by Nathan Adams
“It’s true,” she finally whispered, looking up at Will with a pained expression. “It’s true.”
Chapter Seven
The look of heartbreak on Will’s face was truly crushing. He fell back into the pew, eyes wide as he stared at the woman he considered his beloved.
“It’s true?” he repeated back, clearly not believing it.
Rebekah reached out and touched his cheek. “Are you willing to listen?” she whimpered. “Are you willing to heart my side of the story?”
Mary-Anne was almost jumping up and down with excitement, pointing a finger at Rebekah in an accusatory way. She was glowing, proud of the disturbance she’d created and eager to fuel the fire.
“Confess your sins!” she snapped, eye trained on Rebekah.
Peter jumped up from the crowd and rushed over to the podium where his wife stood and gripped her arm, pulling her away. She’d caused an uproar, and he knew it was because she hoped to ruin Rebekah and Will’s marriage. Even if Rebekah’s past was unsavory, she didn’t deserve to be outed like this. Nobody did. This was the house of God, and it was a place meant for worship, not attack.
Will stared into Rebekah’s eyes, unable to resist leaning into her gentle touch. His chest was aching, but he wanted the truth. Will nodded slowly and took a long, deep breath.”
“I’m willing to listen,” he said softly, closing his eyes and dropping his head.
She nodded and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close and swallowing thickly. “I was married back in New York. That much is true, but that’s where the truth ends and the lies begin. My family is very well-to-do, and I was expected to marry very young. By the time I was 12, my parent’s picked out a rich investment banker that they expected me to marry. I didn’t want to, but they told me if I didn’t, I would be shaming my family.”
Rebekah paused and lifted Will’s head so that she could look into his eyes, her own wide and terrified. She knew that he could walk away and leave her at any moment, but she prayed that he did. She prayed that he loved her as much as he said he did.
“I married him, and my family was so happy and so proud. The wedding was beautiful, and I wore the most extravagant dress, but I wasn’t happy. I was 17 when I married him, and by the time I was 18, I was miserable. I hated my life ,and I wanted to run away. He kept me locked in a room with nothing more than a needle and thread. He didn’t let me go outside because he was afraid the sun would ruin my perfect skin. I cooked for his business partners, and I cleaned his house. I did everything that a good wife was supposed to do, but it was never good enough,” she whispered, closing her eyes. “I’m not sure when the beatings began, but they were brutal. He nearly sent me down the stairs once.”.
Will’s gaze softened, and his eyes widened. Everyone else in the church was silent, listening to every word she said. Even Mary-Anne was wide eyed and attentive.
“I tried to run away many times, but he always caught me. I didn’t have access to his money, and I didn’t know how to survive on my own. I was a proper lady, and I was raised to obey, so when I wanted to fight back, I didn’t know how. I prayed to God for an answer. I prayed that he would get me out of the wretched place and take me to the Promised Land. I prayed to be saved, and he answered with a newspaper ad. I happened onto your ad by accident. Michael left his daily newspaper out, and I was tidying up. I happened to see that there was a man in Montana looking for a bride. If there was anything I knew how to do, it was being a bride, so I answered the ad, and I waited.”
Rebekah lowered her hands to rest on her lap, smiling sadly. “You were the answer to all of my prayers, Will. Yes, I lied. I lied because I was afraid you wouldn’t understand. It has been my experience that most men don’t understand the struggles women face. I expected you to be rough and crude, but you were kind and loving, and you accepted me with all of my flaws. By the time I realized you were the type of man I could tell the truth to, I was afraid that the truth might hurt you far too bad, so I stayed silent,” she whispered. “I didn’t want you to hurt because you save my life, and you showed me that I deserved to be loved. That paper that Mary-Anne stole was the final step to my divorce. When I first came here, it was enough to just run away and be free of that awful man, but the more time I spent with you, the more I wanted to be yours completely. I pray that you understand why I did what I did. I pray that you don’t send me away.”
Will’s brow furrowed, and he looked up at her, his golden-honey eyes wet with tears. He didn’t want to cry, but he was so moved by her story.
“I don’t think I have it in me to send you away,” he admitted, lifting his hand to touch her cheek, brushing his thumb across the pale skin. “You were perfect. When I first met you, I wondered how someone could be so perfect, and I realize now that you have flaws like everyone else.”
Rebekah tensed up under his gentle touch and tears began to roll down her cheeks.
“But we all have flaws,” he added. “We can’t possibly be perfect, and I never should have expected that from you. I don’t care about your past, Rebekah. God brought us together for some reason that only he knows, and I don’t intend on spitting in his face by turning you away. I’m glad that I was the one who saved you from that place. I’m glad that I could bring you here and let you see this beautiful land, and I’m glad that you are my wife. I love you, Rebekah.”
Her chest was rising and falling rapidly as her eyes widened at his words. Her breath was quickening, and even though her chest was tightening, she managed to throw her arms around him and pull herself closer to him, tears of happiness streaming down her face.
“Thank you. Thank you, Will,” she sobbed.
