“Oh?” Pure relief flooded Penny’s expression as she realized that Emma hadn’t been hurt by her blunt comment.
“Jah. His boys are much older. The eldest, Ben, is almost all grown up, and Mark is in his teens, but jah, I know what you mean,” Emma said with a small smile. “It’s hard, but Jay and his boys seem to be doing well.”
“Got is gut. Well, I had best get my fabric, and you have kinner to fetch.”
Impulsively, Emma gave Penny a hug. “Take care of yourself. Don’t forget to put your feet up when you can.”
“Don’t worry. Michael is constantly reminding me to rest. He’s worse than a mother hen.”
Penny’s famous husband being described that way made Emma grin the whole way to the Amish school. As she stood outside the door and heard the children’s teacher wish them a gut afternoon before dismissing them, Emma had to agree that Penny’s statement about God being good was true. Though she was tempted from time to time to feel sorry for herself, all she had to do to lift her spirits was look at her precious girls and be reminded that He had not left her alone.
She stepped to one side as the kinner raced out the doors. Some started walking home, while others grabbed their bikes. A few kids had parents there waiting for them as well.
At last, out came Lena, Mandy, and Annie. Shuffling behind them was William.
“Hi, Mamm!” Annie cried as she ran to Emma’s side for a quick hug.
Emma gave her one before hugging Mandy, too. Lena and William simply smiled their greetings. After making sure everyone had all their books and papers and lunch boxes, the five of them started walking back to the house.
But when they were about halfway there, Emma began to realize that William wasn’t simply being a little shy and quiet. He was upset about something. She kept an eye on him during the rest of their walk. She hoped he hadn’t had an argument with Lena, though she knew children got upset with each other for all sorts of reasons. But when he seemed to be okay with Lena, and with Mandy and Annie, too, Emma grew a little more worried. Was he upset that his father wasn’t there to pick him up? Was he missing his friends back home? Did he not want to be surrounded by a bunch of little girls for the next couple of hours?
Or was it even something more serious?
By the time they made it back home, she was determined to find out. Luckily, she’d prepared their snacks ahead of time and had orange slices, celery and carrots, and tiny frosted buttermilk cookies set out for them along the counter—too far back from the edge for Frankie to get to, no matter how hard he might try.
After supervising hand washing, Emma passed out paper towels and their snacks. As she’d expected, the girls grabbed oranges, a couple of pieces of celery and carrots, and several cookies before they raced out the back door with Frankie at their side.
William merely asked for something to drink.
After getting him a glass of lemonade, she said, “Wouldja like to sit down with me on the front stoop?”
He looked at her suspiciously. “Why do ya want to sit out there?”
“There’s a pesky pair of blue jays with a nest nearby. I like to think if I sit out there from time to time they know they can’t cause much mischief.”
As she’d hoped, William smiled at her silly comment and followed her out to the front steps. After they sat, she showed him the blue jays’ nest as well as the pair of hummingbirds near a feeder. William watched them but didn’t say anything.
Trying a different tactic, Emma said, “I noticed that you seem a little quiet today. Do you feel all right?”
“Jah.”
“Are you tired? Or is there something that’s bothering you?”
He shrugged.
“You don’t have to talk to me, but if, by chance, you feel like telling me anything, I’d like to listen.”
He turned his head and stared at her for a time. Then at last he said, “Our teacher was talking about families this afternoon. I was the only kid in class who didn’t have a mother.”
“My girls have shared that they feel sad when everyone talks about their fathers. It’s hard, not having one of your parents.”
William nodded. “I wish I had her still.”
“I know.” Scooting a little closer, she wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “I used to wonder what to say when people asked me where my husband was.”
“How come?”
“Well, once I tell them that Sanford died three years ago, people begin to ask questions.” She lowered her voice. “Sometimes silly questions, if you want to know the truth.”
His eyes widened. “How were they silly?”
“Well, women used to ask me how it was, raising three daughters on my own.” She sighed. “Between you and me, I hated that question.”