Beverly groaned under her breath.
Edward got the same look on his face that he’d had at age eight, when he didn’t get his way. Raising his voice, he said, “Tricia, you are my daughter—”
“I know that,” she said over her shoulder.
“Let’s talk about this later, Ed,” Beverly interrupted, “when you aren’t still recovering from a long bus trip.” And, well, when half the residents of her street weren’t witnessing their argument.
“Stay out of it, Beverly.”
“I’m afraid I cannot.”
Edward glared. “Now I’m starting to understand why Tricia is suddenly sounding so headstrong.”
Oh! “Just as I am starting to understand why she got on that bus to come here in the first place!” she snapped. “Tricia, please stop,” Beverly called out. There was no way she was going to deal with Edward and Kathleen without her right there. To her relief, Tricia did stop.
When they were by her side again, Tricia quietly said, “Mamm, Daed, I truly feel as if the Lord has been listening to my prayers. I’ve been asking and asking him to give me a partner who can love me for me. Ben does. He doesn’t want me to change. He isn’t asking me to obey him or to be different. He simply wants me in his life.” After a pause, she looked at all three of them, one by one. “Why would you expect me to ignore this blessing?”
“Oh, Tricia,” Beverly said, feeling incredibly humbled by Tricia’s faith.
“I . . . I don’t want you to,” Kathleen said as she looped an arm through Tricia’s. Looking tired but also far more at peace with the situation, she added, “Edward, I think it might be time to take a little rest. We have a lot of thinking and praying to do.”
Edward stared at her blankly. Then, to Beverly’s amazement, he nodded. “You know we only want you to be happy, Tricia.”
“Then please listen to what I am saying. Ben is wonderful and I love him.”
Her parents gazed at her, then at each other.
“You are happy, aren’t you, Tricia?” Edward murmured.
“Jah,” she answered just as quietly. “I am as happy as I’ve ever been.”
“All right then.”
“Danke, Daed.”
When Tricia started chatting to her mother about how much she liked the scent of the magnolia blossoms on the tree they were passing, Edward stepped to Beverly’s side. “Danke,” he whispered.
She slowed her steps to put some distance between them and Tricia and Kathleen. “For what?” She was genuinely surprised. “I thought you were mad at me.”
“I was. But maybe it was more that I’m simply used to getting my way.”
“Some things never change,” she teased.
“That seems to be true. It’s also true that you still have that ability to simply see what is important in most every situation. You have done that with Tricia.”
“I appreciate your words, but I honestly don’t know if I’ve done anything right. I haven’t raised any kinner, you know.”
“She is so much more confident and sure of herself. So happy.” Lowering his voice, he added, “While I believe what Tricia said about the Lord answering her prayers, I must admit that I, too, have had many long conversations with the Lord about why my daughter went running to you instead of reaching out to her mother and me. Now I understand that He knew you would have the right words for her.”
Edward’s words practically took Beverly’s breath away. She hadn’t expected to ever be thanked. She hadn’t expected anything. Hadn’t even thought that far ahead. “What you just said, Ed . . .”
“Yes?”
“It . . . It means the world to me.”
He turned his head and smiled. There was a sweet, new warmth in his eyes. “I am so glad we came to see you. So very glad,” he said at last.
And truly, there was nothing else that needed to be said.
AS TRICIA WALKED BETWEEN her mother and father up the long, winding, graveled driveway to Ben’s house, she suddenly realized that the nerves she’d been sure would be jangling in her stomach were nowhere to be found. Instead, all she felt was happiness and excitement. She was looking forward to introducing Ben to her parents and talking about their wedding.
Much of the change had to do with the shift in her parents’ attitudes. She was so glad they’d finally listened to what she had to say. Maybe Mamm and Daed could finally see how happy and content she was.
“You look as bright as a penny, Tricia,” her mother said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you so happy. Are you that excited about seeing Ben?”