last I’m going to say on that subject.”
“All right.” Irene looked a little contrite. “I’m sorry I touched on a sore spot.”
“You didn’t.” She had, but that wasn’t Irene’s fault. Putting ridiculous ideas like dating Asa out of her mind, Abigail placed the rugs on her bed. Five were unfinished and one was ready for sale. She and Irene had chosen a variety of colors—browns, grays, blues, sage and dark greens, and russet and rust. All fairly masculine, if one could call a woven rug masculine.
Irene went to the wooden loom frame and touched the light brown wood. “Are you ever going to use this?”
“ Ya ,” Abigail said, a bit too quickly. And she would. Every night she looked at the loom and told herself she would use it the next day. But when she looked at it in the morning, she didn’t have a single creative thought. Her life was in a rut. She was stuck as she watched her sisters move on with their happy lives. Yesterday after they’d returned home from the Troyers’, Sadie and Aden had sat on the couch together. Both of them were reading—Aden a beekeeping manual and Sadie a book on how to run a business—but they were sitting close to each other. Abigail had tried to focus on her magazine. She’d grabbed the nearest one, which, of course, had to be a cooking magazine. Looking at food after what had happened earlier at church made her want to go to the kitchen and binge, even though she was still full from lunch.
She’d compelled herself not to, but occasionally she’d glance up, only to see Aden looking at Sadie or Sadie looking at Aden. Finally Abigail gave up and went upstairs. It was obvious they wanted to be alone. She had become a third wheel in her own house.
She snatched the rugs off the bed. “We better get going. Danki for the ride to Asa’s.”
“How are you getting back home?”
“Aden said he’d pick me up at yer haus after the store closed.”
Outside, Abigail followed Irene through the snow, which was coming down in a heavy cloud of white. Spring would officially start in two weeks, but Mother Nature didn’t seem to be aware of that. Abigail thought about canceling with Asa altogether. Perhaps she should, using the weather as an excuse. But she wanted to keep her word. Besides, it wouldn’t take long to show him the rugs and take his order. She climbed into Irene’s buggy and put the rugs on her lap. They were heavy and warmed her immediately.
The snow continued to fall, making the roads both slushy and slick. When they reached Irene’s house, Abigail motioned for her to turn into the driveway. “I can walk to Asa’s from here.”
Irene shook her head. “It won’t take me long to drop you off.”
“I don’t want you to get the wheels stuck in his driveway.” Plus, she needed the extra time. For some reason her gut was churning. Which didn’t make any sense. This was Asa. She’d show him the rugs, then she’d leave. It had taken them so long to get here in the thickening snow that Aden wouldn’t be very far behind.
“Are you sure? Do you want me to send Aden over to pick you up when he gets here?”
Abigail was already getting out of the buggy. “ Ya , I’m sure. And I can walk back to yer haus to meet Aden . I’ll see you later.”
Irene nodded and Abigail peered through the snow. Asa’s house was only a little farther down the street, but set way back on a hill, against a copse of woods similar to the ones by her house. She hugged the rugs against her as she trudged through the snow. Her boots kept her toes warm and dry, but she couldn’t say the same for her legs. The wind kicked up, swirling the snow, and making her dress whip against her calves. Oh, this was a bad idea. She hadn’t realized that the falling snow was now on the verge of a blizzard. Her nerves forgotten, she tucked her chin and pushed against the whirling wind and pounding snow.
By the time she reached Asa’s house, her feet were no longer dry or warm. Her mouth
“All right.” Irene looked a little contrite. “I’m sorry I touched on a sore spot.”
“You didn’t.” She had, but that wasn’t Irene’s fault. Putting ridiculous ideas like dating Asa out of her mind, Abigail placed the rugs on her bed. Five were unfinished and one was ready for sale. She and Irene had chosen a variety of colors—browns, grays, blues, sage and dark greens, and russet and rust. All fairly masculine, if one could call a woven rug masculine.
Irene went to the wooden loom frame and touched the light brown wood. “Are you ever going to use this?”
“ Ya ,” Abigail said, a bit too quickly. And she would. Every night she looked at the loom and told herself she would use it the next day. But when she looked at it in the morning, she didn’t have a single creative thought. Her life was in a rut. She was stuck as she watched her sisters move on with their happy lives. Yesterday after they’d returned home from the Troyers’, Sadie and Aden had sat on the couch together. Both of them were reading—Aden a beekeeping manual and Sadie a book on how to run a business—but they were sitting close to each other. Abigail had tried to focus on her magazine. She’d grabbed the nearest one, which, of course, had to be a cooking magazine. Looking at food after what had happened earlier at church made her want to go to the kitchen and binge, even though she was still full from lunch.
She’d compelled herself not to, but occasionally she’d glance up, only to see Aden looking at Sadie or Sadie looking at Aden. Finally Abigail gave up and went upstairs. It was obvious they wanted to be alone. She had become a third wheel in her own house.
She snatched the rugs off the bed. “We better get going. Danki for the ride to Asa’s.”
“How are you getting back home?”
“Aden said he’d pick me up at yer haus after the store closed.”
Outside, Abigail followed Irene through the snow, which was coming down in a heavy cloud of white. Spring would officially start in two weeks, but Mother Nature didn’t seem to be aware of that. Abigail thought about canceling with Asa altogether. Perhaps she should, using the weather as an excuse. But she wanted to keep her word. Besides, it wouldn’t take long to show him the rugs and take his order. She climbed into Irene’s buggy and put the rugs on her lap. They were heavy and warmed her immediately.
The snow continued to fall, making the roads both slushy and slick. When they reached Irene’s house, Abigail motioned for her to turn into the driveway. “I can walk to Asa’s from here.”
Irene shook her head. “It won’t take me long to drop you off.”
“I don’t want you to get the wheels stuck in his driveway.” Plus, she needed the extra time. For some reason her gut was churning. Which didn’t make any sense. This was Asa. She’d show him the rugs, then she’d leave. It had taken them so long to get here in the thickening snow that Aden wouldn’t be very far behind.
“Are you sure? Do you want me to send Aden over to pick you up when he gets here?”
Abigail was already getting out of the buggy. “ Ya , I’m sure. And I can walk back to yer haus to meet Aden . I’ll see you later.”
Irene nodded and Abigail peered through the snow. Asa’s house was only a little farther down the street, but set way back on a hill, against a copse of woods similar to the ones by her house. She hugged the rugs against her as she trudged through the snow. Her boots kept her toes warm and dry, but she couldn’t say the same for her legs. The wind kicked up, swirling the snow, and making her dress whip against her calves. Oh, this was a bad idea. She hadn’t realized that the falling snow was now on the verge of a blizzard. Her nerves forgotten, she tucked her chin and pushed against the whirling wind and pounding snow.
By the time she reached Asa’s house, her feet were no longer dry or warm. Her mouth
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