by T. K. Chapin
Joining Molly up on the topside of the ark, the two of them peered over the edge, Olivia holding Molly tightly out of fear she might fall. The people below in the long-stretched lobby looked small from so high up, and Olivia again searched for his face, though the chances of recognizing him from so far away were slim. As they exited the Ark exhibit, she started to wonder why she thought he’d be at the museum all day. Of course, he might’ve been there when they opened the doors, but not all day. Tyler was a busy guy. When they were leaving the museum, Olivia left with a sense of defeat. She hadn’t seen Tyler like she had hoped, and the longing to see him only grew larger.
That evening, after dinner, at about eight o’clock, Rachel came home from school. As she walked in, she shut the door and tossed her purse on the couch.
“I’m beat.” She plopped down on a cushion and let her head fall back against the couch cushions. “This adult stuff is such a drag at times.”
Olivia grimaced. “You okay?”
She sat up on the couch and nodded. “Yes, sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. I just get tired all the time and I’m not fully used to it.”
“I don’t think anyone ever gets used to it.” Laughing, Olivia walked over to the toy box and bent down, grabbing Molly’s toys and tossing them into the box.
“Molly asleep already?”
“Yep. She only took a short nap today.”
“It’s amazing that kids can sleep when it’s still daylight.”
“It’s eight though. It’s getting late.” Rising to her feet, Olivia came over to the couch and sat down.
Rachel turned to her on the couch and stared at her. “What’s up? You seem . . . off today.”
“I saw Tyler today.”
She gasped. “Shut your mouth!”
Grabbing the newspaper she had bought from the gas station on the way home, she handed it to Rachel. “Well, I saw a picture. He and his brother designed a Christian kids’ museum.”
“Wow.” She pored over the picture and article for a moment. “How’d he seem?”
The teapot on the stove whistled. Olivia stood and went into the kitchen. “That’s why I’m kind of bummed out. We went to the museum and he wasn’t there, so I didn’t get a chance to actually see him.”
As Olivia poured her cup of tea in the kitchen, Rachel came into the kitchen. “Well, did you really want to see him?”
Olivia’s heart pounded. She couldn’t hide the truth. “Yes, I did. I didn’t know it until I saw his picture in the paper, but I really want to see him. I miss him so much, Rach. He was a part of my life when it was really scary, but he still stuck around and loved me. He loved me more than himself, I felt like, and he’s the reason I believe and have the life I do now. It was because of God, most importantly, but God used Tyler, and I can’t help but be thankful for that. I still have feelings for him.”
Rachel grabbed her hand and stopped her from putting sugar in her tea.
“You have to go to him, Olivia.”
“What? To his house? No way. I would look crazy. Casually running into him is way different from purposely going to his house, Rach!”
She shook her head. “Listen, yes, to his house. Go now.”
“What if he’s seeing someone? What if he’s mad at me?” Doubt crept into her head. A part of her still felt that he deserved someone better.
“You can’t let what-ifs dictate your life. You’ve learned that, and I’ve learned that. Now go see him!”
“Molly’s asleep.”
“Exactly!” Rachel shook her head with a laugh and dragged Olivia by the wrist into the living room. Grabbing her car keys from the coffee table, she planted them in Olivia’s hand. “Go. I have Molly for you. It’s the least I can do, girl.”
Her heart didn’t stop pounding on her way out to Diamond Lake. Each mile she came closer to Tyler, she could feel every part of her being light up with a deep passion she had lost track of in her heart over the last nine months. These emotions had been but scattered fragments, and now they were all coming together inside her at once. She prayed and questioned whether this was really God’s will. She had no way of knowing for sure, but she knew that picture in the newspaper didn’t have to be there. She also knew her mother didn’t need to mention the museum. God’s will or not, it was happening. They were going to see each other. She turned off the road and onto Tyler’s property.
She walked up to his front door and knocked three times and took a step back as she waited. Glancing over, she saw a wooden swing hanging at the corner of the porch. She thought, wow, that looks really nice. It only took a minute before she recalled their conversation the first time he had brought her out to the property. She had made mention of that exact location and swing. Her heart smiled, wondering if he remembered it, wondering if he thought of her as much as she did of him.
She waited a few minutes longer.
There was no answer.
He wasn’t home. This is all a mistake, she thought to herself on the way back to her car in the driveway as disappointment crowded into her thoughts. He wasn’t home. Obviously, this was a sign from God that they’re not meant to be. Her pounding heart was settling as she walked. Then she heard Ace barking down the dirt road toward the cabin and around the bend of trees. All the excitement and heart-pounding adrenaline flowed through her veins once again, and she forgot to get in the car. Instead, she started to run.
Sprinting down the road, dirt flew up behind her as tears and an indescribable joy bloomed in her heart. Coming around the pine trees and the bend in the dirt road, she came to the cabin. It was different though. Now, it had a large garden with a white picket fence enclosing it, the garden bigger than even her old one in Colville.
