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A NTHONY DROVE SLOWLY BEHIND R OSA ‘ S horse and buggy. It felt good to have his car back, and it meant that he could finally go home.

He rapped the steering wheel with the knuckles on his left hand. Then why am I not filled with excitement? he asked himself. I’ll tell you why , his inner voice said. You dread telling Rosa’s parents the truth, and you know when you leave you’ll miss Rosa.

Anthony had not fully admitted it to himself until now, but he’d come to care deeply for Rosa.

“I might even be in love with her,” he murmured.

Anthony wasn’t sure how she felt about him, but even if Rosa returned his feelings, they could never be together.

Her family was Amish, and she planned to join their church.

Anthony couldn’t imagine setting his English ways aside and becoming Plain.

It would be too drastic a change, and he enjoyed many things about the modern way of life that he wouldn’t want to give up.

Rosa will be better off without me in her life anyway , he thought. The fact is, we were never meant to be together. After I’m out of the picture, some nice Amish guy will no doubt come along and steal her heart. She’ll forget she ever met me. Maybe it’ll happen sooner than she expects.

For most of the drive back to the Petersheims’ house, Anthony managed to get himself pretty worked up, but by the time he pulled into the driveway behind Rosa’s horse and buggy, he’d calmed down and accepted the way things were.

The only thing Anthony was concerned about now was finding the right words to tell her folks the truth about their relationship—or rather the lack of one.

Anthony didn’t want to leave this place tomorrow morning on a bad note, but he figured that would probably end up being the case.

The main thing, though, was to make sure that Rosa’s family knew the ruse had been his idea, not hers.

When Rosa entered the house, she hung up her outer garments and went from room to room, looking for her mother.

She knew Mom had to be here somewhere, because her horse was in the barn.

Since she wanted to speak to her mother as soon as possible, and since Anthony was still in the barn putting Rosa’s horse away, she figured this was a good time to catch her mother alone.

There was no point in involving him in this particular conversation.

They would both have their chance to talk to her parents after supper tonight.

When Rosa entered the kitchen where the nutty aroma of peanut butter wafted, she was glad to see that her mother was alone and in the midst of baking cookies.

It was too early for Alvin to be home from school, and since Tena wasn’t helping Mom, Rosa figured her sister had either gone out somewhere or was busy doing something in another room in the house.

“Oh, you’re home,” Mom said, turning to face Rosa. “How’d it go at the greenhouse? Did you have a chance to see Ada?”

“Yes, I did, and I found out that she’s expecting a baby.”

“Oh, how nice for her and Ephraim. I’m sure they’re both happy and looking forward to the arrival of their first child.” Mom smiled. “Just like you and Anthony are excited about the upcoming birth of your baby.”

Anthony is not the father of my child, so he has no reason to share in my joy over becoming a parent.

Rosa wanted to blurt the truth out here and now, but Anthony had made it clear that he wanted to be there when Rosa told her parents.

In fact, before their conversation had ended, he’d even said that he planned to do most of the talking.

No, this conversation Rosa wanted to have with her mother had nothing to do with the lie they’d told Mom and Dad and what all would be said this evening.

“I need to talk to you about something.” Rosa pulled out a chair at the table. “Can you please set your baking aside for a few minutes and listen to what I have to say?”

“Of course.” Her mother placed the empty cookie sheet on the counter and sat down.

Rosa seated herself in a chair on the other side of the table. She leaned slightly forward with both elbows on the table. “Would you mind telling me why you thought it was necessary to ask Melvin Peachey to come over here this morning and talk to Anthony about our marriage?”

Mom blinked rapidly, then quickly looked away. “Didn’t the minister speak to you as well?”

“No. This happened while I was at the greenhouse. He spoke to Anthony without me being present.” Rosa lifted her elbows and crossed her arms. “Why would you send Melvin here, Mom?”

“Because after our talk yesterday, I figured you and Anthony were having some issues and could use a little counseling from someone who’s been happily married for a good many years.

” Mom’s chin quivered a bit, like it always did whenever she was upset or felt remorseful for something she’d said or done.

