Plain Peace (A Daughters of the Promise Novel) Read Online Free PDF Page A

they said their prayers. His youngest brother had been sleeping in one of the twin beds in Jacob’s room since they’d moved in a couple of weeks ago.
    Back home, Abe had shared a room with Eli. But Abe had frequent nightmares, and tending to him had left Eli exhausted all the time. Jacob had offered to let Abe sleep in his room for a while so that Eli could get a restful night’s sleep. Jacob wasn’t sleeping well anyway, and as the oldest, he felt like he should take care of Abe. He was trying to set a good example for his siblings, so they could try to get back to some form of normal. His father had just checked out of life, and Jacob knew why, even though he didn’t agree with his father’s way of handling things. Unfortunately, that left Jacob in charge, trying to make sense out of everything.
    “Do you like it here?” Abe said as Jacob climbed in bed. The boy spoke in a whisper, almost as if he was afraid to ask the question.
    Jacob fluffed his pillow and crossed his ankles beneath the light blanket, thankful for the breeze blowing in through the openwindow. “ Ya , I do. It’s a gut move for us, Abe.” He snubbed out the lantern but stayed sitting up, locking his hands behind his head. “You’ll think so too, once you make some new friends.”
    As the wind stirred the tree branches outside the window, shadows from the leaves danced across the ceiling, and Jacob leaned his head back and focused on the rhythmic movement while remembering their life back in Ohio. He could feel Abe’s pain, but he worked hard these days to hide his emotions in front of his family.
    “Do you think Leah can see us?” Abe was still whispering.
    “I don’t know. Maybe.” Jacob rubbed his eyes, hoping that sleep would come. “But I’m sure she’s having fun in heaven.” He paused as he eased himself down and pulled the sheet to his chest. “And I know she’d want you to make lots of friends and not to worry about her.”
    He closed his eyes and pictured Leah’s face—her soft blue eyes, her dainty features, and the way tendrils of hair, pale as a field of grain, often escaped her kapp . Leah had lit up any room she was in, and everyone had loved her.
    Jacob fought the tears building in his eyes. Each night when darkness fell across the room, it encircled his heart as well, the thoughts and memories overwhelming him. It was during these times that he allowed himself to feel the pain.

    Cora crawled into bed beside her husband and wondered if he’d ever touch her again. John’s head was buried in a book, his way of avoiding her and conversation. As she rubbed lotion on her hands and arms, she worried how long her husband was going to punishhimself for Leah’s death. It had been over a year now, and none of them had really recovered. In fact, the first-year anniversary in May had seemed to make things worse, especially for John.
    But life had to go on. Even Jacob was making strides by attending the volleyball game today, and her oldest son constantly encouraged the other kinner to make new friends. But Cora knew that Jacob was hurting as much as all of them.
    She took a deep breath, dreading another confrontation with her husband, yet so tired from trying to be both parents. “Eli seems very bitter about the move,” she said as she placed the lotion on her nightstand.
    John didn’t look up from his book. “He will adjust.”
    Cora bit her lip. If she pushed, this conversation could become a full-blown argument. But God didn’t seem to be hearing her prayers these days, so she at least needed her husband to show some understanding. “You have to talk to him, John. Jacob does his best with both the younger boys, but they need their father. You can’t keep . . .” She trailed off when John snapped the book closed, then quickly snubbed out the lantern.
    “Another long day. I’m going to sleep.” He lay back down and turned on his side, his back to her.
    As she sat in the darkness, a part of her wanted to reach