His Love Endures Forever

by Beth Wiseman

  She’d much rather tell Martha, Arnold, and Sue, “I’m pregnant, but Matthew and I are getting married. We’re going to be a family.” It sounded way better than, “I’m pregnant and on my own. Matthew said he doesn’t love me . . .”

  She blinked back tears, determined to get through the next couple hours. Then she’d drive to Matthew’s house and ask for a few minutes of his time. Matthew and his father were rebuilding the fence around their property this week, so she wouldn’t have to go up to the house and be face-to-face with Matthew’s mother. Anna Marie Lapp cared for Danielle about as much as Levi’s mother, Vera, did.

  But if Matthew changed his mind and decided to marry her, then maybe even Mrs. Lapp would come to accept her. But do I really want to be married to someone who doesn’t love me?

  She delivered a tray of food, then glanced at her watch, anxious to give it one more try with Matthew. Sue might be a bit upset that Danielle was canceling their plans, but this was something she had to do.

  LEVI AND HIS father finished their next job earlier than expected and stopped in Monte Vista to purchase supplies for the jobs they had scheduled—two painting jobs this week and one more solar panel installation. Unlike in Ohio, Levi’s father had chosen to only farm a small section of acreage here to grow hay. There just wasn’t much frost-free weather, only about three months, and their business didn’t leave much time for farming anyway. Levi missed the farming. He felt close to God when he was nurturing the land, a living, breathing part of creation. His mother had a small garden with fresh vegetables, but that was about it.

  Sometimes when the work piled up, Levi wished his brother, Jacob, was available to help, but he ran their country store next to the main house, selling mostly freight and warehouse-damaged groceries. It used to be popular mostly for their Amish friends, but Mamm started adding crafts and cookbooks, which drew in more of the Englisch now. Most of the Amish had to work outside the home, not unlike in other states. It was getting harder and harder to survive on farming alone. His Uncle Eli and his new wife, Katie Ann, ran a shop not far away that sold furniture and handmade items, and Abbey’s Bakery was always busy.

  Even though Levi sometimes missed the way things were in Middlefield, moving to Canaan had been a good choice for them. Land was cheaper, there was more room to spread out, and Levi had to admit that his asthma was better. And Emily had blossomed here.

  After Daed pulled the buggy to a stop in front of the hardware store in town, Levi hitched the horse to the post. When they’d first moved to Canaan, there wasn’t anywhere to tether the horses, but his father—along with several other Amish men—had highly encouraged the local businesses to install hitching posts if they wanted the Amish to do business with them.

  Levi followed his father into the store, keeping his head down. He wasn’t fond of crowds, and the hardware store was unusually crowded for a Monday afternoon. Levi and his family had moved to Canaan a few years ago, but the district had been there for eight or nine years. You would think by now that the Englisch would stop staring.

  Daed stopped on the aisle with trays full of nails, then pulled a handwritten list from his pocket and handed it to Levi. “Stock up on what I have listed. I’m going to go check prices on a few other things we need.”

  After his father left, Levi scanned the list, then searched for the things they needed. He’d filled two bags with penny nails when he heard shuffling footsteps to his left. He kept his head down, looking for finishing nails, but when the man stopped right next to him, Levi looked up.

  His heart started beating out of his chest. The man’s brown eyes were flecked with gold and his beard was long and gray. He was dressed in a black suit like the Englisch wear with gold-rimmed spectacles hanging from his nose. Levi swallowed hard, even as the man smiled.

  “Finding everything you need?” The man’s voice was deep but gentle. He didn’t look like someone who worked at the hardware store. The employees all wore gray shirts and black pants, and had name tags.

  “Ya. I am.” Levi forced himself to look back at the list, even though he felt a bit weak in the knees. But the man didn’t move, and when Levi looked back at him, the man was still smiling, one side of his mouth curled up more than the other.

  “So hard to choose, isn’t it? There’re so many different options.”

  Levi just stared at him and nodded.

  “I see you have a list.” The man pointed to the piece of paper in Levi’s hand, but Levi couldn’t take his eyes off the Englisch fellow. He just nodded again as the man continued. “Always good to have a plan.” He chuckled. “Although plans change.”

