While the boys were napping, Trina brought cups of tea into the parlor for herself and Martha. Ethan had arrived that morning before he headed to his office and looked Martha over. He’d said she seemed fine, but if she developed pain anywhere, she’d need to get X-rays. Apparently people didn’t always realize how they landed when they fell and sometimes they broke their bones without knowing it.
Before leaving, he urged Martha to reconsider visiting an ophthalmologist. “It could change the quality of your life. Wouldn’t you prefer to be more independent than you are now?”
Martha pretended her hearing was as poor as her vision and she didn’t respond to his question, but Trina wanted to get to the bottom of the matter and find out why she refused to consider surgery. She also wanted to talk to Martha about the letter from Abe.
After taking a seat across from the older woman, Trina decided an indirect approach was best. “Martha,” she started, “there’s something I’d like to ask about Willow Creek’s Amish leit. Does the Ordnung here prohibit modern Englisch medication and technology?”
“In other words, you want to know why I’m refusing to have eye surgery,” Martha replied bluntly. Subtlety was lost on her. She explained, “I had an emergency removal of my gall bladder when I was in my fifties. The doctors botched the procedure and I needed a second surgery. I was in the hospital for a week. So, plain and simple, I’m scared to death of hospitals.”
“Really?” Trina was stunned. She didn’t think there was anything Martha was frightened of. “Is Seth afraid, too? He seems as reluctant to consult a medical doctor as you are.”
“Neh. His aversion comes from something else... I told you how his brother left the Amish to marry an Englischer? Well, she was a nurse. Ever since then, Seth hasn’t wanted to go anywhere near the hospital. He’s afraid he’ll bump into Kristine’s old friends and seeing them will stir up memories he’d rather let rest. I think he’s also developed a bias toward medical personnel. Seth doesn’t trust them because he felt Kristine fooled him. He says if they’d deceive people in their personal lives, they’d lie to patients in their professional lives, too.”
“That’s lecherich—” Trina protested.
“Jah, it is. But it’s probably ridiculous for me to be afraid, too, just because I had one bad operation when I was younger. Our perceptions and fears shape our truths and they shouldn’t, because often they’re wrong.”
“You’re right about that,” Trina agreed. Then she delved into how she’d found the letter from her grandfather and what he’d written about her mother wanting to come back. “All this time I thought my mamm resented living in Willow Creek. I never knew she wanted to return. Every time I asked her about it, she said we were better off in the Englisch world.”
“She was probably protecting you from knowing how much she wanted to return because she knew it wasn’t a possibility. She didn’t want you to feel sad on her behalf.”
Trina’s eyes overflowed. She’d ended up feeling sad on her mother’s behalf anyway.
“Would you ever think about staying in Willow Creek?” Martha asked quietly.
“I’ve considered it,” Trina replied as she dabbed her cheeks with a tissue. “But I don’t know what I’d do for a living around here.”
“The schoolteacher, Katie Yoder, is resigning at the end of the school year. I probably shouldn’t mention this, but she’s going to have a bobbel soon.”
Trina’s mood brightened. “Would the school board accept an Englisch schoolteacher?”
“They’ve done it in the past. Of course, they’d give preference to an Amish teacher.”
Trina was afraid to voice the question she’d mulled over and prayed about all night, for fear of the answer. “Do you think...do you think there’s any possibility I might become Amish?”
Martha pushed the rocker back and forth a few times before answering. “Ordinarily, I’d be doubtful. Most Englischers can’t adjust to our lifestyle. There are too many obstacles in the way. The language, for one. Giving up modern conveniences, for another. And many of them are drawn to the lifestyle but they don’t accept the faith that’s at the core of everything we do.”
Trina waited with bated breath to hear what Martha would say next.
“But given your background, as well as your faith and your demonstrated ability to forfeit modern conveniences, I think there’s a gut likelihood the bishop would allow it, through conversion and convincement...if it’s what you really want. But do you understand you’d be making the change for yourself and for the Lord, not for anyone else?”
