The Quilter's Son: Book Two: Lydia's Heart (Amish Romance)

by Samantha Jillian Bayarr

  As Steve tightly gripped the steering wheel, the drive to the hospital seemed endless. He tried to drive as carefully as possible, but every bump in the road caused the child to cry out in pain. Steve apologized repeatedly, but it wasn’t enough.

  Lydia found herself placing a hand on the child’s head, and soothing him with the same words of comfort that her own mamm had used on her when she was young. It was all she could do for him, but she could see in his eyes it was welcomed.

  Chapter 18

  Steve sat down next to Lydia and handed her a cup of coffee from the vending machine in the waiting room of the ER. A nurse walked up to them as Steve sipped the hot beverage.

  “Are you Nathan’s parents?” she asked.

  Steve looked at Lydia awkwardly, and then addressed the nurse. “I’m his dad.”

  “He’s out of x-ray now, Mr. Miller, so you can go in with him.” She then turned to Lydia. “You can wait here, Ma’am.”

  Steve mouthed the words I’m sorry to Lydia as he watched her slump back down onto the waiting room chair. His heart was torn as he followed the nurse into the room where his son rested quietly. The look on Lydia’s face had been enough to make him cry. He could see in her eyes that she already thought of herself as Nathan’s mamm, but since they weren’t married, she had no rights to the child as far as the hospital was concerned.

  Steve sat down in the chair at Nathan’s bedside and pulled his tiny hand into his. The child looked up at him with sleepy, red-rimmed eyes. It was obvious they had given him something for the pain, but he was fully aware of his father’s presence.

  “Where’s Lydia?” he asked with a weak voice.

  “She has to stay in the waiting room, Nathan,” Steve said. “I’m sorry, but those are the hospital rules.”

  The nurse, who’d been checking Nathan’s IV, spoke up. “Only moms and dads are allowed to be in here with you, Nathan.”

  “But she is my mom,” Nathan cried. “Go get her and make her come in here with me.”

  “Okay,” the nurse said as she left the room.

  Steve looked at Nathan sternly. “Why did you tell the nurse that Lydia is your mom? You know that isn’t the truth.”

  “It is the truth,” he said innocently. “You are going to marry her, and she will be my new mom.”

  Steve felt his heart clench in anguish. He prayed that the hope of this innocent child’s wish would come to pass.

  Chapter 19

  Lydia stepped cautiously into Nathan’s room, wondering why she had been allowed to visit with him after the nurse had made it painfully clear that she wasn’t his parent. It didn’t matter what that nurse said; Lydia knew what her heart was telling her. She was ready to accept Nathan as her son and raise him as such. It was time to talk to Steve, and hope it wasn’t too late to patch things up between them. Nathan’s injury had scared her just as much, she imagined, as if she was his real mamm—at least she supposed that’s how it felt to be a mamm. She loved Nathan, and she loved Steve far too much not to forgive him for his past.

  When Nathan spotted Lydia in the doorway of his hospital room, he stretched his hand out to her. She walked toward him without hesitation and closed her fingers over his small hand.

  “I told the nurse you were my mom so she would let you come into my room,” Nathan said proudly.

  Lydia’s heart fluttered with pride as she smiled at the boy she hoped would soon be her son.

  Nathan held fast to Steve with his other hand. “Dad told me I should tell the truth, but I think God would be okay with me telling what I hope is true.”

  Lydia was surprised by the child’s statement. Not only did he have a working knowledge of Gott, but he’d referred to Steve as his Dad. It was only the second time he’d said it, but this time, she believed he meant it.

  “Did the doctor say when they were going to let you out of here?” Lydia asked.

  Nathan shrugged.

  “They want to keep him overnight and run a few more tests to be sure he doesn’t have any internal injuries,” Steve said. “He cracked three of his ribs.”

  Lydia gasped. “Ach, will he be alright?”

  “We need to say our prayers,” Nathan said.

  “I agree,” Steve said.

