A Man of His Word (25 page)

“That hit the spot.”

Moriah watched as Gabriel leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped over his flat stomach, covering the bottom part of the straps of his suspenders.

“I should hope so,” she said good-naturedly, eyeing the remnants of the huge meal he’d consumed—scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage links, fried potatoes, a biscuit, and two cups of coffee. Her breakfast of maple-and-brown-sugar oatmeal paled in comparison.

“Sure you don’t want anything else?” he said. “The food here isn’t half-bad. Not like your cooking, of course.”

She blushed. “
Danki
. I enjoy cooking.”

“I enjoy eating what you cook.” He straightened, suddenly appearing flustered. “I mean, I enjoyed what you used to cook . . . before Levi—oh forget it, you know what I mean.”

“I do.” She smiled. “I’m looking forward to cooking for you all again.”

“I hope that’s exactly what happens.”

“You hope?” Moriah looked at him, uncertainty puncturing her bubble of hope. “You don’t think he’s coming back?”

He held up his hand. “
Nee
,
nee
. That’s not what I meant. Only that it will take time for him to heal.”

She paused before responding, looking at him for a long moment. While his words said one thing, the doubt flickering in his eyes said another. But she wouldn’t let Gabriel’s reservations about Levi distract her from making sure that her husband and her marriage were fully restored. “We should get back,” she said, pushing away from the table.

“
Ya
.”

“I need to call
Mami
first. She’ll want to know how Levi is faring. I also need some clothes, and Levi will probably want some of his things too once he’s feeling better.”

“I tell you what,” Gabriel said, rising from his chair. He picked up the small Styrofoam container that held a blueberry muffin for John. “Don’t worry about calling your
mudder
. I’ll take a taxi back to Middlefield and visit her myself. Let me know what you need and what I should bring for Levi, and I’ll make sure it’s done.”

“You don’t have to do that—”

“Moriah, I don’t mind. I have to head back and check on the shop anyway. I left Aaron in charge. I’m sure everything’s fine, but he hasn’t worked for us very long, so I need to check up on him.”

“All right,” she said as they walked out of the cafeteria together. A sense of eagerness enveloped her at the thought of seeing Levi again. Maybe he would be awake by the time they got back. If not, then surely he would be sometime today. She wanted to be there when it happened.

They exited the elevator on the second floor and walked down the hallway to the intensive care unit. When they stopped by the waiting room, it was empty. “
Daed
must be with Levi,” Gabriel said. Turning the corner, he pressed a large silver disk, which opened the ICU’s double doors. They stepped into the unit and walked to Levi’s room.

Moriah’s breath caught when she looked through the glass that formed one wall of Levi’s room. John was seated beside Levi, holding his hand . . . and Levi’s eyes were open. Tears clouded her vision, and she barely saw John motion for her and Gabriel to come in.

Once inside, John gestured for Moriah to sit in his chair. She did so, then stared at her husband. She almost couldn’t believe he was finally awake. Filled with gratitude, she couldn’t speak.

“Hi,” he said, his voice barely audible.

“Oh, Levi.” She took his hand and held it. He didn’t squeeze back, but she didn’t care. The tears fell down her cheeks.

“Moriah . . . please.” He looked at her, his eyes barely open due to the bruising. “Don’t.”

“I’m sorry.” She briskly wiped at her cheeks and smiled.

“That’s better.” He turned his gaze from hers and looked at Gabriel. “Glad you’re here.”

Moriah glanced over her shoulder at Gabriel, who was swallowing hard. He moved to the opposite side of the bed so that they surrounded Levi.

“Don’t try to talk too much,” she said to him. “There’s plenty of time for that.”

Levi shook his head slightly, and she could see it took a lot of effort for him to do so. “Moriah, I want you to know . . . I’m sorry.”

She grasped his hand in both of hers, then kissed his scratched up knuckles. “It’s all right, Levi.”

“
Nee
, it’s not. I don’t deserve you. I never did.”

“Don’t say things like that.”

He closed his eyes and didn’t respond.

A moment later John said, “I think he’s fallen asleep again.” He put his hand on Moriah’s shoulder. “We should let him rest.”

She nodded, then rose from her chair. Taking one last look at her husband, she said, “Don’t worry, Levi. I’ll be back.” Then she turned and John led her out of the room.

Gabe lingered behind. He shook his head as he watched Moriah leave. Despite everything Levi had put her through, she was still tender with him, reassuring him that she would come back. Gabe marveled at her once again.

“Gabe?”

He looked down at Levi, surprised to see him awake again and his gaze intense. That had to be a good sign. “
Ya
,
bruder
?”

