A Home of Their Own (LARGE PRINT PAPERBACK)

Chapter 1.
Favor filled boxes with some of her clothes while Simon stuffed his belongings haphazardly into one of the five suitcases lining their bedroom wall. 
She had already suggested he fold things neatly to fit more in, but with her mother-in-law in the room, she was unwilling to repeat her advice. Harriet would likely take offence and accuse her of treating him poorly.
Favor pulled more clothing out of the dresser, noticing the paper Harriet insisted they use on the base of the drawers. It was purple with flowers, and the smell of the lavender-scented paper now permeated the room. It was slightly overshadowed by the strong cleaning products that Harriet had used earlier in the kitchen.
When Favor had her own home, she'd choose her own smells. It seemed such a little thing to worry about, but over the past few years, these little things had loomed larger and larger.
Harriet sniffled, then her sobs echoed, bouncing off the hardwood floors.
Favor glanced over to see Harriet on the bed, clutching a handkerchief to her face.
"It's alright, Ma. We're not leaving until the end of the week,” Simon said.
Through her muffled sobs, Harriet responded, "I just can't help it."
Favor felt a pang of sympathy for her mother-in-law and returned her attention to the task at hand. She was far more patient with her in-laws now they were escaping from them.
Harriet clung onto Simon's arm, begging for him not to leave. "Say you won't go."
Favor's head shot around in horror. Was her husband going to weaken as he'd done so many times before?
Simon didn't hesitate with his response. "We'll make the house liveable as soon as possible, and then you and pa can come for a visit."
"Just a visit?" Harriet dabbed at her eyes.
"That's right, Ma, just a visit for now," Simon said firmly.
"It will be so strange without you being here," Harriet whined. "You too, Favor."
Favor offered a smile.
"You'll like it better with us gone," Simon said. "There will be more space, and two fewer people to cook for."
"I like to cook for people."
"Two fewer people to clean for," Simon added, determined to cheer up his mother.
Harriet nodded and wiped her eyes, turning to Favor. "Yes, you aren't very good at chores, Favor. I will not miss cleaning up after you when you already think you've cleaned."
Favor turned away, gritting her teeth. "We'll miss you too."
"We certainly will." Simon smiled at his mother, unaware Favor was being sarcastic.  
"You'll call and tell your father and me how much you miss us, won't you?" Harriet asked.
"Every day." Simon leaned over and kissed his mother's cheek. 
Favor made a face. Why was the woman so clingy? "Every day? We can't make that promise. We might not even have a phone connected. We don't even have a barn yet. We need to set up the house, and then we can build a barn."
Simon looked back at his mother. "We can find a phone, don't worry, Ma. You can come and see our new house in a few weeks."
"It might be months before we get ready, but you'll be our first visitors." Favor stepped in and put her arm around Simon. "Our first home. I can't wait."
"Your father and I are going to help you out. You're going to need money."
"We've got some savings—" Favor started before her husband interrupted her.
"No, Ma. We'll survive." Simon shook his head emphatically. 
"You can't do that, Ma." Favor agreed only because she didn't want to owe her in-laws anything.
Harriet stood up. "We were going to tell you later, but I'll tell you now. Your father and I have put some money aside for you, and you WILL take it. It'll be enough to connect the phone and buy the building materials for the barn. There's no reason to wait for that. That way, we can still be connected in some fashion."
"We're not taking the money. Favor and I want to be independent. I've got money saved."
"So have I!" Favor blurted out.
"Nonsense. You don't even have sheep or livestock. You're going to need us to support you until you get on your feet," Harriet said.
"I get money from the orchard, and I've saved it over the years."
"You do?" Harriet stared at Favor as though she was making up fibs. 
"Yes. It'll be enough to get us through, I'm sure."
Harriet waved her hand in the air. "Take the money anyway. Yes, you must.” 
Simon rubbed his chin. "We'll take it, but if we don't need it, we'll give it back."
Favor wasn't happy about that, but she wasn't going to disagree with her husband and have her mother-in-law wonder if there were cracks in their relationship. "I can get a job, so I think we should see how we do, and then if we get stuck, we'll tell you."
Harriet stared at her. "Get a job? What kind of work can you do?"
"Anything."
“You could get a job if someone gave you one. You don't have a family yet, so that's not going to stop you."  
Favor's head tilted to the side. "I do have a family, Harriet. I have all of you and my other family."
"I mean, you don't have babies."
Favor didn't need to be reminded that they didn't have a child yet.
Harriet didn't stop there. "It took me a long time too. I had many miscarriages and other unfortunate things happen, but I won't go into that. I don't want to start weeping again." She put the handkerchief up to her eyes. "But then I got a most perfect child that God could ever give anyone." Harriet looked adoringly at Simon.
"Aww, Ma." Simon chuckled.
Favor blinked rapidly so the tears forming in her eyes wouldn't escape. Harriet had been through a lot of tragedies, and that, in part, explained the way she couldn't let go of her only son.
