Gay Amish 03 - A Way Home by Keira Andrews

felt heavier, like it was as gray as the floor and walls. A light flickered in the stairwell as they trudged up to the third floor in silence. Isaac had the stupid thought that they were going into battle, and he supposed they were. Against cancer. The world. Each other.
    When he entered the hall, his gaze immediately found David by Nathan’s door, and Isaac smiled automatically. But it vanished as he took in David’s hunched shoulders and downcast eyes. Then Isaac focused on the other people in the hall—Aaron in the corner with his arms crossed and lips thin, and the black-clad forms of Bishop Yoder and Deacon Stoltzfus, who seemed to take up so much room in the corridor that for a moment Isaac wondered if they’d somehow grown taller.
    The absurd thought that he should run reverberated in Isaac’s mind before he banished it. He made his feet move, his Amish boots heavy on the worn tile as he followed Mother and Father. A man in a wheelchair dragging a little tank of air stared as they skirted around him.
    Nathan’s room was at the end of the hall, which was a good thing considering how many visitors he had that morning. Of course the bishop and deacon weren’t there to bring him a sweet treat or best wishes from the congregation. They held their hats in their hands, and Isaac took off his and brushed his hair forward as best he could. Aaron’s smile was tight when he caught his eye.
    Aaron mouthed, “ Okay ?”
    Isaac nodded. He mouthed back, “ You ?”
    Aaron nodded, but Isaac wasn’t sure he believed him. He raised his eyebrows, and Aaron relaxed for a moment, giving him a flicker of a real smile. He nodded again.
    David still stared at his sneakers, and Isaac willed him to look up. Is he mad at me? It was silent as the seconds ticked by, and Isaac fidgeted, reaching into his pants pocket to close his fingers over the folding knife. He wished he had something to carve, and a pang of missing carpentry tolled through him. Everything in the city had been so new and shiny, and he’d hardly known where to start. It had never been easy, yet now when he looked back on those days with David in the Lantz barn, it seemed so peaceful and simple as anything.
    “How’s Nathan?” he asked, shocked at the sound of his own voice. He hadn’t meant to say it aloud.
    Bishop Yoder regarded him with a hawk’s precision. He was tall and thin, his white hair wispy and beard wiry. “The Lord is sending Nathan strength and courage. We pray for his full recovery and God’s blessing.”
    “He’s in chemo,” Aaron said. “He’s hanging in there.”
    The bishop went on as if Aaron wasn’t there at all. “Isaac, how good to see you yielding to the Lord and obeying your parents. I know how heavy their hearts have been in your absence.”
    What was he supposed to say to that? “Uh, thank you.” He willed David to look at him, but David’s chin was still down.
    “The Lord has a plan for everything, Isaac. Now He has brought you home. It is as it should be.” Bishop Yoder glanced at David. “We hope your good influence will help David return to the right path as well.”
    An English phrase popped into Isaac’s mind as he glanced at the deacon. If looks could kill . The deacon glowered at pretty much everyone, but he stared at David so hard that Isaac half expected David’s hair to start smoking. Deacon Stoltzfus was a barrel of a man, his dark beard heavy and hanging to mid-chest. His fingers were stubby where he gripped the brim of his black hat.
    A harried older woman in a flapping white coat appeared, flipping pages on a clipboard. Her blonde hair was cropped short and her name tag read Dr. Anita Tyler. “Mr. and Mrs. Byler, I’d like to talk to you about our latest test results.” She glanced up and seemed to notice everyone else for the first time. “Ah. I see Nathan has quite a few visitors today. Remember that he needs his rest. No more than three people at a time, please. In fact, I think most of you should