by Leah Atwood
The roar of a motor made her look down. The patrol car dashed into a parking lot, burning rubber, and the chief of police jumped out of the vehicle, accompanied by another policeman.
“You traitor!” Travis screamed in her direction. “You called the police!”
Lana swayed, and air swooshed out of her lungs. “I didn’t call the police because of you. Honest. I saw someone on top of the roof. What if it was a burglar, trying to get inside through the window near the roof?”
“Who’d steal from the church?” The teenager sneered.
“Wellllll…” She stopped short of asking who’d try to jump from the church roof.
“I’m not coming down!”
“What are you doing, son? Let’s talk this over,” the chief said in the megaphone.
“Don’t move! Or I’ll jump!” Travis shouted.
She used the teen’s distraction to send a text to Arturo. Would he see it in time? Several cars zinged into the parking lot, one of them a dark green sedan belonging to Dylan. Poor Dylan and Kelly. Travis’s face twisted, and he made another step toward the edge.
“I was found in a trash can. What’s your story?” she asked quickly.
Travis stopped. “I was left near the church’s front door.” He turned to her, ever so slowly. “Is that why nobody loves me? Even our own mothers didn’t love us.”
There was so much pain in his voice that Lana’s heart broke for him.
“Travis, I have your foster father here. Listen to him,” the chief said before she could answer.
“Back off!” the teenager yelled.
“Travis, it’s not your fault or mine that our birth parents left us.” She watched from the corner of her eye as more cars filed into the parking lot. “And we’re loved very much. Believe me, Dylan and Kelly love you with all their hearts. Dylan Jr. loves you and looks up to you, and he doesn’t care if you’re blood-related. Your friends love you. Your German Shepherd needs you. Imagine how devastated they all are going to be if you’re gone.”
A fire truck pulled up to the church. Firefighters jumped out, grabbed ladders from the truck, and ran toward the church.
Dear Lord, please help Travis.
The teenager shifted toward her. “I didn’t think about Dylan Jr. Or Zack. Or… Never mind…”
Maybe she was getting somewhere. She allowed herself a small sigh of relief. “And most importantly, God loves you.”
He glanced back, probably reacting to the noise, and his face darkened. He ran to the edge, negating all the ground she’d gained. “Go away!”
Her heart fell. Should she risk it? She sent a text to Evelyn: Please ask the chief to order the firefighters off the roof. I’ve got this. Unbeknownst to most, Evelyn Velasquez was the most powerful woman in town, and even the chief of police and the mayor listened to her. Probably because she’d been the one to help them get those positions in the first place. Of course, the police and firefighters couldn’t leave. But maybe they could retreat a small distance to placate Travis.
An incoming text from Arturo on her phone made her pause. She couldn’t resist looking at it.
I’m close. I love you.
Her hands shook so much she almost dropped the phone.
The teenager’s questions touched something deep inside her. The reason she’d broken up with Arturo was because she’d been damaged emotionally. She just hadn’t realized it until now.
She held her breath until the firefighters stepped away from the church, leaving the ladders. Then she allowed her lungs much needed oxygen. “Travis, they’re retreating.” However, they didn’t retreat far.
He sat down. “Don’t give me that… stuff about God. If God loved me, why did He let bad things happen to me? If God loves me, why am I on this roof?”
“It’s because God loves you that I am here on this roof. It’s because God loves you that all these people are here.” She waved at the parking lot that was filling up quickly with cars. Some vehicles had to park across the street near private residences because of lack of space.
Travis’s eyes widened. “It looks like the entire town is here.”
“Yes. Because of you.”
The parishioners were passing out candles under the guidance of Pastor Sam, and then they formed a line around the church. Standing in a circle, with lit candles on the ground in front of them, people were holding hands and whispering something.
“What are they doing?” Travis’s voice was incredulous.
Tears slipped from her eyes, and she didn’t bother to wipe them. “They are praying. They are praying for you.”
* * *
Of all nights to get a flat tire. Arturo ran part of the way, then was given a lift by someone he barely knew.
Never in his life had he been so terrified. Nothing else mattered besides Lana’s and Travis’s lives.
Arturo jumped out of the car before it came to a full stop. The sight of people standing in a circle in prayer made his eyes widen. He’d join them, but by the looks of it, Lana and Travis were still on the roof.
Without giving it a second thought, Arturo ran to the ladder as fast as he could. As he climbed, hushed voices from the top of the roof reached him.
“I’m sure your girl is in that crowd, too. What’s her name?” Lana’s voice was soft and soothing. The courage of that woman was incredible, as well as her self-control.
“She cheated on me!” Travis exploded. “So don’t give me that… stuff that Sabrina loves me, too. You know what it must feel like. I, um, overheard you talking to Ms. Kelly that your ex cheated on you.”
So that must be the reason Travis had snapped. Arturo kept climbing.
Dear Lord, please help Lana and Travis.
“It’s devastating.” Lana’s voice was full of compassion. “How did you find out about her cheating?”
“My friend told me.” The teenager’s voice wasn’t so sure anymore.
“That friend wouldn’t be Zack? The one who lied to you about Dylan not wanting to adopt you anymore?”
