Chapter Thirty-Seven

Eddie was waiting for Jamie when he got home. He was tired and walking slowly. She got up and poured him a drink and set his dinner on the table. His partner still. "Hey, how did the first day go?"

"It was okay. I caught up on some cases that are still open and don't seem to be closing any time soon."

"No evidence? No witnesses?" Eddie asked sitting down across from him. "Both," he replied. "The Amish do not believe in pressing charges or anything."

"Ah, what are you going to do?" Eddie asked watching him carefully.

"Well, first I need to earn their trust," Jamie replied. "Then perhaps I can talk to a few of the more recent cases and get them to at least ID a perp."

Eddie nodded, "How else was it, working with the deputies?

"It was good, I met most of them before and the others are very nice. It's so different and I missed you there with me." He looked at her hands on the table. "Can I hold your hand?"

Eddie looked at him for a minute before moving her hand closer. "Yeah, everyone is really nice. Faith came over before to help me finish moving in."

Jamie smiled, "We are going to do well here, it's going to be okay, and I can feel it. What else did you do today?"

"Took the girls to the shop and met more neighbors. It's amazing how nice everyone is."

"You're nice," he replied kissing her hand. "You deserve nice. This dinner is good, did you cook this?"

"Kind of, I had a little help from our new friends," Eddie smiled.

"Well, it's good.' Jamie replied and stood up. "I'm beat, did the bed arrive?" He had no idea, yet, that he had his own room.

"Yeah I uh set your bedroom up by Mary so we can take turns getting up if she needs us."

"My bedroom?" Jamie's eyebrows crawled into his head. "I thought we would..." he began. Eddie continued. "I have Bella with me. I'll show you the bed I got you, it's a very nice set."

"Eddie wait explain to me please why. I thought we were working things out."

"We are," she replied. "And right now, this is part of that. We need our space. I think you'll like this bed..." She showed him to the room next to Mary and across from her. It was set up nicely, but it was not beside her. Jamie took a breath, he was losing her, and he knew it. He had to get a grip on this and work this out. He had to..."All right," he conceded. "It's a very nice room, if you need space...Can I kiss you good night?"

"Of course, you can," Eddie replied. "If you'd like."

Jamie took her hands in his slowly leaning in letting their lips meet gently

Jamie cupped her cheeks and held her tight. He put a lot of feeling into his kiss, letting her sense his love, that he was trying, that he missed her. Eddie returned the tender affection, but she was still hesitant. She planned to run out the clock on this, to wait until it was time and accept the fact their marriage was another casualty of the firefight.

When he pulled back Jamie stared into her eyes, "I love you Eddie, get some rest okay?"

She nodded, "I'll have your breakfast ready..." She turned on her heel and went to the master bedroom. She could feel Jamie's eyes on her as she left him standing there.

That was how things went for the next few days. Their relationship was businesslike, friendly, but the husband and wife team was almost gone. Eddie would get meals, do laundry, help Jamie with any task he needed but the passion and the connection was just not there.

Jamie saw that, trying whenever he was home to bring back what they had when they first met.

Sunday came quickly. The night before Mary had been up and down with a jumping leg and cramps. She was tired when they arrived at Faith's Sunday meal, holding onto her Daddy's' neck.

Jamie held his daughter shaking hands with the neighbors trying to push everything else aside

"Hello, Mary," Faith smiled. "These are my daughters Hannah and Lida...and my son Jacob. Would you like to play with them?" Mary shook her head and held onto her father.

"Sorry she didn't sleep last night, she had a lot of pain," Jamie explained softly.

"If you go and see Ida, she might have something that can help that. Perhaps the bed too,' Faith suggested. "Do you want to lie down, Mary? We have a nice soft bed in Hannah's room."

"Yes please I'm a little tired and my leg hurts," Mary said turning her head to look at Faith

"Thank you," Jamie replied and followed Faith into the house. He laid Mary down and Faith built a small box around her leg. "This will keep it still so she can rest. You close your eyes, little one. You can play later."

"Thank you. Daddy will you stay?" Mary asked falling asleep before she could finish asking

Jamie sat with her a few minutes, then got up and went back out to socialize keeping one eye trained on his finally peaceful daughter.

The Amish children were interested in Bella. She adorable but just very different from their babies. Eddie was happy to let two 8 year old girls hold and snuggle her while Jamie was helping Mary inside.

"Your kids are really sweet," Eddie smiled watching them carefully hold the baby.

They smiled "She is a nice baby..." Eddie spied Faith coming out of the house. She felt so welcome and not at all alone.

"Thanks she really is usually a happy baby." Eddie smiled at Faith.

They settled down by the other ladies, Eddie smiling. "Eddie I want to invite you to our grief group. Many of us have has losses over the years and we meet and talk about that and I think you might benefit.

Eddie gave a small nod, "I would definitely like to give it a try when and where do you meet?"

"We rotate houses like church and we meet every other Sunday. Non church Sunday so next Sunday will be the first. It's plain to see you and Jamie both still grieve but this group is just for ladies."

Eddie smiled, this felt right, and this felt good. She was making new friends and perhaps she could feel more at peace...at least with this part of her life.

Once Mary was asleep Jamie joined the husbands in another room. They were speaking in their language but changed when Jamie sat down. "What happened to your little one?"

Jamie sighed, "She was injured when someone shot at us."

"Violence is so prevalent in the English world," Samuel sighed. "Our girls, some of our girls we're murdered here years ago.

"I'm sorry to hear that. We lost our boy, it's been really hard."

"We sent him to the Lord for his judgement, It is so important you forgive even the ones who do you wrong," Samuel replied.

"That's a really hard concept. Everything changed after it happened," Jamie sighed

"Yes," Amos nodded. "Things do change, they do. But we should turn it over to God and let him guide us."

"My family is religious having grown up in the Catholic Church so I understand."

"Then you know you must turn inside and find the strength to let go of the anger and the hate...And embrace..." Levi replied. ,"We can help."

"There is a difference between mourning and carrying hate," Rachel told Eddie as the ladies settled.

Eddie sighed she had carried hate for Danny and Jamie since it happened

She teared up, "I can't help it. I forgive Jamie, but I can't forgive his brother Danny, I just can't."

"That is something that we can talk about," Rachel said softly. Eddie nodded she didn't think it would matter.

The week went quickly. Eddie found herself spending a lot of time with Faith and her children. Mary's new bed was delivered by the hay wagon and set up. She slept much better.

On Friday, Frank came to visit, see them eager and the new house.

"Grandpa!" Mary was so happy to see him. Frank scooped her up and hugged her.

She hugged him tight, "We missed you so much."

"I missed you too, this is a very nice house," Frank smiled. "How are you doing?"

"Good can I show you the house Grandpa," Mary asked

"You bet!" Frank loved how alive Mary was here. She was so happy to be able to get around. "And this is where Mommy and Bella sleep."

"Oh does Daddy sleep in a different room," Frank asked following Mary.

"Yes," she replied. "Mommy got him a bed for it. He sleeps here and Mommy there, not like before."

"Oh I didn't know. What do you think about that?" Frank asked

"I don't know," she replied "Mommy cries in her bed and Daddy too. They are so sad, God didn't hear me."

"Why do you think He didn't hear you honey," Frank asked softly

"Cause I said I wanted everyone to be happy, I wished it and we blew on the candle, but he didn't hear. No one is happy but Bella." Mary sniffled.

Frank scooped her up in his arms giving a big hug. "Are you happy here Mary?"

She nodded, "yes but I want us to all be. I don't want them to divorce and have two houses."

Frank nodded he was glad he chose to come, he had work to do.