Mary sat beside Adeline in the hospital waiting room in Bedford, and Natalie was on the other side of her cousin. Levi was unconscious, and they were waiting to find out how serious his injuries were.
“I thought that ladder looked a little unsteady sometimes.” Adeline’s hands were shaking. Mary trembled all over. Natalie’s eyes were puffy and red, like she’d been crying. But she looked that way when she returned to Adeline’s house, so Mary wasn’t sure if something happened with her father, or if she’d gone back to the house for some other reason. The ambulance driver had called the sheriff’s office in Orleans to see if someone could get word to Levi’s family.
Mary glanced around the room. A man with a bloody bandage wrapped around his arm was looking at his cell phone. A mother cuddled her toddler on her lap as the baby slept. An elderly couple sat by the wall, and the man had a nasty cough.
“I wish they would tell us something.” Mary folded her hands in her lap. Her maroon dress was splattered with the white paint that had spilled on Levi and the area surrounding him when he fell. Adeline and Natalie had paint on them as well.
Mary and Adeline had heard a loud clunk while they were cleaning up the lunch dishes. They rushed outside and found Levi under the ladder and not moving. Somehow, he’d fallen backward and pulled the ladder down with him. Natalie got there a while later, after the ambulance arrived.
“Best to let me do the talking,” Adeline whispered to Mary, stiffening when a doctor entered the room.
Mary glanced at the others in the waiting room but turned back to the doctor, a man who looked to be about the age of her father, when he walked toward them. Despite Adeline’s suggestion, Mary couldn’t stay quiet.
“Is he okay?” She swallowed the knot in her throat.
“Are you Levi’s family?” He addressed the question to Mary. She was the only person dressed in Amish clothing.
Adeline cleared her throat. “Yes. I’m his grandmother, and this is his wife.” She nodded toward Mary, then turned to Natalie. “And this is his sister.”
Mary’s eyes widened. She wasn’t sure why Adeline would lie, but she was too concerned about Levi to argue.
“Levi hasn’t woken up yet. Right now, I can’t tell you much. We’re running tests and hope to have more information soon.”
“Can we go see him?” Mary blinked back tears as Adeline reached for her hand and squeezed.
“Right now, they’ve taken him to have a CAT scan, but he should be back soon. He’s in intensive care, so I’d ask that only one or two of you go in at a time.”
Adeline nodded, her hand shaking, but her grip tightening on Mary’s hand. “All right,” she said softly.
“I’ll have someone let you know when you can go back.” The doctor turned and walked down the hall.
“I don’t know what I’ll do if anything happens to that boy,” Adeline said. “He was working at my home, for free.”
Natalie took hold of Adeline’s other hand. “Everything is going to be fine. I just know it.”
There was no way for any of them to know if Levi would be okay. “Why did you lie to the doctor?” Mary tucked a few hairs beneath her kapp.
Adeline sighed. “I wasn’t sure if they’d let us go see Levi since we aren’t family.” She looked toward the ceiling. “Please forgive my lie, Lord, but I love these kids.”
Mary squeezed her hand. They were quiet for a while, then Mary lowered her head to pray.
“Are you praying?” Natalie asked in a whisper as she leaned over Adeline.
“Ya.” Mary lowered her head again. Adeline did the same.
“I should pray, too, even though I’m not very good at it.”
Natalie hadn’t lowered her gaze when Mary looked up at her. “You can’t be good or bad at it. Just talk to Gott like a friend and ask for healing for Levi.”
Natalie nodded. Mary hadn’t expected to like her. She wasn’t sure why she had that preconceived feeling. Maybe it was the bout of jealousy when she first saw her. After spending a little more time together, Natalie seemed genuine. And it was nice of her to sit with Mary and Adeline at the hospital when she’d only just met Levi and Mary.
The door to the waiting room flew open and a line of Amish folks poured in. Adeline stood and went to the older woman and almost fell into her arms.
“Oh, Helen. He fell off the ladder. We don’t know anything yet.” Adeline eased out of the woman’s arms and dabbed at the corner of one eye. “The doctor said he hasn’t woken up yet. They are running some tests.”
The eldest man, presumably Levi’s father, took off his straw hat and held it to his chest as he listened. The other family members gathered around, closing in on Adeline, the boys removing their hats.
Mary counted. Six boys and three girls, just like Levi said.
“We prayed all the way here.” Levi’s mother was a heavy woman, and she walked with a slight limp. She had a kind face and warm eyes.
