A Simple Vow

by Charlotte Hubbard

  His twin seemed content to bask in Edith’s kindness, devouring three pieces of chicken along with large helpings of the side dishes she’d brought. Drew appeared to be starving for more than food, however. His face seemed tight, and he was avoiding Asa’s gaze as they ate.

  Edith finished her meal and looked at Asa and his brother. “I need your help with something before we have our pie,” she said softly. “Nora has suggested that we pray for Louisa and Leroy, asking that they find the family who will best be able to love and care for them. Three prayers are stronger than one, I’m thinking.”

  Drew looked at her closely. “Why don’t you just ask God to bring them back here to you? You know that’s what you really want.”

  “Who am I to tell God what to do?” she countered calmly. “He knows what I want, just as He knows what’s best for those wee ones. Shall we?”

  Edith extended her hands across the table toward Asa and his brother, gazing steadily at them. Asa took Edith’s hand in his, and so did Drew, but when it came to clasping hands with another man, both brothers hesitated. Amish guys weren’t into being touchy-feely—but Edith’s silent, relentless plea finally got to him.

  Asa stuck out his hand. He realized then that Edith had a strategy for bringing him and Drew together, if only during the time it took to pray for the babies. And if Drew wouldn’t complete their circle, he stood out as the one who couldn’t get beyond old behaviors to embrace new ones.

  Once again Asa marveled at Edith’s fortitude. Her courage. She’d come here today with no guarantee that her food or her request for prayer would be appreciated, yet she’d taken that risk to initiate the forgiveness process. She’d realized that sheer stubbornness might keep him and his brother from having more than short, surface conversations, and she was trying to break through the invisible barrier they’d erected.

  Several seconds ticked by. Asa didn’t move his hand. Edith didn’t stop gazing sweetly at Drew, as though willing him to comply with her wishes. The rhubarb pie sat in the center of the table, the ultimate enticement.

  Finally, sighing loudly, Drew took Asa’s hand and bowed his head. Edith smiled, bowing hers, as well. Asa sat for a moment, taking in this scene and the power of this simple moment. When he gripped Drew’s fingers, his brother returned the pressure—and suddenly, Asa was filled with a hopeful yearning. The separation they’d known these past four days had taken more of a toll than he’d realized. Yes, his twin had played some unthinkable tricks on them, but Drew had also admitted to a lifetime of feeling unworthy—less than acceptable, even to their parents.

  As Asa bowed his head, he couldn’t imagine the pain his brother, his closest kin and friend, had suffered for so long. Asa had never known rejection, yet Drew had felt inferior—lacking—every day of his life. I can’t change the past, Lord—can’t change the way Drew feels—but maybe I could be more aware now, and try to understand him better. He and I need each other more than we’re willing to admit.

  Asa paused in his prayer, savoring the feel of Edith’s and Drew’s hands . . . the bond the three of them shared during this quiet moment. That’s how it would be when he married Edith, too—Drew would always be in the picture. And Asa wanted him there, needed him there, despite the way Drew had tried to marry his intended bride.

  Big mistakes call for big forgiveness, even if he doesn’t apologize any further.

  Releasing the breath he’d been holding, Asa vowed to fully love his brother again—for he and Drew were truly each other’s keepers. Edith was wise enough to realize that, and to bring them to this moment of reckoning and reconciliation.

  Hold Leroy and Louisa in Your hand, God, and bless them with the family, the upbringing, You deem best. Guide Edith and me toward the way You would have us live, with those kids or without them. Amen.

  When Asa opened his eyes, Edith was beaming at him. They waited a few more moments, until Drew raised his head. Their hands were still joined in a circle, and it remained intact for a few more moments.

  “Denki so much for putting in a gut word for the wee ones,” Edith murmured as she eased her hands from theirs. “I feel a lot better now that we’ve prayed as a family. I hope we’ll do that many times as the years go by, because I believe there’s great power when two or three gather together in Jesus’s name. I also believe in the power of pie.”

  Asa blinked. Drew’s eyes widened. Edith reached for a knife and cut into the golden-brown dessert, maintaining a perfectly straight face.

