“Amen,” Rose murmured. Her eyes remained closed for a few moments more, and when she looked up at Matthias, he shared the anguish that was making her cry. It seemed so unfair that just when she’d been reunited with her birth mother after losing the mother who’d raised her, she and Anne would both suffer these consequences of Rose’s birth thirty years ago.
Matthias sighed, swaying with Gracie on his hip. “I’m sorry this has happened, Rose—and sorry Saul has become upset about it,” he murmured. “I can understand why he’d feel he’s been deceived, but I hope he’ll be able to put Anne’s relationship with another man behind him and focus on the love she feels for you and Gracie instead.”
Gracie nodded solemnly. “Martha Maude loves me a lot. I just know it.”
Rose smiled sadly and opened her arms. “You’re right, Gracie,” she said as she hugged her daughter close. “And maybe that’s the key to unlocking Saul’s heart. Maybe Martha Maude will realize how much she enjoys being with you, and she’ll convince Saul to like us, too. But we can’t get our hopes up,” she added with a sigh. “Saul might decide that Anne and his mother should never see us again.”
Gracie’s lower lip quivered. She nestled against Rose’s shoulder, catching herself before she stuck her thumb in her mouth.
Matthias smiled. “Shall we sit down in the front room? Can I make you some coffee?”
Rose glanced into the room he gestured toward. “That would be nice, but if we’re keeping you from your supper—”
“I was just deciding which can of soup to open when you knocked,” he admitted ruefully. He eyed Gracie, and a better idea came to mind. “But you know what I’m really hungry for? Pizza.”
Gracie’s head popped up. “I love pizza!”
Rose chuckled. “You ate a big piece of chicken and a mountain of mashed potatoes for supper, young lady,” she teased, rubbing Gracie’s tummy. “Where will you put pizza?”
Matthias was pleased that his suggestion had lightened everyone’s mood. “How about going to the pizza place, and I’ll order a large pizza and you girls can eat whatever you care to?” he said. “Eating by myself gets old . . . and maybe we’ll come up with ideas for helping Anne.”
It felt good to walk into town with Rose holding the crook of his elbow and Gracie grasping his hand. Matthias let his mind wander, considering the ways they might assist Anne during this difficult time. He had no doubt that Martha Maude would be incensed and that Saul would hold Anne’s unwed pregnancy against her if someone didn’t convince him to forgive her and focus on all the years she had been a faithful wife to him.
As they sat in the back booth waiting for their large Canadian bacon pizza with the extra cheese Gracie requested, Matthias smiled at the little girl. “That’s a very pretty green dress, Gracie. Is it new?”
Her little face lit up and she nodded enthusiastically. “I picked the fabric and Martha Maude sewed it for me,” she said. Her smile dimmed a little. “She made me one that looks like orange sherbet, too . . . but maybe now she won’t wanna make me no more dresses.”
When Matthias reached across the table for Gracie’s hand, he felt an overwhelming urge to propose to Rose—to become a family now, even though she would be in mourning for her mother for several more months. Holding Gracie’s tiny hand made him aware of how vulnerable she was, and how dependent she was upon whatever the grown-ups in her life decided. He had a fierce urge to protect both of them, but he didn’t want to speak too soon—especially now that Rose was caught up in this drama with her mother.
“Martha Maude seems very nice,” he said softly, “and she’s a strong lady who does what she believes is right. If she thinks you’re special enough that she sews dresses for you, Gracie, I bet her feelings for you won’t change. But we need to give her some time while Saul and Anne settle things between them.”
“Do you suppose Saul will demand that Anne make a confession before the whole church?” Rose asked. Her eyes widened with concern. “I was only around Saul for a few moments this evening, but I could tell he was assessing Anne’s reaction—and mine—when Gracie ran up to them. Frankly, I thought he seemed very stern and judgmental.”
“He was scary,” Gracie murmured.