“Promise me something.” Levi licked his dry lips.

Bending down closer so he could hear his brother’s weak voice, he said, “Anything, Levi. Whatever you want me to do.”

Levi’s eyes drooped. “Take care of her . . . Take care of Moriah.”

Gabe started to respond but saw that Levi had drifted off to sleep once again. Of course he would take care of Moriah. He would as much as she would allow—or as much as Levi would allow after he came back home.

Turning, he left Levi and went to the waiting room, not wanting to disturb his brother. Moriah and his father were seated on the couch, their expressions more peaceful than he had seen in a long time. He expelled a long breath. Everything would be okay. He truly believed that.

“Have a seat,
sohn
,” John said, gesturing to the chair opposite the cushioned sofa. “How’s Levi?”

Gabe lowered himself into the plush, light-green upholstered seat. “He fell asleep again.”

“Not surprised. He’s been through a lot, but he’s on the mend now.” Reaching toward Moriah, John patted her hand, and she smiled in return.

Closing his eyes, Gabe settled back in the chair. It was pretty comfortable, and he suddenly became drowsy. He’d catch a short nap, then make arrangements to go back to Middlefield. He wondered how Aaron was doing at the shop. Hopefully they hadn’t had too much business.

“Mrs. Miller?”

Gabe’s eyes flew open at the sound of a male voice. He looked up through sleepy eyes to see a doctor, this one unfamiliar to him. The troubled expression on the man’s face made Gabe bolt upright.

“Yes?” Moriah said, rising from the couch.

She also looked sleepy, and Gabe assumed she had taken a nap while he had been asleep. He glanced up at the clock on the wall. A little over an hour had passed since he’d left Levi.

The doctor walked into the room. He seemed younger than the surgeon who had operated on Levi. Adjusting his rimless glasses on the bridge of his nose, he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Miller.”

“Sorry?” Moriah’s voice cracked. “Sorry for what?”

“We did all we could.”

A metallic taste coated Gabe’s mouth. What was he talking about?

“We’re not sure what happened, but we suspect a clot went to his lung.” The doctor paused to give her time to absorb what he’d said. “This isn’t something we can predict, or plan for. Sometimes it just happens. I’m truly sorry for your loss.”

“My loss?” Moriah raised her hands to her lips. “He’s gone? Levi’s gone?”

“Moriah,” John’s voice, filled with grief, reached Gabe’s ears.

“
Nee
,
nee
. He can’t be gone. He was fine; that other doctor said so. I just saw him!” She turned an accusing glare at Gabe. “You said he was asleep!”

His legs started to shake. “He was when I left.” He faced the doctor, the full meaning of the situation hitting him like a steel rod to his gut. “He was fine when I left.”

“Mr. Miller, it happened so suddenly, only moments ago. I don’t know what else to tell you. Your brother is gone.”

His body felt numb. Levi, dead? It wasn’t possible. Yet one look at the doctor’s expression confirmed the truth.

“
Nee
,” Moriah moaned. She walked to the glass window and put her hand on it. Sobs wracked her body. “He can’t be gone. Not when I finally have him back.”

Gabe, consumed with his own pain, came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She turned and leaned her head against his shoulder, her tears wetting his shirt, her body shaking against his. Unable to control his own grief, he pulled her tightly against him, and they both cried in each other’s arms.

Chapter 11

G
abe, you don’t have to do this.” Tobias put his hand on Gabe’s shoulder. “The fellas and I will handle it.”

“I know you will. Let me help you anyway.”

Tobias shrugged, sorrow reflected in his blue eyes. He handed Gabe a shovel, then stepped back.

Gabe choked back his tears as he thrust his shovel into the nearby pile of dirt that had been dug out of the ground the day before. He tossed the first heap of soil onto his brother’s grave.

The funeral service had ended a short time ago, and everyone but four of Levi’s friends, who had served as pallbearers along with Tobias and Luke, had left for the house. The six men had stayed behind to bury Levi. The Byler family was at his house, preparing refreshments for anyone who wanted to pay their respects. John and Moriah had gone back with them, but Gabe had chosen to stay and help finish the burial.

The men worked quickly—too quickly for Gabe’s liking. When the last shovelful of dirt was tamped down across Levi’s grave, Gabe experienced pain so wrenching it threatened to double him over. He knelt beside the fresh soil. His brother, his twin—gone forever. Regrets flooded over him. He had given up on Levi too easily. He should have gone out to Gates Mills more often, worked harder to convince him to come home. Instead he had written him off, letting his anger over his treatment of Moriah supercede everything else.