Susie offered to do Britta’s barn chores that evening, frustrated with herself at still not having told her sister about Allen’s intention to rent the house. With Britta still processing Mamma’s news, the timing hasn’t been right.

Britta was quick to say she didn’t need help with barn chores and that Susie was working too hard as it was. “Like always,” Britta added, giving her a sideways glance.

Susie ignored that and mulled over how to reply to Allen. She had hoped to simply give him a call while working in the stable, but she’d let Britta have her way instead. So Susie spent the evening finishing up the latest family tree, one a fancy customer had ordered with a border of pink and blue hearts.

Later, when she heard Britta clump indoors and remove her snow boots, Susie wished she could talk to Mamma about all of this. Oh, to have her here right now!

Saturday at market, the corridors were crammed with customers in search of unique options for gift giving. Not only were Englischers rushing about, but many Plain folk were Christmas shopping, too.

She spotted Kate Yoder walking toward the specialty crackers and dip booth and immediately recalled a time when Obie had stopped by their market stand to ask if she’d go with him right quick to help him find some items for his mother. With only a couple of days left till Christmas, she’d teased him about cutting it so close.

“That’s why I need your help,” he’d said, grinning.

“You must think I’m a gut shopper.”

“Well, aren’t ya?”

“It depends.”

“On what?” He glanced at her.

“Well,” she said with a laugh, “on how much ya have to spend.”

Obie had paused right there in the middle of the aisle and rubbed his chin rather dramatically. “Hmm . . . I’d give my Mamma the moon if I could, or anything else she might want.”

“Okay, then,” Susie replied, “what about a year’s worth of that fancy relish she likes so much?”

Now Obie was laughing, and he nodded his head. “Gut idea, Susie. Let’s go an’ see ’bout that.”

Susie couldn’t believe it, wondering if he would actually purchase that many jars of the spicy relish his mother so enjoyed.

In the end, he bought up a full dozen—one for each month of the year—and thanked Susie profusely, though comically. And to this day, she remembered how very happy she’d felt when he walked her back to Mamma’s market stand, having taken her advice without a blink of an eye.

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