by Leah Atwood
He received laughs and amens from the crowd.
“Our sufferings don’t come as a surprise to Him. In fact, He tells us directly that we will have troubles in our life, but then He instructs us to take heart, for He has overcome the world. On this day, we celebrate Him rising from the grave and overcoming death. Folks, what better comfort and security can we have in this world than to have a personal relationship with the One Who has already won?”
The final words of the message walloped Janie. Funny how she’d thought it a shame that Jared hadn’t come because he needed to hear Darnell’s words, yet she’d been convicted in her own shortcomings of faith. In all that she had faced, God had been right beside her. How could she fail to trust Him with her tomorrows when He’d been so faithful with her yesterdays? All the problems from big to small that still spiked worries—her fears of the proverbial anvil falling—she needed to give one-hundred percent of those to God. She’d come a long way, but couldn’t honestly tell herself she didn’t have one hand in God’s and the other on the controls.
Chapter Fourteen
Evan left church, inspired by Darnell’s words, but worried about Jared. His behavior of late screamed a need for help, but until Jared recognized it, there wasn’t much anyone could do except pray. He hadn’t given up on the idea of talking to him again about the crash and subsequent guilt, but Jared had made it clear he wasn’t going to open up.
Plus, he and Janie would tell Jared today about their relationship. He hadn’t mentioned his concerns to Janie and had done his best to convince her Jared would be happy for them, but in his gut, he didn’t know. The truth was, instinct told him Jared wouldn’t take the news very well, although he had no specific reasons to think that.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” Janie glanced over at him from the passenger seat.
“Life.”
She gave him a small smile. “That’s a broad subject.”
“Did you enjoy the service?” He changed the subject before she could press further.
“Yes. I loved the song choices and Darnell’s message. Did you?”
“It wasn’t a typical Easter service beyond the music, but I wouldn’t have changed a thing.” He tapped on the console where he’d stored his book. “And I got my signed copy of Winning Losses.”
“And you only pushed half the congregation out of the way to get there first.” Her teasing lilt made him laugh.
“More like one person and that’s only because Adele Lotz pushed me, which caused me to run into Sam Trace.”
“Sure.” She drew out the word in four syllables, and caressed his shoulder. “Thanks for making this Easter Sunday a thousand times better than last year.”
His heart flipped. “You’re welcome. I owe you thanks, too.”
She turned her head and rested her cheek against the headrest. “Isn’t it strange how a year is a blip on our life, yet everything can change in that time?”
“Everything can change in a second. It doesn’t take a year.” When he saw the pensive expression on her face, he regretted his choice of words.
“No, but a series of events can keep the seismic changes coming like aftershocks.”
“Change can be good.” He reached to the passenger side and held her hand. “In our case, awesome.”
His apartment complex appeared in the near distance. He drove in and parked in his assigned spot. The numbered space came in handy when other tenants had parties and people driving in from outside the community. A friend who’d lived in the community had told him before management had implemented the system, tenants couldn’t find any parking on Friday and Saturday nights. Now, conspicuous signs stated clearly that all cars parked in an assigned spot not matching the permit number would be towed. Problem solved.
He removed his signed book from the console and tucked it under his arm. Meeting Janie at the front of his car, he held her hand then walked to his apartment. A group of ten kids carrying Easter baskets ran down the sidewalk, and Evan tugged Janie aside to avoid their path.
“There’s a community egg hunt this afternoon.” He nodded in their direction. “I guess it starts soon.”
“I love watching kids get excited about traditions. It’s one of the things I love most about the holidays.”
The squirrel riding on a corncob from Thanksgiving came to mind. “That runs in your blood.”
“I can’t argue with that.” She shrugged. “Even if I wanted to. There’s a lot to be said for keeping traditions.”
A loud cough interrupted them.
He tore his eyes from Janie and looked toward the sound of the cough to see Jared standing by his door. “Hey, glad you made it. I wasn’t expecting you for another hour.”
“Obviously.” Jared’s stared at Janie and Evan’s joined hands.
Sensing his displeasure, Evan discreetly freed his hand.
Janie gave Jared a hug. “Someone got a tan while away.”
“That’s what happens when you’re out in the hot sun all day.” Jared’s gaze switched warily from Janie to Evan. “What’s going on here?”
The bite of Jared’s initial reaction didn’t bode well for the announcement.
“Let’s go inside and talk.” He pulled his keys from his pants pockets and unlocked the door, pushed it open.
The sweet aroma of a brown sugar ham greeted them. He’d prepared it in his newly purchased slow cooker this morning using a recipe that claimed to be no fail.
Jared dragged a chair from under the table and sat down—another sign of his displeasure. They always sat in the living area, whether eating, hanging out, or doing anything else. The table never got used. Today would be the first time Evan could think of that it was used for eating purposes.
Janie shot him an uneasy glance.
“It will be okay,” he whispered, praying that was the truth.
He pulled out a chair for Janie then sat beside her, across from Jared. He didn’t know any way to tell Jared except directly. “Janie and I are dating.”
“How long’s this been going on?” Jared’s cheek twitched.
