Faith couldn't accept that her parents were gone. She stood over the graves, tears streaming down her face. Only recently, her dear mother had been calling her for tea, comforting her, talking to her, and supporting her. Her father, sitting at the table, would lift everyone's spirits with his quick wit and jokes. And then, such a sudden tragedy.
Her father had been killed in a freak accident at the lumber mill. Her mother, whose health had been fragile since the war years, faded away just a few months later. Her heart simply couldn't withstand the grief. Faith was their only daughter, and now, at twenty-four, she was completely alone in the world. There was no one to offer a kind word. Ahead lay only loneliness, pain, and uncertainty. Leaving the cemetery, she looked back at the headstones one last time and slowly trudged home.
***
Living in the same small town, John Miller had recently turned forty. Still a young man, yet already a widower. His late wife, Sarah, had gone off to the front with him; she had been a nurse. They went through the war together, returned safe and sound, and threw their arms around their growing son, Isaac, who had been staying with his grandmother. Later, one after the other, two more beloved sons arrived—Luke and Nick. It seemed life was finally coming together. But soon, Sarah fell gravely ill and passed away. Heartbroken, John decided he would never marry again. Of course, raising three rambunctious boys alone was no easy task, but he couldn't imagine another woman in Sarah's place. He had loved her too much.
The youngest, Nick, was only four, and Luke wasn't even six yet. Keeping an eye on the little ones was a full-time job! But it was a happy kind of chaos. Though difficult, it brought him joy. The truly heavy burden, however, was Isaac's disability. A couple of years ago, the boy had gone up to fix the roof and fell, landing hard on his back. The doctors said his spine seemed intact, but Isaac stopped walking. At barely eighteen, he was left bedridden. Now he was nineteen. His peers were out having fun, meeting girls, and making plans for the future, while Isaac felt useless. His fiancée had left him as soon as she realized he wouldn't recover. Despair and physical weakness were doing their dark work. Isaac was wasting away before his father's eyes, eating little and refusing to talk to anyone. "He probably won't last long," John thought bitterly, his heart aching. "How could I have been so careless to let him go up on that roof? I should have fixed it myself, and everything would be fine now."
An elderly neighbor, Mrs. Gable, was known for sticking her nose into everyone's business. One day, seeing a somber John, the old woman remarked pointedly, "I see your yard is a total mess. I can only imagine what the inside of the house looks like. Are you even cooking for those kids?"
"Stay out of my business, Mrs. Gable. I'll look after my boys myself," John grumbled, annoyed.
"I'm only trying to help, trying to give some advice," she insisted. "A house needs a woman's touch. You need a wife. If not for yourself, at least think of the children."
"No one can compare to my Sarah. I close my eyes and I see her face, you understand? I just can't marry again, I can't."
"If you don't want to, you don't have to. But you could at least get your eldest son married," Mrs. Gable said with a sly wink.
"You've got to be joking!" John gave a bitter laugh. "Who would marry a man who can't walk? Isaac had a girl, Clara. Her parents wouldn't let her anywhere near our house once it happened. They didn't want a son-in-law in a wheelchair. And Clara listened to them, even though she loved him. If she walked away, you'll never find anyone else."
"Why not? If there's a will, there's a way. I have someone in mind. A girl who's lost everyone—no brothers, no sisters, no kin at all. She's all alone and crying her eyes out. But she's a good girl, hard-working and kind. How is she supposed to survive on her own? With you all, she'd have a home. And it would be good for you, too—you'd have someone to run the house."
Back in his yard, John lit a cigarette, calmed down, and gave it some serious thought. "Maybe Mrs. Gable is right," he mused. "I have a decent spread here, and my wages are steady. It wouldn't be hard to feed one more person. And I desperately need the help. A house is a cold place without a woman."
He went to speak with Isaac about it, but the poor boy didn't care. "If you want to marry me off, then do it," he said listlessly.
Mrs. Gable happily took on the role of matchmaker. She made a habit of visiting Faith, having long, heart-to-heart talks. She cried with her, sympathized, and supported her. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, she said, "Oh, you have such a hard road ahead of you. My neighbor John is suffering, too. He's seen so much in his life, and now he's alone with those boys, struggling to cope. And the eldest, a grown man now, is bedridden. What a heartbreak for a father! He needs a good daughter-in-law to look after his son. Maybe you'd think about it, Faith?"
Naturally, Faith was hesitant at first. But Mrs. Gable kept at it. John, she said, was a kind, steady, hard-working man. With a father-in-law like that, she'd never want for anything. And one could marry without love; it wasn't as if she'd have to worry about a traditional marriage bed since Isaac was so ill. Instead, she'd have a family of her own, protection, and a roof over her head.