Olivia was breathless as she slowly approached the cabin and garden. Upon arriving at the garden, she unlatched the gate and went inside. Tingles washed over her entire being as she beheld every plant. Tomatoes, peas, sunflowers, and plenty more filled the garden, even overflowing the small walkway. Her heart was overwhelmed in the moment and she walked with tear-filled eyes, inspecting every plant, touching every leaf. She stopped at the tomatoes and bent a knee, plucking one in her hand. It was large and a vibrant red. She bit into it, and instantly, she thought of her dream from long ago. It was just as juicy as the one in her dream. Olivia smiled and stood up. Tyler had created the garden he said he would, the one from her dreams. She knew in her heart right in that moment that he still loved her.
Chapter 39
FINALLY MAKING HIS WAY DOWN the burned rafters in the barn, Tyler went over to the workbench and wiped his hands and face with an old dirty rag. There was an electrical fire last month in the barn, and it had burned a large area to a crisp black. Luckily, it had been contained in the rafters and the upper loft, so Chet’s belongings Tyler was still holding onto were left undamaged. Finally clean of the soot, Tyler headed to the barn doors to go find out whose car Ace went running after a few minutes ago. He figured it was Jonathan stopping in for a visit.
Tyler had been balancing not only work, but projects around his property at Diamond Lake, cultivating his appreciation for the little things in life. First, it started out small, a broken fence, a bird feeder out back on the porch, and then it grew into other things like building a dock on the lake behind his house and letting the church use the cabin for weekend retreats. Each new project taught Tyler something new and grew his appreciation for all that God had to offer in his life.
Exiting the barn, he saw Olivia standing in the garden and he stopped his steps. He couldn’t believe what his eyes were seeing. He didn’t think he’d ever see her again. Though he had grown over the months to be okay with that fact, his heart still beat hard in his chest knowing she was right in front of him.
The garden, he thought. Indeed, Tyler had built the garden she wanted, but what started as a labor of love had become so much more in the process. When Tyler started to care and tend to the garden’s needs, he learned not only about himself but also about his Creator. The careful pruning
he had to do in the garden taught him God’s attention to detail in our lives and how the Lord often has to prune the dead areas that exist in our lives. When Tyler pulled the weeds, he was reminded of God’s constant digging in our lives to bring out only the best in us. And finally, as he sowed the seeds and harvested the bounty, he learned of how the Word of God works in each heart. It’s the Lord’s watering that brings the harvest, not our own efforts. He had learned so much by the act of gardening, and he was eternally thankful for the experience.
After a moment of watching the beautiful woman he still loved with all his heart strolling through the garden, he approached her. His heart beat faster with each step he took toward the garden, toward her. He could feel his yearnings and passion for Olivia ignite within him, an old flame easily forgotten in the day-to-day, but just as strong as if she’d only left yesterday. Tyler came the last few steps to the garden, and she turned around.
They stood in silence for a moment, each of them staring into the other’s eyes.
He felt love when he peered into her sea-blue eyes. He’d spent months dreaming of those eyes and longed daily to look into them again, never imagining he’d ever get the chance. He prayed. Thank you, God.
Finally, she took a step toward him and closer to the white picket fence. As she raised her hands to both sides and tears welled in her eyes, she said, “You made me a garden!”
Though Olivia had hurt him multiple times before, he couldn’t help but be swept away in the moment and not hold any of it against her. He told her the truth that was ever-present in his heart. “I told you I would make you a garden, and that’s what I did.”
She smiled and came through the gate, closing it behind her with a gentle touch. She took a step toward him and he toward her. Then she stared into his eyes, caressing the soot-ridden five o’clock shadow on his cheeks.
“Tyler, you never moved on.”
"No, I didn’t. I couldn’t. I would’ve spent the rest of my life alone. I know you were it for me, Olivia, and I know no one could fill the void you left in my heart except you. I have spent so much time wondering how you are doing. Tell me, are you still in pain?”
She smiled warmly at him as she kept her eyes fixed on his. “My pain still comes and goes, but I’ve learned to live with it and pray through it. What I haven’t learned to live with is life without you in it, Tyler. I thought I had, but then I saw your face in the newspaper and it jostled a part of me that never moved on. I love you more now, Tyler, than I ever loved you before.”
Tyler’s heart radiated a warmth that he hadn’t known before. It covered his entire body with a sense of security and trust that this time, she was back in his life for good. He pulled his face away from her touch and glanced toward the lake.
Olivia took a step closer to him and his heart pounded. She placed her hand on his chest and then laid her head against his shoulder. He loved her touch. He loved the smell of her hair and her being so close to him once again. It had been so long that he could barely remember how it all felt. But here she was, back again, and this time, for good. He loved every moment that was happening and cherished it in his heart. He lifted his arm and placed it around her, holding her close.
“I love you, my Olivia. I learned to live without you, but I always hoped a day like this would eventually come. Now that it’s here, everything makes sense. God didn’t cause every heartache along this path we’ve been on, but He did use them to bring us to this very moment.”
Tyler turned to Olivia and peered into her eyes. He could no longer see any hurt and sadness and the sense of being lost. Instead, he saw only love. God had healed her soul and brought her heart to the exact spot it needed to be in order to fully be Tyler’s. He brought a hand up and brushed her cheek gently as he leaned in and kissed her deeply.