  Laughter bubbled up from deep inside Asa, and as the sound of his mirth rang in the rafters, Drew laughed along with him.

  Edith giggled, grinning at both of them. “That’s what I like to see—folks laughing together. Sharing dessert and joy. We all need more joy, ain’t so?”

  Asa sighed gratefully as she placed a large wedge of pie in front of him. “You’re the wisest woman I know, Edith. Denki for coming to our rescue today.”

  Drew nodded, accepting his generous slice of pie. “I agree on all counts. You’re a gut woman, Edith, and I hope my wrongdoing won’t keep you from marrying Asa,” he murmured. “I can see now that I almost messed up a match made in heaven, and—and I hope you both can forgive me.”

  Edith’s smile softened. “Consider it done, Drew.”

  “Jah, I want to wipe the slate clean and start fresh, brother,” Asa said as he extended his hand across the table. “It’s just no gut when we’re not getting along.”

  When Drew gripped his hand and shook it, Asa sensed a shift in the atmosphere, a lifting of the heavy burden he’d borne since last week. “I feel so relieved,” Drew murmured. “I knew what I’d been doing was desperately wrong, and now I can start over. I made so many stupid mistakes and assumptions, Asa—and you’re the last person on this earth I should have betrayed. I’ll be in your debt forever, because you’ve given me another chance.”

  Asa nodded, his throat tightening with emotion. Confession didn’t come easy. His twin appeared truly remorseful— and perhaps ready to discuss other matters that weighed heavily on him.

  “I can also admit that you’ll be a much better dat for those kids than I’d ever be, Asa,” he continued in a stronger voice. “I—I sure hope I haven’t messed that up. The Ropps are doing what they think is right, but . . . they’re such unhappy people. Molly couldn’t wait to be married to get away from them. Guess I’ll never know why she left me to take up with Will.”

  “May God rest her soul,” Edith whispered. “She must’ve had some regrets, if it was your name she thought she was crying out before she died.”

  Asa nodded. This lunchtime conversation had given him a lot to think about—but first he enjoyed every mouthful of his rhubarb pie, and agreed to a second piece when Edith offered it. Drew took seconds, as well. It felt so good to be sitting at the table together again, sharing a meal with Edith and his brother.

  “I owe apologies to Will and the Ropps, as well. I had no idea Molly was pregnant, but when I saw how much those babies resemble me, there’s no wiggling out of it. I caused Molly’s condition by being careless,” Drew murmured pensively. “And I owe a huge apology to your dat, Edith, because he paid for your wedding meal at the café and the party was ruined.”

  “It would be a gesture of gutwill on your part to speak with them,” Edith agreed. “Don’t be surprised if you stir up their resentment, however. I’ve heard preachers tell Dat he holds a grudge longer than he should.”

  Drew shrugged. “If I hadn’t told so many twisted tales, nobody would need to forgive me. Again, Edith, I’m grateful you’ve been so quick to accept my apology.”

  “You’ve come to Willow Ridge for a new life—a fresh start,” Edith pointed out. “It’s not easy, leaving all your friends behind, so I hope folks here will give you the chance to settle in and become a respected member of our church district. You and Asa have a lot to offer our little town.”

  A little later, as Asa escorted Edith down the lane, he took her hand. “You’re nothing short of a miracl
e worker, Edith. Would’ve taken Drew and me a long time to come to speaking terms again if you hadn’t brought us together.”

  Edith shrugged modestly. “I had to give it a try.”

  Asa stopped in the shade just before they got to the gravel road. “There’s something I really want to know, though. You don’t have to answer now.”

  Her brown eyes gazed steadily into his. Wise woman that she was, she waited him out.

  “Will you still marry me, Edith? I—I want that more than anything, even if the twins don’t make it back to Willow Ridge,” he said softly. “If I have you by my side, I know we can make a life together. I believe God will bless us, according to His will.”

  For the longest moment she stood motionless, as though his words had turned her into a statue. Then her face lit up like the springtime sun, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Jah, I will, Asa,” she replied. “I believe God has truly blessed us today, and He won’t stop. I love you even more now than I did last week.”

