Chapter Twenty-One
On the very next day, Jeremiah ran into Julia and Tim Nissley in front of the Dutch bulk store. As they wheeled their shopping cart toward their rig at the hitching rail, Tim gestured for the bishop to follow them. Jeremiah sighed inwardly as they recounted Ella’s latest tale, shaking their heads.
“Where on earth would she get the idea that Teacher Lydianne is her mother?” Julia asked him softly. “That’s all she could talk about when she came from the schoolhouse yesterday afternoon.”
“We’ve not yet told Ella she’s adopted, because we believe she’s too young to handle that information,” Tim put in earnestly. “Most of all, we need to squelch this rumor before the grapevine gets wind of it and folks start to quiz Lydianne, or doubt her reputation.”
Jeremiah racked his brain for a response—a way to handle the hot-potato situation that had just landed in his lap. Only about an hour remained of the school day, and it seemed prudent to take the direct approach. “Can you folks possibly meet me at the schoolhouse when classes let out for the day?” he asked. “It would be best if Ella could go somewhere else—maybe to Gracie’s house—while we talk about this matter.”
The Nissley’s exchanged a puzzled glance.
“Jah, she loves to go to Gracie’s,” Julia remarked, “so we could arrange for Matthias to pick her up from school, or—”
“Are you saying there’s some truth to Ella’s story?” Tim interrupted in a whisper. “She’s at that age where children pretend, and I’m not sure she always knows the difference between what’s real and what she wishes would happen.”
“Jah, we certainly saw her imagination in high gear when she followed that rainbow, hoping to find the ark,” Julia pointed out. Her face, usually bright and cheerful, had taken on a few worry lines as she processed the bishop’s response.
Jeremiah exhaled slowly, praying he’d do the right thing. “Like you said before, we don’t want to confuse Ella before she’s old enough to handle the fact that she’s adopted. It’s also best that we speak with Lydianne, so you’ll know the facts firsthand.”
His words caused the young couple a moment’s hesitation, but they both nodded. “I think we should straighten this out right away,” Tim agreed.
“We’ll meet you at the school,” Julia said with a nod. “Ella will think it’s a real treat to go home with Gracie—and we’ll go to the Waglers’ right now to be sure that’ll work for Rose.”
“If it won’t, we’ll ask if Ella can spend some time with Stevie at your brother’s place,” Tim said.
“That’ll be fine. See you there.”
Jeremiah entered the bulk store to buy the items on his mamm’s shopping list, hoping he’d have a few moments to warn Lydianne that the Nissleys were coming in for a very important talk. As he drove through the white plank gate near The Marketplace, however, he spotted the Nissleys’ rig parked at the side of the schoolhouse. Julia stood outside having an animated conversation with her daughter, and when Ella and Gracie’s blond heads bobbed excitedly, he knew the girls would be spending time together at the Wagler home. After he waved at Billy Jay, who slowed his pony cart to a more sedate speed when he realized the bishop was watching him, Jeremiah wasted no time pulling up beside the Nissleys’ rig.
He felt a pang of regret when he entered the schoolroom. Comprehension dawned on Lydianne’s pretty face the moment she saw that the Nissleys were with him. “Do you have time to chat with us?” Jeremiah asked as the three of them approached her desk. “It seems Ella overheard quite a bit yesterday. She’s told her parents that you’re her mother, and they’re understandably . . . curious.”
The schoolroom got so quiet that he could hear Lydianne suck in a fortifying breath. “Jah, we’d best get to the bottom of this,” she murmured, gesturing toward the table where the clay animals and the model of Noah’s ark were displayed. “Let’s sit in those chairs. Denki for coming to help us with this, Bishop.”
Jeremiah sensed a deep need for guidance, not just because little Ella’s well-being was at stake, but because the woman he’d come to love—an esteemed teacher—had arrived at a very difficult intersection on her life’s journey. As they sat down together, he said, “Before we begin, shall we pray about this?”
