“Do what?” she hedged.
“Get all defensive when someone offers to help you with Emma?”
“I don’t,” she started, but he shot her a look that clearly stated he didn’t believe her. “She is my responsibility.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t accept help with her.”
He was right, of course, but Caroline had a difficult time accepting help. She had made her choices, brought a baby into this world. And now she would care for her . . . alone.
“If I need help, I ask.” She scooped another bite of soup for the toddler and avoided looking at him directly. Somehow when she looked into his eyes, she wished for things to be different.
Her heart squeezed in her chest and she directed all of her attention on getting the soup into Emma’s mouth. It was better by far than obsessing over the man seated across from her.
“After you’re done, do you want to take her to the corral to see the horses?”
Caroline managed not to sigh with relief at the change of subject. “That would be gut, jah
“I think so too.”
They shared a smile as Andrew pulled out the chair opposite Caroline and took a seat.
“Onkle,” Andrew said without taking his eyes from Caroline, “after we eat, why don’t you take Esther down and show her that new horse the breeder brought in yesterday?”
Abe looked at Esther as if startled that she had followed him home from church.
Caroline hid her smile. She and Andrew might need divine help in order to get those two together.
“You want to see the horses?”
Esther beamed. “I’d like that, jah .”
“Then that is what we will do.”
Bowls of soup were poured, sandwiches served, then they all sat down to eat.
Caroline bowed her head and said a prayer of thanks for the beautiful day, the good company, and the food they were about to eat.
“Aemen,” Abe uttered.
Caroline had no more than raised the spoon to her lips when Emma cried out.
She tried not to sigh as she pushed back from the table. But she was hungry. Beachy services were as lengthy as Old Order ones, and breakfast had been a long time ago. Yet duty called.
“I’ll get her.” Esther started to stand.
Caroline smiled politely but firmly, stilling Esther half in and half out of her seat. “I’ve got it.”
Emma was kneeling on the bed rubbing her eyes and still surrounded by pillows when Caroline walked in.
Once Emma spied her, she raised her pudgy arms to be picked up. “Mamm.”
Caroline’s heart melted all over again.
She scooped Emma into her arms, loving the warm weight of her form. She planted a kiss on the dark curls of her hair. “Are you hungry, wee one?”
After a quick diaper change and hand washing, Caroline made it back to the table just in time for everyone to finish their meal.
“I’ll reheat your soup,” Esther offered, but Caroline shook her head.
“Tomato is good cold as well.” There was no sense in dirtying another pan.
“Want me to hold her while you eat?”
“I thought you were going down to the pasture to see the new horse.”
“I haven’t seen the old horses yet. They will be there after a while.”
Caroline settled Emma into the crook of her arm. “I can handle this. You go on ahead and see the horses.”
Esther frowned but let the subject drop as Caroline tore off a piece of her now-cold grilled cheese and gave it to Emma to gnaw.
The screen door slammed shut with a springy bang as Esther and Abe made their way outside.
Andrew stood at the sink, looking out the window as his uncle and Esther made their way to the horse pasture. “I think it’s working,” he said once again, turning back to Caroline. “Want me to hold her while you eat?”
Caroline scooped up a spoonful of soup and held it toward her toddler’s mouth. “I can manage.”
“I didn’t ask if you could manage. I merely offered my help.” He sat down opposite her, but Caroline avoided his searching gaze, instead focusing on feeding Emma.
“Why do you do that?” he asked.
“Do what?” she hedged.
“Get all defensive when someone offers to help you with Emma?”
“I don’t,” she started, but he shot her a look that clearly stated he didn’t believe her. “She is my responsibility.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t accept help with her.”
He was right, of course, but Caroline had a difficult time accepting help. She had made her choices, brought a baby into this world. And now she would care for her . . . alone.
“If I need help, I ask.” She scooped another bite of soup for the toddler and avoided looking at him directly. Somehow when she looked into his eyes, she wished for things to be different.
Her heart squeezed in her chest and she directed all of her attention on getting the soup into Emma’s mouth. It was better by far than obsessing over the man seated across from her.
“After you’re done, do you want to take her to the corral to see the horses?”
Caroline managed not to sigh with relief at the change of subject. “That would be gut, jah
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