“I think it’s over,” Mary Weaver stated as she lifted her hands off Katie’s shoulders. “Praise God for that.” With a shaking hand, she pushed back the few strands of hair that had come loose from the bun at the back of her neck. “I don’t know when I’ve ever been more afraid in my life.”
“I was scared,” Katie said, her usual cheery voice sadly deflated.
When the eerie light of the lantern flickered, illuminating Katie’s tearstained cheeks for a brief moment, Mattie looked at her with a reassuring smile. “You were mighty brave today, Katie. We were all proud of you.”
Pride flickered in Katie’s expression before worry replaced it again. “I tried to be brave, but I wasn’t. Not really,” she said. “Mamm, I don’t want any more tornadoes to come. Ever.”
The plaintive command was just what everyone needed to dispel some of the tension in the shelter.
“I know you don’t,” her mother said with a chuckle. “I, for one, hope the Lord doesn’t send us anymore for a while, either.”
“I’ll pray for that as well,” Lucy said lightly from her spot in the very back. “Now may I please get up?”
They’d placed her next to the wall, a warm quilt wrapped on her lap.
Mattie noticed Lucy was only asking out of politeness. In fact, she was already standing up and deftly folding the blue quilt into quarters.
But Graham, obviously unable to resist teasing his brother, said, “Calvin, what do you think? Is it safe for Lucy to move?”
Calvin scowled at him. “I wasn’t ordering her to sit there, Graham. I just wanted her and the baby to be safe . . .”
Lucy grinned. “I know you wanted me there because you were worried, husband. Don’t worry. I’m not upset.”
“Now that everything’s all good, let’s get out of here,” Graham said. “What do you think, Calvin?”
Mattie breathed deeply as she looked at Graham. He was standing by the door to the storm cellar and was looking for direction from Calvin.
Mattie admired that. Just as she admired most everything about him. As usual, he was standing stoically, being strong but not showy.
Like he always was.
Graham relied on his easy humor and place in the family to usually stay in the background, or to support his brothers.
But though he didn’t claim the spotlight, it was always apparent that he was definitely as capable and responsible as either of his brothers.
He just didn’t have the need to be recognized.
She thought only a person of strong character could do that. It was sometimes hard to let others shine. With some surprise, she realized that time and again, he’d done that for her.
After glancing up at the ceiling again and visibly straining his hearing, Calvin at last looked toward Graham and nodded. “I think the twister has passed. Let’s open the door and see what damage has been done.”
“Nothing that can’t be fixed,” Graham said with a reassuring smile toward his sister before stepping closer to the door. With a grunt, Graham loosened the bolt and with the help of his shoulder and Calvin’s support, pushed open the heavy door. With a clunk, it flapped open and crashed against the ground.
Immediately, rain flew in, along with only a narrow beam of faint light. The storm clouds had chased away the early evening sunset and left the sky gray as smoke.
With Mary by her side and Katie at their heels, Mattie stepped forward and peered into the opening, not even caring that the cold November rain was splattering against her cheeks and forehead. The wind was still strong, but it came in gusts, not with the heavy, all-encompassing pull and scream from just moments before.
Altogether, they breathed a sigh of relief. The tornado had indeed passed.
“Praise the Lord,” Mary said again.
“Yes, our God is good, indeed,” Calvin murmured as he stepped aside so Graham could lead the way. As Graham climbed forward, Calvin walked to where Lucy stood and took her hand.
Mattie stood at the opening and waited for Graham to signal her forward. Rain splattered against her skin, soaking the edges of her kapp. But instead of backing away into the shelter, she kept her chin tilted. The fresh air was so welcome, Mattie didn’t even mind getting her cheeks soaked.
Graham stepped up two rungs and carefully poked his head farther out.
Mattie had to force herself to continue to breathe, she was so on edge. For a moment, no one said a word as they all waited expectantly for news.
But when Graham stayed silent, not conveying any reports, the tension in the storm cellar intensified. Mattie felt warm tears mix with the cold raindrops as fear of the news gripped her.
“Well, son. What do you see?” his mother called out. “Is it safe to come out of here?”
“It’s safe,” Graham muttered. “You won’t be hurt by the storm any longer. I, uh, I see it on the horizon. It’s passed.”
His words were like a soothing balm, so smooth and calm that Mattie was reminded of how he’d held her when she’d been so sick.
And now, just as when she’d been racked by sickness, Graham’s voice was exactly the voice she needed to hear.
Almost.
Little by little, she realized Graham’s tone was off. It was becoming painfully obvious that something was wrong.
