Amish Promises by Leslie Gould

relied on other Army wives at different bases through the years, but many of them stayed home to care for their children while Shani always had a nursing job.
    After getting acquainted at Fort Hood, she and Nikki had started a friendship once Shani and Zane moved to Philly from California. That was before the woman broke up with Charlie by email, on the same day Shani was arranging for her dad to come stay with Zane so she could fly to Germany to be with Joel.
    But Shani had never had a neighbor she could pop over to see or share child care. Or recipes. She smiled. It could happen.
    Shani opened the side door and told the girls to wait for her at the bottom of the steps. The baby had fallen asleep and stayed that way as her aunt lugged the heavy seat toward the house.
    Shani directed the children to ascend the steps on the opposite side of the broken railing and then warned them not to go near it. Zane rolled his eyes at her, which she ignored. “In fact,” she added, “after this use the back door until the railing is fixed.”
    She reached out to help Eve with the car seat, and together they carried it into the house. Then Eve put it down in the corner of the living room, closest to the window.
    Charlie and Zane had already arranged the living room furniture. Her and Joel’s bedroom set and Zane’s bed were pushed up against the far wall. Both would need to go upstairs. She and Joel would use her grandfather’s bed on the main floor for the time being.
    She glanced at the boys, sizing them up. “Daniel, have you ever put a bed together?”
    â€œOf course.”
    Zane had helped Charlie take the beds apart, but he’d never put one together. “You boys take Zane’s bed up and put it together,” Shani said. “Then put the queen bed together in the guest room.”
    â€œI thought that was the baby’s room,” Zane said.
    She hesitated, surprised to hear him mention the baby. Out of all the changes in their lives during the past months, the baby was the one Zane seemed the most unsettled about. Frankly, the mostembarrassed by. None of his friends’ moms were having babies anymore. “Pardon?” she said.
    â€œThe little guy’s room. He can’t sleep in a big bed.”
    She smiled at the thought. “His crib will fit up there too.”
    Zane nodded, grabbed a hammer and his headboard, and led the way to the staircase, with Daniel right behind him, carrying the footboard.
    â€œHow about if we unpack the kitchen?” Shani said to Eve. “And you girls can put the towels in the bathroom cupboard.” She pointed to a box along the wall. “Move it together.”
    As soon as the girls started pushing the box, Shani headed into the kitchen. Eve followed.
    Shani opened a box on the counter. Glasses. She pointed to the cupboard closest to the sink. “You can put those in there,” she said to Eve.
    â€œSo you know the baby’s a boy?” Eve said as she pulled the wrapping paper from a glass. “Zane called him ‘the little guy.’”
    â€œThat’s what the ultrasound showed.” Shani opened a box of plates. “Sometimes they can be wrong, but not often.”
    â€œJah,” Eve said. “We thought Simon was going to be a girl. Tim was so happy the test was wrong.”
    Shani asked, “Do Amish women usually get ultrasounds?”
    â€œSome do. It depends on her doctor. But Abra had some complications with the twins. Tim was worried . . .”
    Shani waited a moment, expecting the woman to say more. When she didn’t, Shani said, “Tim said Abra died five months ago. From cancer.”
    Eve inhaled sharply, the glass shaking in her hand.
    â€œI’m sorry,” Shani said.
    The woman nodded. “Her death broke our hearts. She’s the one who held us all together.”
    â€œIt’s good of you to help your brother out—to care for his family like you