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A NTHONY COULDN ‘ T BELIEVE HE WAS sitting on another uncomfortable wooden bench at an Amish service—this one for the wedding of a couple he didn’t even know.

He’d asked himself several times over the last week why he had been putting himself through all of this for a young woman he’d only known a short time.

I either have a tender heart, like Mom has often said, or I’m just a sucker when I see a woman in tears and in need of someone’s help.

Anthony shifted on the bench, hoping to find a more comfortable position.

It was hopeless. Between the several hundred bodies producing heat inside this building and the discomfort of having no back on the bench, there was no way Anthony would ever find comfort.

What he needed was to be outside in the fresh autumn air.

Maybe when these people decide to get on their knees and pray, I can sneak out of the building for a short while.

Anthony scratched the side of his head where an irritating itch had plagued him for the last several minutes.

Struggling to keep from scratching at it, he’d lost the battle and didn’t care if anyone might be watching him.

Once he had the itch under control, Anthony’s thoughts took over again.

But if I get up and go outside, I most likely will be noticed.

Guess it probably wouldn’t look good for Bishop Petersheim’s phony son-in-law to make a quick escape in the middle of this solemn and very unusual service.

At least to Anthony, everything that had happened since he’d entered the building seemed strange.

Why would the bride and groom sit in chairs opposite each other, rather than standing side by side, like the couples Anthony had seen at other weddings he’d attended?

And no kiss exchanged between the bride and groom?

That didn’t seem right to him. Anthony figured there wouldn’t be any clapping or cheering at the end of the service when the wedding couple exited the building either.

To him, that didn’t seem like much of a celebration.

But then, he figured every church or religion had its own customs, and what seemed right for some might seem odd for others, like him.

Anthony also assumed that if a person had grown up in an Amish home, none of the customs or rituals would seem strange.

Anthony wedged his index finger beneath his shirt collar and sucked in some stale air.

I wonder if after our made-up divorce, and a little time passes, Rosa will find a nice Amish man and become a church member.

His fingers traveled to the back of his neck, and he began to massage the kinks that had formed over the past two hours.

Was it possible that the Amish church would not allow a divorced man or woman to become a member or get married in their church because of some religious teaching or certain rules?

If so, by pretending to be Rosa’s husband and then making it seem as though they’d be getting a divorce, Anthony might be putting Rosa in a terrible position.

One that he’d never considered or talked with her about.

He would need to do that before they proceeded with their plans to fake a breakup that would send him home to New York and back to the life he knew.

Rosa watched tearfully as Ada and Ephraim stood before her father to commit their marriage vows to one another.

If I hadn’t run off to seek a new life of my own in the English world, it could me standing beside Ephraim right now.

We would be on the verge of making a commitment to each other for the rest of our lives.

For that matter, if we had gotten married when he wanted to, we could very well have a child by now, and I wouldn’t be in the fix I’m in right now.

Rosa swallowed past the lump that had formed in her throat. Instead, I’m going to have a baby who will never have a father to love him or her. What chance do I have now of ever finding a husband who’d be willing to take on another man’s illegitimate child?

She thought more about the relationship she’d once had with Ephraim, and how he’d proclaimed his love for her many times, even pleading with Rosa to join the Amish church with him so they could get married.

Basically, their relationship had been one-sided, because Rosa had never loved Ephraim enough to set her worldly desires aside in order to do what he wanted.

The bottom line was they’d wanted different things, and Ephraim was better off choosing Ada for his lifelong marriage partner than he ever would have been with Rosa.

Despite the envy she felt at their happiness, Rosa was pleased for the two people who had been her friends since childhood.

Now she had to figure out what to do with the rest of her life.

Part of her felt it would be best to join the Amish church, but in order to do that she would need to confess that she and Anthony were never married, because as a divorced woman, she would not be allowed to become a church member.

Rosa looked down at the skirt of her dark green Amish dress.

What a predicament I have put myself in, and all because of my stupid, selfish desires.

Oh, how I wish I could go back in time and start over.

If it were possible, I would definitely do things differently.

Even if I had chosen not to marry Ephraim, I should never have run away from my home and family.

Ada’s heart swelled as she stood beside her groom in front of the bishop, prepared to answer his questions.

In all the years she’d cared deeply for Ephraim, Ada had never expected that he would propose marriage and they’d be standing here today, on the brink of becoming husband and wife.

Since Ephraim and Rosa had been a couple for a few years before her disappearance, Ada had never expected that she would be here in the place of her best friend.

She still couldn’t believe Rosa had refused to join the Amish church and marry Ephraim, but the truth was, her friend’s loss had been Ada’s gain.

Ada knew Rosa and her English husband were here today, because as she, Ephraim, and their witnesses came into the building at the appointed time, she’d seen the couple seated in the area set aside for visitors outside of the Amish faith.

It was strange to see Rosa dressed in Amish clothes, while Anthony wore dress slacks, a pale green shirt, and a jacket that had obviously been purchased in a non-Amish clothing store.

Did Rosa choose to wear Plain clothes to fit in here today, or was she considering the idea of joining the Amish church?

If so, what about Rosa’s husband? Would he be willing to join as well?

It seemed doubtful; although a few people had made the change from English to Amish, it was not the norm.

Ada’s attention was drawn back to Bishop Petersheim’s words. “Can you both confess and believe that God has ordained marriage to be a union between one man and one wife, and do you also have the confidence that you are approaching marriage in accordance with the way you have been taught?”

Together, she and Ephraim said, “Yes.”

The bishop looked at Ephraim and asked, “Do you also have confidence, brother, that the Lord has provided this, our sister, as a marriage partner for you?”