“I think that’s all we can do for now.” Adeline smiled a little as her eyes drifted to Levi’s siblings. “What a fine family you have, Helen.”
Mary thought about Lydia. Her situation at home was a mess. But Mary’s family was healthy and okay. She reminded herself to be grateful for Gott’s grace, and that everything is His will. Things just didn’t make sense sometimes.
Her bottom lip trembled as she fought the urge to cry.
There were barely enough seats to accommodate Levi’s family, and the elderly couple had relocated to the other side of the room so Levi’s parents, brothers, and sisters could all sit together. They all had their heads lowered, and Mary stayed respectfully quiet, even though she wanted to meet them all, to know them.
Everyone looked up when the door opened. The same doctor as before walked toward Mary, and she stood up on weak knees.
He put a hand on her arm, then glanced around at the group. “More family, I’m assuming?”
Levi’s parents and brothers and sisters nodded.
“I wanted to let Levi’s wife know that we’re running behind on a couple tests. It might be a while longer before we have the final results.”
“Wife? Levi doesn’t have a fraa.” Helen stood up and searched Mary’s face. “At least not that we know of.”
Mary wished the floor would open up and swallow her. All eyes were on her. She didn’t know what to say, so she stayed quiet. It was Adeline’s lie, and eventually Adeline spoke up and told the doctor the truth, and Helen’s expression softened.
The room was solemn after the doctor left. But Mary caught Helen staring at her several times. She even whispered something in Levi’s father’s ear while keeping an eye on Mary.
It was only a few minutes later when a nurse came out and said two people could go in to see Levi. Helen stood right away and limped to where Mary was sitting, then held out her hand. “I’m Helen, Levi’s mudder.”
A tear rolled down Mary’s face, and she didn’t have any words to offer the woman. “Let’s go see our boy,” Helen said as she put an arm around Mary. “I’m sure he’ll be anxious to see his fraa.”
Mary shook her head. “I’m so sorry.”
The woman squeezed Mary’s shoulders. “Don’t be. I suspect that out of everyone in that room, you are the one he will open his eyes for.”
Mary put an arm around Helen’s waist when she felt the woman struggling to walk. “I hope so,” she said softly.
Levi blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the bright light around him. He eyed the rainbow of flowers on either side of him. Azaleas, roses, daffodils, begonias, and an abundance of other robust blooms created a bouquet of color that lined the path he walked on toward a stone cottage in the distance.
Butterflies in all colors flitted about with each step he took on the cobblestone path, as he grew closer to a place he’d never seen before but was somehow familiar with. He looked above at the brilliant blue sky without a cloud in sight. Birds tweeted around him, and a pair of cardinals sailed right in front of him. He felt like he should be scared, but he wasn’t.
When he reached the wooden door of the cottage, he lifted his hand to knock, but the door gently swung open, revealing a pure white floor. It wasn’t tiled or wood. And it looked way too clean to step on, but Levi did.
The cottage was one big room with three windows streaming light that appeared as white as the floor. Only one thing was in the large room. A white piano and a bench. Levi had never seen such a beautiful instrument, grand in every sense of the word.
He froze. Had he died? Was this heaven? Or the other place?
The moment he had the thought, he knew the answer, despite the object that fueled his temptations standing only a few feet from him. Feelings of joy and love wrapped around him like a warm blanket on a cold night as he sat on the piano bench.
He drew in a deep breath and placed his hands on the keys. Then he played, and the music flowed through his veins, soothed his soul, and filled him with a pleasure he’d been craving. There wasn’t any guilt. He was as free as the doves flying outside one of the windows.
Here, he was safe from his thoughts. Closing his eyes, he let the music fill his soul like a bear preparing for hibernation, in case this was the last of the soul-quenching food he’d so desperately craved. Maybe he could always carry the feeling with him.
He wasn’t sure how long he played, but when he opened his eyes, Mary smiled. Then his eyes drifted to his mother, and she pushed back the hair on his forehead and kissed him there.
“Thank the Lord.” His mother wept. “The doctor said you’re going to be fine. You have a nasty concussion, but you will probably get to go home tomorrow.”
Levi flinched when he shifted his position in the bed, and his head throbbed on one side like there were thousands of marbles rolling around inside. “What happened?”
“You fell off the ladder at Adeline’s haus.” Mary swiped a tear from her eye. “We were so scared.”
