25. Ruth

25

Ruth

As soon as I got home, I Googled "Rebecca Cover." For some reason, Shane had mentioned her maiden name, almost like he knew what I was planning to do.

I know it's not very Amish to own a computer, but I blame my mom for that. She always said that just because we're Amish doesn't mean we can't have the technology needed to keep up with the world. Plus, I needed it for my writing.

There was something about Rebecca that drew me to her, something familiar. It was strange—almost like I knew her, but I didn't.

The video I found showed the devastation the flood had caused in her Ohio community. Rebecca's farm was nearly destroyed. The before-and-after footage was heartbreaking. I wanted to cry at the sight of the destruction. Maybe her cousins could restore it, but I couldn't imagine how hard that would be.

As I kept searching, something else about Rebecca's family popped up, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from the screen. My heart sank as I read it. Her entire family had been murdered. Oh, Rebecca, I'm so sorry. Tears filled my eyes, and I had to leave the computer to grab a tissue. Soon, I was sobbing.

Rebecca had gone to deliver vegetables to the bishop when it happened. If she hadn't, she would have died too. I'm sure of it.

I couldn't imagine what it must have been like for her—to come home and find her whole family gone. Murdered. The thought of it horrified me. All because some developers wanted their land. They killed her family for a piece of property.

I knew the Amish didn't believe in fighting back, but I couldn't shake the feeling that her father must have tried to protect them. I'm sure in his heart, he did everything he could.

Then I saw the family photos. Her parents, her brothers, and... her sister. My breath caught in my throat. It was like looking in a mirror.

Mary. I remembered Rebecca fainting and calling out the name Mary. What is happening? Is this my family? Mary looked just like me—down to the tiny dent in her chin, identical to mine.

"Why wasn't I raised with them? What is going on?" The pieces were slowly falling into place. Rebecca fainted because when she saw me, she thought I was Mary.

No Amish woman would ever willingly give up a child. So, what happened? Was it the hospital? Or a midwife? None of this made any sense.

I was sure Rebecca was just as confused as I was. I stood up, thinking I should go to her, but then I hesitated. It was better to wait for Shane and Maverick to finish their investigation. That's probably what they were doing anyway.

Besides, it wasn't a good idea for me to be around Shane right now. My heart still raced whenever his eyes met mine. Did he feel the same way? I hoped he didn't think I was too young for him.

My pastor always said I should marry an Amish man, but that was before I met Shane.

What if he does think I'm too young? I can't exactly ask him out—our community doesn't allow that. Women aren't supposed to be forward. We have to wait for the man to make the first move, no matter how much we like him.

God forgive me for being rebellious. Mom always said I should be more like Joanie Franks's daughter, who never complained about anything. I doubt she even used electricity. How would she know if she needed it when it was freezing outside?

But there was one question that I couldn't shake: Did my mom know I was taken from this family?

I grabbed my coat and called a taxi. I needed to talk to Rebecca and tell her what I had discovered—that I had seen the photos and knew I belonged to her family. But then I stopped. It was late, and the sun was already setting.

I'll talk to her in a few days.