Matthias considered what Rose had said. “I suspect Saul won’t be content to keep this matter within the family—jah, I think he’ll expect a confession from his wife. And that means he’ll be going to see Bishop Jeremiah . . . so what if I speak with Jeremiah as well?” he mused aloud. “He seems like a fair-minded fellow. Maybe he’ll have a better perception of all that’s involved if he hears from you, too, Rose. Would you be willing to go with me?”
Rose met his gaze in a straight-on way. “Of course I would. This is my mother we’re talking about, and I’ll do everything it takes to help her through her time of trial,” she said with an emphatic nod. Then she sighed. “But if you think it would be better to speak with the bishop, man-to-man, I’ll understand. And I’ll be forever grateful for your help, Matthias.”
“Jah, you might have a point.” Matthias’s insides tingled as Rose continued to gaze at him, her expression resolute. What a joy it would be to have this woman with him all day, every day . . . yet it wouldn’t be fair to propose until she could give him her full attention, after her mind was at ease about her mother’s situation. He loved Rose so much that if she was standing by him, he could endure anything—even if it meant Saul tore up their partnership papers because Matthias appeared loyal to Anne. He didn’t relish challenging Saul on Rose and Anne’s behalf; but if his support would help these two women, then he was ready to throw himself into the fray.
“I’ll visit with Bishop Jeremiah this evening, then,” Matthias said. He smiled at the waitress as she set the large, steaming pizza in the center of their table. “We’ll go along with whatever he thinks is best.”
“I think that’s wise,” Rose agreed. She inhaled the aroma of the pizza, placing a slice on Gracie’s plate and then taking a slice for herself. “Maybe I have room for a slice of pizza, after all. I feel much better about the Hartzler situation now, Matthias. Denki for your wisdom.”
Matthias smiled and took a big bite of pizza. If Rose felt better—and believed he was wise—he was a happy man.
* * *
After he walked Rose and Gracie over to the senior center, Matthias strode down the main street of Morning Star and turned his steps toward Jeremiah Shetler’s home. After a few minutes, he passed a vast green pasture, where sleek Black Angus cattle grazed with the last pink ribbons of the setting sun on the horizon behind them. It was Saul’s herd. Another source of income most Plain men could only envy, because these cattle were probably registered and very expensive to raise and maintain—and they would bring top dollar when they were butchered.
Is a man’s worth measured by his possessions—his success as a wage earner—or by the amount of love in his heart?
Matthias recalled Jesus’ story about the man who decided to erect huge barns to store his bumper crop, when the Savior admonished his listeners not to lay up treasures on earth that could be destroyed or stolen, but to lay up treasures in heaven. “ ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,’” he murmured aloud.
As Matthias walked up the lane to the Shetler home, he hoped Saul’s heart was in the right place.
He knocked on the front door. A few moments later, Jeremiah opened it, smiling at him. “Matthias, it’s gut to see you on this beautiful spring evening. Come on in.”
“I was hoping I could have a word with you,” Matthias said—and then he stopped short. Swallowed hard.
Saul was seated on the blue corduroy sofa in the bishop’s front room, looking none too cheerful. His thick eyebrows rose and he sat up straighter. “Wagler. I don’t mean to be rude, but I was bending the bishop’s ear about a rather . . . personal matter.”
Matthias removed his hat. He didn’t relish speaking about Rose’s mother in front of Saul, but he sensed God might’ve led him here at t
his moment so his business partner could be present when he spoke to Bishop Jeremiah. The bishop wasn’t asking him to leave, after all.
Had Anne or Martha Maude told Saul that he and Rose were seeing each other—or that the three of them were coming to supper Friday night? Judging from Saul’s puzzled expression, Matthias didn’t think so.
“Your private matter concerns me as well,” Matthias began, praying he would say the right words in the right way. “Rose Raber and I are . . . close, and she’s asked me to speak with Bishop Jeremiah about this situation between you and her mother.”
Saul came up off the sofa, scowling. “What business is this of yours?” he demanded. “The fact that my wife had a child out of wedlock and never told me is none of your concern.”
Jeremiah chuckled softly. “Well, Saul, you have now made it Matthias’s business, jah? I sense he has come on a mission of peace and compassion, which have been sadly absent in the account you’ve given me.” He gestured toward a chair. “Let’s all sit down and discuss this, please. Calmly. Rationally.”
