A Plain & Fancy Christmas Read online

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

  “Shhh …” Rachel rocked her child. “It’s over now. Everything is fine.”

  “So, now you will come home,” Leah said in a satisfied tone.

  Rachel considered how to answer. She looked up from Katie to her mother. “We have much more to talk about, you and I. Tonight, yes?”

  Leah leaned back with a small sigh that indicated she understood the situation was far from resolved. “Tonight, Rachel.” She shook her head, but with a small smile. “Yes.”

  For the first time since she had returned from New York, Rachel felt a glimmer of genuine hope. Somehow, she felt, she would find a way to put everything together: her life here, her child, her wish to study. This was where she would find her peace, even if it would have to be forged in an unusual way. It would be all right; she knew it.

  What surprised her was that the first person she wanted to share this knowledge with was Ellie.

  Chapter 35

  Ellie peered out the living room window. Snow blanketed the ground outside, sparkling in the sun, and the air was crisp and clear. Their company was due any minute.

  Carson came up behind her. “You’re watching for your parents? You’re as excited as a little kid.”

  “I can’t help it,” she said, turning to smile at him. “Having my family meet everybody here—I can’t wait to see it.”

  “Not nervous, are you?”

  “A little, I guess. Although I don’t know why. By the way, did I tell you how handsome you look in your jacket and tie?”

  “You did, but please feel free to tell me as often as you like. The least I can do after being invited. If I didn’t pull out a jacket for Christmas, when would I?”

  She caught sight of two cars approaching from far down the road. “Hey, there they are.”

  “They’re outside?” Having finished lighting the candles along the table, Laura was now attending to the ones in the windows.

  Ellie nodded. The room was already buzzing with people and activity. Everyone in the King family was in attendance for Christmas dinner, although at the moment the children were out back, alternating between making snowmen and throwing snowballs. All the women from Hannah down to Katie were busy in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on what Ellie knew would be a true feast. She had brought along a basket with nearly fifty biscuits, glad she had mastered the baking of at least one thing that would be useful at this meal. Earlier in the week, the children had made and sent out Christmas cards, mostly to their non-Amish family acquaintances, with Katie including A.J. and Steve, plus her many relatives in New York. For today, they had contributed their handmade decorations of angels and stars to hang around the room. This, Ellie now understood, was the type of decorating typically done in an Amish home for Christmas; no trees or Santa Claus, just a simple celebration to recall the purpose of the day.

  Taking in the smells of cooking food and the simplicity of the room, she almost sighed aloud with pleasure. From working in a world filled with artifice, she had magically come to be celebrating Christmas in this place of spiritual peace and truthfulness.

  The two cars pulled up just outside the door. Ellie and Carson went out to greet everyone. Her parents and grandfather had driven up together, followed by Nick in a separate car with his girlfriend, Winnie, plus A.J. and Steve. Typically, Christmas was a two-day holiday for the Amish, and the Kings would be having their big holiday dinner on the following day, December 26, but this was the only day Ellie’s family could come, so it was agreed. In fact, Ellie knew the Kings would have another get-together tomorrow for their Amish friends. Today, though, was just for the two families to meet.

  The visitors were laden with shopping bags full of gifts. After consulting with Ellie about what would be appropriate, the Lawrences had brought food for the adults: several boxes of chocolates, five pounds each of pistachios and cashew nuts, two cheesecakes and a huge box of assorted pastries, plus enough of what had been Katie’s favorite ice cream in New York so everyone could have some. For the children, they had art supplies, bats and balls, a skateboard for each family, and board games. Katie got a pair of ice skates, which Ellie had told her parents she needed.

  Nina and Gil were overjoyed to see Ellie, both of them remarking how happy and healthy she looked. There were introductions all around for Carson, and Ellie got to meet Winnie, with whom Nick was apparently getting serious.

  “You’re brave to come here with him today,” Ellie whispered to her.

  Winnie was a petite brunette with a wide smile. “I’m thrilled to be asked.”

  Ellie went over to her mother, and the two of them watched as Nick’s date moved to stand beside him. She linked her hand through his arm, and he immediately drew her into the conversation he was having with Carson.

