October Joy (Moments In Paradise 1)

by Melanie Wilber

  “Will you pray for us?”

  “Yes.”

  She listened to his calming words and tried to believe what he was saying about God’s grace being sufficient and all things working together for good. He prayed for the family and for her and Tabby, and for James.

  “Hold James tight right now, Jesus. He needs you. Let him know You’re there for him, and help Gracie to be whatever he needs her to be. Amen.”

  “Amen,” Grace whispered.

  “I love you, honey. You can do this, I know you can.”

  “I hope so,” she said. “I better go.”

  She called James and found out he was at the hospital. One of Hunter’s friends had been hurt too and was in surgery right now. “I’m going to come and bring Tabby. Is that okay?”

  “Yes. I was about to call you back. I was just talking to Sierra, and she’s asking for Tabby.”

  “Okay, we’ll be there.”

  “Thanks, Grace. I hate this stuff.”

  She did too, and Tabby informed her of something that made it worse.

  “Sierra’s mom died last year. I’m not sure I can do this.”

  “How did she die?”

  “She had cancer.”

  Grace wasn’t sure she could do this either, but sitting here and knowing James and Sierra were hurting wouldn’t be any better. “Daddy prayed for us, Tabby. We’ll go on that, okay?”

  “Okay,” Tabby said.

  Hunter had been taken to a hospital in San Jose, so it was a thirty minute drive. When they arrived, they met James on the third floor. Grace knew he was there for the family right now, and her role would come into play sometime later this evening, but Tabby jumped right in, going to Sierra who was also seventeen, and Grace could see her being just what the distraught girl needed.

  James introduced her to Hunter’s dad. “This is Grace Morgan,” he said. “Pastor Morgan’s daughter.”

  She expressed her sympathy but knew there wasn’t much she could say. When her mom died, she wanted everyone to go away and leave her alone. She couldn’t imagine losing two of her family members so close together.

  About twenty minutes later the doctor came out to tell the other family their son was in recovery and was going to be okay. The two families were close, and Grace learned from James that Hunter and his friend had been next-door neighbors since they were six. Grace hated tragedy. She hated being here, but if her dad asked her to do something, she would do it.

  Tabby left with Hunter’s sister when Mr. Smith wanted to go home. She planned to spend the night at Sierra’s house. Grace didn’t think she could do something like that, but Tabby was just that way. She would do anything for anyone, especially someone who was going through the deep pain she had once experienced.

  Once they were gone, Grace asked James what he was going to do. He didn’t know, and she asked him if he wanted to come to the house for the rest of the evening rather than going home and being alone. He agreed and thanked her. He thanked her for coming too, and she spoke honestly.

  “My dad wanted me to. He didn’t want you going through this by yourself.”

  She decided to tell him she knew about his brother, and he didn’t seem surprised or bothered by it. “What was his name?” she asked.

  “Tommy,” he replied.

  “I’m sorry you lost him.”

  “This hits too close to home,” he admitted.

  “I can imagine.”

  “Do you know about Sierra’s mom?”

  “Yes, but I didn’t until tonight.”

  James had been the youth pastor at the church for three years now, but Grace didn’t work specifically in the youth department, so she didn’t see him that often. James was hardworking and dedicated to the kids. He was single, and when he’d first come to the church, her dad had done some hinting to both of them they were the same age and maybe they should go out, but Grace had been too busy for a relationship, and James hadn’t seemed interested, so nothing had happened.

  On the drive, she thought about it more than she had before. She wondered if she would be open to that changing, and she didn’t know, but she wasn’t anticipating James having any interest at this point. Once they were in the house, she led him to the kitchen and offered him something to drink.

  “Got any Jack Daniel’s?” he said, giving her a crooked smile.

  “Sorry, fresh out,” she said. “How about a root beer?”

  “Yeah, okay. Better give me two.”

  ***

  “I wonder who that is?” Tommy said.

  Annika shrugged. “I have no idea. You don’t know him either?”

  “He’s fourteen, Annika. How would I know him? I died before he was born.”

  “Good point,” she said and laughed. “I always forget you came here when you were twelve. You’ve grown into such a fine young man now.”

  “He could be from the youth group,” Tommy said.

  “But why would I get invited?”

  “Maybe he knew Andrew too, or Tabby.”

  Annika supposed that was possible. Tommy was pretty good at sorting out these mysteries. They stood there, watching the boy take in his glorious surroundings. He didn’t faint when he noticed Joshua standing beside him. He looked completely unaware of where he was or who all these people were coming to meet him. Joshua talked to him for a moment, and then he fainted.

  “I need to go,” Annika said. “I have to meet Erika at her cottage for dinner. She has some news about Mama and Papa to tell me.”

  “Okay, I’ll stay here and try to find out who this boy is.”

  “If you figure it out, let me know,” she said, giving Tommy a hug. He had been like a son to her these last five years--like the sons she had left behind.