When they bowed their heads, he carefully composed his thoughts. They were on the brink of an important, life-altering discussion. Jeremiah yearned to use this potentially heartbreaking situation as a conduit for a positive, loving outcome they could all live with—the conclusion that he and Lydianne hadn’t reached about her confession.
“Guide us, Lord, as we help Tim and Julia understand the complexities of Lydianne’s situation,” he prayed in the steadiest voice he could manage. “Help us make decisions that will be best for all of us—far better than if we humans try to muddle through this without You. Amen.”
* * *
With her eyes squeezed shut, Lydianne listened to Jeremiah’s prayer and allowed the deep timbre of his voice to soothe her. They’d come to the moment she’d anticipated with fear and dread, because so many lives would be changed by the outcome of their discussion. When she looked up, Tim and Julia were watching her closely—and why wouldn’t they be curious? Their little girl had come home from school with a story they didn’t know how to deal with—the story Lydianne had carefully kept hidden in the innermost sanctum of her vulnerable heart.
Jeremiah’s bottomless brown eyes were fixed on her, too, encouraging her and promising his support. She saw no reason to stall or to elaborate on matters that didn’t directly affect the Nissleys.
“Ella has it right,” she said softly. “I am her birth mother—”
“And this only came out because when Lydianne was holding Ella after we found her on Saturday morning, I noticed the way their facial features matched up,” Jeremiah explained earnestly. “When I asked her point-blank about it, Lydianne admitted the details of Ella’s birth. She immediately offered to make her confession in church—”
“But I never intended for this information to interfere with your family life—your relationship with Ella,” Lydianne insisted quickly. Despite her need to remain calm and in control of her emotions, a tear dribbled down each of her cheeks. “Maybe it’s best if you ask your questions instead of listening to me babble about details that probably won’t matter to you.”
Julia’s mouth had dropped open, but she seemed unable to voice her thoughts. Tim swallowed repeatedly, making his Adam’s apple bulge.
“My word,” Ella’s adoptive dat finally whispered. “Until this minute, I never noticed the resemblance. Ella does look like you, Lydianne.”
Lydianne let out a nervous laugh. “Funny, but when I look at Ella, I see her father,” she murmured wistfully. “He drowned the day before we were to be married and—and that’s why I gave her up for adoption. I wanted her to have a mamm and a dat. I knew I couldn’t support her after my family—well, they thought a baby conceived in sin was the ultimate humiliation. So, I left home, and created a new life for myself before Ella was born.”
Julia’s eyes widened as she leaned closer to clasp Lydianne’s wrist. “I—I had no idea!” she rasped. “The social worker who arranged the adoption didn’t give us any details except that the baby was to be born nearby, so we’d be able to pick her up as soon as the clinic determined that she was healthy. It was the happiest day of my life—well, almost,” she added fondly as she grasped her husband’s hand.
Swiping at her eyes, Lydianne silently thanked God that neither parent facing her seemed overly upset about the details they were hearing. They were startled, of course, but she saw no sign of resentment or anger.
“I wasn’t supposed to know where my baby went—or who was adopting her—except I caught sight of the adoption papers on the clinic counter,” she admitted with a hesitant smile. “When I saw that you lived in Morning Star, opportunities just seemed to open up for me here—like the job at Martin Flaud’s factory, and the house I found to rent.”
She let out a long, apologetic sigh. “I knew better than to tempt myself by coming here, but I just had to watch my little girl grow up. I never intended to interfere—or even reveal who I was. I’m so sorry that this story has caught you by surprise.”
“But what a story it is!” Julia said as tears flowed down her cheeks.
“What do we do about this situation?” Jeremiah asked. He gazed at each of the Nissleys in turn, allowing them time to consider the consequences of whatever they might decide. “If Lydianne confesses to her unwed pregnancy in church and is then shunned, as the Ordnung says she should be, everyone will know she’s Ella’s mother. I didn’t call her to her knees this past Sunday because Lydianne and I both want to do what’s best for Ella—and for your family.”
Lydianne couldn’t miss the way Jeremiah had spoken as though the two of them were on the same page—involved in this situation together. But it was no time for romantic fantasies. A young family’s future was at stake.
