by Beth Wiseman
When they pulled into the driveway, Natalie looked long and hard toward Lucas’s house.
“Do you want to take the ibuprofen to Helen?” Maybe she would see Lucas.
But Natalie shook her head. “No, I’ll let you do it.”
They got out of the car and walked slowly to the front porch. Cecelia inspected the yard. Someone had mowed recently, and she was sure it must have been one of Helen’s boys, who was probably still taking care of the horses too. Natalie was gazing at the arena and barn, and she was actually smiling. Maybe they could keep one of the horses, although Cecelia trembled at the thought of Natalie getting back on one of the feisty animals. But she knew her daughter would. It was only a matter of time.
As they approached the front door, she saw an envelope taped to it with “Cecelia” written on it. She stared at it for a few seconds before she pulled it free and slid her finger along the seal to open it.
“What is it?” Natalie glanced back toward the horses while Cecelia pulled out and unfolded a single piece of paper. She studied it, and it took her a minute to figure out what it was.
“Mom, what is it?” Natalie leaned closer now, eyeing the paper.
“Good grief.” Cecelia brought a hand to her chest. “What have these crazy Amish people done now?”
Natalie leaned closer, also studying the piece of paper. “Wow! Oh wow.” Her daughter’s eyes bugged out, surely the same way Cecelia’s had.
“Go on in,” Cecelia said. “I’m sure the door is open. You might want to open the windows and get a breeze going.” She couldn’t take her eyes off the document in her hand. “Start looking around for things you might want or that we can sell. Obviously, I need to go talk to Helen. Can I take your car? I could walk, but . . .” She pointed to the sandals she was wearing. “I’m not sure these are good shoes to traipse across a field in.”
Natalie nodded before she went inside. Cecelia had the ibuprofen in her purse, but it was the other item, the piece of paper, that had her heart racing.
Chapter 19
Helen took two loaves of bread from the wood oven, then asked the girls to stay in the kitchen while she went to talk to Lucas. She’d seen him earlier staring out the window, and he hadn’t even noticed her walk by him.
She crossed through the den and placed her hand on his back. “Wie bischt, sohn? Are you all right?”
He turned to her briefly but then peered out the window again. “Ya, I’m okay.”
Natalie’s car was at Moses’s house—David Shingles’s old house, which now belonged to Cecelia. Helen would never get used to the fact that Moses wasn’t Moses, but a dishonest Amish man from New York. She was, however, adjusting to the possibility of Cecelia being her neighbor. Except, she worried about Natalie’s visits to see her mother. Would seeing her push the knife further into her son’s heart? Maybe Cecelia would choose to sell the property.
“Maybe you should go talk to her,” Helen said softly, but he shook his head. A few weeks ago, she would have been jumping for joy that wedding plans were no longer on the table. She hadn’t expected to feel such empathy for her son.
“Nee. I have to give her time.” He kept his eyes focused on the house and car in the distance. When the car pulled out of the driveway and headed their way, Lucas said he had to get back to work and headed to the barn. “I have to give her time.” But would time change anything?
Helen rubbed the back of her neck. Natalie was probably bringing her the ibuprofen from Cecelia. Helen wanted to pay for it even though Cecelia had said not to worry about it, but she wasn’t sure she had enough cash.
Her heart hurt for Lucas. She recalled how hard she’d resisted the idea of him and Natalie being together, and now a part of her wanted to beg the girl to reconsider. But it was Cecelia who got out of the car—alone—and came up the porch steps. Helen met her at the door, and Cecelia handed her a bag from the dollar store. “How much do I owe you?”
Cecelia burst out laughing. “Are you kidding me? I’m going to owe you for the rest of my life.” Her expression sobered as she pulled a piece of paper from her purse, unfolded it, and handed it to Helen. “I honestly have no idea who I should be thanking, but I know it had to be someone in your community who came up with the money to catch up the mortgage. I will pay back every cent when I get a job and get on my feet.” She hung her head, sighed, and looked back up at Helen with tears in her eyes. “Now we can sell the house instead of having another foreclosure on my record.” She wrapped her arms around Helen, which Helen was starting to get used to, if only a little bit.