"I just hope we get to move there before your babies start arriving." Harriet clasped her hands to her heart. "I can't wait. I hope God spares me for long enough so I can at least hold your first baby in my arms."
"Of course, you will be. You're not that old." Favor grinned, imagining holding her firstborn in her arms. Apart from marrying Simon, it was all she'd ever wanted.
"Anyone can die at any time. We're not promised a long life, Favor. We're not promised anything at all. And, if you have more than one baby, you'll need someone to take care of them."
"We'll take care of them," Favor said. "My mother raised nine by herself at one point. She had six of her own and three stepchildren."
"Don't forget you said we could move to Willersburg too," Harriet reminded them.
"Yes. That will be fun, won't it?" Favor forced a smile. "Of course, you'd have to sell this farm. Are you really okay with doing that?"
"Yes. We're not attached to this place. Home is where the people we love are." 
"Remember, we want you to live close to us, but not too close. We still need to feel like we're by ourselves." Favor was glad that she'd finally gotten the upper hand and that Simon completely agreed.
"I remember." Harriet nodded. "It depends on what you mean by living close. How close is too close?"
Favor opened her mouth to say something, and then she saw Simon shaking his head. He was right. No one wanted Harriet to start crying again.
Simon put his hand gently on his mother's arm. "We'll figure it out, Ma. One step at a time, okay?"
Harriet nodded. "I must go. It's too upsetting to see you packing."
When Harriet left the room, Simon sat on his bed and rubbed his forehead. "I don't want to leave them by themselves. It feels so odd, like I'm deserting them."
"They'll get by. They've already employed a worker to take your place."
Simon buried his face in his hands. "I'm not sure. Ma has always taken care of us."
Favor was a little annoyed with Simon. He was a grown man! "Don't go back on everything now. We've bought the land and the house! You know we need to do this." Favor placed her hands on her hips. The bitter taste of resentment filled her mouth, and her teeth clenched around her tongue.
"Yes, you're right. It's just going to be hard to leave them."
"We're not leaving them. Well, we are, but it's only temporary. They've agreed to sell this place to join us in Willersburg."
"We'd better go check on her. We need to show them we want them in our lives."
Favor pulled the sliding closet door shut, and the door slammed, pushing the frame against the wall with a loud thud. "Yes, near us, but not too close."
"Exactly." Simon clutched Favor's hand and guided her to the door.  
Favor went with him, not particularly eager to rehash the conversation about relocating, yet knowing it was necessary.
Harriet and Melvin weren't in the kitchen or the living room, so Simon knocked on his parents' closed bedroom door.
"Ma? Pa? It's me," he called out.
"Come in, son," his father answered.
"We're in here," Harriet added.
Simon opened the door to see his parents kneeling by the bed with a box of documents between them. 
There were papers on the floor and Favor noticed Melvin's hand shaking slightly.
Melvin glanced up at Simon. "We can't find the deed."
Favor stepped further into the room to the sound of Harriet shuffling papers. "The deed?" 
"The deed to the land. It's not here."
"This is where we keep our essential documents," Harriet stated.
"Maybe you put it somewhere else," Simon suggested.
"Could someone explain what a deed is?" Favor scrunched her shoulders.
Melvin rose to his feet. "The deed is… well, without the deed, we can't sell the farm. The lawyers need the deed to transfer the ownership to the new owners."
To Favor, it was an answer to prayer. They'd have to stay there until they found the deed. That could be months.
"It must be in there somewhere." Simon kneeled with his mother and started lifting the papers.
"Let me think if I put it somewhere else." Harriet tapped on her chin while she thought.
"So, it's a piece of paper, like a certificate?" Favor asked.
"Yes." Melvin stared down at the papers. "You must've put it somewhere else, dear, because it's not here. It's good we didn't put the house up for sale yet." 
"Yes, that's true. We would've been embarrassed when we found no deed."
Favor's nose wrinkled. "Are you sure you can't sell without it? It's just a piece of paper."
Harriet sighed. "No, we can't. It's proof that we own it, and we're not selling a house that we don't own. This is a sign, Simon. It's a sign that you should stay here longer. Yes, that's it. Otherwise, it throws out our whole timeline of things."
Fury swept across Favor. What about their timeline? She kept quiet and stared at Simon, hoping he would set his mother straight.
Simon stood up. "I wouldn't say that's right, Ma."
"If you stay longer, we could help you start your family."
Simon frowned. "We don't need help starting a family."
"I was talking about your first child. I can look after it while Favor sleeps. She'll be tired. All new mothers get exhausted. Favor tires more than most people. I'll look after the baby while she sleeps."
"I can't have babies here!" It was all too much for Favor. The words had slipped off her tongue.
Everyone looked at her, shocked at the outburst.
