A Promise of Hope

by Amy Clipston

  “She’s gone,” he said.

  “What?” Elizabeth stared at her husband in disbelief. “What are you saying?”

  “She’s gone and Kathryn is in the living room with the zwillingbopplin. They’re sleeping in their cradles, and she’s fast asleep in my chair alongside them. You must’ve rushed right past them in your haste.” He passed her a note. “I found this by the coffee machine. It will explain everything.”

  Elizabeth held up the note, and her eyes rounded with shock as she read it.

  Dear Mamm and Dat,

  I left early this morning to go to Ohio to meet with DeLana Maloney. Forgive me for not telling you ahead of time, but I knew you would try to talk me out of it. I have some questions I need answered about Peter’s past before I can move on with my life. Nina is going to take me to the train station this morning, and I’ll arrive in Ohio tomorrow. Kathryn will be here to help with the zwillingbopplin until I return. I’ll get the first train back and be home late Friday night. Please don’t worry about me. I’ll be just fine.

  I love you,

  Sarah Rose

  Elizabeth’s eyes filled with tears. “My boppli is traveling all alone.” She glared at Eli. “How can you sit there like everything is okay?”

  “Because it is, Elizabeth.” He sipped the coffee and set down the mug. “She’s a grown woman, and she’ll be just fine. Just have faith.”

  She threw her hands up in frustration. “Why would I expect you to understand? You’re a man!” Muttering under her breath, she headed for the peg by the door and slipped on her cloak.

  “Elizabeth!” Eli bellowed after her.

  She glowered at him.

  “Sarah Rose is a capable young woman, just like the rest of our girls. She’s confident, like you.” Moving toward her, he took her hands in his as a smile softened his countenance. “Elizabeth, I married you because you’re beautiful, intelligent, confident, and a smart business woman. I see you reflected in our girls’ eyes. That’s why I trust that our Sarah Rose will come back to us in one piece, and she’ll have settled some things that are preventing her from moving forward. Trust her.”

  Elizabeth sniffed. “I worry about her every night. I pray for her for hours, begging the Lord to guide her and take care of her and her zwillingbopplin.”

  “The Lord will provide. The Lord will bless her and her zwillingbopplin. Trust Him.” Leaning down, he brushed his lips against hers. “Ich liebe dich, mei fraa.”

  A sad smile curled her lips. “I love you, too, Eli.” Closing her eyes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and sent up a silent prayer to the Lord to protect their youngest daughter.

  21

  Luke straddled a chair in the break room, popped open a can of Coke, and opened the latest copy of The Budget. While scanning the articles, he tried in vain to concentrate on the words, yet his mind wandered to Sarah—again.

  Ever since he’d arrived back in Ohio, it seemed he couldn’t make it through five minutes on any given day without falling into memories of her—her face, her smell, her gorgeous blue eyes, the sweet lilt of her laughter, the way the sun highlighted the wisps of hair cascading from under her prayer kapp, and the way she—

  “So, how long are you going to mope, Troyer?” Mel’s voice wrenched him back to the present.

  Luke frowned as Mel sat down across from him and fished a snack-sized bag of pretzels from his pocket.

  “Who’s moping?” Luke asked.

  Mel snorted with sarcasm. “Please. You’ve done nothing but work and mutter since you got back from Bird-in-Hand. Sally keeps accusing me of not inviting you for supper, but the truth is I can’t get you to come.”

  “I don’t mutter.” Luke trained his eyes on the paper, still not comprehending the words in the articles, or even the headlines.

  “Ya, you mutter. A lot.” Mel munched the pretzels. “What happened in Bird-in-Hand? It’s been two months, and you still haven’t told me anything except that you found out about Peter.”

  Luke sighed and folded the paper. “I met his family. They were wunderbaar. They were warm. They made me feel as if I were a part of their family too.”

  Mel raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

  “It wasn’t.” Luke ran his thumb over the cool can. “I met Peter’s fraa.”

  “Oh?”

  “She’s…incredible.” Luke lifted the can and took a swig.

  “Oh?” Mel’s eyebrows rose.

