The Living Room

by Robert Whitlow

  Even though she’d had over an hour of deposition testimony to try to figure out how she had misjudged Dr. Lawrence Kelly so completely, Amy had no idea what she was going to say to Mr. Phillips. She meekly followed him into his office. The lawyer dropped the file on his credenza and plopped down in his chair, leaving Amy standing before him. Several moments of silence passed.

  “Well?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Amy said slowly. “Looking back, I can see how I probably misinterpreted what I saw in the dream. I mean, Dr. Kelly, Beverly Jackson, and Ms. Burris were all in the room with Mr. Dominick, and there was a big black book, but I thought the book being placed over Mr. Dominick represented his being smothered, especially when he went limp, but I think that represented his making peace with God after a lifetime—”

  “Stop it!” Mr. Phillips interrupted.

  Amy shut her mouth. The senior partner rubbed his forehead with his hands.

  “I can’t practice law like this. Listening to you is like playing roulette in Vegas. You might hit it big or you might lose everything.” Mr. Phillips paused. “Or maybe it’s more like Russian roulette. There is a bullet in your gun that can blow the brains out of a case.”

  Amy felt herself trembling, and her voice shook when she spoke. “But Dr. Kelly was going to say what he did regardless of any dreams I had. It didn’t really change anything.”

  “What about Claude Ramsey? What if I’d listened to you about him?”

  Amy hesitated. “I’m still not comfortable—”

  Mr. Phillips cut her off with a wave of his hand.

  “Amy, I’m going to ask you a question, and I want a straightforward, truthful answer. Will you do that?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ve always told you the truth.”

  “Can you keep what you see in your dreams to yourself or will you feel compelled to tell me, Chris Lance, or whomever else you think needs to hear about them?”

  Amy knew the answer Mr. Phillips wanted to hear. And she wanted to give it to him. The living room was a holy, personal place where the world didn’t intrude. She had no desire to take what she saw or heard there and expose it to unbelieving hearts and minds. If she kept quiet she could always pray. That would be the truly spiritual thing to do. For a split second, she saw herself saying, “Yes, sir,” but the words couldn’t make it past her lips.

  “No, I can’t,” she replied with a sigh. “And it’s not because I don’t respect you. It’s because I have to obey God. I may never have anything else to say—”

  “But you can’t guarantee it.”

  “No, sir. I can’t.”

  Mr. Phillips looked at Amy for several seconds. His eyes didn’t reveal what he was thinking. He pressed his lips together for a moment before he spoke.

  “Clock out and go home,” he said.

  Amy swallowed. She had to know for sure what he meant.

  “Do I come back in tomorrow?”

  “Only to pick up your termination paperwork from Ms. Kirkpatrick. I’ll send her a memo before I leave today.”

  Stunned, Amy turned away. She retrieved her purse from her office and stumbled past the reception desk.

  “See you tomorrow,” Janelle said brightly as she passed by.

  Amy didn’t respond. She got in her car and rested her forehead against the steering wheel. It was a day when Megan was taking care of Ian, so she didn’t have to pick him up from the after-school program. Amy didn’t want to go home. Her stomach knotted up at the thought of breaking the news of her firing to Jeff.

  She started the car’s motor and drove slowly out of the firm parking lot. When she reached a stop sign not far from the office, she turned left instead of right. Two blocks later she pulled into the driveway for Ms. Burris’s house. Amy couldn’t tell if the elderly woman was home and didn’t know what she was going to say if she was. She parked her car and rang the front doorbell. No one answered. She waited and rang the bell again. Just as she was about to leave, the door opened. It was Ms. Burris. The older woman was wearing a peach-colored dress. As soon as she saw Amy, her face brightened.

  “It’s so good to see you,” she said. “I was in the backyard and didn’t hear the chime. Come in.”

  Amy followed her into the parlor where the Christmas tree had been. As she glanced around, Amy wondered how much of the work done on the house had been paid for by Mr. Dominick’s money. They sat down.

  “Do you know why I’m here?” Amy asked.