The End.
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Love’s Return (Click/Tap here to view on Amazon)
Prologue
THE FIRST TIME I LAID eyes on Kirk was back in our senior year of High School while I was walking the track with Chloe. He was beneath the bleachers lip-locked with Vicky Haggar from the cheerleading squad. This wouldn’t have been an issue outside of the fact that he was dating my best-friend, Chloe. Not exactly a best first impression.
Two years later when I was twenty, I decided to relocate from Albany, New York, to Spokane, Washington. Kirk had found out about the big journey across country through mutual friends and approached me about road tripping together. I quickly rejected him. When he offered to pay for all the gas, I couldn’t help but give in. With over 2,000 miles to reach Spokane and a strong desire not to rely on my parents anymore, I knew his gas money would help me in the long run. I was on my way to Spokane to stake a claim in my independence from my parents and to work at a software company as a receptionist. Kirk had been into hockey and hoped for a chance at the big leagues by trying out for the Spokane Chiefs.
Through the long journey across the country, somewhere between Buffalo and Cleveland, I suspect, Kirk and I became friends. During our time together on the road, we laughed about Mrs. Bovey, our ninth-grade English teacher who hated children far too much to be teaching them in a school. We also shared our hopes and desires for the future.
When we finally arrived in Spokane five days after we left our hometown, I not only had a handful of memories from our road trip but a longing for something more for us. The trip had given me a chance to see past the façade he had put on in high school and see the real Kirk. At one stop along the way, at a gas station out in the middle of nowhere, he opened my car door for me. Then another time, he grabbed me my favorite candy bar without my even having to ask. When I became tired of driving, he’d willingly take over even if he was tired. Beyond those sweet gestures, I learned of a man who held a lot of regret over his checkered past. He had high hopes to start afresh and make a new life for himself in Spokane. Beneath all the muscles, I found a man with a big heart.
I couldn’t give into my desire to see him again, though, or to possibly have a relationship. He was, after all, Chloe’s ex-boyfriend. I dropped him off at the bus stop where his friend was picking him up and said goodbye for what I thought was forever.
Chapter 1-Jessica
FIVE YEARS AND TWO JOBS later, I was on my way to work when I stopped in at a favorite local coffee shop of mine downtown, Milo’s, for an extra boost of caffeine. I had already been running late for work as it was, sleeping through all three of my alarms. There was a reason to the madness. It was all due to my friend Isabella, who had kept me up half the night on the phone. She was like me, single and living on the hopes of someday being swept away by a gallant gentleman who would show us the love we needed. We talked last night about how miserable she was being single in a world full of married men, the only single ones being creeps. I understood the pain of loneliness, but only to a certain degree. My singleness was part of who I was. It had almost become a friend. Sure, I wanted someone to love and hold, but I had to trust the fact that God was in control and knew my heart. Plus, I had my work, which filled much of my time.
Standing in the coffee shop near the counter, I waited for my order. I had on my new white pea coat I had just picked up the other day at the mall. When I saw it hanging on the rack on my way through Macy’s, I instantly fell in love with it. It went perfectly with my red bucket hat, which I was also wearing. Scrolling through emails on my phone as I waited for my coffee, I felt the pressure of the day catching up with me. Already several new messages. Two from Micah, my boss, one from the graphics department on a design mock-up, and a reply from a pastor I had interviewed a couple of months back. Working at a startup magazine was anything but easy, but I loved every second of it. Not only was I a writer and reporter, but my boss, Micah’s, go-to person for whatever he needed. Sometimes, it meant donuts and coffee on my way into work, and sometimes, it meant writing ten articles in five days and spot-checking the print run at two o
’clock in the morning, four hours before it went to print. It was hard work, but it carried purpose and I thrived on purpose.
“Kirk,” the barista said behind the counter, setting a cup down.
It took a moment for the name to register in my mind, but when it did, my heart leapt as I lifted my eyes to find the face that went with the name. I didn’t think about him often, but when he did brush across my thoughts, it was always with fondness for the time we’d shared together on the car trip five years ago. Over the years, the man had stayed with me in the depths of my soul, along with regret. Regret over the fact I hadn’t pursued him the day I dropped him off at the bus stop. We hadn’t spent time together before our car ride, but the time we did share over the trip was something special and close to my heart still to this day.
Surveying the coffee shop, I held onto the short string of hope I had carried all these years. It was like a loose thread from a piece of clothing that I knew if I pulled, it would unravel the whole thing. I refused to part with it. There was no certainty that Kirk still lived in Spokane, but it didn’t stop me from holding onto the possibility. My friend Chloe, back in Albany, hadn’t spoken his name in years, understandably, and I’d never found his name on the Spokane Chiefs’ roster (I checked every season), but still . . . I refused to part with the string.
“Thanks,” a man said, his voice rugged, worn.
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One Thursday Morning (Click/Tap here to view on Amazon)
Prologue
To love and be loved—it was all I ever wanted. Nobody could ever convince me John was a bad man. He made me feel loved when I did not know what love was. I was his and he was mine. It was perfect . . . or at least, I thought it was.