Trina exhaled loudly. Now that the possibility was open to her, she knew it was exactly what she wanted. And she didn’t want to become Amish simply because her mother had wanted it for her, nor because she was in love with Seth—although both had influenced her decision. Trina wanted it for herself. “I do,” she said, as solemnly as if she were taking a wedding vow.
Martha was radiant. “Then we’ll make an appointment to meet with the deacons and the bishop. You’ll need an Amish woman to take you under her wing—I’ll volunteer, if you agree.”
“Of course I agree! I’d be so grateful,” Trina said. From what she could tell, Martha had been mentoring her since she arrived. She asked the older woman not to tell Seth yet. Trina wanted to deliver the news herself for the pleasure of seeing his initial response in person.
“I won’t say a word. Now, don’t you think this calls for a celebratory funny cake?”
Trina laughed. Her days of feeling like a funny cake herself—unsure of whether she wanted to be Amish or Englisch—had come to a close. She had no question what she wanted to be. “I think you should teach me a new Amish recipe. I’m ready to try custard pie now.”
The two women spent the rest of the afternoon baking. It was raining again so the boys were stuck inside but Trina was so elated she didn’t even mind playing Noah’s Ark another time. She positioned herself so she could see the lane, and when Seth’s buggy appeared she ran outside without an umbrella to tell him about her decision.
“What’s wrong? Is it my Groossmammi?” he asked when she burst into the stable—a place she’d tried to avoid because she was skittish around the livestock.
“Neh. Ethan said she checked out just fine,” she quickly assured him. “Please, kumme closer to the door so I can see your face in the light. I have something wunderbaar to tell you.”
Seth took a few steps closer. His hat was dripping so he removed it with one hand and raked his fingers through his hair with the other. He looked so handsome Trina almost forgot to speak and then the words rushed out. She told him about the letter and how she’d spoken to Martha and that she was going to stay in Willow Creek and join the Amish for good.
At first, Seth’s expression was serious and Trina knew he was taking it all in. But instead of growing happier, it seemed he grew graver, not uttering a word. When she finished speaking, he walked a few paces toward a post, then turned around and looked at her. Then he crossed to the other side of the stable and leaned against the opposite post, staring down at the hay strewn across the floor as if it were the most fascinating thing he’d ever seen.
She was on the brink of tears. “Aren’t you going to say something?”
He slowly looked at her and asked, “What is it you want to hear, Trina?”
“I want to hear how you feel,” she said, but suddenly, she wasn’t so sure she did.
Seth’s heart was making a racket in his ears. How he felt? On one hand, he was thrilled because this was too good to be true. And on the other hand—well, he was dubious because this was too good to be true. So which feeling should he tell her about?
“I’m surprised. I’m—I’m shocked, really...” he stammered.
Trina’s chin was quivering. “That’s it? That’s your response?”
“How do you expect me to respond?” Seth snapped. Thunder rumbled in the distance; a spring storm was approaching.
“I don’t know.” Trina’s beautiful voice had gone monotone. “Forget I asked.”
“Wait.” He pulled her arm and she stopped but wouldn’t face him. He looked at the delicate swirl of her ear as he spoke. She might not be happy with what he was about to say but she deserved his honesty. “I’m apprehensive, Trina. I guess I’m—I’m afraid.”
“Afraid?” Trina repeated. “You’re afraid? Of what?”
Seth walked to a bale of hay and sat down. “I’m terrified I might believe you. Terrified you’ll change your mind. Terrified of what that would do to the buwe and Martha.” Choking, he added, “And to me. I’ve been down this road before. I’ve seen what it can do to a family...”
“Oh, Seth,” Trina said and sat down next to him, their knees separated by the thinnest slice of space. “I’m not like Kristine. I won’t change my mind. I want this more than anything. And I—wait, I’m probably saying the exact things she said, right?”