He wrapped his arms around her, one of his hands resting on her belly. “I have to ask, though. Is this baby mine?”
She smiled and pulled away, tears trickling down her rosy cheeks. “Yes, I never consummated my marriage with Mike. I knew in my heart he wasn’t the one God intended me to marry,” she said softly. “This child—0ur child, Will—it’s yours.”
The entire congregation erupted in a roar of cheers and support. Hope swelled inside of Rebekah’s chest, and she knew that this was her home. She was meant to be here with Will and all of these people. This was her promised land.
Chapter Eight
The entire town cast Mary-Anne out after what she attempted to pull at the church. Even her husband had little patience for her. She would come to Bible readings and sewing circles to try and talk to people, and everyone just turned their backs. No one trusted her, and everyone was angry at her for what she’d tried to do. She’d attempted to rip up a perfectly happy marriage under the guise of righteousness, and it seemed to be the last straw for most of the townspeople.
The only one who would give her the time of day was Rebekah. Mary-Anne avoided Rebekah for months following the incident, ashamed at herself for what she’d done and assuming that Rebekah would want nothing to do with her. Rebekah was finally the one to break the silence.
She told Mary-Anne that she forgave her. She wasn’t mad at her for what she’d done, and she could tell that the woman was truly sorry. The bible often spoke of forgiveness, and Rebekah was a true believer in the power of love over hate. Mary-Anne broken down into tears at Rebekah’s kindness and struggled to understand why she would forgive her. She’d been so cruel to her, and she even admitted to putting the glass in the garden. Even that admission wasn’t enough to push Rebekah away, and she continued to show Mary-Anne kindness.
When the rest of the town saw that Rebekah forgave Mary-Anne, they followed suit. If Rebekah could forgive her, then everybody else could too. They seemed to understand that she was just an angry, misguided woman. When the town accepted her back into their arms, Mary-Anne became a much more pleasant woman who attended church every Sunday and even began to form a relationship with the husband she’d spurned for so long. Not only that, but she also became Rebekah’s best friend.
As time passed and early spring came around, Rebekah b
egan to grow bigger and bigger by the day. By the time she was ready to welcome her first child into the world, she was so big that all she could do was waddle around.
Will was a proud papa and was always watching Rebekah, making sure that she was safe and that no harm could come to their child. He always seemed ready to defend her or help her if she needed it. Although he was a tough man with rugged hands and a tough exterior, the truth of the matter was that he was a gentle, kind soul.
He tried to play it tough when Rebekah went into labor, but everyone, including the midwife, saw right past that. He was terrified and could hardly watch when their beautiful baby boy was brought into the world.
They gave him the name of an angel because that’s what he was to them. His name was Gabriel, and he was perfect. A soft tuft of sandy hair sat on his head, and his bright green eyes sparkled with mirth from the day he was born. He didn’t cry as much as many of the other babies, and he always seemed to be happy, though he was happiest when he was in his mother’s arms. He was a true blessing and just more reason for Rebekah and Will to love each other.
Will finally had the family he’d always wanted, and Rebekah had the love she always wanted. She’d wanted a family, of course, but it was something she’d never really thought about. She never expected that she would fall in love and be happy, which should have come before having a family.
The sun was just beginning to set on the horizon, and rich streaks of amber and gold cast shadows over the green grass, making their ranch look like a field of honey. Rebekah leaned her head on Will’s shoulder, a soft smile dancing across her plump lips. She held a sleeping Gabriel in her arms, rocking him slowly. It was a year to the day since they’d first met at the train station, guided to one another by something much more powerful and deliberate than chance.
“Did you ever think you could be this happy?” Rebekah asked, looking up at Will.
He smiled and put an arm around her shoulder, leaning down to kiss her flaming hair. “I’d always hoped for it. But I never could have imagined just how perfect it would feel.”
She nodded and leaned into him even more, watching as the sun finally dipped behind the mountains and enveloped them in a soft, purple darkness. The sun might have been setting, but their life was just beginning.
THE END
Return to the TOC for Bonus Content
The Lord’s Will
Chapter One
Krista always knew why her parents chose the great state of Vermont to raise a family. Vermont was warm in the summer, though not unbearably so. The mild climate was the exact reason Krista’s parents settled down in Vermont. Her mother was from Michigan, where the winters were brutal, and her father was from Tennessee, where the summers were stifling.
Vermont was the perfect compromise. Mild summers and snowy winters meant they could have the best of both worlds while leaving the worst behind. Krista lived among the rolling hills her entire life and didn’t know anything other than Vermont. Her eldest sister was born in Tennessee, though the family made the move to Vermont shortly after Rebecca found out she was pregnant with Krista.
Krista adored the hills and green trees. She loved her farm, and she loved her family. They lived on a farm that was miles from the nearest neighbor and a good day’s trip away from the nearest town. She and her sisters never went to school with other children and were taught to read and write at the hearth of the fireplace after a long day in the field.
Those moments spent with her family by the fireplace were some of the best memories Krista had. She would crawl next to her older sisters as her mother draped a blanket around their shoulders and went to sit in her own chair, a quilt in her lap and knitting needles in her hands. Krista opened her copy of the Bible and would follow along as her father read passages about grace and forgiveness.
