A Chance at Love

by T. K. Chapin

  The door behind me opened. Tom stuck his head in and said, “Sorry. We don’t have much time. You’d better slip out the back, Kyle. Just take a left and all the way down this hallway. Patricia just got here with surprise treats for the youth. She’s going to wonder where Emily is.”

  I winced. “Okay.”

  The door shut.

  Turning to her, without more than a few moments left, I said, “Emily. You have to believe that you deserve a life. God didn’t design us to live imprisoned in fear. He wants us to live freely.”

  She nodded and hugged me tightly. “I love you so much, Kyle,” she said with strained words as more tears flowed freely.

  “I love you, too,” I replied, hugging her.

  We both exited the room and went separate ways.

  “Kyle,” she said a few paces away down the hall.

  I turned around. “Yeah?” I replied.

  “Come to the Valentine’s Day show.”

  I smiled. “I’ll be there, my love.”

  She beamed a warm smile and then continued on her way down the hallway, lightly touching the wall for guidance.

  As I arrived at the end of the hallway I was in and at the exit, I looked back at Emily. She was truly everything I ever wanted. I fell for her not the night we hung out, but in the hours and days on the phone we spent talking. It was like I knew her soul. As I watched her disappear around the corner of the hallway, I smiled. I smiled because I knew I loved her more than anyone I had ever met, or would ever meet again, in my life.

  CHAPTER 20

  The following week dragged like molasses leading up to Valentine’s Day. Every day that week leading up to seeing Emily, it rained. While I did cherish my few moments with Emily at the church the other night, I couldn’t help but feel a deep longing in my heart that made me feel terribly worse than I’d previously felt. My thankfulness was plenty, though. The Lord sustained me through my Bible reading and prayer life. I even joined the same emailing list as Grandma and had a daily devotional sent to me to center myself. Somehow, each day the devotional spoke directly to my life, and I knew it was God at work. I might have been a little overdramatic, but I felt as if it weren’t for God’s strength in that week, I would have surely died.

  Then the day finally arrived. Valentine’s Day.

  Charles let me off early in order to get a haircut on the way home. I never went into great lengths about the situation with Emily to Charles as we were far too busy keeping up with a rigorous schedule to get the app done.

  Stopping by the grocery store to get a pack of gum after my haircut, I spotted a bouquet of flowers. I bought two: one for my mother, the first woman whom I ever loved, and one for Emily, the last one I would ever love.

  When I arrived home, my parents were about to leave. My mother looked as beautiful as ever. She was wearing a dark purple dress, had her hair done up, and even had makeup on—a combination I didn’t see very often in her, but when I did, I knew she was excited.

  “You look great, Mom,” I said as I handed her a bouquet of flowers.

  She breathed them in as she closed her eyes. “I love them!” she replied. Opening her eyes, she went over to the counter and pulled a vase down to put them in.

  “I’m glad you like them. Where are you guys going?”

  “Your father’s taking me to this fancy place on the river.”

  “What’s it called?”

  “Clinkerdagger,” my father said as he came into the kitchen. He was looking rather sharp himself, wearing a pair of slacks, a white button-up shirt, and a dark grey plaid sports jacket.

  “Sharp look, Dad.” Looking at him, I asked, “Clinkerdagger. Where’s that?”

  “Mallon Street. Perfect view of the river, and it just opened up last month!”

  “Sounds spendy.”

  My father put his arm behind my mother’s back and kissed the side of her head as he smiled and said, “She’s worth every penny, Son.”

  My mother beamed as she turned away from the counter and into my father’s arm.

  I nodded and went over to the fridge to start the hunt for dinner. My mother came over to me and said, “The bottom shelf has some leftover lasagna from last night. You can have that.”

  “All right. Thanks.”

  As my mom finished arranging the flowers in the vase, my father said, “We’re going to head out here in a minute. Joanie already got picked up by Brad, so the house is yours while your mother and I are gone.”

  “I’m leaving to go to that thing at the church.”

