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W EARING A PAIR OF SWEATPANTS and a T-shirt, Anthony bounded into the kitchen, his mouth watering, while he sniffed the air. “Oh boy, something sure smells good in here! Can I help you with anything, Elsie?”

“Well, it’s too soon to set the table,” she replied.

“No, I was actually referring to helping with the meal.”

Rosa’s mother turned from her place at the counter, where she appeared to be mixing some savory-smelling stuffing, which Anthony assumed would go inside the turkey once it had cooled adequately. It wasn’t safe to stuff a cold bird with hot stuffing. It could cause food poisoning.

“I appreciate the offer,” Elsie said, “but I’m sure you could find something more enjoyable to do than hang out in this overly warm kitchen with me and my daughters.” She gestured to Rosa, Susan, and Tena, all busy with various jobs for their afternoon Thanksgiving meal preparation.

“Hey, I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than be right here where the action is. I’m a chef, after all, so I know my way around the kitchen quite well.” He looked over at Rosa and winked. “Isn’t that right, honeybunch?”

Tena giggled, Susan rolled her eyes, and Rosa nodded. “Absolutely, dear husband. You’re the best.” She set her fruit-cutting job aside and moved over to stand beside her mother. “You should take Anthony up on his offer, Mom. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

“All right then, Anthony,” Elsie said with a pleasant smile. “Why don’t you come take a look at the list I have for the items we plan to serve for dinner today?” She gestured to the piece of paper on the table. “And then you can choose whatever you’d like to make.”

Anthony didn’t have to be asked twice. He stepped right up to the table and grabbed the list. “You know what?” he said after studying the piece of paper. “Think I’ll make a dessert when there’s a break in the dinner preparations, if that’s okay with you, Elsie.”

She nodded. “Feel free to make whatever you want, and Rosa can help you find everything you’ll need. She’s a pretty good cook too, and has enjoyed creating new dishes in my kitchen since she was a young girl.”

He eyed Rosa curiously. In the time he’d known her, she’d never let on that she had a flair for cooking. As far as he knew, she’d only been good at waitressing. Anthony looked forward to seeing what his pretend wife ended up making to serve at their Thanksgiving meal.

New York City

Leaning both elbows on the table, Lavera looked over at her husband and commented, “Without Anthony here, it doesn’t feel like Thanksgiving.”

Herb grunted. “Well, if he hadn’t run off to who knows where with that flighty waitress, he’d be sitting here right now, enjoying our hearty meal.”

“I feel bad that our daughters aren’t here with us today either.” She sighed. “Since they both had other plans for today, whether we like it or not, it’s just the two of us at our Thanksgiving table this afternoon.”

Herb nodded and forked a hunk of turkey into his mouth.

Lavera picked up her glass and took a drink of water. “You might think I’m paranoid, but I have this horrible feeling that our son might never come home.”

Herb’s brows squeezed together. “What would give you that crazy idea?”

“Well, for starters, he’s only called us once since he and Eileen hit the road. I can’t help but be worried about him.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “No news is good news, right?”

“Maybe. It could also mean that Anthony’s having a good time and isn’t thinking about us at all.”

“He’d better not forget that he has a job here.

That son of ours knows we’re counting on him to get back to work as soon as his two-week vacation ends.

” He reached for the bowl of mashed potatoes and piled two hefty spoonfuls onto his plate, then poured plenty of thickened turkey gravy over the top.

“But what if he doesn’t return after two weeks?”

“Then we’ll have twice as much work to do at the restaurant, and like it or not, I might have to find a cook to replace Anthony.”

Lavera leaned closer to Herb and touched his arm. “Surely you wouldn’t do that to our son.”

“I would if I needed to. Business is business, you know, Lavera. That restaurant is our livelihood, and we wouldn’t function well if we became shorthanded in the kitchen.

” He dropped a few peas onto his plate and mixed them in with the potatoes and gravy.

“I’ll do what I have to if it becomes necessary.

