Free Christmas Gift for Rose (9780310336822) by Zondervan Publishing House

stood and moved toward her mother. She sank onto the floor next to her. How many days had she sat by her mother’s feet as a child—just so she could be close to her and watch her mend or sew? More than she could count.
    Rose knew she should focus on all that was good in her life. That’s what this day—Thanksgiving—was about. God had cared for her and brought her into this family. She had grown and become strong and healthy in so many ways.
    “In a year’s time you fit right in and stopped asking about your family,” Mem said. “We also moved the five miles from Charm to Berlin to be closer to my parents. They both passed away the next year, but we stayed. There were many times I wanted to talk to you about it, Rose, but the truth was I forgot in a way too. You seemed mine.” Mem reached out and patted Rose’s head. “You are mine … and don’t you forget it.”
    Rose didn’t say anything. She just stared at Mem’s simple black shoes, wondering about her younger sister.
Daisy.
She couldn’t picture her face, but she guessed she’d had blonde hair too.
    “Jonathan … Does he know?” Mem’s voice interrupted Rose’s thoughts.
    “
Ne.
I’ve yet to tell him.”
    “I’m sure he’ll understand,” Mem said. “He of all people.”
    Rose knew what Mem meant, and she sank back a little. Jonathan might be able to understand, but would the community? She’d heard what they said when he’d chosen tohelp as a medic. She’d seen how they treated that
Englischer
who’d tried to become Amish. They hadn’t confronted her. They didn’t act out against her. Instead they showed only the minimum of kindness that made it clear she was not one of them. What would they say when they discovered the truth about her?
    Unless some already knew. Rose’s brow furrowed as she considered Harold’s words today. He’d thought of her while he was fighting. Thought of her rescue. She pushed out a heavy breath. No, she couldn’t think about that now.
    “The package, Rose.” Mem lifted her gaze. “Do you want me to get it?”
    Rose shook her head. There was enough filling her mind to rob her of any hope of sleep as it was. Enough to weigh on her heart. Rose released a sigh. “Not tonight. I think I’ll try to rest.” Rose stood and let her hand linger on Mem’s arm. “I told Lucy I’d help at the school tomorrow.”
    “It’s good of you to be there for your friend.” Mem rose, too, an inch at a time, as if she didn’t have enough energy to do it all at once.
    Rose hoped she could get some sleep. Sleep would keep the questions at bay … unless the dreams, the nightmares, came again. Last night she’d fallen asleep, and instead of searching the same small house—as she’d always done in her dream—she’d walked down a long, endless road.
    What had she been looking for?
    As she walked to her room, she thought about the Bible story Dat used to read to her and her siblings as a child. Itwas one that Jesus told about a man who’d had ninety-nine sheep but lost one. She’d never really thought about herself as the lost sheep, until now. Did her birth mother and father still think of her? Maybe so, but they’d never come back. They’d left without looking back. They hadn’t tried to find her over the years.
    Once in her room, she sat on her bed and pictured the shepherd finding the sheep, putting it on his shoulders, and carrying it back to celebrate. She’d been found. She should be thankful. But as Rose drifted off to a fitful sleep ten minutes later, she pictured the sheep still bleating with mournful cries. Even though the fold she was taken to was wonderful, it wasn’t her fold … the one where she belonged.
    D AWN HAD BARELY REACHED ACROSS THE WHOLE expanse of sky when Rose walked the mile to the clapboard one-room schoolhouse. Even though it was only 8:40 a.m., she was late and the door was shut tight. The one window was also shut tight, boarded up for winter to keep out the cold. To anyone passing