Amish Promises (23 page)

Shani wondered why the young woman had her parents leave, but she didn't ask. If there was one thing she'd learned in her years of nursing it was, if there were problems in a family, they were bound to come out under the stress of a hospitalization.

Shani stepped toward the baby, who was under an oxygen tent in the crib. The woman followed. “You're visiting in Lancaster, right?”

“Yes.” Karina dropped her hands away, revealing a tear-streaked face, and stepped to the end of the crib. “We're from Philly. Visiting my in-laws.”

“Oh,” Shani said. They weren't her parents.

Karina continued. “Samantha's grandparents moved here from Illinois, to be closer to us. They didn't want to live in a big city, though. So they chose Lancaster.”

Shani nodded, wondering where Samantha's father was. “So Samantha's had pneumonia before?”

Karina nodded. “She's been sickly since she was born—seven weeks early, but the pneumonia was a new thing. She recovered, and her pediatrician said it was fine for us to come down for a visit. He thought it would do both of us good.”

Shani stood with the earpieces of her stethoscope in her hands. “What about Samantha's father? Where is he?”

Karina's eyes filled with tears again.

“I'm sorry,” Shani said.

“No. It's okay. He was killed, last May. In Iraq.”

Shani whispered, “Samuel Johnson?” Her knees grew weak and her mouth dry. “The eleventh of May?”

Karina's face contorted with what looked like pain. “How do you know that?”

Shani put her hand her chest. “My husband is Joel Beck. He was injured that day too.”

“Samuel's sergeant?”

Shani nodded.

Karina swiped at her eyes. “How is he?”

Shani hesitated and then said, “He's recovering.”

“I hear from Charlie McCall every once in a while,” Karina said. “He calls to check up on us.”

Shani's heart contracted. If only Joel had called her as well. “Charlie's coming down tonight. Could I tell him you're here?”

Karina nodded. “I'd like that.”

Shani reached for her hand. She hadn't gone to Samuel's funeral, and of course Joel hadn't either. They'd both been in Germany. When they got back from Texas, she'd asked Joel a couple of times if he wanted to visit Samuel's wife and see the baby, but he'd said no, without any more of an explanation.

“I'm so sorry,” Shani said. For so many things.

“I know,” Karina said. “I got the card Joel sent. That meant a lot. And Charlie's told me about Joel. . . . I know it hasn't been easy.” She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Shani wondered if she was as young as she seemed.

Shani checked on Samantha, along with Karina, as much as she could through the evening, and insisted Karina take a break and go down to the cafeteria to eat a proper meal. “You're nursing,” Shani said. “You have to take care of yourself.”

When she came in at the end of the shift, Karina was in the recliner with a blanket covering her. “Tell Joel hello,” Karina said. “We never met, but Samuel spoke highly of him. I'd like to meet him someday.”

“I'll tell him,” Shani said. “He's back in his wheelchair—and not getting out much.”

“I'm sorry,” Karina said.

Shani shook her head and tried to say it was nothing compared to what Karina had been through but choked on the words.

Karina's eyes were full of kindness. “When is your baby due?”

“The end of January,” Shani answered. “He's a furlough baby.” As soon as she said it, she wished she hadn't. Karina probably could have done the math on her own.

“I'd like to keep in touch,” Shani said, “to see you and Samantha again sometime.”

“She'll be okay, right?”

Shani nodded. “Depending on the test results, you should be headed home tomorrow or Sunday. You'll want to stay with your in-laws for a few days. Do you have a good relationship with them?”

Karina nodded. “They weren't happy when Samuel and I married. They're . . . pretty conservative. Religious, you know?”

Shani nodded.

“I didn't grow up that way. And Samuel is—was.” Karina took a deep breath.

“You don't need to go on,” Shani said.

Karina shook her head. “I'm okay,” she said. “He was their only child. We met our first year of college and got married young—at twenty. When he joined the Army, it was too much for them. And they didn't see him . . . us much.”

She made eye contact with Shani. “But they've been good to me since . . . They'd do anything to help. Samantha is all they have left.”

Shani gave the young woman a hug, thankful for the support she had. “I'll stay in touch.”

“Thank you,” Karina said. “I'd like that.”

As Shani drove home, she contemplated telling Joel that little Samantha was on her ward. If she did tell him, he would worry Samuel's daughter might die as well. But how could she not? She'd ask Charlie what she should do. Hopefully he'd still be awake.

The night had turned clear and cold. She parked on the other side of Charlie's truck and hurried through the front door. The TV was on but no other light. She squinted to see if anyone was up. Zane was sprawled out on the couch, and Joel dozed in his chair. She hung up her coat and purse, covered Zane with a blanket, and then touched Joel's shoulder.

He turned his head toward her. “You're home.”

She placed both hands on the handles of his chair. “Is Charlie already in bed?”

Joel yawned as he shook his head. “He's out for a walk.”

“This late?”

