A Reluctant Bride (41 page)
Aden didn't know what to say. He didn't like the idea of his mother living alone. But he couldn't force her to leave her home.
Mamm
opened her purse, which had been sitting in her lap. “I didn't come here just to tell you about
yer daed
.” She pulled out a thick envelope. “These are the papers Emmanuel has been looking for. The ones that belong to the Schrocks.”
Aden's jaw dropped. “You've had them all this time?”
Mamm
nodded. “Hannah Schrock gave them to me two weeks before the accident, for safekeeping. She didn't explain why, she only asked that I keep them for her for a little while. When
yer vatter
was so set on Sadie marrying Sol, then you, I knew this was what he wanted.”
“But you didn't give them to him.”
“They weren't mine to give.” She looked away. “I made a promise to Hannah, and I kept it.” She handed the papers to Aden. “These are yours now.”
Aden took them, too stunned to say anything. His mother was hiding something. He could tell. She'd never gone against his father . . . except for this. How had Hannah convinced her not to give the papers to
Daed
? Eventually he'd try to find out, but not now. His mother was too hurt, too raw from
Daed
's abandonment. He had to keep himself from crumpling the papers in his hand. His father continued to wound the family even when he wasn't here.
Mamm
stood. “I need to
geh
home.”
“You're not going alone.” Sol also stood. “Aden, I'll still keep my promise to help you with the door and the frames. But I'm going home with
Mamm
.”
Aden waited for their mother to object. Instead she nodded. “
Danki, sohn
.”
Sadie brushed out her long hair as she listened for voices and movement downstairs. After she saw Aden, Sol, and their mother start for the house, she'd run upstairs to her room. She needed to give them their privacy, although she was curious about what was happening.
She set down the brush on her nightstand at the same time she heard Aden's footsteps outside the door. They were familiar to her now, and also welcomed. She stood as he opened the door and walked into the room, his eyes wide with shock and carrying an envelope. Without hesitation she went to him. He put his arms around her and hugged her close.
“
Daed
left,” he said, stepping away from her. She listened as he explained what happened, ending the explanation by handing her the envelope. “
Mamm
had it all along.”
Sadie took the envelope. “Why would
mei mamm
give it to
yer mamm
?”
“
Mamm
didn't know.”
She looked at him and saw the stress and fatigue around his eyes. While she was thankful the papers were found, they could talk about it in the morning.
He met her gaze, and soon she was in his arms again. “I love you,” he said fiercely against her ear. “I hope you don't get tired of hearing that, because I'll never stop saying it.”
Melting against him, she said, “I love you too.”
C
areful!”
“I'm sorry, Sadie,” Joanna said as she got out of the taxi and leaned on her wooden crutches.
“Joanna,” Sadie said, gentling her tone, “you don't have to be sorry. It's okay. I'm worried about you.”
“Please don't worry,” Joanna said. “I promise. I'll be fine.”
As Aden helped Abigail with their bags and took care of the taxi driver's fare, Joanna looked up at the house. “Home,” she whispered. “I can't believe I'm finally here.”
Sadie hugged her lightly. “I'm so glad you are.”
As the car pulled out of the driveway, Aden carried the bags inside while the sisters slowly made their way to the house. Joanna balanced herself well on the crutches. She had made great strides since Sadie's last visit a couple of weeks ago. She had been dismissed from the rehabilitation center yesterday. After spending the night at Mary's, Abigail and Joanna had come home.
In the month since Emmanuel Troyer left Birch Creek, the church had pieced itself back together. After a secret ballot,
the new bishop of Birch Creek was none other than Freemont Yoder, who had said all along he'd never want the job. The new minister was Joel Zook's older brother Jacob, who wasn't thrilled with his new responsibility either. But both men had taken on their appointed duties with solemn enthusiasm once the shock had worn off, and the community had decided to hold a new ballot if they needed a second minister or a deacon in the future.