Seth nodded miserably. Kristine had said the same things. Over and over again. But in the end, she still changed her mind.
“I understand why you’d have your doubts. If I were in your shoes, I probably would, too,” Trina said. “So I won’t ask you to trust me. Instead, I’ll keep showing you—and all the leit in Willow Creek—that I am trustworthy. I am true to my word. Time will prove it. You’ll see.”
Seth’s heart ballooned because Trina was so understanding about the source of his disbelief. The truth was, he wanted to trust her and at least that was a strong step in the right direction. He turned his face toward hers and took in her earnest eyes and winsome expression. He wished he could allow himself one kiss on those lips, which he imagined would feel as velvety soft as the petals of a rose. Just one kiss before he said what he had to say, because once he said it, he couldn’t take it back.
“You have to understand,” he carefully began. He didn’t want to sound presumptuous, but he needed her to know where he stood. “Even though your intention is to become Amish, until you’ve actually been baptized into the church, you’re still Englisch.”
“I understand,” she whispered, tilting her chin toward him. Their mouths were even closer now and he looked at her from beneath lowered eyelids as he spoke.
“Which means an Amish man in Willow Creek wouldn’t be allowed to court you. He wouldn’t be able to kiss you.” Seth’s mouth felt parched and he had to lick his lips before continuing. “He wouldn’t be allowed to tell you he loved you, no matter how much he wanted to.”
“I understand. And I would respect him for that, no matter how much I wanted all those things, too,” Trina stated seriously. “I would expect him to stay true to his beliefs and I wouldn’t tempt him to violate them in any way.” As if to prove it, Trina pulled her head back, stood up and walked toward the door.
Come back. Come closer, Seth thought, contradicting the very words he’d just spoken. But by moving away from him, Trina was demonstrating the sincerity of her intention to follow Amish practices and he loved her even more for that.
A sheet of rain fell outside the door but instead of exiting, Trina pivoted and said, “You know, Seth, I’m afraid, too. I’m afraid now that I’ve admitted how much I want this, I’m going to be turned down by the bishop. Martha said most people aren’t successful at converting.”
Seth had little fear of that and he said so. “You’re not most people, Trina. You’re different. You’re the most unique Englischer I’ve ever met. And I’ll support you through the convincement process however I can.”
“Denki,” Trina said, her skin aglow. “Now all I have to do is tell the realtor I’ve changed my mind about selling the house.”
“You’ll eventually have to get over your fear of barn animals, too,” Seth joked.
Trina giggled. “I’ve conquered my fear of hinkel. Next, my fear of mice. Eventually I’ll work my way up to horses and cows.”
“It won’t be easy,” Seth said, and suddenly he wasn’t joking anymore. “Not any of it.” He was referring to himself waiting to see if she was really going to stay.
“But it will be worth it. You’ll see,” Trina said, again erasing his fears.
“Oh, neh!” Seth smacked his palm against his forehead. “I just remembered. Today I made arrangements for Fannie to watch the kinner starting on May second until school lets out.”
Trina put her hands on her hips. “Fannie? That’s who you chose to replace me?”
“I didn’t want to, but there wasn’t anyone else. I was worried about my groossmammi.”
“Perhaps it’s for the best. Martha agreed to mentor me, so now we can spend time alone together without waiting for the buwe to take their naps. Fannie will keep them occupied.”
“More likely they’ll keep her frustrated.”
Trina giggled. “As long as no one winds up in the creek, I think you should be grateful.”
Seth laughed. He reveled in their rapport; at least he wouldn’t have to refrain from talking to her until she was baptized into the Amish church. Trina excitedly told him Martha was going to help her refine her Deitsch, sew an Amish wardrobe and learn to cook more Amish meals.
“Can I make a suggestion?” Seth asked and when Trina said yes, he continued, “Forget about refining your Deitsch. Instead, ask her to give you additional bread-making lessons. The loaves you make are like leather.”