  “That’s right,” my father replied. “Go ahead and just lock up on your way out then.”

  I nodded as I reached for the lasagna on the lower shelf of the fridge. “You two kids have fun.” I laughed.

  “We will,” my mother said as she set the vase in the center of the kitchen table. “Perfect. Thanks again for the flowers, Son. You’re too sweet to me.” My father took my mother by the hand and they left.

  I heard the front door shut as I scooped the last of the lasagna from the pan onto my plate. Tonight, I’ll be reunited with my love once more, I thought. Well, I’d see her again at least. I knew the skits would most likely last for at least an hour, so my hope rested in the fact that she might have fairly large parts in them so I could see her for longer. Regardless, the evening was going to be rather lackluster at best, but I cherished the brief moments I got to lay my eyes on her.

  Tossing the lasagna into the microwave, I set the timer for a couple of minutes and turned around. Leaning my back against the counter, I daydreamed of seeing my sweet love on that stage once more.

  Arriving a few minutes early to the show, my hand with the bouquet rattled like a trembling inmate on death row taking his final steps. I knew Emily’s parents were lurking somewhere in the church when I arrived that evening. I just didn’t know where.

  I wanted these flowers to get to her if nothing else happened that night. The ones I picked were her favorite, daisies. I knew if I could just find Tom before Steve or Patricia found me, he would be able to get them to her.

  When I came in the front doors of the church, I saw Patricia talking to another woman in the lobby as I walked in. Immediately, I hid the flowers behind my back and slipped away into the hallway before she could spot me.

  I let a heavy breath escape my lips as I let my back press against the wall. I looked at my bouquet I had brought. Turning my head down the dimly lit hallway, I saw a shadow suddenly flash across the conjoining halls down the way. I wondered if it was Tom.

  I headed down that direction, being careful not to make a noise with my steps. As I arrived at the conjoining hallway, I took a peek around the corner and saw my grandmother, Ruth.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked, approaching her.

  “Kyle!” she exclaimed, hurrying over to me. She kissed my cheek and gave me a hug. “Remember how I filled out one of those visitor cards on Christmas Eve?”

  “Okay.”

  “They called me this last week and asked if I could stand in for a small role in the skit. I guess the lady that was going to do it came down with a horrible sickness and they needed someone to step in quick.”

  “Hmm . . .”

  “I know, it’s strange, but I’m excited! Oh, and I absolutely love your girlfriend, Emily!”

  I smiled. “I knew you would love her, Grandma.” Giving her the bouquet, I said, “Get these to her, please?”

  She smiled as she took them into her hand. “She sure is a sweet gal, Kyle. This whole skit she’s doing is—”

  “Tell me later, Grandma. I want you to get those to her before Patricia finds me!”

  “Ok! Take care, see you after the show.” With a wink, Grandma left around the corner just in time as a loud voice startled me from behind.

  “Kyle!” Patricia’s voice boomed down the hallway. Looking back at her for a moment, I hurried the opposite way down the hall to slip out the back door, just like I had done the other day.

  Coming outsid
e, I looked across the wet and cold parking lot of the church. She was surely coming after me, so I had only moments to decide on what to do. I ran and hid behind a truck parked out in the lot. A few moments later, Patricia emerged through the door and scanned the parking lot.

  My heart raced as adrenaline coursed through my veins. Lowering my head, I began to pray for God’s help in calming my nerves and helping those flowers get to Emily.

  After my prayer, I looked over the truck to see that she had gone back inside. I was safe—for now, anyway.

  Recomposing myself, I stood up and cautiously went the long way back inside through the front doors of the church. I didn’t want to risk Patricia standing on the inside of that back door waiting for me.

  The service had already started when I got into the lobby, so I slipped into the sanctuary and stood near the back row to watch. I would have an easy escape if I needed it.

  I watched the skits unfold on the stage. One by one, they came and went for a good portion of time. There was no sign of Emily.

