"Charity dear, can you please help Elizabeth gather some water from
the pump?" Mrs. Longacre called from the kitchen to Charity who was
playing with Nathan on the porch.
"Okay mother!" She ran to the back of the house and helped Elizabeth, her younger sister. As they were slowly pumping the water, they heard the soft click-clucking of the buggy and heard someone jump off and their footsteps were quickly coming towards them. Soon, she saw Ethan run into the open and quickly grabbed Charity by the arm and dragged her into the barn.
"Oww!! What was that for Ethan?!" She knew her brother was strong but she had obviously underestimated his strength and power.
Ethan was out of breath and looked around to make sure no one was able to overhear their conversation. "Sorry Charity! But I wanted to talk to you right away in private." He paused and began to ramble as he said, "I saw her! I saw her! Even ask Simeon, he saw her too!" His face read nothing but excitement and exhilaration.
"Whoa! Slow down Ethan! I didn't get any word you just said!" She was confused and surprised by Ethan's behaviour. He is usually so composed and collected.
He gasped for air and he took a few seconds to gather his thoughts and slowly said, "I saw her. Her being Leah. The one and only Leah. Your Leah, My Leah!" He looked down at his younger sister's confused face, waiting for her to process the thought.
"Oh! HER!!!" She finally understood what her brother was talking about and she was suddenly hit with shock. "Wait a minute! When did you see her? She's supposed to be gone! Gone far, FAR away! Ethan, I thought you stop experimenting! And I never thought you would go as far as to taking drugs!" She would not let herself believe that the same girl she was best friends with was back in town. She tried to think of every reason why her brother was thinking about such crazy hallucinations!
"It's the truth." Just then, there was a tiny knock on the barn door and Simeon peeked in.
"Sorry to interrupt. But you two HAVE to lower your voices! The barn isn't made of metal." Simeon quietly entered the barn, followed by Elizabeth.
"So what are you going to do Ethan?" asked Elizabeth.
"Wait... I still don't believe that you two saw her," said Charity as she glanced at Ethan and Simeon.
"It's true. Everything Ethan says is true. We saw Leah in the passenger seat of this green jeep. And I'm quite positive she saw both of us by the look of her face. She looked like she was going to have a heart attack."
"Okay fine! Let's just SAY Leah s back in town. It's obvious that she's not back to see Ethan because she would have come by now. Remember the summer she worked at the inn, she came to visit us the first day! She even sent me a letter telling me about her visit. I haven't gotten anything nor seen her drive up to the farm." Charity did not know how to respond. Was she trying to avoid my family? Ethan? Even me? But we were so close before. As she thought more and more, her feelings and thoughts became entangled in a spider's web.
"I don't think she chose to come here." Elizabeth stood up and walked around the barn. "Maybe she has a new job in town and was forced to move."
"Still, that doesn't change that she's trying to avoid all of us." Simeon was confused but understood that she and Ethan had a very painful ending. "But it's understandable after everything that happened, right?"
"Yeah. But after seeing her again after so long, it just aches my heart to pretend I never saw her today." Ethan's emotions were entwined in an utter mess with his thoughts.
Their conversation was cut short when there was a gentle ramping on the barn door. Elizabeth gently opened the door and smiled convincingly, scared that it was her father or mother. Instead, it was even worse, it was Martha Dewberry! Elizabeth slowly walked back to where she was sitting and Martha gracefully glided in. "Hello Ethan dear!" As she walked up to Ethan's side and softly kissed him on his cheek and sat down beside him. Everyone looked at her in silence, except Ethan who turned away, pretending to be fascinated by something on the loft.
"What's wrong? You're all so quiet now. When I was walking up to the barn it sounded as if you were having a party or something with all the noise and talking! Now, it sounds like someone died!" Martha glanced back at the Longacre children and shot them a curious glare.
"Oh nothing... sweetie!" Ethan laughed weakly and smiled back her. 'Sweetie', he thought. The word sent shudders down his back. He had never quiet adjusted to calling Martha his 'sweetie' but she can asked him to when they began to date. 'It makes for a better relationship Ethan' she explained but he never quite understood how. He had always suspected that she wanted people to know clearly that he was hers.
"Well okay. So what were you all talking about before I came in?" Martha asked curiously. She always felt awkward with Ethan's siblings as if they were comparing constantly to the angelic Leah. Just thinking of that name made her sick to her stomach. She knew that his sisters and brothers had exceedingly enjoyed Leah's company.
