A Plain and Simple Christmas Read online

Kathryn paused, considering if she should share the letter or not. She knew the contents might upset David, since he’d felt caught between his father and Anna Mae when she’d decided to leave. However, Amanda was old enough to understand the situation, giving Kathryn no reason to distrust her.

  “If I tell you,” Kathryn began, “you must promise to keep this to yourself, Amanda. Your dat may not be happy when he finds out.”

  “So you’re going to keep it from him?” Her brow furrowed with disapproval. “Is that the right thing to do?”

  Kathryn smiled, both proud of her daughter’s honesty and embarrassed by her own perceived dishonesty. “You’re right. It’s not right for me to keep this from your dat, but I need to figure out the best time to tell him. It’s up to me to decide when to tell him, not you. Understand?”

  “Ya.” Her daughter shrugged. “I don’t understand why it should matter, but I promise not to share it with anyone.”

  “Anna Mae and her husband want to visit for Christmas.”

  Amanda grinned. “That’s wunderbaar! We haven’t seen Aenti Anna Mae for three years. Manny was just a baby when she left.”

  “Shhh,” Kathryn hissed. “You can’t say it too loud. If Lizzie or Ruthie overhear, you know what will happen.”

  Amanda rolled her eyes. “The whole district will know by tomorrow morning.”

  Kathryn clicked her tongue. “Now, now, you were just like them when you were around eleven.”

  “I doubt that,” Amanda muttered. Her expression brightened. “Back to the letter. What exactly did she say?”

  “She asked if I would help her plan a visit for Christmas. She and her husband are expecting a baby in January and they want the family to know their baby. It sounds like a wunderbaar idea, but your Grossdaddi Beiler won’t be as open to it as we are.”

  “Because Aenti Anna Mae was shunned for leaving and marrying an Englisher.”

  “That’s exactly right.” Kathryn folded the letter and slipped it into the envelope.

  Amanda shook her head, and the ties on her prayer kapp fluttered around her neck. “It’s sad. She should be allowed to come for Christmas.”

  “She can visit, but your grossdaddi won’t be as welcoming as the rest of us. It will be uncomfortable at best.”

  The back door opened and banged shut, followed by a chorus of children’s voices yelling, “Dat!”

  Kathryn dropped the letter into the pocket of her apron and gave Amanda a hard look. “Remember, this is our secret, ya?”

  Winking, Amanda stood. “What letter? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Kathryn shook her head and swallowed a chuckle. She hoped the ease of her daughter’s fib wasn’t a glimpse into the future of her approaching rumspringe. She followed Amanda into the kitchen, where David stood surrounded by his children, smiling and nodding while they shared the details of their day.

  He turned his gaze to Kathryn and his smile deepened, causing her heart to warm. His smile still thrilled her, even after fifteen years of marriage.

  She smiled in return and rested her hands on her apron, silently debating her choice to conceal the letter.

  The children continued chatting, and David nodded while moving past them to the doorway. “Wie geht’s?” he whispered, before brushing his lips across hers.

  “Gut,” she said. “How are you?”

  “Tired.” He removed his hat and hung it on a peg on the wall. He brushed back his sandy blond hair, which was matted from the hat.

  Kathryn crossed the kitchen and checked the stew on the stove. “It looks like supper is ready. Everyone go wash up.”

  The children filed out of the kitchen, chattering away in Pennsylvania Dietsch as Kathryn stirred the stew, savoring the aroma.

  “How was your day?” she asked.

  “Gut. The store was busy, which always makes my father happy. People always need farming supplies, no matter the time of year or the weather.” He leaned over the pot. “Stew?”

  “Ya.” She continued to stir it. “Your favorite.”

  “Danki.” He inhaled a deep breath. “Smells appeditlich. How was your day?”

  “Gut,” she said. “The English customers love to come into the bakery this time of year and get desserts for their Christmas parties. We were busy all day long.”

  David snatched a spoon from the counter and sampled the stew. “Like I said, appeditlich. You make the best stew in Lancaster County.”

  She smiled. “You tend to exaggerate.”