Joel nodded. “He said he needed some fresh air.”

She pushed the chair toward the hallway. “What did you guys do today?”

His voice had an edge to it. “Charlie and Zane tossed a football around for a couple of hours.”

“Seriously?”

“Yep. I watched them until it got too dark to see.”

Shani hurt at the thought of Joel sitting in his chair at the window as he watched them play.

 23 

T
he next morning when Charlie came down the stairs, the blanket Zane had been under last night was on the floor, and there was no sign of the boy. He was probably out doing his chores.

Charlie yawned and started the coffee. He'd stayed up too late. The night had been so bright and clear he'd walked longer than he'd meant to, trying to clear his head. Talking with Eve on the phone was one thing but being so close to her, just down the lane, was another. He wanted nothing more than to see her in person. A part of him had hoped she'd sneak out last night and try to find him. He didn't feel good about the wish—but it was there.

He wasn't sure what had happened in the last week, but something had. They'd talked about everything over the phone. Their childhoods. Her Rumschpringe. Her Englisch boyfriend, Patrick. Abra.

“She wasn't wild, not like I was.
I'm the one who should have been punished.”

But then she'd said, “
Not that I see the twins as a punishment
now. God's the one who chose
to bless the world with Lila and Daniel. There'd
be no giving them back.”

Charlie agreed. That was the way God worked.

He'd told her a little about what had happened in Iraq—that Samuel had been killed and that Joel nearly had been.

He poured himself a cup of coffee and headed out the back door with it. The sheep were already turned out into the field, but the chickens were squawking as if they hadn't been fed. Charlie stepped to the edge and peered down the field. The grass glistened from the frost. In the morning light it appeared as if diamonds had fallen during the night.

Zane, Daniel, and Simon huddled at the end of the field. Then Eve appeared. The boys gathered around her. Tim must have left for the lumberyard already. Charlie started up the field.

Eve had on a faded blue dress, her cape, and a bandana instead of her white Kapp. Simon saw Charlie first and broke into a big smile followed by an enthusiastic wave. The rest turned toward him too. Eve smiled. Even at a distance he could make out her dimples.

Charlie's heart began to race. The boys started running toward him. Eve followed at a respectable pace.

“Are you done with your chores?” Charlie called out.

Daniel yelled that they were, but Zane said he still needed to feed the chickens and gather the eggs.

“We're going to help him,” Simon said. It would take all of three minutes.

They passed Charlie and kept on running.

When Eve neared, Charlie feared for a moment that there would be an awkwardness between them. But once they met, she smiled, her dimples deep.

He longed to reach for her hand. “How are you?” he asked.

“
Gut
.” She stepped closer.

His heart raced. “What do you have planned for today?”

“Housework. Lila's going to help me scrub the floors. And wash the windows. We have church at our house in two weeks, the Sunday after Thanksgiving.”

“Where will you have the service?”

“In the shed, but we won't start cleaning that out until next weekend.”

“How about the meal?” He hadn't actually seen how it worked the day he went to Deacon King's house, but he could imagine how hard it was to feed that many people.

“In the house. We don't really have enough room—everyone will have to walk sideways.” She smiled again. “I wish Gi—” She paused. “That we'd been given a time in the summer.”

Was the pause to avoid saying Gideon's name?

Shani's voice interrupted them. “There you are!” she called out.

Charlie turned. Shani wore sweats and Joel's jacket. Eve and Charlie started toward her.

“Good morning!” Shani beamed, obviously delighted to see Eve. “I see your boys are helping Zane with his chores, as if he needs it.”

Charlie trailed behind Eve, sorry to see their brief time alone come to an end.

“You'll never guess who I met last night,” Shani said.

It took Charlie a moment to realize she was talking to him. “Who?”

“Karina Johnson. And Samantha.”

Charlie couldn't comprehend what she was saying. They lived outside of Philly. “Where?”

“At the hospital. Samantha has pneumonia again. They'd been visiting Samuel's parents.”

“Wow,” was all Charlie could manage to say.

“She'd like to see you.”

Eve gave Charlie a concerned look. Without thinking, he said, “Samuel's wife and baby.”

“Oh.” Eve's eyes filled with compassion.

If Shani thought their exchange odd, she didn't say anything. “They'll be at the hospital another day at least. The baby's oxygen is pretty low. I haven't told Joel yet.” She turned toward Charlie. “Do you think I should?”

“It would be natural to tell him.”

Shani shrugged. “Then why do I feel so unsettled? Why do I feel as if it's just going to make him worse?”

“It might make him feel bad,” Charlie said. “But telling him later would make him angry.”

“Not if he doesn't find out at all.” Shani took a long drink of coffee.

It wasn't like her to be secretive. That was one of the things that Charlie had always admired about her—her honesty.

“Don't treat him like one of your patients,” Charlie said. “He's a lot stronger than he seems.”