“You'll like
yer
new room,” Sadie said as they neared the house. “Aden and Sol just finished it the other day. There's a bathroom nearby too.”
“You thought of everything.” Joanna's smiled dimmed a bit. “I wish I had
mei
old room,” she whispered. Then she looked at Sadie. “Not that I'm ungrateful.”
Sadie nodded. “I know. And it's temporary. Once you're able to get up the stairs easily, you can have
yer
old room back. We can use that room as a spare, or a sewing room, or a pantry, orâ”
“Or a nursery.” Abigail winked at Joanna and they both laughed.
Sadie smiled, her face flushing. Little did they know she had thought the same thing.
Once Joanna and Abigail had spent some time in their rooms and the family had lunch, Aden excused himself to work on his hive frames, which he wanted to complete by spring. Homer, who had by now decided to stick around, followed him outside. Sol had helped with some of the frames, along with making a brand-new kitchen door and installing it himself. He had decided to open up his own carpentry and handyman business and devote the rest of his time to taking care of his mother, who was still convinced Emmanuel would come back.
Aden and Sadie didn't think he would.
“I want to
geh
see
Mamm
and
Daed
's room,” Joanna said after they finished cleaning the kitchen.
Sadie shook her head, remembering how difficult it had been for her the first time she'd gone in. “We can do that some other time.”
“My last memories of them are when we picked apples. I need to see their room. I need to be closer to them.”
Sadie looked at Abigail. Her sister nodded, and they assisted Joanna up the stairs. Other than putting some things away after searching the room, Sadie hadn't been in there. Everything remained the same, except for the two boxes she'd left in the middle of the floor.
Abigail and Joanna went into the room, and Abigail helped her sister sit on the floor. Together they started going through one of the boxes, Abigail lifting the half-finished knitted sock and commenting how their mother had tried to learn how to knit but could never master it. Joanna found the cookbook, and she carefully studied each page as if it were a lifeline to her mother.
Sadie held back, not wanting to intrude. Joanna and Abigail had a special bond now, and while Sadie didn't feel exactly like an outsider, she wanted to give her sisters a chance to heal on their own terms.
She felt Aden's arm slip around her waist. “How are they doing?” he whispered.
“They're okay.” She moved out of her husband's embrace and into the hallway. He followed.
She leaned against Aden, feeling his heartbeat against her chest, thankful once again that God had created a beautiful, loving relationship from the damaged pieces of broken hearts and souls.
“We're all going to be okay,” she said. And she truly believed it.
A
special thank-you to Kelly Long and Eddie Columbia for their fabulous critiques and brainstorming sessions. Thanks to Eric Francis for generously providing his beekeeping expertise. As always, I appreciate my editors, Becky Monds and Jean Bloom, for their excellent editing skills, and my agent, Susan Brower, for her support.
Most of all, I thank you, dear readers, for joining me on another reading journey.
1. Sadie chose not to tell anyone that Sol molested her in the cornfield. Do you think that was the right decision? Who should she have told? How would revealing her secret help her heal?
2. Aden also kept his abuse a secret. Could he have reached out to anyone? What do you think the consequences would have been?
3. Despite being the victim of abuse, Aden stayed true to himself and maintained strong faith. In what ways do you think his faith affected him?
4. Sadie had a difficult time letting go and grieving for her parents. Have you ever felt a time in your life when you had to be strong for others? How did that affect you emotionally and spiritually?
5. Do you believe Sol has truly repented? Do you think his change of heart will continue to have a positive effect on his behavior?
6. At the end of the story, Sadie believes that God brought her and Aden together to help heal their brokenness. Do
you believe God can use painful circumstances for healing? Have you experienced that kind of healing in your life?
7. Rhoda believes Emmanuel left Birch Creek to confront his past. She also believes he will return. Do you think Emmanuel will come back to Birch Creek? Can he be redeemed?
8. Sadie kept pushing people away instead of sharing her grief and pain. Eventually she realized she didn't have to bear her burdens alone. How important is family and community support in the grieving process?