  Lydia looked at Steve and couldn’t help but smile. She could see by the glint in his blue eyes that he was happy, and for the first time in over a week, she was happy too.

  Chapter 20

  “I can take you home if you’re tired,” Steve offered Lydia.

  She settled onto the brown leather sofa next to him in the parent’s lounge. They were the only ones in the room so Steve had turned off the TV, hoping for a little quiet.

  Lydia glanced at the clock, noting the midnight hour. “Nee, it’s too late now, and if Nathan wakes up and neither of us is here, he might get upset. But if you want me to go home I will,” she added, reluctantly.

  Steve pulled her hand into his, and this time she didn’t pull away from him. “I want you to stay, and I know Nathan would want you to stay. He’s made it very clear that he wants you to be his mother. I’m sorry if that makes you feel pressured.”

  “Nee, I love the little guy.”

  “I do too,” Steve said. “I didn’t think I could, but when I saw him lying helpless on the floor of the barn, I was terrified of losing him.”

  Lydia shivered lightly in the cold hospital, and pulled a blanket over her. One of the nurses had given them blankets and pillows to make them more comfortable in the parent’s lounge in case they wanted to stay for the night. “I have to admit, I was pretty scared myself. It’s amazing how much a wee one can take up so much space in your heart.”

  “I know what you mean,” Steve said as he pulled her closer so she could rest her head on his shoulder.

  Lydia cuddled up against Steve willingly. She was too tired to fight her desire to be near him. At the moment, her heart was so full of the love she’d thought she’d lost forever that it didn’t matter that things were not settled between them. It would seem that the situation with Nathan hadn’t broken her heart after all; it had brought it to life.

  Chapter 21

  Lydia could smell the coffee even before she opened her eyes. Her neck felt stiff from sleeping with her head propped up against the arm of the hospital sofa. She let her eyes drift open slowly to adjust to the bright lights of the waiting room of the pediatric ward. Had she really slept under those bright, florescent lights? She’d never been one to be able to sleep in strange places, unlike Liam, who could sleep during the morning milking if he could get away with it.

  Steve sat down next to her and pushed the blankets over her. “Are you ready for coffee? Nathan’s been awake for an hour asking for you, but I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”

  Lydia stretched before lifting her aching head. She definitely needed coffee. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” She glanced at the large clock on the opposite wall. It was nearly 6:30am.

  Steve nudged her. “I didn’t know you snored! If I’d known you snored like that, I might not have asked you to marry me!”

  Lydia looked into Steve’s smiling eyes and let go of a little giggle. “You were snoring long before I ever dozed off!”

  Steve chuckled. “I don’t snore!”

  “Maybe I should be the one to be wary of marrying someone who snores as loudly as you do!”

  Steve’s expression changed. “Does this mean you’re still planning on marrying me?”

  She was afraid to answer him right now, but she couldn’t let him suffer her silence on the subject. “I want to talk to Mamm and sort a few things out before we talk about this. I was planning on talking to her yesterday before Nathan’s accident. Will you give me a little more time?”

  Steve bent down to kiss her forehead as he handed her a cup of coffee. “You take all the time you need. I don’t want you to have any doubts or any regrets. Just know that I’m sorry for not telling you about my past with Harmony.”

  Lydia let her gaz
e fall upon his blue eyes that always had a way of looking into her very soul. She could see the remorse there, and she knew he was a man of integrity, even if his past sins didn’t support that opinion.

  Chapter 22

  “Mom, where are you?” Nathan called from the bedroom that Lydia and Steve had set up for him when he’d left the hospital. They both thought he might be more comfortable in the main haus since the rooms were bigger with fewer obstacles for him to have to avoid bumping into. He was still sore, and needed help getting up from his bed.

  “Mom…”

  Lydia was certain she would never get tired of hearing that. She would eventually teach him to say “mamm”, but for now, “mom” was close enough to make her heart sing.