  “I can’t believe Peter snatched her up.” Luke studied the can to avoid Mel’s probing stare. “She had zwillingbopplin on Christmas Day. A boy and a girl, and they’re beautiful. Perfect.”

  His gaze collided with Mel’s, and he found his friend grinning like the cat that ate the canary.

  “You’re in love with her.” Mel pointed at him, wagging an accusing finger. “I haven’t seen you light up about a maedel since you were with what’s-her-name.”

  “My former girlfriend’s name was Millie.” Luke glowered. “Peter’s fraa is Sarah Rose, but don’t plan my wedding. Her year of mourning is up next month, and she’s marrying someone else, a man I don’t think she even loves.”

  “Why aren’t you stopping her?”

  “Because I’m here in Ohio, and she’s in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania.”

  Mel drew an imaginary map on the table with his fingers and pointed out the spots. “We’re here. She’s there.” He connected the two areas by running his finger in a straight line between them. “You get on a train and go back to Bird-in-Hand.” He shrugged. “Simple answer. Now tell me—What are ya doing here?”

  Shaking his head, Luke sighed. “Are you listening to me? She’s marrying someone else. That’s why I’m here. I’ll visit my niece and nephew, but it would be too painful to live there and watch her with another man. I can’t do it.”

  “So, you’re just going to give up, ya?” Mel clicked his tongue. “That’s a shame.”

  Luke glared at him. “I didn’t give up. She didn’t give me a chance.”

  “I guess she wasn’t worth fighting for.” Mel crunched another pretzel.

  Luke opened the paper again. “The night before I left, we argued. I said some pretty awful things to her. I wouldn’t be surprised if she hated me now.”

  “So go tell her you didn’t mean it.”

  Luke looked up. “It’s not that simple.”

  Mel grimaced. “Why isn’t it? Life is short. You lost your parents and your brother, so you know how short life is. Go to her before you wind up an aging single guy without a fraa or a family. Before you know it, you’ll be a bitter old man.”

  “Like my pop, right?” Luke scowled at him.

  His best friend shrugged. “I didn’t say it. You did.”

  “I didn’t expect you to understand.” Luke pushed back his chair and stood. “You have Sally. You don’t remember what it’s like to court. You never knew what it was like to live alone. I’m almost thirty, so it’s not like I can go to a singing and find a group of girls to pick from. It’s not easy when you’re older.”

  “You have to decide how important she is to you. If you can just walk away from her like you never met her, then it’s not meant to be.” Mel lifted another pretzel to his lips. “End of story.”

  “Right. End of story.” Luke tossed the empty can into the trash. “I better get back to work.” He headed for the door.

  Sauntering to his workbench, he wondered what Sarah was doing and if she’d thought of him since he left. Did she miss him as much as he missed her?

  Sarah fingered the ties of her prayer kapp and glanced around the diner. The large dining area was full, evidence of the lunchtime rush. Outside the wide front windows, large, sloppy raindrops danced through the air on their way down from heaven.

  The aroma of hamburgers and fries filled Sarah’s nose, and the grumblings of conversations swirled around her. Dishes and utensils clanged, and waitresses weaved through the sea of tables taking and delivering orders.

  Glancin
g through the menu again, Sarah’s stomach tightened. She wondered if she’d made a mistake traveling this far just to ask DeLana a few questions. Perhaps it would’ve been more intelligent and economical to have interviewed her over the phone.

  Sarah didn’t know DeLana, and she may have been naïve to trust a stranger. She also wished she’d remembered to ask DeLana what she looked like. Or maybe she should’ve asked Luke for a description of the woman she was going to meet.

  Luke.

  She bit her lip. Ever since the taxi had pulled into town, she’d wondered where he was. Where was his shop located? Had he thought of Sarah since he’d left Bird-in-Hand?

  Scanning the dining area, Sarah’s eyes found an Amish family seated in a corner. The young couple looked to be in their late twenties. A toddler sat at the table eating a dinner roll while the parents chatted and enjoyed their lunch. The woman’s belly was round.

  Sarah sighed. If Peter were still alive, they might’ve resembled that family now. Perhaps they would’ve been blessed with a large family in the making too.

