Rebekah’s eyes widened. “Surely you are kidding. Did you just bleat?”
“I am not kidding in the least. And yes, I did. We passed it on the trip over from the train.”
“So, you rode the train from Old Amarillo, Texas to Montgomery, Indiana then?”
She nodded. “Then rented a buggy, and here we are,” Katie said. “After we passed the goat farm, that is.”
“I suppose I may have to try some whenever I can get down there to fetch some.”
Katie smiled broadly and placed her hand over Rebekah’s, just like Annie used to do when Rebekah was sad. “I may have already sent Thomas to get some for you. He claimed that not only had he tamed all the bears in the area, but he knew every secret trail between here and there.” Katie shook her head. “That child has such an imagination.”
Rebekah didn’t move her hand, but she did not embrace Katie’s, either. “Seems you have an answer for all of my problems, Katie Knepp.”
Katie snorted at the name slap.
“Except one.”
“Try me.”
Rebekah sighed. “Joseph left. I have driven him away.”
“You cannot lose Joseph. He’s always with you. Your other half.”
Rebekah opened her mouth to answer, but Katie shushed her. “Do not speak, Rebekah. Think about it. Joseph is truly your other half.”
They sat in silence for several minutes, Katie’s hand over Rebekah’s.
“Joseph has always been there for you, hasn’t he, Rebekah.”
“I thought he did not trust me to take care of the bopplin. I thought that he thought he had to be there to swoop in and fix whatever I managed to mess up. Since I could not do anything right.”
Katie rolled her eyes. “Or maybe, and more likely, he was waiting nearby to help you. Be near if you needed him. Like when you fell ill, and he found you at the window in a pool of vomit and blood.”
Rebekah’s neck heated with embarrassment. He told them about that?
“I know that is exactly what I would do.” Peter stood in the doorway with Lil’ Bit soundly asleep in a bopplin sling. “I told you, Lil’ Bit was just waiting for his Oncle Peter.”
Rebekah took in the sight of her beloved brother. “You should have told me you could not read or write, Peter.”
A slight flush lit his cheeks. “I see my fraa told you my deepest, darkest secret.” He looked at Katie, then Rebekah. “At least I am gute looking. Otherwise, I might be in trouble.”
Rebekah shook her head and stifled a laugh. Katie groaned. “I had to ride all the way from Texas with him going on like that.”
Rebekah exhaled a big breath. With it, she tried to push out all the anger, resentment, jealousy, and ugliness that had settled in her soul. It was time to remember who she was and get back to being herself. “Danki, you two.”
“Awww.” Katie leaned over and wrapped her arms around Rebekah.
Shocked by the sudden display of affection, Rebekah melted in Katie’s arms. “I am sorry for my assumptions, Katie. I am so incredibly sorry.” She hugged her back. “Can you possibly forgive me?”
“Oh, Rebekah, there’s nothing to forgive.” Katie squeezed her harder. “I know I brought much of this on myself, for my behavior in the past. But that is where it stays. In the past.”
Rebekah’s eyes widened. As long as she had known her, she had never known Katie to take responsibility for, well, for anything. And for Katie to forgive her without a second thought…
“That is what family is for, Rebekah. And we are family.” Katie pulled back from their hug. “Anyway, I’m your schwester, now and forever, whether you like it or not.”
“You have really…” Rebekah searched for the right phrase. “Grown up,” Rebekah said. “You have grown up good, Katie.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” – Colossians 3:13
“Have a gute ride to the Wagler’s home,” Rebekah said as she walked Katie and Peter out to their buggy. “Peter, are your parents really packing up to head south to Texas with you when you go back?”
“Ja, they are.” Peter was in no hurry to hand Lil’ Bit back over to Rebekah. He had not taken his eyes off his nephew for too long since taking him in his arms and certainly had not put him down. Instead of handing him over to his mater, Peter snuggled him close in his bopplin sling. “They have to come back with us since they are a grossmammi and grossdaddi now,” he said.
Rebekah stood patiently beside her brother. “Did they take Ruth on to their haus?”
Peter nodded. “Ja. We could not have pried her out of their arms if we tried.” He stroked under Lil’ Bit’s chin. “I suppose it is time to give this tiny buwe back to his mater.”
Katie helped Peter slip the sling over his head and untie it from around his waist. “He really is a special buwe,” she said.
Rebekah stood still as Katie slipped the bopplin sling over her head while Peter held on to Lil’ Bit just a moment longer. Reaching around her gently, Katie tied the sling behind Rebekah’s back.
Rebekah smiled at her, a genuine smile that had not graced her lips in months. “Danki again for this,” she whispered. “Lil’ Bit has not slept this gute since he was born.” Rebekah accepted Lil’ Bit, still sleeping soundly, from Peter and gave him a tiny squeeze.
“I am glad you feel better,” Katie whispered back.
“It is quite a trick to don the bopplin sling, isn’t it,” Rebekah said. It had proven to be a two-person job each time she put it on or took it off. She held Lil’ Bit closely as Peter helped Katie make the final ties.
