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S USAN PULLED OUT THE CHAIR where Tena had been sitting and sat down.

“Well, what is it you need to say to us?” her father asked.

Susan saw by the narrowing of his eyes that he was annoyed with her for interrupting the game he’d been playing with Tena and Alvin.

So she decided it would be best to say what was on her mind quickly before he lost his temper—or she lost her nerve.

Susan also knew that she had better speak before Rosa came back downstairs.

She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue and plunged ahead. Looking first at her mother and then her father, Susan announced: “Rosa and Anthony have been lying to you.”

“About what?” Mom questioned with furrowed brows.

“They’re not married—they are just pretending to be husband and wife.

And I’m not even sure if Rosa is actually pregnant.

If she is, I doubt that the baby is Anthony’s.

” Susan paused to inhale a quick breath before continuing.

“And to top it off, those two liars are planning to stage a fake breakup so it will look like Anthony is going to return to New York to get a divorce.”

There, it was out, and Susan felt pretty good about it. Now Mom wouldn’t think Rosa was so wonderful anymore, and Dad was bound to kick the pretenders out of his house.

Susan waited wordlessly for their response, but when neither of them said anything, she spoke again.

“So what are you gonna do about it? Don’t you think you oughta confront Rosa and her so-called husband regarding the trick they’ve been playing on all of us?

” Susan’s voice rose higher with each word she said.

Mom opened her mouth as if to say something, but Dad spoke first. “I don’t believe you, Susan. I think you made this ridiculous story up.”

Susan’s defenses rose as her voice rose higher, and she blew out a noisy breath. “Wh–why would I do that? With my own two ears, I heard them talking about it. So why don’t you believe me?”

Dad leaned forward and placed both elbows on the table as he stared hard at Susan. “Because you have developed a habit of lying to us.”

Mom bobbed her head, as if in agreement with what Dad had said.

“No, Dad, I’m not lying. I am telling the truth.” Susan knew she needed to stand up for herself and try to convince her parents that she hadn’t been lying about this.

“Your daed is right,” Mom spoke up. “When you were going out with Ben Ebersol, you lied to us on more than one occasion.” She paused a few seconds and rubbed an area on her forehead where her fine wrinkles had deepened.

“How can you expect your daed and me to trust your word when you deceived us concerning your relationship with Ben? Besides,” she quickly added, “you have been snappish with Rosa ever since she returned home, which leads me to believe that you are not happy to have your sister back, safe and sound.”

Susan couldn’t deny her mother’s last statement.

The truth was, she was anything but happy to have Rosa living in this house again.

It angered her to think that it was Rosa who was lying to their parents now, and she was getting away with it.

Susan held her hands stiffly at her sides while clenching her jaw.

I need to try again—say something to make them believe I’m telling the truth about Rosa and Anthony.

But they think I’m a liar, so what can I say to make them believe me?

Elsie’s pulse raced, and she felt palpitations within her chest. It saddened her to think that Susan would make up such a ridiculous story about her own flesh-and-blood sister who had been missing for over two years.

Susan should be as happy as we are that Rosa came home and is happily married with a child on the way.

What’s come over my daughter to make up such a story and expect us to believe it?

If what she said about Rosa and Anthony not being married is actually true, it would make no sense whatsoever.

I can’t think of any reason why they would tell us they were husband and wife if they weren’t.

“Susan, your mother and I do not wish to hear any more of your tall tale. Is that clear?” Mahlon spoke with obvious conviction as he pounded his fist on the tabletop.

“But Dad—”

He gave a firm shake of his head. “We’ve heard enough. Now please go to your room and don’t speak of this again. Is that clear?”

“So you’re not even going to ask Rosa if what I said is true?”

“No, we are not. I’m not particularly fond of the man your sister chose to marry, but if you had any sense at all, you would see from the way Anthony and Rosa act toward each other that they are in love.” He touched his nose with one finger. “In fact, it’s plain as the naas on your face.”

“Is that really what you see?”

“Jah, Susan, it’s quite obvious to me that they are a happily married couple.” Mahlon pulled his fingers down the side of his face and into his full beard. “End of discussion. Now get on up to your room!”

