Snowfall (9 page)

“And . . .”

“And, while I appreciate everything she's doing, I'm a little frustrated with them.” She hated to sound so ungrateful, but she knew if she held her tongue, things would only get worse. “I'm getting the feeling my mom would serve me every meal if she could.”

After a pause, he chuckled. “I fear you are right about that.”

“You understand?”

“Of course I do. Your family has always wanted to take care of you. Sometimes I fear that they are having a harder time adjusting to your blindness than you are.”

His words were so perfect, exactly everything that she'd been thinking. She felt like raising her hand in jubilation. “That is why I wanted to do something this Christmas—if you are okay with it.”

“What do you want to do?”

“I want to have Viola and Edward stay with us when they come into town.”

“Sure, honey. That's no problem.”

“There's more. I want Viola and me to host Christmas dinner, too.”

“Here?”

She nodded. “It's time, don't you think? We're married now, and Viola and Edward are, too.”

“But it's a lot of responsibility. And Elsie, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but it isn't like you can do a lot of the cooking.”

“I can operate a stove and plan a menu,” she replied, realizing as she did that her feelings, actually, weren't hurt. She'd come to terms with her blindness, and because of that, she didn't spend her time mourning what she couldn't do. Instead, she chose to spend her time focusing on what she still could. “I can still set a table and ask everyone to bring a dish.”

She felt his warm approval float over her. And that warmth meant as much to her as a tender smile would have meant a couple of years ago.

Then he pressed his hand to the back of her neck. “Your mother isn't going to like this,” he warned.

“I know.”

“And your grandmother? She's going to have something to say about this, too.”

“I know. But I want to at least try. Do you mind terribly?” she asked. “If you really don't want everyone to come over here, we don't have to do it.”

“Actually, I think it's a great idea, Elsie,” he said as he stood up. “I think you should call Amanda and get her and Roman on your side. Then, when Viola arrives tomorrow, we can break it to them that we'd like them to stay here with us.”

“I hope they'll say yes.”

Chuckling, he pressed his lips to her brow before he stepped toward the door, obviously ready to get to work. “I'll talk to my brother at work. You give Edith a call, too.”

“Okay.” She nodded, already making a mental note to ask her sister-in-law to be in charge of the turkey and stuffing.

“I'll call you in a few hours, Elsie,” he said as he opened the door.

“
Danke
, Landon.”

“Anytime. Anytime at all.”

Once the kitchen door shut, she sat back in her favorite kitchen chair, reached down, and gave her Seeing Eye dog another gentle pat. “Today is a
wonderful-gut
day, Betsy,” she murmured. When Betsy replied by thumping her tail against the hardwood floor, Elsie knew her dog couldn't agree more. The knock at their door at two in the afternoon came as a bit of a surprise. Lovina looked at Aaron, who, until just a second before, had been staring into his coffee cup.

“I wonder who that could be?” she asked. “No one in the family knocks before coming on in.”

“Maybe they've finally learned some manners,” he grumbled.

She got to her feet and walked across their narrow kitchen. “Hush, now,” she said before she opened the door.

And then stood staring at their beautiful granddaughter Viola. And the teenager who was holding her hand. The girl had dark brown hair, matching eyes, and was very slender.

“Hi, Mommi!” Viola said as she practically bounded into the house. “Hi, Dawdi!”

Aaron got up from his chair and enfolded Viola in a warm hug as Lovina stood there dumbfounded. “Vi, we didn't think you were coming home until tomorrow.”

“We got an earlier flight.” She grinned. “Edward said we're probably the first people ever to experience better-than-expected plane flights,” she said as she reached over and hugged Lovina, too.

Lovina chuckled. “Maybe so.” After shuttling Viola and the girl inside, she closed the door. “Now, who do you have here?”

“I'm sorry. This is Annie.”

“Hello, Annie,” Lovina said politely.

Annie didn't say a word. She only stared at Lovina for a long moment before shifting her gaze to Aaron.

