The Wonder of Your Love - By Beth Wiseman Page 0,56

home and had Jonas in his own bed that she saw the letter from Eli.

She wanted to enjoy every word, so she bathed, made coffee, got a fire going, and curled up on the couch. She was surprised that she hadn’t heard from Arnold, but hopefully he had a safe trip and they would see him at the hospital tomorrow. She peeled the envelope open and read. Smiling, she could almost hear him chuckling as he wrote, and she felt a part of his life as he detailed memorable moments from his day. She couldn’t wait to write him back.

Dear Eli,

I so enjoyed your letter and hearing about Leah and the twins. It sounds like you have such a wonderful family, and I loved hearing about them. Tonight, worry fills my heart, as tomorrow morning I will be taking Martha to the hospital to have the tumor removed. Lillian will keep Jonas for me. I’ve prayed hard about tomorrow, and I know that worry is a sin, but on this night I’m afraid I’m filled with concern. You probably only saw one side of Martha (now I’m chuckling), but I promise you, she has a huge heart, and she is very dear to me, as if she were my own mother.

Katie Ann tapped the pen to her chin as more visions of Eli’s kiss raced through her head.

It has gotten much colder since you left, dropping into the single digits the last few days. I will be glad when spring is here. Last year, Lillian and I didn’t have a garden. We weren’t sure what to plant. The growing season is so different here, with only three months of frost-free weather. But after talking with some other folks, we have a plan. We will grow peas, tomatoes, sweet corn, potatoes, and onions. And we’re told that cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli will do gut in this climate. I’m looking forward to that, but our last day of frost will not come until mid-June.

Jonas continues to amaze me on a daily basis, and he smiles every time I say his name. What a blessing he is to me so late in life.

I’ve been quilting pot holders in the evenings, and I’m working on a cookbook. Someday I would like to have a small shop to sell things like that, something very small.

She recalled how Eli mentioned that he’d always wanted a shop, but she decided not to bring that up.

I will close for now, as I want to spend extra time in prayer tonight. May this letter find you well in all the ways of the Lord.

She paused, thought for a minute, and decided to sign her letter the same way he had.

Best friends, in His name,

Katie Ann

She folded the letter, put it in an envelope, and found Eli’s address on her end table. She’d drop the letter in the mailbox on the way to the hospital in the morning. She’d tried to get Martha to spend the night with her, but Martha was insistent that she wanted to spend her last night on Earth in her own bed.

Katie Ann closed her eyes in prayer.

Please, Lord, don’t let Martha die. Please.

Twelve

“IT STINKS IN HERE.” MARTHA WAS DRESSED IN A purple pants outfit, and Katie Ann could tell that her friend had spent extra time on her hair this morning. Not one strand was out of place, and it was tightly secured under the butterfly clip. And her makeup was perfectly applied, right down to her bright red lipstick. “And I don’t even want to talk about how hungry I am.”

“I’m sure they’ll let you eat not long after the surgery.”

They wound their way down the hall to admissions. Martha said she’d already preregistered at the hospital, so it wasn’t long before she was shown to her room and settled into her bed. Much to her chagrin, it was not a private room.

“Katie Ann . . .” Martha motioned from her bed for Katie Ann to come closer, then she whispered, “Go find out why that person is in my room. I specifically asked for a private room, and I am paying good money to have one.”

In the next bed, a woman was lying on her side facing the window, only her long blond hair visible atop the covers.

“All right.” Katie Ann patted her on the arm, although she wasn’t as concerned about Martha’s roommate as she was about finding the doctor and getting some details about Martha’s surgery. “I’ll be back in