Page 28 of Unforgiven

“Tomorrow.”

“And you’ll speak to him then?”

“I’ll try.”

“Danke.”

He nodded as he went inside.

Their whole conversation had thrown him for a loop. He hoped it also wasn’t going to cause a lot of trouble for everyone involved.

But how could it not?

11

Somehow, over the last three weeks, Tabitha had been opening up to Seth. It happened little by little, a mishmash of a dozen things that he’d done to set her at ease. What surprised her the most was that she didn’t even realize that she was trusting him more. Maybe it wasn’t even possible to pinpoint exactly what had happened. All she could put her finger on was the number of small ways that their interactions had changed.

When he came over these days, Seth no longer had to knock quietly before taking a step back so he wouldn’t be too close when she peeked through the peephole or carefully opened the door. He also didn’t seem to spend the first thirty seconds in her company gauging her mood so he wouldn’t scare her or make her worry if she didn’t seem in a particularly strong frame of mind.

Now, Tabitha simply opened her door the moment she spied him on her driveway. It was both exhilarating and slightly jarring too. She was doing things she hadn’t thought possible even a few months ago.

Seth seemed grateful for her progress. She was pretty sure he overthought his actions and words whenever he was around her. He seemed to be very conscious of the fact that she was older than him and used to be his teacher. She hadn’t cared about that at all. He might be younger by a few years, but Seth surpassed her in many other ways. He was strong and dependable. She hoped she would one day be like that too.

She’d also started smiling at him more and chatting too. Some might even categorize their exchanges as real conversations. Oh, not that they ever talked about anything too private. She wasn’t ready for that. But they did talk about things beyond the weather now. Beyond whatever Seth had brought to her house or whatever chore he was set to get done for her. Sometimes, when she was feeling pretty brave, she even initiated the conversation. Seth seemed to like it the most when she did that.

Whenever she brought up a new topic, he’d almost smile. She really liked those almost-smiles. Because of that, they’d started discussing all sorts of things. Favorite foods. Favorite seasons of the year. And, of course, her new dog. Tabitha loved talking about Chance. She knew she was being silly, going on about how adorable and smart he was, but she couldn’t help herself.

Considering she’d spent most of the last five years as a recluse, Tabitha couldn’t believe that she’d talked so much to anyone. Sometimes she even had a hard time conversing with Mary, and she was her sister. But there was something about Seth that called to Tabitha and made her want to be different. Whether it was his kindness, the way he did so much for her without asking for a thing in return, or because he was having to live a very different life than he’d once imagined, she didn’t know. All she was sure about was that she almost felt comfortable around Seth Zimmerman. That was enough.

No—that was a milestone.

She knew the Lord was working through both of them. He was giving them proof that there was still hope to make their lives different. That whatever unintended path they were on didn’t have to be an awful one. All they had to do was trust Him for their next steps.

Today when he visited, though, Seth looked preoccupied. He’d answered her questions about the weather and his health easily enough, but he wasn’t exactly concentrating on his answers. Even Chance’s exuberance when he arrived didn’t remove the shadows from his eyes. After dutifully petting the dog for a few moments, Seth pulled back into himself. Everything about him seemed strained.

She started to worry that he’d come over only out of duty. “You know, you don’t have to stay if you have other things you need to do,” she said as she gestured to the two chairs in her living room. Though the temperature wasn’t too low, there was a new chill in the air. The cold air seemed to settle into her bones if she sat outside for too long.

“I don’t.”

“Oh. Well, all right.” Glad she’d just made a fresh pot of coffee, she carried over two cups. As she placed them on the table, she glanced his way again. Seth usually had a confident, cool air about him, but it was absent today. “I just wanted you to know that I was fine.”

After taking a sip of the warm brew, he set the cup on her coffee table. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be,” he said in a sharp tone.

She drew back. “Of course. I’m sorry to press.”

He winced. “I’m the one who’s sorry, Tabitha. Even though I usually don’t let things bother me, my parents have sure gotten under my skin.”

She knew Wayne and Anna Zimmerman. She’d been their children’s teacher, though the family belonged to a different church district than she’d attended.

Though she hadn’t seen Wayne and Anna for some time, she did know they were good people. They also were private folks who believed in rules and tradition. Seth’s actions—and his incarceration—had to have been devastating for them.

She was tempted to say something trite, something to show that she was sorry about whatever had happened with him and his parents, but nothing came to mind. Instead, she sipped her coffee.

Running a hand through his hair, he squinted at the horizon beyond the window. The sky was covered in clouds, and a faint sheen hung in the air, like frozen mist was stuck there and had nowhere to go. “I just wish things were different, you know?”

She knew. “Do you want to talk about it? And before you start telling me that you don’t want to burden me with your problems, let me remind you that listening to a friend isn’t a burden. It’s a privilege.”

His lips twitched. “That sounds like something a bishop would say.”

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