A Seat by the Hearth

by Amy Clipston

  “Yes, she is,” Mark said. “Tell Ethan we’ll be there as soon as we can.”

  “Thank you,” Tammy said.

  Without another word, Mark hung up the phone and ran toward the house.

  “Priscilla!” Mark yelled.

  Priscilla stilled, and the sewing machine stopped. She took in the frantic thread in Mark’s voice as his boots clomped their way up the stairs to her bedroom.

  “What?” She jumped up from her sewing table and met him in the hallway.

  “We have to go.” His eyes were wide as he worked to catch his breath. “We have to leave now.”

  “Where are we going?” She searched his face for an explanation as her heart began to thump. Something was wrong.

  “Everything is going to be fine, but we have to leave for the hospital. Your dat’s driver is on his way.”

  “I don’t understand. Why are we going to the hospital?”

  He hesitated.

  “Tell me!” she begged him.

  “Ethan is fine, but he was in an accident.” His words were measured.

  “What?” Her voice broke as her pulse galloped with fear. “What happened?”

  “Just come with me.” He took her hand and tugged her toward the stairs.

  “Tell me what happened.” She squeezed his hand and yanked him back.

  “I’ll tell you in the car.” Mark held on to her hand and led her down the stairs.

  Tears began to pour from her eyes as visions of horrible accidents swirled through her mind. Had he been hurt on the playground or been hit by a car while walking home from school? The possibilities were endless, and the anticipation was quickly eating away at her soul.

  “What happened to Ethan?” Priscilla demanded when they reached the bottom step. She tugged at his hand and pulled him toward her. “Mark, tell me!”

  Mamm appeared in the kitchen doorway, her dark eyes wide with concern. “What’s going on?”

  “Ethan is fine,” Mark began slowly, “but he was in an accident, and a social worker called from the hospital. Your driver should be here soon to take us there.”

  Mamm clutched her chest. “What happened?”

  Mark took a deep breath, and his body shook. He was visibly upset, and that knowledge sent alarm spiraling through Priscilla. She gripped his hand tighter.

  “Apparently Trent lured Ethan into his truck when he saw Ethan walking home from school.” Mark’s expression grew stony as Priscilla gasped. “Trent had been drinking, and he hit a parked car. Ethan is fine according to the social worker, although he’s going to be sore. She said he might have hurt his arm and he needs some stitches. He’s also bruised from the seat belt, but he’s okay.” He peered out the window. “Warren is here. Let’s go.” He nudged Priscilla toward the door.

  “I’m coming with you,” Mamm insisted. “Let me just tell your dat.”

  Priscilla hurried into the hospital room behind the nurse, her heart feeling as if it might beat out of her rib cage. She’d spent the drive to the hospital vacillating between fury at Trent and worry for Ethan’s well-being.

  When they finally arrived at the hospital, she had practically run to the front desk and asked for Ethan. She was grateful that a nurse took her, Mark, and her mother back to see him immediately instead of forcing them to worry in the waiting room.

  She blew out a puff of air when she found Ethan sitting on the edge of an exam table, staring up at cartoons on a television set as a young woman sat in a nearby chair. His right arm was in a sling, and a large bandage, stained with bright-red dots, covered his little forehead.

  “Mamm!” Ethan exclaimed.

  “Ethan!” Priscilla hurried over to him. “How are you?”

  “My arm hurts, and my head hurts too.”

  “I’m Tammy, the one who called you,” the young woman said as she walked over and shook Priscilla’s hand. She looked to be in her midtwenties. “You must be Miss Allgyer.”

  “Ya.” She pointed to Mark. “This is my fiancé, Mark, and my mother, Edna.”

  Tammy said hello to them.

  Mark shook her hand. Then his expression clouded with a frown. “Where’s Trent?”

  “He’s in another room.” Tammy nodded toward the doorway. “He’s receiving treatment, and the police are going to interview him. They’d like to talk to you as well, Miss Allgyer.”

  “What happened?” Priscilla turned toward Ethan.

  Ethan grimaced. “I was walking home with mei freinden, and Dad pulled up next to us. He said he had permission from you to pick me up and take me out for ice cream.”