After a few moments’ consideration, Tim cleared his throat. “Ella will be devastated if Teacher Lydianne is shunned and suddenly has to stop teaching,” he said. “And as a school board member, I can’t think of any immediate replacement our district’s parents would respect and trust the way they do Lydianne.”
Lydianne blinked. Tim’s support was more than she’d hoped for, considering the way he’d learned of her situation. Before she could comment, however, he continued in a voice that rose with conviction.
“Glenn’s told me repeatedly that Billy Jay is so much happier because Lydianne pays him the attention he needs,” Tim stated. “The Waglers—and Julia and I—are delighted that Gracie and Ella are already reading. Even Clarence Miller, who’s a hard man to please, says his two teenage daughters want to become teachers because Lydianne has inspired them.”
Lydianne’s mouth dropped open, even as Jeremiah shot her a look that said I told you so.
“And Ella will be so upset if folks aren’t supposed to accept things directly from your hand or include you in activities for weeks while you’re under the bann,” Julia put in with a shake of her head. “She won’t understand why everyone’s being mean to you, shutting you out.”
Lydianne nodded, catching the agreement in Jeremiah’s eyes.
“She can’t wait to come to school each day, to see what you’ll teach her next—because she loves you dearly, Lydianne,” Julia continued eloquently. “If she couldn’t hug you or talk with you—because a bann would mean you couldn’t be in this classroom interacting with students—Ella might just refuse to come to school! And we can’t have that.”
Lydianne nodded. She’d thought about those very matters, and the way they might affect a bright, eager six-year-old. Truth be told, it would tear her heart in two if she didn’t get to see Ella each day. How would she get through six weeks without hearing her daughter’s voice or basking in the sunshine of her dear smile?
“I’m so sorry this has happened, all because I selfishly wanted to be near my child,” Lydianne whispered. “I shouldn’t have moved to Morning Star, thinking I wouldn’t be found out—and I certainly shouldn’t have accepted the teaching position—”
“Oh, don’t go saying that,” Tim interrupted firmly. “Nobody I know would accept that sentiment, and they’d be sorry to see you leave. But, well—I don’t see any way around dismissing you, at least for the length of your bann.”
Lydianne nodded sadly. She had no idea how she’d support herself for six weeks while she awaited the decision of the church district about whether to allow her back in the classroom, either.
Julia glanced away, blinking back tears as she considered another angle to this situation. “I’m delighted that Ella loves you so much as a teacher, Lydianne,” she murmured. “But she’ll understand this whole adoption situation more completely when she’s older. Maybe someday I’ll be stronger, too—better able to share her with you because you’ve given us such a blessing, Lydianne. But right now . . .”
“You’re her mamm,” Lydianne put in softly. “It’s a bond that goes beyond blood, and I don’t want to confuse Ella, or make her think she has to choose between us—and I don’t want her comparing the two of us, either. Having two mothers is too much for a six-year-old to handle, I think.”
“I totally agree,” Tim put in with a decisive nod. He focused on Jeremiah as he chose his next words. “Under the circumstances, won’t God understand if we keep this matter amongst ourselves, Bishop? After all, Lydianne has confessed—and we have nothing to forgive her for. She gave us our little Ella, after all.”
Lydianne’s heartbeat stilled. Tim’s compassionate suggestion made her wipe away more tears. The Nissleys were accepting this situation so much better than she’d anticipated—and it made her even more grateful that God had led the social worker to place her newborn baby in their loving home.
“I’m certainly open to that—because you suggested it yourselves,” Jeremiah replied with a nod. “Lydianne has also confessed to me, and she’s told me of her concerns—her insistence that this information doesn’t become a wedge between you and Ella. But what do we do now that the cat’s out of the bag?” he asked. “Ella heard what she heard, and she’s already repeating it.”
“Jah, she’s a chatterbox, and she’ll be telling everyone that Teacher Lydianne’s her mamm,” Julia confirmed with a sigh. “It won’t be long before the other preachers demand answers, and they’ll be a lot more likely to insist upon shunning Lydianne—no matter what we want.”
