Once home, Susie entered the front room, where Mamma held the Good Book in her lap. “I didn’t want to miss our time together,” she said, sitting next to Britta on the small settee.

“Glad you’re home,” Mamma said, then began to read slowly, but with expression, from Psalm 103. “‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. . . .’”

Susie listened, as always moved by the beauty and rhythm of King David’s words.

When Mamma read verse twelve, about one’s transgressions being removed as far as the east was from the west, Susie felt grateful.

Before kneeling for prayer, Mamma brought up the importance of forgiving each other at the close of the day, before bedtime. “When we open our hearts to each other and to God through forgiveness, our own mistakes are forgiven. It isn’t easy—it can be very difficult, in fact—but you’ll never regret forgiving someone.”

Dear Mamma often shared her thoughts on the verses she read. She was devoted to her faith and believed, like Dat, that she must give an account before God of the way she brought up her family.

Lying in bed, hours later, Susie thought again of Obie’s letter tucked away in her small wooden chest, next to the white pinecone he’d given her. Would he be surprised to know I kept that little Christmas present? she wondered.

And she prayed that, if it was His will, God would change her heart away from Obie and toward Del.

CHAPTER
16

On the morning of Britta’s birthday, she knelt beside her bed before dressing and prayed for wisdom about how to ask Mamma the questions she’d long held privately in her heart. She’s the dearest mother, O Lord, prayed Britta. I really don’t want to cause her pain. . . .

Later, while helping Susie make buttermilk waffles and sausage patties, Britta couldn’t decide if she should wait to talk to Mamma before or after Cousins Verena and Marnie came over for their planned picnic and swim. But with Hazel dropping by later, there wasn’t a lot of time.

Around midmorning, Aendi Emmalyn stopped in to wish Britta a happy birthday with a tin of fresh chocolate chip cookies and a pretty card. Later, Aendi Lettie, Mamma’s eldest sister, and her daughter Naomi Flaud dropped by with a card and new book from the two of them.

Then and there, Britta decided she’d have to put off seeking out Mamma with her questions, not wanting to spoil the day for so many loved ones.