“Since March.” Now that the cat was officially out of the bag, he reached for Janie’s hand under the table. Her fingers trembled against his.
“Why am I just now finding out about it?”
“You were gone, and didn’t have a phone.” Janie’s soft response was calmer than the one on the tip of his tongue.
Leaning against the backrest, Jared crossed his arms. “I’ve been home since Thursday.”
“We wanted to tell you together and in person.” Evan followed Janie’s protocol and didn’t snap like he wanted to.
“Does Wyatt know?” Jared clenched his jaw.
Evan hesitated to answer. “Yes.”
“Of course.” A derisive snort came from Jared. “I’m the black sheep of this little group, aren’t I?”
“Not at all.” Janie stretched her free arm across the table and touched Jared’s arm. “The only reason Wyatt knows before you is because you were unreachable. Had you been here, we would have told you right away.”
Jared snickered. “Are you sure about that?”
“Completely.” Janie’s hand shook harder under the table. “Can you be happy for us? Please?”
“No.” After uncrossing an arm, Jared waved a finger back and forth between them. “This—you two—shouldn’t happen. It’s a slap in the face to Mike. How could you do this to your husband?”
Evan lost his patience. He pressed his hands against the table and stood. “That was uncalled for. Apologize to her now.”
“It’s okay.” Janie removed her hand from his and pressed it against his bicep. “He’s speaking out of anger.”
“It’s not okay.” He glared at Jared. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately. Drinking, insulting friends, and I’ve heard rumors about you going home with women from bars. You feel guilty, I get that. We’ve all fought it on some level, but that doesn’t give you the right to be a jerk.”
> Jared rolled his eyes. “That’s classic, coming from the man dating his best friend’s wife.”
Clenching a fist, he had to consciously will himself not to punch Jared. He hadn’t been in a fistfight since junior high, and he didn’t want to break that streak now. “Mike’s gone, and he’s not coming back. Do you think Janie and I haven’t discussed it? There’s nothing wrong with us falling for each other and don’t you ever try to make it sound tawdry again.”
“I can’t deal with this.” Jared ran a hand through his hair before pushing away from the table and standing. “I’m leaving.”
Janie jumped to her feet and rushed to stop him. “Don’t go. It’s Easter.”
“I can’t stay here.” He wiggled his arm away from Janie. “I’m sorry.”
“Please stay. We’ll table this conversation and enjoy a nice meal with friends.” Janie’s voice shook with her pleas.
Shaking his head, Jared turned toward the door after shooting them a look of disappointment, and then left the apartment with his shoulders slumped.
More ticked off at how Jared had treated Janie than his actual disapproval of the relationship, Evan’s hands remained in tight fists, and he inhaled a deep breath to free his lungs from anger. “Let him go, Janie. Misery loves company, but he won’t find it here.”
Tears welled in Janie’s eyes and overflowed. “Why can’t he just be happy for us?”
Her pained expression broke his heart, and he drew her into his arms, cradled her to him. “I don’t know, sweetheart. I don’t know.”
Chapter Fifteen
Restlessness attacked Janie with a vengeance. April showers hadn’t brought any May flowers yet. Every day of the month so far, there had been rain. Mostly scattered spurts of precipitation—a few heavy enough to elicit heavy flash flood warnings—but with a constant cover of gray in the sky, Janie hesitated to leave the house. No matter if she checked the radar map, without fail, she’d get caught in a downpour, so after day two of ten, she’d decided to stay home until the sun came out.
She’d reached out to two friends and invited them to lunch, but one had a sick child, and the other had gone out of town for a week. Evan had classes, and Jared still kept a distance almost four weeks after he’d walked out of Evan’s apartment on Easter.
When they did talk, neither of them mentioned that day or her relationship with Evan. He’d respond to messages with a short reply and even answer phone calls, but he always ended the call within a few minutes with the excuse he had to get back to work. Apparently, he thought she wouldn’t realize that he wasn’t at work half those times. Or he didn’t care if she knew. She wasn’t sure which hurt worse.
She piddled around the house, looking for something to get into. Her house was spotless, laundry up to date, and she’d even cleaned the baseboards yesterday. This morning she’d gone through her file cabinets and purged all statements and receipts more than two years old. Nothing in the house needed attention, leaving her with an out-of-sorts feeling.
I need a job. The idea popped into her head often lately, convincing her to give it serious thought. Maybe something part time at first, to get her feet wet before diving in. She realized how fortunate she was to have that option, but she’d paid a high price for her financial security. If she could bring Mike back by trading her survivor’s benefits, she wouldn’t think twice before signing the dotted line, but that was impossible.
Sitting at the desk, she powered on her computer and went to a local employment search engine. With only a high school diploma, she had limited options. She saw several receptionist positions, and one for a call center, but she didn’t enjoy constantly talking on the phone. Her eyes landed on a listing at the bottom of the screen. Her favorite craft store needed associates. She clicked on the link and sent in an application. If she resumed her volunteer work and got a job, that would help fill her days and fend off the restlessness plaguing her.
Right now, a sneak peek of the sun shining could accomplish that as well.