  “I’m coming,” she called as she climbed the stairs for the fourth time since she’d put him to bed. Steve had gone back to the dawdi haus over an hour ago, and she was trying to finish the quilt she’d neglected since Nathan’s accident, but luckily, that one wasn’t an urgent customer order.

  Her cousin, Leah, had been re-routing the quilt shop’s customers into the bakery for new orders and pick-ups. In the afternoons, Leah had been dropping off any new orders, along with payment for the three throw quilts she’d finished in the midst of all the chaos. Nathan had insisted on helping her since he was on bed-rest until the end of the week. She was happy for the help, especially since her responsibilities had changed with the new living arrangement her soon-to-be son had requested.

  Lydia had quickly settled into a routine with the child, finding it unexpectedly easy to adapt to being a new mamm. It wasn’t official yet, but she had plans to talk with her own mamm tomorrow afternoon over tea. It was a talk she both dreaded and welcomed, although she already knew the decision that rested in her heart.

  Chapter 23

  “Gudemariye, Grossmammi,” Nathan said with such ease, it delighted Lydia.

  “Gudemariye to you, Nathan,” she said as she ruffled his thick hair. “Wie gehts?”

  “I’m having a wunderbaar day quilting with mei mamm.”

  Lydia’s heart skipped a happy beat. It was the first time he’d called her “mamm”.

  Her mamm looked at her and smiled. “I see you’ve been teaching the wee one quite a lot. Does this mean you’ve made up your mind, dochder?”

  “Jah, I’ve decided to go through with the wedding and become Nathan’s mamm!” she whispered excitedly as she ushered her mamm toward the kitchen. “You’re early. I wasn’t expecting you for another hour, so I haven’t made any tea yet.”

  Nellie pulled out a chair and sat down. “I’m a little tired today. If you have kaffi, I’d like a cup. Having grandkinner is a lot more work than I imagined. It’s making me feel old.”

  Lydia smiled. “Mamm, fifty is not old. But I agree with you that kinner can certainly wear you out. I’m hoping I’ll get used to it.”

  “When you’re fifty, you let me know if you think it’s old. Life has taken a lot out of me in the past few years.”

  Lydia knew she was referring to being a young widow. “Daed would have loved being a grossdaddi.”

  “Jah, he would have little Nathan running this farm by now if he was still with us.”

  Lydia felt sorry for her mamm. She knew how much she missed her daed, but she couldn’t imagine life without her husband. Life was too precious to throw away the chance to be with the mann you love, and that was the biggest reason she decided to marry Steve. She had been miserable since their relationship had been put on hold when Nathan first arrived on her doorstep over two weeks ago.

  Lydia watched him from the kitchen for a moment, in awe of the changes in her heart since that day. She had been narrish to feel jealousy toward his mamm, when she should be grateful to her instead for raising such a wunderbaar buwe. She didn’t think she could love him anymore than if he was her own kinner.

  Nellie rested her hand over Lydia’s. “You have the glow that only a mamm can have.”

  “I do love that wee one,” Lydia admitted. She paused, letting her gaze blur into her future for a moment. “I’m ready to forgive Steve,” she finally said.

  “What if I come back later so the two of you can take a buggy ride?” Nellie offered. “It will give you the chance to make amends with one another. You don’t want to begin your life together only to have it end up in marital discord.”

  Lydia threw her arms around Nellie.

  “Danki, mamm.”

  Lydia knew she and Steve needed some time alone—something they hadn’t had since—well, since they’d stopped communicating.

  Chapter 24

  Lydia paced the dirt floor of the barn entrance, where she was sheltered from the wind, while she waited for Steve to finish fastening the harnesses on her gelding, Pepper. The horse’s speckled flank had earned him the name, and his impatient temperament only added to the designation. Steve had gotten Pepper for her at the auction only three weeks after they’d begun courting, and he’d worked with the gelding faithfully until he was able to pull the buggy.

