“Trish, your parents are here!”
I take a deep breath and look around. The decorations transform the gym into a fun party atmosphere. Dad’s law colleagues and clients are here. His fellow board members. My uncle from Vermont. Church friends. Even his friends from college made the trip.
Wayne squeezes my shoulders, and I realize how wound tight I am with his touch. “This is amazing. You did a great job. Go introduce your parents.”
I nod and move to the arch. Pastor Reynolds hands me a microphone.
Dad and Mom are holding hands, dad in a tuxedo, and mom in a red sleeveless dress. When our eyes meet, they stroll over and wrap me in a hug.
I whisper so the microphone can’t pick up my voice. “Congratulations. I’m so happy for you both.”
Mom’s eye makeup starts to smear as tears fall. “We owe it to you.”
I lift the microphone to my mouth. “Ladies and gentlemen…” There’s no amplification, so I turn it upside down and click the button. “Ladies and…” Still no power.
Wayne saunters over. “Can I help?”
I pass the microphone over to him. “Yes, it isn’t working.”
He holds it for a second before he hands it over to my dad.
I look at him like he has two heads. “Wayne, it isn’t working. I need to introduce them.”
Wayne doesn’t answer. He gets on one knee, and Noah joins him, doing the same.
A crowd gathers around us as I freeze. My mouth refuses to move. My feet follow suit.
Wayne opens a black velvet box. “Trish Maxwell, when you came to town, it wasn’t where you wanted to be. But it was where God wanted you, and we’re so glad. I love you. I love how you tried to run a race even though you aren’t a runner. That you’re passionate about your talent. You’re a great friend, and now, a wonderful babysitter.” He glances at Ben, Jenna, and Baby John, before returning his gaze on me. “I believe you’ll be an amazing wife.”
Noah’s words tumble like a toddler in gym class. “Will you marry us?
The applause is so loud it mimics the microburst, but I’m not scared.
Although my feet feel like they have cement blocks attached out of pure shock, I step toward them. “You guys. How did you pull this off?
Mom waves. “What better way to pull off a proposal than distract you with a retirement party?”
That’s for sure.
Noah looks at the box. “Well? Are you in, or out?”
I stand in front of them, nodding. “I’m so in.”
Through more hand-clapping Wayne slips the ring on my finger and we kiss. I reach for Noah and give him a hug. “I love you two so much.”
Wayne kisses me again. “I love you. And we need to marry, soon.” He winks.
Noah asks for the microphone and whatever Pastor Reynolds did to make it not work for me, suddenly works as the teen speaks. “Hey everybody, we’re engaged!”
If you loved Engaged…
It would mean a lot if you would leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads. It takes a couple minutes of your time and makes a world of difference. The more reviews that are on Amazon, the more exposure a book receives.
If you aren’t sure what to write when leaving a review, include a couple standout moments you enjoyed without giving the plot away, and don’t mention knowing the author if you do. If a reader sees that a reviewer wrote that the author is a friend or something similar, the reader thinks the review isn’t accurate.
Thank you!
I appreciate you reading ENGAGED. If you’re struggling because your dreams aren’t matching up with God’s plans, be encouraged. He is a good Heavenly Father who wants the very best for you. I have learned more than once when something I wanted didn’t work out, it was because God had something so much better in store. As scary as it is, you will find freedom through surrender. Trust Him today!
COMING 2018:
Surrendering Opinions Series
Six siblings are thrust in the national spotlight at birth and kept there by tragic circumstances. They grow up with a lot of help around them. As young adults, they each try to discover their identities and find a romance as strong as what their parents had.
A six book series about surrendering what others think.
Enjoy a sneak peek from Book 1, tentatively titled ANCHORED.
Surrendering Opinions Series Prologue
1992
Julia Turmeric stared at the cordless phone in her hand. The buzz of the newsroom swarmed around her, but her focus remained on the disconnected call.
A set of finger snaps brought her back to reality. “Jules! What’s going on? I’ve been talking to you about Hussein’s latest statement and I didn’t even get an eye roll.”
She turned her head to Walt Crawford, her favorite cameraman, and held up the phone. “It’s my best friend from back home, Lisa Collins.”
Her colleague nodded. “Oh, right. The morning anchor at that little station Upstate, right?”
Julia bit her lip as she replaced the phone to the base. “Yeah. She’s pregnant.”
“I remember you saying something about it, that she and the husband had been trying for a while. She okay?”
Her expression still vacant, she sighed. “They just learned they are carrying sextuplets. I knew they were doing infertility treatments and there was a chance of multiples, but this?” She ran a finger through her long, ebony, straight hair. “The doctors asked them to reduce, she had some term for it, but she’s real serious about her faith. Very pro-life.”
He picked up a tripod. “She’s keeping all of them?”
She tapped the camera. “And Lisa wants us to document their story.”