“Welllll…” Travis drew out the word.
Arturo hesitated. Should he leave? Lana might have everything under control, and he’d only aggravate the teenager by showing up. But he couldn’t take a chance of anything happening to Lana or Travis.
“Hey!” Travis’s voice stopped him as soon he reached the roof. “What’s your boyfriend doing here? You called for him!”
“Because of myself. Not because of you. Before I possibly fall to my death, I wanted to tell Arturo something. You made me realize something important here, Travis. Would you mind if I talk to Arturo?”
“I’m not keeping you here,” Travis muttered. “Well, okay, fine.”
Arturo was stunned speechless. Should he try to get close to Travis and take him off the roof by force, risking that he’d jump? Or trust Lana knew what she was doing? Arturo chose the latter.
She turned to him, her dark hair flying in the wind and her eyes sparkling. “I blamed Michael for our failed relationship. But it was my fault, too. I chose a man who I knew couldn’t commit. I wanted a family so badly, but deep inside I felt I didn’t deserve it. Because I carried the genes of someone who abandoned their own child. I felt emotionally damaged, less than. I only realized it tonight while talking to Travis.” She gestured in the teenager’s direction. “Thank you, Travis.”
“You… are… welcome?” The teenager sounded unsure.
“Arturo, it wasn’t about you being a celebrity or living in different places. Those were important reasons but they were not the most important reason I pushed you away. The biggest distance between us wasn’t geographical, but the distance in my mind. And yes, I want you to achieve your dream, but it wasn’t that, either. I… didn’t believe you when you said that you loved me.”
“I meant it, Lana.”
She seemed to struggle for the next breath. “I didn’t believe you not because I thought you were lying to me. But because I didn’t think I was worthy of your love. Every time somebod
y told me they loved me, be it foster parents or Michael, they walked away. And every time, it just confirmed my deep suspicions that I wasn’t worthy of love.”
Arturo’s breath caught in his throat. “Lana, you could never be less than. What your birth mother did doesn’t reflect on you. You’re worthy of all the wonderful things in the world. And you’re worthy of love.” He wanted to take her in his arms so badly but was afraid to spook Travis.
“I know that now. I told Travis that God loved him. But the same is true for me. God loves me. I’m worthy of love. I realized it thanks to Travis.”
“You, lady, are weird,” Travis said. “And shouldn’t we be discussing my problems now?”
A commotion in the parking lot attracted their attention. A teenage girl pushed a teenage boy to the middle of the circle. She said something to the chief, and he handed over the megaphone.
“Zack, don’t you have something to tell us?” Her voice sounded loud and clear. She shoved the megaphone into the boy’s face.
“I’m sorry, Travis,” Zack wailed. “I didn’t mean no harm. I didn’t know you’d want to jump. I just always liked Sabrina.”
“What he means to say is that he lied about me kissing another guy. Right, Zack?”
Zack sniffled. “Right. I’m sorry.”
Travis’s face lit up, and he rushed down the roof. Before Arturo could say a word, Travis climbed down the ladder and sprinted to Sabrina and Dylan.
The joy in Lana’s eyes was precious. Then an uncertain expression passed over her face as she glanced down. She made an unsure step, fear settling in her eyes.
“Let me help you.” Arturo carefully walked toward her.
“Okay.” She made another step.
And then she slipped.
His heart lurched into his throat.
The crowd gasped.
Dear Lord, please save Lana.
Chapter Seventeen
Arturo struggled to keep his balance as he caught Lana in his arms. At one point, they were close to tumbling down the roof. But he managed to hang on.
The crowd cheered.
“Sorry. I could’ve knocked you to the ground,” she whispered into his shoulder, her body shaking. She sagged against him as if all her strength had been drained.
A wave of tenderness passed through him. “I thought that all my life I trained to win the championship game. Now I know that all my life I trained for this moment.”
He helped her down the roof and the firefighters took it from there. Then there was a myriad of hugs and words of gratitude. Lana smiled shyly and kept saying she’d done nothing special. Arturo’s heart swelled with admiration.
People kept thanking him, as well. He found himself saying the same, only in his case it was true.
The crowd gave way, and Dylan hurried first to Lana and then to Arturo. Tears ran down the man’s face, and he didn’t attempt to hide them. Arturo’s throat constricted. He’d never seen Dylan cry, not even when he’d broken his leg while playing football in high school. Without saying a word, he gave Arturo a man-hug. Then Dylan turned to Travis, as if he were afraid to let his foster son go even for a moment.
Kelly was sobbing. Dabbing at her eyes, she said to Lana, “I… don’t know how to thank you. No words are enough. No words will ever be enough to thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank God,” Lana said quietly.
“I am. I will. For the rest of my life.”
Lana shuffled from one foot to the other. “I was just at the right place at the right time. I did what anybody else would’ve done.”
“Not anybody. Especially knowing how much you’re afraid of heights… You get dizzy and nauseous even on the second floor.”
Arturo’s brows shot upward. So Lana was afraid of heights? And she’d still climbed to the rooftop to save Travis?
At that moment, he knew with absolute certainty that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. The words she’d told him on the roof gave him hope.