  Mark came to stand beside Priscilla, and she could feel the rage coming off him in waves.

  Priscilla shook her head. “I never gave him permission to pick you up.” Her voice vibrated with anger. She felt a hand on her back and turned toward Mark, who gave her a reassuring expression, as if to calm her.

  “I didn’t know,” Ethan said, his voice cracking. “I thought it was okay.”

  “It’s not your fault.” Mark’s voice remained even despite his deep frown. “Go on.”

  “Well, Dad seemed kind of weird,” Ethan continued. “His words sounded funny, like they used to sometimes. I asked him if he was okay, and he said he was.”

  “He was drunk,” Priscilla whispered.

  “Well, he smelled funny like when he used to drink beer. Then he couldn’t drive very well. He was swerving, like this.” Ethan pretended he was steering a car with his left hand, and he leaned a little to the right, grimaced, and then leaned to the left. “I started getting scared because he wasn’t staying on the right side of the road.” His lower lip quivered, and his dark eyes filled with tears.

  “It’s okay.” Priscilla rubbed his back, her heart breaking when he sniffed. “Keep going.” She glanced at Mark, and he shook his head. Beside him, Mamm sat in a chair and wiped her eyes with a tissue.

  “And then he hit a car,” Ethan continued, his voice shaking. “The crash was so loud, and I was so scared. My arm hit the door hard, and then the window broke and glass flew into my head.”

  Ethan shouldn’t have even been in a truck without a child’s seat to restrain him, let alone in a front seat. When he dissolved in tears, Priscilla gathered him into her arms and fought back her own tears.

  “It’s okay, Ethan,” Priscilla whispered into his dark hair. “You’re safe now, and I won’t let anyone hurt you again.”

  “I won’t either.” Mark was beside her in an instant, and he patted Ethan’s left arm. “I’ll keep you safe.”

  Priscilla looked up into Mark’s sky-blue eyes and felt such appreciation. He was the father Ethan needed, no matter how make-believe their marriage was.

  Mark turned to Tammy. “Will the police charge Trent?”

  Tammy nodded toward the doorway. “Could I please speak to you outside?”

  Mark gave her a nod, and then turned to Priscilla. “I’m going to step outside with her.”

  “I want to come with you,” she said.

  “Go.” Mamm stepped over to her with a box of tissues. “I’ll stay with him.” She stood beside Ethan and wiped his eyes with a tissue. “You’re safe now, Ethan. We’re with you, okay?”

  Ethan nodded. “Yeah. I know.”

  Priscilla walked out into the hallway with Mark and Tammy. Tammy pulled the curtain closed, giving Ethan privacy and blocking his view of them. Then she pointed to a treatment room across the hall. A tall police officer stood outside of it.

  “The police are going to ask if you want to bring charges against Mr. Parker,” Tammy said as she looked at Priscilla. “No matter what, he’ll be charged with driving under the influence and child endangerment. Pardon me for asking this, but does he have any legal rights to Ethan?”

  “No.” Priscilla shook her head. “His name isn’t even on Ethan’s birth certificate.”

  “Okay. I’m glad to hear that because of his past behavior. In my opinion Mr. Parker is not a safe person. He should never be alone with Ethan.”
>
  “How do you know about his past behavior?” Priscilla asked.

  “Ethan admitted he’s aware that his father drinks and that he’s been violent with you. He told me what Mr. Parker did to your arm.”

  Priscilla gaped. “I never told him about my arm, and I always try to keep it covered.”

  Tammy offered her a sad smile. “Miss Allgyer, children are more observant than you realize. He probably heard a conversation, saw your arm at some point, and then connected the dots. Plus, he mentioned to me that Mr. Parker made you cry often. He’s aware of what went on in your home.”

  Priscilla nodded as a crippling guilt rained down on her. Her attempts to protect Ethan from his father’s abusive behavior had failed.

  “It’s up to you if you want to bring charges against him since he didn’t have permission to take Ethan,” Tammy continued. “He has no legal right to the child, and it’s evident that he’s been abusive to you and harmful to Ethan.”

