His Love Endures Forever (12 page)

“So . . . ,” Martha finally said. “When is this baby due to arrive?”

“I haven’t been to the doctor, but I’m guessing around Christmas.” Danielle blotted her eyes with a tissue, sniffling.

“Hmm . . .” Martha looked at Arnold for a moment, then back at Danielle. “I guess we have lots to do then, don’t we? We’ll need to fix up the extra room upstairs.” She crossed one leg over the other. “Don’t cry now. We’re not going to throw you out or anything.” She smiled. “Our little family is about as untraditional as you can get. Me and Arnold married late in life, our runaway semi-adopted daughter, a big ol’ hound named Dude, and now . . .” Her smile grew. “A baby.”

Danielle started crying out of relief, and because Martha referred to her as a daughter, but also because she had more to say.

“Honey . . .” Martha lifted herself from the recliner, walked to the couch, and sat down beside Danielle. She put an arm around her and pulled her close, something Danielle could never remember her own mother doing. “It might not be the ideal situation, but a baby is a blessing.”

Danielle recalled Levi saying the same thing. “There’s more,” Danielle whispered as she eased out of Martha’s arms. “I’m going to marry Levi. He asked me, and we love each other.” She sat taller, as if that would make her more convincing.

Martha’s eyes grew round. “Do
what
?”

Danielle glanced at Arnold in his recliner. His eyes were also wide, and he had leaned forward in the chair.

“Levi asked me to marry him. He said he feels called by God to do this. At first I said no, but then he convinced me that it’s the right choice. And I know we’re best friends, but we love each other too, and we want to be a family, and . . .” Danielle took a breath, knowing she was rambling but wanting to have everything out in the open. “We’re going to live in that old house down the street from where his parents live. We’re going to fix it up, and—”

“Stop.” Martha stood up, walked to the fireplace, and placed both hands on the mantel. After a few long moments, she turned around and faced Danielle. “You cannot ask Levi to do this.”

Danielle’s heart almost broke. She’d thought Martha might be happy, the one person who would share her joy about being a mother. “I didn’t ask him.” She squeaked the words out. “Not at first anyway. He asked me.”

“Vera has told me that out of all her children, Levi is the most devout to the faith. And now you’re telling me that he is going to leave everything he loves to marry you, a young woman who is pregnant with someone else’s baby?”

Danielle started to sob.

“Honey, I’m not trying to hurt you, just stating a fact. Why would Levi do this?” Martha shook her head. “And why would you let him? It’s a noble gesture, but it’s a huge sacrifice. Do you realize how much?”

“Then I won’t marry him!” Danielle jumped off the couch and faced Martha.

Arnold stood up and walked between the two women.
“Ladies, let’s calm down. I have something to say about all this. Everyone sit down.”

He spoke with such authority, Danielle and Martha did as instructed; Martha returned to her recliner, and Danielle went back to the couch. Arnold stayed standing, glancing back and forth between them, his eyes ultimately landing on Danielle.

“Do you love Levi, Danielle?”

She nodded.

“And he asked you to marry him?”

Danielle nodded again. “I even offered to become Amish, but Levi said no.”

Arnold smiled at Martha. “Snookums, you’re just going to have to let these young people make their own decisions. Remember, we’re not in control . . . any more than Danielle and Levi are.”

Martha folded her arms across her chest, scowling like a small child. “Yes, dear.”

Arnold sat down beside Danielle on the couch. He lifted her chin, then kissed her on the cheek. “A baby is a blessing from the Lord, so however it happened, God has chosen this path for your life. But you still have free will, Danielle. Make good decisions.”

Danielle hugged him, and by the time she eased away, Martha was on the other side of the couch, her arms outstretched. Danielle slowly fell into the woman’s arms and cried as Martha stroked her hair.

“Aw, Danielle. I love you, honey. If this is really what you and Levi want, I’ll help you however I can.”

Danielle cried harder. She’d always known that Martha
loved her, but it was the first time she’d said it. “I love you too,” she whispered.

Still stroking Danielle’s hair, Martha sighed. “But ol’ Vera is gonna come unhinged. You know that, right?”

L
EVI WAS AT
his cousin Eli’s house first thing Saturday morning.

If anyone knew about complicated family stuff, it would be Eli. His first wife had died, and he’d raised six children by himself; then he married Katie Ann and now raised her son as his own.

“
Guder mariye
, Levi.” Eli pushed the front door open, and the house smelled of freshly cooked bacon and homemade biscuits. Levi stepped over the threshold.

“
Guder mariye
. I’m sorry to come by so early, I just wanted to know if I could talk to you for a few minutes.”

Eli grabbed his hat from the rack. “
Ya
. I was just heading out to the barn to load a dresser I finished and haul it to the store. Katie Ann already left with Jonas to go open the store before the Saturday rush.” He smiled, motioning with his hand for Levi to follow him. “I could use a hand loading it.”

Levi followed, closing the door behind him. Eli and Katie Ann had opened a shop at the front of their property not long after they’d gotten married a year ago. They’d named it Blessings and Such, and it had become popular with the
Englisch
. Eli’s daughter Frieda helped Katie Ann run the shop. Eli stayed busy building furniture and tending the land.

After they loaded the dresser onto the small flatbed trailer
Eli had hooked up behind the buggy, he asked Levi what was on his mind.

Levi leaned against the fence separating the front yard from the rest of Eli’s property. “I’m getting married.”

Eli grinned. “Sarah Troyer?”

Levi knew this was going to be a common response. “Uh,
nee
. I’m marrying Danielle Kent.”

