Where Love Grows (4 page)

The two didn't seem to hear him, so Susan tapped Teresa on the shoulder. The two women parted, smiling at each other as they moved away from the side of the bus.

The driver opened the luggage compartment. “Nothing like mother and daughter reunions,” he said to Susan.

Maurice stepped up and pointed out her suitcase.

The driver pulled it from the compartment and set it on the pavement. “You folks have a good day now,” he said as he slid the large metal door shut. He climbed into the bus and closed the door.

“Thank you,” Susan called after him.

The motor roared as the bus pulled away.

When the sound had faded, Teresa turned to her mom. “Mom, do you remember Susan?”

“I certainly do,” Maurice said. “Susan, thank you so much for all you've done for my daughter. She looks very happy.”

“You're welcome,” Susan replied. “Teresa has taken great care of herself and baby Samuel. She's looking forward to telling you about the adventures she's been having since she arrived.”

“Adventures? In Amish country?” Maurice raised her eyebrows.

“Believe me, Mom, it's not boring around here,” Teresa said.

“Well, okay, if you say so,” Maurice said with a laugh. “I assume you're not marrying some boring farmer? Since you didn't send me any pictures, how would I know? I can't even imagine what an Amish farmer looks like.”

“James is the best-looking man around! And Amish people don't send out pictures with wedding invitations. In fact, they don't take pictures at all.”

“Oh sure, I remember now. I really don't know that much about the Amish.”

Susan stepped forward, picked up the suitcase, and carried it toward the buggy. She called over her shoulder, “Let's go! We can talk on the way.”

“How was your trip on the bus?” Teresa asked as they followed Susan.

“Not too bad. I don't care much for buses though.”

“Well,” Susan said, “we have your room ready. You can sleep all night and all day tomorrow if you want. We plan to pamper you the entire time you're here.”

Maurice laughed. “Let's start with instructions on how to climb into this chariot. I'm afraid this princess hasn't ridden in one before.”

“Mom,” Teresa said as Susan placed the suitcase behind the two bench seats, “it's very simple. Everything about the Amish is simple. You take a hold of this handle inside the buggy and pull yourself up. You're going to sit up front with Susan so you can see better. I'll ride in the back, but we can talk over the seat all the way home.”

“Okay, here I go!” Maurice grasped the handle and pulled hard. With a groan she landed on the buggy seat. “My this chariot sits high in the sky.”

“That's because you're used to riding in cars,” Teresa said, jumping on the back step and then sitting on the seat.

“I like this!” Maurice said.

Susan climbed in, gathered up the reins, and slapped them gently on Toby's back to get him going.

“How far do we have to go?” Maurice asked.

“Only a few miles up the road. It will take us about twenty minutes,” Susan said.

Maurice turned around to give Teresa another quick kiss on the cheek. “I still can't believe you're looking so well. Perhaps it's the country living.”

“It's all the wonderful people. That and James. I can't wait for you to meet him! It won't be today though…or even tomorrow. James is out of town at an auction to buy some stuff for our place.”

“I'm sure I'll see him soon enough, dear.” Maurice looked down at the jeans she was wearing. “Looks like I'd better do some clothes shopping the first chance I get. I would have brought along a dress, but I don't own any. I didn't feel like visiting the Goodwill only to come away with something that still didn't look Amish enough to blend in. Susan, do you think your mother could perhaps lend me one of hers? At least until I can get into town? I doubt if I can fit into one of Teresa's or yours.”

“We'll find something for you,” Susan said. “But you don't have to dress like us. No one will mind. We understand that you come from a different world.”

“What do you think, Teresa?” Maurice twisted to look over the seat.

“I think you should borrow some dresses,” Teresa said. “They come with pins instead of buttons, but I'll help you figure it out. You'll feel much more comfortable during your visit if you feel like part of us. I'm sure you'll enjoy it more.”

“I already know I'm going to enjoy it,” Maurice said. “I want the Amish to feel comfortable around me.”

“We'll accept you no matter what you wear,” Susan assured Maurice.

“Mom, don't listen to Susan. If you want to experience everything, and I mean
everything
, you need to blend in as much as possible. You should even wear one of these
kapps
.” Teresa pointed to her hat. “It's a unique and wonderful experience.”

Maurice laughed. “I think you've sold me on the idea, Teresa. Bring out the Amish dresses and hats, Susan! This woman is getting into character!”

“Oh, Mom!” Teresa squealed. “This is going to be so wonderful. Why didn't I ask you here sooner? I just didn't have the courage. I wasn't sure if you'd come all this way.”

“You didn't do anything wrong, sweetheart. I wouldn't have come a moment before this. I kept expecting to see you return with a look of defeat on your face. Only a wedding invitation convinced my hardened old soul that this Amish business wasn't a passing whim.”

“Your heart isn't hardened, Mom.” Teresa's voice caught. “You're very real…and very good. God has done so much more than I ever expected Him to do. And baby Samuel—he's going to have a father, a wonderful, real
father
.”