“No thanks is required. Everyone chipped in.” Helen eased out of the hug.
Cecelia chuckled. “This is a game changer for Natalie and me, to be able to sell the house.” She looked up. “Praise God, and please thank everyone.”
Helen wondered if selling the house would bring finality to this entire situation. Eventually a new family would move in, and hopefully they would all forget about David Shingles. Helen wished Marianne were alive so she could ask her why she’d allowed herself to become entangled in such a mess. Marianne had grown up Amish, and the man they knew as Moses was handsome. Maybe Marianne had been taken in and gone against the Lord by committing crimes for her husband, whether he was truly Amish or not. Even if he had been baptized into their faith, he’d disrespected them, the Lord, and Cecelia. Helen shook her head, deciding she’d never know for sure.
Cecelia waved as she left. Helen closed the door, then hobbled over to the couch, thinking about how no one could really know a person at all. Moses wasn’t who she’d thought he was. And neither was Cecelia. Helen almost felt like she and Natalie’s mother could have become friends and learned things from each other.
Cecelia’s opinion had changed about Helen’s people. And Helen had to admit that her opinion of Cecelia had changed. She loved her daughter as much as Helen loved her own children. And the woman seemed to be trusting God and trying to put her life back together after her divorce. Helen couldn’t imagine going through such a thing with Isaac.
She stood and stretched, then popped two of the ibuprofen into her mouth.
* * *
Natalie went from room to room in the small house. She’d opened the windows like her mother suggested. There was a nice cross breeze, but it was hot. And the house smelled like fresh paint. There was a living room area and a small kitchen with a wood-burning oven and a vintage refrigerator that used ice blocks to keep food cold. There was also an ice chest set off to one side. A small kitchen table with two chairs was against one wall. Off to one side was a master bedroom that wasn’t very big. The one bathroom had an entrance from the den and bedroom. She went upstairs and down a narrow hallway where she found another modestly furnished bedroom and small bathroom. The property’s value hinged mostly on the hundred acres, not the small farmhouse. She went back downstairs when she heard her mother pull the car in the driveway then come inside.
“Mom, there’s not anything of real value in here to sell, but now that you have the mortgage caught up, you can sell the house and include everything in it. That would be easier than trying to sell this stuff. The horses are worth money too.” She eyed the worn couch, old coffee table, and two chairs in the den. The furniture in the master bedroom looked like it was from another era.
She peered out the window at the horse arena and barn and sighed. “I love this place, everything about it, except that the man who lived here framed you.” She turned to face her mother, who had taken a seat on the couch. “Are you going to try to sell the horses yourself or hire someone to do it?”
“I’m not sure yet. I’m hoping I can get some advice from Helen’s husband to help me decide what to do.” Cecelia took a tissue from her purse and dabbed at the sweat on her forehead.
“What did Helen say about the mortgage being paid?”
Her mother smiled. “She said that they all chipped in.” She shook her head, still smiling. “Amazing that they did that. So generous.”
Natalie almost said, “I
told you they were good people.” But her mother had learned that on her own.
Natalie looked back outside. “There’s so much I would do with a place like this. I’d make flower beds in the front on either side of the sidewalk. I’d paint the barn with a fresh coat of red.” She turned to her mother. “I’d groom animals to make money. I’d rent out the stables too. She shrugged. “It’s a moot point, but someday I hope to have a place like this in the country.”
* * *
Cecelia smiled. “Those are lovely thoughts, but don’t you think you’ll want to go back to school at some point?”
Natalie shrugged. “Maybe.” After a few seconds she said, “But I’d take this life over school any day of the week.”
Cecelia could never live this life. Even with electricity and air-conditioning, it was too secluded for her liking. “Even if you had to see Lucas in the distance?”
Natalie looked over her shoulder at her mother, then turned back to the window. “Maybe I’d feel differently someday, but I’d settle for seeing him from afar as opposed to never seeing him again.” She shrugged. “Doesn’t matter anyway.” She turned and walked over to Cecelia and put her hands on her hips. “So . . . where do you want to start? Box up the junk that won’t be included in the sale?”