She grew up in a devout family with close ties to the church and even closer ties to their small farming community. Mt. Pleasant, Vermont, was the type of community with a church at the center of everything. It was the type of place where everyone woke up on Sunday morning, dressed in their best clothes and enjoyed a heartfelt sermon. When the service was over, everyone would gather in a large field off to the side of the church to eat and pray together.
Krista thought she lived a perfect life. They weren’t rich, but they were happy, and they loved one another. She never wanted to leave her family or her farm behind, though she knew she would have to one day. Eventually Krista would be married off to a man who had something to offer her family. The only thing that consoled her was the fact that she would most likely stay in Mt. Pleasant.
Most girls were married off by the time they were 17, but as 17 came and went, Krista remained unmarried and continued living on the farm and working with her father, despite her mother’s constant insistence that she stay in the house and work on her needlepoint and cooking.
Krista wasn’t like most girls. She didn’t like staying locked inside, cooking and cleaning. She wasn’t worried about her fair complexion or tender hands. She was far more worried about the state of their cornfields and the health of their cows. She liked working with her hands and seeing the fruits of her labors. It only made it better that it kept the men at bay. No one was interested in such a strong-willed woman with rough hands and tanned skin.
Her mother suspected that if she were more ladylike she’d be married off in a heartbeat. She was beautiful, after all. Her long blond hair was often worn in a solid plait, and her big blue eyes were so wide and clear that people seemed to get lost in them. Freckles were peppered across her face like tiny kisses from angels, but even this ethereal beauty wasn’t enough to attract suitors.
Krista’s mother was always concerned about her daughter’s future, and they got into many heated fights on the subject of marriage. The last night she’d ever see her parents was on a night when one of these fights occurred. The sound of the screen door slamming closed was a sound that would haunt her for the rest of her life.
She was tired of fighting with her mother and ran into the woods to gather tinder to stoke the fire. The first snows of winter were starting to fall, and it seemed better to be prepared than not. Besides, it gave her a reason to get out of the house. Krista grunted angrily and snapped one of the thin branches, adding twig after twig to the little sled she brought with her.
By the time she turned around to go back to the house, the sun had disappeared behind the trees. She was sure that her family was in bed and asleep by now, which meant her mother couldn’t scold her for working outside anymore.
The first hint that something was wrong wasn’t the smell of smoke. It was cold in the winter, and they often ran the fire all night long. A strange orange glow managed to find its way through the trees. Krista’s heart skipped a beat. What could be putting off this light? She left the sled in the snow, picked the hem of her dress up and sprinted through the woods, eyes wide. She hardly even noticed the stinging of branches cutting into the flesh of her legs.
When she broke through the tree line, she saw a sight that would burn itself into her mind for the rest of her life. The farmhouse she loved so dearly was engulfed by hot flames. Long, orange fingers reached into the sky as the fire crackled and popped. Neighbors were already on the scene, desperately throwing water and sand onto the inferno, though nothing seemed to be helping. The house was gone and so were the people who’d been left inside. Most people suspected that a stray ember popped out of the fireplace and set the cabin on fire.
Krista’s first instinct was to try and run inside the house. She barely made it to the porch before a family friend snagged her around the waist and pulled her away.
“No! Mother! Father!” she screamed, her arm outstretched toward the house.
The man dragged her away, collapsing in the snow due to the struggle. “They’re gone, Krista! They’re gone!”
Krista shook her head, fat tears spilling down her cheeks as she tried crawling back toward the house, falling into the dirty snow and curling up
on her side. The noises around her became a hum. All she could hear was the crackling of beams as the fire ate through what she held closest to her heart. She lay on the freezing ground, sobbing and trying to figure out why this happened to her. She couldn’t help but wish she’d been in the house when it went up. It would have been easier to die than to live without them.
Chapter Two
Krista wasn’t ever going to be the same again. She knew it, and the people around her seemed to know it as well. How could anyone expect her to be normal after what happened? This loss shook the entire community, but no one suffered as much as Krista.
The first two weeks following the fire the poor girl didn’t speak at all. She just stared out the church window for hours at a time, lost in a daze. No one could shake her out of it no matter how hard they tried. It was the only way Krista knew how to handle the sudden loss of everything that was important to her. There was nothing left for her, and she didn’t know how to reconcile that loss.
Everyone in town was very kind and very generous following the fire, but the people who stepped forward and offered to take Krista in were the preacher and his wife. It only made sense for them to take care of her because they’d known Krista and her family her whole life. Michael served as the priest in Mt. Pleasant for the past 40 years and his father before him.
They were more than kind, and Krista couldn’t have asked for better caretakers, but she didn’t feel at ease. Michael and his wife were elderly and didn’t have much money to spare. They lived on donations and a government stipend. Their house was on the church property and so small that Krista wasn’t even able to have a room inside of it. She stayed in the church itself, creating a makeshift bed out of a small loft used for storage. It was small, but it was a warm bed out of the snow.