  “No, except I can tell you’re upset.”

  “Mr. Phillips fired me.”

  Ms. Burris’s face fell.

  Amy told her about the dream with the big black book. Ms. Burris leaned forward and asked her to repeat every word of it again.

  “That’s remarkable,” she said.

  “But I completely misinterpreted it. I can’t believe I would consider the possibility that you—” Amy stopped. “I feel terrible.”

  “Mistakes happen. Spiritual discernment and human understanding rarely intersect.”

  “All I know is that I was one hundred percent wrong.” Amy sighed. “The dream had nothing to do with the litigation over Mr. Dominick’s estate. It all came to light this afternoon when Mr. Phillips deposed Dr. Kelly.”

  Without going into the questions Mr. Phillips asked about Sanford Dominick’s mental capacity, Amy repeated what the doctor said about Ms. Burris’s leading the elderly man to the Lord. Ms. Burris’s eyes shone as she listened.

  “Sometimes it takes decades for the fruit of forgiveness to come up,” she said. “One of the hardest things I had to do was forgive Sonny for breaking my heart. I was at the church in my wedding gown when he sent one of the groomsmen to tell me he wasn’t coming.”

  “But how could you have married him? You would have been unequally yoked.”

  “Sonny had a foxhole conversion during the war. At the time I believed it was real, but he turned away from God and me. What you witnessed in your dream was a homecoming.”

  “That’s the reason—” Amy started.

  “We were in my house in the dream. My father bought this place for Sonny and me as a wedding gift. This is where we were going to live.”

  Amy sat quietly for a moment with her hands in her lap.

  “Why did I have this dream if what I saw had already happened?” she asked softly.

  “Maybe it was for me.” Ms. Burris smiled slightly. “Listening to you has settled a big question that has weighed on my heart since the day at Sonny’s house when he prayed. I desperately wanted him to believe, but it’s so hard to be sure. Who can know the human heart? Your dream gives me a glimpse of what heaven saw the day we prayed together.” There were now tears in Ms. Burris’s eyes. “And nothing is more precious than that.”

  “You really loved him, didn’t you?”

  “And grieved for decades over the path he chose.”

  The enormous tragedy of Sanford Dominick’s life hit Amy. The war hero received acclaim from many and made millions of dollars. But he died without experiencing the genuine love offered by the godly wife who would have been his perfect partner. Added to that was the anguish of Ms. Burris’s heart for a life of singleness.

  “I’m sorry,” Amy said.

  “My life has been full in many ways,” Ms. Burris said. “But I can’t deny there is an empty place that has never been filled.”

  Amy’s job loss seemed small compared to what she’d just heard.

  “I need to go home,” she said, shifting in her seat. “And I dread telling Jeff that I’ve lost my job.”

  “He’s a good man.”

  “Which doesn’t make it easier.”

  Ms. Burris reached over and took Amy’s hand in hers.

  “I’m here to help any way I can,” she said.

  The look in Ms. Burris’s eyes told Amy she meant what she said.

  Jeff pulled into the driveway immediately after Amy, and they parked beside each other in the garage. As soon as she got out of the car, Amy went over to him, g
ave him a long hug, and then told him what had happened. To her relief, he received the news calmly. They went into the house together. Megan and Ian were in the kitchen doing homework.

  “We’re going out to eat,” Jeff said to them.

  “But—” Amy started.

  “My treat,” Jeff interjected with a smile. “Because you deserve it.”

  “Why do I deserve a meal at a restaurant?”

  “Mom, let Dad do what he wants to do,” Ian cut in. “Bobby and his family almost never eat out. You have it good.”

  Amy looked gratefully at Jeff.

  “Yes, I do.”

  Megan requested Chinese food, so they went to her favorite restaurant. Amy thought she wouldn’t have much of an appetite but was surprised to find out how hungry she was. Losing a job was hard work. Afterward, they stopped off for frozen yogurt at a new place that had recently opened. Sitting at a round table in a shaded courtyard next to the yogurt shop, Amy told the children about getting fired. And she didn’t stick to the basic facts. She told them the role her dreams played in Mr. Phillips’s decision. Never before had she been so open with them about her trips to the living room and what happened there. Ian took the news in stride. Childlike faith was accepting and concrete. Megan seemed troubled.

