Seasons

by Bonnie Hopkins

  “Thank you for being there for me today,” she said softly. “I would have made it, but it would have been so much more difficult. You’ve already been so good to me that I hate to ask, but there’s one more thing I really need from you.” His inquisitive gaze searched her face. Knowing Jaci wouldn’t ask for anything unless she absolutely had to, he braced himself, preparing to provide whatever she needed.

  “Can I please have a hug?” she asked softly.

  J.P. threw his head back in a hearty laugh. Seeing her perplexed look, he sobered. “I haven’t lost my mind. You just surprised me, and believe it or not, I wanted to ask you the same thing, but I didn’t want you to think I was trying to . . . you know . . . take advantage of you at a vulnerable time. But I sure do want to hold you in my arms.”

  As he spoke he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly against him. “Oooh, honey, I’m always amazed at how good you feel in my arms.” He groaned with the intensity of his feelings, before finally looking down into her eyes.

  “Sweetheart, do you have any idea how I feel about you?” He saw uncertainty enter her eyes and immediately cautioned himself to exercise patience. He didn’t want to destroy the fragile bond they had created between them tonight. “Forget I asked—I know you don’t.”

  He kissed her gently and continued to hold her. He spoke to her in a shaky voice. “From now on, you won’t have to ask me for a hug. That’s one thing you can count on from me, okay? And another thing, we’re supposed to be getting to know each other, remember? This thing between us is not going to go away honey. We’re too old to play games and waste time. I’m still waiting for that call to go to dinner. I don’t want to push you, I know you have some issues, but promise you’ll call me soon, okay?” Not waiting for an answer, he gave her another tight squeeze, then opened the door and left.

  Jaci stood immobilized with her back against the closed door for a long time after she heard his truck back out of her driveway. Lord, what am I going to do about that man? she asked as all of her insecurities rushed in to haunt her. What could a handsome, wealthy man like J.P. possibly want with me?

  She had no idea that at that same moment, another man—a man from her past—was plotting his re-entrance into her life, which would bring further confusion and excavate the root cause of her insecurities.

  Maxie

  Maxie stopped the car in front of the spacious house with the beautifully landscaped yard and looked again at the address scribbled on the piece of paper. It was the right address. The one-story brick house with white trim and large white columns looked inviting from the street. At the double windows on both sides of the entryway were flower boxes with an array of colorful flowers flowing out of them. Large potted plants placed along the porch gave the attractive house a welcoming and appealing look. What kind of job did this woman have? he wondered. It must be a darn good one, or else she had help from someone—most likely a man, he decided.

  He got out of the rental car and walked to the front door, continuing to take in everything about the house. He pushed the doorbell and heard it ringing from within the house. No answer. He repeated the process, still no answer.

  “Yoo-hoo! Excuse me, sir, but can I help you?”

  Maxie turned around to see a little old lady standing in front of the house across the street shielding her eyes from the sun to get a better look at him.

  “Yes ma’am. I’m an old friend of Jacetta Winters. I’m from out of town and thought I would look her up while I’m here. Do you know when she’ll be home?”

  “I’m afraid not, young man. She doesn’t have one of those nine-to-five jobs. She has to stay there until the job is done. I keep an eye on the place for her. Nobody comes around that I don’t see.” She made sure he understood the message she was trying to convey by making a gesture with her hands when she said “nobody.”

  Undaunted, Maxie confidently continued. “Do you happen to have her work number? I sure would appreciate it if you could give it to me. You see I really want to see her, but I’m in town just for a short time.”

  “Of course I have the number, but you know I can’t give it to you. That kind of thing is just not done these days—I mean, you could be one of those stalkers or something—no sir, can’t do that. The best I can do is let her know you came by. Who are you?”

  Choosing not to answer her question, Maxie turned on his famous charm. “Aw, ma’am,” he said with a big smile, coaxing her. “I know you can look at me and tell I’m a good guy. And like I said I just happen to be in town and decided to drop in to see her.”

