She still wondered why he hadn’t responded to Dat and the others’ advice—or at least to Dawdi Hezekiah’s. Their grandfather had always had a soft spot in his heart for Evan. All the same, she worked diligently with Mamm at market, serving every customer. By the end of the afternoon, they’d sold all the homemade Dutch apple pies and apple fritters they’d brought, some of which Ruthann’s mother, Aendi Cora—Mamm’s sister—had purchased since she didn’t have time to bake for company she hadn’t been expecting.

When they returned home, Ellie hurried out to check the mailbox as a reprieve from her thoughts of Evan. She was glad to find a letter from Leah, but she and Mamm needed to get busy cooking. She waited till after supper and Bible reading with the family to read it, hardly able to keep her attention on her silent prayers while they all knelt together in the front room.

The minute they were finished, she excused herself and went up the stairs to her bedroom. Closing the door behind her, she sat on her bed, opened the envelope, and was surprised to see a photo of the three children Leah looked after while their mother worked as a nurse. The inscription on the back of the photo listed their names—Bobby, Lisa, and Kimberly. Ellie could see how pretty the three-year-old twin girls were with their auburn hair and blue eyes, alongside their handsome four-year-old brother, Bobby.

Dear Ellie,

Thanks for your long and interesting letter. I’m so glad you make sure I know what’s going on back home, and I always read your letters more than once when they arrive. To be honest, they help to ease my homesickness. Mamma writes faithfully, too, as does Sol—to my surprise—and two of my sisters-in-law sometimes send postcards. It’s nothing like being face-to-face with my family or my best friend, but I’m doing okay here, so don’t worry.

So, how are you this week? I’m sure you’re as busy as I am, except in a different way.

Oh, I must tell you about something that happened at market recently. I met some Amish folk, and it was such fun to talk with them in Pennsylvania Dutch. Anyway, the Amishwoman and her courting-age daughter invited me to come to their Preaching service sometime. Unfortunately, it’s too far for me to walk there, and I wouldn’t think of asking Carolyn to drive me on a Sunday. She likes to rest and spend the day with the children after working long hours all week at the hospital. So for now, at least, I’ll continue to enjoy reading my devotional book and the Bible instead.