Stephen asked me, “Have you seen Liv recently?”
I felt like a rabbit trapped in a snare. I’d either have to lie or gossip.
“She’s not living at home anymore, as must be obvious now. If she were, she’d be baking for us.” I inched closer to Beatrice.
“Never mind,” he said. “It’s none of my business. But I do worry about her.”
“Yah, me too.”
FORTY-TWO
Stephen pulled into the Millers’ barnyard and then helped Beatrice and me out of the pickup. The field looked plowed and the mules were grazing, as well as the buggy horse. I saw no sign of Jake’s car, but it was probably hidden somewhere.
Stephen, Beatrice, and I climbed the back steps, and I knocked. When Ruth opened the door, her face was red and her clothes disheveled.
“Thank goodness you’re here. Come help me.” We followed her to the living room to find Amos lounging on a recliner.
“How wonderful!” I moved to his side with Beatrice close behind.
“How long has he been mobile?” Beatrice asked.
“Just today. He tried and tried to get out of bed until finally Brandy and I helped him.” She motioned with her hand. “But I’m not strong enough to get him back to bed.”
“Couldn’t Brandy help you?”
“Nee. Jake took her to the hospital to have her baby.” Her moves erratic, Ruth’s words marbled out. “He tried calling the midwife, but she couldn’t come. She was busy delivering twins.” Her hands covered her cheeks. “Ach, Brandy was screaming that she was going to die from the pain. ‘Take me to the hospital! Something’s wrong.’ So Jake scooped her up, and they left in his car.”
“She’s having her baby?” My question sounded stupid, even to me.
“Yah, yah, the boppli.” Ruth’s voice quavered. “Two months early.”
“Why didn’t he call 9-1-1?” Beatrice said.
“I don’t know. Everything happened so quickly.”
“Eva, is that you?” Amos struggled to get to his feet without success.
“Yah, it’s me.” I hurried to his side.
“Denki for bringing our Jake home,” he muttered.
“But he came back for you, Amos.”
“That’s what I told him,” Ruth said, “but he won’t believe me.” She glanced into my eyes. “Maybe Amos is right, but no use starting an argument. I’d do anything to see my husband and son reunited.”
“You want Amos back in bed?” Beatrice asked Ruth.
“Yah. I didn’t dare try to manage by myself.”
Beatrice held Amos in place. “Stephen, please get over here and help me, will you?”
“Sure.” Stephen hastened around to the other side of the recliner, slid his arm around Amos’s back, and hefted him to his feet with ease. “Want me to carry him all the way?”
“No. Since you’re here, let’s see how steady Amos actually is.” Beatrice grasped Amos’s other arm and steered him toward the bed. “Are you strong enough to walk back?”
“Yah, I can do it.” His legs wobbled, and his spine bent. I could see Stephen was bearing most of Amos’s weight.
“Maybe this is a bad idea.” Ruth stood by the mattress, her arms extended, ready to ease his descent. “Take care that he doesn’t fall.”
“I can easily lift him,” Stephen said.
“Nee.” Amos’s voice turned pugnacious. “I’m fine.”
Eventually, after mincing to the bed, Amos tumbled onto the mattress. Stephen straightened Amos’s legs. Ruth pulled up his covers.
“Thank you.” Moisture gathered at the corners of Ruth’s eyes. “I don’t know what I would have done.”
“Don’t worry. Jake will be back,” I said.
Ruth pursed her lips.
“Won’t he?”
We all stood like statues until Stephen brought out his cell phone. “Do you know his number?”
Ruth shook her head, and I said, “I don’t know either.”
“He never told you?” Stephen asked me, incredulous.
“I knew his old number, but that was years ago.”
“I’ll call the hospital in Lancaster.” I could tell by his compressed expression Stephen was irked. “But I don’t know Brandy’s last name.”
“She said it was Mallory,” Ruth said, “but I don’t know if that’s true. She was trying to conceal her identity, and I never asked again. Jake would know as he’s friends with Brandy’s older brother.”
“I’ll try the hospital, but I doubt I’ll get anywhere.” As a courtesy to Ruth, Stephen stepped outside with the phone. When he returned, his face was pinched. “No Brandy Mallory in their delivery unit. I spoke to someone at the desk and asked if a Jake Miller was there. The attendant wanted to know if Jake was the father.” Stephen glanced to me. “I told her I didn’t know, but that he’d driven her there.”
“Now what?” Beatrice asked. “I’m not in the mood for waiting around for Jake to show up. And I’m sure Stephen has better things to do.”
“As a matter of fact, I need to be somewhere.” Stephen glanced at the clock on the mantel. “Yep. I’m running late.”
“Eva, don’t leave.” Amos’s voice was just above a whisper. “I need you here.”
“Yah, so do I.” Ruth grasped my elbow. “How will I manage by myself?”
I was conflicted. I didn’t want to leave Amos and Ruth, but what could I do? “Have you no neighbors or relatives to help?” I asked.
“Nee. Over the years Amos scared them off.”
“What happened to him to make him so fierce?” I knew about his flaws from Jake, but to look at him now in his weakness—a shell of his former self—filled me with compassion. I imagined Ruth was indeed afraid. How could she lift him or turn him? What if he decided to get up again on his own and fell?
“For reasons I still don’t understand, Amos never treated our sons equally,” Ruth said. Her words echoed off the wall. “He doted on our first son, Michael. Treated him like royalty but was always on Jake’s case for every little thing. Even when he was a toddler. Amos used to say, ‘Spare the rod, spoil the child.’ ”
“Which is biblical,” Beatrice said, “if done with love.”
“But Amos couldn’t control his temper with Jake.” Ruth wrung her hands.
“Yes, I remember,” Beatrice said.
“Then disappointments mounted
