Ellie rose from the glider and went around to the side door, folding the letter and placing it in her dress pocket.

After Dat led in the silent mealtime prayer, Ellie thought more about Leah’s letter . . . and Sol. It had sounded like he’d known he and Ruthann weren’t meant to move forward in their relationship for a while before she ended it.

Meanwhile, Dawdi was talking about his childhood, reminiscing about how he’d sometimes played in the smithy’s shop while the horses and mules were brought in to be shod. “I was prob’ly five, if that, when I decided I was gonna be the next Bird-in-Hand smithy,” he said with a grin. “Never did I think I’d end up plantin’ an orchard.”

“Tell us the story ’bout what made ya want to plant fruit trees,” Ellie said.

“Alrighty.” He salted his sweet potato. “If it was written on the palms of these here callused hands, it couldn’t’ve been any clearer to me.” He told of staying overnight at his Mammi Hostetler’s old farmhouse when he was around nine and opening the window that first morning to the beauty of God’s creation. He said it was the first time he’d paid much attention to the two rows of fruit trees in his grandmother’s side yard. “Well, I ran right outside in my nightclothes and stood under a tree with the tiniest fruitlets budding, staring up through the branches and leaves in astonishment.”

“At breakfast, it was all I could talk ’bout,” Dawdi said, his eyes alert. “Mammi said those trees were the best thing she and Dawdi had ever planted, and the happiest days of their lives had been takin’ care of them together. ‘God’s wunnerbaar-gut way to give us apples,’ she said.” Dawdi paused, looking now at Ellie. “I’ve never forgotten that.”

“No wonder it made a big impression on ya,” Ellie said, enjoying hearing this story again.

“Oh, it did. And for years I daydreamed ’bout the queen of fruit, wanting to have apple trees right outside my own windows someday.”

Ellie couldn’t agree more. “Every spring when the trees blossom, I think of it as a gift from God. Did ya know?”

“Well now, Ellie-girl, we’re cut from the same branch, ain’t we?” He was grinning so big it made his wispy white beard move.

In that moment, she realized that she longed to tell Dawdi and her parents that Sol, who also loved the orchard, wanted to court her.

And I want to be his girl!

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