The Longacre children looked at each other and smiled awkwardly back at Martha in silence. Ethan smiled at her and let loose a forced laugh. "Well... look at the time! Didn't you say you wanted to go out tonight, Sweetie?" Ethan squirmed under the forceful look of Martha. "Let's go now!"
"Very well. Let's go into town!" Martha jumped up happily knowing she was spending the rest of the day with Ethan, Her Ethan. She smiled a great smile and took him by his hand and dragged him out to the buggy.
As Ethan jogged to keep up with her, he gasped for air and he tried to speak in between. "But! Dear... town... very bad... go... to... other...place!"
They came to a sudden jolt and Martha quickly turned to him. "Why?" She has always been very protective over Her Ethan even though, she knew perfectly well that Leah was out of their lives for good but she couldn't help but worry sometimes when Ethan looked as if he was thinking about something besides their relationship.
"Well... it's almost dark and I know how you don't like riding in the buggy for long distances without any lights!" He smiled innocently and kissed her on the forehead, trying to avoid her suspicion.
"Very well... let's just go for a walk then you can have dinner at my house!" She smiled and skipped away, dragging Ethan with her like a puppet doll.
Back at the barn, Ethan's sisters and brother carried on the conversation about what they should do about Leah's reappearance. They were all confused and unsure of how or what to think or feel.
"I think it's great that Leah is back! I was never a fan of Martha," reasoned Simeon who had always enjoyed Leah's outgoing and fun personality much more. He had always had many suspicions about Ethan's 'sweetie'.
"Martha is a nice girl! Don't be mean! She's always nice to everyone," said Charity but she knew Martha was often very fake when she was with a large group of people. However, behind closed doors in private, she had a different personality, one she was not much in favour of. But she tried her best to get along with her since she was with Jonas and she was his younger sister. She sighed as she thought about life years before when she truly pictured Leah as her sister-in-law. How those days of passed, thought Charity.
"Well it's out of our hands! We can't make Ethan do anything he doesn't want to." Elizabeth had made up her mind in staying out of the circle of drama and romance.
"We better get back to our chores before Pa or Ma begins to wonder where we've disappeared to!" Simeon quickly stood up and walked back to the house.
The three Longacre children walked back to the house in silence but all had the same thought. They all realized that Ethan had made his choice and that was the end of it.
"Okay mother!" She ran to the back of the house and helped Elizabeth, her younger sister. As they were slowly pumping the water, they heard the soft click-clucking of the buggy and heard someone jump off and their footsteps were quickly coming towards them. Soon, she saw Ethan run into the open and quickly grabbed Charity by the arm and dragged her into the barn.
"Oww!! What was that for Ethan?!" She knew her brother was strong but she had obviously underestimated his strength and power.
Ethan was out of breath and looked around to make sure no one was able to overhear their conversation. "Sorry Charity! But I wanted to talk to you right away in private." He paused and began to ramble as he said, "I saw her! I saw her! Even ask Simeon, he saw her too!" His face read nothing but excitement and exhilaration.
"Whoa! Slow down Ethan! I didn't get any word you just said!" She was confused and surprised by Ethan's behaviour. He is usually so composed and collected.
He gasped for air and he took a few seconds to gather his thoughts and slowly said, "I saw her. Her being Leah. The one and only Leah. Your Leah, My Leah!" He looked down at his younger sister's confused face, waiting for her to process the thought.
"Oh! HER!!!" She finally understood what her brother was talking about and she was suddenly hit with shock. "Wait a minute! When did you see her? She's supposed to be gone! Gone far, FAR away! Ethan, I thought you stop experimenting! And I never thought you would go as far as to taking drugs!" She would not let herself believe that the same girl she was best friends with was back in town. She tried to think of every reason why her brother was thinking about such crazy hallucinations!
"It's the truth." Just then, there was a tiny knock on the barn door and Simeon peeked in.
"Sorry to interrupt. But you two HAVE to lower your voices! The barn isn't made of metal." Simeon quietly entered the barn, followed by Elizabeth.
"So what are you going to do Ethan?" asked Elizabeth.
"Wait... I still don't believe that you two saw her," said Charity as she glanced at Ethan and Simeon.
"It's true. Everything Ethan says is true. We saw Leah in the passenger seat of this green jeep. And I'm quite positive she saw both of us by the look of her face. She looked like she was going to have a heart attack."