  Levi forced a smile before he looked back at his father’s list of items, but his vision blurred and he couldn’t make out the things Daed had written. He held the paper at arm’s length and still couldn’t read it. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and heard feet shuffling down the aisle. Then singing.

  “For God so loved us, He sent the Savior; For God so loved us, and loves me too . . .”

  Levi jerked his head up and toward the man, but he must have picked up his pace . . . because he was gone.

  DANIELLE WAS DISAPPOINTED when she didn’t see Matthew working on the fence with his father. She’d driven all around the property with no sign of either of them, so reluctantly she pulled in the driveway and walked to the door. Matthew’s family owned a brand-new home in Alamosa, about a twenty-minute drive from Canaan. It wasn’t a big home, but Danielle could still smell the new wood and stain as she stepped on the stone blocks leading to the doorway.

  She took a deep breath, hoping Mrs. Lapp wasn’t the one to answer the door. Matthew was an only child, which was unusual for the Amish, but Matthew had told her once that his parents had trouble conceiving. Danielle thought briefly about the irony.

  As she’d feared, Mrs. Lapp opened the door. Instead of the traditional prayer covering, the woman looked as if she’d haphazardly thrown a white scarf over her head to cover her grayish-brown hair bound in a bun. She was dressed in a kneelength brown dress with a black apron, as expected. But her eyes were swollen, and there was no doubt in Danielle’s mind that she’d come at a bad time.

  “Hello, Mrs. Lapp. Is Matthew here?”

  “No. He’s not.” Mrs. Lapp raised her chin and stared at Danielle. Usually, the woman at least tried to pretend that she liked Danielle. She’d never been rude before. “I’m surprised that you don’t know where he is.”

  “What?” She paused, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. “No, ma’am. I haven’t talked to him since yesterday.”

  Mrs. Lapp sniffled as she reached into her pocket. She pulled out a folded piece of paper and pushed it toward Danielle. “You know nothing about this?”

  Her accusatory voice caused Danielle to hesitate, but after a moment, she took the piece of paper and unfolded it. She read the short note, written in English and Pennsylvania Deitsch.

  Mamm and Daed,

  Es dutt mir leed. I think you both know in your heart that I cannot stay here. I am going to Cousin John’s haus in Indiana by bus. I saved for the ticket—don’t worry about me. I will telephone when I arrive. Forgive me, but I don’t want to be Amish.

  Lieb you always, your son, Matthew

  Danielle reread the note. The Amish only went to school through the eighth grade, and she didn’t understand their native dialect, but the note was clear. He’d run away from her too. She handed it back to Mrs. Lapp as she blinked back her own tears. “I’m sorry,” she managed to say before a tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away.

  “I can see by your reaction that this is a surprise to you too, no?”

  Danielle nodded as she choked back more tears. “I’m sorry,” she repeated.

  Mrs. Lapp pulled a tissue from her pocket and dabbed at her own eyes. “We’ve thought maybe Matthew wasn’t happy here, but we never thought he would leave like this. So sudden. And just leaving a note.” Her voice rose, a mixture of hurt and anger. “It’s like he i
s running away.” She clenched her fist for a moment, then took a deep breath. “John is our cousin who is no longer Amish. I wonder how long Matthew has been planning this.” She stared at Danielle for a moment. “And I wonder why he didn’t tell you about it.”

  “I don’t know,” Danielle lied.

  They were both quiet for a while, and Danielle wondered if Mrs. Lapp might invite her in. Perhaps they could console each other. Maybe Danielle would tell the woman that she was going to be a grandmother.

  Then Mrs. Lapp withdrew, quietly closing the door in her face.

  And Danielle ran to her car.

  MARTHA PACED BACK and forth in the den, glancing at her watch. Danielle had said she was going to spend some time with Sue after they both got off work, but it was getting close to dark, and Danielle wasn’t answering her cell phone. Martha had tried to call several times, and each time, the call went straight to voice mail. Martha stuffed her worry aside and went outside to check on Arnold and the newest member of their little family.