Cecelia’s heart was full, but suddenly there was room for it to become even fuller.
“Mom?” Natalie waved her hand in front of Cecelia’s face. “Hello, earth to Mother. Where do you want to start?”
Cecelia tipped her head to one side. “Hmm . . . I think the first thing I’ll do is have new locks put on the doors so you’ll feel safe.”
Natalie’s eyes widened. “What?”
Cecelia stood and placed her hands on her daughter’s shoulders, then kissed her on the cheek. “I want you to have the house. I will take over your apartment until I find a job. We will sell the horses. We should have enough money to pay the mortgage on this place and your apartment rent for a couple months, but we’ll both need jobs soon. I could move in here with you for a while”—she cringed—“and even endure the summer heat, but if you break your lease it will go on your credit record, and you don’t want that.” Cecelia began to pace, tapping a finger to her chin. “The payments for this place are rather hefty, but I think we could refinance and get it to a more affordable monthly payment for you.”
Natalie took a step backward. “Absolutely not.” She threw her arms in the air before slapping them to her sides. “For whatever reason, that weirdo left you his house.” She shook her head. “Odd, but a blessing. And you will use the money to get another house, a job, and get back on your feet. Maybe he knew you’d have help getting caught up on the mortgage. Or maybe he felt bad about what he’d done to you. But the money from the house is yours.”
Cecelia sat in one of the chairs, crossed one leg over the other, and kicked it into action. “Nope. I’m not selling the house. You love it, and I want you to have it. Please let me do this for you. I know it doesn’t make up for everything you’ve endured, but . . .” She paused, wanting to reiterate her biggest concern. “Do you think you could live next to Lucas and see him from afar—as you put it—without it ripping at your heart constantly?” Cecelia suspected they might have unfinished business, but her daughter needed to think this part through carefully.
Natalie turned to the window for several seconds before spinning around to face Cecelia again, a stern expression on her beautiful face. “Yes, I could do it. Maybe we’d even find our way back to being friends someday. But it doesn’t matter, Mom. It wouldn’t be right for you to give me a house that was meant for you.”
“Sit down, Natalie.” Cecelia’s heart sang loudly, and she wanted her daughter to understand her reasoning. After Natalie finally sat, blowing out a huff as she did so, Cecelia continued. “When Adeline died, she wanted you to have money to go to college. She didn’t realize she didn’t have much money left. Your friends Levi and Mary couldn’t keep a fancy piano, so they sold it and gave you a bundle of money to go to college to become a vet. Now you don’t want to be a vet, but you love animals. A man I don’t know gave me a house.”
She chuckled. “At first, it all seemed bizarre for me to own this house. But now I know why. Everything happens for a reason, according to God’s will. And I know in my heart that this is where you are meant to be. Here, in this house. You’ve already mentioned ways you could make money. And if you choose to go back to school down the line, hopefully I’ll be in a position, at some point, to help you pay for it.”
Natalie stared at her as her jaw dropped. “Mother, have you been drinking?”
Cecelia frowned. “I’m having an epiphany and you’re accusing me of drinking?” She pointed a finger at her. “Bad you.”
“Mom, you can’t do this.” Natalie was smiling, though, and Cecelia knew she was considering it. “Can you?”
Cecelia nodded. “Let me do this for you.”
Natalie stood and actually jumped up and down. “I want it!”
Cecelia rushed to her, cupped her face, then pulled her into a brief hug before she stared into her beautiful daughter’s eyes. “This is where you’re meant to be. And I want to start my life from scratch, taking with me the things I’ve learned from you.”
Natalie rolled her eyes. “Like what?”
“You are unselfish, uncompromising when you believe strongly about something, and strong in your faith, and I’d like to think I’m growing in these areas, thanks to you. I want to be a better person. Take the house, sweetheart. Make it your sanctuary.” She kissed her on the cheek. “Because that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to rebuild my life and become the person I want to be.”
Natalie rushed to the window and stared out at the fields, the barn, the arena, then turned back to her mother in tears. “I love you, Mom. And I’m so proud of you.”