  Sarah tried to imagine sitting at a restaurant table with another Amish man, maybe a friend from her community such as Norman, but the image didn’t come into focus. Instead, she saw herself sitting with Luke while her zwillingbopplin smiled from their highchairs…

  Why did her musings always lead her back to Luke? Was God trying to tell her something?

  She frowned at her silly thought.

  How ridiculous…Luke hates me.

  “Sarah?” A voice beside her asked. “Sarah Troyer?”

  Turning, Sarah found a tall, thin woman with a long dark ponytail and brown eyes smiling down at her. “DeLana?” She stood from the seat.

  DeLana gave her hand a firm shake. “It’s so nice to meet you.” She shrugged out of her heavy gray parka, dotted with fresh raindrops, and hung it on the back of the chair across from Sarah.

  “I’m sorry I’m a few minutes late. This rain has everyone driving like crazy. There were a few fender benders near my house. You’d think we never get rain here.” She set a small tote bag on the floor next to her chair and then sat down. “So, how was your trip?”

  “Gut.” Sarah nodded, trying to imagine Peter with DeLana. The woman sitting across from her was very attractive. She wore a tinge of makeup to accentuate her bright eyes and rosy lips.

  Sarah couldn’t help but wonder if Peter had yearned to be English. How much was there that she’d never learned about her husband? Regret nipped at her soul.

  A waitress appeared and took their drink order.

  When the girl disappeared, DeLana gave Sarah a sad smile. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I know Peter loved you very much. He spoke very highly of you in his letters.”

  Sarah swallowed the lump forming in her throat. “Thank you.”

  “May I ask what happened? Where was the fire?”

  Praying for strength, Sarah explained the events that had taken place the day of the fire.

  When she finished, DeLana shook her head. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea. I was surprised when the letters and checks stopped. He’d been so faithful sending them over the past several years. I could count on receiving a short letter with a check on or about the fifteenth, no matter what.”

  “How long had he been sending them?” Sarah fiddled with a napkin on the table.

  DeLana’s eyes took on a faraway look as she tried to remember. “I got the first letter and check when he got his first steady job in Lancaster County. Cody was about two, so I guess that was seven years ago. I was really surprised. He sent this short note saying he wanted to help provide for his son. I was pleasantly surprised.”

  Sarah nodded, letting the words soak in.

  “I’m sorry he never told you.” DeLana hesitated, then reached over and took Sarah’s hand. “He never wanted to hurt you. That’s why he kept it a secret. I think he was afraid you’d leave him if you knew he’d fathered a child outside of wedlock.”

  “That never would’ve happened,” Sarah whispered, her voice ragged. “We don’t believe in divorce.”

  Pulling her hand back, DeLana nodded. “True, but I think he was afraid for your happiness. He didn’t want to lose you emotionally. It really bothered him that you didn’t know—especially since you were expecting a child. In his last letter, he told me he was contemplating telling you the truth. He just didn’t know how.” She touched Sarah’s hand again. “I want you to know he felt terrible not telling you the truth. Peter loved you more than life itself.”

  Sarah blinked back tears, hoping she wouldn’t dissolve into sobs in front of DeLana and the whole restaurant.

  She was relieved when the waitress arrived with their drinks and took their lunch order. Since she hadn’t taken the time to read the menu, Sarah chose what DeLana ordered, hoping the soup-and-sandwich special would warm her freezing heart.

  Sarah took a long drink of iced tea and then cleared her throat. “Would you tell me about how you met Peter?”

  DeLana explained the story, similar to how Luke had told it. DeLana had worked for her father at a large wood wholesaler, and she’d met Peter when he accompanied his English driver on a supply run one hot summer day.

  According to DeLana, it was love at first sight. Peter had invented excuses to handle the supply runs once a week during the next month, and he eventually worked up the courage to ask DeLana to meet him after work one day. That first meeting led to frequent secret dates and then a secret courtship that ended when their parents discovered the relationship.

  “According to Luke, your parents didn’t want you to see someone who was Amish, and Peter’s dat didn’t want him to see an English girl.” Sarah ran her fingers down the cool glass of tea.