  She opened the door and stepped onto the porch, shaking her head, but smiling. She watched as Arnold laughed and threw a bone for Dude. What kind of a name was that for a dog anyway? Martha thought about her friend Katie Ann who’d named her cat Mrs. Dash because she dashed around the barn all the time. Being Amish, Katie Ann didn’t know that Mrs. Dash was the name of a spice. At least Arnold hadn’t named his dog after a spice. Like Old Bay, Cavender, or Morton, she thought, mentally running through her seasonings.

  “Good grief. You couldn’t get a yappy little dog, huh? Had to get the biggest dog they had?”

  At the animal shelter, they’d said Dude was “part hound and who knows what else.” All Martha knew was that he was big. Black and tan—and probably a hundred pounds—he was going to eat more than leftover omelets. But seeing Arnold’s joy was worth all the dog food and leftovers the animal was sure to eat. The dog watched her for a long moment and then bolted up the steps toward her.

  “Dude!” Arnold cried.

  Martha backed up a few feet and slammed against the outer wall of the house as Dude crossed the porch and jumped up, throwing his front paws on her shoulders. Thankfully, he only ran his long wet tongue the length of her face one time before Arnold succeeded in calling him back. The dog immediately turned and bounded down the steps, as if his duty of greeting her was now done and he was free to pay attention to his new owner.

  Martha pushed back strands of her hair that had fallen out of her clip, straightened her blouse, and marched down the steps, prepared to tell Arnold that he was going to have to train that dog. But when she reached the bottom, she just put her hands on her hips and shook her head.

  “Isn’t he wonderful, my dear?” Arnold tossed the bone, and Dude galloped across the yard, that long tongue of his hanging out of his mouth.

  “Yes. He is wonderful.” Martha eased herself down to a seat on the porch steps, knowing that if she’d take off a few pounds—like thirty—it sure would help her old knees.

  Arnold glanced her way. “What troubles you, my dear? You look worried.”

  Martha sighed. “I’m worried about Danielle.”

  “She doesn’t always call when she’s late,” Arnold said, a little out of breath as he tossed the bone again.

  “I know.” She paused. “But it’s the combination of her being upset about something and being late that worries me.”

  Martha looked at her watch and decided not to get too concerned until dinnertime. Danielle didn’t like to miss a meal, even if she wasn’t always thrilled with the menu.

  When dinnertime had come and gone, Martha decided to go look for her, and Arnold offered to drive. Such a good man; he knew she didn’t like to drive at night. She thanked God at least once a day for bringing Arnold into her life.

  They drove around Monte Vista and past a couple of spots that Danielle had been known to frequent with her friend Sue. And they went by Sue’s house. When Sue answered the door and said that Danielle had canceled their plans to hang out after work, Martha’s worry meter jumped a few notches. She figured Danielle must be at Matthew’s, but he lived in Alamosa. Martha had never met the kid, and she didn’t know exactly where he lived. Maybe Levi knew.

  They pulled into the Detweilers’ driveway, and Martha told Arnold he could wait in the car while she talked to Levi. She hurried to the door, her teeth chattering. She’d be glad when June arrived. Some of their days were bearable this time of year, but after the sun went down, the temperatures dipped into the thirties. She thought back to the bitter cold winter they’d just had and was doubly thankful that summer swiftly approached.

  “Martha, come in out of this wedder.” Vera opened the wooden door, then pushed the screen wide. “It’s after the supper hour. What brings you out this time of night?”

  “Arnold’s in the car. I can’t stay. I just wondered if Levi was here. I’m looking for Danielle and thought he might know where she is.”

  Vera folded her hands in front of her and pressed her lips together. Same expression she always got at the mention of Danielle, which made Martha want to smack her. Martha dug her nails into the palms of her hands and waited her out.

  “Come in, Martha, and I’ll go get Levi.”

  Martha stepped inside, welcoming the warmth of the fire. A few minutes later, Levi walked into the den. He didn’t usually have much to say, but he sure was a looker, that boy—with his sandy blond hair and adorable smile. A tall kid with a solid build. Martha wasn’t surprised that he’d snagged the cutest little Amish girl in their district, that Sarah Troyer.