” Herb gestured to Lavera’s plate. “You need to eat the dinner you took the time to cook and stop worrying so much. Our son’s not stupid—I’m sure he’ll be back here on time. ”

Lavera hoped her husband was right, but she couldn’t let go of the nagging feeling that clung to her thoughts and seeped all the way into her soul.

Belleville

Susan watched with envy as Rosa and Anthony chatted with Norman and Salina.

Both couples were married, and one of them was expecting a baby, but Susan had no one.

When Ben had been convicted of arson and sent to prison, all hopes of getting married and raising a family with him had been washed down the drain like dirty soap water.

It wasn’t fair that she had no boyfriend or promise of marriage.

It didn’t seem right that her runaway sister had been welcomed back into the family with open arms. Why does Rosa get away with everything, and I’m always in trouble—especially with Dad?

Susan scrunched up the napkin in her lap between her fingers. I bet if I’d done something like that, I’d be getting the cold shoulder from both of our parents and maybe all my siblings too.

It was difficult for Susan to sit here and eat when her appetite had been squelched with all the jealous thoughts circling around in her brain.

No one even seems to care about me, nor do they ask any questions about my life.

She stabbed at the piece of dark turkey meat on her plate and rolled it around in the gravy she had previously poured over her potatoes.

Of course, even if someone were to ask about me, there’s not much I’d have to say that would be worth sharing.

My life consists of working at a job I don’t like, doing mundane chores around here, attending church regularly, and going to an occasional young people’s gathering when Dad pressures me to go.

Susan pursed her lips. Big deal! I lead the most boring life of anyone I know.

At least when Ben and I were together, we had the pleasure of doing some exciting things.

Susan nearly bounced out of her chair when Tena bumped her arm and said, “Would you please pass the tray of cut-up veggies?”

“Yeah, okay—sure.” Susan handed the tray to her sister and forced herself to eat the piece of turkey still on her plate. I wish Rosa had never come home. At least then I’d still have her bedroom, as well as a whole lot more of Mom’s attention.

Between the conversation with his new brother-in-law and an occasional glance in Susan’s direction, it didn’t take Norman long to figure out that she was in a bad mood.

Was it the fact that Rosa was back at home and Mom seemed so happy about it, or did his younger sister have something else on her mind?

Susan had always been the moody type, so with her, it was hard to tell what the problem was.

One thing was for sure: She hadn’t been the same since Ben was sent to prison.

After Rosa showed up, Susan became even more sullen.

Well, she needed to put it all behind her and move on with her life.

Norman figured that maybe what his sister needed was a new boyfriend.

Surely that would help to put her in a better mood.

When Anthony asked him a question, Norman’s attention was diverted to him once again. “Sorry. What was that?” he asked.

“I was just wondering what there is to do for fun around here.”

“For one thing, most of the young people, and even some of the older folks, enjoy playing baseball and volleyball,” Norman responded.

Anthony leaned closer. “Baseball sounds like fun. I’m not sure about volleyball, though, since it’s a sport I’ve never played.”

“I’m sure Rosa could teach you,” Tena volunteered. “She’s always been good at that game.”

“In Rosa’s condition, I don’t think she ought to be playing any contact sport,” Norman’s mother spoke up.

“You’re right about that,” Anthony agreed. He patted Rosa’s shoulder. “There’s no point in taking any unnecessary chances.”

Rosa smiled but made no comment. She seemed preoccupied with eating the food still left on her plate. Or maybe she was thinking about the enjoyable times she had spent in the past, playing volleyball and, more often than not, helping her team win the game.

Hearing the topic of volleyball and remembering how much she had loved playing the game put an ache in Rosa’s heart.

Her mother was right—she shouldn’t be playing the game during her pregnancy, and maybe not for several months after the baby was born.

It would be difficult to abstain from it, though, since Rosa loved playing so much.

Rosa let go of her fork and placed both hands against her stomach.

I wish I’d never gotten pregnant. I shouldn’t have allowed myself to get involved with Jeff.

I believed that he loved me and planned to divorce his wife so we could be married, but I was a fool.

He only used me, and then as soon as he found out I was carrying his child, he threw me aside like yesterday’s garbage.