  She noticed his refusal to tell her who he was, so the old lady looked at him with shrewd eyes. A slickster if I ever saw one, she thought. “Nope. The best I can do is what I already offered. Maybe you shoulda let her know you were coming.”

  He realized he was getting nowhere with the old lady, so Maxie got back into the car and drove slowly down the street. He checked out the neighborhood. Nice. He would definitely be back.

  Jaci

  Jaci’s life got hectic. She felt as if she were meeting herself as she ran from work, to the day care center to pick up Sean, to the hospital to see Randi, then home to collapse, only to start all over the next day. Randi’s husband, John, had literally set up residence in the hospital, leaving little Sean in the shared care of his grandparents. Sean spent most nights with John’s parents, but Jaci picked him up from day care every day and dropped him off at their house after taking him to see his parents at the hospital. He spent the weekends with Jaci so the other grandparents could get a break.

  Taking on projects for J.P. was out of the question, and she was grateful that although J.P. called frequently, he never mentioned anything about an assignment.

  Randi had been on total bed rest in the hospital for several weeks where both her and the baby’s conditions were kept under close observation. It was the first Sunday in June, and Jaci awoke feeling almost as tired as when she had gone to bed. She decided she and Sean would attend early morning church services and dragged herself out of bed with a groan. After church, they stopped on their way home to do some much needed grocery shopping. As she strolled up and down the store aisles tossing items into her cart and trying to keep Sean from grabbing things off the shelves, her pager went off.

  “Oh, oh, Sean, wonder who’s beeping us?” she said to the squirming little boy. She pulled the pager out of her purse and saw it was the hospital’s number, followed by “9 1 1.” She grabbed Sean out of the grocery basket, leaving it sitting in the middle of the aisle, and ran to her Jeep where she dug her antiquated cell phone out and called the number showing on the pager.

  “Hello, I’m Jaci Winters. Someone just paged me.” Jaci spoke breathlessly into the phone, anxious over what she was about to hear.

  “Oh yes, Ms. Winters, your daughter asked us to contact you. The doctor has decided to go ahead and deliver the baby. Do you know how to reach her husband? He hasn’t responded to our pages.”

  “He’s probably at church,” Jaci said, her mind racing with this new development. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  She set about tracking John down as she drove to the hospital. When they all arrived, Randi was already in prep for surgery. A nurse told her that Randi had gone into premature labor, and the doctor, concerned that both the underdeveloped baby and Randi’s high blood pressure wouldn’t be able to withstand a normal delivery, had decided to do a cesarean.

  Jaci called others to let them know, and it wasn’t long before family and friends filled the waiting room. They prayed and settled down to wait.

  Word finally came that the little girl, weighing barely three pounds, had been delivered and that both mother and baby were doing well.

  Jaci’s life grew even more frenzied. The baby, who Randi and John named Jasmine, was transferred to Children’s Hospital where pediatric specialists had the expertise needed to give premature babies the best possible chance. Randi remained down the street in Hermann Hospital, where she recuperated f
rom the emergency surgery while the doctors continued to treat her blood pressure.

  Jaci’s mind and body were on automatic as she went to work and ran between the two hospitals every day. She didn’t stop to think, she just did it.

  Randi’s condition eventually improved enough for her to go home. Naturally, she insisted instead on proceeding directly to Children’s Hospital, where she stayed beside little Jasmine for as long as her own body and the hospital personnel permitted.

  It had been so long since Jaci had taken an assignment from J.P. that she seriously considered letting the job go. When she tried to talk to J.P. about her concerns, he refused to discuss it.

  “I don’t know how many times and ways I have to say no, Jaci. There is no need for you to quit. In fact, it might do you some good to get away from this situation every now and then. This has been going on a long time, and you’ve been running yourself ragged. I know you’re concerned about the baby and Randi, but you’ve got to take care of yourself, too. That job is the last thing I want you to worry about.”

