Her Brother's Keeper by Beth Wiseman Page A

cover would be blown.
    Hannah sat up quickly. “What did you see?”
    Charlotte did what she did best. And told another lie.

    After supper, Charlotte had struggled through the nightly devotions with Hannah and the rest of the family. Now that she was tuned in to the possibility that there was a God and an afterlife, there seemed to be a giant overhaul of her soul underway, and it was painful and unwelcome. She thought back to what Ryan had said. When a person first begins to develop a relationship with God, it’s like a cleansing of the soul or something.
    Charlotte had no doubt that she needed a life overhaul, but at what cost? She pulled her knees to her chest and pulled her oversize white T-shirt over her knees. Rocking back and forth on the bed, she closed her eyes and reminded herself why she was here. Then she forced herself to think about Ethan dangling from a noose, hanging from a tree in his yard. And that vision was enough to get her back on the course she’d set before she arrived, no matter how painful the truth might be. She found her yellow pad between the mattresses and got comfy.
    August 28
    The Plain People seem to pride themselves on separating themselves from the world because of their unwavering faith in God, but what happens when one of their own takes his or her own life? Will that person go to heaven? Did Ethan go to heaven? Apparently, the Amish debate this question like many other religions. Hannah is really struggling with this, and I believe that her grief about Ethan is real, but I can’t help but wonder what goes on behind closed doors here.
    Charlotte paused. She’d had enough counseling to know that just because her childhood had been horrible, that didn’t mean there weren’t good people in the world. Her parents’ way of raising children wasn’t the norm.
    She thought about what she saw in the clouds today.
    I’m choosing to believe in God. I’m choosing to believe that Ethan is in heaven.
    But if that was the case, Charlotte wondered if she would ever see her brother again. She was pretty sure there wasn’t a reserved seat for her on the other side of the pearly gates.
    Charlotte knew about the fund that the Amish all contributed to for medical needs, and she wondered if Ethan should have seen a counselor, and if that option had ever been offered to him.
    Putting the pad beside her on the bed, she stretched her legs out in front of her, leaned against her pillow, and picked up her cell phone. When Ryan answered, she filled him in on the day.
    â€œSo, do you believe in signs?” she asked him after she told him what she’d seen in the clouds.
    â€œI don’t know. I think God sometimes gives us signs. Faith means believing in what we can’t see, and God doesn’t have to prove Himself. But, I have to admit, it’s pretty cool that you saw that.”
    Charlotte still wondered if she’d created the formation in the clouds just by wishing it to be so. Or was it the sign she’d asked God for?
    She jumped when she heard a noise that sounded like it was coming from outside. “Hey, I gotta go. I hear something out in the yard. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
    Charlotte shined her flashlight on the wood floors and tiptoed to the window. She waited until the light from the propane lamp caught the shadow running through the yard and wasn’t too surprised to see that it was Jacob. She’d been right when she thought she’d heard the front door opening late at night. Apparently, Amish and English teenagers had something in common.

Six

    H annah stood next to her mother at the kitchen window. Mary had rushed to the barn when she saw Isaac pulling up in his buggy, and now they were smiling and laughing.
    â€œIsaac must really like Cousin Mary. She told me that they are going on a date tomorrow.” Mamm kept her eyes glued to the two of them, which was probably a good thing because she didn’t see