Chapter Twenty
It had been a couple of years since Hannah had come back to the community.
Her visa had finally been approved, which was the only hiccup to her getting baptized.
She was ready, but for her safety, she had wanted to wait until she could get her visa sorted out before getting baptized.
He understood. So did most of the community.
Those who didn’t understand had never had to deal with it because Hannah appeared to just brush them off without a care in the world.
Today, she was scheduled to be baptized.
While they were ready for marriage, he hadn’t yet officially proposed to her.
He had wanted to wait until she was officially part of the community.
Most menner in the community would have done the same, honestly, if they were interested in an Englischer who was going to convert.
It all depended on how long it took someone to convert and how long it took them to feel ready and willing to be baptized.
Everyone gathered at the Sunday service, during which Hannah and the other eligible youth were to be baptized.
Hannah was dressed in a brand-new yellow dress, made by hand especially for the occasion.
Though it was already quite cold, most had come to celebrate, and there was time yet for more to arrive.
“You made it, Elias,” she said when she saw him.
He smiled.
“How could I miss it?”
He walked over to her, the hustle and bustle almost fading as he focused only on her.
“I appreciate that you’ve come. It means so much to me that you’re here to see me take this step.
I just wish my parents could have come. They’ve said they only have the money to come out to see me once in the next couple of years, and they’d rather it be for a wedding since it sounds like we’re heading that way,” Hannah lamented.
“Then, be glad that John and Olivia are here, too,” Elias offered, pointing to the two of them.
John was currently setting up the refreshment tables for after the service. Olivia, on the other hand, was walking toward them.
“Danke for arranging for my dress for today, Olivia,” Hannah said. “I don’t know that anyone else would have done it for me.”
“Of course, someone would have done it, but since you are a member of my haus, it made the most sense for me to do it,” Olivia countered. “Now, don’t you worry your head about anything else. I’ll leave you to talk to Elias.”
With that, Olivia went off to help her husband with the tables. Elias turned back to Hannah.
“I don’t know how my life is going to change after all of this, but I’m ready for it,” she said as she turned back to Elias.
“I know that baptism means I’ll officially be part of the community, but I’ve felt that way for a year now.
Like everyone accepted that I would be getting baptized as soon as my legal issues were sorted out, and no one had a problem with that.
It was… very reassuring to know that no one was judging me for not yet being baptized even though the bishop had deemed me worthy of it a year ago. ”
“We all have to go through our conversion process,” Elias said. “Sometimes, that means that there are things that take longer to sort through. You just happened to need a visa.” He shrugged.
The service was about to begin, and they made their way to their seats.
After the Sunday sermon and the hymn singing, the bishop baptized Hannah alongside the others.
It was a glorious moment, and Elias was just glad to see that Hannah was happy.
Despite shivering visibly, he saw a broad grin on her face after the proceedings.
It wasn’t until after the service that Elias had a chance to talk to her in private, which he had expected.
She had been surrounded by well-wishers, and he had taken the first opportunity to speak to her when no one else was around.
She was still grinning like a cat that got the cream, and he was glad to see that she was happy with her decision.
There was no going back without being shunned now.
“Congratulations, Hannah,” he said. “May I have the honor of walking you home?”
“Always, Elias. And danke. It means a lot that you’ve been here for me since the beginning of my journey to becoming Amish,” she said. “You’ve been instrumental in the process that brought me here.”
They started walking while she spoke, and he only nodded. He was well aware of the part he had played in her conversion. If he were to be honest with himself, she had helped deepen his conversion.
“Funny you should say that,” he said. “Hannah Kauffman, when you walked into my life, I was almost sure that you were going to walk out just as abruptly. But you were too amazing to let slip by so easily. Now that you’re baptized, I can do this without fear that you’ll walk away when it gets too hard.
Hannah, will you do me the honor of becoming my fraa? ”
He looked at her, only to find that tears were running down her face. Her grin had gotten wider. She couldn’t hold it in and hugged him tightly, which was the precise answer he needed.