  Going to meet Erika, another person she had grown close to since her Arrival, they shared a good meal together with Joshua, and then Erika shared her news about Mama and Papa. Erika was the little sister Annika had never known on Earth. Joshua had brought her here before she had ever come out of Mama’s womb. Annika had only been two, and she didn’t have any memory of the stillbirth, but Mama had talked of her baby sister often who had gone to be with Jesus.

  As soon as Annika had met Erika at her Homecoming, they’d become very close, and Erika had told her from the beginning, ‘You’re going to love it here, and don’t worry, Joshua will take care of your family, just like He’s taken care of mine.’

  Chapter Seven

  “What’s wrong?” Sarah asked, sitting up in the bed.

  Andrew told her the news he had received from home. Her first thought was Andrew would be catching a flight out first thing in the morning and she would never see him again, but she scolded herself for having selfish thoughts at a time like this.

  “Are you leaving then?” she asked.

  “No, I don’t think so. If I knew the father better, I would, but I don’t. James and Alan can handle it.”

  “What about the mother?”

  “She died last year. I knew her better because she came to me for spiritual guidance during her last few months, but her husband didn’t want me coming around after the funeral. Unless he asks for me, it’s better that I’m here. Trust me.”

  “Was that your daughter?”

  “Yes, Gracie. My oldest.”

  “Is she married?”

  “No, she moved back home after Annika died, and she’s been there ever since.”

  “What does she do?”

  “Teaches middle school math.”

  “And who’s Tabby?”

  “Tabitha. My youngest. She’s a senior in high school this year.”

  Sarah wasn’t sure what else to say. They had been interrupted at an awkward moment. She never answered his question about enjoying God, and she wondered if he was still thinking about it or if he’d completely forgotten.

  “You can go, Andrew,” she said, breaking the silence between them. “I’m all right now. We can talk more tomorrow. I didn’t mean to fall apart on you like that.” />
  He appeared to seriously consider her words, and she knew she would be all right if he left. She had always been an emotionally stable person. Rapid mood-swings were a new thing for her, but she was on the upswing now, and knowing she would be seeing Andrew tomorrow would keep her there.

  “I’m not ready to say good night to you, Sarah,” he said, leaning forward in his chair and reaching for her hand. His touch was gentle and non-threatening. “But being here with you probably isn’t a good idea for much longer. Could we go for a walk? One where you’re properly dressed for one, and we can be Andrew and Sarah, not Levi’s wife and that strange man she’s with?”

  She smiled. “I had a woman ask me this morning where my brother was today.”

  “Your brother?”

  She laughed. “That’s what I said.”

  “She saw us leaving together last night and thought I was your brother?”

  “Yes.”

  “What did you say?”

  “You don’t know how badly I wanted to go along with her.”

  They both laughed. Sarah had started a new Bible study with some women at her church last month on the book of Genesis, and they’d had a specific lesson on how Abram and Sarai’s scheme to pose as brother and sister instead of husband and wife before Pharaoh hadn’t gone so well. At the time she didn’t understand how Sarai could have lied like that, but now she did.

  “What did you say?” Andrew asked again.

  She smiled at him and knew her response had been the honest truth. “I said you were a friend.”

  He smiled. “So how about that walk?”

  “Okay.”

  He released her hand and rose from the chair, putting it back into its place and telling her he would be waiting downstairs for her. She thanked him and said not to forget his jacket he’d laid on the end of the bed after removing it from her shoulders.

  He took the jacket and let himself out. Sarah got out of bed and went to find something suitable to wear. She had always dressed nice at these things, so she hadn’t brought a lot of casual clothes, but she had tucked her jeans in the bottom of her bag and had brought her tennis shoes in case she decided to walk on the treadmill. When she made the reservations for this hotel she had seen they had an exercise room, and she thought she might keep her routine of walking on the treadmill every morning before breakfast.

  She hadn’t been that ambitious this morning, just like many mornings during the last three months, but she could have taken a taxi here after lunch and maybe swam in the pool too. “That’s what I should have done instead of trying to navigate my way around Des Moines,” she said out loud to herself as she slipped out of her dress and reached for the pants.

  Levi’s first church assignment had only been thirty minutes from here, but with grocery and department stores nearby, she’d never had a reason to come into the capital city, and whenever she did, she was with Levi and he always drove. Even with living in Minneapolis for the last seven years, she sometimes got turned around when she needed to go to an unfamiliar part of the city and find a place she’d never been to before.

  She chose a pink top to go with the jeans and grabbed her white cardigan sweater, hoping it would be warm enough for this October evening in Iowa. It had been a warm day, and she hadn’t gone over to the church until almost noon, so she hadn’t thought to take a sweater for later. She had remembered her Bible this time, but not that, and she suddenly realized she had left her Bible at the church in the main auditorium where they had attended the praise and worship hour after lunch.

  She and Linda left them on their seats before she went on her walk because there wasn’t anything else going on in the main room until this evening where they both planned to attend the meeting together. “They’re going to wonder what happened to me,” she said, deciding she would point that out to Andrew and see what his solution would be. “Oh, God, what would have I done if he hadn’t been here? I would be such a wreck right now!”

