Two days after taking Faith into town, Adrian was cutting hay in the meadow when a car turned in his lane. It stopped on the road not far from him, and an Englisch lady got out. He drew his team to a halt. She approached but kept a wary eye on his horses. “Are you Mr. Adrian Lapp?”
“I am.” He waited for her to state her business.
“I’m Caroline Watkins. I’m the social worker in charge of your neighbor’s adoption application. I’ve just come from my second visit here, and Mrs. Martin has given me permission to speak with some of her neighbors. May I have a few minutes of your time?”
He wiped the sweat from his brow with his shirtsleeve and adjusted his hat. “A few. I must get my hay cut.”
“I won’t take long, I promise.” She opened a leather folder and began to write in it.
Meg, the horse closest to her, stomped at a fly and shook her head. Miss Watkins stumbled back a step and looked ready to run to the safety of her car. Time was a wasting. Adrian said, “What questions have you?”
She gave an embarrassed smile but didn’t come closer. “How long have you known Faith Martin?”
“Three weeks, I reckon.”
“Is that all?”
“I met her the day after she arrived here.”
Miss Watkins kept writing. “Are you aware of any reason why Mrs. Martin should not adopt a child?”
“Nee.”
“Do you believe she can provide for a child?”
“I do, but it makes no difference if she can or not.”
Miss Watkins’s brows drew together in a frown. “Of course it makes a difference.”
“An Amish parent does not need to worry about what will happen to his or her family if something tragic befalls them. All our widows and children are well cared for.”
“By whom?”
It was clear this outsider didn’t understand Amish ways. “Our church members will see that Faith and her child have food, clothing and a roof over their heads if ever they need such help.”
“That’s very admirable.”
“It is the way God commands us to live.”
“Have you seen Mrs. Martin interacting with children?”
He thought back to last Sunday. “Ja.”
“Tell me about it.”
“I saw her holding Katie Sutter’s daughter, Rachel. She had the babe settled on her hip. It looked as if she had done it many times. I also saw her with Annie Imhoff. She is nine, I think. Faith gave her attention and directed her to help with the work as was right.”
“What are your feelings about Faith’s adoption plan?”
“It is a goot thing for her to take in her brother’s child, or any child.”
“How often do you see Mrs. Martin?”
“I’ve seen her almost daily since she arrived.”
“And why is that?”
The question shocked him. Why had he found excuse after excuse to trek across the field to see her so often?
Wasn’t it because he was happier when he was near her? Wasn’t it because her smile drove away his loneliness?
Miss Watkins waited for his reply. He said, “Because she needs help and it is the neighborly thing to do.”
“Describe her personal qualities and limitations.”
At last an easy question. “She is hardworking. She is devout. Modest. She is kind to her animals.”
Miss Watkins stopped writing and looked up. “And what about her limitations?”
A not-so-easy question. What could he say that wouldn’t undermine her chances of adopting her nephew and yet was the truth? “She sometimes takes on more than she can handle.”
“Do you see her physical handicap as a limitation?”
“You and I might see it as such, but she does not,” he stated firmly.
“Can you describe her potential ability to parent?”
“She will make a fine mother.” Of that he had no doubt.
Miss Watkins folded her notebook tight against her chest. “Will a child of a different faith be accepted in your community?”
He shouldn’t be annoyed by her ignorance, but he was. “God loves all His children. How could we do any less? Faith’s nephew will be raised to know and serve God, as all our children are. To become Amish is a choice, not a requirement. When he is old enough, he will make that decision for himself. I must get back to work now.”
“Thank you for your time.”
He clicked his tongue. “Get up, Meg. Go along, Mick.”
The team began moving and set the sickle in motion. The clatter of the razor sharp blades drowned out the sound of Miss Watkins’ car as she drove away.
It wasn’t right that an outsider was the one to decide if Faith could adopt her nephew.
For the first time in many years, Adrian opened his heart and prayed. He prayed for God to smile on Faith and the child who needed her.
In the middle of the week, Faith purchased a used wood-stove at a farm sale and had it installed in her home. She bid a sad goodbye to the propane stove but happily pocketed the money from its sale. Her first attempt to use her new stove resulted in a charred meal, but by the third day she had the hang of it again.
The fire chief’s favorable inspection report arrived in the mail a week later, the same day her medical report came. Dr. White had found her in sound health. She mailed the reports along with mounds of paperwork to the adoption agency and waited for a reply.