December, 1992
Julia unbuckled the seatbelt and stared at the ranch-style home in front of her. “How are Lisa and Paul taking care of six babies in this little house?”
Walt took the keys out of the ignition and shrugged. “This is your old Big Flats neighborhood, right? You grew up in a house like this with brothers and sisters.”
She pulled down the visor mirror and applied fresh lipstick. “Not six born at once.” She snapped the visor back in place and blotted her mouth with a tissue. “If anyone can do this, it’s Lisa. That girl could make the hardest person smile and tell their story to her for the camera. I still don’t understand how she didn’t keep our pact. In college we said we’d go national together.”
“Love will do it all the time.” He chuckled. “Ask my ex-wives.”
Julia rolled her eyes and gestured toward the house. “Can you get some exterior shots? I’m going in.”
She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. Julia recognized Lisa’s mom, Gail, when she opened the door, cradling a baby.
Gail’s smile was wide. “If it isn’t little JT from down the street. Come in.”
Julia remembered the childhood name for Lisa’s mom. “Hi, Mama G. Who do you have here?”
Gail’s shaky laugh echoed in the entry. “If he didn’t have a tag, I wouldn’t know. This is James Matthew Collins, number four out of six.”
Six babies still seemed so surreal. Julia looked down the hall and could see a swing in motion.
“My cameraman will be inside soon. We have a lot to do. Can I see Paul and Lisa?”
Mama G. nodded and strolled down the hall to what Julia guessed was a living room. The couch and TV were there, but everything else was baby related. Swings. Baby chairs. Cradles.
Julia could barely take it all in. Two people were in front of her on the couch, each holding a baby. On the floor a woman sat near the swings, watching the remaining three fight sleep as they rocked back and forth.
Gail lowered her voice. “Lisa, Paul, Julia’s here.”
The two rose from the couch and faced Julia. Lisa navigated through the maze of equipment to reach her friend. “Julia! Thank you so much for doing this. It means everything to Paul and me that you’re the one covering our journey.”
Julia lea
ned in for a quick hug. “Are you kidding? Do you know how many stations around the world want to interview the parents of the multiples who not only refused selective reduction but also had them stay the longest in the womb? You are all medical miracles.”
Lisa glanced at Paul, who was at her side. “It’s all God. He blessed and took care of us.”
Paul chuckled. “And we pray He keeps providing. We need all the help we can get.”
July 1995
Julia touched the ends of her newly-cut hair. The humidity in New York City seemed extra miserable, but the five hour trek to Corning didn’t seem to provide any relief. The short hair took getting used to, but she was glad she did it.
Walt shook his head as the Collins home came into view. “Look at all the tricycles.”
“It’s crazy. At least that means the kids are more mobile than the first time we met them. I can’t believe the community pitched in and had this home built for them.”
He nodded and pulled into the long, blacktop driveway. Three of the kids were in the yard blowing bubbles. “Viewers eat this up. They love this family. Lisa was smart to lock you in as lifetime interviewer no matter what job you have, or what station.”
Julia smiled. Lisa may have left the news business for home life with the kids, but she was savvy. Every year the media sent Paul and Lisa publicity requests to see the kids and interview them. Lisa found a lawyer willing to draft an exclusive agreement that gave Julia the only access to what reporters called the kids, ‘The Collins Six.’
“And now that I’m co-anchor of Rise and Shine, I think ratings will skyrocket. Moms watch the show, and they adore Lisa.” Julia reached for her briefcase and looked out the window. “Speaking of, here she is.”
Lisa sauntered over to the news van, her long hair piled on top of her head. “Julia. Walt. It can’t be another year already.”
The two exited the vehicle and greeted Faces and Places magazine’s Mom of the Year with a hug. “What’s three years old like? Does it get worse than terrible two?” Walt opened the back of the van.
Lisa shook her head. “All I can say is if your producer wants a transparent look at ‘The Collins Six,’ you’re going to have plenty of footage.”
Julia heard a screech, followed by a cry. One of the boys held an empty bubble bottle while one of the girls had wet, soapy hair. Julia tapped her favorite cameraman. “You can start by taping that.”
September 1997
Julia tripped over a backpack on her way to the spacious Collins kitchen. Jimmy and Jill, babies four and five, were eating at the kitchen table. “Hey, guys. Can I ask you a couple questions?”
Jimmy looked to his sister, then to Julia. “Is it for TV?”
She nodded.
He narrowed his eyes and took another bite. “Are you gonna ask about school?”
Julia smiled. “Yes, that’s what everyone wants to know about.”
He put the bread on a plate. “I can make it easy. We all hate it.”
Julia bit her lip to kill the temptation to laugh. She glanced at Jill, who nodded. “Hate it.”
January 2001
Julia placed a piece of hair behind her ear as she looked at notes for her upcoming interview with the latest A-lister actress. The morning show and evening magazine duties gave her a lot of assignments with Hollywood’s elite, but few gave Julia joy in prepping for the meeting.