“Yes, darling, that
is
wonderful.” Maurice turned around in the seat again. “You know, all that time I listened to you talk about this Amish thing, well, I never in my wildest dreams ever thought it would come to this. I'm the one who should be saying I'm sorry because I didn't believe in you. I guess that's partly why I'm here. I wanted to say it to you in person.”

“Mom, you don't have to apologize. I didn't expect you to believe in my dream. You did all you could. You allowed me to pursue it. A lot of mothers wouldn't have done that.”

“That's nice of you to say,” Maurice allowed.

“Are you still at that same house?” Susan asked, remembering the rickety stairs going up to the second floor and the peeling paint on the walls.

“No, I moved out soon after Teresa left. Where I am now isn't much better though.”

“Have you thought about possibly staying here…longer?” Teresa asked as she leaned toward the front seat.

“I wasn't sure what it would be like. We'll have to see. But in the meantime, I plan to enjoy my daughter and grandson to the fullest.”

“I sure hope you like it here!” Teresa exclaimed.

“We'll see,” Maurice repeated and silence fell over the buggy.

Susan watched Maurice out of the corner of her eye as the older woman observed the passing landscape while Toby plodded along.

“Teresa and James have their own farm,” Susan offered. “It's cleaned up now, but we're still in the process of fixing it up. Right now we're painting the master bedroom.”

“I know how to paint!” Maurice exclaimed. “I certainly can help with that. Teresa, you never mentioned a farm. Do you really have one?”

Teresa laughed. “Yes, we do. What would Amish people do without their farms?”

“But you're so young, and this man of yours…is he much older?”

“He's my age.”

Susan laughed. “You can be glad now you're not marrying old Yost Byler, Teresa. Your mom would have seen right through that one.”

“Susan!” Teresa gasped. “Don't be saying stuff like that. Mom just got here.”

“So you
do
have your secrets,” Maurice said. “I can't wait for your adventure stories.”

“They're
nice
secrets, Mom,” Teresa said. “Nothing to be ashamed of or worried about.”

M
amm
was waiting on the front porch swing when Susan turned Toby down the driveway. The rays of the early afternoon sunlight reached between the leaves on the shade trees and played on
Mamm
's face.

Seated beside Susan on the buggy seat, Maurice gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

“What's wrong, Mom?” Teresa asked quickly, leaning forward.

“It's just so
beautiful
…so Norman Rockwell like,” Maurice said. “It's almost not real. And that woman on the front porch—she looks so angelic.”

“That's my
mamm
,” Susan said. “She's probably taking a short afternoon break.”

“From the preparations for my wedding,” Teresa explained. “These people have been working from dawn to dusk to give me a real Amish wedding.”

“Well, God bless them!” Maurice said. “That's a very wonderful thing they're doing.”

Susan pulled Toby to a stop by the house. Teresa climbed out and stood beside the buggy's front passenger door. She held her hand up to her mother. “Do you need help getting down?”

“I'm not an invalid,” Maurice said. “I'll get down by myself.”

Susan held the reins firmly, keeping Toby still as Maurice stepped down from the buggy, clinging to one side for balance.

When she touched ground, Susan said, “Good job! You'll be a pro at this in no time.”

“No doubt about that,” Maurice said.

Susan climbed out of the buggy and stood by Toby's head.

Mamm
was already making her way to the buggy. When she arrived, Susan said, “Maurice, this is Anna, my
mamm. Mamm
this is Maurice, Teresa's
mamm
.”

“Mrs. Hostetler,” Maurice said, stepping forward. “I'm so glad to finally meet you. You have been taking fantastic care of Teresa. I don't think I've ever seen her looking better.”

“We try.”
Mamm
smiled and extended her hand. “And call me Anna. We go by our common names around here. It's simpler that way.”

“Well, that's certainly in keeping with your simple lifestyle,” Maurice said.

“So you came all the way from New Jersey?”
Mamm
asked.

“Yes. From Asbury Park. Thank you so much for inviting me.”

“You're surely welcome. Tell me, did you see much of Susan when she lived in Asbury Park?”

“Only the few times she came over to help Teresa. She always brought us pies. Susan bakes awesome peach pies. You have a very wonderful daughter, Anna. Girls like ours don't come better.”

Susan felt her ears grow red. She protested, “I'm not good all the time, you know.”

“Well,
most
of the time,” Maurice corrected with a laugh.

Anna smiled. “It's nice to hear Susan was behaving herself.”

“
Mamm!
You know I was behaving myself,” Susan protested.

“
Yah
, of course,”
Mamm
added. “I'm just teasing. Now, Maurice, would you like to be shown your room? I'm sure you're tired after that long bus trip. I know I always am.”

“Well…” Maurice cleared her throat. “Susan said something about getting me some appropriate clothing. Some Amish things. Do you think that's possible? I know the wedding's not yet, but I don't want to go around standing out so much. I see that plainly now.”

“You want to wear our clothing?”
Mamm
looked surprised. “Did someone say you had to?”

“No, no one said that,” Maurice said. “The truth is, I think I'd
like
to wear your kind of clothing.”