The following week she opened her mail to find the news she had been waiting for.
Kyle was coming to stay with her…on a trial basis.
Finally!
Faith hugged the letter to her chest and twirled in a circle, nearly falling in the process.
When she was calm enough, she read the details again. There would be more follow-up visits by the agency after Kyle arrived, but if all went well, the adoption hearing was scheduled for the last Monday in September.
There could still be stumbling blocks, but Faith didn’t care. Kyle was on his way. She was finally going to meet her brother’s child.
As she waited impatiently on the porch the day he was to arrive, she worked at carding her fleece. The process of combing sections of hair over and over again between two brushes was a mindless task she could do as she watched the driveway. Each passing minute felt like an hour.
When Miss Watkins’s car finally appeared, Faith dropped her work into a basket and walked toward her gate, her hands shaking with excitement. She had waited so long for this moment.
Caroline stopped her car and got out. Without a word, she opened the back door of the automobile. Faith smiled happily at the boy who emerged. With his flaming red hair and freckles, young Kyle was the spitting image of his father at the same age.
The anxiety Faith had been living with for weeks lifted away and vanished into the air like smoke. It took but a moment for love to form in her heart. This was her brother’s son, and she would love him as she had his father. As she would love her own child.
“Welcome, Kyle. I am your Aenti Faith, and I am very pleased to meet you.”
He looked ready to bolt back into the car. His green eyes held sadness and fear. The tragedy had left its mark on him. Faith could have wept for all he had endured. It would be up to her and God to see that Kyle’s life was safe and happy from now on out.
Miss Watkins said, “Today is a very special day. It’s Kyle’s birthday. I didn’t know if you knew that or not.”
Faith grinned at Kyle. “I didn’t know. Happy birthday, dearest. My goodness, you are six. We will have to get you enrolled in school right away if you are to start this fall.”
She took a step closer and bent to his level. “I have a surprise for you. Someone else has arrived just this morning and I think he would like to meet you.”
Kyle’s gaze moved from her face to the house behind her. “Who is it?”
Faith straightened and crossed her arms. “Well, I don’t know what to call him. He’s down in the barn. Would you like to meet him?”
Kyle eyed the barn with uncertainty. “I guess.”
“Goot. Come along. Miss Watkins, you are welcome to come, too.” Faith nodded in that direction.
The social worker looked from the barn down to her high-heeled shoes. “I believe I’ll wait in the house.”
Faith extended her hand to Kyle but he didn’t take it. She tried not to feel rejected. She knew she needed to give him time to warm up to her. She started toward the barn and glanced over her shoulder. Kyle followed.
Happiness warmed her heart. It had been a long time since she’d dared believe she could be this happy.
At the barn door, she waited for him to catch up. “Have you ever been to a farm before?”
He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his jeans. “We stayed on a ranch once. The rancher was a friend of my mom’s. They had a whole lotta cows and cowboys, too.”
Faith smiled at his southern drawl. He had lived his whole life in Texas and it showed.
She opened the door. “I don’t have a cow yet, but we will have to get one soon so you can have fresh milk to drink. There are lots of things you will learn about living on a farm, but one of the most important things is to respect the animals.”
A loud whinny came from inside. Kyle’s eyes grew round. “You’ve got a horse?”
She grinned at the excitement in his voice. “It is your horse now, too.”
“Can I see him?” His wariness gave way to tempered eagerness.
“It’s a she. Our mare’s name is Copper. You can see her in a minute. A horse is a very strong animal and can hurt you if you aren’t careful. I want you to listen carefully to these two rules. Are you listening?”
He nodded.
“Never run behind a horse. Never. Always speak to them softly so that they know where you are. Can your repeat these rules for me?”
“I never run behind one and I speak softly so they know I’m there.”
“That’s right. Okay, come and meet Copper.” Faith led the way down the narrow center aisle to the first stall on the right. Copper hung her head over the boards to investigate the newcomer.
Kyle took a step closer to Faith. “She’s really big.”
“Wait until you see my neighbor’s draft horses. They are really, really big. They make poor Copper look like a pony beside them.”
Kyle started to hold out his hand but snatched it back when Copper nibbled at it. “Does she bite?”