After much soul-searching, Faith finally agreed. The wedding was a quiet affair—no music, no dancing, no crowd. They invited a few close relatives, had a calm dinner, and that was it. The groom lay quietly in bed, barely reacting to the proceedings, as if he had nothing to do with it. Meanwhile, the younger brothers ran happily through the house. They took to Faith immediately. She spoke to them gently, ruffled their hair, and treated them to fresh biscuits. Now this kind lady was going to live with them and bake treats every day.
After seeing off the guests and clearing the table, Faith went to her room. The children trailed after her, climbed onto the bed, and waited for a story. Faith began to read, and soon they were fast asleep.
"What a wonderful family," the girl thought with a smile. "No one will hurt me here."
***
The next morning, she got up early and prepared a delicious breakfast. While they ate, she said quietly to John, "Thank you for welcoming me into your home. I won't let you down. I'll be a good wife to Isaac and a mother to the boys."
John looked at his daughter-in-law, turned red, and muttered awkwardly, "My Isaac is a fool. A complete fool. To have a gift like you and not even realize it."
Feeling a wave of self-consciousness, the girl stood up and busied herself with the housework.
After the wedding, life changed. Cleanliness and order returned to the house, and the kitchen was always filled with mouth-watering aromas. The happy children played in the rooms, and slowly, even Isaac began to show signs of life. Before, he would just lie there staring at the ceiling, but now he watched his brothers with interest and often asked his wife to make him some blackberry cobbler.
And so they lived, one day at a time. Faith gained a sense of security, and the crushing weight of loneliness vanished. The only problem was her father-in-law. She couldn't look him in the eye without blushing or jumping. She couldn't bring herself to call him "Dad," and she was too shy to use his first name. He was just as timid around her, acting like a bashful schoolboy. He thought of her in the evenings and scolded himself. She was his son's wife; he shouldn't be looking at her that way. But thoughts are hard to control. She even appeared in his dreams, holding his hand, leading him through endless meadows until his head spun with happiness.
"Poor Isaac, I'm ashamed to look at him. I must be a terrible father. She's his wife," John tortured himself.
But the heart has a mind of its own. It wasn't any easier for the young woman. Trying to drown out her constant guilt, she threw herself into caring for Isaac. She didn't just feed and encourage him; she decided to try and heal him. Remembering some old remedies her grandmother used, she began massaging his back, making him move his arms and legs, and preparing herbal tonics.
Over time, the treatment began to work. Isaac was no longer just lying down; he was sitting up. He could hold a spoon himself, started reading with interest, and joined in on conversations. He felt that he might soon be able to stand, and he was gradually regaining his strength.
Little Luke and Nick loved her like their own mother. More and more, the word "Mom" would slip out. Faith would smile and pull them close. And John would watch from the shadows, his heart aching.
One morning, a stronger Isaac quietly called his wife and asked for her support. With her help, he slowly climbed out of bed and took a few cautious steps across the room.
"Do you see, Faith? I'm walking," he whispered, his voice trembling. "Thank you for your patience and your care. If it weren't for you, I would have died in that bed. But I can't lie to you. I still love Clara. I didn't want to live because we were apart. But then I felt I could get back on my feet and win her back. I know she hasn't forgotten me. It was just her parents; they didn't want a husband who couldn't walk."
"I understand," Faith replied sadly. "And I don't want to stand in the way of your happiness."
"I hope Clara's parents won't mind now."
"Faith, what about you?" Isaac asked guiltily.
"We'll get a divorce, and I'll go back to my house," she answered calmly. "I'll get by somehow. I don't want to ruin your life. You'll have to come visit, though. And bring the boys, definitely."
Isaac was silent for a moment, looking at his wife with a grateful gaze, and said softly, "You're so good, Faith. So kind and dependable. Thank you for understanding."
***
A few months passed. Isaac had fully recovered and was not only walking but running. They filed for divorce, and Faith packed her things and moved back to her parents' house. Nick and Luke missed her terribly; they would often run away from home just to spend the night at her place. Once they saw that Isaac was no longer disabled, Clara's parents gave their blessing, and the young couple began preparing for their wedding.
Faith held no bitterness. She didn't regret the time she spent with the Millers; she had been loved, respected, and valued there. It was just a shame to be alone again. She thought about this and cried, sitting in tears all day. But toward evening, there was a knock at the door. She thought it was the children again, but it turned out to be John. He stood on the threshold, dressed up, with a massive bouquet of flowers in his hand.
"Faith, I can't do this without you! Come back... be my wife. And it's not just because I need someone to run the house. I've loved you for a long time. I miss you. And Luke and Nick miss you, too; they're waiting. I already promised them you'd come back to us. Isaac found his happiness with Clara. Why shouldn't we? We deserve to be happy, too."
Stunned, Faith froze for a moment, then took the bouquet and looked at John with a tender smile.
After they married, Isaac and Clara soon moved to the city. They lived happily there, working and eventually becoming the proud parents of two wonderful children. They never forgot their family back in the country and would visit with the whole brood. As they grew up, Nick and Luke loved playing with their nieces and their new baby brother, Leo. And to all of them, Faith was Mom.
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