  “J.P., I really appreciate all the kindness you’ve shown me and my family. I want you to know you are a blessing. I don’t have to tell you how much I like the job because you see how excited I get about every assignment. And not only that, it’s flexible, and pays more than I think it should—not that I’m complaining. But . . . well, it’s not fair to you and your other employees for me to continue to hold on to the job when I’m not able to fulfill the requirements.”

  “Why don’t you let me worry about that, Jaci? I know what the situation is, and I don’t have a problem waiting it out. You’re very good at the job, so it’s in my best interest not to let you quit.”

  “J.P., I don’t think . . .”

  “No, Jaci, don’t think about this. That’s what’s wrong now, you’re doing too much thinking.”

  Jaci backed off, but was still uncomfortable with the way things stood with the job.

  J.P.

  J.P. increased his efforts to show Jaci how much he cared. He sent flowers to both Jaci and Randi every week and couldn’t describe how happy it made him when he regularly received their thank-you notes.

  He kept close tabs and knew the baby was steadily improving, so he was able to talk Jaci into taking a job in Corpus Christi.

  “Jaci, you need a break from this situation. Corpus is close enough that you can get back here in a hurry if you need to,” he pressured. “You’ve got to be exhausted, and getting away will do you good.” She reluctantly agreed that she did need some time away and they made plans for her trip. J.P. prayed that everything would be okay.

  Jaci

  Jaci decided to use a vacation day from her regular job on Thursday and leave a day early. She took a flight out Wednesday evening and was on the job early Thursday morning. She actually enjoyed herself, although worry over Randi and the baby was constantly in the back of her mind.

  When she boarded the plane Friday afternoon, she felt good about what she had accomplished but was glad to be heading home. Although she had checked in with Randi regularly, she couldn’t help feeling a little uneasy about leaving town because she was accustomed to being there for her daughter’s every need.

  Jaci was on pins and needles when the plane landed in Houston. Maneuvering as swiftly as she could around the slower moving crowd, she headed to the bank of telephones as soon as she entered the terminal. She punched in the number to Children’s Hospital because she knew Randi would be there.

  When she finally heard her daughter’s voice on the phone she said, “Well, it’s about time. It’s frustrating having to go through all those people to get to you. How’s my granddaughter?”

  Randi immediately cried, “Mama, when are you coming home? The baby’s having problems. Mama, can you please hurry home now?”

  Alarmed, Jaci’s heartbeat escalated. “I am home, or in Houston anyway. I just got off the plane. What’s going on?”

  “Jasmine started having trouble breathing this morning and they need to remove some kind of blockage.”

  Jaci felt fear consume her. “Oh Lord! I’ll be on my way as soon as I can get to my truck. I had planned to go by home first, but I’ll come straight there.” She hung up the phone and resumed her trek through the busy airport to catch the shuttle bus to long-term parking.

  She was rattled. The baby had been progressing nicely when she left. What in the world could have happened? She retrieved her Jeep and forced herself to concentrate on the horrendous traffic heading south on Interstate 45. After settling into the flow of traffic, she talked to the Lord:

  “Lord, I don’t know what I’m going to find when I reach the hospital. Whatever the situation is, please keep little Jasmine in Your care. And Lord, strengthen Randi and John and enable them to keep their trust and focus on You and Your power to bring little Jasmine through this. You’ve brought them through so much, Lord. Please don’t leave them now.

  “Father, You’ve been so good to our girl. You’ve kept her strong and helped her to be a witness and inspiration to the parents of other babies in the intensive care unit and the doctors and nurses as well. They draw strength from her, Lord, and I’m grateful to You for making her the strong person she is. And Lord, when I see her unwavering faith, I can’t help but be filled with joy and thanksgiving. Because I know it’s only through Your grace and mercy. When I think about how she was conceived and the life of lack and hardship we went through, I realize what a special gift she is and I thank You for her. Lord, whatever happens, I praise You for all You have already done.”

