Malinda leaned her head against the cool window of the big white van that was transporting her home. She had hugged Aenti Mary and apologized for getting sick when she'd come to help her aenti — as if she could control when a flare-up of her Crohn's disease would occur. And this had been a particularly nasty flare-up that had necessitated hospitalization. She still felt tired, weak, and sickly thin, but she was relieved to be out of the hospital and on her way home. She would have to endure Mamm's clucking over her like a mother hen and pushing all kinds of gooey goodies at her to fatten her up. The very thought of food made Malinda's stomach turn inside out, but the idea of climbing into her own comfortable, familiar bed soon settled her gut down a bit.

Malinda closed her eyes to stop the dizziness caused by the trees zooming past the window. Maybe she could sleep the whole nine-hour ride away. She didn't want to appear rude to the other passengers, who would disembark at various towns along the way, but she wasn't up to holding lengthy conversations. If she looked half as sick as she felt, they'd probably all steer clear of her anyway. Her head bumped against the window as the van chugged along. Lest a pounding headache ensue, Malinda slid down as much as the seat belt would allow and leaned her head against the back of the high seat. Conversations, some in Pennsylvania Dutch and others in Englisch, swirled around her, but she finally tuned them out. If only she could tune out the voices in her own head.

Had she given Todd McWilliams any indication she was even remotely interested in him as anything other than her health care provider? Why would he assume she could just up and jump the fence? She'd never had any desire to leave her community. Sure, some aspects of the Englisch life might be appealing, but not so appealing that she'd sacrifice her beliefs, her family, and her freinden for the luxury of turning on an electric light or jumping into a car for a quick ten-minute drive to the grocery store.

And what was with Nurse Trudy? For a brief moment, the nurse's eyes had shot daggers at her from across the room before she assumed her professional nurse expression. It seemed almost as if the young nurse, who was probably only a few years older than Malinda, had feared Malinda was stealing her man. She needn't have worried. Malinda had been a little flattered, but mostly confused and frightened. She was glad Trudy had entered the room when she did to save Malinda from being alone with the doctor any longer. Ach! It was too much to think about now. Ohio would soon be behind her.

The hum of rubber tires on the pavement and the steady drone of voices lulled Malinda to sleep. She only vaguely noticed any stops the van made until they reached the mountains of western Maryland. Somewhere near Oakland, the van lurched to a stop.

"Ach! Sorry, dear." The blonde, fortyish woman who had been sitting beside Malinda with her knitting needles clacking the whole way spoke softly. Her elbow poked Malinda as she gathered up her purse and small knitting bag in preparation to climb from the van. "Oops. Sorry."

Malinda turned bleary eyes in the woman's direction. "That's okay." With her throat as dry as dust, Malinda's voice came out as a croak. She cleared her throat and sat up straighter to look out the window. "Do you live here?"

"Jah. There are several Amish and Mennonite communities here." The woman smiled. If she'd told Malinda her name earlier, Malinda couldn't recall it now.

"It's beautiful." Malinda stared in awe at the surrounding mountains, all green with summer vegetation. She must have dozed through this region on the way out to Ohio. "It must be amazing in the winter, all snow-covered."

"Jah. We certainly get our share of snow most winters. It's gut for business. We get tourists all year round with the ski resorts in winter and the campers and hikers in summer."

"It must be very nice here."

"Very nice, but it can be very cold in winter. A little thing like you would surely freeze."

"Probably." Some winters in Southern Maryland were so cold and snowy, Malinda wanted to do nothing more than huddle beside the woodstove with one of Mamm's thickest quilts wrapped snugly around her.

Of course, she rarely had that luxury. There were always chores to complete, which Malinda often did with chattering teeth. Being the only girl in a family with five bruders meant plenty of cooking, cleaning, washing, and mending needed to get done. Mamm needed her help. She hoped Mamm hadn't worked too hard in her absence. They hadn't planned on her being gone so long.

"It's quite lovely here in summer," the woman continued. "It doesn't get unbearably hot, and there is usually at least a small mountain breeze to give you a breath of air."

"It sounds wunderbaar."

"Kumm visit us some time. Just ask for Nora Kinsinger. Most folks around here know me. I have a sewing and stitching store."

"I may just do that one day."

"You'd be most wilkom. Enjoy the rest of your trip, Malinda." With that, Nora Kinsinger jumped from the van and followed the driver to the back to retrieve her larger traveling bag.

Malinda must have told Nora her name when they'd first found themselves strapped in next to each other, but her brain was still too fuzzy to conjure up any memory of that. She didn't know about enjoying the rest of the trip, though. Her backside already felt numb, and she had several more hours of bouncing along in one of the middle seats of the extended van to endure. She'd be ever so glad to reach St. Mary's County.

* * *

She managed to stay awake as the van twisted and turned on the narrow mountain roads. Malinda found herself whispering prayers on some of the steeper descents. The runaway truck ramps for big rigs that couldn't slow down gave her some cause for concern. She turned slightly and craned her neck to peek out the back window to assure herself that no eighteen- wheelers were rumbling down the mountain behind the van. Towering peaks kissing the cloudless blue sky and dark and light green patchwork valleys provided breathtaking views, but Malinda still heaved a sigh of relief when the highway leveled off and the mountain roads were behind them.

Malinda dozed off and on as the van zipped along the interstate and only fully awoke when it made a left turn right after they crossed the line into Charles County. Depending on traffic, and how fast the driver pushed them, she might be home in St. Mary's County in twenty to thirty minutes. The Englischer who usually drove her family or neighbors places too far to travel by buggy was a very cautious driver who strictly obeyed speed limits and road signs. The Ohio man behind the wheel of this van was totally unfamiliar to Malinda and seemed to be a bit more of a risk taker. Malinda knew they had only barely squeaked through several yellow traffic lights, and she felt pretty sure they had exceeded the speed limit on more than one occasion.

She wiggled in her seat and stretched out her tingly legs. She hoped they would hold her weight, slight though it was, when she finally stood. She also hoped she'd be able to unglue her backside from the seat. The driver had said he planned to stop at the grocery store in Clover Dale. Her daed or mamm would meet them there. That way the driver could more quickly head back home....