Smiling at the memory, she recalled telling stories to Britta—they’d both been too excited to close their eyes and go to sleep. Mamma’s own mother, Susannah Fisher, gone to Jesus, had been the subject of one of those stories, as had one particular tree in Mammi Fisher’s yard when she had been a wee girl. Without her parents’ knowledge, Susannah would take her book and climb high into the branches after chores were done. One evening after supper, though, she had fallen asleep up there, worrying her parents something awful as they searched the house and the property for their missing girl.

When Susannah awakened to sharp calls from her father, she realized what she’d done and looked down through the darkness and gasped, realizing she could easily have fallen to her death. Instead, she scrambled down, limb over limb, until she fell into her father’s arms, pleading tearfully for forgiveness.

Susie never forgot how Britta had begged to know if Mammi had learned her lesson, a quaver in Britta’s small voice. “Mammi was grateful her Dat had come lookin’ for her,” Susie had reassured Britta. “It was a blessing everything turned out all right.”

I haven’t thought of that night in ages, Susie thought as she saw her sister come across the yard toward her.

By taking a little time every day following daily chores, Susie finally managed to complete the Petersheim family tree. She went to the stable to call Del that following Friday to let him know. Sounding pleased and upbeat, he said he would pick it up next Tuesday. “And if it’s ready, I can also sample that special rhubarb jam,” he teased.

“Oh, that won’t be for another week yet,” she told him, amused by his enthusiasm.

“Okay, then this time I’ll just come by for your handiwork,” he said, and Susie wondered if he might stick around and talk awhile.

At noon, Cousins Verena and Marnie brought over a generous picnic of pulled pork sandwiches, homemade potato salad, and fruit cup, just as they’d planned a few days ago. Britta was able to join the other three cousins, since school was out for the summer. It was time now for children to help their parents with the fieldwork and planting going on all over Hickory Hollow. The girls sat and ate together on an old blanket near the potting shed while Mamma had a meal with Ella Mae.

Marnie suggested they all go swimming in the pond in a few weeks to celebrate Britta’s thirteenth birthday on July second.

“I’d like that,” Britta said, grinning, and Susie agreed that it sounded like fun.

“Since it’s a Saturday, how about we have a picnic lunch on the porch here, then change into our bathing suits?” Cousin Verena proposed.

“By that time of day, it’ll feel gut to get cooled off,” Britta said.

Marnie agreed. “Just the four of us.”