  Going to the mirror, she revised her statement. “Okay, a complete wreck instead of a minor one.” She washed her face with a cool rag to lessen the puffiness around her eyes, reapplied some makeup, and brushed her hair into place. At least it was in a good phase right now and cooperated easily.

  Before she left the room she thought carefully about what she might be missing. She knew she was properly dressed, and she had her card-key in her back pocket rather than bothering with her purse. She didn’t have any money after using the last of her cash on taxi-fare this morning and a cappuccino this afternoon. She didn’t expect Andrew to take her anywhere where she would need some, but if he did, he would want to pay. He was a gentleman through and through, just like Levi. She had known that before tonight, but tonight had really proved it.

  She thought of something she needed before she opened the door, and she stopped to say a quick prayer, which didn’t turn out to be so quick. She cried twice before it was over, asking God to bless her time with Andrew--a lot, and wondering if she should be praying for such a thing. Even if Andrew was just a friend, was it right for her to be spending time with a man she had met yesterday? Or was this another poor judgment choice she would be making today?

  It’s okay, Sarah. Andrew is right about Me bringing him here for you. I know what you need, and I’m providing it like I told you I would the night I brought Levi Home. Trust Me in this, Sarah. And enjoy Me by enjoying your life. Yours isn’t over yet, and I don’t expect you to live like it is. I have many more plans for you and many more years to show them to you. Live, Sarah. Live!

  She left the room and headed downstairs, taking the glass elevator and wondering what Andrew thought of her staying in a place like this. Oh well, at least it was far enough away from the church to avoid anyone seeing them together. That woman’s assumption about Andrew being her brother made her very aware others were watching her and had their own opinions about how Levi’s widow should be conducting herself in public.

  ***

  Andrew didn’t know what was going on with him, but when he saw Sarah step across the lobby to meet him, he took notice of her form and shape like he had never done with any woman besides Annika. Sarah had been so properly and elegantly dressed both last night and tonight at dinner, her classiness had stood out to him more so than her figure, but in a pair of jeans...

  Whoa, Andrew. Slow down. You might not be in her room anymore, but she’s still vulnerable, and she’s only been a widow for three months. You wouldn’t have been ready this soon after Annika. Don’t force her to be.

  She smiled at him and seemed embarrassed, but not for the reason he was expecting. “This place is too fancy,” she said. “I can’t believe I’m staying here.”

  He glanced at the open area restaurant in the center of the atrium with lots of indoor plants and trees and a cascading waterfall. “It looks like a good spot for dinner tomorrow night,” he said. “We won’t be at George and Linda’s table, so they won’t be wondering where we disappeared to.”

  She laughed. “And what about tonight? I left my Bible in the auditorium and told them I was just going to use the ladies’ room when I left the table. They’ll think I was kidnapped for sure!”

  “I called George,” he said.

  “You did? Just now?”

  “Yes.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “That you needed someone to talk to, so I’d taken you for a walk and then back to your hotel instead of going to the meeting. They suspected you might be with me since I hadn’t returned either, and they weren’t worried about you yet, but he thanked me for calling.”

  “Did he ask where you are now?” she asked as they stepped outside.

  “No, and I didn’t say.”

  She was silent for a moment, and he stopped her before they went any further. “Are you all right with this, Sarah? I can say good-night now and see you tomorrow if you’d rather.”

  “I’m fine,” she said. “I need this, Andrew. There’s no one back home I can be like this wit
h, and here--everyone’s been wonderful, but they all knew Levi. I need someone who just sees me, you know?”

  “You mean someone who sat at your table last night and had to keep telling himself not to be staring at another man’s wife because I had no idea you were a widow?”

  “How did you find out?” she asked.

  “I asked George.”

  “And how did you feel when you knew?”

  “I felt your pain, Sarah. And I wanted to ease it so much, but I had no idea how.”

  “Well, you are,” she said, giving him a comfortable smile. “You’re doing what no one else has been able to do for me.”

  He wanted to kiss her and hold her close to him, but he knew it was too soon for that. Right, God?

  Right, Andrew.

  Okay, just checking.

  He took her arm and linked it with his and began walking beside her away from the hotel and toward a long stretch of small restaurants and shops. It wasn’t that late, and everything was still open, and he planned to buy her a cup of coffee at some point and sit and listen as long as she needed that, but for now he walked with her, and he asked her some questions that for most part she answered freely.

  He hadn’t forgotten about asking her earlier if she enjoyed God or not, and he wanted to get back to that eventually, but for now he dove into the more surface issues of her activities and financial situation and relationships back home. She’d had a happy life with Levi, and he was convinced she could still have one without him, but from experience he knew it was going to take some time to figure out how to do that.

  They walked until they were headed back toward the hotel and decided to step into a café, have some dessert and coffee, and sit at a corner table by the window. It reminded him of when he and Annika had been in their first year of college and they often stayed late at the diner off campus. On one of those nights he suggested they should get married the following summer so he wouldn’t have to keep her out to have as much time with her as he wanted. It hadn’t taken much convincing to get her to say yes when he officially proposed a month later on Christmas Eve.