Susan gave a huff, turned on her heels, and tromped out of the room and straight up the stairs. Elsie cringed when she heard Susan’s bedroom door slam shut with such force that it could have woken anyone in the house who was sleeping.

I hope Anthony isn’t trying to sleep right now , she thought with regret. I wish Susan would have held her temper and accepted what we said without noisily stomping up the stairs. I wonder sometimes if that girl will ever grow up.

After Susan reached the top of the stairs and entered her room, slamming the door, she remembered that when she’d first come upstairs, before hearing Rosa and Anthony’s discussion, she’d been on her way to use the bathroom.

Guess I’d better head in there now , she told herself.

Then I’m going to get ready for bed, because I am not about to go back downstairs and face Mom and Dad’s accusations again.

Susan hurried her footsteps as she headed in the direction of the bathroom.

I don’t understand why they didn’t believe what I said about Rosa and Anthony’s deceit.

All they had to do was confront Rosa, and I bet she would have crumbled and admitted the truth.

Tears welled in Susan’s eyes as she opened the bathroom door and stepped inside. I wish Dad hadn’t mentioned anything about all the lies I’d told them when Ben and I were going out. Now they don’t trust anything I say.

As much as Susan hated to admit it, lying had become part of her life from the day Rosa went missing.

She had lied about other things that she wasn’t ready to admit, and they had nothing to do with her relationship with Ben.

Even so, what Susan heard Rosa and Anthony talking about was not something she had made up.

She didn’t know how she could make her parents believe her, but she wasn’t about to give up.

Susan squinted at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Sooner or later, the story Rosa and Anthony had made up was bound to be found out as a lie.

Rosa sat with Anthony until he finished his food. When he said he was done, she noticed his eyelids flutter. “You look tired,” she said. “I should go now and let you get some more sleep.”

Anthony yawned. “You’re right, I am exhausted. The meal was good, but now I feel like I could use a nap.”

Rosa lifted the tray from his lap. “I’ll take this back down to the kitchen, but I’ll return to check on you in an hour or so.”

He offered her a feeble smile. “Okay, thanks. You’re an angel.”

She shook her head. “Far from it, but I appreciate the kind words.” Rosa felt the temptation to kiss Anthony’s forehead where no chicken pox had formed, but she held herself in check.

If she did something that bold, he might take it the wrong way and think she had feelings for him that went beyond friendship.

“Sleep well,” Rosa said before opening the door. She stepped out into the hallway, nearly colliding with Susan.

“Watch where you’re going,” her sister snapped. “You could’ve smacked into me and dumped everything on that tray all over the floor.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know you were standing there.”

Susan’s lips curled. “I wasn’t standing. And for your information, I was on the way to my room to get ready for bed.”

“It’s kind of early to call it a night, don’t you think? Are you feeling all right?”

“I’m fine, physically. Just tired and want to be alone to do some thinking.” Susan gestured to Rosa’s bedroom door, then looked back at Rosa with arms crossed and brows wrinkled. “How’s your husband ? Did you take him some food?”

With the emphasis Susan had put on the word husband , Rosa wondered if her sister might suspect something—like the fact that she and Anthony weren’t actually married.

But if Susan believes that, then I’m sure she’s only guessing. A ripple of apprehension ran up Rosa’s spine. What if Susan was out in the hall the whole time I was in my room with Anthony? What if she heard our conversation concerning the fabricated story we’ve been telling?

Rosa’s tongue rolled around in her mouth as she reflected on that thought.

If Susan did hear what Anthony and I said, then why doesn’t she come right out and say so?

I’m sure she would like nothing better than to bring Mom and Dad in on our little secret, but I’m sure if she knew, she’d say something to me first.

“You haven’t answered me, Sister. How’s your husband?”

Susan’s question pushed Rosa’s contemplations aside. “Oh, umm … Anthony is still pretty miserable, but at least he was willing to eat something, and now he’s resting peacefully.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet.”

Rosa held tightly to the tray. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’ll let you figure it out.” Susan turned sharply, opened her bedroom door, and stepped inside, closing it with a bang.