  Asa’s heart swelled as he embraced her. He couldn’t ask for any better than Edith had just given him—her love, and her life.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “You invited how many people here?” Dat demanded crossly. “Sunday is our day of rest. It’s the only day I don’t work on clocks.”

  Edith glanced at her sisters as they all sat at breakfast. It had been apparent ever since Dat had come to the table that he wasn’t in the best of moods, but she refused to change her plans—and the resolute expressions on Loretta’s and Rosalyn’s faces told her they were looking forward to having guests as much as she was. Rosalyn passed him the platter of lemon cheesecake rolls she’d baked yesterday, while Loretta rose to fetch the coffee pot.

  “There’s no church, so it’s a visiting Sunday, Dat,” Edith reminded him gently. “And with Asa, Drew, and Will not having family nearby, I invited them to join us for dinner—along with Nora and Luke, and Bishop Tom and Nazareth.”

  “Why do I want to deal with the Detweilers—and Gingerich and the bishop—on my day off? Un-invite them.”

  Edith recalled times when her father’s withering glare would’ve made her do his bidding simply to keep the peace. Yesterday, however, she and her sisters had decided to stand firm and face up to him together—so she was determined that Dat’s grumpiness wouldn’t ruin her plans for a nice meal with their closest friends.

  “You know that wouldn’t be polite,” Loretta murmured as she topped off his coffee.

  “Polite? Why must I always be polite?” Dat countered.

  Rosalyn caught his gaze and held it. “Because, for one thing, Drew wants a chance to apologize,” she said firmly. “When someone who’s wronged us asks for the opportunity to make amends, it’s our place to listen.”

  “Puh,” Dat said as he rolled his eyes. “Detweiler can’t face me like a man? Has to have a crowd of supporters?”

  “Dat, really,” Loretta murmured as she returned to her seat. “Maybe you should go back upstairs to bed, and then get out of it on the right side this time.”

  Their father scowled in righteous indignation. “And maybe you three should remember to honor your father—and your mother,” he added sternly. “Have you forgotten what day this is?”

  Edith sighed. She and her sisters had anticipated this topic . . . the way Dat called up his mourning to get things to go his way. “Of course we remembered Mamm’s birthday,” she murmured. “We baked a cake for today’s dessert—”

  “And you know how Mamm loved to entertain folks,” Rosalyn chimed in. “It’s only fitting that we celebrate instead of sitting around—”

  “Well, you go right ahead and celebrate,” he said as he rose from his chair. “Act as if her death means nothing to you. Count me out.”

  As he crossed the kitchen floor toward the stairs, Edith sighed. Loretta ran a finger beneath her eyes while Rosalyn blinked rapidly.

  Their father slammed the basement door behind him.

  “That didn’t go so well,” Loretta murmured.

  “Why does he throw his grief in our faces as though it’s wrong to move beyond Mamm’s passing? As though we don’t miss her too?” Rosalyn asked in a tight voice. “One of these days Bishop Tom’s going to insist that Dat find another wife—”

  “Especially because we’ll all most likely marry someday soon,” Edith put in. “I certainly won’t miss these unpleasant discussions after I move across the road with Asa.”

  “I refuse to remain under this roof with him—even if I don’t marry,” Loretta muttered. “That’s an unkind attitude, but I’ve had it with his manipulation. His refusal to move on.”

  “Jah, we’ve got plenty of incentive to find husbands,” Rosalyn said. “When Dat’s left all by his lonesome, maybe he’ll realize he shouldn’t have driven us away.”

  They sat in silence for a few moments. Loretta picked at the rest of her breakfast and then pushed back her plate. Rosalyn held her mug glumly between her hands, gazing at her coffee as though she hoped to find a cure for Dat’s grief there.

  Edith stood up to scrape the dishes. “If he stays in the basement all day, so be it,” she said in a low voice. “We’ll just tell the others he’s pouting—”

  “Bishop Tom’ll have none of that,” Loretta said with a smile. “He’ll be going downstairs to have a little talk with Deacon Cornelius about his un-Sunday attitude.”

  “I wouldn’t put it past Nora to go down, too, saying she wants to see where Dat works on his clocks.” Rosalyn chuckled as she rose to help clear the table. “Dat might think he’ll have the day to himself, but we know better.”