  Priscilla nodded as confusion nearly overcame her. Should she ask the police to charge Trent even though it was against her church’s beliefs to bring charges against someone? But this was her son. Trent had clearly put Ethan in danger, and the consequences could have been much worse. What if Trent had hit another vehicle head-on? Ethan could have been hurt much worse or even . . .

  She swallowed a sob as it bubbled up in her throat.

  “Hey.” Mark’s voice was close to her ear. “I want to talk to you before we see Trent.”

  “Okay.” She took a deep breath and pulled herself together.

  Mark turned to Tammy. “I need a minute with Priscilla before we see Trent.”

  “Okay.” Tammy nodded and motioned to the treatment room across the hallway, where the police officer continued to stand guard.

  “As I indicated, Mr. Parker is in there,” she said. “I’ll give you a few minutes to talk to him. Also, the doctor needs your permission to treat Ethan. She wants to take an X-ray of his arm to be sure he has no fractures, and she also needs to stitch his forehead. I’ll get her for you.”

  “Thank you,” Priscilla said before she walked away. Then she turned to Mark. The seriousness in his expression caught her off guard for a moment. His face had contorted into a deep frown, and his blue eyes shined as if they were full of tears. His posture was straight, and his hands were balled into fists. He looked as if he might snap into a rage or cry at any second. She’d never seen him so emotional. “What do you want to discuss?”

  “Tammy said it’s your choice if you want to bring additional charges against him.” Mark glanced around the hallway and then lowered his voice. “What if you tell Trent you won’t press charges if he promises to stay away from us from now on, and if he doesn’t try to stop me from adopting Ethan?”

  Speechless, Priscilla stared up at Mark for a moment. “You want to adopt Ethan?”

  “Ya, if you’ll allow me to.” His expression held what looked like hope or longing. “I meant it when I told Ethan I would protect him. I want to be his father, for real.”

  Her heartbeat sputtered. “Ya, he needs you.” And I do too.

  “Gut.” His gaze moved to the treatment room where Trent was and then back to her. “Do you want me to do the talking? Or do you want to handle it?”

  She swallowed. “I think we can both talk. We’ll see how it goes.”

  “Are you okay?” His gaze seemed affectionate as he touched her cheek. She leaned into the gentle caress and pulled strength from him.

  “Ya, I think I will be. I’m glad you’re here.” The words tumbled out of her mouth without any forethought.

  “I promise we’ll get through this,” he said.

  Mark threaded his fingers with hers, and together they walked to the treatment room. Priscilla squared her shoulders as they approached the officer, who held up his hand to stop them.

  “May I help you?” the officer asked.

  “My name is Priscilla Allgyer. I’m Ethan Allgyer’s mother.” Priscilla motioned toward Mark. “This is my fiancé, Mark Riehl. I want to speak to Trent Parker about what he did to my son.”

  The officer looked between Priscilla and Mark and then nodded. “Go ahead.”

  “Thank you.” Mark released her hand and then touched her back. “We won’t be long.”

  Priscilla pushed back the curtain and stood up taller as her gaze fell on Trent. He sat on another exam table with a bandage above his right eye. An angry, purplish bruise trailed down the right side of his face.

  Trent looked at her and Mark, and his lips pursed. He hit a button on a remote control, muting the sound on the television, and then he turned toward them. “I guess you’re here to yell at me.” He blew out a deep sigh. “I was wrong, and I’m sorry.”

  Priscilla marched over to him as fury boiled inside her. “That’s all you have to say?” She gestured widely. “You lied to my son, told him you had permission to take him, and promised him ice cream. And then you drove drunk with him in your truck and hit a parked vehicle?” Her voice rose. “Now he needs an X-ray on his arm because it could be broken, and he needs stitches on his forehead. There’s no excuse for this! I’m thankful he’s here to tell me the story.”

  “I have the right to see him.” Trent’s eyes narrowed. “He’s my son too.”

  “No, you have no legal right to him,” Priscilla snapped. “You’re not legally his father. He doesn’t have a legal father.”

  “But that will change soon enough.” Mark joined her at the bed, his expression grave.

  Trent divided a look between Priscilla and Mark. “What does that mean?”

