Susie smiled.

“I’d like to write back to Mamma soon. It’ll give her somethin’ to look forward to.”

“Give me a day or so to think ’bout it, all right?”

Britta nodded. “Okay.”

“Remember, we would have to close the shop during one of the busiest weekends of the year,” Susie cautioned, not too keen on missing out on the necessary money. “Maybe only you should go.” She waited for Britta to argue against that yet again.

But Britta glanced down at the cat in her lap. “Hope ya don’t mind Lucy bein’ inside,” she said, changing the subject. “She’s a comfort to me.”

Susie shook her head. “I don’t mind.”

“I’ll pick off any cat hairs on the furniture.”

“It’s just us, for now.” Susie paused. “But when Mamma does return, that’ll be a different story.”

“So we won’t tell her, then.”

“No reason to,” Susie replied, hoping Britta would also keep quiet about the information she’d shared from Mamma’s file folder. Scant as it was.

CHAPTER
33

Thanksgiving Day dawned with intermittent sunshine and clouds, or so Susie noticed from the kitchen window as she prepared breakfast for herself. It was the morning of Cousin Verena’s wedding, and with all her heart, Susie hoped the clouds would subside.

Two hours later, as the first sermon began, the sky became brilliant with sunlight, which grew throughout the longer second sermon, too. A gut sign, Susie thought, trying to imagine what her cousin must be feeling right now as she became a wife and ultimately a mother, Lord willing.

The farmhouse was filled with Isaac’s and Verena’s families, as well as unrelated youth group friends and church members. Verena’s face shone with joy as she sat in the congregation, and her royal blue dress and white cape and apron—identical to Susie’s and Marnie’s—made her eyes look all the bluer.

When it was time for Susie and Marnie to walk to the front of the large room to be Verena’s side sitters, Susie felt somewhat overwhelmed. Two days ago, Britta had left by passenger van for Clark, Missouri, and Susie missed her being in attendance at the wedding and the activities to follow. As was customary after the feast, the youth would be paired up, and Susie would be coupled with Isaac’s younger brother Irwin, also a wedding attendant. He’s just nineteen, she thought, wondering whether Irwin might feel uncomfortable about that. At least it’ll only be for a few hours.