  “No, I don’t.” He dropped the spoon into the sink and then moved behind her.

  Hands encircled her waist, and she yelped. Looking up behind her, she found David leaning down. His lips brushed her neck, and she giggled while shivers danced up her spine.

  “What has gotten into you, David Beiler?” she asked, placing her hands on his.

  He turned her toward him and pulled her into a warm hug. “Isn’t a man allowed to miss his fraa?” He leaned down to kiss her again, and then stopped when gagging noises erupted across the room.

  Kathryn glanced over to her older son, David Jr., holding his neck while feigning to choke. His siblings surrounded him, and giggles erupted among the group of five children.

  “I guess we’ll have to continue this later,” Kathryn whispered to David with a grin.

  “Ya, I suppose so.” David stepped over to the sink and washed his hands, while Kathryn and the children brought the food to the table.

  Kathryn sat at the table surrounded by her children and across from her husband. When they all bowed their heads in silent prayer, she thanked God for the bountiful blessings in her life, including her family.

  Then she sent up a special prayer, asking God to lead her toward a solution to making Anna Mae and her husband welcome for Christmas.

  The following morning, Kathryn stood in the doorway separating the kitchen from the front of the bakery and observed her mother straightening the counter, placing sample containers in a row, and humming her favorite hymn.

  She glanced behind her at her sister Beth Anne and daughter Amanda chatting while icing a chocolate cake.

  Spotting no customers in the bakery, Kathryn sidled up to her mother. “Can I help you?” she asked.

  “No, danki, I think that about covers it.” Elizabeth stood up straight. “I believe the cakes and cookies are well stocked. It may be just as busy today as it was yesterday.”

  “Ya. I was telling David just last night how busy we’ve been.” Kathryn placed her hand on her apron.

  Elizabeth’s eyes filled with concern. “What’s on your mind, Kathryn? You look like the weight of the world is sitting on your shoulders.”

  Kathryn pulled the letter from her pocket. “I received this yesterday.”

  Elizabeth took the letter and read it. “Anna Mae is pregnant. What a blessing! And she wants to come and visit.” She smiled. “What did David say about it?”

  “I didn’t tell him.” Kathryn busied herself by straightening a row of individually wrapped cookies to avoid her mamm’s stunned stare.

  “Why not?” Elizabeth chuckled. “You’re never one to keep silent about things. What’s stopping you this time?”

  Sighing, Kathryn looked up. “I know he’ll think it’s a bad idea to invite Anna Mae. He’ll say her visit will open family wounds that he wants kept closed. You know how his dat gets about this subject.”

  Amanda appeared in the doorway. “But it’s Grischtdaag! Aenti Anna Mae is our family, and the holidays are about family. Jesus tells us to love one another and forgive each other. Grossdaddi needs to remember that.”

  “He knows that, Amanda,” Kathryn said. “You know as well as I do that he preaches about love and forgiveness, but he’s in a complicated position because he’s the bishop.”

  “But it’s Grischtdaag, Mamm,” Amanda repeated with more emphasis on the word. “Can’t our family put the shunning behind us for that?” Amanda’s face transformed to her best “puppy dog face,” as her father calle
d it. “Please, Mamm. Please.”

  Grimacing, Kathryn glanced at her mother, who cupped her hand to her mouth and chuckled.

  Kathryn turned back to her daughter. “Fine. You win. I’ll talk to your dat, but I can’t make any promises about what will happen.”

  Amanda squealed and threw her arms around Kathryn’s neck, jerking her into a hug.

  “You’re the master of manipulation, Amanda Joy,” Kathryn said, hugging her daughter close. “I feel sorry for the boys in our community when you start courting.”

  Amanda giggled and then danced back into the kitchen.

  Kathryn shook her head. “She’s a handful.”

  “Ya,” Elizabeth said, looping an arm around Kathryn’s shoulder. “She reminds me of you at that age. You knew how to get just what you wanted too.” Her expression became serious. “You’re doing the right thing by discussing it with David. Tell him how you feel and how much more complete Grischtdaag will be with his youngest schweschder back with the family.”