“She is looking for a treat. I just happen to have something she loves in my pocket. I will show you how to feed her.”
Faith withdrew a kerchief from her pocket and opened it to reveal several apple slices. Taking one, she laid it in the center of Kyle’s palm. “Keep your hand flat. You don’t want her to think your fingers are the treats.”
He bravely held up the slice. Copper daintily nibbled it up. Kyle wiped his hand on his jeans. “Her lips are soft but her chin whiskers tickle. Can I give her another one?”
“Of course.”
He fed her two more apple bits and then grew brave enough to pet her nose. “Can you teach me how to ride her?”
“I can, but Copper is a buggy horse.”
“Like the ones I saw on the highway coming here?”
“Ja, just like those. Come, I have some more animals for you to meet.” She smiled at Kyle and wondered what Adrian would think of her Englisch nephew.
Leading the way to the back of the barn, Faith stopped beside the last stall. “This is who I want you to meet.”
She pointed through the board to the farthest corner. Myrtle lay in the thick bed of hay Adrian had spread out for her. At her side, a coal-black cria lay beside her. He raised his long neck that still wobbled slightly and batted his thick eyelashes in their direction.
“Is that a camel?” Kyle climbed up the boards to get a better view. Faith was pleased to see his curiosity pushing aside his unease.
“It’s an alpaca. Her name is Myrtle and that is her new son. He doesn’t have a name yet. He was just born this morning.”
“Sweet. Can I pet him?”
“As long as his mother doesn’t object. Come, I will introduce you so that she knows you are a friend.”
Faith opened the gate and stepped inside the pen. Her feet sank into the soft hay, making her stumble. Myrtle shot to her feet in alarm. The cria struggled to its feet and ducked under his mother’s body to hide on the other side of her legs.
“What’s the matter with your leg?” Kyle had noticed her brace.
“I hurt it a long time ago and it didn’t heal well so now I have to wear this brace.”
“Does it hurt?”
“Sometimes, but not today.”
Grasping the gate to steady herself, Faith spoke soothingly to Myrtle in Pennsylvania Dutch. When the new mother was calm, Faith crossed the pen carefully with Kyle at her side. Myrtle allowed them both to admire her baby, but the baby remained hidden behind his mother.
Kyle squatted down in the bedding and held out his hand. “Come here, little fella. I won’t hurt you.”
“Perhaps he wants a name first. What do you think we should call him? He’s black as night. Shall we call him Midnight?”
“No, that’s a girly name.”
Feeling put in her girly place, Faith held back a chuckle. “All right, what would you like to call him?”
“I want to call him Shadow.”
She considered it. “Shadow. I think that’s a very good name for him.”
By this time the cria had grown accustomed to their presence and ventured out from behind his mother. Kyle extended his hand. “Come here, Shadow.”
Shadow approached slowly, wobbling as he walked. Barely bigger than a tomcat with impossibly long legs, he was still trying to learn to use them.
It was clear he was as curious about the boy as the boy was about him. Kyle inched forward and touched the baby alpaca’s head. Shadow frisked away behind his mother but didn’t stay there. He returned after a moment to investigate further.
Faith said, “Kyle, I think he likes you.”
“I think so, too.”
“Since you have chosen his name, would you like to be his owner?”
“Can I?” Kyle looked up with uncertainty in his eyes.
“There are many things you will have to learn in order to take good care of him. It will be hard work. Are you willing to do that?”
“Sure.”
“I don’t mean for one day. I mean everyday.”
“If you show me what to do.”
Myrtle began stamping one foot and making huffing sounds. Faith said, “His mother says he has had enough play time. We should let him rest.”
“He’s really neat. Thanks, Aunt Faith.”
She held open the gate to let him out of the stall. “You’re welcome, Kyle. Let’s go back to the house. I’m sure Miss Watkins is wondering where we are.”
When they reached the house, Kyle went in ahead of her. Miss Watkins sat at the kitchen table fanning herself with a sheet of paper. Faith said, “Kyle, why don’t you go explore the house.”
“Okay.” He left the room.
Miss Watkins slid several sheets of paper toward Faith. “We have only two more documents to sign, Mrs. Martin. It won’t take long. Now, you understand this is a temporary guardianship until the court hearing next month.”
“Ja, I understand.”