  “And it’s because you wouldn’t agree to keep quiet about your dreams?” she asked.

  “Yes, and I can see Mr. Phillips’s point. He doesn’t want the distraction in his practice or for the other people at work. It’s been very tough on me, especially when I don’t correctly interpret what I’m seeing or hearing. That’s happened twice recently and created a lot of confusion and drama.”

  “You mean you told Mr. Phillips something you thought was right but it wasn’t?” Megan asked.

  “Yes. And not just him. I’ve also talked with one of the associate attorneys.”

  “Wow, Mom. I’m not sure what I think about that. But you were right about the woman who visited the church and turned out to be pregnant.”

  “Yes.”

  Amy could see the wheels of Megan’s mind turning but wasn’t sure where her thoughts were going.

  “I’m being open with you,” Amy said after a few moments of silence, “but I’d appreciate it if you’d not discuss this with your friends.”

  “Not even Bethany and Alecia?” Megan asked.

  “Yes, and if you have a question or thought, come to me. I may not have the answer, but it will make me feel better to know this stays in the family.”

  “It’s part of protecting your mom,” Jeff said. “Just like she’s done for you ever since you were little.”

  “Sure.” Ian took a final bite of peach yogurt topped with hot fudge sauce. “I think you’re awesome.”

  thirty-eight

  That night Amy called Natalie with the news. Even over the phone, Amy could sense her friend’s sympathy and shock.

  “I have to go by the office for a few minutes in the morning to clean out my desk and see Ms. Kirkpatrick,” Amy said, “but I’d really like to see you afterward if you have the time.”

  “Of course, when and where?”

  They agreed to meet at the coffee shop at 10:00 a.m.

  The following morning Amy mustered up as much courage as she could and marched through the front door of the law office. She’d dressed as if she were going to report for work.

  “Good morning,” Janelle said brightly.

  Apparently news of her firing hadn’t yet filtered down to the staff.

  “Good morning,” Amy replied as naturally as she could. “Is Ms. Kirkpatrick in her office?”

  “I think so.”

  Amy went to the rear of the mansion. As soon as Ms. Kirkpatrick saw her, she motioned for her to come in, then closed the door.

  “I just finished your paperwork,” the administrator said crisply. “On my part, I want to thank you again for filling in. It took a load off my plate. Trying to provide a temp who can satisfy Mr. Phillips is impossible. You were a lifesaver.”

  Amy started to reach for the forms but pulled back her hand.

  “Excuse me,” she said.

  Ms. Kirkpatrick continued, “I didn’t know until late yesterday afternoon that Mr. Phillips talked with Emily and moved up her return-to-work date. She scrambled around and arranged day care for her baby so she can be here on Monday. We’d hoped there might be another position for you, but there are a couple of girls who aren’t at full capacity. If a spot opens up in the future, do you want me to give you a call?”

  Amy was flabbergasted but then quickly realized she shouldn’t be. How could Mr. Phillips explain to Ms. Kirkpatrick his real reason for letting her go? It might even constitute religious discrimination, not that Amy wanted to file a lawsuit.

  “That would be up to Mr. Phillips,” she said noncommittally.

  “It always is,” Ms. Kirkpatrick replied with a shrug. She pointed to a line at the bottom of a form. “Sign here.”

  Amy cleaned out her desk. Mr. Phillips had an appointment out of the office, so they avoided another awkward encounter. By the time Amy reached the reception area, news of her departure had reached Janelle.

  “I’m going to miss you terribly,” the receptionist said with a sorrowful look on her face. “I feel like I’ve barely gotten to know you.”

  “Maybe we can still get together for lunch sometime,” Amy replied. She glanced toward the stairwell to the second floor. “Is Chris here?”

  “No, he had a motion hearing at nine thirty and told me not to expect him back before eleven.”

