expression on his face.
“I just found out. Mamm and Daed . . .” she paused as she sniffled. “I mean Mary Ellen and Abe told me that I have a birth mother, someone who gave me to them when I was a baby. And I’m so upset, and . . .” She lowered her head, then looked David’s way. He was staring straight ahead, keeping the horse at slow pace. After a few moments, he turned her way.
“Linda, I’m sure that news was a shock.” He glanced back and forth between her and the road, then steadied his gaze on her. “But . . .” He gave her a small smile. “I think I’d like to thank your folks for raising such a wonderful cousin for me.”
Linda tried to manage a smile through her tears, but the news was too raw for her to pretend for more than a moment that she was anything but destroyed.
David slowed the buggy before he reached Stephen’s house, and eventually came to a stop. He turned to face her in the seat again, then wrapped his arms around her, which only caused her to cry more.
“Linda,” he finally said in a soothing tone. “Mary Ellen and Abe are your parents, no matter what.” David gently eased her away. “You know how much they love you.”
In her heart, Linda knew it to be true, but the reality of the situation was overwhelming her. “Why didn’t they tell me? Why would they keep something like this from me?” Then she had a horrible thought. She took a deep breath. “David, did you know about this? Since mei mudder , I mean Mary Ellen, is your daed’s sister.”
“She’s still your mother, Linda, and no, I didn’t have any idea about this.” David pulled his straw hat off and ran his forearm over a sweaty forehead. “I think of Lillian just like mei mamm , and I know Lillian loves me just like her own son. I reckon you don’t have to be born into a family to be a part of it.”
Linda knew that when Lillian married Samuel, she’d raised David as her own son, but somehow her situation seemed much different. “It’s the betrayal. The fact that no one told me.”
They sat quietly for a few minutes. “So, what now? What are you going to do?”
Linda recalled the looks on her parents’ faces. On Mary Ellen’s and Abe’s faces . Every time she mentally corrected herself, the pain she felt was even worse. She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m supposed to meet her tomorrow.”
“Still want to go to Stephen’s? I reckon you look a mess.” David grinned, poked her in the arm. They’d grown up together, and David had always been like the older brother she didn’t have. Again, she thought about Matt and Luke.
Linda sniffled. “ Ya . I need to see Stephen.”
David nodded, then flicked the horse into motion. “Linda, everything’s gonna be all right. Mary Ellen and Abe love you, and that’s what matters. It was just God’s will that the other woman helped them out.”
Linda shrugged. “I guess. I’m just not sure how I feel about all this.” However, the look on her parents’ faces was enough for her to know that, despite her own hurt, they were suffering too.
Stephen pushed back his hat, looped his thumbs beneath his suspenders, and walked across his front yard toward David’s buggy, wondering what would bring Linda to his house so near the supper hour. He watched Linda hug her cousin before she stepped out of the buggy and shut the door. David waved, and Stephen returned the gesture, but he couldn’t take his eyes from Linda as she ran barefoot across the yard.
“What’s wrong?” She was a few feet from him when he noticed blood on the top of her bare foot and tears rolling down her cheeks. “What happened?”
She threw her arms around his neck. “My life is ruined.”
“What?” He held her for a few moments, then gently eased her away and looked down at the blood on her foot. “Do you need a doctor?”
She swiped at swollen eyes and shook her head. “No. My foot is fine.”
Stephen raised his brows and gazed into her eyes. “Then what is
“I just found out. Mamm and Daed . . .” she paused as she sniffled. “I mean Mary Ellen and Abe told me that I have a birth mother, someone who gave me to them when I was a baby. And I’m so upset, and . . .” She lowered her head, then looked David’s way. He was staring straight ahead, keeping the horse at slow pace. After a few moments, he turned her way.
“Linda, I’m sure that news was a shock.” He glanced back and forth between her and the road, then steadied his gaze on her. “But . . .” He gave her a small smile. “I think I’d like to thank your folks for raising such a wonderful cousin for me.”
Linda tried to manage a smile through her tears, but the news was too raw for her to pretend for more than a moment that she was anything but destroyed.
David slowed the buggy before he reached Stephen’s house, and eventually came to a stop. He turned to face her in the seat again, then wrapped his arms around her, which only caused her to cry more.
“Linda,” he finally said in a soothing tone. “Mary Ellen and Abe are your parents, no matter what.” David gently eased her away. “You know how much they love you.”
In her heart, Linda knew it to be true, but the reality of the situation was overwhelming her. “Why didn’t they tell me? Why would they keep something like this from me?” Then she had a horrible thought. She took a deep breath. “David, did you know about this? Since mei mudder , I mean Mary Ellen, is your daed’s sister.”
“She’s still your mother, Linda, and no, I didn’t have any idea about this.” David pulled his straw hat off and ran his forearm over a sweaty forehead. “I think of Lillian just like mei mamm , and I know Lillian loves me just like her own son. I reckon you don’t have to be born into a family to be a part of it.”
Linda knew that when Lillian married Samuel, she’d raised David as her own son, but somehow her situation seemed much different. “It’s the betrayal. The fact that no one told me.”
They sat quietly for a few minutes. “So, what now? What are you going to do?”
Linda recalled the looks on her parents’ faces. On Mary Ellen’s and Abe’s faces . Every time she mentally corrected herself, the pain she felt was even worse. She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m supposed to meet her tomorrow.”
“Still want to go to Stephen’s? I reckon you look a mess.” David grinned, poked her in the arm. They’d grown up together, and David had always been like the older brother she didn’t have. Again, she thought about Matt and Luke.
Linda sniffled. “ Ya . I need to see Stephen.”
David nodded, then flicked the horse into motion. “Linda, everything’s gonna be all right. Mary Ellen and Abe love you, and that’s what matters. It was just God’s will that the other woman helped them out.”
Linda shrugged. “I guess. I’m just not sure how I feel about all this.” However, the look on her parents’ faces was enough for her to know that, despite her own hurt, they were suffering too.
Stephen pushed back his hat, looped his thumbs beneath his suspenders, and walked across his front yard toward David’s buggy, wondering what would bring Linda to his house so near the supper hour. He watched Linda hug her cousin before she stepped out of the buggy and shut the door. David waved, and Stephen returned the gesture, but he couldn’t take his eyes from Linda as she ran barefoot across the yard.
“What’s wrong?” She was a few feet from him when he noticed blood on the top of her bare foot and tears rolling down her cheeks. “What happened?”
She threw her arms around his neck. “My life is ruined.”
“What?” He held her for a few moments, then gently eased her away and looked down at the blood on her foot. “Do you need a doctor?”
She swiped at swollen eyes and shook her head. “No. My foot is fine.”
Stephen raised his brows and gazed into her eyes. “Then what is
Similar Books
