Chapter 26
WHEN IDA MAE HEARD THE front door open, she stepped into the hall to greet her son and ask who he had been talking to out front.
Her eyes opened wide, and she blinked a couple of times when Ivan entered the house with a dark-haired Amish woman who held a baby in her arms. Ida Mae figured from the size of the child it couldn’t have been more than a few weeks old.
She didn’t recognize the young woman and wondered what she was doing here.
She didn’t have to wait long for an answer, because Ivan quickly made the introductions.
“Mom, this is Maggie.” He paused, then turned to the young woman and said, “What’s your last name?”
“It’s Hertzler.” She gave his arm a brief nudge. “Remember?”
“Oh yeah. Guess you did mention that earlier.” With a somewhat dazed expression, Ivan pursed his lips, and then he gestured to the right, where the living room was located. “Mind if we sit down in there?” he asked, looking at Ida Mae. “There are some things we need to talk to you and Dad about.”
Ida Mae held her index finger against her lips for a few seconds, and then she responded, “Your daed’s in the kitchen. I’ll go get him. Meanwhile, you two may as well get comfortable in the living room.”
Something about the strange way her son was acting didn’t seem right. And Ida Mae couldn’t help but notice that the young woman with him seemed nervous, as she drew in some quick breaths and for the most part did not meet Ida Mae’s gaze.
“Okay, Mama.” Ivan’s voice was barely above a whisper. “We’ll take seats and wait for you and Papa there.”
Just observing her son’s pinched expression let Ida Mae know something was drastically wrong. While the young people shuffled off to the living room, she hurried her steps to the kitchen.
When Ida Mae entered the kitchen, she found her husband sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in one hand and a newspaper in the other. The lowering sunshine outside cast shadows over the flooring from the window above the sink, as if straining to reach them with its warming light.
“A young woman is in our living room with Ivan,” she stated. “Our son made it clear that they want to talk to us about something.”
His head shot up, and he pushed the paper aside. “I assume it must be Emma? If so, and they’re wanting to talk to us, I certainly hope they’re not thinking of marriage, because they haven’t known each other long enough for that.”
Ida Mae shook her head. “It’s definitely not Emma in our living room. In fact, this young woman, whom I have never met before, has a baby with her.”
Eldon’s eyebrows rose above their normal position. “Now that’s sure odd. Let’s go find out who this woman is and what she wants.”
Ivan had been sitting motionless on one end of the sofa, and Maggie sat beside him with the baby in her arms. He heard his parents murmuring in the other room but didn’t bother to focus on that or try to make out their words.
Ivan was aware that his parents didn’t understand why a young woman was here, and he was concerned about how he would approach telling them about it.
As soon as Ivan saw his parents enter the room, he was on his feet. “Umm … Mama’s met her already, but Papa, I’d like you to meet Maggie Hertzler and her baby, Stephen. Maggie’s from Arcola.” He gestured to both mother and child. “We met at my friend Toby’s party, several months ago.”
When his mother and father approached the sofa with hands outstretched, Maggie stood and handed the baby to Ivan.
“It’s nice to meet you both.” A pleasant smile formed on her face, and she shook their hands in turn with an eager expression.
The apparent shyness that had appeared when she’d met Ivan’s mother had disappeared.
Maggie pointed to her sleeping child and said, “I came here today to let Ivan know that Stephen is his son.”
Ivan cringed when his mother’s eyes widened. She let out a gasp.
Papa rubbed his forehead and took a step back. “Is this some kind of a joke?”
“No, it’s not, Mr. Yoder. I’m telling you the truth.” Maggie’s high-pitched voice raised another notch. “My baby’s conception took place the night of Toby’s gathering, and your son Ivan is Stephen’s father.”
The room became deathly quiet, and Ivan’s face grew hotter by the moment as the baby boy squirmed with his features contorting.
In fact, Ivan was so warm it felt like he had a raging fever.
In addition to the anguish of learning that he had fathered a child without any remembrance of the time spent with Maggie, it nearly broke his heart to assume that his parents must be thinking he was a terrible person to have fathered a child and never told them about it until this very moment.
When Ivan thought he couldn’t stand still another moment, his father looked directly at him and spoke.
“I’m really disappointed in you, Son. Why have you been courting one young woman, when you should have done the right thing and married another? You left her to raise that baby on her own?”
“I—I didn’t. I mean—”
“What Ivan means, Mr. Yoder,” Maggie cut in, “is that he didn’t know about the baby until I showed up today.”
“But how could he not have known?” Ivan’s mother questioned. “Didn’t you tell him that you were expecting a baby?”
She shook her head. “I knew Ivan didn’t love me—at least not the way I wanted him to.
” Maggie lowered herself to the sofa and sagged against the cushion behind her back.
“I asked my folks if they would help me raise the baby, but they flatly refused and said it was not their responsibility.” Tears formed in Maggie’s eyes and soon trickled down her sunken cheeks.
“When it became obvious that I was in a family way, Dad said I should find the man who was responsible for my pregnancy and insist that he marry me.” She paused and sniffed deeply.
“My mamm talked Dad into letting me stay in their home until after the baby came, and when he asked me to leave a few days ago, I finally went looking for my baby’s father. ”
Papa eyeballed Ivan with lips pressed into a tight grimace. Ivan wondered if he might be asked to leave his parents’ house too. As he peered down at the little boy in his arms—the son to whom Ivan felt no attachment—the enormity of the situation pressed on him even harder.
Several minutes passed, and then Ivan’s mother spoke up. “Ivan, if what this young woman has said is true, then you need to do right by her. Is that understood?”