“Good. I’ll be back to visit Kyle several times before the hearing and see how things are going for the two of you. Expect me at noon the day after tomorrow. These transitions don’t always go smoothly, so be prepared for that.”
“I will.”
After Faith signed the papers waiting for her, she walked with Miss Watkins to the door. “Thank you for all your help.”
“I’m just doing my job. The judge will consider my recommendations when making a decision about the adoption.”
“Of course.” Faith wanted to hug the woman. It was finally sinking in. Kyle was here. At long last, God had given her a child.
“Aunt Faith?”
She and Miss Watkins turned around. Faith asked, “What is it, Kyle?”
“Where’s your TV?”
At the end of their first day together, Faith helped Kyle get ready for bed. The scared, lost look she’d seen on his face when he’d first arrived had returned.
Setting his suitcase on a chair beside the bed, she began putting his clothes into the lowest drawers of the dresser against the wall where small hands could reach them easily.
Her hand encountered something hard tucked in between his pajamas and T-shirts. When she pulled it out, she saw it was a photograph of her brother and his wife.
Faith let her hand drift over the glass as she studied her brother’s face. He had changed a great deal in the twelve years that he’d been gone. A man looked back at her, not the boy she remembered. The woman with him had dark brown hair and green eyes, a stunning combination.
“That’s my mom and dad.” Kyle reached for the picture.
“You look just like him.” She handed the forbidden image to the boy.
He kissed the picture and looked around the room. “I think I’ll want this by the bed so I can see it when I open my eyes.”
She didn’t have the heart to tell him the photograph would have to be put away. He had lost too much already. She wouldn’t take away this reminder of his parents. Not yet.
She patted his head. “On your bedside table will be fine for now.”
Turning away, she opened his windows to dispel the room’s stuffiness and to hide the tears that stung her eyes. When she had a grip on her raw emotions, she turned around. He was already under the covers.
“You will be too hot under all of this.” She drew back the quilt and folded it to the foot of the bed, leaving him with just a sheet.
He looked around, then sat up in bed. “I need a fan to sleep with.”
“I don’t have one. The breeze from the windows will keep you cool.”
He pointed at the lantern she had placed on the dresser. “Can I keep the light on?”
“If you leave it on all night the battery will go dead.”
“Please? I don’t like the dark.”
“I reckon it’ll be okay. I have more batteries.”
Relief flickered in his eyes. He scooted down in bed and pulled the sheet up to his chin. His red hair and freckles stood out in stark relief against the white bedclothes. Once again she was reminded of his father.
She asked, “Do you want to say your prayers before you go to sleep?”
He pressed his lips together and shook his head. “I don’t know any.”
Surprised, she asked, “You don’t? Did not your mother and father teach you your prayers?”
“I know one but I don’t like it anymore.”
“I’ll tell you what. I will say my prayers and you can listen and add anything you want to say. How’s that?”
He didn’t consent, but he didn’t object so Faith dropped awkwardly to her knees. Pain shot through her leg, but she ignored it. She folded her hands and bowed her head.
“Dear Father in heaven, Kyle and I give you thanks for the blessings You have shown us today. I’m so happy that he is here with me. Thank You for bringing him safely to my home.”
“You could say thanks for giving me Shadow,” Kyle whispered.
She nodded and closed her eyes. “Kyle and I both want to thank You for the gift of little Shadow. He brings us great joy with his playful ways.”
She peeked at her nephew. “Anything else?”
He shook his head. Closing her eyes again, she said, “Bless us and help us to do Your will, Lord. Help us to live as You would have us live, humbly and simply, ever mindful of Your grace as we go about our daily tasks. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us. Amen.”
“Are you done?” he asked.
She smiled softly at him. “I’m done.”
“Where are you going to sleep?” Worry crept back into his voice as she struggled to her feet.
Tucking the sheet around him, she said, “I will be right across the hall. If you need anything, just call out. Okay?”
“I guess. Can you leave the door open?”
“Certainly. Try to get some sleep.”
“Am I going to stay here a long time?”
“I hope so, darling.”
“Who decides if I stay or go to a another house? Do you?”
“It will be up to Miss Watkins and a judge to decide. If God wishes it, you will stay with me a long, long time.” She bent down, kissed his brow and went to her own room.
Hours later she came awake with a jolt. Someone was screaming.
“Mommy! Mommy!”
Kyle! She shot out of bed, stumbling without her brace toward his room.