Matthias chose the armchair across from the sofa, because the bishop was taking a seat in the rocking chair near Saul. He sensed his business partner had been—understandably—blowing off steam, but perhaps in a loud, negative way.
“Matthias, do you have any idea how long ago Anne and Rose found each other?” Jeremiah asked.
He thought back. “About a week ago,” he said. “Rose has taken a job cooking at the senior center. She was really surprised when Anne and Martha Maude walked in that day.”
“You can’t tell me they just instantly knew each other!” Saul protested. “This whole story smells like rotten fish, if you ask me.”
Jeremiah cleared his throat. “From what I can tell, Saul, you don’t really know much of Anne’s story,” he said in a low voice. He looked at Matthias. “Any idea how Rose knew Anne was her mother?”
“Jah,” he replied, glancing warily at Saul. “When Rose was just a little baby, Anne stayed at Rose’s adoptive parents’ house until the baby was weaned, and meanwhile she wrote Rose a couple of letters. Rose didn’t find them until the mamm who’d raised her passed on—”
“And you believe that fairy tale, Wagler?” Saul blurted.
Matthias stopped talking. He gazed steadily at his business partner, not liking what he saw. “I do,” he said firmly. “Rose’s adoptive mamm—and Anne’s letters—firmly insisted that Rose was not to go looking for Anne because she knew it would upset the apple cart at your place. But there was also a painting of Anne—”
“Well, finally! A glimmer of truth,” Hartzler said as he sprang from the couch to pace. “Any man would understand how such information would upset a whole lot more than some stupid apple cart.”
Bishop Jeremiah sat with his fingers tented beneath his chin, watching Saul walk over to stare out the window. “Saul, the more I hear, the more concerned I become about your emotional state,” he said. “Because the welfare of our church district—and the welfare of your household—rests in your hands, Deacon, I want to hear this story from all concerned parties before I decide whether Anne should endure the shunning you have requested.”
Matthias’s mouth fell open. Had Saul really asked Jeremiah to shun Anne before she’d even had a chance to speak with the bishop, or to confess to the congregation and abide by its recommendation? He had anticipated harshness on Saul’s part, but not such a blatant separation that would make Anne pay so dearly for her behavior thirty years ago.
“I have affairs to attend to out of town tomorrow, but I’ll be at your house Friday evening at seven, Saul,” Jeremiah said as he stood up. “We will hear Anne’s side of this story—and, Matthias, I think it would be beneficial if you and Rose were present as well.”
“All right, we’ll be there,” Matthias said. It would be a far cry from the supper date Martha Maude had arranged for them, but at least everyone would be able to speak their minds with the bishop guiding the conversation.
“Meanwhile, Saul, I hope you’ll heed the advice from Ephesians that tells us not to let the sun go down on our wrath,” Jeremiah said firmly. “You married Anne for forever—for better or for worse—and until now, I’ve not known of a single instance when she let you down. A little patience is in order, I think.”
Saul scowled and left very quickly, leaving an air of emotional turbulence and strife in his wake.
Jeremiah smiled ruefully at Matthias. “Bet you didn’t figure on getting tossed into the lion’s den, eh?” he said. “I’m sincerely glad you showed up, Matthias. God’s hand is at work, and we’ll arrive at His solution if we approach this situation honestly and prayerfully. See you Friday evening. I’m looking forward to meeting Rose.”
Chapter 29
After Rose was certain Gracie was sleeping soundly, she slipped out of their apartment and down to the kitchen. It was around nine o’clock, about an hour after Matthias had walked them home from the pizza place. The hallways were lit, and as she passed some of the rooms, she heard the blare of residents’ televisions. The dining room and kitchen were dark, but she made her way through the dimness and flipped on the light at the rear of the kitchen.
Rose picked up the receiver of the wall phone, glad she’d written a list of some vital phone numbers before she and Gracie had decided to live in Morning Star during the week. After she dialed, she waited for the cue that would tell her when to leave her message—but someone picked up after the second ring.
