Sitting on the bottom step, Susie stared at the wringer washer in the large area where they always sorted the laundry. This space where she and Britta sometimes played on wintry days while Mamma ran the clothes through the wringer and into the rinse tub. One time, her sister had pinched a clothespin on the end of her nose and chased Susie around till it was quite bruised. For more than a week afterward, it had turned nearly every color of the rainbow. Britta has filled my days with life and fun.

Susie trudged back up the stairs and spotted the mail truck moving along the road. Hurrying to slip on her coat, she headed out to get the mail.

Nice, she thought, seeing a letter from her sister Polly and another from Allen.

In the house, she hung up her coat and walked to the front room to sit near the stove to open Polly’s letter. Like Mamma, Polly was faithful about writing nearly every week, sometimes more.

Susie was warmed to read Polly’s thoughtful invitation for her and Britta to spend Christmas Eve afternoon and night with them—an addition to her original invitation to the family’s big Christmas dinner. No sense in making extra trips, and Henry’s already arranged for Jonathan Ebersol to look after your animals.

Polly also mentioned that Mamma had recently written about the events that surrounded Eli’s death, particularly the identity of the driver. I had no idea, Susie. Did you? Mamma’s always loved Britta like her own. But I’m glad Britta knows the truth about it. Is she taking it okay?

Susie shook her head and stared at the letter, uncertain of the answer.

Quickly, she opened Allen’s letter and scanned through it, fervently hoping Allen had come up with a solution to at least keep Britta in Hickory Hollow. That’s even more important now, considering her desire to find Kathleen, Susie thought, still unnerved by that prospect. I can’t let my sister be enticed away by an outsider, birth mother or not!

Then, reading the letter, she was surprised that he was moving forward with his plan to rent out the house. She groaned inwardly. Yet, wanting to share the happy news of Polly’s latest invitation, Susie made her way upstairs to tell Britta. “How would ya like to spend the night of Christmas Eve at Henry and Polly’s?”

“That’d be fun.” Britta glanced her way while dusting her dresser. “A wunnerbaar time to be with the children.”

“I agree.” Susie thought ahead to the season’s youth activities as she stood in the doorway. “I ’spect some of the younger teens will be caroling the night before that, jah?”