I reckon it didn’t seem right. I almost didn’t come today.”
Leah looked down. “Oh no. That’s not true, Aaron.” She glanced up again. “It must have seemed that way, but I love—love spending time with you.”
“That’s gut to know.” Aaron backed away a little, his mouth twitching slightly. “Wanna eat?”
“I guess so.”
He reached for her hand, and together they sat down on the blanket. Leah opened the picnic basket and handed Aaron a sandwich, but before they took their first bite, their attention was drawn to the road. Dirt flew from beneath the horse’s hooves as Abner rounded the corner and came barreling onto the driveway, going much too fast and yelling Aaron’s name.
They stood up, abandoning the picnic, and Leah followed Aaron across the field. His quick walk turned to a run, and Leah broke into a jog behind him.
“What’s wrong?” Aaron tried to catch his breath.
Abner climbed out of the buggy and put his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “It’s Auntie Ruth.” Abner’s forehead creased with sorrow as he spoke. “She’s gone, Aaron. Passed in her sleep while she was taking a nap. We need you at home.”
Chapter Twenty one
BISHOP EBERSOL GRANTED PERMISSION FOR AUNTIE RUTH to be buried in the Amish cemetery, even though she wasn’t a member of the Old Order. Aaron’s parents explained that Ruth didn’t have any other family, and since Ruth was Amish by birth, the bishop had agreed. An autopsy was waived because Aaron’s mother found Ruth’s medical records in her suitcase, along with all of her affairs neatly in order. She’d had chronic heart disease.
Leah looked for Aaron amid the crowd of people in attendance at the funeral. She recalled the way his bottom lip had trembled when he drove her home after hearing the news three days ago. He’d hurriedly kissed her on the cheek when he dropped her off, and Leah suspected he was anxious to be away from her to experience his emotions. Leah had cried when Abner told them the news, but Aaron had clamped his lips tight and merely nodded. Leah hadn’t seen him again until now.
She scanned the Lantzes’ den, surprised at how many people in the community were in attendance to pay their respects to Ruth. But as she overheard various conversations going on around her, she realized that Ruth had touched a lot of people.
“Remember when the Miller family suffered such tragedy when young Lizzie died four years ago?” she heard Amanda Graber’s mother say to her husband. “Ruth stood guard outside the gate and kept those pesky reporters away.”
Katharine Graber paused. “She certainly had a good heart.”
Leah walked across the room as people began to take their seats. Rebecca Miller was standing in a corner talking to Ben. Leah knew funerals were tough for Rebecca and her entire family. She was glad Ben was nearby, but Leah wondered if those two would ever become a couple. Rebecca seemed to be lost inside herself and kept most everyone at a distance. Particularly Ben. Leah reminded herself to say an extra prayer for Rebecca tonight.
“Did you know that Ruth helped to deliver you?” Leah’s mother whispered to her as they took their seats.
Leah didn’t know, and she turned toward her mother. “Really?”
“Ya. The midwife had taken ill, and Ruth filled in like she’d delivered a baby a hundred times.” Her mother smiled. “Turned out, you were her first.”
The room grew quiet, and Leah found Aaron sitting on the far side of the room with the men. Her heart hurt when she saw him hastily swipe at his eyes, and she wanted to run to him, hold him, comfort him.
During the two-hour funeral, many voiced their respect for Ruth, but the focus was on admonition for the living, as was the Old Order Amish way.
Following the service, they all made their way to the buggies, and the caravan accompanied Ruth to her final resting place where a hand-dug grave awaited. Her modest tombstone had been prepared, plain like the others in the cemetery.
When the bishop closed the outdoor part of the service, Leah knew that Aaron would stay behind to help close Ruth’s grave, so she left with her family to go back to the Lantz house where a meal would be served.
It was nearly two hours later when Aaron and Leah finally found some quiet time to talk, around the back side of the barn. Once they were alone and out of sight, Aaron wrapped his arms around Leah and kissed her tenderly on