"What are you thinking?" Rose asked Lila, as her sister settled back down in the wheelchair.

"That I'm blessed to be Abrie's Aenti." She exhaled. "And that it's time for me to marry Zane. Even if we can't have children, we will still be a family. Just like you and this little one are a family, even now. I need to trust G.o.d with this."

26.

The June rain clouds threatened as Reuben walked slowly from where he'd parked his buggy toward the Lehmans' house. He hadn't seen Rose since she'd given birth over a month ago. The Bobbli had come home the week before, and it sounded as if everything was going well.

Reuben had deliberately stayed away, but Tim had asked him to stop by and help finish their bas.e.m.e.nt to make the s.p.a.ce usable for Lila and Zane's wedding. They'd finally set a date for mid-July. A month away.

The rain started as Reuben headed up the steps and knocked on the back door. He was surprised when Rose answered it, holding the Bobbli against her shoulder.

"Reuben," she said. "Come in from the rain." She nodded toward the kitchen. "How have you been?"

"Fine," he answered, taking off his hat and hanging it on a peg in the mudroom. "How are you?" He stepped into the kitchen.

"Gut," she answered. Her eyes were bright, and her face was a little flushed. It was a warm day.

"How's the Bobbli?" he asked.

"Doing well," Rose said. "She's gaining weight and hitting her developmental markers. Considering she shouldn't even be born yet, she's doing great." Rose shifted the Bobbli from her shoulder to her arms with ease.

The little one had her eyes closed. She was tiny but had a head full of dark hair and a little indentation in her cheek. A dimple. A pain shot through Reuben's chest. He wished he hadn't come, but he couldn't turn around now.

"Denki for the flowers you brought to the hospital," Rose said. "That was thoughtful. It meant a lot."

He nodded, afraid to say anything more. Without responding or commenting on the Bobbli, he excused himself and headed to the bas.e.m.e.nt. He wasn't sure if he should have taken the flowers or not, but he wanted to truly forgive Rose, to feel his forgiveness inside, and somehow he felt the gesture would help. Thankfully it had. He hadn't felt resentful of her since that night-even though his heart still hurt when he saw her.

"Tim?" he called out as he reached the bottom stair.

Trudy answered, "We're back here!"

Reuben headed toward her voice and found Trudy holding the frame of a wall. Reuben stepped to her side.

"Are you ready to take over?" she asked. "Because Dat's getting a little tired of me not knowing what to do to help."

"No," Tim said, "you were doing fine. Really." He winked at Reuben.

"I'll go play with Abrie," Trudy said.

"Play?" Tim asked. "Is she doing that already?"

"You know what I mean," she answered.

"You're going to go play she's a doll?"

"Jah. Something like that." Trudy grinned and waved good-bye as she skipped back through the bas.e.m.e.nt.

Reuben was surprised at how relaxed everyone seemed. He'd seen the stress and chaos of the Lehman house many times before. He was surprised it wasn't that way now.

Tim hadn't worked at the lumberyard for a few months. Reuben had missed the man's company and his expertise, but he was busy with his farm now and working on converting the Becks' barn. Soon he and Zane would expand the dairy herd.

"I should have done this bas.e.m.e.nt work years ago." Tim shook his head. "Aside from needing the s.p.a.ce for special occasions, we were all so cramped upstairs. We could have used the extra room."

"What all do you plan to do?" Reuben asked.

"Wall in the big area down here. Put in a stove over there, a sink, and a counter. We can set up the tables down here if the weather isn't good on the day of the wedding."

"Can Lila make it up and down the stairs?" Reuben asked.

"I've cleaned up the outdoor stairs," Tim said. "We'll use those. They're not as steep." He stepped back toward the frame. "She's doing better. She's gained more mobility in the last month, and she hopes to get rid of the cane soon so she will be able to carry Abrie."

Reuben smiled a little. It seemed both of the older Lehman girls were doing better.

A couple of hours later, Reuben went up to the kitchen to get two gla.s.ses of water. Lila and Beth sat at the table and Trudy stood at the window, holding the Bobbli. Rose was nowhere in sight. He expected that she was napping- after all she was less than a month past major surgery-but a minute later she came in with a basket of peas and radishes.

"Are you and Dat ready for a snack?" she asked Reuben. "And some coffee?"

"Maybe in a little bit." He quickly retreated to the bas.e.m.e.nt.

They had worked for another half hour when Reuben heard a vehicle across the gravel outside. "Are you expecting anyone?" Reuben asked.

Tim shook his head. "No, but it's probably Shani. She stops by once a day or so to check on Rose and the Bobbli."

Reuben didn't hear anything more, but a few minutes later, footsteps fell on the stairs.

"Tim?" It was Beth. Tim put down his hammer and headed toward her. Reuben hesitated but then followed.

"Trevor's here." Beth's voice was low. "Rose wants you."

Tim paused for a moment but then took the stairs two at a time while Reuben froze. Trevor was the last person in the world Reuben wanted to see, and he decided to stay in the bas.e.m.e.nt. But then Beth said, "Would you come up? Your presence might help keep . . . a balance."

Reuben couldn't imagine what help he could be, but Tim was his friend. He wouldn't abandon him now. He followed Beth up to the kitchen.

Trevor stood on the mud porch, his T-shirt sprinkled with raindrops, facing Rose. Lila still sat at the table, and Trudy was in the archway to the living room, holding the Bobbli. Abrie appeared to be sleeping.