“I’m very sorry, Rosa, if I overstepped my bounds.

I was concerned for you and Anthony, and I thought it would help if you could speak to someone outside of our family about whatever problems you may be facing. ”

“Oh, we’ve got problems, all right. More than you can imagine.”

“Would you like to talk with me about it? I promise not to be judgmental, and I won’t offer my advice unless you want me to.”

Rosa shook her head. “Not right now, Mom, but after supper tonight, Anthony and I would like to speak with both you and Dad.”

“Oh, okay, if that’s what you’d prefer.” Mom got up from the table and went back to her baking project.

Rosa left the room, wondering if she should have told her mother the truth and been done with it, but it wouldn’t be right to tell Mom before Dad.

Besides, she and Anthony had agreed to tell them together after supper.

It would be their last evening meal together, because Anthony planned to leave early tomorrow morning, most likely without even eating breakfast. Rosa had been able to tell from the few things he’d said to her in the barn that he was eager to be on his way home.

She couldn’t blame him for that. He should have left weeks ago, but the car dying, his sprained ankle, and a nasty case of the chicken pox had kept him here much longer than either of them had planned.

It would be sad to see him go, but Anthony didn’t belong here, whereas Rosa did.

Before her great escape, she’d thought she wanted to be as far from Mifflin County and her Amish family as she could get.

But the two-plus years she’d been away and on her own had proved otherwise.

Coming home and seeing her family again had given Rosa the confirmation that she was exactly where she needed to be and that this Plain community was a good place to raise her baby.

Rosa could only hope and pray that after tonight’s conversation, she would be allowed to stay.

She closed her eyes briefly. Oh Lord, please let it be so.

That evening after supper, Rosa told her parents that she and Anthony would like to speak with them about something important and suggested that the four of them go to the living room.

“Do you want the rest of us there too?” Susan asked.

Before Rosa could respond, Mom quickly said, “You and Tena need to do the dishes.” She looked across the table at Alvin. “And I want you, young man, to go upstairs and take a bath. You smell like a goat, and I have a hunch you were out there playing with them before you came inside for supper.”

Alvin gave a sheepish grin and bobbed his head. “I wasn’t playin’, though. I was tryin’ to teach one of the younger goats to come to me when I whistle.”

Tena rolled her eyes. “That’s dumm , little brother. No goat is gonna come to the sound of a whistle.”

Alvin’s nose wrinkled as he looked at his sister.

“It’s not dumb, Tena, and a lot you know.

I read in one of the books I checked out at the library that you can train your goats to come when they hear you whistle.

But you gotta do it regularly and offer them a treat so they’ll race toward the sound. ”

“So who cares about that?” Susan got up and grabbed a few of the dishes, which she promptly carried to the sink. When she turned on the water to fill the dish tub, she looked over her shoulder and said tersely, “Are you going to help, Tena, or just sit there like a slug?”

Rosa looked at Mom to see if she would say anything, but it was Dad who spoke first. “Just mind your own business and start filling the dishpan. You should not talk to your sister like that.”

“Sorry,” Susan mumbled as she came back to the table to pick up some more dishes.

Dad looked at Tena. “Your mamm asked you and your sister to do the dishes, so that means she wants them done now.”

Wordlessly, Tena left her seat and carried four plastic tumblers by the rims over to the sink.

Dad looked at Mom. “Come on, Elsie, let’s go find out what Rosa and her mann want to talk with us about.”

Rosa cringed. She could only imagine what either of her folks would have to say when they found out that Anthony was not her husband.

“What are you up to?” Tena asked when Susan stopped drying the dishes, headed across the room, and pressed her ear against the kitchen door.

Susan put a finger to her lips. “Shh …”

“Are you trying to hear what Rosa and Anthony are saying to Mom and Dad?”

“Jah, and with good reason.”

“There’s no good reason to be eavesdropping on someone.”

Susan’s brows furrowed. “Will you please keep your voice down? They might hear you.”

Tena dried her hands and stomped across the room. “So what? You’re listening to them, right?”