It was a quiet, cool evening as Ethan watched the stars twinkle under
the blanket of the night sky. He was now twenty-two years old and
supported his choice in returning to the Longacre farm to help his family
yet, his mind still often wandered back four years ago to the times he
spent with His Leah. He sat at the small wooden table beside his bed and
took hold of his pencil that lay beside his oil lamp. He began writing and
was soon last in his own thoughts, feelings, and most of all, his memories.
His daze was interrupted by a gentle ramping on his door. "Come in."
Charity, his sister who was a year younger, quietly walked in and sat down on his bed. "Ethan, are you writing another letter to her?" She looked at her brother endearingly.
"To her? What makes you think I am writing to a girl?" Ethan was trying his best to look convincing but he knew deep down he was a horrible liar. For the last four years, he has been writing letters to Leah and even had them stamped and ready to be mailed yet; he was never able to gather enough courage to send it. Under his bed was a box of unsent letters, all addressed to one Leah Lewis-Hall.
"Ethan, you don't have to try to pretend with me. I know you've tried to get on with your life, even by proposing and getting engaged to Martha Dewberry. But you cannot choose where your heart leads you." She was right but Ethan could not bring shame to his father. His family is and will always be his first priority. Charity shared Ethan's sadness and pain. After Ethan and Leah chose to go separate ways, she swore to her brother that she would not have any form of communication with Leah. He had lost a love and Charity had lost a best friend. "Once you get married and have children, it will eventually get easier and you WILL be happy. Don't worry -" Their conversation was cut short when they heard a soft click-clucking of horse hooves and they both knew that Papa had come home.
They both hurried into to meet their father. "Papa, I am glad you are home!" Charity smiled as she helped her father into his chair by the fireplace.
"Good evening Charity. I am also glad to be home. Ethan? Are you alright? You seem a bit pale in the cheeks. Was everything well on the farm today?" Jacob Longacre felt very distant from his son every since he had returned home after leaving to be with Leah. He was unsure of what or how his son was thinking or feeling. But he knew deep in his heart that Ethan had made the right choice in returning to his
"I'm fine. Just a long day. Nothing a good night's sleep won't cure." Ethan smiled trying to hide his feelings. He knew that it had made his father proud to come back to the farm and it would only hurt him again if he told him he was thinking about Leah again.
Later that night, the Longacre men gathered in the barn and conversed among themselves. Jacob pulled Ethan aside as he asked, "Ethan, are you sure you're okay? You seem distracted. Is everything okay with you and Martha? She is a wonderful girl and you should feel lucky to have won her heart."
"I am fine father. Martha and I... are fine. You know... pre-marriage nerves. That's all. And like I told you before, it's been a long day." Ethan tried very hard to find an answer that would satisfy his father. After everything over the past few years, he did not want to complicate anything more in his family.
"Oh son! That's normal! I remember when I married your mother! She was beautiful! So beautiful that I was left speechless. Marriage is a very sacred gift and you will learn to greatly appreciate it. You made the right choice son."
"Yes father." Ethan nodded and stepped away as Simeon, his younger brother, came up and began to talk to his father.
Ethan sat quietly by himself in the corner for a long time. Soon, Nathan, another one of his younger brothers, came to join him. "Ethan? Will I have to marry one day?"
Ethan smiled down at his kid brother and reflected back on the years he was younger when he looked up to his older brother, Eli, who is now estranged to the family. He too would ask Eli very innocent question with curiosity. "Nathan, one day you will meet a girl and you will know right away if she is the one or not. When you find that girl, you will never leave her side."
"It's that simple? Wow! And I thought it would be harder! Was that how it was when you first met Martha?" Nathan was much too young to remember Leah and believed that his older brother had always loved Martha.
Ethan sat in silence, unsure of how to answer his little brother. He nodded but at the back of his mind, he was confused and unsure. He would have been with Martha long before if he had not gone to the hospital and not have met Leah. It seemed logical to choose to be with the Amish girl rather than the English one. But do we choose who we love or does love choose for us?
Charity, his sister who was a year younger, quietly walked in and sat down on his bed. "Ethan, are you writing another letter to her?" She looked at her brother endearingly.
"To her? What makes you think I am writing to a girl?" Ethan was trying his best to look convincing but he knew deep down he was a horrible liar. For the last four years, he has been writing letters to Leah and even had them stamped and ready to be mailed yet; he was never able to gather enough courage to send it. Under his bed was a box of unsent letters, all addressed to one Leah Lewis-Hall.
"Ethan, you don't have to try to pretend with me. I know you've tried to get on with your life, even by proposing and getting engaged to Martha Dewberry. But you cannot choose where your heart leads you." She was right but Ethan could not bring shame to his father. His family is and will always be his first priority. Charity shared Ethan's sadness and pain. After Ethan and Leah chose to go separate ways, she swore to her brother that she would not have any form of communication with Leah. He had lost a love and Charity had lost a best friend. "Once you get married and have children, it will eventually get easier and you WILL be happy. Don't worry -" Their conversation was cut short when they heard a soft click-clucking of horse hooves and they both knew that Papa had come home.
They both hurried into to meet their father. "Papa, I am glad you are home!" Charity smiled as she helped her father into his chair by the fireplace.
"Good evening Charity. I am also glad to be home. Ethan? Are you alright? You seem a bit pale in the cheeks. Was everything well on the farm today?" Jacob Longacre felt very distant from his son every since he had returned home after leaving to be with Leah. He was unsure of what or how his son was thinking or feeling. But he knew deep in his heart that Ethan had made the right choice in returning to his
"I'm fine. Just a long day. Nothing a good night's sleep won't cure." Ethan smiled trying to hide his feelings. He knew that it had made his father proud to come back to the farm and it would only hurt him again if he told him he was thinking about Leah again.
Later that night, the Longacre men gathered in the barn and conversed among themselves. Jacob pulled Ethan aside as he asked, "Ethan, are you sure you're okay? You seem distracted. Is everything okay with you and Martha? She is a wonderful girl and you should feel lucky to have won her heart."
"I am fine father. Martha and I... are fine. You know... pre-marriage nerves. That's all. And like I told you before, it's been a long day." Ethan tried very hard to find an answer that would satisfy his father. After everything over the past few years, he did not want to complicate anything more in his family.
"Oh son! That's normal! I remember when I married your mother! She was beautiful! So beautiful that I was left speechless. Marriage is a very sacred gift and you will learn to greatly appreciate it. You made the right choice son."
"Yes father." Ethan nodded and stepped away as Simeon, his younger brother, came up and began to talk to his father.
Ethan sat quietly by himself in the corner for a long time. Soon, Nathan, another one of his younger brothers, came to join him. "Ethan? Will I have to marry one day?"
Ethan smiled down at his kid brother and reflected back on the years he was younger when he looked up to his older brother, Eli, who is now estranged to the family. He too would ask Eli very innocent question with curiosity. "Nathan, one day you will meet a girl and you will know right away if she is the one or not. When you find that girl, you will never leave her side."
"It's that simple? Wow! And I thought it would be harder! Was that how it was when you first met Martha?" Nathan was much too young to remember Leah and believed that his older brother had always loved Martha.
Ethan sat in silence, unsure of how to answer his little brother. He nodded but at the back of his mind, he was confused and unsure. He would have been with Martha long before if he had not gone to the hospital and not have met Leah. It seemed logical to choose to be with the Amish girl rather than the English one. But do we choose who we love or does love choose for us?