  “I figured Dat would likely be in a low mood on Mamm’s birthday,” Edith said as she carried their stacked plates to the sink. “But I was so pleased that Drew asked how best to apologize to him, I planned a gathering anyway. We have to give Drew a chance. If he doesn’t believe folks in Willow Ridge accept him, he’ll never settle in.”

  “And if he moves away, Asa—and their furniture business—will never be the same.” Loretta began running hot water into the sink. “Nora’s told me that she and Luke think it’s a positive sign that three young men have recently moved to town. It means Willow Ridge won’t dry up and blow away like other settlements where the young people leave for places that hold more promising jobs and affordable farm land.”

  The three of them quickly washed the dishes, discussing how to organize the noon meal and minimize work on a Sunday. As they spoke together, Edith’s spirits lifted. She hadn’t told her sisters about the other topic of conversation she’d raise when everyone got here, and having a secret made her smile as she wiped their plates with her towel....

  Rosalyn elbowed her. “Penny for your thoughts, Edith.”

  “Jah, somebody’s mind surely isn’t on drying the dishes,” Loretta teased as she nodded toward the open cabinet. “You put those last two plates away without drying them, silly.”

  Edith giggled, quickly retrieving the wet plates. “Asa volunteered to bring a ham, but I—I was just wondering what Nora might come with, seeing’s how she doesn’t cook much.”

  “Jah, sure you were,” Rosalyn said with a chuckle. “Your little grin had Asa’s name all over it.”

  Shrugging, Edith allowed herself to smile again. “Is that a bad thing? After our chat with Dat, I’m grateful to have something to be happy about.”

  “And I suppose we should also be glad that we’ll have two other unattached fellows to ourselves today,” Loretta remarked. “I heard Katie Zook and Nellie Knepp talking about Will and Drew the other day when I was in the market.”

  “Savilla Witmer’s closer to those fellows’ age,” Rosalyn pointed out. “And then there’s Rebecca—”

  “Oh, she’s too deep into her computer business to join the Amish church,” Edith said. “Next time I’m in Simple Gifts, I’m asking Nora to show me the new Web site Rebecca designed for Detweiler Furniture Works. Asa says it’s finished now, and he’s tickled with it.”

 
; The morning passed quickly as the three of them put the leaves in the table and set it with a fresh tablecloth and Mamm’s better dishes. They had made a big bowl of potato salad yesterday, along with a cake and slaw, so once the kitchen was ready for guests, they headed for the porch to read the latest issue of The Budget. When a piece of paper fluttered out of the door frame where it had been wedged, Edith picked it up.

  “It’s a note from Will, saying he got called away on some family business,” she said as she skimmed the note. “He won’t be joining us for dinner, but he plans to stop by later in the afternoon. And then he drew a big smiley face.”

  Loretta settled on the porch swing. “At least it doesn’t sound like anyone’s ill.”

  “Maybe he and his mamm and brothers are getting together—and that would be a gut thing,” Rosalyn said. She sat down beside Loretta and handed her a section of the newspaper. “As I recall, they had a falling out when Will’s older brothers took over the family farm.”

  Edith smiled as she settled into the wicker chair near the swing. “I’m sure we’ll hear about it, or he wouldn’t have added that smiley face. Now we have something else to look forward to!”

  The morning sun and a breeze made the next hour pleasant as the three of them relaxed together. Reading The Budget was a great way to catch up on the news from Roseville, as well as the Plain settlements where their far-flung cousins lived and their friends had moved to. They were trading sections of the paper when a familiar voice called to them.

  “There’s a picture we don’t often see! All of the Riehl sisters sitting down at the same time,” Nora teased as she and Luke walked up the lane. “Hope you’re ready to try my very first deviled eggs. And I figured I couldn’t ruin a cottage cheese and pineapple salad.”

  “Actually, the eggs were a team effort,” Luke put in. “It’s a gut thing we boiled plenty of them, because they kept disappearing as we spooned the filling into them.”

  “Hullo, you Hooleys and Riehls—and you Detweilers!” Nazareth called out from the road. “Everybody must be getting hungry at the same time.”