Rosa looked away from her plate and massaged her belly.

Even so, this child is a part of me, and I am obligated to raise it, no matter what.

Therefore, I shall love and nurture my baby and make sure that all his or her needs are met, because that’s what good parents do.

Rosa picked up her fork again and stabbed a hunk of steamed broccoli. I will eat well and take care of myself so I can make sure that both me and my baby get all the nourishment we need.

When Susan brought up the topic of Ada and Ephraim’s upcoming wedding, Rosa stiffened.

She hadn’t told anyone in the family that she and Anthony had received an invitation to the event, and she had no idea if any of them had either.

Since Ada’s parents were in the same church district as Rosa’s family and Rosa’s father, as the bishop, would no doubt have a part in the wedding ceremony, she figured they would have been invited to the wedding.

If so, it seemed strange that nobody in the family had mentioned it to her.

She was tempted to ask, but with everyone enjoying the meal and talking nonstop about other things, this didn’t feel like the right time to bring up the subject of Ephraim and Ada’s wedding.

She would wait for a better time, when she and her mother were alone.

Her father would know, of course, but he still hadn’t warmed up to either Rosa or Anthony.

And maybe he never will, she thought with regret. Although he might allow me and the baby to live here in his house, my father might always remain distant toward me. I wonder what it would take to bridge the gap between us and make Dad love me again.

When dinner was over and the dishes had been washed, dried, and put away with Tena and Susan’s help, Elsie brought out three kinds of pie.

When they were placed on the dining room table, Alvin scrunched up his nose.

“Aw, Mom, do we hafta have that horrible-tasting mincemeat pie again? It makes me feel sick to my stomach just looking at it.”

“Hush now,” his mother said. “You know mincemeat is one of your daed’s favorite kinds of pies.” She gestured to the other two pies on the table. “Besides, your sisters and I also made two apple pies. You like those, don’t you, Alvin?”

“Jah, but not near as much as pumpkin.”

Elsie shrugged. “Well, it’s all we have, so you’ll have to be satisfied.”

“Put some whipped cream on a piece of apple pie, and it’ll taste delicious,” Norman’s wife, Salina, suggested.

Alvin folded his arms and dropped his gaze to the floor. “Still wouldn’t be as good as pumpkin.”

“Do you like any kind of pumpkin dessert, or just pie?” Anthony questioned.

“Mostly pie, but I also like pumpkin cookies and pumpkin bread with chocolate chips baked in.”

“You have good taste, Alvin.” Anthony leaned close to Rosa and whispered, “Shall we get the special dessert we made while the turkey was baking earlier and no one but the two of us was in the kitchen?”

She smiled and nodded. “Sure. I’d say that now’s as good a time as any. We can put it on the table along with the pies Mom and my sisters made yesterday.”

Anthony grabbed Rosa’s hand and hurried off to the kitchen where they’d hid their dessert toward the back of the pantry.

When they returned to the dining room a short time later and placed their creation on the table, Elsie broke down in tears as soon as she laid eyes on it.

“Oh, you made Rosa’s pumpkin rolls! What a nice surprise, and for sure it’s the best dessert of all!”

Anthony looked at Rosa and noticed that there were tears in her eyes as well.

She had told him earlier that before she’d left home, pumpkin rolls had been one of her special desserts to make.

It had been fun to help her in the kitchen this morning with the recipe, but Anthony had never expected the pumpkin rolls would cause her mother to break down in tears.

He couldn’t help feeling a bit envious over the love he felt here with this Amish family—except for Mahlon, who hadn’t talked much with anyone but his son Norman and occasionally with Alvin, who’d continually interrupted Mahlon and Norman’s conversation.

It wasn’t that Anthony’s own parents did not love him.

They just didn’t always show it—especially his dad.

Anthony figured there wasn’t anything he could do about it either.

Even though today had been most enjoyable and relaxing, he didn’t dare get used to it, because in less than two weeks, after his planned breakup with Rosa, Anthony would be on his way home and his life would return to what his dad considered normal.