Free A Plain and Simple Christmas by Amy Clipston

chairs, sat by the window, welcoming tourists to sit and enjoy their pastries.
    She spotted Kathryn, Elizabeth, and a pretty teenager who resembled Kathryn standing by the counter.
    “Anna Mae!” Kathryn cried, meeting her gaze. Kathryn looked exactly as Anna Mae recalled. She had the same golden blonde hair pulled tight in a bun under her prayer covering. Her eyes were still a deep shade of powder blue, and her skin was as clear and porcelain as a doll. She rushed across the bakery with her mother and the girl in tow and engulfed Anna Mae in her arms.
    Anna Mae held onto her sister-in-law as tears spilled from her eyes. She inhaled Kathryn’s scent—lilac mixed with cinnamon—and smiled.
    Stepping back from the hug, Kathryn studied Anna Mae. “Let me look at you. You’re still schee.” She gestured to Anna Mae’s stomach. “You look wunderbaar!” She turned to Elizabeth. “Mamm, doesn’t she look lovely?”
    The three women began prattling away in Pennsylvania Dietsch, and Anna Mae looked between them, trying to resurrect her fluency. The words clicked through her mind, and she suddenly felt as if she’d never left. Her first language fit like her favorite winter gloves. She answered in Dietsch their questions about how her trip had gone.
    Anna Mae looked at the girl. “Amanda,” she said. “You’re so schee. You look just like your mamm!”
    “Danki,” Amanda said.
    Anna Mae took Kellan’s hand and pulled him to her side. “You’ll have to speak English for Kellan. We don’t speak Dietsch at home.”
    Kathryn and Elizabeth exchanged smiles.
    Anna Mae nodded toward them. “Kellan, you remember Kathryn, Elizabeth, and Amanda, right?”
    He shook their hands. “It’s so good to see you again. You all look well.”
    Elizabeth smiled. “I can tell you’re taking good care of Anna Mae. Thank you.”
    Anna Mae hugged Elizabeth and then Amanda.
    “You’re all grown up,” Anna Mae said to Amanda. “I bet you don’t even remember me.”
    “Of course I remember you, Aenti Anna Mae,” her niece said. “You’re the aenti who used to play dolls with me when I stayed at grossmammi’s house.”
    “That’s right.” Anna Mae touched her shoulder. “I’m glad you remember that.”
    “Let’s all sit down and visit.” Elizabeth pointed toward a table with chairs on the other side of the bakery. “Amanda and I will grab some drinks and snacks.”
    Looping her arm around Anna Mae’s shoulders, Kathryn steered her toward the table. “Does the bakery look the same to you?”
    “Oh yes,” Anna Mae said, scanning the shelves of pastries and mementos. “I feel as if I never left.”
    “Do you miss it?” Kellan asked.
    Anna Mae shrugged. “It’s hard to say. I do, but I don’t. I don’t regret leaving, but I do miss my family.” She smiled up at Kathryn, who squeezed her shoulder.
    “We miss you too.” She gestured toward the chairs. “Please sit. I want to hear all about the boppli. Do you know if you’re having a boy or a girl?”
    Anna Mae shook her head. “No, we decided we want to be surprised. Kellan is sure we’re having a boy, but I think there’s a possibility it may be a girl.”
    “When are you due?” Kathryn asked.
    “January fifteen,” Anna Mae said, sinking into the chair. “But some days it feels sooner.”
    “Oh?” Kathryn raised her eyebrows. “Was it smart for you to travel so close to your due date?”
    “See?” Kellan tapped the table. “I’m not the only one who is concerned about you, Annie.”
    Anna Mae frowned at Kathryn. “Don’t encourage him. He worries too much.”
    “That’s my job.” Kellan slipped off his coat. “Do you need help taking off your wrap?”
    “No, I’m fine, thank you.” Anna Mae pulled off her cloak. “To answer your question, the doctor gave me permission to travel. I shouldn’t have any problems, and we’re only about eighty miles from home. If something were to happen, wecan get back to the hospital quickly.” She