All it took was one phone call to his brother to confirm, which left Jesse feeling like there was a rock sitting in the pit of his stomach. For almost a full week, he’d dreaded talking to his niece for obvious reasons. And to make matters worse, his wife hadn’t let him live it down.
Now that the couple hadn’t called him to give them a ride home from the airport, it was easy to assume they were upset because they knew the truth. Jesse hoped, however, that they simply forgot to call and still were going to call when they landed.
Chastity and Timothy took over two hours of their nine-hour flight talking about what course to take with John. By the time they landed, they were both exhausted. Although nothing sounded better than a ride home from the airport, Chastity wasn’t sure she was ready to be around anyone just yet. Timothy respected her wishes and called for a cab as soon as they landed.
Within that two-hour window Chastity went back and forth between anger and resignation. She was furious John would impose on her honeymoon, which was one of the happiest times in their life. Timothy fell in line with that line of thinking. She was his wife now and he felt like giving John a piece of his mind.
The other side of Chastity felt tired of being angry. Knowing that John and his wife were about to have a child, Chastity’s own flesh and blood, she was curious about what it would be like to be a big sister. Over the last few months, she’d finally come to the conclusion that she wanted to be a part of that little baby’s life and if that meant being around John in some way, then so be it.
When she shared this with Timothy, she could tell he wasn’t thrilled about her entangling their life with John’s, but in the end he told her he’d support her either way. So for the rest of the flight, they got some sleep. They knew they had time to sort it all out. All they needed was to clear their minds, get some sleep, and get home. The rest would take care of itself.
Jesse was far from having any peace of mind. The flight tracker software, on his smart phone, had confirmed they’d landed safely.
“Lauri, should I call them?” Anxiety was written all over Jesse’s face.
“If they’ve not called you by now, I think it’s best you leave her alone. You should know Chastity by now to know she’ll talk to you when she’s ready.”
“But I want her to know it was an accident. I didn’t mean to divulge anything that would give John any info on where they were staying.”
“You don’t even know if she found out that information.”
Jesse gave her an incredulous look. “There’s no other reason for her not calling me and raving about what a great time they had! She has to know. I know she knows. I feel it in my gut.”
“Well they very well could be jet lagged and ready to come home and rest. She’ll call you tomorrow. Until then…chill out. Go upstairs and play with Alex. He needs a break from the video games anyway. I’ll call you if I hear from her.” She reassured.
Jesse put his phone in his pocket and started to walk upstairs, when he heard his phone ding. He slid it back out and checked to see if Chastity had texted him.
Took Andie to hospital…Something’s wrong with her. Baby coming C-section now. Please pray.
Jesse’s face dropped. “Oh my gosh. Lauri, call Ms. Adams and ask her to watch Alex. We’ve got to go to Virginia right now.” He texted back, before handing the phone the Lauri.
We’re on our way. Text us address of hospital. Be there as soon as I get a plane out.
“Honey, please text Chastity. I’m going upstairs to get us a flight out. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, but I have to be there for my brother. If he loses either of his girls, it …” Jesse’s voice trailed off.
“Nope. I’m there. I’ll text her for you.”
Jesse walked upstairs to his home office. His brother wasn’t the only one with connections. He had a few friends who could get him a charter flight within the hour. Jesse noticed his hand was shaking when he reached for his office line. He felt like someone had dropped a forty-pound weight on his chest. His head felt fuzzy and his hands were wet. This was the same feeling he had the day his own mother didn’t come home from the hospital, and he prayed John wouldn’t have to go through what Jesse already knew too much about.
Chapter 60
“We’re home.” Chastity sighed and set her overnight bag on the porch. Timothy grabbed both suitcases from the taxi and paid the driver. She dug for her keys to the front door and found them at the bottom of her purse. She’d spent enough time at Timothy’s house, that it felt like home but knowing she lived her now was unreal.
“Not so fast Mrs. Banks.” Timothy set the bags on the porch and reached for her. “It’s my duty to carry you across first.”
“Well I have to unlock it!” She laughed and turned the key.
Timothy lifted her light frame and carried her across the threshold of their home.
“Welcome home Mrs. Banks.” Timothy proudly carried her to the couch. “Can you believe it?” He grinned down at her.
Chastity sighed as she let herself be set down. “Yes and no. What I can’t believe is that we have this whole house to ourselves. I live here now!” She squealed with delight.
Timothy brought the bags in and locked the door. “I know. I’m going to want lasagna every Thursday night you now? And I hate mayo on my grilled cheese sandwiches.” Timothy teased. “You know – just thought I’d start with your wifely duties.”
Chastity laughed hard. “Okay Mr. Man. Well I expect a pedicure every Sunday evening and I’ll need a hammock for the back patio.” She raised her hands up to Timothy. “And you’ll need to help me up each time I’m sitting on this couch…it swallows you whole!” She laughed. “I’m serious about that last part. I never can get off this thing.”
Timothy pulled her up into his arms. “It’s pretty big, and the perfect size for …” He dipped his head and nuzzled her neck.