Harriet blinked rapidly. "You can. You can stay here and have one baby here. Once that one is born, you can move on."
"No. I don't want to." Favor no longer cared about anyone's feelings but her own.
"Why not?" Harriet asked. "It's what people do."
"What?" Favor turned to Simon. "What did she say?"
Simon licked his lips, and then he looked back at his mother. "That's what we're trying to do, Ma. We're going to have a child in God's timing. It seems the timing will be when we're in our own home, seeing as though we're not going to have one by the end of the week."
Now Favor wanted to laugh at the thought of popping a baby out within a few days, but she kept a straight face to avoid offending anyone.
Favor couldn't wait to get to her new house, where she'd no longer have to worry about laughing in the wrong places or making a comment that would offend someone.
A smile appeared on Harriet's lips. "You'll want a house with a yard."
"I've got it all planned out. We'll have plenty of room for the children to play. Simon will build them a safe yard that is not connected to any animal yards."
"The animals aren't a danger, Favor. You only think that because you grew up in an apple orchard. I'll teach you which animals are safe around the children. There are a lot of things you need to learn. Won't you stay?"
Favor looked away from her mother-in-law in disbelief. Harriet was starting to sound like an abandoned child, begging for someone to stay with her. 
"Why are you doing this, Ma? Favor and I want to leave here feeling happy."
"I can't help being upset. You're my children. It's what parents do."
"We've grown up. We're married, and we need our own home. God has given that to us."
Favor said, "Yes, and it would be rude to turn our backs on what God has given us."
"You're still my children, and I count you as my child now too, Favor."
Favor walked across the room and stopped in front of her. "We're adults; now we need to make our own decisions."
"The decision has been made, Ma. We're going at the end of the week. The house is waiting for us, and we're not going to change our minds no matter how much you cry."
Harriet's mouth fell open, and then her bottom lip wobbled. 
"Simon's right. They'll manage just fine without us, Harriet." 
They all turned to see Melvin, who'd been quiet over the last few minutes. 
Melvin looked up at Harriet, who was now glaring at him. "I'll look in the kitchen for the deed," Melvin said. 
"Good idea," Harriet called after him as he walked away. "Look in the bottom drawer."
Harriet pouted and looked back at Simon. "Young people think they can do anything. I hope one day you'll learn you do need help from family. That's the natural order of things. It's the way it's always been."
"We'll have Cherish, and Cherish has friends. We've met them, and they're lovely," Simon told his mother. 
A smile spread across Favor's face. Simon seemed fully on board with everything. He was even standing up to his mother.  
"There are a few couples there that are our age. Our new neighbors have alpacas."
"I believe you've mentioned alpacas once or twice before, Simon," Harriet said.
"Yes. I probably have. I'm quite fascinated by them, and so is Favor."
"Oh, that's not good. People who raise those kinds of animals cannot get on with people who have sheep or cattle. You're a sheep and cattle farmer, Simon. That will never leave you. I believe you won't get along with those neighbors."
He laughed. "We've met them, and we like them. I'm not sure what we'll do on the land when we get there, but that's the first thing we'll figure out. Alpacas don't need as much land as sheep."
Favor grinned as she thought about their exciting new start in life. "Yes, my friend Emma told me they're thirty percent more efficient grazers than sheep. Anyway, we'll talk with Emma and Zeke when we get there. They're the ones with the alpacas, our next-door neighbors." 
Harriet raised her chin. "We'll see what Pa has to say about it. He knows about most things. Maybe he'll give you some advice on alpacas. I'll go and see what he thinks."
"Okay, thanks, Ma."
Harriet hugged Simon before she walked out of her bedroom.
Favor sighed and slumped onto the bed. "Now we're going to have to listen to what your father knows about alpacas."
Simon chuckled. "Don't worry. It'll be a short conversation. I don't think he knows anything."
Favor huffed. "Will she get used to the idea that we're leaving?"
"I'm not sure how long it'll take her, but she'll get there. She'll have to." Simon put his arm around Favor and sat on the bed with her. "In my opinion, she's only acting like a mother who's afraid she's going to lose her children. That might be why she wants us to stay here, and that's only normal."
Favor patted his arm. "She's not going to lose us. They can live nearby in a few years, and we'll have lots of land and animals. Then we'll have lots of babies."
Simon's eyes lit up. "I like the sound of many babies, but I think they'll move sooner. It won't be years."
"It might take them years to find the deed to the house." Favor was pleased that circumstances were on her side for a change.
Simon narrowed his eyes at her. "Do you have anything to do with the deed going missing?"
Her mouth fell open. "Me?"
He nodded. 
"How could you think that?"
"I don't know. I'm just asking."
Favor looked down at the mess that was left on the floor. "Oh, look at all this. Somehow this will end up being my fault too." Favor sat down on the floor and neatly placed all the papers into the box.