Bracing herself for the worst, Mattie called out, “Graham, what is it? What do you see?”
A long moment passed before he spoke. “Oh, quite a bit . . .”
“No real damage?” Calvin rubbed Lucy’s back as he smiled broadly.
“Nee. I mean I see quite a bit of destruction.” Speaking faster, Graham added, “Parts of the house . . . the barn are gone.” Each word sounded like it was being choked from his throat. “Mamm, I’m so sorry, but I’m afraid we’ve lost almost everything.”
As Mary stared at the opening in confusion and Lucy gasped behind her, Mattie’s heart felt like it stopped. “Surely not?” she asked. “Graham, I bet things aren’t that bad . . .”
Graham knelt down so they could see his head. “I wouldn’t tease about this. You all ought to come see . . .” He paused, obviously struggling to keep his composure. The muscles in his throat working, he tried again. “I mean . . . I mean, you all need to see this for yourselves.”
In the dim light, they were all silent as they watched his feet disappear. Mattie felt frozen. From the stillness around her, she figured Calvin, Lucy, and Mary felt the same.
Only Katie had wiggled forward. With one hand on the well-worn ladder, she looked at her mamm curiously. “Mamm, are we going to go up, too? I want to see what Graham meant.”
With a shaky sigh, Mary nodded. “In a moment, dear.” She looked toward Calvin. “Son, do you want to go next?”
“All right.” Looking to Lucy, he said, “Do you want to come up with me or wait here? You can wait if you’re not ready.”
“I don’t need to wait.” With a hint of steel in her voice—reminding them all she was far stronger than she looked—Lucy said, “I’m ready for just about anything.”
His mother put an arm on Lucy’s back. “Maybe you should wait, Lucy. Just to be sure everything’s safe?”
“My place is with Calvin.”
“But—”
“I’ll be fine. I want to be by his side.”
Calvin’s smile grew as she stepped forward. Mattie watched Calvin help Lucy up onto the rungs of the ladder, then followed from behind.
Lucy’s gasp echoed down the shaft, giving Mattie a chill.
Katie hopped from one foot to the next. “Now, Mamm?”
“Jah, daughter. I suppose we’ll go next,” Mary Weaver said reluctantly. “I mean, if that’s all right with you, Mattie?”
“It’s fine. Go ahead.”
At long last, Mary and Katie climbed the ladder, Katie in front of her mamm.
After Katie had disappeared through the opening, Mary looked toward Mattie. “Would you like me to wait for you here? To help you up?”
“Nee. I’ll be fine. I need a moment, I’m afraid.”
“All right.” Mary’s voice was hesitant. “If you’re sure?”
“I’ll be fine. I just need a moment with the Lord.”
After Mary disappeared, Mattie leaned back against the hard rock that lined the walls and closed her eyes. “Thank you for protecting us, Lord,” she said. “And Lord, thank you for helping me now understand why I’ve had to overcome so many obstacles.” As understanding dawned, she continued. “Now I realize that I needed to learn to be strong, and to remember what was important in my life.
“Long ago, I would have said I needed security. I would have protested how I needed things to stay the same so I would feel safe. But now I know that isn’t the case at all. Now I know that we can survive anything, as long as we have each other. It is our health and our loved ones that should be treasured. And you, Lord! You. Not everything else.”
The faint glow of knowing that she’d said the right words penetrated her right then and there.
With a new resolve, she walked to the ladder. Now she was prepared for anything she faced.
The fresh air brought a fresh beginning, and the unwelcome reminder of what had just passed. By her side, Graham whistled low as he surveyed the land that had been in his family for generations. Debris and torn branches littered the fields. What was left of their barn stood precariously—the wood seemed to shift and sway in a dance, threatening to fall at any moment. In addition, a gaping hole was now where the west wall used to be.
To Mattie’s amazement, when she peered inside, there were still some bridles and saddles hanging neatly. The other three walls shook slightly, looking as if all they needed was a soft breeze to encourage them to come tumbling down.
Behind them, the Weavers’ home lay in shambles. The tornado had clipped the house, removing part of the roof and upsetting most everything in the living room. Miraculously, other parts of the building seemed completely untouched.
How a tornado could do so much damage to some parts of a home while completely bypassing others was surely one of the Lord’s mysteries, Mattie decided.
Of course, she’d long given up trying to figure out or predict God’s will. What happened, happened. And He would be by their sides to help and give strength . . . if they wanted it. With that in mind, she closed her eyes and gave thanks again. All of them were fine, not even sporting bruises or cuts. And God had saved the animals in the barn, too. It was a miracle that the wall that had been lifted by the storm had been next to the tool shed and workroom.
