Page 80 of Unforgiven

“I believe you. But . . . you’re awfully young, Mel.”

“You’re only saying that because you think of me as your little sister. I’m not that young. I’m certainly old enough to realize that Lott makes me happy.”

As they approached another traffic light, he glanced her way. Melonie’s chin was up and her eyes were bright. She felt comfortable in her skin and with her relationship with this boy.

There were so many things Seth wanted to say about that. He wanted to tell her he was proud of her for being the type of woman she was. That he’d been wrong about his prejudices against Lott. Most of all, he wanted to tell Melonie that he was grateful to her for never giving up on him. For writing to him while he was in prison and always choosing to see him—even when their parents had kept their distance.

But his nerves were so frayed at the moment, he was afraid he would either start crying or say too much and make her cry. So he’d save that conversation for another day when he wasn’t feeling so emotional.

“Seth?” she asked in a tentative voice. “Are you okay?”

“Jah. I’m sorry.” He turned into the hospital parking lot. “There’s a lot I want to tell you, but I can’t do that now. I fear anything I say is going to come out in a jumbled mess.”

“Good things or bad?” Her voice sounded timid and sweet. Exactly the way it had always been, even when she’d been a little girl and following him all around.

It made his voice gentle. “Good. All good,” he said as he maneuvered his vehicle into a narrow space in the back of the lot.

As soon as they got out, Melonie came around the truck and wrapped her arms around him. “You’re not alone, Seth. God is with you and Tabitha. I am too.”

“I know that. Danke.”

“I know Mamm and Daed love you and care about you too.”

He pressed his lips to her brow. “I know, Mel.”

She smiled at him. “Let’s go on in, then.”

He’d been inside the hospital only one other time. Now, walking through the emergency room doors, he was inundated with the sounds of a baby crying, a television that droned from its place on the wall, and about a dozen conversations. The lights were bright, and there was an astringent smell in the air. Several people stood in lines near the front of the room. Some of them didn’t look happy at all.

Beside him, Melonie wrinkled her nose. “It’s not like I thought it would be. Where do you think we go?”

Seeing that a man was standing behind a sign that said “Reception,” Seth figured that was a good place to start. They joined the other six people in line. Unable to help himself, Seth kept looking at where the nurses were, hoping to see some sign of Tabitha.

Several minutes later, they’d finally reached the reception desk.

“May I help you?” the man asked without looking up from his computer screen.

“We’re here to see Tabitha Yoder,” Seth said.

“How was she brought in?”

“By ambulance.”

The man raised his head. “Sorry. You’re in the wrong place.” He pointed to another line on their right. “Someone over there will help you out.”

Seth gritted his teeth but nodded. “Thank you.”

Melonie glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “You handled that well.”

He wasn’t sure if he had or hadn’t. All he did know was that he wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize his chances of seeing Tabitha as soon as possible. “Nothing one can do about it, jah?” he said as they went to the end of the next line. “Complaining won’t change things.”

“I suppose.” She sounded as doubtful as he felt, though.

Seth sighed in relief that she didn’t say anything more. He didn’t like to admit how much his incarceration had changed him, but there were times when he realized that his experience had a lasting effect that wasn’t completely unwelcome. He’d learned patience in prison. Patience and the benefits of keeping one’s mouth closed instead of complaining.

Ten minutes later, he was speaking to yet another hospital representative wearing a pair of light blue scrubs and staring at a computer. “We’re looking for Tabitha Yoder. She was brought here by ambulance.”

The lady tapped on her keyboard. “She’s being seen now. Are you family?”

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