As the silence lengthened, Lovina raised her eyebrows at her granddaughter. This girl was frightened, Lovina realized.

“She's a little shy,” Viola explained as she rested her hand on Annie's arm.

There is a story here, Lovina realized, with a bit of trepidation settling in her stomach. Knowing everything would be explained in time, she pointed to the kettle on the stove. “Dawdi and I were just having some
kaffi
. Would you like some? Or perhaps some hot chocolate?”

“That sounds great, doesn't it, Annie? We'll have some hot chocolate.” Softening her voice, Viola said, “Dear, why don't you sit down, and I'll help my grandmother.”

To Lovina's consternation, Annie hesitantly pulled out a chair and sat on the edge of it, almost as if she feared the wooden seat was going to take a bite out of her backside.

More confused than ever, Lovina shared a look with Aaron before shooing Viola to the table. “I don't need any help. You sit with Dawdi and your, ah, guest.”

Viola sat. As Lovina started heating water and getting out her special hot-chocolate mix, Viola finally started explaining herself. “Annie is the daughter of one of the other missionaries in Belize.”

“It must be so exciting to live in Belize,” Lovina said.

When Annie didn't respond, Viola said, “I think it's had its times of highs and lows.”

Lovina thought that sounded cryptic. “Well, I'm sure you and your parents will find an Ohio Christmas far different from the ones in Belize.”

While Annie's cheeks heated, Viola rushed to explain. “Actually, Annie didn't come here with her parents. Just me and Edward.”

“Oh?”

“
Jah
. Her father elected to stay in Belize for Christmas,” Viola said lightly. “And Annie hasn't had a mother for a long time.”

“I see.” After glancing at Annie again, Lovina poured hot water into the prepared mugs. After stirring both, she placed two of her famous homemade marshmallows on top of each and set them in front of the girls. “Well, I am certainly sorry to hear that you will be away from your father at Christmas, but I am mighty glad you have joined us.”

“Me, too,” Viola said.

After placing a plate of homemade Christmas cookies on the table, Lovina joined them. “Annie, I hope you like noisy families, because things have been especially noisy around here lately, what with Christmas just around the corner.”

A new shadow entered Viola's eyes. “Actually, Mommi, that's why we are here.”

“And why is that?”

“Well, Edward and I stopped by to see Elsie before we got here. I couldn't wait to see my twin, you know.”

Lovina was surprised that Viola had paid Elsie a quick visit, but she supposed she shouldn't have been. The twins had always had a special bond. “Yes?”

“Elsie asked if Edward and I would stay with them.” Eyes lighting up, she added, “Elsie wants to host Christmas dinner.”

“That's impossible.”

Viola shook her head. “I don't think so. Amanda and I are going to help her. The three of us are going to host the supper at Elsie's
haus
.”

“Does Marie know about this?”

“I don't know. Elsie was going to call Mamm, and Roman and Amanda were going to go over and talk to her, too.”

Lovina's head was spinning. “This makes no sense,” she blustered. “Elsie's home is mighty small. And . . . And she's blind, Viola.”

After a careful glance Annie's way, Viola said, “She knows she's blind, Mommi. But see, I think that's why we need to all offer to help her instead of pushing aside her wishes.”

Lovina glanced over her shoulder at Aaron, who was sitting in his chair and pretending to read the newspaper but was really listening to every word. When he raised his chin and his brows, she realized that he agreed with Viola.

“All right then,” she said weakly. “What do you think I should do?”

“I'm hoping you can do a couple of things.”

“I can roast the turkey, I suppose, but it's going to be quite a chore bringing a hot turkey over to Elsie's.”

“Edward and I were hoping you and Dawdi could let Annie stay here with you.”

“But she is your guest.”

“
Jah
. But Elsie's
haus
isn't all that big.”

Aaron, who had been sitting quietly this whole time, glanced Annie's way. “Viola, perhaps you could speak to us privately for a moment. If you don't mind.”

Viola's expression fell. “Oh. Of course.”

