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“Ava, do you remember the Bible story about Naomi and Ruth?”
Now Ava frowned at Mama. Was her fever rising? The change in subject didn’t make sense. “Of course I do.” When she was a child, it had been one of Ava’s favorites. The loving relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had reminded her of the closeness she felt with Mama.
“When I married your papa, the minister read Ruth 1:16 as part of the ceremony.” She closed her eyes. “ ‘Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go…’ ” She opened her eyes, and a single tear trailed down her cheek. “A year later, when your papa told me his decision to leave Russia for America, it was this scripture that gave me the courage to say goodbye to all that was familiar and go with him to a new land. And I have never regretted honoring its promise.
“For you see, the commitment wasn’t only between Naomiand Ruth. It was a commitment to God the Father, for them to go where He led. I knew our Father had prompted your papa to make a new home in America. When we obey God’s will, we find joy, even when the pathway is difficult.” She took Ava’s hand between hers. “If God the Father is prompting you to go to New York with Gil, I believe you will have more joy than regret.”
Ava gasped. “Why do you think I want to go to New York with Gil?”
Mama gave Ava her “a mother knows” look.
Heat rose in Ava’s cheeks. “That opportunity is gone. Neither Gil nor I are the same people we were when he asked me to go with him four years ago.”
Mama’s soft chortle contradicted Ava’s claim. “Oh, I believe there’s more of the old you inside than you’re willing to admit.”
Was Mama right? If she was right about Ava, could the same also be true for Gil? Her pulse galloped into erratic double beats. But what difference would it make? She couldn’t leave her mother. Not while she was sick.
“Even if Gil asked me again, I can’t go to New York, Mama.”
“Why not?”
Ava huffed. “If I go, what will become of you?”
“If you stay, what will become of me?”
Ava drew back, confused. “What do you mean?”
Mama gave Ava’s hand a little shake. “Leefste, you being here will not change one minute of the time God has ordained for me. He alone knows the number of our days. Whether you are here in Falke, in New York, or even across the sea, you cannot add one hour to what is already written in God’s book for my life.”
Ava buried her face in the curve of her mother’s neck. “But it frightens me to think of leaving you. Of never seeing you again.”
Mama wriggled her shoulder and Ava sat up. She cupped Ava’s cheeks and peered fervently into Ava’s eyes. “You will see me again, Ava. Just as I will one day see Anton and Rupert and my Mutta and Foda. We will all be together for eternity. You believe this, don’t you?”
A sob caught in Ava’s throat. “I do, Mama. I believe. But even so…” She swallowed hard and swished her fingers under her eyes. “It hurts to think of telling you goodbye.”
Mama’s hands slipped from Ava’s face. She linked her fingers and rested her steepled hands at her throat. “Do you remember when you asked me to pray that God would remove your love for Gil from your heart?”
Ava remembered. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I’ve honored your request, but I added a…stipulation.”
Ava tilted her head. “You gave God a stipulation?” That didn’t seem like something her practical, faithful mother would do.
Mama nodded. “When I pray, I ask, ‘Erase Ava’s love for Gil unless it is Your will that she hold it and act upon it.’ ”
Chills broke out across every inch of Ava’s frame. She stared at Mama’s pale face.
A smile ignited Mama’s eyes. “Leefste, if the love has not left you, it’s because it was planted deep in your heart by the One who knows what is best for you. Gil is meant for you, and you are meant for him. Can you not see it?” She reached for Ava and caught hold of her hands. Her grip was amazingly strong, insistent in its pressure. “You must be obedient to God’s will, Ava. If you are not, you will never find joy. You will always havea hole in your heart. Please don’t make me bear the burden of holding you back from fulfilling God’s will for you.”
Ava kissed the backs of Mama’s hands. “I need to be alone for a little while, Mama. To think.” Longing for a sense of closeness to God wrapped around her and propelled her to rise. “And to pray.”
Mama nodded. “I will pray, too. For as long as I am able to stay awake.” She chuckled softly. “You go. Come tell me later what God whispers to you.”
Gil
Gil stepped upon the Flamings’ porch and went to the familiar rocking chair. He sat and ran his palms up and down the painted armrests. Smooth as silk. Someone must have given them a thorough sanding before applying fresh paint. He must have been too nervous to notice when he sat here with Ava the last time. He searched for evidence of theGil + Avahe’d carved on the left arm with his birthday pocketknife when he was thirteen, but none remained. A smile tugged as he recalled how the action earned his one and only serious scolding from Taunte Maria. Then Taunte Dorcas took away the coveted knife. After only a day, Taunte Maria welcomed him back into her good graces. He never got the knife back.
When he thought about his growing up in this town, he held more good memories of being with the Flamings than he did of his uncle and aunt or even his parents. Not that his parents weren’t loving people. He’d lost them when he was so young that memories from his earliest years had grown fuzzy over time. Butthisfamily, not of blood but so dear to his heart, were part of his life’s melody. The thought warmed him.
