it?”
“I’m adopted!” She took a step backward and clinched her fists at her sides. “Abe and Mary Ellen aren’t my parents, Stephen! A woman named Josephine is my mother. I don’t even think I really have a father. Luke and Matthew aren’t my brothers.” She squeezed her eyes shut as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I’m adopted! And no one bothered to tell me until my mother showed up at our house yesterday.”
Stephen swallowed hard and searched for something to say. He stepped toward her and touched her arm. “Are you sure?”
Her eyes flew open in a rage. “ Ya , I’m sure. They—Mary Ellen and Abe—just told me.” She covered her face with her hands and mumbled something Stephen couldn’t understand, then she moved forward and buried her face in his chest. “Tell me it isn’t true.”
He wrapped one arm around her back and cradled the back of her neck with his other hand. “I’m sorry, Linda. What can I do?”
“Just hold me.” She pressed her body closer to his, and Stephen struggled to stay focused on the issue at hand.
After a while, she pulled from the embrace and gazed into his eyes. “It hurts, Stephen. Make it stop.”
“I—I . . .” He raised his shoulders and dropped them. “I don’t know what to say, Linda.” How could he ease her pain if this was really true?
She tried to blink back more tears, but they spilled down her cheeks as she continued to wait for him to say something. He knew he was failing miserably, so he stepped forward and cupped her cheeks in his hands, then kissed her softly on the lips. He couldn’t stand to see her hurting like this, but he wasn’t sure what he could say to make her feel better. She returned the kiss, then eased away, and her eyes begged him to say something more to comfort her.
He took a deep breath. Please, God. Let me say the right thing .
“Linda, I don’t think Mary Ellen and Abe could love you any more than they already do, and I reckon they are your parents no matter what.” He paused as she sniffled and wiped her eyes, seeming to wait for more from him. “I’ve seen you and your mamm together, and I don’t think anything is going to change between the two of you.”
“Everything has changed.” She tucked her head and sniffled again.
Stephen gently lifted her chin. “Linda, Mary Ellen is your mudder . Talk to her.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Let me take you home.”
She nodded as she bit her bottom lip.
“It’ll just take me a minute to ready the horse and buggy. Wait here. We can talk more on the way to your house.”
Stephen ran toward the barn, moving as quickly as he could. His grandfather was due for supper any minute, and the last thing Linda needed was for Bishop Ebersol to question her tears right now. Stephen knew his grandfather would find out soon enough. Daadi always found out everything.P
Linda listened to Stephen do most of the talking on the way home. He was sweet for trying to make her feel better, insisting that not much would change for her. But he was wrong. Everything was going to change.
When a crisis had presented itself in the past, she always went to her mother. This is a crisis . . . Right now, she wanted to go inside, and for her parents to reassure her that she was, indeed, loved. She told Stephen good-bye, and they shared a brief kiss in the driveway.
“It’s going to be fine, Linda,” he said one last time as she exited the buggy.
She crossed the yard, then stepped on the cobblestones that led to the porch steps. She thought about how Matt and Luke were not her true brothers, and she began to cry again.
Linda looked up when she heard the porch screen slam and saw her mother standing on the porch with her arms stretched wide. Her mother, not Mary Ellen. This woman is my mother, no matter what .
Linda ran to her as fast as she could, and Mamm wrapped her arms around her tightly.
“I’m sorry, Mamm ,” Linda cried.
“No, my precious daughter. I’m
“I’m adopted!” She took a step backward and clinched her fists at her sides. “Abe and Mary Ellen aren’t my parents, Stephen! A woman named Josephine is my mother. I don’t even think I really have a father. Luke and Matthew aren’t my brothers.” She squeezed her eyes shut as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I’m adopted! And no one bothered to tell me until my mother showed up at our house yesterday.”
Stephen swallowed hard and searched for something to say. He stepped toward her and touched her arm. “Are you sure?”
Her eyes flew open in a rage. “ Ya , I’m sure. They—Mary Ellen and Abe—just told me.” She covered her face with her hands and mumbled something Stephen couldn’t understand, then she moved forward and buried her face in his chest. “Tell me it isn’t true.”
He wrapped one arm around her back and cradled the back of her neck with his other hand. “I’m sorry, Linda. What can I do?”
“Just hold me.” She pressed her body closer to his, and Stephen struggled to stay focused on the issue at hand.
After a while, she pulled from the embrace and gazed into his eyes. “It hurts, Stephen. Make it stop.”
“I—I . . .” He raised his shoulders and dropped them. “I don’t know what to say, Linda.” How could he ease her pain if this was really true?
She tried to blink back more tears, but they spilled down her cheeks as she continued to wait for him to say something. He knew he was failing miserably, so he stepped forward and cupped her cheeks in his hands, then kissed her softly on the lips. He couldn’t stand to see her hurting like this, but he wasn’t sure what he could say to make her feel better. She returned the kiss, then eased away, and her eyes begged him to say something more to comfort her.
He took a deep breath. Please, God. Let me say the right thing .
“Linda, I don’t think Mary Ellen and Abe could love you any more than they already do, and I reckon they are your parents no matter what.” He paused as she sniffled and wiped her eyes, seeming to wait for more from him. “I’ve seen you and your mamm together, and I don’t think anything is going to change between the two of you.”
“Everything has changed.” She tucked her head and sniffled again.
Stephen gently lifted her chin. “Linda, Mary Ellen is your mudder . Talk to her.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Let me take you home.”
She nodded as she bit her bottom lip.
“It’ll just take me a minute to ready the horse and buggy. Wait here. We can talk more on the way to your house.”
Stephen ran toward the barn, moving as quickly as he could. His grandfather was due for supper any minute, and the last thing Linda needed was for Bishop Ebersol to question her tears right now. Stephen knew his grandfather would find out soon enough. Daadi always found out everything.P
Linda listened to Stephen do most of the talking on the way home. He was sweet for trying to make her feel better, insisting that not much would change for her. But he was wrong. Everything was going to change.
When a crisis had presented itself in the past, she always went to her mother. This is a crisis . . . Right now, she wanted to go inside, and for her parents to reassure her that she was, indeed, loved. She told Stephen good-bye, and they shared a brief kiss in the driveway.
“It’s going to be fine, Linda,” he said one last time as she exited the buggy.
She crossed the yard, then stepped on the cobblestones that led to the porch steps. She thought about how Matt and Luke were not her true brothers, and she began to cry again.
Linda looked up when she heard the porch screen slam and saw her mother standing on the porch with her arms stretched wide. Her mother, not Mary Ellen. This woman is my mother, no matter what .
Linda ran to her as fast as she could, and Mamm wrapped her arms around her tightly.
“I’m sorry, Mamm ,” Linda cried.
“No, my precious daughter. I’m
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