Lovina stood up. “Why don't we go into my sewing room,” she suggested gently, not wanting their “guest” to feel any more uncomfortable than she already did.

When the three of them were in the privacy of her sewing room, Lovina and Aaron faced their granddaughter. “Viola, it is wrong of you to simply bring a girl over here and announce that she'll be staying with us,” Aaron said.

Lovina nodded. “You should have asked us first,” she whispered. “Once more, you know that, too, dear granddaughter.”

Viola hung her head. “I know.”

“Then you must know that we are not happy with your actions,” Lovina added.

“Mommi, I didn't have any choice.”

“Of course you did,” Aaron retorted. “Now you aren't giving us any choice.”

Viola folded her arms over her chest. “So you want to say no?”

Yes, Lovina did. But how could she say that? “I didn't say that.”

“You don't need to, it's written all over your faces,” Voila said. “And I must say, I'm pretty disappointed in you. It's Christmas; you're supposed to open your house to family and friends.”

“She is neither. She is a stranger.”

“She is in need of some kindness and a Christmas to remember,” Viola retorted in a hushed voice filled with purpose. “You don't know what her life is like. Her father puts everyone and everything before her. Always. The moment he heard that a family had lost their baby and two other children were sick, he volunteered to stay with them, help dig their new well, and help take care of the children, too. He was going to make Annie do that as well.”

Reaching out, she grasped Aaron's arm. “Please say you'll look after Annie and let her stay with you. I'll be with her during the day, but with Amanda and Roman living in the main house, and Regina, too, it can get a little overwhelming. Especially for someone who is used to living alone with a very quiet father. I'm worried it might be too much for her.”

“But—”

“Dawdi, please say yes. Annie needs you and Mommi.”

Lovina felt all the words freeze in her mouth. “Say again?”

“Mommi, she needs hugs and kindness. She needs someone to look out for her, to give her a little bit of compassion.”

“And you think that is what we can give her?”

“I know it. Dawdi, you know how much I've missed you. I've missed the way you can sit with me quietly. I've missed how neither of you pretend to be anything but who you are. And because of that, you're safe. Annie won't have to walk on eggshells around you both.”

Aaron ran a hand over his beard. “Don't know if you've given us a compliment or not, Viola.”

Viola's cheeks bloomed. “I really want to spend some time with Elsie and help her make Christmas dinner. But I also want to take care of Annie. That's why I'm asking you both for help. Please say you'll make this a Christmas for her to remember. Please.”

Lovina knew before Aaron looked her way what she was going to say. All her life, she'd been a lot of things. She'd been garrulous. She'd been in other people's business. She'd even been too cold and distant with her six children.

She'd never been praised for those things.

“You brought her here to us on purpose, didn't you?”

Viola nodded. “Annie needs my family. She needs you both more than me. Please say that is okay.”

“It's more than okay,” Aaron said gruffly. “Now, we should probably go back into the kitchen before she thinks we've run off.”

After two quick hugs, Viola darted back to the kitchen. Then drew to an abrupt halt. “She's not here. Mommi, I think I did run her off!”

“Don't worry,” Lovina replied, feeling once again like she had things in hand. “Maybe she went back to the house.”

“Or maybe she's sitting on the front steps in the cold,” Aaron murmured from his position at the window, nodding in that direction.

Viola reached for the handle. “I'll go—”

Feeling as if the Lord was guiding her, Lovina shook her head. “Viola, you said you had faith in us. Maybe it's time I tried to earn that faith,
jah
?” Spying Annie's full mug of hot chocolate, she grasped that and her own mug of coffee. “Get the door for me, child. I'm going out.”

“
Danke
, Mommi,” Viola whispered as Lovina took a deep breath and stepped out into the cold.

Lord, please give me the right words
, she silently prayed.
And, if you don't mind, maybe you could keep that up for a while, too
.

Feeling better now that she knew the Lord was fully aware of what she was going through, Lovina smiled when Annie turned to look up her way from their front steps. “I'll have you know that you gave me a start when we came back to the kitchen and we couldn't find ya.”