  Then a skit came on that was a touching story of a little boy that had a sick mother, which my grandmother, Ruth, was playing the role of. His mother was dying of cancer, and every Friday he would travel down to the candy store to buy her and himself a piece of chocolate. The mother grew more ill and the doctors said she didn’t have long to live, so when the little boy found out, he hurried down on a Monday to buy the chocolate. The store owner was locking up for the day, though, and didn’t want to go back inside. So, the little boy got down on his knees in the snow and prayed that God would open the man’s heart and make him nicer. When the little boy opened his eyes, the store owner was already gone. The little boy went home sad. When he got home with a sad expression, his father pulled him aside and asked what was wrong. The little boy explained how God didn’t answer his prayer, and now they don’t have any chocolate. His father went into the other room and came out with a giant box of chocolates. The mail man had delivered it while the boy was out at the store. It had come from the little boy’s aunt. His father explained to the boy that sometimes God doesn’t give us what we want because He already has something else lined up. The little boy was happy, and they all shared the box of chocolates on his mother’s bed.

  The next story featured Emily. My heart fluttered as the spotlight beamed down on the stage. A kid dressed up in a white robe and beard, who appeared to be playing the part of God, came out on the stage and in front of her.

  She cried out to him, “Lord! Are you there? Can you hear me?” She dashed back and forth across the stage.

  He remained silent, but he handed her a Bible. She began to act like she was reading the Bible and said, “I can hear you through the Word, but I still can’t see you, Lord!” She moved her head back and forth as she dashed again across the stage. “Show me who you are!”

  A dark-robed kid, who looked to be playing the role of Satan, came out with a red face and pushed her down. She looked around with a panicked look on her face. “Who was that?” she cried out. Satan stood over her and placed the knife in her hand, and then he took hold of her hand and began swaying it toward her throat.

  God came over and pulled Satan away from her. She was able to stand up and looked around confused. “God I can feel your presence, but I can’t see you.”

  The lights dimmed on the stage and then came back brightly as a different backdrop behind her appeared. There were trees, sunshine, and birds dangling from the rafters above the stage.

  The sun twirled in the corner and Emily said, “I can feel your warmth and experience your beauty in this world, but where are you, Lord?” God was following behind her and then was in front of her. He stood under the sun and turned it. He reached up and made the birds move. Even the leaves on the trees spun. Emily continued to look around.

  Lights on the stage went dim again and then came back on. The scene was dark and creepy. The lighting was low. This time, God was carrying Emily across the stage. She looked asleep, but lifted her head long enough to ask, “Where are you, God? Show me where you are.”

  Darkness returned to the stage. Another scene change. This time when the lights came back up, it looked like a church behind the stage. Emily was kneeled at a bed on the far right of the stage. Nobody was in it. She prayed under a spotlight that illuminated that portion of the stage. “God. Where are you?” She prayed. She began crying as she continued, “Please show me your love. Send me a boy that will love me.”

  As she kneeled at the bed, the spotlight shifted across the stage and over to the curtain that led off the stage. Out walked a Pilo’s delivery driver walking across the stage. My eyes welled with tears as she got up from kneeling and met him at center stage.

  They began to dance, just like we did that night up at The Abby. Then the kid playing God slowed their swaying down and touched Emily’s head so that she rested her head against the boy’s shoulder.

  The lights on the stage dimmed and Emily’s voice said, “Thank you, God, for always being there for me, even when I didn’t know you were.”

  My eyes were fully watering by the time the skit was over. The crowd stood up and cheered as the all lights in the sanctuary came back on. All the actors and actresses stood on the stage and bowed.

  Seeing the children take to the stage exit and into the crowd, I began weaving through the people with tears running down my cheeks. I didn’t care who saw the tears, and I didn’t care if her parents saw me anymore. I wanted to get to Emily, to the one I loved.

  As I drew closer, I saw both her parents join her side, and I hesitated for a moment. Then I thought about how I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Pushing forward, I came up to the three of them.