More nervous than before any of his games, he dropped to one knee, and the crowd gasped again. People formed a large circle around them, holding candles.
Lana’s eyes widened, and her palm flew to her mouth. Arturo wasn’t sure whether it was a good sign or not.
He should’ve prepared a beautiful speech, maybe hired a plane with a humongous flyer. He should’ve made the moment memorable for her. And he didn’t even have a ring. But he didn’t want to wait another month, another day, another minute.
Dear Lord, please help me.
“Lana, you’re incredible. You’re a treasure beyond any man’s imagination. I know if I travel the entire earth, I won’t find anybody like you. I know that the circumstances are not the best, with your life in Rios Azules and mine in Houston. But I can’t imagine my life without you. I love you with all my heart…”
“Oh, Arturo…” Her eyes filled with tears.
His heart dropped. That was not the answer he expected. “You said you’d never let your universe revolve around another man again. Let my universe revolve around you. Let everything I do, every breath I take be about you.”
“Say yes!” people shouted.
Travis cleared his throat. “Dude, you didn’t ask the question.”
What? Oh, of course. Arturo looked into her beautiful eyes. “Will you marry me? If you want to have a long engagement, that’s fine. But I don’t want to ever risk losing you again. Will you make me the happiest man alive?”
There was a chorus of “Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!”
She stared at him. “You’re kidding me, right?”
The crowd quieted.
He froze. This was not going the way he’d hoped. Was it too much too soon for her?
She waved for him to get up. “I love you so much. I don’t want to have a long engagement. I’ll marry you right now.”
“You will?” He didn’t think he could love her any more than he already did, and she’d just proved him wrong.
This time it was Pastor Sam who cleared his throat. “I don’t think that marrying right now would be entirely possible.”
Lana smiled, her eyes shining. The crowd cheered. Arturo lifted her and whirled her around.
She whispered to him, “With God, everything is possible.”
* * *
The next evening, Lana stepped out from the church, still in awe. The sermon had been amazing. The children’s Christmas performance before the service had been inspiring and touching. She stole a glance Arturo’s way, and her heart did a somersault in her chest. There was something special about worshipping with the man she loved.
Thank You, Lord.
Pastor Sam shook her hand and then shook Arturo’s hand energetically. “Welcome!”
Right outside the church, Dylan, Kelly, Travis, Sabrina, and Dylan Jr. waited.
“Did you like my performance?” Dylan Jr. asked.
Arturo gave him a generous smile. “Of course.”
Kelly’s freckles were bright against her pale face, and the circles around her eyes betrayed the stress of the previous night, but she was smiling. “I finally picked out the name for my little daughter. Lana.”
Lana’s eyes watered. “You didn’t have to.”
“What would be a better name or a better person to name her after?” Dylan said.
“I agree,” Arturo chimed in.
“We’re going to go sing carols after Christmas dinner. We’ll make sure to stop by your house,” Dylan Jr. said.
“Thank you. I’d join you, but I can’t carry a tune to save my life.” Lana pondered over the fact that the boy referred to Grandfather De La Vega’s house as hers, as well, but didn’t correct the child.
As they walked to Arturo’s car, many parishioners waved at them and greeted them. Grandfather De La Vega and Evelyn came up to them to exchange a few words.
A feeling of happiness swept over her. She truly felt like she belonged, in this place, with these people.
Thank You, Lord.
“To be honest, I was surprised when my parents accepted my invitation to join us for Christmas,” Arturo said as they approached his new truck. “Granted, the initial meeting was awkward, and Grandpa lived up to his nickname. But now, for the first time in many years, we feel like a family. My parents can’t stop talking about you. They love you already.”
She smiled. “I’m so blessed. I was a bit scared of meeting them when you told me they were coming for Christmas. But now I feel like part of your family.”
“I thank God for you.”
As Arturo opened the truck’s door for her, he looked into her eyes with such love that overwhelming happiness filled her. For a moment, she was afraid to even breathe for fear of scaring it away. In the past, happiness never lasted.
“I love you,” he whispered in her ear.
She released her breath, an incredible feeling taking residence in her every cell. “I love you very, very much. Te amo mucho.”
He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. “Yo también. You’re learning Spanish?”
“I’m also learning what to sack a quarterback, blitz, and stiff-arm mean.” She grinned. “And yes, I’ll go to your games. As many as I can.”
“I’m honored.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you when you said the first time that you loved me. I was scared to get hurt.” Staring into Arturo’s eyes, she kept silent for a moment as the wind threw her hair around her face. “I’m not a bird with a broken wing anymore. God healed my wings a long time ago. But I was afraid to fly.”
“You’re not afraid anymore.”
“No. It took meeting you and you accepting me the way I am for me to accept myself. You never tried to change me. You didn’t blame me for falling but tried to catch me instead. Instead of making me feel bad about not having a pedigree or parents, you comforted me. You didn’t mind that I didn’t share your passion. It took me some time to wrap my mind around it, but you love me just the way I am.”
“You’re very easy to love. You’re God’s precious gift.”
Lana looked at Arturo, unable to utter a single word. Only one thought kept coming into her mind.