She shook her head. “Sure, he's strong in some ways. But he's really fragile in others.” She held her chin high.

Charlie softened. “We could tell him together.”

“Thank you,” Shani said. “That's what we'll do.” Then she turned toward Eve. “Karina's in-laws are Mennonite . . . maybe. . . . Something like that. And they just moved to this area.”

Charlie tilted his head.

“Karina seems so young,” Shani said. “She could use a friend like you, Eve.”

Charlie couldn't disagree with that, but Eve didn't have time to take care of anyone else.

“Maybe we could go up to see her,” Shani said.

Charlie thought of all the housework Eve needed to do, but she surprised him by saying, “I'd like to meet Karina and her in-laws—I'll call Monika and see if we could drop the kids off at her house.”

“Why don't I just stay with the kids,” Charlie said. “Lila will help with Trudy.”

“We can go while she's napping.” Eve pushed up the sleeves of her dress. “The kids could all be over here.” She nodded toward the Becks' house.

Charlie thought that was a good idea. Trudy could nap upstairs in the room Shani had set up for her baby.

“Should we go around eleven, then?” Shani asked.

“Jah, that will give me time to do my chores,” Eve said, turning around and heading back up the field.

A few minutes later, while Joel drank his coffee, Shani told him about Samuel's baby.

He put his head in his hands.

“She's going to be okay,” Charlie said. “Right, Shani?”

“Yes. She's getting good care. Karina's a great mom. She has a lot of support from Samuel's parents.” She hesitated for a moment and then said, “They were at the hospital last night too.”

Joel looked up. “What did they say?”

“I didn't realize who they were until after they left.”

“Oh,” he said.

He seemed surprised by the information but not overly upset.

“Do you want to go up to the hospital with Eve and Shani?” Charlie asked. “To see them?”

He shook his head. “You should go though.”

“I'm going to watch the kids,” Charlie said. “Trudy's going to nap over here.”

“Go,” Joel said. “I can be in charge. I'll keep the landline in my hands at all times.”

Shani shook her head.

“We know how quick the paramedics can get here,” Joel said. “Trudy will sleep the whole time, right? And Lila will be here. The kids can play board games inside. I promise I won't watch TV.”

Shani shot a look at Charlie. He shrugged. It was the most responsibility Joel had been willing to take since the attack. They might as well let him step up and be in charge.

Shani insisted on driving her van. “That way Eve can sit up front with me,” she said. Charlie would have liked to sit next to Eve, but he knew it was a foolish wish.

By the time they reached the hospital, the gray clouds had grown dark. “Looks like a storm is on the way,” Eve said.

They found Karina in the baby's room, her in-laws with them. Shani introduced Eve as a friend and then Charlie as Samuel's
Army buddy. Shani had been right—the in-laws were Mennonite. Not Old Order but fairly conservative.

Charlie listened in as Eve figured out that they went to the same church as Abra's parents.

“You know Leona and Eli?” the mother-in-law asked.

“Jah,” Eve said. “I'm their grandchildren's Aenti. I was Abra's best friend.”

The woman bit her lip and then said, “Leona mentioned their daughter. I know they understand our pain over Samuel.”

Charlie tried to remember what Samuel had said about his parents. Not much. Just that they didn't want him to join the Army. Now it was clear why.

Samantha was under the oxygen tent—an IV hooked up to her hand and a finger probe to measure her oxygen and monitor her pulse. She'd grown some since the last time he'd seen her, but she was still really small.

“The doctor said she'll probably be able to go home tomorrow or at least by Monday, but we'll stay in Lancaster for a while,” Karina said. “At least past Thanksgiving.”

“Where are your folks?” Charlie asked her.

“Colorado,” she answered. “We'll go out for Christmas, if Samantha is doing all right.”

He remembered now that Samuel had met Karina when he was in college in Indiana.

Eve, Karina, and Shani talked softly while Charlie visited with the in-laws for a while. They'd sold their farm in Illinois and the father-in-law was now working at a nursery. “It's worth it,” he said, looking at Samantha. “We already had quite a few friends here.” They seemed like good people and Charlie was relieved Karina and Samantha had them in their lives.

He knew Karina had been a dental hygienist before she had the baby. He couldn't imagine her returning to work now and putting Samantha in daycare, not when she was so ill.

“Does Karina plan to stay in the Philly area?” Charlie asked her in-laws.

The mother-in-law gave her husband a furtive glance. “We're not sure,” the man answered.

Charlie quickly said, “I didn't mean to pry.”

“Oh, it's fine,” the woman responded. “It's been hard for her to decide.”

Charlie guessed Karina didn't plan to go back to Colorado—otherwise the Johnsons wouldn't have relocated.

After a half hour, Shani said they should go. After telling everyone good-bye, as they walked out into the hall, Charlie thanked Eve for accompanying them.

“I'm so glad I did,” Eve answered. “I'll call Leona tonight so she knows to check in on the Johnsons.”