by Irene Hannon
For several seconds they simply gazed at each other, savoring the wonder of their love, filled with hope and joy and the promise of a bright tomorrow. When Cal finally spoke, the catch in his voice tugged at Amy’s heart and sent a rush of tenderness through her.
“Three months ago, I planned to bring you to this meadow and propose on the spot where I wanted to build my home—our home,” he said. “I can’t promise you that our life here will always be easy, Amy. It certainly won’t be glitzy or glamorous. But I can promise you that while our home won’t be filled with silver and gold, it will be filled with something far more precious—love and friendship and laughter. And I promise you this, too. From this day forward, I will always share with you the secrets of my heart and my dreams. And I’ll do everything I can do to help make yours come true. Because I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?”
Amy’s eyes filled with tears, and when she spoke her voice was choked with emotion. “Oh, Cal! You’ve already made my greatest dream come true. You’ve given me your love. And you’ve also helped me find a new life grounded in faith, with a clear sense of what truly matters. For that gift alone, I’ll be forever grateful.”
His heart soared with joy and his lips curved into a smile as he reached over to gently wipe away a wayward tear that had slipped down her cheek. “Is that a yes?”
A tremulous smile, filled with wonder and anticipation and unbridled joy, lit her face. “That is most definitely a yes,” she confirmed.
And as he pulled her into his arms to seal their engagement in the most traditional of ways, Amy said a silent prayer of thanks. For this wonderful man. For this wonderful place. And for a future that she now knew, with absolute certainty, was going to be even more wonderful than the one she had planned.
Dear Reader,
As I write this letter, summer is drawing to a close. Soon I’ll put away my gardening tools while the world takes time to rest and renew itself beneath a blanket of snow. I will miss my garden and my woodland retreat, but always I am comforted by the hope and promise of spring.
The hours I spend in my garden are among my most joyous—and most contemplative. And I have learned much—about flowers and about life. Sometimes plants need space so they can grow and fully develop. Sometimes they become weak or vulnerable and do best when close together so that they can prop each other up. Water must be dispensed in just the right proportion—too much, they drown; not enough, they shrivel and die.
Like a garden, love is a balancing act. We must learn when to get close—and when to back off. We must learn how much affection is enough—and how much is smothering. And while we sometimes make mistakes, true love, like a flower, is tenacious. It struggles to survive, even under difficult conditions. Because real love never ends.
In this book, Cal and Amy learn the balancing act of love. They also learn that love sometimes involves difficult choices. But as they ultimately discover, those choices aren’t really compromises when willingly made. In fact, love often spurs a healthy realignment of priorities and offers new hope for a better tomorrow, even in times of trouble.
Through all your winter days, may the promise of spring remain in your heart.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-2434-6
THE WAY HOME
Copyright © 2000 by Irene Hannon Gottlieb
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