Free A Season for Tending by Cindy Woodsmall

nourishment.”
    The girl’s eyes widened with embarrassed horror, and she trembled with hurt that Rhoda could neither absorb nor understand. The girl seemed to be a torn soul—caught between pushing her boundaries and regretting her choices. “Kumm. I’m sure I have something cleaner that you can wear.”
    The girl looked at her immodest clothes. “Are you going to call my parents?”
    “No.” Rhoda started for her house.
    Leah grabbed her arm. “Who’s inside?”
    “No one. Everyone went to Lancaster yesterday to visit relatives. My brothers and their wives are house hunting, and they’ll be out with a real-estate agent until late this afternoon. Kumm.” She led the way through the berry patch, across the driveway, and into the house.
    It was probably a good thing for Leah that Rhoda’s parents were gone. They would surely frown on an Amish girl who smelled of sin and puke coming into their home. And her brothers and sisters-in-law wouldn’t appreciateLeah’s getup or the questions she’d cause their children to ask. But Rhoda wasn’t a purist. “Pretty is as pretty does” was a stupid cliché in her estimation. Pretty is what God does in the hearts and minds of people who are a mess—whether outwardly or inwardly or both. Rhoda hadn’t felt that beauty inside herself for two years now, but she believed she would again someday.
    “Do you feel steady enough to take a shower?”
    Leah stared at the ground. “I don’t want to be more of a nuisance than I’ve already been.”
    “Gut.” Rhoda lifted the girl’s chin. “Then stop acting like you’re a troll and I’m a saint. Ya?”
    Leah’s eyes welled with tears, and she shrugged.
    Rhoda lowered her hand, wanting to engulf the girl in a warm embrace. How long had it been since Leah felt loved or worthy? “Do you live nearby?”
    Leah shook her head. “I’ll have to call someone to come get me.”
    “Do you want to be in those clothes when they arrive?”
    “No.”
    “Then kumm.” Rhoda led her to the bathroom. After getting a clean washcloth and towel from under the sink, she doused the rag with cold water and passed it to Leah. “Put this on your lips. It’ll help you feel less nauseated, and I’ll be right back.” She went to her mother’s bedroom and grabbed a set of clean clothes that would fit: a sage-colored dress, black apron, and a prayer Kapp. Once in the bathroom again, she put the items on the counter. “You need anything else?”
    Leah shook her head.
    Rhoda pulled the door closed behind her. While Leah took a shower, Rhoda washed the dishes from earlier and prepared Leah some breakfast.
    The door to the bathroom creaked as it opened slowly. Leah’s footfalls were light as she hesitantly entered the kitchen, carrying her dirty clothes inside a towel. Her wet hair was pulled back in a long ponytail. She looked like a different person from the one Rhoda had found near her grapevines.
    “You must be hungry.” Rhoda poured her somber guest a cup of hot teabefore putting scrambled eggs and toast on a plate. “This should make you feel better.” When she set the plate on the kitchen table, Leah hung back. “Well, come on.”
    Leah put her bundle in a corner. When she sat down at the table, Rhoda nudged the mug toward her. “There’s nothing like a nice cup of licorice-root tea to calm an upset stomach.” Leah scrunched her face, making Rhoda chuckle. “Try it. It’s delicious and naturally sweet.” Rhoda couldn’t grow her own herbs anymore, but she could still purchase whatever she wanted. She’d found a wonderful herb place in the historic section of Mechanicsburg—an old home called the Thyme House and Gardens. Rhoda hired a driver to take her there the first time, but since then she’d placed her orders by phone.
    Leah took a tentative sip, and her face relaxed. “Denki.”
    “Eat up. Those eggs will help remove the toxins from your body. And the natural fruit sugar in that blackberry jelly will give you