She took a sip of her coffee and heard a knock on the door. Glancing at her office clock, it was late in the evening for visitors. “Who is it?”
His voice cracked. “Walt.”
Julia stood and jogged to the door. He was always home and with his family once his assignments were done. She opened it, ready to invite him in, when she saw his hands shake and his eyes full of tears. “What’s wrong?”
“I told the brass I would be the one to tell you.”
Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to discern what he was saying.
“Julia, there’s been a terrible accident back in your hometown.”
She felt the pit form and enlarge as she instantly thought of her parents and siblings. “Dad? Mom?”
Walt shook his head. “Lisa and a couple of the kids.”
Julia felt her knees sliding beneath her. “Tell me they are okay.”
She never, in all her years choosing Walt as her cameraman, saw him cry.
“Lisa’s gone.”
Acknowledgements
I learned with this series that with each book theme, it will be tested through the author. This time around I found myself battling anxiety as I feared for the future. There were two deaths that shocked me to the core. There were changes in and around our children that made me want to figure their futures out. This book was borne out of sweat, tears, coffee smoothies, and prayer.
My Prayer Covering team, you know who you are, your prayers rescued me from delay, discouragement, and detours. This year marked ten years a group of women have been praying for me, and some of you have been praying all ten years. My thanks to Brenda and Shirley for reaching that milestone with me. Jennifer, like Christ, you made praying for this ministry look like it was the only thing you served in. I knew it wasn’t, but well done, faithful servant, well done. You are so missed. Until we meet again.
My thanks to Scribes 202 and Scribes 210 for their critiques. You make writing look easy. Members changed throughout the series, but every single author helped make the series readable.
Kim Bilas, you were an answer to prayer with your editing. Julie Brown and Holly Hrywnak, thank you for being such faithful BETA readers throughout the series.
Pastor Gary Gray, thank you for permission to use notes from your sermons in my work.
Holly, Aiden, and Maddy, thank you for the input and encouragement. Thanks Aiden, for letting me borrow most of your name for a character.
The CIA (Christian Indie Author) Facebook group, thank you for the treasure trove of information. Elizabeth Maddrey for formatting help
Hannah Arduini, Tom Nuttall and the Entangled book club ladies, thank you for the accountability. Summer, Linda, Rhonda, and Deb, thank you for sharing any book news I had.
Mom, for supporting me in every possible way.
Crista, Landon, Mandy, Randy, Matt, and Stephanie, for being great cheerleaders. Oliver and James, for being the best grandsons we could pray for.
Tom, Brian, and Hannah, for believing in the call on my life and encouraging me when I was tired and depressed.
To the One I trust with all my heart who helps me lean not on my own understanding, thank You for making my path straight.
The Surrendering Time Series
Entrusted: Surrendering the Present is a FREE eRead at http://juliearduini.com or purchase on Amazon.
Entangled: Surrendering the Past is available for purchase on Amazon.
Engaged: Surrendering the Future is what you’re reading now!
Finding Freedom Through Surrender---A 30 Day Devotional takes the themes and characters from the series to encourage your surrender journey. Available for purchase on Amazon.
Stay in touch with me through http://juliearduini.com, follow me on Amazon and Goodreads to learn about free book opportunities and giveaways!
“This is the book I wish I had when I was going through the heartbreak and bitterness that was my infertility. It was an honor to share my story with these other authors, who express their experiences with transparency and hope.” ---Julie Arduini
With questions designed to journal your own journey, A WALK IN A VALLEY is for anyone going through infertility, including loved ones wondering how they can help.
Available on Amazon in Print and Kindle Editions.
Don’t have a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon app and start reading on your electronic device.
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Regan’s Acts of Kindness
Although I never met Regan, her parents spent a lot of time with us when we lived in Upstate NY. Regan was taken from them in January 2017. She would have turned four in March.
Everyone who loves Regan wants her to be remembered. Regan’s Acts of Kindness is one way to accomplish this.
Please like Regan’s Acts of Kindness on Facebook, http://facebook.com/RegansActsOfKindness, print out the flyer, and do kind things.
Donations can be made to Regan’s Memorial Fund:
http://youcaring.com/reganshetsky
Thank you!
About the Author
Julie Arduini loves to encourage readers to surrender the good, the bad, and ---maybe one day---the chocolate. She’s the author of the Surrendering Time series (Entrusted, Entangled, and Engaged.) She also shared her story in the infertility devotional workbook/journal, A Walk in the Valley. She blogs every other Wednesday for Christians Read and monthly for Inspy Romance. Originally from Upstate New York, she resides in Ohio with her husband and two children. Learn more by visiting her at http://juliearduini.com and connecting with her @JulieArduini throughout social media, including Amazon and Goodreads.
Engaged: Surrendering the Future (Surrendering Time Book 3) Page 17