Later, Susie watched Britta hurry to the stable to make the call to their driver, then stepped away from the back door window. There had been moments, after getting Allen’s recent call, when Susie wished she had insisted on keeping Mamma home. But hearing how well she was doing, Susie knew she felt that way for selfish reasons. I should be happy, she chided herself.

Weary of the day, Susie decided to put off searching for Mamma’s file folder till Britta went to bed. Opening the fridge, she removed two apples and quartered them, then set them in a bowl on the table. She also took out some store-bought vanilla yogurt and placed a teaspoon in it, wanting to sit with Britta and have a little treat.

Glancing out the window again, she wondered what was keeping her sister. Had she run into a snag getting Rachelle Good to drive them tomorrow?

Susie reached for Dat’s old German Biewel and opened it to the front page, where the names of all of his relatives were listed in Dat’s neat handwriting. Britta’s name, however, had been added by Mamma.

Resting her hand on this special page, Susie wondered what Dat would have thought about Mamma adopting a baby. Of course, had Dat lived, he and Mamma might have had more children together.

Deep in thought, she was startled when Britta rushed into the house. “Sorry I was so long.”

“What kept ya?” Susie closed the old Bible and turned to look at her.

Britta said that after she’d called Rachelle, Roy Lantz had dropped by to see her and offered to help around the stable or whatever else was needed. Her face reddened. “He walked clear over here to tell me that, and there I was in the stable, just as he’d hoped, he said.” She shook her head. “Ach, I’m so ferhoodled.”

Susie smiled. “And very happy, jah?”

Britta sat down with her. “S’pose I am.” She began to laugh, and soon the laughter turned to tears.

“What is it?” Susie reached for her hand. “You all right?”

“How can sadness over Mamma turn into happiness over Roy in the space of such a short time?”

Susie understood. And nodding, she said, “Sometimes the weather’s stormy and fierce, and then it clears up and the sun shines again all in a single afternoon.”

Britta reached for an apple slice and spooned up some yogurt to dab on it. “You remind me of Ella Mae just now, Susie.”

“Ach, no one else is that wise.”

“Well, Mamma is . . . and now you.” Britta took a bite and looked kindly at her.

“I agree with ya ’bout Mamma,” Susie said, spooning up some yogurt, too. She could have told Britta that if she were so wise, she never would have let Obie go. But that was neither here nor there.