God, don’t let me lose Bethany.
The prayer barely floated through the barn ceiling when a shadow slanted across the floor. Alyssa stood in the open doorway. Averting his gaze, he remained silent.
“Can I talk to you, Raim?” she asked.
“Ja.”
The rasp of crisp hay whispering over the floor told him she headed in his direction. Eliza Anne watched from the other side of the barn, her eyes wide.
“You may go back to the house and help Mueter,” he told her, thinking it best if she didn’t overhear whatever it was Alyssa wanted to discuss with him.
When Eliza Anne was gone, Alyssa spoke. “You have a lovely home.”
“Danki.” Keeping his head down, though aware of where she stood, he released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
“Once, when I was a little girl, my mother took me for a drive into a farming community. All I remember was the stink of manure.”
He didn’t comment.
“But here, I don’t know.” She inhaled loudly. “It’s different.”
Raising his head slightly so he could peer at her from below the rim of his hat, he said, “Healthy.”
Unlike Springfield.
Thoughts of the city brought with them a rush of revulsion.
“You’re right. It is.” She leaned against the wall. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am for interrupting your wedding plans.”
He lowered his head, bringing the brim of his hat down again. “You should have come to me sooner.”
“I didn’t want to burden you—”
“My son would never be a burden to me.” He heard the bite of indignation in his tone and modified it. “What changed your mind?”
“The cost of diapers and formula... And I was tired of eating pasta from the local Food Bank.”
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