Ivan swallowed against the bitter taste of bile rising in his throat. “Jah, Mama, but—”
“There are no buts, Son,” his father was quick to say. “You’ll need to join the church this fall so you can marry Stephen’s mother.” He looked at Maggie. “Are you a member of the Amish church district in Arcola?”
Ducking her chin, Maggie shook her head.
Papa’s gaze went to Mama then. “I believe the two of us need to talk privately. Let’s go back to the kitchen so we can discuss a few things.”
“Yes, Eldon, I think that’s a good idea.
” Mama turned to face Ivan, her eyebrows folding inward.
“While we’re gone, you two need to talk about what you feel needs to be done.
Your daed and I will come back here again in thirty minutes or so and give our opinion on the best course of action for all involved. ”
All Ivan could manage was a brief nod as Maggie reached out to take back the little boy before settling on the sofa again.
Ivan’s fists tightened as he gripped one wrist with the other hand behind his back.
If he joined the church and married Maggie, whom he didn’t even know, much less feel any love for, he would have to let Emma go.
Was it possible that he could forget what he had with Emma and learn to love Maggie, as well as the baby boy she’d brought here to his parents’ home?
Ivan lowered himself to the sofa, wishing he could sink farther in, and wondered, Will anything ever be the same for me again?
Ida Mae sat at the kitchen table, shaking her head. “I just can’t believe our son fathered a child and did not tell us about it. Apparently, we didn’t raise him as well as we thought.”
“Probably not, I’m afraid. But remember, Maggie said he didn’t know about the child.
” Eldon reached over and clasped her hand.
“We did our best, Ida Mae, but you can’t lead a horse to its stall and make it eat hay.
We’ve taught all our kinner right from wrong, and as they’ve grown into adulthood, it’s become their choice to pick which path to take—right or wrong. ”
“That is true, but it still hurts when we see one of our own take the wrong path.” She reached for a napkin and dabbed the moisture beneath her eyes. “What do you think should be done now? Do we insist that Ivan marry the young woman and help raise their child?”
“I don’t see any other solution,” Eldon replied. “I mean, he can hardly turn her aside and expect to go on his merry way.”
“You’re right, but I can’t help feeling sorry for sweet Emma. She’s going to be devastated when Ivan tells her about Maggie and the baby. It’s obvious to me how much she loves our son.”
“I believe he loves her too, but it’s clearly not meant to be.
” Eldon tapped the tabletop with the knuckles on his right hand.
“Let’s remain here a few more minutes and talk about what we think the plan of action should be for Ivan and Maggie.
Once we agree on a solution that will benefit both of them and their infant son, we’ll go back to the living room and tell the young couple what we’ve decided. ”
“Are you gonna marry me, or what?”
Maggie’s unexpected question was so direct that Ivan nearly jumped off the sofa. His mother and father had been gone long enough to have come to some conclusion, but the whole time they’d been gone, all Ivan could do was sit quietly and watch the baby sleeping peacefully in his mother’s arms.
It’s not fair that this little guy should have to suffer because of my misdeed.
Sweat poured off Ivan’s forehead as he continued to ponder.
So as much as it pains me, guess I really have no choice but to marry the baby’s mother.
After all, that child is my son, and he needs me to be in his life.
I can’t abandon him just because I’m not prepared to accept responsibility for my actions.
Ivan’s contemplations halted when his parents entered the living room again. He clutched the armrest of the sofa, waiting to hear what his parents had to say to both him and Maggie.
“Your mamm and I talked things over, and we have a suggestion,” Papa announced before taking a seat in his favorite chair.
“We think the best thing right now is for Maggie to move in here and stay in the guest room with the baby.” With a somber expression, he gestured to Ivan and then Maggie.
“Come fall, when classes begin for joining the church, both of you should take those classes and then follow through by becoming church members. Within a few weeks after that, Ivan and Maggie, we believe that the only right thing to do is for the two of you to get married on a Sunday, following the main church service.” Narrowing his eyes, Ivan’s father glanced at Mama. “Would you like to tell them the rest?”
“Jah.” Her smile appeared to be forced as she stated in a calm but firm voice, “As newlyweds, you will be invited to stay here in our home until you find a suitable place of your own to rent or purchase.”
As much as Ivan didn’t want to agree to his parents’ plan, he knew deep within his heart that it was the right thing to do. “I’m okay with your suggestions,” he said, before looking at Maggie. “How about you?”
Maggie bobbed her head. “I’m in favor of it too.”
“All right then. It’s settled.” Papa rose to his feet. “Ivan, we’ll leave you and Maggie alone now to work out the details.” He clasped Mama’s arm, and they silently walked out of the room.
A few minutes passed, and then Maggie looked over at Ivan and asked, “Would you mind going out to my driver’s vehicle to get my suitcase? I’ve got my hands full right here, after all.” She gestured to the baby.
“Okay,” he responded, not knowing what else he could do or say.
“And while you’re there, could you please pay the driver what I owe for the ride here?”
Ivan was tempted to ask Maggie if she hadn’t brought her own money to pay the driver, but instead, he nodded and rushed out the front door.
I am living the worst nightmare of my life, he told himself. Only this one I will never wake up from.
Ivan felt almost numb as he headed with heavy feet toward the driver’s vehicle.
He just couldn’t believe how his life had been turned upside down—and just when things were going really well between him and Emma.
Now, thanks to his consuming too much beer at his friend’s party over nine months ago, Ivan would spend the rest of his life paying the price for his foolishness.
After obtaining Maggie’s luggage and shelling out the driver’s payment, Ivan paused on the porch threshold, wishing he could avoid having to go inside. But facing the truth, Ivan knew he had no other choice.