After they’d finished eating and the meal’s second prayer, Lyle asked Ellie to go with him to check on Sol. They found him sitting on the wide back porch and petting Shadow, the Bontragers’ beautiful gray and white German shepherd, whose front paws leaned on Sol’s knees. Sol looked up when he heard them coming, and his face lit up like a full moon.

“Hullo there,” Lyle said as he stepped onto the porch.

“Nice to see ya,” Sol said, looking now at Ellie. “Have yourselves a seat.”

Lyle sat next to him near several clay pots of aloe plants, and Ellie sat beside Lyle, who realized she was on the wrong side for Sol to hear her well. “We wondered how you’ve been doin’,” he said louder than he normally spoke. “I know recovery isn’t always a straight line.”

“Denki,” Sol replied. It looked like his thick blond hair had been recently trimmed, and he was without his straw hat. His face had a healthier glow, not nearly as pale.

The screen door opened and out came Sol’s mother, Nan, her white work apron tied around her long black one. “Willkumm,” she said, smiling as she came over to lean against the white porch post. “Benjamin’s out in the barn.”

“How was your trip?” Lyle asked.

“Oh fine, but it’s always gut to be home again.” Nan looked kindly at Ellie. “Denki ever so much for takin’ care of our son. My goodness, yous were a godsend. He told us all ’bout it.”

Sol smiled. “Today’s one week since it happened,” he said with a glance at Lyle. “I’m hopin’ to get back to work in the orchard again soon.”

“Only when ya know you’re ready,” Lyle said, and Ellie nodded.

Sol tilted his head, and Lyle could tell he hadn’t quite followed him. So he repeated his comment more loudly.

“Oh, I’m doin’ better. I still have insomnia, but the folk medicine book says to take one to two teaspoons of honey before bedtime, so I’ve been doin’ that. To tell ya the truth, though, so far it hasn’t helped all that much.”

Nan looked at her son with concern. “His poor noggin took a poundin’,” she said, pushing her blue bandanna back a little. “But he’s drinking plenty of liquids and resting whenever he needs to. We don’t want to make things worse by havin’ him do much before his head’s fully healed.”

“Des gut,” Lyle said, glad Nan was home, looking after Sol while Benjamin tended to the steers.

“Quite a few of die Youngie have dropped by to encourage Sol,” Nan told them, smiling thoughtfully. “The bishop and all the ministers have, too, and of course our local kinfolk.”

Sol seemed lost to the thread of the conversation, obviously still struggling to hear.