flooded overhim. He’d done what God called him to do. He certainly couldn’t force her to marry him.
“What would make you ask me that? I mean, I love you and all . . . but you know what I mean.” Danielle playfully slapped him on the arm, but he was still recovering from her words. She loves me? It was nice to hear, since he loved her too. But he loved his sister, his mother, his father, brother, and so on. There were all kinds of love, and his and Danielle’s wasn’t the marrying kind.
“I don’t want you to have to raise the boppli , I mean baby, all on your own. I just thought . . .” He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
She lifted her head and gazed into his eyes. “You’re sweet, Levi. Some girl will be very lucky to have you, but you won’t be able to be my best friend anymore.” She paused, frowning. “And that will be hard. Maybe Sarah Troyer?”
Levi shook his head. “ Nee . I don’t think so.” He frowned. He liked Sarah well enough, but he couldn’t picture them like that. “So . . . if you would have married Matthew, then we wouldn’t have been friends anymore?”
“I would like to think we could have stayed friends, but I guess it would have changed between us some.” She turned to face him. “Don’t you think?”
“I guess so.”
They were quiet for a while, and Levi stifled a yawn. “How long do you plan on sitting here?”
“I told you. I’m testing God to see if He’ll fix things. If He’s real, then He can fix everything.”
“Danielle . . .” He let out a heavy sigh. There was no way for him to educate Danielle about the Lord in one night. Itwould take a lifetime of learning, or at the least more time than Danielle was willing to devote.
They both turned around when they heard the door close behind them. A man came down the aisle carrying a broom and a dustpan.
“Sorry to disturb you, folks,” he said as he waved. “Just doing a little cleanup.”
Levi waved back, and he and Danielle watched the man start pulling cobwebs out of the corners of the front of the church—big clusters of dust that Levi didn’t remember seeing earlier. But the light was dim, and he hadn’t been studying the condition of the old church.
“God fixes everything in His time,” Levi finally whispered. “He always has a plan.” He knew Danielle would fire back with something, and his mother’s words about being unequally yoked flew back into his mind. How could he have possibly thought God was calling him to marry her?
To Levi’s surprise, Danielle didn’t say anything. Her eyes were fixed on the man clearing the cobwebs from the corner. “Do you know him?” she asked, keeping her eyes straight ahead.
Levi squinted to see better in the poorly lit area. “ Nee , I don’t think so. Do you?”
She spoke softly. “I—I’m not sure.” After a brief pause, she added, “Maybe. I don’t know.” She shrugged before she leaned her head against his shoulder and wrapped her hand around his arm. The man turned and came back down the aisle toward them, his eyes aglow in the dim lighting. It was then that Levi realized he recognized the man.
Except last time Levi saw the fellow, he was holding apaddle in his hand, not a broomstick. The man winked at Levi on his way out of the church.
D ANIELLE CLUNG TO Levi like a life vest after having the strangest feeling she’d ever had in her life. It was the craziest idea, marrying Levi.
Or was it?
“Levi?”
“Ya?”
“What if . . . what if we did get married?”
She eased away from him and looked up just in time to see his eyes close for a moment as he swallowed hard. Gasping, she asked, “Oh no. Did you already change your mind?”
“Uh, no . . . no, I guess not. I mean no.” He shook his head, rubbed his chin, then stared into her eyes. “What made you change your mind?”
“I don’t know.” She lowered her head. “Never mind, Levi. I can’t marry you.” She looked up at him, unable to deny that she loved him, but
“What would make you ask me that? I mean, I love you and all . . . but you know what I mean.” Danielle playfully slapped him on the arm, but he was still recovering from her words. She loves me? It was nice to hear, since he loved her too. But he loved his sister, his mother, his father, brother, and so on. There were all kinds of love, and his and Danielle’s wasn’t the marrying kind.
“I don’t want you to have to raise the boppli , I mean baby, all on your own. I just thought . . .” He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
She lifted her head and gazed into his eyes. “You’re sweet, Levi. Some girl will be very lucky to have you, but you won’t be able to be my best friend anymore.” She paused, frowning. “And that will be hard. Maybe Sarah Troyer?”
Levi shook his head. “ Nee . I don’t think so.” He frowned. He liked Sarah well enough, but he couldn’t picture them like that. “So . . . if you would have married Matthew, then we wouldn’t have been friends anymore?”
“I would like to think we could have stayed friends, but I guess it would have changed between us some.” She turned to face him. “Don’t you think?”
“I guess so.”
They were quiet for a while, and Levi stifled a yawn. “How long do you plan on sitting here?”
“I told you. I’m testing God to see if He’ll fix things. If He’s real, then He can fix everything.”
“Danielle . . .” He let out a heavy sigh. There was no way for him to educate Danielle about the Lord in one night. Itwould take a lifetime of learning, or at the least more time than Danielle was willing to devote.
They both turned around when they heard the door close behind them. A man came down the aisle carrying a broom and a dustpan.
“Sorry to disturb you, folks,” he said as he waved. “Just doing a little cleanup.”
Levi waved back, and he and Danielle watched the man start pulling cobwebs out of the corners of the front of the church—big clusters of dust that Levi didn’t remember seeing earlier. But the light was dim, and he hadn’t been studying the condition of the old church.
“God fixes everything in His time,” Levi finally whispered. “He always has a plan.” He knew Danielle would fire back with something, and his mother’s words about being unequally yoked flew back into his mind. How could he have possibly thought God was calling him to marry her?
To Levi’s surprise, Danielle didn’t say anything. Her eyes were fixed on the man clearing the cobwebs from the corner. “Do you know him?” she asked, keeping her eyes straight ahead.
Levi squinted to see better in the poorly lit area. “ Nee , I don’t think so. Do you?”
She spoke softly. “I—I’m not sure.” After a brief pause, she added, “Maybe. I don’t know.” She shrugged before she leaned her head against his shoulder and wrapped her hand around his arm. The man turned and came back down the aisle toward them, his eyes aglow in the dim lighting. It was then that Levi realized he recognized the man.
Except last time Levi saw the fellow, he was holding apaddle in his hand, not a broomstick. The man winked at Levi on his way out of the church.
D ANIELLE CLUNG TO Levi like a life vest after having the strangest feeling she’d ever had in her life. It was the craziest idea, marrying Levi.
Or was it?
“Levi?”
“Ya?”
“What if . . . what if we did get married?”
She eased away from him and looked up just in time to see his eyes close for a moment as he swallowed hard. Gasping, she asked, “Oh no. Did you already change your mind?”
“Uh, no . . . no, I guess not. I mean no.” He shook his head, rubbed his chin, then stared into her eyes. “What made you change your mind?”
“I don’t know.” She lowered her head. “Never mind, Levi. I can’t marry you.” She looked up at him, unable to deny that she loved him, but
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