  “What do you think?” Ellie whispered.

  “She’s lovely, and good to him,” Nina whispered back. “He seems crazy about her. I hope this is the one that sticks.”

  “That would be great.”

  “What about Carson?” Nina nodded in his direction. “How do you feel about him?”

  Ellie couldn’t help grinning as she watched him. “I wouldn’t believe I could feel this way about anybody if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.”

  Nina smiled at her. “Or felt it with your own heart.”

  They were interrupted by the appearance of Rachel in the doorway, calling out welcomes and urging everyone inside. The noise level rose as the children chose that minute to come inside through a side door. With happy cries, the Lawrences hugged Rachel and Katie, exclaiming how much they had missed them. There was a brief interlude of some confusion as, all over the room, coats were shed and hung on hooks or deposited in a bedroom, and boots pulled off.

  Ellie and Rachel wound up standing next to each other at the moment their mothers finally came face-to-face. They watched as Nina Lawrence and Leah King stopped and looked at each other. There was a silent exchange of emotion and recognition for what the other had gone through, what they had lost and now gained. Then, without a word, they embraced as if they were long-lost sisters themselves.

  “Total strangers, yet look. I wasn’t expecting that,” Ellie murmured to Rachel.

  “No, but I guess it makes sense.” Rachel moved to assist with the food now being taken to the fully extended table. Over her shoulder, she added, “This is their life story, too, isn’t it?”

  Ellie had never thought of it that way. Both mothers had lived through stories they would never have expected. That Ellie had moved to Pennsylvania had drastically changed Nina Lawrence’s world. Of course, for now, it was Leah King who had made the biggest accommodation. Her daughter was living in Ellie’s house and taking an accelerated study program for a high school equivalency diploma. That had been the most difficult adjustment for all the Kings. Fortunately for Rachel, the bishop felt that the extraordinary circumstances allowed for this most unusual arrangement. Katie continued to live at the farm with her grandparents. During the week, Rachel took classes, studied, and visited whenever she could manage. On the weekends, Rachel returned to the farm to sleep there and be with her daughter. It had been the supreme sacrifice for Rachel, being parted from her child for much of the week, but she wanted her to be brought up Amish, with all that entailed. She felt that living on the farm was the best thing for Katie, and that made the sacrifice worth it.

  Ellie watched Gil Lawrence shake hands with Isaac. She could guess that he was wondering how she viewed this man, her new father, with his unfamiliar beard and haircut. She recalled how odd Isaac had appeared to her the first time she met him, and how absolutely normal all the Amish men’s appearances struck her now. His patience and kindness had won her over, changing skepticism into respect and, finally, into love.

  There was Katie, hugging her great-grandfather Louis, as Hannah and Amos looked on. Nina and A.J. had already infiltrated the kitchen crowd, helping the other women take enormous platters of food to the table. Steve was e
ngaged in conversation with Judah, Lonnie, and Daniel. Various children were summoned over to be introduced to the visitors; Ellie observed them making their customary cheerful greetings. She saw Moses, Nick, and Carson off in a corner looking at some papers, intent on their conversation. Just like that, she thought, everybody had found a spot.

  “It is time to sit down now.” Leah had to raise her voice to be heard above the din.

  Following the Kings’ lead, everyone found a place, men on one side of the table, women on the other. Ellie looked out over what appeared to be a sea of food. In the center were an enormous turkey and ham, surrounded by three kinds of potatoes, at least five vegetables that she could see, various salads, buttered noodles, her biscuits and two types of bread. She knew there was practically this much food to follow for dessert.

  Isaac announced they would have a silent prayer, and then the conversation grew loud once more as plates were passed, glasses filled, children settled in. The crowd ate and talked. Ellie, sitting next to A.J., told her sister that Carson had asked her to manage the four restaurants, and she had agreed.

  “A promotion for you?” asked A.J. “With attendant salary increase?”

  “Of course. Carson can’t do it alone anymore, and he wants to build an organization that doesn’t have to rely on him running out in the middle of the night to deal with every little crisis.”

