Free Rebekah's Quilt by Sara Barnard Page A

woman’s face softened, smoothing the laugh lines from years of smiling and happy laughter. “For your hair, my love.”
    Rebekah stared at the gleaming shears a moment. With a sniffle, she blinked back unwelcome tears.
    Joseph removed his hat, giving it a toss onto Rebekah’s bed. He slicked back his own thick, dark hair. “Cut it to look like mine, Ma.”
    A wave of emotion surged up from the depths of Rebekah’s soul. But instead of coming out in the form of tears, it came out as a belly laugh.
    Heloise and Joseph joined in the guffaw until the three of them were in stitches. A low moan from the hallway interrupted their jovial jag.
    “Oww,” it moaned. “Help, please!”
    Rebekah and Heloise’s eyes met and each spoke at once. “I’m coming!”
    Heloise had already reached the door as Rebekah struggled to untangle her legs from her nest of blankets. “Hold on Ma, I’m coming!”
    “Stay dere!” Heloise instructed from the hallway. “Yosef, make sure she stays put and eats!”
    “Yes, Ma’am.” Joseph pushed the door gently shut before turning his attention back to Rebekah. After tucking the quilt back around her, he produced the first plate. “Eat some strudel. My Ma’s good at takin’ care of folks.”
    Rebekah sat back, her spine stiff in case she should need to jump up and assist. “I know she is the best at bringing babies.”
    They had just finished off the strudel and were opening the apple butter when the door creaked, revealing Heloise’s corpulent frame.
    “Rebekah, darling, you will have a baby sibling soon. Your Ma’s been laboring for some time.” She rubbed her eyes. “I will help bring the baby.”
    Rebekah sighed, content in both the news and in the comforting smell of apple butter. “Having the village midwife to attend to her is a lot better than the eldest daughter! You soothed my fears, Heloise.”
    Joseph smiled.
    “Heloise,” Elnora moaned. “Helois-s-s-s-s-e!”
    Spinning on her heels, Heloise charged back toward the door. “Oh,” the hefty woman exclaimed as she bounced out the door, her feet all a tangle.
    “Ma,” Joseph yelled, dashing after her. But he was too late. The sickening thunk-thunk-thunk as Heloise tumbled down the stairs had already come to a stop.
     

CHAPTER SIX
     
    Rebekah awoke with a crick in her neck. She pulled her head up off the uneven quilt that still lay tucked under her head. Careful not to move too quickly, she pushed herself up on the arm that had moments before been bent beneath her. Feeling like a hunk of deadwood, her entire arm pulsed back to life as the absent blood rushed into it.
    I must have fallen asleep , she figured, still sleep-dumb from exhaustion. The moonlight streamed in through the window, casting a pale silvery sheen on her floor. Flexing her arm, Rebekah twisted toward the sounds of the men who still worked outside. She winced from the pain in her neck and shoulder.
    Her father’s jovial voice rang out above the rest as he joshed with Lucas, Simon, and the rest of the Gasthof Village men who had come to lend their strong hands. She lifted her hand to her stiff neck.
    Rebekah heard Mr. Yoder’s voice saying something in German about the women having left for the night. Someone else answered that was unfortunate because he could use a slice of stuffed crust apple pie right about now. Their genial laughter wafted in through her open window like soft, melodic breezes.
    She began to rub her tense neck muscles so hard that her fingers tingled as she tried to think back to when exactly she fell asleep. Was it after Joseph and Lucas splinted Heloise’s broken leg and took her home? No, she remembered the relief she felt when she learned of Heloise’s only injury from her fall being a broken leg.
    After only a moment of rubbing, a loud pop from an odd place between her shoulder and neck brought her momentary relief. She released the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Moving her tingling arm gingerly, she