Now Trina cracked up. “Jah, but you love leather.”
“I enjoy working with it, not chawing it.”
“You’d make a terrible lion,” she jested and they darted through the rain toward the house. Once he followed Trina inside, Seth shook his hair like a dog all over Timothy and Tanner, who were waiting for them at the door. They screeched with hilarity at his antics.
“It smells like custard pie in here,” Seth noticed immediately. “If dessert smells this appenditlich, I can’t imagine what we’re having for supper.”
“Actually, I haven’t put supper together yet,” Trina confessed. “Martha and I were so focused on baking the pie and talking about—”
“That’s okay,” Seth interjected. “I’m treating all of us to supper at Browns’ Diner on Main Street. Buwe, go tell Groossmammi,” he instructed and the boys raced down the hall.
“Are you sure?” Trina asked coyly. “Browns’ Diner is Englisch, isn’t it?”
“Jah, but there’s no rule against eating there and tonight is a special occasion,” Seth said, winking at her. “Besides, since you’re not returning to Philadelphia, you’d better get used to our local version of a Philly cheese-steak sandwich.”
“That’s probably the only thing I’m going to miss about Philadelphia,” she said. Everything else about living there pales in comparison to my life in Willow Creek.”
Seth knew exactly what she meant because he felt like every other woman paled in comparison to Trina.
Dianne Barrett was very understanding about Trina changing her mind. In fact, the realtor said she’d been hoping Trina would reconsider, since a quick sale wouldn’t work in Trina’s favor, given how much property she owned. To add to Trina’s joy, Martha arranged to have the bishop and one of the deacons call on them a few days later on the Sabbath, since it was an off Sunday. While Seth discreetly disappeared with the boys to the creek, Trina and Martha discussed Trina’s conversion with the two clergymen, who gave tentative approval of her efforts to begin the convincement process. There would be many formal requirements for her to meet before she was accepted into the church, but the deacon said he’d announce her intention the following Sunday, May first, when the leit gathered again for church.
Trina sailed through the week, as well as the following weekend. On Monday, May second, the lawyer visited her and finalized the paperwork for her to take ownership of her grandfather’s house, just as they’d arranged from the beginning. Since it was Fannie’s first day watching the buwe, Trina was free to meet with the attorney alone at home.
“Congratulations,” he said, handing her the deed. “The house is yours to sell.”
“I’m not selling. I’m staying,” Trina replied with a huge grin on her face.
That evening, right after she spied Fannie’s buggy heading back down the lane, Trina hurried next door to tell Martha and Seth it was official: she owned the house. The boys greeted Trina from where they were stomping in puddles in the lane. Seth must have permitted them to engage in their favorite activity in order to burn off a little energy before bedtime.
“Trina, Groossmammi said she’s going to your house tomorrow by herself. Why can’t we kumme, too?” Tanner questioned.
“Fannie said we’re not allowed,” Timothy told him. “Remember? She said Trina might be able to wash Daed’s brain but she wasn’t going to let her wash our brains.”
“Is that true?” Tanner asked Trina. “I don’t think I want my brain washed.”
Trina was appalled. Had Timothy not heard right or did Fannie really say that? Because Seth didn’t want the boys to accidentally tell other people about Trina’s intention to convert, she’d agreed not to let Timothy and Tanner know until it had been announced in church on Sunday. Although Trina hadn’t been able to attend the service, Seth informed her on Sunday evening the boys hadn’t been present when the announcement was made. He suggested he’d sit down with Timothy and Tanner to talk about it when he had time to explain it thoroughly and answer any questions they had. Meanwhile, apparently word had spread to Fannie’s district within hours.
“I think Fannie heard wrong because I’m not washing anyone’s brains, I promise,” Trina assured Tanner. “And if your groossmammi says you may kumme to my house with her tomorrow, then you may. I’ll go talk to her about it now.”