  “So you’ll be in charge of things.” A.J. raised one eyebrow. “Working your way back up the corporate ladder?”

  Ellie laughed. “Not much of a corporate ladder in this case. If I suddenly notice I’m on one, I’ll be sure to have you come catch me when I jump off.”

  Despite her teasing, A.J. was happy enough to hear Ellie’s news that she passed it on to Nina, who immediately told Gil, and it went around the table until all the adults had heard about it.

  Then Isaac indicated he wanted to speak, and everyone fell silent.

  He smiled, looking around at his guests. “We welcome you to our home on this most important day. We have all experienced something together that very few families have or ever will. It is something we share, something that binds us all. At first, here, in my family, we were not sure what would happen. Two children, grown-ups, yes, but never living in the right house. We were afraid that we could have only one of them. We didn’t understand what that would mean.”

  Ellie saw from their expressions that Isaac’s words hit home with her parents. So many people had been affected, she thought, by the act of one person long ago.

  “But,” he went on, “it turns out that we can have both children. And so can you. Our children have two families. People they will care for, who will care for them in return. We are grateful. This is truly a gift for Christmas.”

  There were words of assent from those seated around the table.

  Ellie observed her families, so many differences among the members, worlds apart. Yet they were united by their good will in resolving a situation that could have torn them apart.

  She had finally come to understand that she didn’t have to choose. She could stay here, enjoying a way of life she had come to treasure and recognize as closest to her true nature. And she could go to New York to get a jolt of the special excitement she had grown up with, to relish the speed and noise before coming back. No one had to choose one set of siblings over another; they were all precious to her, Nick and A.J. more so now than ever. Like Rachel, she was a combination of all the traits and influences that surrounded her at this table today.

  She caught Carson’s eye from across the table. He looked at her lovingly, a smile on his face. Then, he gave her a quick wink. She grinned, and turned to hear what A.J. was saying to her. Rachel came up behind them with a refilled pitcher of water, and leaned over to put it in the center of the table, resting her hand on Ellie’s shoulder. Ellie looked up at her and they locked eyes, registering without words their gratitude at having come so far from the mistrust and fearfulness of their early meetings to this moment.

  The two of them had spent so much time, alone and together, pondering the meaning of what had happened, Ellie thought. Maybe identity was more fluid than she had ever realized. It could encompass all the feelings of belonging they had each come to know in both their worlds. As for the unanswerable question of what their proper destinies were meant to be, she knew that from then on, she would believe this was it, that they were both blessed to have two families.

  No one could say where the two of them would end up. Their stories were very different from what they had been before, but far from over. Yet, with all the disruption and overwhelming changes, they both had found a peace that had eluded them their entire lives. Until now. They might live within two worlds, but they had the best of both.

  To Kristin and Meghan Fox With love and appreciation

  and

  To Jean Buchalter Music, light, and love personified

  Acknowledgments

  I am very grateful to the people of Lancaster County who were so helpful to me in the course of researching this book. Their willingness to answer my endless questions and their generosity of spirit made this a wonderful writing experience.

  Thank you as well to my editor, Linda Marrow, and my agent, Victoria Skurnick, for—once again—their professional expertise and wisdom. It is a supreme pleasure to work with them both. I am also most appreciative of Junessa Viloria, who does an amazing job and is always ready with a helping hand or the answer.

  A big hug to Monica Chusid, who went above and beyond. As always, the busiest person I know has all the time in the world when I need her for any reason, big or small. Thank you to the greatest friend anyone could wish to have.

  For their help and support during the writing of this book, I am also supremely grateful to Sheryl Suib Cohen, Jennifer Crowne, Stacy Higgins, Jurijs Petunovs, and Linda Meyer Russ.

  Lastly, to my husband, Mark, and my children, Jenna and Carly—I love you. It’s funny that I, who never stops talking, can’t begin to express all the joy you’ve brought to my life.

  By Cynthia Keller

  A PLAIN & FANCY CHRISTMAS

  AN AMISH CHRISTMAS

  About the Author

  CYNTHIA KELLER lives in Connecticut with her husband and two children.