“We’ll start by correcting Ella’s story the minute we pick her up from the Waglers’ place,” Tim said, taking his wife’s hand between his.
“And we’ll point out that she shouldn’t have been eavesdropping on Lydianne and the Bishop’s conversation in the first place!” Julia interjected.
“—and that she must stop telling it,” Tim continued firmly. “Whenever any of us hears someone suggest that Lydianne is Ella’s mother, we need to set them straight right away. We have to have our words ready, so that whoever’s speculating about this situation will believe it’s just the mistaken story of a six-year-old with a big, wishful imagination.”
Jeremiah was nodding. “The fact that you folks, as Ella’s parents, are correcting her story will have a much bigger impact than if Lydianne—or I—insisted Ella heard us wrong.”
When the bishop focused on Lydianne, she couldn’t miss the love that shone in his eyes. “Are you all right with this solution? We all might have to cover these tracks a lot of times—”
“But I think correcting the story—even if it means we’re not telling folks the whole truth—is the best thing for Ella right now,” Lydianne remarked. “It means I’ll have to have my words ready, as you’ve said. But if all four of us insist that Ella’s imagination has run away with her—”
“Again,” Julia put in emphatically.
“—I think the questions will eventually stop,” Lydianne finished. “Then, one of these days when you’re ready, you can talk to Ella about being adopted, and you can choose whether to tell her about me. I promise I’ll stay out of it until you want me involved. And I’ll understand if you don’t.”
As the Nissleys nodded in agreement, a wave of relief washed over Lydianne. They didn’t want her to be shunned. They didn’t want her to stop teaching, or to leave Morning Star. They had praised her ability to teach the scholars, and they believed everyone else in the community felt she was doing a good job, too. Their reaction to her situation was better than she could have hoped or prayed for—better than she deserved.
“Denki so much for your understanding,” Lydianne murmured as she gazed at Ella’s mamm and dat. “It’s a privilege to teach your daughter—and I promise to start thinking of her as your daughter. It means so much to be near Ella and to be a part of her life, even if she’ll never know who I really am.”
Julia nodded, too moved to speak. Tim reached out to shake Jeremiah’s hand, and then Lydianne’s.
“I’m glad we’ve reached a conclusion that preserves all we—and Ella—hold dear,” he said. “Denki for opening your soul to us, Lydianne. We’ll fetch Ella now, and immediately correct what she overheard—”
“And we’ll insist that she stop telling the story,” Julia reiterated. She smiled at Jeremiah. “I feel God’s been here amongst us, and that He’ll lead us where we need to go over the coming years, Bishop. We’re fortunate to have you—and Lydianne—as leaders in our community.”
Lydianne rose from her chair to accompany the Nissleys to the door, waving as they drove off in their rig. Jeremiah was standing behind her, close enough that she felt the warmth of his tall, strong body. She felt protected and cherished.
“That went so much better than it might have,” she remarked with a short laugh.
“But it’s not over,” he reminded her gently. “When other folks hear Ella’s story and start looking closely, comparing her face to yours, they’ll reach the same conclusion I did. Tim sees the resemblance, after all.”
“Jah, but we should also point out that Ella looks very much like the fair-haired Nissleys, too—to reinforce the belief that they are her parents,” Lydianne said. “Because as far as Ella knows, they are her birth parents.”
When she turned and Jeremiah cupped her jaw in his large, warm hand, Lydianne’s heart fluttered.
“You did a brave and loving thing, coming here to be with your child,” he whispered. “It’s only one of the reasons I love you, Lydianne.”
She held her breath, unable to look away from his gaze. For the first time, her heart was willing to accept that such an upstanding, honorable man could find her desirable—and worthy of his love. She no longer feared that he might hold her past over her head to keep her where he wanted her. “Denki for standing by me,” she murmured shyly.
His handsome face softened as he leaned toward her. “I hope to be standing by you for a long, long time, Sunshine.” He brushed her lips with his. “Think about that, will you?”