THE AMISH BONNET SISTERS

Book 1 Amish Mercy

Book 2 Amish Honor

Book 3 A Simple Kiss

Book 4 Amish Joy

Book 5 Amish Family Secrets

Book 6 The Englisher

Book 7 Missing Florence

Book 8 Their Amish Stepfather

Book 9 A Baby For Florence

Book 10 Amish Bliss

Book 11 Amish Apple Harvest

Book 12 Amish Mayhem

Book 13 The Cost of Lies

Book 14 Amish Winter of Hope

Book 15 A Baby For Joy

Book 16 The Amish Meddler

Book 17 The Unsuitable Amish Bride

Book 18 Her Amish Farm

Book 19 The Unsuitable Amish Wedding

Book 20 Her Amish Secret

Book 21 Amish Harvest Mayhem

Book 22 Amish Family Quilt

Book 23 Hope's Amish Wedding

Book 24 A Heart of Hope

Book 25 A Season for Change

Book 26 Amish Farm Mayhem

Book 27 The Stolen Amish Wedding

Book 28 A Season for Second Chances

Book 29 A Change of Heart

Book 30 The Last Wedding

Book 31 Starting Over

Book 32 Love and Cherish

Book 33 Amish Neighbors

Book 34 Her Amish Quilt

Book 35 A Home of Their Own

Book 36 A Chance for Love

Book 37 Her Amish Wish

Book 38 Amish Harvest Time

Book 39 Whispers of Change

Book 40 Her Hopeful Heart

Book 41 Return to Love's Promise

Book 42 Amish Circle of Blessings