Being Known
Page 25
Their kindness to Christy and me continued in a string of text messages two weeks later, the morning we were heading to the airport. Tess, Emily, and Sierra all said they were praying for us and happy that we were going on what they were calling our second honeymoons.
Joel was in such a great mood. The changes at the Blue Ginger over the past few weeks had gone as hoped, and everything was running smoothly with Vincent and all the other staff changes. I loved seeing Joel so excited about our trip. He had a list on his phone of the notable restaurants where he wanted us to eat on Maui.
It had been harder than I thought it would be to say goodbye to our kids when we left them with GiGi and Poppy. Joel had us all hold hands and pray, the way he had been doing with us lately. Each morning we prayed as a family, and then Eden would announce her new made-up game of “A Hug and a Kiss.” We would give each other a hug and a kiss after our brief prayer before Joel left for work.
The morning we left for Maui, we paused by our suitcases to join hands and pray. Eden called out, “A hug and a kiss,” and with a final wave to Poppy and GiGi, Joel and I slipped out the door without any crying.
Except for me. I cried a little.
Once we were checking in at the airport, I felt little shimmers of happiness kick in. We spotted Todd and Christy at the oversized baggage counter, where he was checking in a surfboard in an orange zip-up cover.
I waved, and my heavy shoulder bag began to slide. I had packed so much. Way more than Tess had recommended. We had checked two suitcases, and I knew that Joel would have to lift my carry-on into the overhead because it was so heavy.
My problem was that I had waited too long before starting to pack. I didn’t know what I would need. I had no idea how many books I would have time to read. Never having been to Hawaii, I found it hard to believe that the only shoes I would need was a single pair of flip-flops. I ended up packing four pairs of shoes. Joel watched me squash them into the second suitcase and was about to protest, but I said, “Don’t judge me,” and he kept his lips sealed.
Christy walked over to us with Todd right behind her. She had a small wheeled suitcase. “Ready?” she asked.
“What about your luggage?” Joel asked.
“It’s just this,” Christy said.
Todd turned, showing us his backpack and indicating that was all he was bringing.
Joel laughed. “If you guys discover that you need anything, anything at all, I’m sure we brought extra you can use.” He took my hand and led the way to security.
I was a painfully inexperienced traveler. I really hoped my foibles wouldn’t irritate everyone that week.
Relax. This trip is a gift, Jennalyn. A gift of love. Enjoy it. All of it.
I lightened up. This was going to be a great trip. We arrived at our gate and discovered that the flight already was boarding. Joel and I took our seats right behind Christy and Todd, thanks to the guys arranging that earlier.
Christy peered over the top of her seat and with a bit of mischief in her eyes and said, “Guess what? We’re going to Maui!”
“I know!”
A passenger coming down the aisle caught my eye, and my mouth dropped. “Christy,” I whispered. “Look!”
She turned to see Rick Doyle lifting a suitcase into the overhead luggage compartment. In front of him was a pretty, stylish young woman wearing a cute straw fedora.
Isn’t she a sweet young thing? Man, he sure replaced Tess quickly! I’m so glad Tess didn’t get tangled up with that guy. I can’t believe he’s on the same flight with us.
Christy rose from her seat and called out, “Nicole!”
That’s his wife!? He’s with his wife!?
Todd lifted his hand to wave. Rick grinned and came over. Todd stood, and the two of them gave each other a manly sort of shoulder-to-shoulder hug.
“So glad it worked out for you and Nicole to come,” Todd said.
“Thanks to you,” Rick said.
Todd ignored what seemed like a compliment and motioned to Joel and me, introducing us to Rick.
Rick looked at me. “Didn’t we meet…” He suddenly seemed to remember. “Oh, right. The movie theater. You’re Tess’s friend.”
Nicole had joined Rick and obviously heard him say Tess’s name. Apparently, no shadowy unspokens would need to be tiptoed around between the two of them. I was astounded.
Christy gave Nicole a warm hello before introducing us.
“It’s going to be a great week.” Rick looked at his wife with the sweetest expression of admiration.
I felt as if I were watching a miracle.