Of all the things Cecelia had ever been told, her daughter’s words touched her more than anything. “I’m proud of you, too, Natalie. I always have been.”
* * *
By Friday, Lucas’s curiosity was piqued, but he had to believe the voice in his head that kept saying, Be patient, My son. He’d been watching Natalie arrive at the house next door every morning since Tuesday. Sometimes her mother came for a while, and other times Natalie was there by herself.
Lucas would have thought they were readying the house to sell, but it was hard to miss Natalie’s red couch being moved in by two men. Was she going to live there? Lucas would be tormented for the rest of his life, having to see her all the time without being able to love her the way he wanted to. But maybe seeing her from afar was better than not seeing her at all.
“Go to her.”
Lucas spun around to see his mother standing behind him. “You peer out that window every day.” She touched his arm. “Your daed and I were wrong not to support you in your decision to live a life that is dictated by God, not us. I can’t stand seeing you unhappy.”
He kept his eyes on Natalie. “I would if I thought she wanted to be with me right now.” She was hanging clothes on the line outside the house. “I wonder if she’s ever done that before, hung out clothes.”
“I imagine she’s always lived in a place that had a washer and dryer. But even some of the Englisch hang their sheets outside to dry, so who knows.”
Lucas glanced at his mother before he returned his eyes to Natalie. “Yesterday, she rode one of the horses.” He recalled the way her ponytail bounced up and down as she sailed across the pasture, and the way he’d held his breath, praying she didn’t fall off. “Isn’t the old saying that if you fall off the horse, you get back on?”
“Ya. It is.” His mother paused. “Are you going to your bruder’s house for supper tonight?”
“Ya, like always.” Although it wasn’t the same without Natalie. Maybe tonight Mary and Levi would tell him what Natalie and Cecelia’s plans were, if they knew. Lucas had seen Mary at the library recently. He still went, hoping to bump into Natalie. Mary said she st
ill visited them, but usually on Saturdays.
“That’s gut. I wish some of your siblings would visit Levi and Mary more often, but I know it’s a lengthy trip by buggy.”
Lucas didn’t mind the ride, and he enjoyed the visits. But he always held out hope that maybe Natalie would show up. Even Levi and Mary seemed to feel the void every Friday night.
“Ach, well, you have a gut time and send our love to Levi and Mary.” His mother headed toward the kitchen, and Lucas noticed something. “Mamm?”
She turned around. “Ya?”
“You aren’t limping.” Lucas smiled as he raised an eyebrow.
His mother chuckled. “I know. It turns out there’s a pill called ibuprofen. It’s not a cure-all, but it sure does help.” Smiling, she said, “I think I’ll take the buggy out for a drive later.”
Lucas couldn’t remember the last time his mother drove the buggy. They all believed she’d had a near accident and quit driving herself after it. Plus, she didn’t go anywhere in the buggy that she didn’t have to because of the pain in her hip, which she’d had for as long as Lucas could remember. “Do you need a ride somewhere?”
She smiled. “Nee, sohn. I think change is in the air.”
* * *
Natalie was excited to see Levi and Mary tonight. She’d bowed out of the Friday night visits when she and Lucas stopped seeing each other. Levi was Lucas’s brother, and it seemed only fair that Natalie should be the one to opt out, despite Mary’s urging that they switch off Fridays. That reminded Natalie too much of her parents’ divorce, alternating weekends whenever it had been convenient for her to visit her dad. But she’d been seeing Mary and Levi whenever she could, although she’d missed the fabulous meals. Tonight, Natalie was excited about dining with her friends and anxious to tell them about her plans for the house. She was still overwhelmed by what the Amish community had done for her and her mother, but she was even more blown away by her mother’s generosity.
Helen had stopped by earlier in the day and said she had visited with Mary the day before. She said Lucas wouldn’t be able to attend the Friday night meal, and Mary had asked Helen to extend the invitation to Natalie. The relationship between Helen’s family and Natalie and Cecelia had softened, but Natalie wondered if she would ever get past not being with Lucas. The void was huge, no matter how busy she kept herself working on the house. She’d even planted a small garden.