  Stepping outside, Lydia breathed in the crisp November air. Winter would be upon them before long, and she would soon be nestled into her role as fraa and mamm. She felt a little scatter-brained over the mountain of things she had put on hold for the past two weeks, thinking she would call off the wedding. Now, there was almost too much to do, but she was grateful for her cousins who had offered to step in and help her get everything ready in time. Even though they weren’t part of the community, they had a wealth of familye and friends ready to support and lend a hand to make certain her day was the most wunderbaar day she could ever imagine.

  Steve held out his hand to assist her into the open buggy. At his touch, Lydia felt warmth run through her. She settled into the seat of the buggy and allowed Steve to place the lap quilt over her. Lydia felt giddy as he climbed into the buggy and slipped beneath the oversized lap quilt.

  She’d missed being so near him.

  As Steve picked up the reins, Lydia leaned into him and kissed him on the cheek.

  Steve clicked his tongue, setting Pepper into motion. “What was that for?” he asked.

  Lydia snuggled in a little closer, resting her head on Steve’s shoulder. “For being so patient with me while I worked all of this out.”

  Steve nodded, not knowing quite how to approach the subject that had put a thorn in her side. They rode in silence for several miles, and Lydia basked in the romance of the ride. Above, the stars seemingly twinkled just for them, and her breath formed bluish clouds against the moonlight. Her mind wandered, the clip-clop of Pepper’s hooves lulling her into romantic thoughts about her wedding night.

  “I’m sorry that my past mistake hurt you the way it did,” Steve gently interrupted her reverie. “You have to know that you are the only woman I have ever loved, or could ever love. I’m sure that sounds terrible given the fact that I have a son, but I was young and did a stupid thing. I hope you can forgive me for keeping my relationship with Harmony from you.”

  Lydia sighed. “I forgive you, but you can hardly call the relationship a mistake. If not for her, you wouldn’t have Nathan. I am very grateful for her, because I get to be mamm to that wee one.”

  Steve turned to her, letting Pepper guide the way down the embankment to Goose Pond. “Does this mean you plan to marry me?”

  Lydia paused, making certain she had no doubts.

  She had none.

  Steve pulled the horse to a halt just short of the willows that encumbered the edge of the pond. He turned to her, his eyes filled with worry.

  Lydia smiled at him. “Jah, I will marry you!”

  Steve’s eyes pooled with happy tears. “I love you!”

  He tucked his fingers under her chin, lifting just enough so her lips touched his. Their warmth brought encouragement to him after feeling so lost without her the past two weeks.

  Lydia leaned into his kiss, making certain he knew she loved him.

  Chapter 25

  John foster leane
d against his mailbox and opened the envelope that had come from Steve. He set his eyes on an invitation to witness Steve marrying Lydia Yoder. Wasn’t that an Amish name? He had no idea that Steve had planned on getting married. This woman would become his grandson’s new mother

  Fear gripped John’s heart.

  If he didn’t show up at that wedding and lay claim to his kin, he might lose the only member of his family he had left. He chided himself for spending so many years being bitter and full of anger. He’d been so hurt he’d felt too damaged to care for young Nathan, and had turned away the social worker when she’d shown up on his doorstep a few weeks past. He’d gotten a glimpse of the child and had seen a hint of his daughter in those eyes, and that had terrified him. How could he let that boy into his heart when he’d lost his wife and daughter already? He’d been too afraid to love again, fearing he’d lose Nathan too.

  Thinking back on his decision, wasn’t that exactly what he’d done? He’d lost the child simply by turning him away. He’d lost his daughter to a mistake she’d made when she was only eighteen years old. Then, he’d lost his wife to cancer just shortly after sending away his only child, and they hadn’t spoken since his wife’s funeral, where Harmony had sworn she’d never forgive him.

  Attending the funeral of his estranged child had nearly broken him to the point he didn’t feel he had anything left to offer her son. Harmony had kept him from seeing Nathan out of spite. She’d never forgiven him for sending her to live with her grandmother when she’d become pregnant.

  What he’d thought he had done for her own good at the time had backfired on him and cost him his family. He still believed a broken heart took his wife before the cancer had any chance to do any damage.