  “Okay.”

  “If we have lunch, maybe you can sign a copy of your new book for me. Mom still talks about how thrilled she was to receive the signed copy of A Great and Precious Promise for her birthday,” Janelle said, brightening up slightly.

  “That’s good, and I’d be glad to sign a copy of my new book for you. It’ll be on the shelves in a couple of weeks, or I could bring one to you when we get together.”

  “That would be way cooler. I’ll buy you lunch.”

  Amy left and closed the front door of the office behind her. Her forced departure was much different from the voluntary one twenty-four months before. That time there had been a small party in the kitchen with a signed “Best Wishes” card placed in the middle of a fancy fruit and cheese basket. She’d left the office feeling a mixture of freedom and excitement. This time, feeling numb and detached, she had her belongings jumbled together in a canvas tote bag.

  Natalie was waiting for her at the coffee shop. As soon as Amy came through the door, her friend jumped up, ran over, and gave her a hug.

  “I’ve felt sick about what happened ever since you called,” Natalie said. “I want to barge into Mr. Phillips’s office and tell him what I think of him.”

  The image of an enraged Natalie bursting in on the senior partner and chewing him out made Amy smile.

  “You’re the least likely person on the planet to do something like that,” Amy said.

  “You don’t know what’s burning in here.” Natalie pointed to her chest.

  “Douse it with a frothy cappuccino,” Amy replied. “Let’s get something to drink.”

  Sitting with Natalie and sipping a coffee brought a sense of normalcy back to Amy.

  “The past few months have been a roller coaster,” she said. “And I still don’t know where I’ll end up.”

  “How did Jeff react to the news?”

  “Better than I could have written in a book. He’s come a long way. But I can’t leave him hanging. I’m going to have to figure out what to do that will bring in some income. And do it soon.”

  “Do you have any ideas?”

  “Not yet. I’m going to call Bernie Masters and find out if he’s really kicking me to the curb.” Amy paused. “I don’t want to look for another legal job, although I’m sure Ms. Kirkpatrick will give me a good reference. On the other hand, Mr. Phillips—” She stopped.

  “Go ahead.”

  Amy told Natalie about h
er meeting with the office administrator. Natalie gritted her teeth.

  “How cowardly! Mr. Phillips is supposed to be this super lawyer who intimidates everyone in court, but he’s afraid to admit what he did to you.”

  Amy nudged Natalie’s cup with her finger.

  “Quick, take another sip. I see flames behind your eyes.”

  Amy gently directed the conversation onto topics she and Natalie would have covered during a routine get-together.

  “Oh, Luke is putting together a mock-up of our book with my illustrations and your text,” Natalie said after they finished talking about their children.

  “When can I see it?”

  “In a few days. I’ll call as soon as it’s ready.”

  An hour later Amy arrived home to an empty house. For months she’d been living life at one hundred miles per hour, and the shock of slamming on the brakes made the house seem eerily quiet. She changed into casual clothes and went upstairs to the writing room. Before turning on her computer, she called Bernie. He didn’t answer, so she left a message on his voice mail.

  Amy stared out the window. Spring had arrived in full splendor in Cross Plains. In nature it was a time of new beginnings. What that meant for Amy was much less clear than for the flowers blooming in her neighbor’s yard across the street. She turned on her computer and opened the file for her personal journal. It had been weeks since she’d written anything. There was a lot to add.

  The next two days passed without a word from Bernie. He didn’t even contact her when he received his portion of the modest advance for The Everlasting Arms. Thursday evening Amy presented the check to Jeff after cooking him one of his favorite suppers.

  “I want you to put all of it in our account to pay bills,” she said.

  Jeff hesitated. “But you should use some of it for yourself.”

  “No,” Amy responded emphatically. “All of it in the joint account. How many months will this buy us?”

  Jeff wrinkled his nose. “Uh, about three. Have you been down to the unemployment office to sign up for benefits?”

  “I called today. It won’t be much since I was out of work for a year and a half before going back, and there will be a penalty if the law firm files a response that I was discharged for cause.”