Rosa flinched. I wonder what her problem is. Hopefully it doesn’t involve me and Anthony. I especially don’t want her knowing that we only have a pretend marriage. If she knew, she’d be the first person to run and tell our folks.

Rosa entered the dining room, and when she observed her parents sitting at the table with tension-filled expressions, she felt concern.

The muscles in her arms tightened as she gripped the tray she’d brought down from her room.

Could they know something? If Susan heard Anthony and me talking and she knows we aren’t married, did she tell Mom and Dad?

“How is Anthony doing?” Mom asked. Before Rosa had a chance to respond, her mother pointed to the empty plates on the tray. “I assume he must be feeling a little better since it looks like he ate all the food you took up to him.”

“At my prompting, he did eat, but Anthony is still quite miserable.” Rosa placed the tray on one end of the table where there were no cards or board games.

“I know you’re concerned about your husband,” Mom said, rising from her chair and placing both hands on Rosa’s shoulders.

“Yes, I am,” Rosa admitted as her mother began to massage some of the tension Rosa felt in her tight muscles. “Anthony wishes he could have joined the family to celebrate Christmas today, but unfortunately, he didn’t feel up to it.”

“Can’t blame him for that,” Dad said. “A case of the wasserpareble can be mighty unpleasant even for a child, not to mention a full-grown adult.”

“Tena and Alvin are still out in the barn,” Mom stated, “but when they come back in, we’ll probably continue playing games. Would you like to fix yourself a cup of tea or some eggnog and join us, Rosa?”

“What about Susan?” Rosa asked. “I would think she might want to take part in the games.”

Mom gave a quick shake of her head. “Your sister has a bee under her bonnet right now, so she’s upstairs in her room, probably pouting because she didn’t get her way.”

“Yes, I nearly ran into her in the hall after I left my room with the tray, and it seemed like she was not in the best of moods.”

“You got that right,” Dad interjected with a swift wave of his hand.

“Susan got mad at us for not believing some unbelievable story she’d made up, and when we reminded her that she’s told us too many lies on several occasions, that ended the conversation.

” He looked pointedly at Rosa. “After all, why would we want to believe anything your sister says now?”

“That’s right,” Mom agreed. “Susan needs to grow up and prove to us that she can be trusted.”

Rosa cringed inwardly. If Mom and Dad only knew the web of lies Anthony and I have been weaving, they would probably throw us both out on our ears.

She glanced toward the front door when Alvin and Tena entered the house.

They’ll all have to know eventually—just not today.

There’s no point in ruining my parents’ Christmas, because it sounds like Susan already has.

As Rosa headed to the kitchen with the tray, she wondered yet again if Susan knew the truth.

If so, perhaps she’d been trying to tell their parents about it, but they hadn’t believed her.

One thing was certain: Whatever Susan had said to their parents, they didn’t believe her, so at least for now, Rosa had nothing to worry about.

The bottom line, however, was that as soon as Anthony felt better and his transportation was no longer an issue, the two of them needed to initiate their breakup, which would send him on his way.

Once that was done, Anthony would no longer be a part of the lie they’d conjured up.

After that, all Rosa needed to do was stay in her parents’ good graces so she could keep staying with them and receive their support when the baby came.

Rosa set the tray on the counter near the sink and placed Anthony’s dishes in a tub of soapy water to soak awhile.

Then she rinsed her hands and dried them on a clean kitchen towel before turning on a gas burner on the stove.

While the water in the teakettle heated, Rosa stood in front of the window, looking out at the star-studded night sky.

A little flutter in her belly caused her to tremble, and she placed both hands against her abdomen.

“I would do anything for you, my precious little one,” she murmured.

Even tell the biggest lie so you could live here safely with your grandparents, who I am sure will love and care for you as much as I do already.

Tears welled in Rosa’s eyes, and she soon felt moisture on her cheeks. Gently rubbing her belly, Rosa lowered her gaze. I wish you could grow up with a loving father. Maybe someday I’ll find a caring man who’ll be willing to raise another man’s child.