Chastity heard her phone ding and pulled back. “Another time maybe? I have a feeling it’s Uncle Jesse. At the least, I need to is to respond to let him know we arrived safely.”
“I’ll go unpack my bag and let you sort it out with your uncle.” He grabbed both their bags and walked down the hall.
Chastity dug through her purse for her iPhone. “I’ll be there in a sec to unpack mine too.” She called down the hall.
Chastity lifted her phone, without a clue that what she was about to read would change her life faster than expected.
Wanted you to know we’re leaving on an immediate flight. John’s wife is in surgery. It sounds serious. Think baby is okay – not sure about Andie. I’ll keep you posted. Know you’re welcome but not expected.
“Um Timothy? Can you come here?” Chastity sank back down into the couch. “On my way.” Timothy poked his head in the living room. “What’s up?”
Chastity sat with her head hung, and arm extended with phone in hand. “Read it and tell me what to do.” Chastity cared more than she’d like to admit, but couldn’t make up her mind on how to handle this new information she was given.
He quickly crossed the room and took the phone. She watched him read the text and hoped he’d have input on what she should do. He lifted an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders before handing her back the phone.
“What do you think?” Chastity scrunched up her nose and looked to him for assurance.
Timothy leaned on the bar, which separated the kitchen and the living room. He gave himself enough distance in case what came next would cause him bodily harm. He crossed his arms and put on as stern of a face as he could muster.
“I think you leave the bastard alone and let him suffer. That’s his problem not yours.” He said gruffly. Timothy had never played devil’s advocate before with her, not with such a serious subject matter, but it was a tactic he used to practice often when he had his law practice. He found it helped prep his defendants when preparing for cross-examination. His method, with Chastity, was to throw the extreme at her and let her own sensibilities take over.
“Dead serious. He’s not your family. Why worry about him?”
“No, he’s not but he’s a part of me whether I like it or not!” Chastity’s stress level rose. She was defending her father and she couldn’t believe her own ears. “And … and his daughter is my s-sister!”
Chastity got up and paced the floor. She re-read the text again before coming to a stop in front of Timothy.
“You’re supposed to help me figure this out!” Chastity half begged and half yelled. “I can’t desert Uncle Jesse or my new sister! I want to know her. I told you that on the plane. You said you’d support me!” By the end of her speech, Chastity was strictly yelling.
Timothy smiled and pulled her to him. “I think you know the answer now, don’t you? You didn’t need to know what I thought. You only needed to figure it out for yourself.”
Chastity pushed at his chest. “You jerk.” She said as she wiped a tear from her face. “You were playing me!”
“No, I would never do that.” He said softly. “I was only helping you figure out what you thought.”
“Well, you know what I think?” She sighed and leaned into him.
“What?”
“I think we’re getting on another flight.” She groaned, and then texted her uncle saying they would be there as soon as they could get a flight. Jesse told her to head straight to Sundance Airport, a smaller charter airport. He told her he’d have a flight waiting for them to bring them to Virginia. He texted Chastity with the hospital info and told her he’d send a taxi for her.
Chastity and Timothy quickly re-packed a smaller bag, in case they stayed overnight and ran out to Timothy’s car. She didn’t think she’d be making this journey so soon, and was sure she was 100% unprepared for what was about to happen.
God help me! She prayed and grabbed her husband’s hand as he drove to the airport. She was getting ready to board an airplane and after they landed, walk into having a relationship with her dad. She felt like she was going to jump out of her skin.
Chastity didn’t say much for the entire three hours it took to fly to Virginia. When Timothy reached to help her down the steps of the small jet, her hand felt clammy and cold.
“You okay?” He lifted her chin to get a clear look into her eyes. “You don’t have to do this. We can get right back on the plane and fly home.”
She shook her head. “Don’t tempt me. I really want to run as far away as I can right now.” One step at a time – you can do this girl. She told herself and closed her eyes tight.
The taxi pulled up outside the gate and waited for the two to cross the landing strip. Chastity opened her eyes, and grabbed her backpack. She gave Timothy a reassured look and boldly took a step forward. She reached for his hand and gave him a smile that barely tugged at the corners of her mouth.
He knew he married a brave woman, but never understood the depths of that term until today. He dutifully followed his wife and entered the taxi.
Chapter 61
The two walked hand in hand until they reached the main doors of the emergency room entrance. Timothy walked to her pace and stopped after she paused at the doors. Once they entered those doors, there was no turning back.
“I can’t do this.” She muttered. “I don’t think I can do this.”
“Chastity we can turn back right now. Just say the word. But also know the ramifications of your decision. If something were to happen to his wife,” Timothy started in referring to Andie. “… and you weren’t here, you might regret it later.”
Chastity nodded with intent and took a deep breath. “You’re right. We’ve come too far now to turn back.” She placed her hand on the door and pulled hard. Timothy came around behind her to open it and allow her room to enter.
Jesse saw them walk in, holding hands. They looked miserable, but he was so happy to see them. He jumped up from his chair and walked over to greet Chastity with a hug.
“I’m so happy to see you.” He smiled down at his niece. “You didn’t have to come.” Lauri walked up behind them and opened her arms for the next hug.
