keep Clara inside, and you can work out in the barn. They do need you.”
Behind them the stair door opened, and Dora came out in her chore clothes. “Any help in the barn tonight?” she asked.
“I’ll be out as soon as I change,” Ella said, moving toward the stair door.
“Are you sure?” Dora asked skeptically.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Ella said. “Moping around won’t be bringing Aden back. I’ll see you out in the barn in a wee bit.” And then she turned and opened the stair door, her footsteps landing softly on the steps and making the boards squeak in the usual places. The familiar sound was soothing, as if something in the world was still the way it ought to be.
Ella entered her room and sat on the bed. Her whole body felt exhausted. At the moment the bed looked mighty inviting, and the pillow appeared so soft. Perhaps I will lie down for moment. Dora would understand if I fell asleep. But if I sleep now, I won’t sleep later when it really matters. No, it would be better to work even though I’m exhausted. Then, for sure, I’ll sleep better when the night hours come.
She searched for her chore dress in the closet, and in the weak evening light, she finally found it and lifted it from the hanger. And then she froze. Her wedding dress. It still hung there, full of promise and mocking her.
She cried out, the sound filling the room, the chore dress sliding to the floor. Get it away from me, she thought even as her shaking hand reached out for the soft cloth of the bridal dress. She gently slipped it from the hanger. How beautiful it was, so lovely, so unworn, and now so dangerous. The dark blue material fairly shimmered. The color looked good on her. Aden had said so the day she wore another dark blue dress.
Ella turned the dress sideways and held it against her. Carefully she held her head away so the tears wouldn’t fall on it. Aden would never see this dress. When will this pain go away? Will it just go on and on?
Gently she replaced the dress on the closet rod and gathered herself together. She heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs behind her, and then the door burst open. “Is there something wrong?” Mamm gasped, her hand on her heart. “I heard you cry out.”
Ella pointed to the dress. “I forgot that I left it out last week. Did Da Hah plan this to torment me?”
“He never planned anything to torment you,” Mamm said, wrapping her arms around her. “Come here. Shouldn’t you just stay in tonight and rest perhaps?”
Ella shook her head. “No, I’ll be okay now.”
“If you’re sure…” Mamm said, backing out of the room and shutting the door.
Quickly Ella picked up the chore dress from the floor, slipped it on, and hurried downstairs.
“I’m off,” she called into the kitchen and hurried outside. The weather had partially cleared, the sun was low on the horizon, and the evening dusk already sat heavily in the sky. Ella walked across the yard with only a quick glance around. There was a light on in the barn, and the cows would already be in the stanchions.
She opened the barn door, finding Dora and both of her brothers already seated beside a cow. The steady sound of milk jets squirting into foamy buckets filled the low ceiling barn.
“Washed all the cows on this side,” Dora said. She didn’t look up but kept her back bent and her hands busy with the steady rhythm of milking.
“Thanks,” Ella said.
“No problem, and you still don’t have to be out here.”
“I know, but I want to,” Ella said, her voice catching. “I saw my wedding dress when I was changing. I wasn’t ready for that.” Ella got her milk bucket and stool and headed toward one of the stanchions.
“I wouldn’t be either,” Dora said. “I guess the world just gets dark all at once. It had to go and pour down rain at the graveyard.”
“That was the most touching time of the day,” Ella said, setting her stool down beside the cow.
Dora glanced up. “You thought the
Behind them the stair door opened, and Dora came out in her chore clothes. “Any help in the barn tonight?” she asked.
“I’ll be out as soon as I change,” Ella said, moving toward the stair door.
“Are you sure?” Dora asked skeptically.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Ella said. “Moping around won’t be bringing Aden back. I’ll see you out in the barn in a wee bit.” And then she turned and opened the stair door, her footsteps landing softly on the steps and making the boards squeak in the usual places. The familiar sound was soothing, as if something in the world was still the way it ought to be.
Ella entered her room and sat on the bed. Her whole body felt exhausted. At the moment the bed looked mighty inviting, and the pillow appeared so soft. Perhaps I will lie down for moment. Dora would understand if I fell asleep. But if I sleep now, I won’t sleep later when it really matters. No, it would be better to work even though I’m exhausted. Then, for sure, I’ll sleep better when the night hours come.
She searched for her chore dress in the closet, and in the weak evening light, she finally found it and lifted it from the hanger. And then she froze. Her wedding dress. It still hung there, full of promise and mocking her.
She cried out, the sound filling the room, the chore dress sliding to the floor. Get it away from me, she thought even as her shaking hand reached out for the soft cloth of the bridal dress. She gently slipped it from the hanger. How beautiful it was, so lovely, so unworn, and now so dangerous. The dark blue material fairly shimmered. The color looked good on her. Aden had said so the day she wore another dark blue dress.
Ella turned the dress sideways and held it against her. Carefully she held her head away so the tears wouldn’t fall on it. Aden would never see this dress. When will this pain go away? Will it just go on and on?
Gently she replaced the dress on the closet rod and gathered herself together. She heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs behind her, and then the door burst open. “Is there something wrong?” Mamm gasped, her hand on her heart. “I heard you cry out.”
Ella pointed to the dress. “I forgot that I left it out last week. Did Da Hah plan this to torment me?”
“He never planned anything to torment you,” Mamm said, wrapping her arms around her. “Come here. Shouldn’t you just stay in tonight and rest perhaps?”
Ella shook her head. “No, I’ll be okay now.”
“If you’re sure…” Mamm said, backing out of the room and shutting the door.
Quickly Ella picked up the chore dress from the floor, slipped it on, and hurried downstairs.
“I’m off,” she called into the kitchen and hurried outside. The weather had partially cleared, the sun was low on the horizon, and the evening dusk already sat heavily in the sky. Ella walked across the yard with only a quick glance around. There was a light on in the barn, and the cows would already be in the stanchions.
She opened the barn door, finding Dora and both of her brothers already seated beside a cow. The steady sound of milk jets squirting into foamy buckets filled the low ceiling barn.
“Washed all the cows on this side,” Dora said. She didn’t look up but kept her back bent and her hands busy with the steady rhythm of milking.
“Thanks,” Ella said.
“No problem, and you still don’t have to be out here.”
“I know, but I want to,” Ella said, her voice catching. “I saw my wedding dress when I was changing. I wasn’t ready for that.” Ella got her milk bucket and stool and headed toward one of the stanchions.
“I wouldn’t be either,” Dora said. “I guess the world just gets dark all at once. It had to go and pour down rain at the graveyard.”
“That was the most touching time of the day,” Ella said, setting her stool down beside the cow.
Dora glanced up. “You thought the
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