  “I just hope he’ll listen,” Kathryn whispered.

  “He loves you.” Elizabeth patted her back. “He’ll listen.”

  That evening Kathryn ran a brush through her waist-length golden hair while watching David lounge on the bed reading his Bible.

  “I can feel your stare,” he said without looking up. “What’s on your mind, Katie?”

  She cleared her throat and set the brush on the dresser her father had made as a wedding gift for her and David years ago. “I wanted to share something with you.”

  David closed the Bible and set it on the night table. “What is it?”

  She plucked Anna Mae’s letter from the dresser and handed it to him. “Please read this with an open heart and mind.”

  He raised his eyebrows in curiosity and took the letter. Kathryn held her breath while David scanned it.

  Sighing, he glanced up and handed the paper back to her. “You know as well as I do that this would be a bad idea.”

  “But she’s your schweschder, David. She’s family. Isn’t Grischtdaag about celebrating the birth of our Savior as a family?”

  “She left the faith. As my father said, she made her choice.” He lifted his Bible and flipped it open.

  She placed the letter on the bureau and then climbed under the quilts next to him in the bed. “David, there’s no harm in her visiting.”

  David closed the Bible and set it on his nightstand before facing her. A frown creased his handsome face and forehead. “I don’t have to tell you that it’s much more complicated than a simple visit. None of your siblings left the community, so you have no idea how it affected our family.”

  “That’s not fair,” Kathryn said with a frown. “I was here when she left. I saw how much it hurt us all. You know I love her like I love my own sisters.”

  “You’re right. That wasn’t a fair statement for me to make.” He sighed. “I’m sorry. Her leaving was very painful for my parents. It’s as if she became a stranger to my parents. She’s no longer following our traditions. You know that if she came to visit, my father would be very upset.”

  “But it’s been three years. Isn’t it time for the family to heal? Life is so short. We saw that firsthand when my sister Sarah lost her husband in the fire at the furniture store. We never know when the Lord may call us home.” She gave him her best pleading look, the one that usually got him to change his mind. “We had a lot of fun working together at the bakery. When she left, she also left a void in my life and a hole in my heart. I’m sure you feel the same way and miss her too.”

  “Of course I miss her.” He snuggled down under the covers and pulled Kathryn close. “Let’s not argue about this, Katie. You know that it’s not a good idea to invite my sister for Grischtdaag. Maybe we can take the kinner and see her in the spring. We could take the train down. The kinner would love it.”

  Kathryn inhaled his comforting scent, soap mixed with his spicy deodorant. “Ya, they would love it.” But it’s not the same as Grischtdaag!

  “We’ll plan a trip,” he said, his voice softening. “In the spring. Ya, it will be gut, and it won’t involve my father and his temper.”

  She nodded, though she wasn’t convinced waiting until the spring would help heal the family. She listened to his breathing as it changed, slowing down and deepening. Her mind swirled with ideas of how she could arrange to invite Anna Mae without alienating David. Surely he would change his mind when his sister was standing in front of him.

  Although she was going against her husband’s wishes, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was God’s will for Anna Mae to come and see the family again.

  Kathryn’s thoughts turned to the time of Anna Mae’s decision to leave the community. Oh, how Mary Rose, Anna Mae’s mother, had cried. Mary Rose had begged Anna Mae to stay, promising that Anna Mae would find a nice Amish man to marry. However, Anna Mae had insisted that Kellan was the love of her life and she was meant to marry him.

  Mary Rose had taken to her bed for a week after Anna Mae left. She’d said that the pain of seeing her daughter leave had debilitated her.

  Wouldn’t it be God’s will for Mary Rose to see her daughter again and know that she was well and happy with her English husband?

  Kathryn waited until she was certain David was in a deep sleep and then she wiggled out of his grasp, gingerly rose from the bed, and plucked the letter from the bureau. She took the kerosene lamp from the nightstand, lit it, and tiptoed down to the kitchen.

  She fished her stationery from the desk and sat at the table. Closing her eyes, she sent up a silent prayer for the right words. She then poised her pen and began to write a letter to Anna Mae.