Levi reached for her hand. “Danki for being here.”
Mary blushed, but he wasn’t letting go of her hand just because his mother was in the room.
“I need to go let everyone know you are all right.” Mamm kissed him on the forehead again and smiled. “I’m sure you’re in gut hands here with your fraa.” She glanced at Mary and grinned before she left.
“Maybe Mamm is the one who hit her head. She thinks we’re married?” Levi tried to smile, but even the small movement made his head hurt.
“Adeline told the hospital staff we were all family, in case your actual family wasn’t here when they finally allowed someone to see you.” Grinning and still blushing, she said, “Adeline said I was your wife, she was your grandmother, and Natalie was your sister.”
Levi laughed, then regretted it. “How did Natalie know?”
Mary explained that Natalie had come back looking upset, but they didn’t know what was wrong.
Then Levi’s stomach roiled. “Who all is here?”
“Everyone. Your whole family.”
He cringed again, but this time because he suspected they’d all come straight from their work. They each had one outfit for Sundays, some of which had come from Percy’s clothes that Adeline had given them. But on most days, Levi’s family probably looked like misfits compared to Mary’s. Jacob always wore pants that were way too short. Abram wasn’t fond of baths. Lloyd and Ben smelled like horses if they’d had a shoeing job. Levi dressed similarly, but he had been at Adeline’s to paint, so that excused his clothes. When he’d taken Mary to eat pizza, he’d worn his Sunday clothes.
Levi was about to make excuses for his family, but then he remembered a piano. A white room, a white piano, a cobblestone path, and a one-room cottage.
“I have something to tell you. Something important.”
His mother returned, saying everyone wanted to see him, and the doctors had agreed to two at a time. Mary squeezed his hand, but then let go and excused herself, promising to see him soon.
“Bye, mei fraa,” he said softly, trying to grin. She smiled, her cheeks bright red, then told his mother goodbye before she left.
“She seems like a lovely maedel.” Mamm put her hand on his.
She is.
Natalie showed up at Adeline’s the following Saturday wearing an old pair of overalls she’d used when she dressed as a scarecrow for Halloween one year. Her class was over, and her new work schedule made it inconvenient to see Adeline on Wednesdays, but she wanted to keep up the relationship with her new friend.
She liked Mary and Levi, too, but Levi was out of commission for a couple weeks—not even allowed to drive the buggy. In addition to the concussion—which he was prescribed rest for—he also had a sprained ankle and some bad bruising on his back. Natalie knew a thing or two about painting, and she wanted to be productive and help Adeline like everyone else.
By lunchtime Natalie was covered in paint.
“Have you been to see Levi since he went home from the hospital?” She savored Adeline’s chicken salad sandwiches, and Mary brought cakes and pies from the bakery. Natalie wasn’t much good in the kitchen, but maybe she’d experiment so she could contribute something next weekend.
“Nee, it’s too far for the horse to travel forty miles to Orleans.” Mary glanced at Adeline. “I was going to ask you if I could spend the night and go the rest of the way tomorrow, but we have worship service tomorrow.”
Natalie took a sip of tea, careful not to spill any on the red furniture. Her mother might think it was hideous, but Natalie loved it. She liked everything about Adeline’s parlor. Maybe because there was a lot of laughter, storytelling, and eating.
“Mary.” Natalie chuckled. “I have a car. I can take you over there later, after I finish painting.”
Mary’s face lit up. “That would be wonderful. Danki so much.”
“I know I wouldn’t want to be apart from my guy for that long.” She blew out an exasperated breath. “Assuming I had a guy.”
“And why don’t you?” Adeline had laid her head back against the couch, and sometimes she looked like she’d dozed off, but Natalie didn’t think she missed anything they said. She’d also noticed that the air-conditioning still wasn’t on, even though Adeline told them she’d taken care of it last Saturday.
Natalie thought for a few seconds. “I guess because I’ve never met anyone who gave me that weird feeling that is presumably love.”
Mary chuckled. “That’s how I felt when I met Levi.” She paused, turning to Adeline. “Levi and I met at Percy’s funeral when we were ten. I don’t think I ever told you that. He promised to write to me but never did.”
Adeline laughed. “Well, it must have been meant to be.”
Mary wasn’t sure where things stood between her and Levi. They’d only been on one date and shared one kiss, but her stomach swirled with anticipation about seeing him later today. She was also anxious to find out what he wanted to tell her.