"Okay fine! Let's just SAY Leah s back in town. It's obvious that she's not back to see Ethan because she would have come by now. Remember the summer she worked at the inn, she came to visit us the first day! She even sent me a letter telling me about her visit. I haven't gotten anything nor seen her drive up to the farm." Charity did not know how to respond. Was she trying to avoid my family? Ethan? Even me? But we were so close before. As she thought more and more, her feelings and thoughts became entangled in a spider's web.
"I don't think she chose to come here." Elizabeth stood up and walked around the barn. "Maybe she has a new job in town and was forced to move."
"Still, that doesn't change that she's trying to avoid all of us." Simeon was confused but understood that she and Ethan had a very painful ending. "But it's understandable after everything that happened, right?"
"Yeah. But after seeing her again after so long, it just aches my heart to pretend I never saw her today." Ethan's emotions were entwined in an utter mess with his thoughts.
Their conversation was cut short when there was a gentle ramping on the barn door. Elizabeth gently opened the door and smiled convincingly, scared that it was her father or mother. Instead, it was even worse, it was Martha Dewberry! Elizabeth slowly walked back to where she was sitting and Martha gracefully glided in. "Hello Ethan dear!" As she walked up to Ethan's side and softly kissed him on his cheek and sat down beside him. Everyone looked at her in silence, except Ethan who turned away, pretending to be fascinated by something on the loft.
"What's wrong? You're all so quiet now. When I was walking up to the barn it sounded as if you were having a party or something with all the noise and talking! Now, it sounds like someone died!" Martha glanced back at the Longacre children and shot them a curious glare.
"Oh nothing... sweetie!" Ethan laughed weakly and smiled back her. 'Sweetie', he thought. The word sent shudders down his back. He had never quiet adjusted to calling Martha his 'sweetie' but she can asked him to when they began to date. 'It makes for a better relationship Ethan' she explained but he never quite understood how. He had always suspected that she wanted people to know clearly that he was hers.
"Well okay. So what were you all talking about before I came in?" Martha asked curiously. She always felt awkward with Ethan's siblings as if they were comparing constantly to the angelic Leah. Just thinking of that name made her sick to her stomach. She knew that his sisters and brothers had exceedingly enjoyed Leah's company.
The Longacre children looked at each other and smiled awkwardly back at Martha in silence. Ethan smiled at her and let loose a forced laugh. "Well... look at the time! Didn't you say you wanted to go out tonight, Sweetie?" Ethan squirmed under the forceful look of Martha. "Let's go now!"
"Very well. Let's go into town!" Martha jumped up happily knowing she was spending the rest of the day with Ethan, Her Ethan. She smiled a great smile and took him by his hand and dragged him out to the buggy.
As Ethan jogged to keep up with her, he gasped for air and he tried to speak in between. "But! Dear... town... very bad... go... to... other...place!"
They came to a sudden jolt and Martha quickly turned to him. "Why?" She has always been very protective over Her Ethan even though, she knew perfectly well that Leah was out of their lives for good but she couldn't help but worry sometimes when Ethan looked as if he was thinking about something besides their relationship.
"Well... it's almost dark and I know how you don't like riding in the buggy for long distances without any lights!" He smiled innocently and kissed her on the forehead, trying to avoid her suspicion.
"Very well... let's just go for a walk then you can have dinner at my house!" She smiled and skipped away, dragging Ethan with her like a puppet doll.
Back at the barn, Ethan's sisters and brother carried on the conversation about what they should do about Leah's reappearance. They were all confused and unsure of how or what to think or feel.
"I think it's great that Leah is back! I was never a fan of Martha," reasoned Simeon who had always enjoyed Leah's outgoing and fun personality much more. He had always had many suspicions about Ethan's 'sweetie'.
"Martha is a nice girl! Don't be mean! She's always nice to everyone," said Charity but she knew Martha was often very fake when she was with a large group of people. However, behind closed doors in private, she had a different personality, one she was not much in favour of. But she tried her best to get along with her since she was with Jonas and she was his younger sister. She sighed as she thought about life years before when she truly pictured Leah as her sister-in-law. How those days of passed, thought Charity.
"Well it's out of our hands! We can't make Ethan do anything he doesn't want to." Elizabeth had made up her mind in staying out of the circle of drama and romance.
"We better get back to our chores before Pa or Ma begins to wonder where we've disappeared to!" Simeon quickly stood up and walked back to the house.
The three Longacre children walked back to the house in silence but all had the same thought. They all realized that Ethan had made his choice and that was the end of it.