"I had a brief note about the baby," Trevor said. "With your return address on the envelope."

Rose glanced around the room as if looking for an answer.

"I hadn't had an update from you for so long-"

"Update? That's not what those messages were. I needed to talk with you."

"Yeah, well, I intended to. But then I started to worry when you didn't call for a couple of months so the letter was a relief."

"What?"

"Yeah, the note said I should come see the baby. It was good timing. Sierra and I just broke up again."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Rose said. "I didn't want you to come. Was this note signed?"

Trevor shoved his hands into his pocket. "No."

Rose wrinkled her nose. Finally she said, "Well, the note obviously wasn't from me."

Before Trevor could answer, Tim stepped to Rose's side. "It was from me. I looked up Trevor's address at the library."

Reuben's hair bristled on the back of his neck. Why would Tim, of all people, do that? He'd been adamant, before, that he wished Rose hadn't told Trevor she was expecting.

"I suggested he come see you. And the Bobbli."

"Dat," Rose said, as if her heart were breaking. "Why?"

Trevor crossed his arms, staring at Rose. "I a.s.sumed you wanted me to come back."

Rose stepped back. "Jah, I did last winter. But then I stopped." She took another step backward, toward the table, toward Lila, leaving Tim and Reuben facing Trevor.

When Trevor saw Reuben, his expression went flat.

"Let's sit down and have some coffee," Beth said. "Come on in, Trevor."

Rose motioned for Trudy to go into the living room before Trevor reached the table. Trudy obeyed without a sound. Reuben heard the rocker going, barely, as if Trudy was doing her best not to make any noise.

Trevor locked eyes on Reuben as he sat down but didn't say anything. Reuben stayed standing.

Tim asked about Trevor's trip. It had been fine. Then Tim asked Trevor what work he'd found back home. "Construction," he answered.

Trevor crossed his arms and leaned back, looking as if he was weary of the small talk. "So why did you want me to come see Rose?" he asked Tim.

Reuben kept his eyes on Rose. She winced but didn't say anything.

"I figure as a human being you deserved to see your daughter," Tim answered.

"You could have asked me," Rose muttered.

"I knew what your response would be," Tim said. "I talked with your grandfather. I asked him what he would have done differently all those years ago, for your mother. And I thought of Lila's longing to know who her biological father was all these years. And I thought about Trevor, about what he deserved too." Tim shrugged. "I changed my mind from what I first believed."

Reuben couldn't help but admire Tim. The man had changed. He was right, that having Trevor visit now was better than if he showed up later-or if Abrie went looking for him as an adult as Lila had done.

Rose reached for Lila's hand, as if perhaps her sister could help her. But as Lila scooted closer to Rose, Reuben realized she simply needed the support. His heart swelled a little, thinking about how scared Rose might be. Did she think Trevor might try to take the baby?

Reuben stepped to the doorway of the living room. Trudy rocked the little one slowly. She'd woken up and was staring into her Aenti's face. Reuben quickly turned his attention back toward the adults at the table.

Beth pa.s.sed mugs of coffee around.

Trevor didn't seem to know what to say and turned toward Lila. "How are you doing?" His voice was kind.

"Better," she said, pouring cream into her coffee.

"And how is Zane?"

"Gut," Lila answered. "He's probably on his way over." She glanced toward Dat.

Reuben stifled a groan, wondering how much more complicated the situation could get. This was the sort of drama he had come to expect at the Lehman house.

"Did you tell him you were coming?" Lila asked.

Trevor shook his head as a knock fell on the back door.

Beth placed a coffee cake, a knife, and a stack of plates on the table in front of Lila and then went to answer the door.

The first thing Zane said was, "Is that Trevor's car?"

"As a matter of fact, jah," Beth said. "Come on in."

Trevor stood and shook Zane's hand. Reuben couldn't help but remember their embrace last fall when Trevor had first come to Lancaster County. Clearly there was tension between the two now, and for good reason.

"Why did you come back?" Zane asked.

"I wanted to see Rose. And the baby. I'm trying to figure things out."

"What about Sierra?" Zane asked.

"We broke up." Trevor turned toward Rose as he spoke. "For good." He sat back down, keeping his eyes on Rose. "I really am sorry for not communicating for all these months. Sierra was angry, and I wasn't sure what to do. But when I got the letter, and a.s.sumed you wanted me to come, I started thinking about our time together. Of all the support here. Of how happy I was, really, while I was here. I'd been a little lost, until I got the note."

Rose nodded, just a little, but didn't say anything.

Trevor exhaled. "We have a baby. Wouldn't it be best for us to raise her together? I've changed in the last few months-honestly. I've stopped drinking. I'm entirely clean and sober."

The baby began to fuss, and Trudy stood with her, giving Reuben a panicked look. Reuben wasn't sure if he could help, but with eighteen nieces and nephews he'd had a lot of experience. He stepped back into the living room and reached for the baby, positioning himself where he could still see the table but Trevor couldn't see him. He put Abrie to his shoulder and patted her back, but by the way she began rooting around at his neck he wasn't going to keep her happy for long.

Rose glanced at Reuben and the baby and then back at Trevor. "Could we talk in private?" she asked.

"Around here?" he joked. "Does that exist?"

Reuben cringed.

"How about outside?" Rose asked. They both pushed their chairs back and headed out the back door.

Trudy had returned to the rocker. "Why is he here?" she whispered to Reuben.