For now she was in the parlor enjoying a chicken salad sandwich with Natalie and Adeline. Mary looked forward to Adeline’s chicken salad. It was better than her mother’s, although she’d never tell Mamm that.
Today Mary had helped Adeline organize a closet at the end of the hallway, but they’d gotten sidetracked when Adeline stumbled upon a box of old pictures, mostly of her and Percy. Mary loved hearing Adeline explain where they were and what they were doing in the photos, which were such treasured items to Adeline. Mary wouldn’t have a box like that to rummage through when she was older. Her people didn’t allow photographs. She hoped her memory was still intact by the time she was Adeline’s age.
“We haven’t worked on the puzzle today.” Mary wiped her mouth with her napkin before she set it on her plate.
Natalie collected their dishes to take to the kitchen. “Adeline and I got a little nervous about the picture when all the tan sections started to look less like sand and more like skin.”
Mary stiffened. “Oh.”
Natalie left the room, and Mary picked up her empty glass and followed her new friend to the kitchen. In a whisper, Mary asked, “Do you think it’s strange that Adeline’s electricity isn’t on yet? If she paid the bill with her credit card over the phone, shouldn’t it have been turned back on by now?”
“Yeah. I think so. Maybe we should ask her to check on it again while we’re here.” Natalie set the plates in the sink before she motioned for Mary to walk over to the table with the puzzle. “Stand right here. At a distance, the picture starts coming together.” She pointed to the section on the left. “That looks like legs.”
Mary turned away. “Ya, it does.”
Natalie put the bread in the pantry, and Mary rinsed out her glass. “I hope I’m not prying, but when you came back to Adeline’s last Saturday, it looked like you’d been crying. Is everything all right now?”
Natalie sighed as she leaned against the kitchen counter and put her hands in the pockets of her blue overalls splashed with white paint. It was nice of her to take up where Levi left off.
“My dad and his girlfriend are moving to Mississippi. I’ve been so mad at him about leaving my mom for this other woman, and I guess I thought we had all the time in the world to somehow get back the relationship we used to have. I figured with time we’d find a way to get through it. I never thought he would move so far away.”
Mary leaned against the opposite counter and faced Natalie. She wanted to tell her about Lydia. She was hesitant to tell anyone, but she wished she had a friend her age to talk to about it. Natalie was worldly. Maybe she would see things differently. Mary’s mother was in a tizzy trying to hurry and get Samuel and Lydia married, insisting that was the best thing to do since Lydia was pregnant.
Mary looked forward to this new life coming into their family, but she worried for her sister. Her parents were arguing a lot, and her mother was very embarrassed since word had gotten out. Under different circumstances, Mary might have invited Natalie to her house. She’d had Englisch friends over for visits before. Usually they didn’t become close because those girls were planning to go to college and they just had too many differences. Natalie and Mary had Adeline in common.
“That must be hard for you. Are you close with your mother?” Mary couldn’t imagine what a divorce must be like.
Natalie shrugged. “When my mother’s perfect life fell apart, she pretty much fell apart too. I feel sorry for her, but I also needed to get away from her. That’s why I moved out. I want her to learn to take care of herself. My dad did everything for her. She’d never worked, except to run the household. Plus, her negativity wasn’t helping me get on with my life.”
Mary nodded. She wanted even more to tell Natalie about her situation at home. Natalie’s mother sounded a little like Mary’s mamm. Pride was frowned upon in their world, but her mother strived for perfection in everything she did. Lydia’s mishap had thrown her into a tailspin. Mary had been wondering if she was more like her mother than she wanted to admit, since she had been shouldering a heavy load of embarrassment about Lydia’s pregnancy.
They rejoined Adeline in the living room. She was sitting on the couch smiling, her hands folded in her lap and one leg crossed over the other.
Mary wanted to ask her about the electricity as the fan hummed softly, but Adeline looked like she was in another world.
“Adeline, are you all right?” Mary and Natalie walked toward her. Mary had to ask her the question a second time before Adeline looked her way.
“What? Oh yes, dear, I’m fine. I was just listening to Percy play the piano.”
Mary glanced at Natalie, who shrugged.
“He’ll be done shortly,” Adeline said in a whisper. “You girls have a seat.”
Mary and Natalie sat down, exchanging confusing glances.
“Isn’t it lovely?” Adeline looked like she was in a trance, her eyes twinkling as she kept them focused on the piano.
Mary just nodded.