But Graham, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be counting his blessings or holding out the slightest bit of hope. Instead, he looked as sad and tired as she’d ever seen him—and thoroughly dejected. His shoulders slumped and his face was haggard.
“Graham?” she said. “Are you all right?”
“I don’t know.” After another long moment of stunned silence, he turned to Mattie. “What am I going to do? Everything’s gone.”
Things were in disarray, it was true. But all wasn’t lost. She could see that now. “That’s not true.”
He turned to her. “You really think so?”
“I know so. Graham, everything can be rebuilt. And we’ll build it better and stronger.”
Though he nodded, Graham didn’t look as if he believed a word of what she said. “My father built so much of this. He’d be devastated to see that it’s ruined.”
Mattie had known Mr. Weaver. And she knew something about being in the brink of ill health. After all, her battle with cancer had led her to a terribly dark place. A place where most everything had seemed insurmountable. Almost too hard to bear.
But months of care from friends like Lucy, and seeing how much Ella had wanted to overcome the obstacles in her life, had strengthened Mattie. So had the unfailing support of Graham.
Perhaps he would never realize the impact he had on her life. Perhaps he would never understand how hard it had been for her to move forward.
But maybe that was why God had given them each other. “I disagree,” she finally said. “I don’t think your father would have been fazed by this at all.”
“And why is that? Because he was a much better man?”
“Because he knew what was important in his life,” she countered. “Just as I think you know, too, Graham. It’s the people who surround us that matter. Not the things. It’s our health and our friends and family who can surround us when things are the toughest. Those are the things that count.”
“Of course you’re right.” Running a hand through his hair, he attempted to smile. “It’s just a lot to take in right now. That’s all.”
Of course it was. Anyone would feel at a loss. She knew he was just stunned. Overwhelmed. Playfully, she sought to brighten his mood. “We still have each other.”
“Of course we do.” He smiled weakly. Then, seemingly oblivious to the wet ground, he sat on an overturned barrel. “But Mattie, I have to tell ya, I’m having a hard time taking all this in. All my life, I’ve tried to measure up to my daed, measure up to my brothers. I never felt like I was ever going to be as good as them. Everything with Jenna truly upset me. I’ve already lost so much. Lots of people will hardly look at me the same way. And those that do? They look at me differently.”
He sighed. “Now I wonder if I’ll ever even be as good as I once was.”
“Graham, you are a wonderful-gut man. You are. And as for the gossips? They’ll come around. People always do.”
“You haven’t heard what people have been saying about me.”
Mattie figured the opposite was true. Most likely, he hadn’t heard everything everyone had said about him. “You know better than to let the gossips be your guide.” Smiling softly, she slipped one of her wool-covered hands in his. “Graham, don’tcha remember what all the gossips had been saying about me?”
“You were either supposed to die, at death’s door, or were going to be permanently disfigured.” He grinned. “I’d forgotten about all that.”
“Because I’m so much better now. Why, just the other day, someone commented on my hair—asked me how it was growing. Things get better, Graham Weaver. They always do. I mean, you’ve talked to Jenna, yes?”
“Yes . . .”
“And the job at the factory? That’s a good thing, too.” Moving closer, she set her hand on his shoulder. “And this destruction? It’s bad, but it’s not the end of the world. Look around you, Graham. Everything can be made right again.”
“Maybe. I just don’t understand why all of this is happening.”
She’d thought those same words so many times, she almost smiled. “You don’t have to know.”
“So I’m just supposed to bear it all the best I can?”
“I think so. Maybe right now. Right this minute, our Lord is reminding us that we are all survivors. Each of us, every day, has struggles we must overcome. Some are difficult and seemingly unsurpassable. Such as my cancer, or your house. Or your reputation.
“But other things count, too. All the bad things that surface even just dealing with family life. Bad days. Bad relationships. Each of us must overcome and move forward. Into the aftermath. Even if we’re scarred. Even if we’re damaged. Even if we’ll never be the same.”
“You really believe that, don’t you?”
“I have to. Otherwise, I couldn’t go on.”
“Do you think you’ll be able to move on with me? By my side?”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m asking you to be my girl.”
Mattie was amused. Oh, but life was never going to be dull or boring with Graham by her side! “Graham Weaver, this is how you finally decide to court me? In the rain, after a tornado, with everything falling down on us?”
“You’re the one who seems to think it’s a perfect time,” he said, pure amusement making his blue eyes sparkle.
“I didn’t say perfect.”