  CHAPTER 3

  Opening the mailbox, Anna Mae fished out a stack of envelopes from inside and leafed through them.

  “Bills, bills, bills,” she mumbled with a sigh. They always came near the first of the month. But when Anna Mae came to a plain white envelope with pretty penmanship, her heart fluttered. She read the return address, squealed with delight, and hugged the envelope to her chest.

  Kathryn had answered!

  Anna Mae rushed into the house, dropped her bag on the kitchen table, and tore the envelope open. Lowering herself into a chair, she read the letter.

  Dear Anna Mae,

  I was overjoyed to receive your letter. It seems like only yesterday that you were with my sisters and me in the bakery, making cookies and cakes while laughing and sharing stories about our friends in the community.

  How wunderbaar that God will soon bless you with your first baby! You and Kellan must be overjoyed! I’m so very happy for you and will keep you and your baby in my prayers.

  My mamm, sisters, nieces, and I stay busy these days. The bakery is very busy right now during the holidays, and we’re still a favorite tourist stop during the spring, summer, and fall.

  The family is all doing well. Amanda is fourteen, Ruthie is twelve, Lizzie is ten, Junior is eight, and Manny is four. David says he wants more, but we’ll have to wait and see what the Lord has in store for us. Your mamm and dat are in good health, as are your siblings, nieces, and nephews. Our family is very blessed.

  It would be wunderbaar to have you and Kellan come for Grischtdaag! I can’t think of a better time of year for the family to reunite. Would you like me to work out the details for you? How many days would you and Kellan like to stay? Do you know where you’d like to stay? Of course, you’re welcome to stay with us, but you might be more comfortable at the Paradise Bed and Breakfast. Perhaps you’d like to stay there instead?

  I look forward to hearing from you soon.

  God’s blessing to you and your family, Kathryn

  Anna Mae read and reread the letter until she’d nearly committed it to memory. Tears spilled from her eyes while she remembered the time she’d spent at the bakery with Kathryn, Kathryn’s sisters, her nieces, and Kathryn’s mamm, Elizabeth. Those were some of the best memories she cherished from Lancaster County.

  Glancing a
t the clock, Anna Mae realized Kellan would be home for supper in an hour. She folded the letter and put it back into the envelope and then into the pocket of her sweater. She then hoisted herself from the chair, headed to the refrigerator, and rooted around until she found a pack of steaks, Kellan’s favorite. After marinating the steaks in his favorite barbeque sauce, she placed them in the oven set to broil and stuck a couple of potatoes in the microwave.

  Anna Mae was preparing a green salad when Kellan entered the kitchen clad in one of his best suits.

  “How was your day?” he asked before kissing her cheek. Leaning down, he cupped his hand to her belly. “And how was your day, Lug Nut?”

  “Lug Nut? How can you be so sure it’s a boy?” she asked with a chuckle.

  He shrugged. “Just a hunch.”

  She smiled, rubbing her belly. “We had a good day. The quilting circle at church was a lot of fun. We caught each other up on the latest church news and also got a lot accomplished for our quilt drive. How was your day?”

  “It was good. Busy. Sales have gone up this month, which makes everyone at the dealership happy.” He breathed in the aroma emanating from the stove and moaned. “Steak?” He eyed her with suspicion. “What are you up to, Annie?”

  “Nothing.” She gave him her best innocent smile and carried the salad bowl to the table. “I thought you might like to have your favorite tonight.”

  His lips curled into a grin. “Is that so?” He retrieved plates and utensils and set the table. “You seem to be scheming over something. I know when you’re fibbing. Steak is always an ulterior motive for something.”

  “Maybe I prepared your favorite meal because I love you.” Anna Mae brought the steak and potatoes to the table while Kellan gathered the condiments and glasses of water for them.

  After saying grace, they began to eat.

  “I can tell by the expression on your pretty face that you’re excited to share something with me,” he said, cutting up his steak. “What’s up?”

  “I’ve been dying to tell you. I have good news!” Anna Mae fished the letter from her pocket. “I received this today.”