Free Sarah's Christmas Miracle by Mary Ellis

northern boundary of Cleveland, while a red arrow pointed to a spot on Davenport Drive. “That’s where your brother lived when this letter was mailed.” Mrs. Pratt picked up the envelope to peruse, while Sarah peered at the monitor. A complex grid of streets and highways offered no help whatsoever. Caleb might as well be living on the moon. She wrinkled her nose. “People locate each other using these things?”
    “Just watch this.” Mrs. Pratt clicked the mouse three more times, and with each subsequent tap the display changed to one with greater detail. The final screen revealed a neighborhood with the names of side streets clearly marked. Sarah reached out an index finger to touch the home of her brother…at least where he had lived three years ago. “Oh, my,” she murmured.
    “And if we wanted to jump in my car and visit Caleb? Just watch this.” Mrs. Pratt typed the address for Country Pleasures B and B into one box and Caleb’s address in the other. With another click of the mouse, numbered directions popped up, with left and right turns clearly marked.
    “That is remarkable,” Sarah said without taking her eyes from the monitor.
    “Yep. I’ll print copies of these maps and directions so you can show your parents.” The copy machine behind them whirred to life, and moments later pieces of paper began falling into the tray.
    “No, these are just for me, Mrs. Pratt. I don’t want to get mamm ’s hopes up. Caleb may no longer live anywhere near here.” She pointed to the spot denoting 885 Davenport Street, Cleveland, Ohio.
    “If you decide to write him a letter and he writes back, you could look at these maps and find his neighborhood. Let me show you one more screen.” She typed in new commands, and soon the northern half of the state of Ohio blossomed before their eyes. Again, large blue Lake Erie offered a northern reference point.
    “Here we are in Fredericksburg.” Mrs. Pratt held one finger on the spot. “And here is Davenport Street.” She pointed with her other hand. “We live in Wayne County, and your brother lives in Cuyahoga County. Now you have an idea where Cleveland is in relation to us. Not that far away, relatively speaking, when you consider that half my family lives in Baton Rouge and the other half in northern Virginia.”
    On impulse, Sarah threw her arms around Mrs. Pratt and squeezed. “ Danki. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
    The woman hugged her in return and kissed the top of her kapp . “You’re welcome, but now I want you to run home. I have things covered here, and your mother might need you. Thanks for your help with tonight’s dinner.”
    Sarah tucked the papers into her purse, shrugged on her coat, and stepped out into lightly falling snow. She filled her lungs with clean air and prayed halfway home.
    Thank You, Lord, for leading me to my bruder. Please watch over Caleb and guide his path. Keep him safe over Christmas and during the coming new year. And if it be Your will, help me find him. With her prayer on its way, Sarah cleared her mind of useless thoughts and waited for God to speak to her.
    As the front porch and twin chimneys of her beloved home came into view, she was blessed with intuition and made her decision. If she was to become Adam’s wife and have kinner of her own someday, she needed to know why Caleb left home.
    What is so important in Cleveland worth breaking mamm ’s heart?



N INE

     
    Saturday
    D oes a mother ever know what goes on in the minds of her children? Sarah had always been the one Elizabeth thought would give her the least amount of trouble. Rebekah could be wily, with her mind spinning with ways to cut corners or pass off chores. And Katie could be downright dangerous at times. She’d been climbing trees, swinging on ropes from the loft window, and shimmying onto the backs of animals since she was a toddler. Elizabeth could never lay her on a quilt in the summer shade and take a catnap beside her. Off Katie