  “Hi, Levi. Danielle seemed upset this morning, and she’s late getting home today. I haven’t heard from her. I’ve called her cell phone, and it only rings once, like it’s off. Anything going on with her that I should know about?” Martha squinted one eye and stared up at him.

  “No, ma’am. I—I don’t know where she is.” Levi pulled his eyes from Martha’s almost instantly and scratched the left side of his face.

  Martha took a step closer. “Levi. Is something going on with Danielle?”

  They all turned when loud footsteps came pounding down the stairs. Vera met her nine-year-old daughter at the bottom.

  “Betsy, what have I told you about jumping down the stairs like that?” Vera latched on to Betsy’s hand and guided her into the room. “Say hello to Mrs. Becker.”

  “Hello, Mrs. Becker.”

  Betsy made Martha nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. The little girl was a genius nine-year-old who didn’t know how to sort out her own thoughts before she spoke. Once she’d told Martha—in front of a group of Amish ladies—that Martha’s teeth would be whiter if she wouldn’t drink as much tea and brushed with straight peroxide. Vera had reprimanded the child for being rude, but it didn’t ease the embarrassment.

  It wasn’t rocket science, but Martha did cut down on the tea, brushed with straight peroxide now, and was proud of her much-improved smile. She ran her tongue across her teeth. “Hi, Betsy.” She waited for Betsy to share whatever was on her mind, and Martha prayed it wouldn’t have anything to do with her.

  “Did you know that there are no words in your Englisch language that rhyme with month, orange, silver, and purple?”

  Martha breathed a sigh of relief. “No, I didn’t know that, Betsy.”

  “It’s true.”

  Martha tried to smile before she turned back to Levi. “I’m worried about Danielle. She was crying this morning. And I’ve already called her friend Sue, trying to get hold of her since they had plans after work. But Sue said Danielle canceled, and I don’t know where that boyfriend of hers lives.”

  “I doubt she’s there,” Levi said quickly, drawing all eyes to him. “I mean—it’s late, ya? She wouldn’t go there this late, is what I meant.”

  Martha eyed him for a long moment. She knew when people were telling the truth. Levi might not be lying, but he seemed to know something. “Okay. Well, if you hear from her for any reason, will you tell her
to call us?”

  “Ya.”

  Martha left, deciding she and Arnold were spinning their wheels. Maybe Danielle was already at home by now. So they headed that way.

  LEVI WAITED UNTIL Martha and Arnold had time to get back on the road before he pulled his coat and hat from the rack by the door.

  “Where are you going?” his mother’s voice snapped. “You’re not going to go look for that girl, are you?”

  “That girl is Danielle, Mamm. And you know we are gut friends. I think I might know where she is.”

  “You just told Martha that you didn’t know where she is.” His mother scowled, then kept going before Levi could answer.

  “This night air is not gut for your asthma, and it’s too cold to travel in the buggy.”

  “I’ll be fine, Mamm. I won’t be out late.”

  His father was already upstairs for the night, but he knew his father would have agreed with his mother. They didn’t travel at night unless they had to.

  Levi kissed his mother on the cheek. “I’ll be back soon.” He wasn’t a child.

  But Danielle was still a girl, and she was scared.

  Four

  LEVI HITCHED THE BUGGY UP OUTSIDE OF THE small Englisch church on the far side of town. The turn-of-the-century structure housed a small congregation of Christians on Sunday mornings, and no matter what religion you practiced, the church was a sight to see with its brightly painted stained glass windows on all sides. It had one of those historic plaques out front, and the door was never locked. Levi figured it wouldn’t hold more than thirty or forty people.

  It was called Sangre de Cristo Chapel, which meant “blood of Christ” in Spanish, and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains climbed behind the church. There was a sign that hung lopsided on the outside of the door that read: “All are welcome here in the house of the Lord.”

  Levi had already seen Danielle’s car outside. He eased the tall wooden door open and walked into the dimly lit church with only six rows of pews on either side. Danielle was sitting in the front row. She glanced over her shoulder.