The boys whooped and resumed puddle jumping as Trina knocked on the kitchen door. There was no answer but Seth approached from the stable and warned the boys they had five more minutes to play. He let Trina inside, telling her Martha was resting because her head hurt.
“Because of her eyes again?”
“Maybe. Or maybe it was because of the kind of day she had.”
Trina thought the latter was more likely the cause. Seeing dirty dishes piled in the sink, Trina felt a twinge of complacency knowing Fannie wasn’t able to manage the household as well as Trina had. “I’m here to tell you and Martha it’s official—the house is mine!” she exclaimed.
“That’s wunderbaar,” Seth said. “You made it two months. Now let’s see if you can make it two years.”
His comment reminded Trina of when she first met him and she wasn’t sure if he was teasing or not, but she shrugged it off, retorting, “From the looks of it, you should be more worried about if your new nanny can make it here two days.” Then she told him about Fannie’s remark and asked when he was going to tell Timothy and Tanner that Trina was staying.
Seth hesitated, and this time Trina was insulted. She knew he still didn’t fully believe she was here for good. It pained her, but considering all he’d been through with Freeman and Kristine, she understood. “Seth, I know it’s difficult for you to believe, but I assure you I’ve already put every last Englisch thing out of my life. I even donated my Englisch Bible to my church. I’ll use my groossdaadi’s German one, instead. From this moment forward, I’m going to live as an Amish person would, except when taking liberties would be inappropriate.”
Seth remained silent so she continued. “If you don’t want to tell the buwe yet, I understand and I’ll respect that. But since the rest of the community found out during church yesterday, eventually the boys will, too. We have to tell them something, otherwise they’ll be confused that I’m still here. And I don’t want Fannie’s explanations to take root in their minds.”
Seth noncommittally offered, “Maybe I’ll tell them tonight before putting them to bed.”
“Oh, okay.” Once again, Trina was disappointed by his reluctance, but she reminded herself she’d committed to showing him, however long it took, that she would honor her word.
The next day at five in the morning she woke to rapid knocking and she sat up straight, panicking. Had Martha’s headache worsened?
“What’s the matter?” she asked Seth at the door as the buwe cavorted behind him.
“Nothing. It’s time for milking. If you’re serious about living like the Amish, you need to learn how to milk a cow. No more milk from a plastic jug.”
Was he challenging her or trying to be helpful? Trina couldn’t decide, but either way, she was willing to learn. “Great. Maybe later in the week you’ll teach me to hitch the horse, too.”
Even in the dreary early morning light, Trina caught his sparkling smile. “You were going to take it slowly,” he reminded her. Then, as the boys ran to the stable ahead of them, Seth explained, “They were so excited to find out you’re staying here they woke up before I did.”
Seth must have told them the previous night! Trina was so delighted she nearly skipped to the barn like a child herself. After Seth gave her a preliminary demonstration of how to milk the cow, she returned home to make breakfast. While she was eating, Seth knocked on her door yet again, informing her Martha wouldn’t be coming that day. Her head still hurt.
Although she was disappointed, Trina decided to give her home a more thorough spring cleaning than she had before Dianne visited. Now that the house was hers, she realized she couldn’t keep Abe’s door shut forever. She’d probably want to host overnight guests eventually, so she stood in the doorway trying to decide how to brighten the room yet keep the furnishings modest and plain, in accordance with the Ordnung. That’s when she remembered she still hadn’t looked at the letters and photos in Abe’s nightstand, so she pulled open the drawer and removed the folder.
Sure enough, it contained a letter and photo for each year from the time Trina was born until she turned eighteen. She couldn’t bear to read the letters in which her mother asked Abe if she could return, but flipping through the photos was like seeing a movie of her life. In one picture, she was crawling. In another, she was smiling broadly, showing off the gap where her tooth had fallen out. There was a photo of her riding a bicycle and another one of her standing primly in a new dress beneath a blossoming dogwood tree at Easter time. Filled with a mix of nostalgia and loneliness for her mother, Trina slid the items back into the folder. Since photographs weren’t permitted, she’d have to get rid of them and rely on the images she knew by heart, instead.
