Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania
I t was early yet, and Meredith Stoltzfus resisted coming out of the deep sleep she was in. Even though she was toasty warm under the covers, she couldn’t figure out why she felt as though something was different. It wasn’t the feeling of anticipation children get when they wake up on Christmas morning. It was an empty, lonely feeling.
As the cobwebs cleared, she realized it wasn’t just the emptiness she felt—it was the silence and the knowledge that she was alone. Her husband, Luke, had left for Indiana yesterday afternoon, and waking up by herself gave Meredith a really odd feeling. Luke hadn’t been gone twenty-four hours, and already she missed him terribly. Now she just needed to get through the rest of the days until he returned from his uncle’s place, where he’d gone to learn a new trade.
After all,
Meredith reminded herself,
I got through last night, and Luke will only be gone a few weeks. Now the countdown starts, and when each morning begins, it will be one day closer to Luke’s return. There’s plenty to do around here, so I just need to keep busy until the day he walks through our back door.
Meredith had always been active and very organized, and she knew these traits could be used to her advantage. It was time to fill any vulnerable moments by doing something constructive.
Rolling over onto her side and snuggling deeper under the covers, she was reminded that each morning since she’d married Luke fourteen months ago had started out the same.
If Luke was here right now, I’d be waking up with him by my side.
Just then, Fritz, Luke’s German shorthaired pointer who’d been sleeping on the floor beside the bed, snorted several times, sounding like he was snoring.
Meredith giggled, suddenly realizing what else was different this morning. She missed Luke’s snoring. The small simple sound seemed to start Meredith’s day out right. It was a gentle noise—not the deep rumbling her dad’s snoring had always been. Dad had mentioned once that even in his younger days, he’d snored really loud. He’d blamed it on his slightly crooked nose, which had been broken when he’d run into a tree while playing ball as a boy. He said he had trouble breathing out one side of his nose—especially when he was sleeping. Meredith figured that must be true, because when Dad fell asleep in his easy chair each evening after supper, his mouth hung slightly open. When Meredith still lived at home, she’d heard the rumbling snores coming from Mom and Dad’s bedroom almost every single night. Sometimes it had been so loud she’d had to cover her ears with two pillows in order to get to sleep.
Poor Mom,
Meredith thought.
I don’t know how she gets any sleep at all. But then, maybe Mom’s not bothered by Dad’s snoring. Could be she’s gotten used to it over the years.
Meredith glanced at the alarm clock on the table by her bed. Rarely did it have the chance to go off, because Luke’s snoring would start within minutes of when they were supposed to get up. It was amazing that Luke never snored during the night. If he did, it must be really quiet, because Meredith had never heard it, nor had it ever caused her to wake up until the morning hours.
Lying under the covers and continuing to enjoy her thoughts, she recollected how on most mornings it was hard not to laugh at the sounds Luke made. He sounded so content with each breath he took in and blew out, and she would just lie there quietly with her hand over her mouth and listen.
Luke didn’t seem to mind when Meredith playfully tickled his ear to gently wake him up. That was quite evident when those turquoise eyes opened slowly and looked tenderly into hers. He’d often said that a tickle on the ear was far better than any blaring alarm.
Meredith’s thoughts halted when Fritz, grunting loudly, woke himself up and rose to his feet. Then he plodded over to Meredith’s side of the bed, nudged her arm with his wet nose, and
I t was early yet, and Meredith Stoltzfus resisted coming out of the deep sleep she was in. Even though she was toasty warm under the covers, she couldn’t figure out why she felt as though something was different. It wasn’t the feeling of anticipation children get when they wake up on Christmas morning. It was an empty, lonely feeling.
As the cobwebs cleared, she realized it wasn’t just the emptiness she felt—it was the silence and the knowledge that she was alone. Her husband, Luke, had left for Indiana yesterday afternoon, and waking up by herself gave Meredith a really odd feeling. Luke hadn’t been gone twenty-four hours, and already she missed him terribly. Now she just needed to get through the rest of the days until he returned from his uncle’s place, where he’d gone to learn a new trade.
After all,
Meredith reminded herself,
I got through last night, and Luke will only be gone a few weeks. Now the countdown starts, and when each morning begins, it will be one day closer to Luke’s return. There’s plenty to do around here, so I just need to keep busy until the day he walks through our back door.
Meredith had always been active and very organized, and she knew these traits could be used to her advantage. It was time to fill any vulnerable moments by doing something constructive.
Rolling over onto her side and snuggling deeper under the covers, she was reminded that each morning since she’d married Luke fourteen months ago had started out the same.
If Luke was here right now, I’d be waking up with him by my side.
Just then, Fritz, Luke’s German shorthaired pointer who’d been sleeping on the floor beside the bed, snorted several times, sounding like he was snoring.
Meredith giggled, suddenly realizing what else was different this morning. She missed Luke’s snoring. The small simple sound seemed to start Meredith’s day out right. It was a gentle noise—not the deep rumbling her dad’s snoring had always been. Dad had mentioned once that even in his younger days, he’d snored really loud. He’d blamed it on his slightly crooked nose, which had been broken when he’d run into a tree while playing ball as a boy. He said he had trouble breathing out one side of his nose—especially when he was sleeping. Meredith figured that must be true, because when Dad fell asleep in his easy chair each evening after supper, his mouth hung slightly open. When Meredith still lived at home, she’d heard the rumbling snores coming from Mom and Dad’s bedroom almost every single night. Sometimes it had been so loud she’d had to cover her ears with two pillows in order to get to sleep.
Poor Mom,
Meredith thought.
I don’t know how she gets any sleep at all. But then, maybe Mom’s not bothered by Dad’s snoring. Could be she’s gotten used to it over the years.
Meredith glanced at the alarm clock on the table by her bed. Rarely did it have the chance to go off, because Luke’s snoring would start within minutes of when they were supposed to get up. It was amazing that Luke never snored during the night. If he did, it must be really quiet, because Meredith had never heard it, nor had it ever caused her to wake up until the morning hours.
Lying under the covers and continuing to enjoy her thoughts, she recollected how on most mornings it was hard not to laugh at the sounds Luke made. He sounded so content with each breath he took in and blew out, and she would just lie there quietly with her hand over her mouth and listen.
Luke didn’t seem to mind when Meredith playfully tickled his ear to gently wake him up. That was quite evident when those turquoise eyes opened slowly and looked tenderly into hers. He’d often said that a tickle on the ear was far better than any blaring alarm.
Meredith’s thoughts halted when Fritz, grunting loudly, woke himself up and rose to his feet. Then he plodded over to Meredith’s side of the bed, nudged her arm with his wet nose, and
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