“Gut evening, this is Vernon.”
Rose let out a nervous laugh. “Vernon, it’s Rose Raber and I—I wasn’t figuring you’d answer right off. How are you?”
“Couldn’t be better. Just watched one of my cows give birth to a healthy set of twins,” he replied in a glowing voice. “That’s why I’m out here in the barn where the phone is. How are you? And Gracie?”
Rose let out a sigh, considering her response. “We’re both doing fine, but we’ve . . . hit a snag, and I’m hoping you can give me some advice.”
“Untangling snags goes with the territory when you’re a bishop,” Vernon said with a chuckle. “What can I help you with, dear?”
“Well, I told you about my birth mother, Anne, coming to the senior center,” she began, “and she realized who I was, and we had some time together to talk, and—”
“Oh, my,” Vernon murmured. “You sound very excited about this, Rose. And again it seems Anne found you, rather than you seeking her out, am I correct?”
“That’s how it was, jah. Martha Maude—Saul’s mother—took Gracie shopping for fabric and has made her some dresses now, so Anne and I had a nice long visit,” Rose said, her words tumbling out in a rush. “But this evening Gracie and I saw the three Hartzlers in the park, and . . . well, when Saul saw Gracie running up to the women, calling them her mammis, Saul, um, got ideas about who I was. The way he marched Anne home, I’m afraid she’s catching a lot of grief from him—”
“Slow down, dear. Let me get this straight,” Vernon murmured. “When Gracie called the two women her grandmas, Saul figured out you were Anne’s daughter? Just like that?”
Rose thought back to the moment she’d described to Vernon. Had it only been a few hours ago? As much as she’d been fretting about it, she felt like days had passed. “We look a lot alike,” she explained. “And when Saul saw how frightened and upset Anne became—and probably read the same emotions on my face—he realized something wasn’t as it seemed.”
Vernon’s sigh thrummed with regret. “Saul’s a sharp man. If you resemble your mother, he probably put one and one together and came up with a lot more than two.”
“Do you think he’ll hurt her?” Rose blurted. “You and Matthias have both told me how stern he can be—”
“He has a temper, jah.”
“—so after the Hartzlers left, Gracie and I went over to tell Matthias what had happened,” Rose continued in a tight voice. “Matthias thought it best to talk with Bishop Jeremiah, so I thought I should let you kn
ow what was going on as well. You’re the wisest man I know, Vernon, and—and you understand why I’m so overjoyed to be with my birth mother again—”
“Even though your presence has caused the problems we anticipated earlier,” Vernon finished her sentence. He paused for a moment. “Tell you what I’ll do, Rose. I’ll get in touch with Jeremiah—I’ll call him as soon as you and I hang up—and I’ll see what he has to say about Saul and Anne. Could be he hasn’t heard from either of them yet.”
“Oh, denki so much. I’ll try to be patient,” Rose whispered. She felt a great weight being lifted from her tired shoulders.
“I’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile, you should keep believing that God already knows what He wants to make of this Hartzler situation,” Vernon suggested. “We humans perceive it as a frightening, ominous problem, but our Lord knows what lessons we’re to learn and how we’re to proceed. He’ll bring us through the darkness and into the light.”
“Jah. Jah, He will.” Rose let out a relieved sigh. “I feel a lot better now—and I’ll get some sleep thanks to you, Bishop.”
After she hung up, Rose shut out the kitchen light. On her way back to the apartment, she paused to gaze at the aquarium. Except for a table lamp, the fish tank was the only light in the lobby and its soft glow and the gentle bubbling of the water soothed her. It occurred to her that those small, colorful fish were dependent upon someone to feed them and to keep their glass tank clean—just as people relied upon God’s providence in a crowded, busy world that surely kept Him so occupied, she and Gracie and the Hartzlers must seem as tiny and inconsequential as these fish.
Yet in that quiet moment, Rose knew that God was watching over her and her daughter, just as He knew of the strife that Anne, Martha Maude, and Saul were experiencing.
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