Just then, something buzzed loudly in the room. At first she thought a fat housefly had gotten into the house, but then she realized it was her cell phone, still sitting on the windowsill. The last time she’d used it was to finalize a meeting time with Dianne—or was it when she entered Ethan’s phone number into it after finding the business card he’d left behind? In any case, she’d forgotten all about it. Making a mental note to cancel her service before discarding the phone, she briefly glanced at the screen and noted a text. It said:
It’s me, your father. I’m about to call you. Please pick up. It’s urgent.
She had just finished reading the text when the phone vibrated in her hand again. Fearful something was wrong, she felt compelled to answer her father’s call.
“It’s Trina,” she said into the receiving end of the phone.
“Hello, Trina. Thank you for answering. I’m here in town and I need to talk to you. Will you meet with me? I’ll pick you up and take you to lunch.”
Her father was in Willow Creek? Trina was silent, her mind reeling.
“Trina, please. You’re the only child I have. I don’t want anything to come between us. I know I haven’t been in touch, but I’d like to change that now.”
Trina thought of how her mother had never gotten to reconcile with Abe. She didn’t want that to happen with her father, too, especially since her mother had urged her not to turn him away if he wanted a relationship. Trina knew she had to listen to what her father had to say and to forgive him if he asked. She wanted to tell him about her choice to become Amish, too.
That’s when she had an idea; she’d give the photos to her father, since he’d missed seeing Trina during so many of the years her mother had caught on camera. He’d probably be as delighted to get them as Abe had been. Trina separated them from the letters and took the folder with her to her room, where she changed into a fresh top and skirt, and then went out onto the porch to wait for her father there.
To her surprise, not one but two cars were already parked in the lane by her house. Because it was drizzling, she slipped the folder inside her coat so it wouldn’t get wet and then sprang across the lawn and found both vehicles were empty. Twirling around to scan the yard, Trina spotted two men walking up from the creek. She didn’t know one of them, but the other one was definitely her father. Although Trina hadn’t seen him in years, she’d recognize him anywhere, even though he was balding now and had developed a bit of a paunch.
When he came near, he kissed her cheek and said, “You look exactly like your mother did at your age. Beautiful.” After a pause, he added, “I’m sorry she’s gone, Trina.”
He really did look sorry, too, and Trina felt a pang of guilt for being so resentful she couldn’t locate him in time for her mother’s funeral. She extended her hand to the short, dark-haired man accompanying her father and said, “I’m Trina.”
“Oh, sorry,” Richard apologized. “Trina, this is my business associate, Drex Watson—”
It suddenly dawned on Trina what her father and this man were doing down by the creek; they’d been scoping out the property. Drex was probably there to help persuade—no, to pressure—Trina to reconsider selling the land to her father. Trina’s temper flared and she didn’t give her father a chance to finish making introductions. “I’ve already told the realtor I have no intention of selling the property for development purposes. So there’s no need for you to accompany us, Mr. Watson.” She deliberately used a formal address to indicate they weren’t on friendly terms.
“Trina, wait. Just consider—” Drex began to protest, but Trina’s father interrupted him.
“It’s okay, Drex. My daughter wants to speak with me alone. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Drex’s eyes darted from Richard to Trina and then back to Richard before he shrugged and said, “Alright. Catch you later.”
After Drex drove away, Richard said, “Come on, Trina, it’s raining. Let’s go get some lunch in town, okay?”
Trina hesitated. On one hand, she wanted to hear him out. On the other hand, she didn’t want him pressuring her to change her mind about selling to him. She slowly walked to the car and accompanied him to Browns’ Diner. As they drove, Trina realized his vehicle was worth a fortune and she wondered if Kurt had been exaggerating how broke her father actually was.
