Susie’s thoughts sailed across the miles to Mamma and the family there, soon to gather around Sarah’s table to count their blessings. Never having seen the house where Allen and his family lived, she could only imagine Britta working together alongside Sarah’s older girls in the kitchen, letting Mamma relax. Allen and the boys would undoubtedly wash up outside at the farm’s well pump, flicking water at each other as their breath hung in the air. Al Junior, starting his courting years now, might even be thinking of attending a Singing this weekend, maybe even had his eye on a pretty girl, although Sarah hadn’t mentioned it. Some couples liked to keep things mum till they were engaged.

The thought of courting brought Susie’s attention back to the wedding at hand just as Bishop Beiler asked Isaac the first solemn question. “As you stand here before the Lord God and this congregation, do you promise that, should Verena become weak or ill, you will do your utmost to care for her as a devoted Christian husband ought?”

Dressed in black except for his white dress shirt, Isaac firmly answered, “Jah,” his expression serious.

Verena’s eyes teared up when it was her turn to respond to the same question. This holy and eternal bond of wedlock created by the Lord God was taking place before Susie’s eyes, and she was deeply moved, having never been this close to the bride and groom during the five-minute ceremony of vows.

I wish Mamma could’ve been present, Susie thought. How many Hickory Hollow milestones will she miss?

After the bishop’s benediction and a kneeling prayer for the congregation, Isaac’s brother Irwin politely approached Susie, remarking how pleased he was to be her partner today.

She felt sorry for him, expected to spend the afternoon and into the evening with a twenty-four-year-old bridesmaid when undoubtedly he would much prefer to be paired with someone nearer his own age. So, to let him off the hook early, Susie told him she planned to help wash dishes after the wedding dinner and then head home.

“Are ya sure?” Irwin said, looking as nice as his brother Isaac in his for-good clothing.

“Definitely.” She smiled and they walked outside together, where they met Cousin Marnie with her beau, Jerome Yoder.

“Obie really likes Sugar Valley,” Susie overheard him saying. “And we all expect him to get engaged soon, too. Makes sense that he’d wanna stay close to her family.”

Marnie glanced suddenly at Susie and back at Jerome, who seemed to catch her meaning and quickly changed the subject.

After that, the rest of the day was a blur, although Susie tried her best not to allow Jerome’s remark to bother her. But she still felt rattled later while she washed dishes with Verena’s aunts.

All the same, she wished she hadn’t learned this on Verena’s wedding day.