Free The Courtship Basket by Amy Clipston

John will adjust to school, but he needs more than a week to do it. Rachel is just being unreasonable.”
    “Fine.” Sam shrugged. “I just thought it might be a gut idea.” He started for the door. “I’d better get back out to the showroom. I’ll see you later.”
    Guilt shoved away Mike’s rage, and he regretted complaining to his cousin. Sam had been his rock and closest confidant since Dat had become ill.
    “Sam,” he called, and his cousin spun around. “How’s Mandy doing?” Mandy was Sam’s wife, who was pregnant with their first child.
    “She’s gut .” Sam beamed as he always did when he spoke of his wife. “She’s complained very little, even though she looks pretty worn out. It’s difficult to believe the boppli will be here in less than four months. It’s gone so quickly. Life as we know it is going to be changed forever.”
    “ Ya ,” Mike said, a smile stealing his frown. “But it’s a wunderbaar kind of change.”
    “That’s true.” Sam grinned. “I can’t wait to see if it’s a bu or a maedel . But we’ll be froh no matter what God chooses to bless us with.”
    Mike nodded. He was happy for Sam and Mandy. They had met through the youth group when they were sixteen and married when they turned twenty, and now, four years later, they were expecting their first child. They had everything Mike had always wanted—a loving marriage, a small house to call their own, and now a growing family. Mike pushed away the twinge of jealousy that teased him. He had no right to long for those things when he had his father and his brother to look after. His focus should be on them, not his own needs.
    Sam’s smile transformed to an expression of concern. “You do realize you have a right to be froh also. You’re permitted to date if you meet the right person.”
    Mike shook his head. Sam just didn’t get it sometimes.
    “What?” Sam’s expression challenged Mike. “You’re looking at me as if to say I’m narrisch. ”
    “All right.” Mike slouched against the workbench behind him. “I’ll answer that. Sam, I know you mean well, but you are narrisch. How am I supposed to date when I can’t leave mei dat and bruder alone at night? How am I supposed to go visit a maedel , if I even meet one who would be interested in me?”
    “Why wouldn’t a maedel be interested in you?”
    “I think that question has an obvious answer. I’m raising mei bruder and caring for my chronically ill dat . What maedel in her right mind would want to date me when she knows she’d have to help me do that?”
    He lifted a paintbrush from the workbench and pointed it for emphasis as he spoke. “You know the answer as well as I do. No maedel would choose to have a ready-made family and responsibilities like that. All the maed I know want to get married and raise their own babies.” He opened the can of stain, and the pungent odor stifled the air around them. “That’s why I’m alone. I don’t have time for any maedel, and there isn’t anyone who’d want to be with me anyway.”
    “That’s not true.” Sam frowned. “You just haven’t found the right maedel yet.”
    “She doesn’t exist,” Mike muttered as he pulled on his respirator.
    Sam stared at him for a moment, his expression incredulous.
    “Go back to work,” Mike ordered, his voice muffled by the mask.
    As Sam walked away, Mike shook his head. He longed to have a family of his own, but he was called to care for his father and brother. It was best this way, and any thoughts of finding a wife were wasted dreams.
    M IKE STOOD IN THE DOORWAY OF J OHN ’ S ROOM LATER THAT evening and found him leaning against the headboard of his bed and staring at a book. Mike studied him for a moment, wondering if John could read better than he’d let on at school. When his brother didn’t turn the page, he realized John most likely couldn’t read at all.
    “Hi, Johnny,” Mike said, causing his brother to jump with a start.
    “I didn’t know you