  “That’s right.” DeLana smiled. “I’m glad you got to meet Luke. I knew Peter had cut off his family when he moved to Pennsylvania. It’s good you connected.”

  Sarah nodded. “I had no idea Peter had any family until Luke showed up in October.”

  “Interesting.” DeLana tapped her glass, deep in thought.

  The waitress dropped off their food, and Sarah took a bite of the ham sandwich despite her dissolving appetite.

  “I heard their father died last year, and I felt bad,” DeLana said. “Despite all that happened, I think he was an okay guy. He was just really controlling and overbearing.” She grinned, lifting her sandwich. “He was just like my dad.”

  “When did you find out you were expecting your son?” Sarah asked.

  “After we broke up. I managed to meet him in secret one night,” she began, “and I told him the news. He begged me to run off and marry him, but I knew it would lead to disaster. We had no money and nowhere to go. My parents had convinced me to go to college and give the baby up for adoption.”

  Between bites of her sandwich, DeLana explained how furious her parents were when they found out she was going to have Peter’s baby. They forbade her from leaving the house except to go to school. Peter’s father did the same and also took away money Peter had saved up to pay for his first home.

  “And that was the night he had the fight with his father and ran off?” Sarah asked.

  “No.” DeLana shook her head while wiping her mouth with a napkin. “That was later on. I decided to keep the baby, against my parents’ wishes, and I met Alex soon after.”

  “Alex?” Sarah asked.

  “My husband. We met while I was pregnant. I had gone out shopping with a friend one day, and he was at the mall. I was able to hide my stomach with a large shirt. When I told him I was pregnant, I figured he wouldn’t have anything to do with me, but he saw past that.” DeLana smirked. “I upset my parents when I told them I was going to scratch their college idea, keep Cody, and get married. But they got over it. Alex is a good guy and a great father. He wanted to marry me and raise Cody as his own. Since I had lost Peter, I felt lucky to meet someone who loved me despite my past.”

  Sarah nodded, wondering how all of this had affected Peter. “So you ran i
nto Peter after Cody was born.”

  “That’s right. I was at the market one day with Cody, and Peter was there with Luke. He saw me and Cody, saw my wedding ring, and went nuts. That night he had it out with his dad and then left town.” DeLana frowned. “I hate that I hurt him, but we just weren’t meant to be. He tracked me down through the phone book in the library and sent a letter with a check about a year later. We’ve appreciated the money. Alex owns his own garage, and some months are rough. It seems like folks want their cars fixed in spurts. The child-support checks helped pay for extras, like Cody’s soccer fees and summer camp—things like that.”

  “Had you kept in touch with Luke?” Sarah asked, her breath held in anticipation of the answer.

  DeLana shook her head while chewing. “Not since the night Peter ran off. My dad had run into him a few times, but I never saw him.”

  Sarah stared down at her soup, taking in all that DeLana had said. The stories overwhelmed and confused her. Peter had truly loved DeLana and wanted to provide for his child. Why hadn’t he ever told Sarah the truth? She would’ve found a way to understand it all. He had a right to love his child.

  Was the problem that his heart had still belonged to Cody and DeLana even when he was with Sarah? The thought caused her heart to sink.

  “How are the twins?” DeLana asked, snapping Sarah back to the present.

  Glancing up, Sarah found DeLana smiling. “Wunderbaar.”

  “Luke told me that they were just exquisite. He was very excited about them. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you.” Sarah was overwhelmed Luke had been excited enough about her children to mention them to DeLana. Perhaps he truly cared—although it meant he cared for the children, not for Sarah.

  “That’s so cool you have a boy and a girl,” DeLana said. “I want to have another one, but the time never seems right. My mom says we should just go for it, but I don’t know. Kids take so much time and money.”

  “They’re a gift from God,” Sarah said, lifting a spoonful of soup.

  “Yeah. They are.” DeLana pulled an envelope from the bag below her chair. She set it down in front of Sarah. “I know the Amish don’t believe in photographs because of the whole ‘do not make a graven image of yourself’ verse from the Bible, but I thought you might like these. They’re photos of Peter and also some of Cody.”