His cousin’s smile faded.

“The
Englisch
girl?” Eli pulled off his hat, scratched his forehead. “I thought I’d heard you were courting Sarah Troyer.”

Levi looked at the ground as he kicked at the dirt with one foot. “I’ve taken her to a few singings.” He looked back up at Eli. “But that’s really all.”

Eli walked to where Levi was standing and leaned against the fence beside him. Together they watched the sun rising above the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Then Eli turned to face Levi. “Why are you marrying Danielle? Are you leaving the faith?”

Levi swallowed hard and nodded.
“Ya.”

They were quiet for a few moments.

Eli turned toward the gradual glow rising behind the mountain range. “Your parents must be mighty upset, no?” He kept looking forward.

“Ya.”

Eli twisted to face Levi. “Is the girl with child?”

Levi was surprised he asked, but answered truthfully. “
Ya
, she is.”

Eli faced forward again. “Will she consider our ways, study the
Ordnung
, and join our district?”

“
Nee
. Her faith is . . . is not as strong as it could be.” Guilt fell over him for being ashamed of his future wife, but it didn’t
change the facts. “I feel called to marry her, Eli. I think it’s the right thing to do.”

Eli turned to face him, his eyebrows narrowed. “It is the right thing to do. It takes two to make a baby,
mei
boy. You are responsible for this
boppli
and your
fraa
. But this is not how God intended us to do things.” He smiled briefly. “Marriage first. Then
bopplis
.” His smile faded. “You must now make a home for your family—there is no choice in it. However, it saddens me that this will pull you from your faith. Are you sure Danielle won’t consider converting? Maybe she needs a mentor, someone to teach her the
Ordnung
?”

Levi thought about how Danielle offered to do that very thing. But he knew in his heart that she wasn’t ready to make a commitment like that. “It’s not my child, Eli.” He paused. “Danielle got pregnant by an Amish man in Alamosa.”

Eli’s eyes widened. “Then let that man do the right thing. He can choose to live Amish or
Englisch
.” His voice grew louder.

“He told Danielle he didn’t want a family or a baby.” Levi looked at the ground again, feeling his cousin’s eyes still on him. “He ran off. Left his parents a note that he didn’t want to be Amish, and didn’t even tell Danielle good-bye.”

Eli shook his head. “Not much of a man.”

“
Nee
. He’s not.”

“But why does this job of marrying Danielle and raising her child fall on you?”

Levi looked up, put his hands on his hips. “It just does. I know that I’m being called by God to do this. At first Danielle refused to marry me, but she’s reconsidered, and . . .” Levi lowered his arms and hung his head, quiet for a long moment.
“I’m sure that this is my path to walk. But it doesn’t mean I’m not afraid that I might be making a mistake.”

“Then don’t go through with it. At least wait until you’re certain.”

Levi swallowed hard and then shook his head. Fear and worry blocked the voice of God, and Levi knew he’d allowed himself to be consumed with both emotions lately.

Eli stroked his beard. “Why are you telling me all this?”

“You’ve been married twice. I thought that you might . . .”

“Understand? More than most?” He shook his head and cocked one bushy brow. “
Nee
, you are in uncharted territory,
mei
cousin. Even for me. Maybe you should talk to the bishop. You already told your folks?”

“
Ya
,
Mamm’s
pretty upset.” Levi paused. “I—I had wondered . . .”

“Spit it out. What is it?”

“I need to know if you love Katie Ann’s
sohn
as much as your other
kinner
?” Levi drew in a breath. “I mean, since Jonas isn’t yours.”

Eli was quiet for a long while before he pointed to the front porch. “Let’s sit.”

Levi followed him to the rockers. They each sat down, and Eli looped his thumbs beneath his suspenders.

“Levi, listen to me closely,
sohn
.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “Answering your question . . .
ya
, I
lieb
Jonas as much as
mei
other
kinner
. And if you wed Danielle, you will love the
boppli
as your very own. But this is not the issue. Leaving the faith is. If you have come to quiz my mind about loving a child, well . . . children are a blessing from God, however they might fall into our lives.” He shook his head. “But leaving to
live in the
Englisch
world is something I’m not sure you have thought through.”

“But I’m not baptized. I have the right to choose.” Even though Levi said the words with confidence, his heart hurt as each one left his lips.

“
Ya
, you do. It is your choice. But I would not be a
gut
friend and cousin to you if I did not warn you about this big decision.” He faced Levi. “Do you love Danielle enough to give up all of this?” Eli waved a hand across the prairie in front of him, the house behind him. “A life within our community?”

Levi swallowed hard again as he recalled Danielle’s tears, the kisses they’d shared. “I love her,” he said softly. “I’m closer to her than I am to anyone.”

“But do you love her in the marriage way? Are you committed to living in the
Englisch
world with her, raising her child as your own, and taking care of your family?”

Levi sighed, then stood up. “I have to go. I just wanted to know if you loved Jonas as much as your other children.” He couldn’t stand to hear any more negative thoughts about what he was getting ready to do. It was hard enough. He thanked his cousin, then made his way to his buggy.

Maybe it just wasn’t in God’s plan for him to be Amish.

  
Eight

M
ARTHA WASN’T SURPRISED TO SEE THE MATRIARCH
of the Detweiler household standing on the doorstep early Saturday morning. With dreaded anticipation of Vera’s visit, Martha had gotten up early, dressed, and applied her makeup. She’d barely secured her butterfly clip when she heard three crisp knocks on the door. She was glad Arnold and Danielle had offered to do the grocery shopping, a task Martha didn’t cherish.