At the diner Richard chose a booth by the front window and while they waited for their meals, Trina told him about her decision to become Amish. He looked surprised but didn’t say anything as she described the process she’d undergo before being baptized into the church.
When she was done speaking, her father said, “So, while you’re going through this—what did you call it, convincement process?—you’ll live with your mentor?”
Trina cocked her head. “No. I’ll live in my own house. Why?”
Her father’s cheeks broke out in ruddy patches. “I just wondered, that’s all.”
“Dad,” Trina said firmly, although the term felt strange to her ears, “I’m not going to sell the house. To anyone.”
“I understand,” he said, but his mouth sagged. Trina waited for him to change the subject—specifically, to talk about his desire to reconcile with her, but he stayed silent until the server brought them their meals. By that time, Trina had realized he never truly intended to come back into her life, except to purchase her house. She poked at her fries but didn’t take a bite since she wouldn’t have been able to swallow.
After her father paid the check, Trina summoned the last of her grace and reached over to clasp his hand. “Dad, even though I’m becoming Amish, I’ll always welcome you into my home as a guest,” she said. “And I’ll always welcome you into my life as my father.”
He glanced up. Green eyes. Is that all we have in common? Trina wondered as she waited for him to speak, but he didn’t say a word. Then the server returned with his change and her father pulled his hand out from under Trina’s to pocket the bills.
Trina decided she’d walk home and her father didn’t object even though it was raining harder now. Before she stood to leave she remembered the folder of photos and she pushed it across the table toward him. “I want you to have these memories from my childhood. Even though it was difficult sometimes and I wished you were with us, Mom and I were happy together.” Rising, she leaned over the table to kiss his head before saying, “Take care, Dad.”
Then she stepped outside, where raindrops and teardrops rolled steadily down her face.
Shortly before Seth was going to leave for the day, Joseph Schrock stopped in to report the south end of Willow Creek was blocked off because the creek had overflowed its banks and Meadow Road was submerged.
“I’ll walk home on West Street, instead,” Seth said. “Denki for telling me. Otherwise I would have had to double back once I got to Meadow Road.”
“I only found out myself when I returned from an appointment in Highland Springs this afternoon. Otherwise, I would have warned Trina, too. Poor maedel, it must have taken her over an hour to get home from the diner.”
“Trina was in the diner?” Seth wondered why she had ventured out in the inclement weather.
“Jah, I saw her eating with an Englischer. He looked old enough to be her daed. Anyway, mach’s gut, Seth.” Joseph gave a brief wave of his hand and slipped back out the door.
As Seth trudged home, he was so consumed with wondering who Trina met at the diner he didn’t notice the rain had soaked through his coat to his shirt until he arrived at the house and Fannie handed him a towel.
“Where’s my groossmammi?” he asked, patting his sleeves dry.
“She’s in her room with the door closed. I think her koppweh might have gotten worse. Probably from the buwe—they’ve been very loud today.”
“And where are they?”
“In the basement. I’ll start to make supper now that you’re home.”
The last thing Seth wanted was for Fannie to stay any longer. “That’s alright. I’m sure your daughters are waiting to see you. We’ll just have sandwiches.”
Fannie’s shoulders drooped in disappointment, so Seth quickly offered, “I’ll hitch your buggy for you and bring it around so you won’t get wet.”
“Denki. I’d appreciate that,” she replied. Ever so casually, she added, “Unlike Trina and her two Englisch guests, I have no interest in strolling around in the rain.”
Seth couldn’t help taking her bait. “Trina had guests today?”
“Jah. She was walking around her yard with two men. It seemed as if they were surveying the property.”
