23. Rebecca

23

Rebecca

I was a nervous wreck as we headed to a new community. I prayed they would like me and that I could feel comfortable at their church. I glanced at Maverick, hugging his arm as he drove. In the back seat, I could hear Matthew playing, likely with his toes—he loved those tiny toes.

"Are you nervous, sweetheart?" Maverick asked.

"I am. I really hope these people like me, and that I like them too."

"They're going to love you, and you'll love them. I talked to Allison, and many of her friends are part of this community."

"I'm excited to meet everyone, but it's a mix of excitement and nerves. Oh, we're already here. That was quick," I said, and he chuckled.

Maverick turned to me. "Are you feeling okay? You're not going to be sick, are you?"

"No, I'll be fine," I said, taking a few deep breaths, practicing the yoga breathing Shane had taught me.

We walked toward the church entrance, where people were gathering. Maverick carried Matthew. I noticed that while the younger girls had their hair in long braids pulled away from their faces, none of them wore a Kapp. In my old community, we started wearing ours by age twelve.

Maverick extended his hand to greet the pastor. "Pastor, this is my wife Rebecca, and our son, Matthew."

"Rebecca, this is Pastor David Lafever," Maverick introduced.

"I'm so happy to meet you, Pastor. Where should I put the pies?" I asked.

"It's wonderful to meet you too, Rebecca. I hope you'll enjoy our little community. You can put the pies in the kitchen at the back of the church. Why don't you take a seat, and I'll show Maverick where to take the pies."

I walked into the church and chose a seat in the middle of the room—close enough to blend in but not so far back that I'd be ignored. Matthew was a little angel, sitting quietly and observing everyone. Maverick joined me and took my hand, and a sense of peace washed over me. I relaxed, thinking about how good life was. I'd make new friends, have more babies, and I loved my husband more than I ever dreamed possible.

I found myself loving the pastor's message. He spoke about what God wants for us, and I was surprised when he said, "Ask and ye shall receive." I knew he was quoting the Bible. Bailey had given me a new Bible after mine was lost in the flood. When the service ended, we all moved to the back, where tables and benches were set up for the meal.

The people loved my berry pie, and I was invited to join their quilting group. Matthew stayed with Maverick, and I was having a wonderful time—until a woman stood in front of me, extending her hand. "Mary?" I whispered, shocked, before I fainted. She caught me as I fell. When I opened my eyes, I was in Maverick's arms.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" he asked, concern in his eyes.

My heart pounded in my chest as I looked around, disoriented. Then I saw her again—the woman who had startled me. She watched me with a worried expression before walking over.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"No… I mean, yes. I'm sorry, but I need to leave. What's your name?" I hadn't realized I was crying until Maverick wiped the tears from my cheeks.

"My name is Ruth. Would you like me to go with you? Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. I didn't eat breakfast, and I'm carrying a child—it makes me emotional," I explained with a weak smile.

"Will you come back?"

"Of course, nothing will keep me away. I'll see you next week."

"Maverick, I can walk. You don't have to carry me in front of all my new friends," I said softly he let me go, then he turned to take Matthew from a woman holding him. I knew he was worried because tears were still streaming down my face.

"Rebecca, I'll take care of your pie pans," Ruth said as we left.

I turned and smiled at her. "Thank you, Ruth."

When we reached the vehicle, I stayed quiet. Maverick gently squeezed my hand. "Tell me what's going on in that head of yours," he asked softly.

"I need to focus right now. Can we wait until we get home to talk? I don't want to cry in front of Matthew; he's going to think his Mamm is a big crybaby," I said, feeling the weight of everything I needed to explain. I scooted closer to Maverick and leaned against his shoulder, seeking comfort.

"I was three when Mary was born. I remember it vividly for many reasons. I was so happy to have a sister—I was her little bodyguard and never left her side. My Dat used to joke that I'd smother her if I didn't give her more space."

"I love you, sweetheart," Maverick said gently. "I just want you to be okay. If you're having any issues with this pregnancy, we'll go to the hospital."