Ada held her breath. Ephraim didn’t hesitate to say yes.

Next Ada was asked, “Do you have confidence, sister, that the Lord has provided this, our brother, as a marriage partner for you?”

Ada also was quick to say yes.

Once more, the bishop asked Ephraim a question. “Do you also promise your wife that if she should in bodily weakness, sickness, or any similar circumstances need your help, that you will care for her as is fitting for a Christian husband?”

Ephraim nodded, saying yes.

The bishop turned to Ada again. “Do you promise your husband the same thing, that if he should in bodily weakness, sickness, or any similar circumstances need your help, that you will care for him as is fitting for a Christian wife?”

She said yes.

“Do you both promise together that you will, with love, forbearance, and patience, live with each other and not part from each other until God will separate you from death?”

They replied, “Yes.”

The bishop prayed, and following the prayer, he took the bride’s hand and placed it in the groom’s hand.

As he did so, and while still clasping both of their hands, he said, “The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob be with you and help you together and give His blessings richly unto you, and this through Jesus Christ, amen.”

As Ada and Ephraim returned to their seats, officially husband and wife, she said a silent prayer, thanking the Lord for her groom, and asking Him to shower them with His blessings.

As Ephraim sat next to Ada at their corner table, or Eck , he looked out at the throng of people who had attended their wedding.

Family and friends were enjoying the bountiful meal that followed the service.

In addition to the bride’s and groom’s witnesses, Ephraim’s family members, as well as Ada’s, had all been seated at the tables closest to the Eck.

Across the room, Ephraim caught a glimpse of Rosa, dressed in Amish clothes.

Seated beside her was a dark-haired English man who he figured must be Rosa’s husband.

Given Rosa’s disinterest in joining the Amish church during the time that she and Ephraim had been going out, it didn’t really surprise him that she’d chosen to marry an Englisher.

What seemed odd, however, was the fact that she wore an Amish dress today.

It would have seemed more fitting if Rosa had also been wearing modern clothes, like her husband.

I still can’t believe Rosa ran off like she did and never made contact with anyone, Ephraim thought.

I was worried sick about her, and I know Ada was too.

I’m sure Rosa’s disappearance had an even bigger impact on her family than it did me.

Not only was she inconsiderate of their feelings, but also, in my opinion, she showed a lack of maturity.

While Ephraim hadn’t been able to understand it then, he knew now, and without a doubt, that he was better off without someone like Rosa in his life. Ada had been the best choice for him, and he would thank God for her every day of his life.

Reaching over to clasp his bride’s soft hand, Ephraim leaned closer and whispered, “I love you more than words can say, and I look forward to every year we will have as husband and wife.”

“ Danki, Husband,” she murmured. “I feel the same way.”

Anthony helped himself to enough mashed potatoes to cover most of his plate and covered them with the thick gravy that followed, as more food was sent along the extended table where he and Rosa sat with several other non-Amish people he had not met.

He figured they must be acquainted with Ada or Ephraim, perhaps through their workplaces.

Or this group of people could include English drivers, or maybe just good neighbors.

Anthony noticed that Rosa’s parents, as well as her siblings and Norman’s wife, had been seated at another table, a little closer to where the newly married couple sat.

He figured that since he wasn’t Amish, and Rosa had never joined her family’s church, they had been relegated to sit with the people at this table who, with the exception of Rosa, were all dressed in modern-looking English clothes.

“What do you think of all this food?”

Rosa’s question drove Anthony’s contemplations aside, and he pointed to a second piece of succulent chicken he’d taken and smacked his lips. “I think it’s pretty tasty, and I’m enjoying every bite.”

“When you eat everything on your plate, you can have more, because when the serving bowls are empty, the table waiters will pass out more for every table.” Rosa grinned at him. “But don’t stuff yourself too full, because there’s still dessert to come.”

Anthony groaned and held his stomach. “Oh boy! Sure hope I’ll have room enough for that in my belly.”

“And it won’t be just one dessert, either,” she said, bumping his arm with her elbow. “There will be a couple of different pies and sometimes a fruit or gelatin salad.”

“I’m open to try any of those—especially the pies.” Anthony chuckled.

“I figured you would be, since food is kind of your thing.”

“No kind of about it. Before I became a chef, I had actually considered becoming a food critic.”

She pursed her lips. “What would that involve?”

“Well, a food critic, who some also call ‘a food reviewer,’ is a professional who travels around to different restaurants and food establishments to evaluate the quality, taste, presentation, and portion sizes of food and drinks,” Anthony explained.

“Some critics might also specialize in certain cuisines or types of restaurants.”

“That’s interesting. Do the owners of the restaurants know the reviewer is there to analyze their food?”

“Not usually. Typically, food critics try to be anonymous so they don’t receive any kind of special treatment that might bias their reviews.”

“Guess that makes sense.” Rosa picked up the napkin next to her plate and blotted her lips. “Does a food critic get paid by someone who sends them to the different restaurants?”

“Yes, they do. Food critics often work for newspapers or magazines, or they might have a TV show or publish a book.”

“So what made you decide to become a chef instead of food reviewer?”

“For one thing, I enjoy cooking, and it’s fun to try new recipes. I also like to eat whatever I make.” Anthony thumped his belly and winked.

“Since you love to cook, maybe you should offer to make supper at our house one evening. I’m sure my mother would be more than willing to take a night off from kitchen duty. My sisters would probably like that too.”

Anthony nodded. “You know, that’s not a bad idea. Think I might bring the topic up to your mother when we get back to your home following this supergood wedding meal.”