What if Tess hadn’t…
The announcement to take our seats came on over the Hawaiian music playing in the background. Rick and Nicole returned to their bulkhead seats in the center aisle. I reached into my shoulder bag, stuffed under the seat in front of me, and pulled out a pair of socks. It was one of Tess’s top ten recommendations for comfort on a long flight.
Slipping one foot out of my sandal, I performed a bit of a contortionist act by bending my knee and raising my foot high enough to rest the heel on the edge of my seat. That was the only way I could scrunch up my sock and pull it on without kicking Christy’s seat.
I heard Joel make a “hmm” sound. I turned, expecting him to look amused. I was ready to say “Don’t judge me” once again. He looked sweetly sad and was staring at my foot.
“What?”
“You got your toenails painted,” he said.
“Christy and I had pedis on Monday, remember? When we got our hair trimmed. Next time we go, we’re going to take our girls and make a new tradition of it.”
Joel’s expression remained sober. “Your mom used to always have red toenails.”
“You remember that?” I loved that he remembered.
“Yeah, but I don’t know why. I liked her red toenails.”
“So did I. It’s one of the things I always remember when I think of her.” I pulled on my sock and tried to be a little more graceful as I repeated the motion with the other foot. “Oh My, Cherry Pie,” I murmured.
“What’s that?” Joel asked.
“It’s the name of the polish. It’s the only one she ever wore.”
“Oh My, Cherry Pie?” he repeated.
I nodded and pulled on the second sock, loving the way Joel noticed. I also loved that he had memories of my mom and that we could talk about her.
“She loved cherry pie,” he said.
“Yes, she did.”
“Your mom was a classy woman,” Joel said. “Just like you.”
I put down my foot and leaned my head on his shoulder.
Joel gave a chest-deep chuckle. “Do you remember how she said that after she was gone cherry pie would still be here, and it would carry on the sweetness into the next generation?”
I smiled. “Yes, I remember.”
Joel kissed the top of my head. “She would be so proud of you, Jennalyn. So proud of the woman you’ve become, the wife and mother that you are.”
He reached for my hand, and we laced our fingers together. “You know what I think?” he asked.
I lifted my head, looking at him with tears in my eyes.
“I think that all along, whenever she raved about cherry pie, she was dropping one of her clever secret messages.”
“What secret message?”
“Don’t you know?”
Joel looked at me with tears in his eyes and whispered, “It was you, Jennalyn. You were her cherry pie.”
With much aloha to my closest DOEs, Rachel, Janet, Marlene, Kim, Carolyn, Janna, Manasseh, Jill, Donna, Alyssa, Leslie, and Molly. Thank you for being so generous with your time, words, prayers, and love. It’s an honor to be known by you. You are the mothers, sisters, friends, and daughters who have brought the sacred into my ordinary days. More, p
lease.
BOOKS BY ROBIN JONES GUNN
Series and Collections
Christy Miller
Sierra Jensen
Christy and Todd: The College Years
Katie Weldon
Christy and Todd: The Married Years
Christy and Todd: The Baby Years
Glenbrooke
Sisterchicks
Haven Makers
Novellas and Hallmark Movies
Finding Father Christmas
Engaging Father Christmas
Kissing Father Christmas
Nonfiction
Praying for Your Future Husband: Preparing Your Heart for His
Victim of Grace: When God’s Goodness Prevails
Spoken For: Embracing Who You Are and Whose You Are
A Pocketful of Hope for Mothers
About the Author
ROBIN JONES GUNN is the bestselling author of nearly one hundred books with more than five and a half million copies sold worldwide. Best known for her Christy Miller novels for teens and the Christy Award–winning Glenbrooke and Sisterchicks series, Robin’s nonfiction titles include Praying for Your Future Husband, coauthored with Tricia Goyer, and Spoken For, coauthored with Alyssa Bethke.
Hallmark Channel created three movies from her Father Christmas novellas, which broke a record for the network by being the highest-rated and most-watched original Christmas movies.
Robin’s love for storytelling and training writers has taken her around the world. She has served on the board of Media Associates International and has been a keynote speaker in Africa, Brazil, Europe, and Australia, as well as in Canada and throughout the United States.
Readers who grew up with Robin’s books have written to tell her how the memorable characters in her stories have mentored and influenced them over the years. Robin and her husband have two grown, married children and live in Hawaii.