“You came pretty close to saying that. So, yes, Mattie Lapp. I’m proposing to you, right now. Right here.”
“I suppose it’s as good a place as any.”
“I think it’s the best place on earth,” he countered. “Here we are, living proof that wonders never cease, and that there’re good things to be found most anywhere.”
“Well, that is true . . .”
His voice softened as he stepped forward. “That is true. I’m a believer, you see.”
“A believer?”
“Uh-huh. In miracles. You’re the one who taught me to believe in miracles.”
“Because I survived cancer?”
“Because you survived losing your faith. And cancer. And instead of folding or getting weaker, you only got stronger. Mattie, you’ve proven your strength and the Lord’s goodness in all of us time and again.”
She’d surely never done anything like that! “Graham, I was just trying—”
He cut her off. “Mattie, I need you. I always have, you know that. I want to court you. I want us to spend as much time together as possible.”
She did know. Because Graham’s love and friendship had also been an enormous part of her life. “I need you, too. And I want to be with you, too.”
“So will you finally stop fussing and tell me your answer? Here in the rain? Here, when I have so little to give you?”
That was where he was wrong. For longer than she could remember, he’d always had so much more for her than she could have ever expected. A little lump formed in her throat when she recalled all the times he’d been there for her, from when they’d been in grade school and he’d shared his sandwich because she’d forgotten her lunch at home, to most recently, when he’d promised her on the elevator that he’d help her find a sweetheart.
But of course that special person she’d needed had been him. It had always been him.
“Mattie Lapp?” His voice cut through her memories like a knife. “Are you ever going to tell me yes?”
“Oh. Yes. Of course.” She laughed, amazed that he would ever imagine a different response from her. “Yes, I would love for us to court.”
He looked so relieved Mattie couldn’t help but tease him. With a laugh, she lifted her head and looked into his eyes. “Did you really think I wouldn’t say yes?”
“I’ve learned to never guess what’s going on in your head, Mattie.”
Leaning against him, she cuddled close, positioning her body closer to his when he leaned forward and kissed her brow. With one hand, she traced the lines of his shirt, liking the way the soft cotton felt against her skin. And how the fine muscles of his chest felt underneath the fabric.
Finally relaxing, Graham sighed. “We’re going to have quite a story to tell our kinner, won’t we, Mattie?” he murmured after a few moments.
“Indeed,” she replied with a smile. “We finally started courting right after we survived a string of tornadoes touching down right near us. Matter of fact, I can’t think of another man who would be thinking of love and marriage right now. It would be more the thing to concentrate on the land and house.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. I think this is the best time of all to think of the future. After all, it could have just been taken away from us.”
She felt his lips kiss her brow. “That is true.”
Still imagining how they would tell their children about this special day, Mattie added, “Of course, we’ll have to remind our kinner that we didn’t rush into anything.”
“We certainly didn’t do that,” he said drily.
Ignoring his quip, she added, “I’ll tell them how we’ve been friends forever. And that you helped me with cancer, too.”
“And that you believed in me when so few other people did.”
Mattie knew he was thinking of Jenna and her lies. “I didn’t have a choice. I know the kind of man you are.”
“Well, I don’t see the need to tell our sons and daughters all that. I’m just going to say that the Lord must have meant for us to be together. After all, we must have survived all this for a reason.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more,” Mattie said, thinking that Graham’s words were very true.
Yes, she was a cancer survivor, but now that she thought about it, Mattie reckoned that each person that they knew most likely had a story to tell. Everyone was a survivor of something—whether it was a sickness or an injury. Or a survivor of a difficult relationship like Lucy’s. Or an unhappy home like Jenna’s, or a failed marriage like the Weavers’ uncle John.
Other obstacles came to mind. Friends she knew who’d had a difficult time in school. Or who’d had terrible financial burdens. Or who fought depression.
Over and over, God seemed to be telling her, reminding her, that it wasn’t what tragedies a person had to go through that was important. It was how a person overcame them.
Because even scarred and damaged, they were all worthwhile and worthy . . . and so deserving of His love.
And sometimes, Mattie realized, a person could even get something special, indeed. The wondrous love of a very best friend. The kind of love worth waiting for.
Rubbing her arm gently, Graham whispered in her ear. “Mattie, are you happy?”
She was wrapped in Graham’s arms—in her fiancé’s embrace. She had his love. Finally, she felt at peace with both her disease and her faith.
At that moment, Mattie didn’t think it was possible to be happier. “Yes,” she said simply. “Right now, right this minute, I am very happy, indeed.”
Then she turned her head to his and kissed him. Because truly, there was really nothing more to say.