I wiped my eyes on his shoulder. When we pulled into the driveway, the baby was asleep. I hurried inside to get his bed ready while Maverick carried him in and laid him down.

I went to the kitchen to start making tea. When I turned around, Shane was standing there, watching me.

"Is she crying?" he asked Maverick.

"Sit down," I said, "I'm making tea, and then I'll tell you a story from when I was three—a story I'd forgotten until today."

"Okay, Rebecca, we're ready to hear your story. But first, how was church?" Shane asked.

"The church was beautiful. I'm so happy Maverick found it for us."

"All right, sweetheart," Maverick said. "Tell us why you freaked out, fainted, and then started crying." I saw Shane glance at Maverick with curiosity.

"Let me start at the beginning," I said, taking a deep breath. "When my sister Mary was born, I was three. My mamm didn't know I was in the room, but I was hiding. Mamm wasn't loud like I was; she just took deep breaths and kept the pain inside."

"You did great when Matthew was born," Maverick said, smiling as he took my hand.

Telling this story ached my soul, but if what I remembered was real, then what? "I saw when Mary was delivered. I remember thinking she would get prettier," I chuckled. "The next day, she was beautiful. I went into the room, but I was looking for something—the other baby."

"There were two babies?" Shane asked, surprised.

"I had completely forgotten about the other baby until today. Mamm asked me what I was looking for, and I asked her where the other baby was."

"She was shocked that I asked. She had me crawl onto the bed with her and explained that the other baby was too weak to live, so we only had one. But I told her I'd seen the other baby."

"I even told her where I was hiding. She just shook her head and wiped away tears. I felt bad for telling her, so I went and told Dat instead. I told him I'd seen the other baby."

"What did he say?" Maverick asked.

"He told me that sometimes babies don't survive, and that the baby was in heaven. But I shook my head." I started crying again, and Maverick and Shane both gently patted my back. "I told Dat that the baby was alive. He told me not to talk about it because it would make Mamm sad."

"So today, you remembered that Mary had a twin who died?" Maverick asked gently.

"No," I said, my voice trembling. "I remembered that Mary had a twin who lived. An identical twin. And her name is Ruth. She lives in our new community."

Maverick's eyes widened. "Sweetheart… this is unbelievable. You really think Ruth is Mary's twin?"

"I know she is."

"Wow," Shane muttered, pulling out a pen and paper. "Tell me everything you remember from when Mary was born."

"Shane," Maverick interrupted, "let's talk for a minute before we start investigating." He stared at me, my body shaking as I tried to process what I was saying.

"Rebecca, it's okay to tell Shane everything, but just know that once you're done, Shane will start investigating. He'll go to Ohio and talk to the woman who delivered Mary. So, take your time and explain everything clearly."

"The woman is dead," I said quietly, wiping my eyes. Maverick pulled me closer.

"Start from the beginning," Shane urged.

"Dat told me to go upstairs and play. He said Mamm was having the babies. I guess they already knew there were two. I played upstairs, then came down and asked if the babies were born. He said no, so I snuck into the bedroom and hid beside the dresser."

"When Mary was born, she cried loudly. Delores's daughter wrapped her in a blanket, cleaned her, and handed her to Mamm, who was crying. Then the other baby was born. Delores gave her to her daughter. Mary was crying so loudly that no one else heard the second baby, but I did. She was kicking up a storm. I left the room before I got in trouble."

"You were three. Are you sure you remember everything?" Shane asked.

"I'm positive. And Ruth looks exactly like Mary."

"What do you want to do with this information? Are you going to confront Delores's daughter? She's probably the one who took the baby. This is delicate—you need to be sure of what you want to do. How about I investigate before confronting Ruth?" Shane suggested.

"I would hate to ruin her life. She only knows Delores's daughter as her mother I guess she raised her, and I don't know what to do. But I love my sister—she's the only family I have left."

"Sweetheart, you don't have to decide anything right now," Maverick said gently. "Let Shane find out what he can, and we'll go from there."

"Okay," I agreed, my voice breaking. "Can you believe my sister is alive?" I asked, before covering my face with my hands and crying.