She gave him a challenging look. “Then I propose a trade. If you’ll let me know how many cards you need, I’ll make them. In return you agree to write the greetings and address them for me.” She turned to Edna. “And I’ll be happy to make some for you as well.”
Then she looked around the table at Seth’s brieder. “And any of you who want to participate can help with either making the cards or writing in them.”
Phoebe’s lips twitched up in a smile as most of Seth’s brieder avoided eye contact and left the kitchen as soon as possible.
After she’d set the kitchen to rights, Phoebe slipped away to the dawdi haus to fetch her origami and cutting supplies then returned and spread them out on the kitchen table. She needed to make seven for her own use, and Edna had asked for four. Depending on how many Seth needed she might have her hands full.
A few moments later Seth set a box on the table beside her supplies. “This is the Christmas box left from when Dinah was in charge of this.” He opened the box and pulled out some red bows in various sizes, a spool of green wire, some pinecones that had been lacquered, and several sheets of paper with notes written on them.
He picked up the papers. “These are the people she sent cards to.” He placed that one aside. “And this one is a menu for our Christmas meals along with a shopping list for the ingredients. And this one is a recipe for a special fruitcake—Dinah always made several to give away as gifts for our neighbors and friends.”
“That sounds like a wonderful gut tradition, it’s a shame to let it die out. Perhaps I should bake some Christmas cookies for you to give away this year.”
“You have so many other things to do—”
“Nonsense. I enjoy baking.”
He lifted his hands palms-out. “I’ll leave it up to you to decide.”
She smiled, pleased he was willing to leave at least a few matters in her hands. She pointed to the last sheet of paper. “What’s that one for?”
“It lists the sizes and placements for the wreaths she always made.”
“Goodness, she sounds as if she was even more organized than I imagined.”
“Jah. It was one of her best qualities.”
She knew he liked structure and being able to feel that there was an order to things. Still, knowing that he was well aware that she was more spontaneous than organized, the comment stung. Telling herself he hadn’t deliberately intended to make her feel bad made it hurt marginally less.
She grabbed a sheet of paper and her scissors. It would be best if she just focused on making the cards.
While Phoebe worked on the cards she wanted to send, Seth reviewed Dinah’s list. He scratched off a few names and added a few more. “Is eleven too many?”
She smiled at that. “No number can be too many when you’re sharing your appreciation or your joy.” Then she gave him a warning look. “I just may not get them all created tonight.”
“I can help you make them,” Levi offered. “You just need to show me how you make those fancy cutouts.”
Phoebe grinned at that. “They don’t all have to have the cutouts—a simple drawing will work just as well. But jah, I can show you how to make the cutouts if you like.”
Seth watched as Phoebe and Levi put their heads together over the paper, heard their give-and-take discussion and easy laughter. And when Levi finished his first one, a simple cutout of a candle, Phoebe applauded his efforts.
Then, without warning, Phoebe looked up and caught him watching her.
He cleared his throat. “I see you have some cards finished. Would you like me to write a greeting inside?”
She nodded and pushed the three completed cards to him. “I’d like the greeting inside of each of these to read Wishing you a very joyful and blessed Christmas, and then add my name to the bottom.”
He looked at the designs on the cards. One was a wreath, one was a mantel with a lantern and one was the candle Levi had made. “These are wunderbaar.”
“Danke.”
“Do you care which card goes to which person?”
“Nee, I don’t have time to really personalize them this year.”
Did that mean he was working her too hard? After all, she’d agreed to be his housekeeper, not to help with his chessboard-making efforts or to try to fix some of the things that were broken around here.
He grabbed a pen and carefully wrote the inscription she’d requested.
“Do you have the addresses of where you need to send these?”
“I’ve memorized the addresses for my brieder.” She sat back a moment, biting her lip. “I don’t have the others.” There was a defeated air about her as she admitted that. And he had a sudden urge to do something to perk her up.
“Perhaps you could call your mamm tomorrow and get the addresses from her.”
She immediately brightened. “Jah, she would have them.” Her expression softened. “And it would be gut to speak to Daed and Mamm again.”
He felt a little stab of guilt. “You know you can use the phone whenever you need to, don’t you?”
“That’s very kind of you. Danke.”
Did that mean she hadn’t believed he’d allow her to use it? Thinking she could believe he’d be so hard-hearted gave him pause. Was that what others saw in him? Was that what Phoebe saw in him?
Perhaps it was time he paid more attention to those around him.
“I have a favor to ask you.”