“Is he here?” Her eyes scanned the room and didn’t see anyone she may know.
Lauri shook her head. “No honey. He’s in the chapel praying. Andie’s parents are on their way. And Andie is in ICU … we’re just waiting at this point.”
Chastity, fully aware of her uncle’s history of losing his own mother, reached for Jesse’s hands. “How are you doing right now? This must be like a punch in the stomach for you.”
Timothy’s heart ached for his wife. He was amazed at her tender heart. Here she was dreading this moment with all the anxiety her mind and body could produce, and she was concerned for her uncle. He laid his hands on her shoulders and squeezed them gently.
“I’m okay sweetie. It’s Andie I’m worried about now. It apparently started with blurred vision and a nosebleed…and then she started feeling sick. John rushed her here, and they took the baby by C-section.”
“Is she okay?” She asked nervously.
“The baby’s stable and healthy. Lauri just got back from checking on her.” Timothy looked to his wife to fill in the blanks about his newest niece.
“She’s got good color and she’s beautiful. Do you want to go see her?” Lauri offered.
“There’s nothing I’d love more, but…” Chastity looked up to Timothy. “I’ve got to go see John first.”
Timothy squeezed her hand and kissed her on the cheek. “You going to be okay?”
“Yeah. This is something I can’t avoid anymore. My family is in trouble and I’m needed whether I like it or not.” Chastity bit her lip.
Timothy pulled her to the side, while Jesse and Lauri stepped away to give them privacy.
“Remember. You’ve done your duty. You showed up. You don’t have to be here to follow through with the rest.”
“Yes, I do. It’s the least I can do … if only for Jesse.”
“So you’re okay that he didn’t tell us about John’s financing our honeymoon?” He reminded her.
“I’m not sure. I know he’s always been up front with me before but I think he was caught in the middle on this one and wasn’t sure what to do. I’m not going to hold that against him.”
“Man, you’re forgiving.”
Chastity smiled with a small realization that some of those church sermons had been wearing off after all. “Well isn’t that what we’re supposed to do? Forgive? Like Pastor Carter says – how can we fully accept Christ’s forgiveness if we can’t extend it to those around us?”
Timothy frowned. “You think that includes John too?”
“I guess it has too. And in some part I think I’ve started that journey or we wouldn’t be here, would we?”
“Yes. And I’m so proud of you.” Again his heart swelled. “I’m so lucky to have you.”
Chastity bit her bottom lip and held back the tears. “I’m the lucky one.” She kissed him softly, dropped his hands, and walked back over to her uncle and aunt. She knew what she had to do.
“Where is the chapel?” She asked softly.
Jesse couldn’t believe his ears. In response, all he could do was point the way toward the hallway that led to the chapel. Timothy quickly grabbed her hands, and looked to her with questioning eyes. Chastity shook her head in return. She had to do this alone.
Jesse reached for her before she left. His eyes held so much regret. “Chastity? I need to tell you something. I did something inadvertently and I need you to know…”
“It’s okay.” She reassured him. “Let’s not worry about that now.”
“Thank you.” Jesse’s voice was raspy. “I’m sorry.”
She gave him stern look. “I said stop.” He laughed and he hugged his niece.
Timothy watched his wife walk down the long hallway and turn around the corner out of distance. This time his eyes were the ones tearing up.
Every step felt like her legs were made of
cement, as she slowly dragged herself along. Chastity could feel her heartbeat accelerating with every foot that she got closer to the end of the hallway.
Once she turned the corner, she was faced with another set of doors that led to the chapel, where her father sat inside. She took one, two, three steps until she stood right before the doors that would open up the biggest can of worms she’d ever known.
Lord, give me strength. She knew she was walking into a chapel, a place of God. It couldn’t be all that bad. Chastity lifted her unsteady hand and turned the doorknob. What she saw wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. A few pews lined either side of the room, with a pulpit at the front and altars on either side.
She had to fight the urge to pass out. It felt like the air was being cut off from her lungs, and her heart was beating so loudly she was sure anyone inside could hear it. That’s when she saw him and all her sensations faded into the background.
She saw what seemed to be a very broken man kneeling at the altar. His head was buried in his hands, and his shoulders were hunched. She thought she saw them shaking a bit.
Is he crying? Or praying? Probably both. She decided.
In the first few seconds, Chastity didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t just approach him. She didn’t even know him, but seeing him she was overcome by emotions she didn’t know were possible. She felt pity for him. She expected anger or apathy, but not pity. She knew he must be so afraid and for the first time, she ached for her father. Chastity sat on the pew a few rows behind her dad close enough to hear him but not close enough to alert her presence.
John heard someone walking behind him but gave it no thought. All he could do was continue to plead with God for Andie’s life. The altar, beneath his face, was already slick from the tears that had cascaded down below. The fear that his mother’s death was replaying in real time right in front of him terrorized and gripped his heart – and he knew he had to be strong.
He knew he had to stop pleading in fear to God and start praying in strength. It’s what Andie would have told him to do, so he would do it for her in hopes that God would really hear him.
Facing Redemption Page 27