Chapter 4: Special Visit

The next morning Leah woke as usual at five-thirty. She didn't wake her mother but got up and got dress to start the day.

Leah walked outside so that she could milk the cow. "Burr it's chilly out here." She said. Since it was October the mornings were starting to cool.

When she was done with the cow she walked inside to start breakfasts. The coffee was started and that is when her mother awoke.

"Good morning mother." Leah said to her mother.

"Good morning honey."

"Breakfast is almost ready." Leah said, "We'll be leavening for Ethan's house at about eight-thirty."

"That's fine dear." She replied sitting down in a chair.

After breakfast the two women cleaned up and then Leah went to hook up the team. They were ready to go meet Ethan's family. It took awhile to get there by buggy, but they did arrive.

When they arrived Charity came out and greeted them.

"Leah, good morning" Charity greeted hugging Leah.

"Good morning Charity." Leah replied "This is my Mother Roberta Dutton." She introduced her mother.

"Good morning to you Mrs. Dutton."

"Good morning to you Charity."

The girls walked inside to meet the rest of the family. The men had not gone to the field yet so they could meet Leah's mom. As they walked in Roberta saw a group of people waiting there.

"Mom this is Ethan's Opa and Oma, his grandparents" She clarified. "This is Jacob and Tille Longacre his parent's, his sister Sarah and Elizabeth, his brothers Simeon and Nathan. Everyone this is my mother Roberta Dutton." Leah introduced everyone.

After the introduction was over the men went out to work (expect Nathan because he was too little) and the women got started with the wedding planning.

That afternoon while Leah and Charity were out getting water a car pulled up to the house. They had never seen this car before. A man stepped out of the car. It took Leah a minute to figure out who it was.

"Well Charity it's great to see you and you are woman now and not that little girl I last saw." The man said.

Charity looked again "Eli?" she whispered. The man nodded. "Eli" She screamed as she ran to him. The others in the house came out when they heard the scream.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Tille cried she ran out of the house. She spotted the man. "Eli, is that you?"

"Hello Ma."

"Oh my Eli" Tille cried walking over to Eli and embraced him with a hug.

"Mommy who that?" Little Nathan asked.

"Nathan this is your big brother Eli."

"Hi Nathan" Eli said bending down to the little boy's level. But Nathan hid his face.

Nobody realized that a woman and two kids had gotten out of the car.

"Everyone this is my wife Camille and our sons Jason and Timothy." Eli Introduced.

Everyone stood there talking and there were a lot of hugs. Then the men came from the fields.

"What going on." Jacob asked. You could see his face go from confusion to anger to happy in a matter of second. "Eli" he said.

"Hello father, Opa, Ethan, and Simeon, my you have grown." Eli stated, nodding his head at each male as he said their name.

"Eli!" Ethan said giving his brother a hug.

The group went inside to talk and Ethan invited Eli and his family to the wedding.