Seth’s stomach lurched as he briefly wondered if Trina was reconsidering selling. He just as quickly dismissed the notion. Trina would never do that. But why was she showing anyone the property, especially in the rain? Seth could hardly wait for the boys to go to sleep so he could go talk to her. First, he checked on Martha, who refused anything to eat, and then he made sandwiches for the boys, gave them baths and tucked them into bed.
“Is everything okay?” Trina asked as she let him in.
“I don’t know. Maybe you’d like to tell me,” he said, crossing the threshold.
“What do you mean?” Her face was puckered with confusion.
He wasn’t in the mood for their usual repartee. “Don’t play games, Trina.”
“What are you talking about, Seth?” Now her hands were on her hips. “And why do I suspect Fannie is at the bottom of whatever’s troubling you?”
“Maybe it’s because you know she knows you had men here looking at your property.”
“Oh, that.” The scowl faded from Trina’s face as she sat down at the table, waving her hand dismissively. How could she be so casual? “Jah, my daed and his business associate came here and, jah, they were looking at the land. But I made it clear to them I wasn’t interested in selling.”
“Was this before or after you ate lunch with them in the diner?”
Trina’s head jerked back. “Wow. I know Willow Creek is a small community, but I didn’t realize just how many people are interested in my business.”
“So it’s true, you had dinner with them?”
“Not with them. I ate dinner with my daed. Alone. Is that a crime?”
“Was it your idea?” Seth was annoyed he had to grill her for details. If she had nothing to hide, why wasn’t she being more forthcoming?
“I don’t know why that matters, but neh, he was the one who texted me. He wanted to get together and I felt I owed him that much. I wanted to tell him I’d always—”
“He texted you? You still have your cell phone?” Seth was astounded.
“Jah. I’d forgotten all about it until I heard the text notification go off.”
Seth paced the length of the kitchen. This was exactly how things had started to unravel with Kristine’s plans to join the Amish. First, it was her cell phone she couldn’t give up. Then it was her favorite pieces of jewelry. Next, it was her laptop. She always had a compelling excuse for keeping whatever it was she wanted to keep—including Freeman. Now here was Trina, making similar excuses just one day after she promised him she’d put every last Englisch thing out of her life. Worse, it was just one day after he’d told his young, vulnerable sons about her plan to convert! Seth was seething.
“Your cell phone. Your father. Your father’s business associate.” He counted on his fingers, listing her offenses. “What other parts of your Englisch life are you still holding on to?”
“Are you kidding me?” Trina asked with knives in her voice. “After everything I’ve given up, do you really believe there’s any aspect of Englisch life I’m deliberately hanging on to?”
“Clearly there is,” Seth barked. His volume rose as he continued, “I just wish you would have recognized you weren’t fully committed to leaving your Englisch life behind before I told the buwe you were converting. It will devastate them if you change your mind.”
“You know I understand that better than anyone!” Trina countered, her nostrils flaring. “I’d never break such an important promise to Timothy and Tanner because I remember exactly how destructive it was when my daed didn’t keep his promises to me.”
“That’s exactly what I’m worried about.” Seth glowered back at her. “Maybe it’s like daed, like dochder. Can’t trust him, can’t trust you.”
Trina slapped her palms against the table and jumped to her feet, leaning forward to glare directly into his eyes. “The problem isn’t that I’m untrustworthy—it’s that you’re untrusting. So if you want to live the rest of your life distrustful and afraid, go right ahead. But you’re not the only one who’s going to miss out—your attitude is going to harm your buwe, too. And that’s as unfair to them as my daed was to me.”
She twirled and stormed out of the room at the same time Seth stomped outside into the rain. As angry as Trina was, he was twice as livid. He didn’t regret it one iota that he’d challenged her commitment. No matter what she said about his so-called distrustful attitude affecting Timothy and Tanner, if there was even an inkling of doubt Trina wasn’t going to stay, it was Seth’s parental duty to protect his sons from becoming even more attached to her. He resolved from then on to keep them away from her—and to keep himself away from her, too.