  Jaci’s prayer and praise continued all the way to the hospital.

  When Jaci stepped off the elevator at the hospital, Randi stood waiting for her. This struck Jaci as unusual, since Randi was seldom away from little Jasmine’s crib. Jaci’s heart plummeted. Uh oh! she thought. Something is drastically wrong.

  They walked to the waiting room where John was already sitting, and Jaci quietly began praying again.

  An hour later they still restlessly awaited word on the baby. Jaci decided to make a few calls. J.P. was one of the people she needed to call. She punched in his home number, knowing he would not be there, but she needed to let him know she was back. Everything else could wait. When she heard his voice on the answering machine, she was relieved, but couldn’t help thinking, Wow! The man’s voice sounds so good!

  “J.P., this is Jaci,” she said quickly. “Just wanted to let you know I’m back. I’m at the hospital. I’ll call you later and set up a time to come by with my report.”

  Later that night Jaci yawned continuously as she battled to stay alert in the fast-moving freeway traffic. The baby had come through the surgery, was stabilized, but was still critical. There was nothing they could do but continue to pray.

  “Lord! I’m tired,” she said to the interior of the truck. Her eyes were gritty, making it difficult for her to see clearly, and she was hungry but refused to stop for something to eat.

  As she entered her driveway, she felt the familiar wave of satisfaction wash over her. How she loved this house. It wasn’t her dream home, but it was certainly a step in that direction. She gave her usual praise to God for the house and for the college professor she had met on one of her many part-time jobs, who sold it to her. After he accepted a position in another city, he had drastically reduced the price of the house so she could afford it. What a moment that was when she and Randi moved from an apartment into their own home. She used the event to teach Randi that if she served the Lord and obeyed His Word, He would always supply her needs.

  Jaci drove into the garage, pushed the remote to lower the door, and debated whether or not to grab the bags that she had hastily tossed into the Jeep at the airport. When she heard the phone ringing, her mind went immediately to the baby. She nervously jiggled the key to unlock the door leading from the garage into the kitchen but it took too long, and by the time she reached the phone, the answering machine had clicked on. She stood anxiously by, waiting for the beep t
o find out who was calling.

  J.P.’s deep voice entered the room. “Jaci, I know you’re not still at the hospital, I just called there and talked to Randi. She told me you were on your way home. Call me as soon as you get there.”

  I don’t feel like talking to you right now. She pushed the button to retrieve her other messages. Nothing I have to deal with tonight, she decided as she headed into her bedroom and shed her clothes. She berated herself as she got undressed. “I should never have let J.P. talk me into taking that assignment.” She knew that it was irrational, that what was happening with Jasmine would have happened regardless of whether she was in town or not. But still, she would have felt better if she had been there.

  The phone rang again just as she finished undressing. “Oh noooo!” She wailed tiredly and contemplated letting the machine answer but changed her mind. It could be Randi, I’d better get it. I’ve got to invest in one of those caller ID things. Jaci was always years behind in new technology. It changed so rapidly, she figured, why bother?

  She rushed to pick up the phone. “Hello,” she said in a cautious voice.

  “Hey! What’s happening?” The casual greeting suggested they had just spoken yesterday, when in fact, it had been well over twenty years since she’d last heard that voice. But she recognized it immediately. Stunned, with all kinds of emotions running rampant, she was unable to answer the man’s cavalier greeting.

  “Jacetta? What’s happening? You’re a hard lady to catch. I’ve been calling you for weeks now—even made a trip down there, but you were nowhere to be found.”

  Jaci’s mind went into turmoil. Oh Lord! How should I respond? Do I hang up? Go stone crazy on his behind? Act like the good Christian woman I’m always claiming to be? The hardship and struggle; the fears and rejection; the social, emotional, and financial toll that single parenting had taken on her—all cried out for her to curse his behind out, then hang up. But because she had called on the Lord, she knew she had to at least try to handle it His way.