front rows there and little girls on the front rows here. Everyone will be looking at us! The bishop will take our hands, asking us the sacred vows. Then we will be man and wife forever, as long as both of us shall live. These people believe in what weâll be promising. Only death will ever separate us in this world, Mom.â
âThatâs very wonderful,â Maurice agreed. âIâm glad Iâm here to experience your dream with you. You inspire me, Teresa.â
Teresa blushed, answering only after a long moment. âItâs God who worked it all out, Mom. I donât take any of the credit. Even I never dreamed of this. Just having Samuel grow up with an Amish father would have been enough for me.â
âSweetheart,â Maurice said, taking Teresaâs hand, âonly the best is good enough for you. God knows I could never give it to you. Come, give your old mom a hug.â
Teresaâs face beamed as she wrapped her arms around her mother. âYouâre not that old, Mom.â
âSoon youâll have me believing that,â Maurice said over Teresaâs shoulder. âI tell you, thereâs something about this life that makes a person feel younger.â
âItâs their wholesome living, Mom,â Teresa said, holding her mother at armâs length. âItâs their honest, open-faced lives that makes them the way they are. They speak the truth even when it hurts.â
âYouâre going to make me blush pretty soon,â Susan interrupted. âWeâre not nearly as wonderful as you think. Any good thing we have or do comes from Da Hah alone.â
âI donât think anyone disagrees with that,â Maurice said. âNow, letâs get some work done or those women in the house will think I canât work at all.â
âYou have been working!â Teresa protested.
âSo whatâs next?â Maurice asked, ignoring Teresaâs remark. âLead us to our next duty, Susan.â
âYouâre already sounding like one of us,â Teresa said with a laugh. âI really think you should sit on the front porch swing for the rest of the day.â
âI will not,â Maurice said. âThese old bones will toil until the sun goes down.â
Susan joined in the laughter. âThe garden is next on the list of things to do. It needs weeding.â
âSo even the garden gets dressed for the wedding day!â Maurice exclaimed. âI do like this more and more.â
âI told you, Mom,â Teresa said as they followed Susan across the yard. Arriving at the garden, they began at the side near the house, moving along on their hands and knees, making sure to pull even the smallest weeds. The three women worked away until Ada appeared with glasses of freshly pressed lemonade.
âTime for a break!â Ada hollered, her face beaming.
The three women got up and made their way to the edge of the garden. Ada handed them all ice-cold glasses.
Maurice took a sip. âThis is heavenly! How do you folks do this?â
âThanks,â Ada said. âFresh-squeezed lemons. One of the young girls made it. Iâll tell her you liked it.â
âPlease do,â Maurice said.
Teresa and Susan drank from their glasses and smiled their appreciation.
Ada asked Susan, âDo you need help out here? We could spare another person right now. Weâre almost done with the pies.â
âNo,â Susan said, âwe only have a few more feet to go.â
âOkay then.â Ada turned to leave. âIâm going home in a few minutes. My family will be crying for supper if I donât get back soon.â
After Ada disappeared around the corner of the house, Susan walked back to the end of the garden row where sheâd been working. She resumed her weeding. Teresa and her mother stayed behind, their voices rising and falling out of hearing distance. Susan smiled. They