  “It means we have a proposition for you,” Mark said. “You’re in a lot of trouble. Not only did you drink and drive, but you hurt a young, innocent boy. The social worker told Priscilla she has a right to bring more charges against you.”

  “Is that so?” Trent snorted. “How can you charge me?”

  “You didn’t have permission to take Ethan. The police know you’ve been abusive in the past to both Ethan and Priscilla, and apparently, that’s enough to charge you with kidnapping and child endangerment.” Mark turned to Priscilla. “Do you want to tell him?”

  Priscilla nodded. “If you agree to stay away from Ethan and us from now on, and you don’t challenge Mark’s plan to adopt Ethan, we won’t press charges.”

  Trent swallowed and then paused for a moment as if contemplating their offer. Then his eyes focused on Priscilla. “So I guess this means you’re marrying this guy?”

  “Ya, I am.” She raised her chin. “We’re getting married next week. Mark wants to adopt Ethan, and he’ll be the best father Ethan could ever ask for. You’re a danger to my son, and I want you to stay away from him.”

  Trent’s expression fell. “I did make a huge mistake. I never should have gotten behind the wheel today.” He looked toward the television, and his eyes seemed to mist over. “Can I write to him later? Maybe in a few years?”

  Priscilla looked at Mark. “What do you think?”

  Mark shrugged. “You can keep the letters for him, and then Ethan can decide when he’s older if he wants to read them and respond.” His eyes narrowed. “But Trent can’t have any other contact with him. No phone calls and no visits.”

  Priscilla nodded. “I agree.” She turned back to Trent. “Will you agree to this?”

  “Yeah.” Trent nodded. “I won’t stand in Mark’s way to adopt him.”

  “Thank you.” A weight lifted off Priscilla, and she touched Mark’s arm. “We’ll be in touch.”

  “All right,” Trent said.

  Priscilla and Mark started toward the doorway.

  “Priscilla,” Trent called, and she looked over her shoulder at him. “For what it’s worth, I am sorry.”

  “Maybe so, but you’ll never have another chance to do something like this again,” Mark snapped before pushing back the curtain and gesturing for Priscilla to step through the doorway first.

  As she and Mark stepped out into the hallway, she could f
eel to the depth of her bones that Mark would be the father Ethan needed and deserved.

  “How’s Ethan?” Dat asked as Priscilla stepped into the kitchen later that evening. He was sitting at the table eating a cookie with a glass of milk.

  “He’s fine. He’s sleeping,” she said as she filled a glass with water. “Like Mamm told you, he didn’t break his arm, but he sprained it, and he has to wear the sling for a couple of weeks. He says the stitches in his forehead are tender, but the doctor said the pain should subside in a few days. He’s going to be sore for a while, but all in all, it could have been much worse. I’m grateful God protected him.”

  Every bone in her body ached after spending the rest of the afternoon at the hospital. She was grateful to have Ethan home and fed. After a bath and a story, he’d fallen asleep.

  She was also grateful he’d at least worn a seat belt, and she was even more grateful to have Mark with her during the harrowing experience. He never left her side when they met with the social worker and police or when they brought Ethan home. He’d stayed until Ethan finished his supper, and then he’d gone to the daadihaus and promised to see him the next morning.

  As soon as they were married, they’d obtain the paperwork for Mark to adopt Ethan. Then they would be a family for real. The notion sent a strange heat through her. Mark seemed to truly love her son.

  “How could you allow that to happen to Ethan?”

  Priscilla spun toward her father. “What?”

  “How could you allow Trent to put Ethan in danger like that?”

  “Why are you blaming me for Trent’s behavior?” She set her glass on the counter and then stared at him with disbelief. “Trent is the one who lured Ethan into his truck with the promise of ice cream. He lied to Ethan and told him I approved of the visit. I don’t see how that’s my fault.”

  Something inside her shattered, and she rolled up the sleeve of her dress to reveal her ugly scars. “Would you like to see what Trent did to me?” She stepped over to him and held out her arm. “He did this one night when he was drinking. He didn’t think I’d brought home enough money in tips, and he threw a beer bottle at me.”