She stared out the window at the silver clouds sliding across the sky. At least the rain had stopped momentarily. While she was online, she checked the weather. Disappointment consumed her when the five-day forecast showed no signs of a sunny break. If I wanted this weather, I’d have moved to Seattle or England.
Her doorbell rang. I’m not expecting anyone, but no salesperson in their right mind would come out in this weather. She left the office and put an eye to the peephole. She recognized Brianna, her newest neighbor who’d moved next door two months ago, with her seven-month-old daughter on her hip. A single-mom, Brianna stayed busy holding down three jobs while raising her baby. Janie had reached out to her on multiple occasions, and last week, Brianna finally accepted a coffee invitation.
Janie opened the door. “Good afternoon.”
A tired smile barely lifted Brianna’s lips. “Wish I could say it was.”
“What’s wrong?”
“My usual sitter called out sick, and my backup has class tonight.” A resigned sigh blew into the air. “I hate asking, especially since I barely know you, but I get the sense you’re a trustworthy person, and all the neighbors speak highly of you—”
“Do you need me to watch Ava for you?” Janie asked, cutting off Brianna’s run-on plea.
“Would you mind? If I miss my shift tonight, I risk getting fired.” Brianna’s features tightened. “I already missed two last month because of her ear infection, and my boss doesn’t have sympathy for those with children. Not that I don’t understand he has a business to run, but my baby has to come first.”
Her soul filled with compassion for Brianna, whose long, rambling sentences testified to her frazzled state. “I don’t mind at all. What time do you need me to watch her?”
“Now until nine tonight? I’m so sorry for the short notice, but I’ve been calling all my friends trying to find someone.”
“That’s fine.” She saw the diaper bag hanging from Janie’s shoulder. “Is everything she needs in there?”
“Yes, and I have all the instructions and my contact information written out for you.” Brianna’s mouth curved into a sheepish smile. “I took a leap of faith you’d be able to watch Ava.”
“I’m happy to. She’ll keep me company tonight.” She reached out her arms, and Ava leaned forward, extending her chubby arms.
“She likes you.” Some of the anxiousness left Brianna’s voice. “Here’s her bag. I’m going to run back to the house and grab her portable playpen. She’ll probably fall asleep during her seven o’clock bottle, and you can lay her down in the pen—she likes it better than her crib and should stay sleeping until I get home.”
After Brianna had left for work, Janie removed several toys from the diaper bag and set them on the floor in front of Ava. She sat crisscross near the baby and played with her until Ava showed signs of being hungry.
With no highchair, she had to get creative on how to keep a crawling seven-month-old in one spot long enough to eat. After carrying Ava through the house and searching for anything she could use as a makeshift highchair, she tried fashioning a portable highchair out of fabric with leg holes to tie around a regular chair. She scowled when it didn’t work as she’d envisioned.
Ava whimpered and scrunched her face into an angry pink ball.
“Well little girl, you’re hungry, and I’m out of ideas, so I’ll sit you in my lap, hold you tightly, and hope for the best.”
Before sitting down with Ava, she opened the pantry and grabbed an apron from a hook. She needed a layer of protection between her and pureed carrots. She opened the jar and retrieved a purple plastic baby spoon from an interior pocket. With everything set in place, she lifted Ava and sat down at the table. “We can do this.”
Ava responded with flailing arms.
“Shh. I know you’re hungry, sweet girl. We’re going to get some food in that belly.” She dipped the spoon into the jar and scooped out a pea-sized amount. Swirled it in the air like a plane before holding it to A
va’s mouth.
The baby gobbled the bite, and Janie put a larger portion on the next scoop. “Here you go, sugar. Keep eating like a big girl.”
Amazement struck Janie when Ava finished the entire jar with no mess made except on the sides of her mouth and a dot on her nose. “Great job. You’re a rock star at eating your veggies.”
Ava giggled, happy again now that she had a full belly.
When six-thirty neared, Janie changed Ava out of an adorable, frilly pink outfit, intending to dress her in a sleeper in anticipation of her falling asleep during her upcoming bottle. Unfortunately, Ava’s diaper needed a change first.
Digging in the bag, Janie searched for a fresh diaper. With a sinking feeling, she realized there had only been two in there, and both had been used already. She pursed her lips. Leaving Ava in a soiled diaper wasn’t an option, but neither was leaving to make a store run. She had no car seat.
Left with few choices, she made a call to Evan. His classes should have let out two hours ago, and she prayed he’d pick up.
Her prayers were answered on the fourth ring. “Hi.”
“Hey, I have a huge favor to ask.” She waved a hand around the baby’s bottom to evaporate the stink. “Are you busy?”
“Doing homework, but it’s nothing that can’t wait. Why?”
“Would you be able to pick up a small bag of diapers and swing by with them?”
“I guess. Why?”
She filled him in on Brianna’s predicament. “And baby Ava is sweet. You should stay and hang out with us.”
“I can do that and bring dinner.”
“Sounds good.” Ava had kept her so busy, she only now realized she hadn’t eaten since her early lunch.
“What do you want and what type of diapers do I get?”
“Whatever you want, and the ones she had on looked like a generic store brand, so whatever’s cheapest.” She held her nose and looked to see what size Ava wore. “She wears a size three.”