  “I think it’s best that you leave,” Steve said.

  “Is that Kyle?” Emily said hopefully as she stuck a hand out. “Come here. Please, Kyle, come here!” Emily said, pleading.

  I grabbed her hand and was about to pull her toward me.

  “Kyle!” her father scolded me, grabbing hold of my arm with a surprisingly strong grip.

  “What are you doing to my employee?” Charles demanded, stepping up to all of us.

  “What?” Steve asked, looking over to Charles.

  “This is my employee, leave him alone! He needs those arms; they’re connected to his hands.”

  Steve released and looked at me and then over to Charles. “You know this kid?”

  Charles nodded. “Very much so. Do you?”

  Patricia said, “He’s been pursuing our Emily.”

  Charles began laughing so hard that he could barely breathe. Once he calmed down and composed himself, he wiped his brow. “Sorry about that. But the fact that Kyle is the boy you have been telling me about is laughable. I’d trust this kid over any adult I’ve ever met in my life. Maybe even you, Sister.” Charles eyeballed Patricia. “He’s a good man of God and a skilled programmer.”

  Steve and Patricia’s eyes widened and looked over at me.

  Charles patted me on the back and said, “He singlehandedly fixed a piece of code I struggled with for over a month. He’s quite brilliant. I met him through a men’s weekly bible study. He’s a devout man of God, not the sneaky, ratty kid you told me about over dinner.”

  Emily stepped closer to me, and I brought her into my hold. She wrapped her arms around my neck and leaned her head against my shoulder. Everything felt so right. Turning my head, I ignored the other adults conversing and said into Emily’s ear, “You did a marvelous job up there, by the way.”

  She smiled and said, “I had the best inspiration.”

  “Is it okay if I steal her away for the evening, since Charles here can testify to you that I’m not bad?” I asked Steve.

  Steve looked over at Patricia, and she at him.

  “Maybe we were wrong about you, Kyle. We are willing to give you both another chance, but we would eventually like to have you over for dinner one night. You know, so we can get to know the real you. But go ahead and have fun together tonig
ht; you’ve been apart long enough,” Patricia replied reluctantly. We turned and began to leave. We could hear her mother in the background yell out, “Please don’t be out past ten.”

  Grasping firmly onto Emily’s hand, I led her through the crowd and out to the parking lot.

  “Hey, you two,” my grandma hollered over at us as I helped Emily into my car.

  “Grandma,” I said, beaming as I walked over to her in the parking lot. “Turned out that my new boss is Emily’s mother’s brother! He vouched for me, and now they’re fine with us dating.”

  She smiled and patted my shoulder. “I think they were just worried about her, which is understandable. You kids stay out of trouble.”

  I nodded. “God came through, Grandma.”

  “Yep,” she replied. “He always does.”

  As I got into my car, I looked over at Emily and smiled. She was everything I ever wanted, and by a miracle of God, we were able to be together now.

  CHAPTER 21

  “We’ll be back by ten,” I assured Steve and Patricia as I opened the front door to leave their house.

  “Bye, Mom and Dad!” Emily said, beaming with a smile as I clasped her hand. We walked out onto the front porch, and the summer air immediately surrounded us. The sun was beginning to set, and the coolness gave relief from the blistering hot day.

  This evening marked the six-month anniversary of Emily and me dating. Her parents, once they got to know me, became comfortable with the thought of Emily eventually being married to me. The topic of marriage might have scared me before I became a Christian, but since studying God’s Word, I knew it was where Emily and I were heading.

  With it being such a special day for us, I wanted to do something meaningful for Emily. I had learned over the months that we dated that she really enjoyed the sense of touch. She loved anything with a unique texture, whether soft or rigid. My surprise was one that I knew she’d love.

  We drove up to our favorite hangout, The Abbey, and parked the car. Getting up on top of the roof, we lay down and began to talk as the sun began to set. She talked for almost an hour about the job she got helping out disadvantaged children at the homeless shelter downtown.