"Isabella, you need to help me with dinner!" my mother yelled from across the kitchen, throwing a hand towel across the table to rouse me from my thoughts. I looked up at her, staring straight into her eyes, trying to convey the sadness I felt and that I just needed another moment.

It had almost two days since I was handed my life sentence to become the future Mrs. James Schwartz. I could still hardly wrap my head around the thought. James is seven years my senior, and while that is not that big of an age difference in the community as a whole, it still did not sit well with me. Besides, I always got a bad feeling whenever I was in close quarters with him.

The way he stares at me, and any other girl like he could see right through our dresses, always left me feeling like someone was pouring ice cold water over my head. And now I have to be married to him? Share a bed with him? Cook and clean for him? Have babies with him? It was all a lot to take in, in such a small amount of time. A person needs time to sort through these kinds of things. I just needed some time to think and to feel and to react to the situation!

Surely my mother should understand the way that I was feeling right now? Surely she could understand that maybe I was feeling a little bit hurt that my own father did not fight for a better match for me. The world as I knew it was coming to a dramatic end, and I was supposed to just prepare dinner like nothing was happening?

But of course, I stood up, brushed off my apron and got to work, like a good little Amish girl should. I was not happy, but I could not show it. I could never show it. I am so afraid, but my parents can never know. Now I can only cry on the inside, while I smile on the outside.


A/N: A chapter every day keeps writer's block at bay. SO now the whole setting and premise of the story have been revealed! I know y'all are reading and being super quiet but if you have a second please drop me a line and let me know what you think!

The next few days might be iffy with my posting schedule as I will be out of town and away from my computer but I will at least write and post when I'm back on campus! Thanks for reading!

V21M