Verena stopped the swing. “What’d ya say?”

Susie decided to tell her everything, including that she’d encouraged Obie to go. “It’s the kind of job he’s always hoped for—not many chances like that come along. And I figured he might as well get on with his life, ya know. I mean, since he views me as a kind of sister.”

“Ach, ya should’ve told me,” Verena said.

“It hasn’t been easy to think ’bout, let alone share,” Susie said. “You understand, jah?”

Verena pushed her foot against the floor and got the swing moving again. “Oh, believe me, I do. Relationships can be rough goin’.”

“Obie knew at the time that I’d gone out with Del. He saw me with him at the farm auction back in March.”

“Well then, I’d say the fact Obie wrote is a gut sign.”

Susie pondered that. “I was so happy to hear from him.”

Verena bobbed her head and smiled. “Will ya write back?”

“What do ya think?” Susie laughed softly.

Just then, Cousin Marnie poked her head out the front door. “Are yous conspiring again?” She was grinning.

“When was the last time we did that?” Verena said, adjusting her blue bandanna over her hair bun.

“You’ve forgotten?” Marnie pretended to be shocked.

“Let’s see . . . was it a few years ago, when we told the teacher that you’d be a fine scholar to consider bein’ a teacher’s helper?” Verena asked. “Or maybe even a teacher yourself?”

Marnie crept outside barefoot and took a seat on one of the natural wicker chairs. “Jah, an’ you can see how that turned out.” She chuckled.

“Well, you can’t say we didn’t try,” Susie said. “You’d be a wunnerbaar-gut teacher.”

Marnie ducked her head. “The school board had other ideas,” she said, “which is okay with me.”

They sat quietly, watching the color fade from the sky. After a moment or two, Verena mentioned how she and Marnie used to catch baby caterpillars and let them crawl on each other’s arms. “Those were the carefree days of childhood,” she said, “before the drama of courting age came along.” She sighed.

“So glum! Should I be worried, sister?” Marnie asked.

Verena regarded her. “About Jerome?”

Marnie nodded. “He’s very good-lookin’.”

Verena glanced at Susie, then at Marnie. “Well, not every relationship ends in heartache.”

“I sure hope not,” Marnie said.

Susie realized that Mamma and Britta would be having Bible reading and prayer soon, and her cousins here would be, too, with their family. “Well, I should be headin’ home,” she said, rising from the swing. “It’s been real nice seein’ yous again.”

Verena rose, too, and went with her out to the pony and cart. She reached to give Susie a hug. “Careful going home.”

Susie smiled and untied the pony from the hitching post. “Kumme over an’ see us sometime,” she said, waving.