Britta nodded. Then, turning, she asked, “What ’bout you, Susie? Don’t you ever want to go out with die Youngie again? It’s been so long, and ya don’t have Mamma here to take care of anymore.”

“Right now, your future comes first,” she answered, a bit ferhoodled.

Britta sat on the edge of her bed, still holding the dustcloth. “That’s kind of you, but I’m not even courtin’ age yet. Shouldn’t you still be goin’ to youth activities and whatnot?” Her eyes searched Susie’s. “Don’t ya hope to ever marry?”

She didn’t want to tell Britta that she believed the time for courting and love had passed her by. “I’d be happy to be a wife and mother, of course. But none of that’s within my grasp now.”

Britta pursed her lips and seemed to be contemplating something. “I don’t believe that’s true, sister. Really I don’t.”

Although grateful for Britta’s words, Susie didn’t think her sister understood just what she was saying. Besides, Susie’s heart was still fixed on one person, yet he’d never been hers to think about. “Aw, Britta. Denki for carin’, but I’m fine. You’re such a sweet sister,” she added.

Britta stared at her hands in her lap. “I’ve been worried you’d treat me differently after I told you ’bout my birth mother.”

Surprised, Susie frowned. “Nothing could make that happen, sister. Nothing.”

“Not even that I want to try and contact Kathleen?” She looked at Susie with expectancy.

“I understand why you’d want to do that,” Susie replied, feeling hesitant yet also grateful they could still talk like this. She realized then that it was finally time to tell Britta what she’d been keeping from her. “I appreciate your openness with me, and I need to do the same. You see, Allen wrote me a while back, but it was so upsetting I didn’t know when to break it to ya—not when you’d just learned about your past from Mamma.”

Britta’s eyes blinked. “Goodness . . . what did he have to say?”

She quickly told her about Allen’s need to rent this house . . . and for the two of them to move in with relatives.

Britta’s dismay was written on her face. “I had no idea money was so tight. Do you think he’ll go through with it?”

“I don’t think there’s any other option for Allen,” Susie replied.

They went downstairs, where Susie and Britta sat in the front room together on the settee as the snow continued to fall steadily outside. Britta read their brother’s most recent letter silently, her head leaning toward Susie’s.