Surviving the Storm

by Heather Woodhaven

  The first three cards were exactly what Aria feared they’d all be. A generic “With sympathy” signed with nothing but “Sorry for your loss.” This was the precise reason her mom wanted nothing to do with these cards, as well. But the fourth card surprised her. It was covered in ink on three sides of the card. Written by one of her dad’s longtime crewmembers, it relayed his experience as a new hire, when he’d spent his evenings staying up late with friends only to fall asleep during each work break. Her dad had grown exasperated at having to wake the man when he was late getting back to work, so one day Dad had carefully glued a flimsy watch to the man’s forehead. To the crew’s amusement—and her dad’s chagrin—the watch had stayed on the man’s forehead for a full week until someone suggested using fingernail polish remover. Aria laughed until her side ached. Why hadn’t Dad told her that story?

  On the backside of the card the employee related a different account, this time from ten years later. His little boy had just been diagnosed with cancer and he had caught her dad trying to sneak away after stuffing a giant envelope filled with cash into the employee’s mail slot. Aria placed a hand on her heart. This was also the dad she knew.

  Card after card told stories of her father—some she’d heard, some she hadn’t. The next card stopped her in her tracks. It was a card with scripture. Romans 8:38-39: “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

  Her vision grew blurry but she still stared at the verses. David was right, she had been running from grief, but that was only partly correct—she’d really been running from love. From his love, her friends’ and family’s love, but mostly from God’s love. She’d been stuck, afraid that if she let them love her, she’d be forced to move on with life, and that would hurt even more. Tears rushed down her face. I need Your love, Lord.

  Peace draped over her again, a warmth that spread from the crown of her head down to her spine. And after an hour, she was so thankful the movers had packed everything—even an empty candy bar wrapper and her half-filled box of tissues—because the tissues were almost gone now.

  Except...no card from David. It’d be a lie to say she wasn’t disappointed.

  She lifted her Bible out of the box and brushed off the dust. Sticking out of the Psalms was a pink envelope. The verse in the middle of the page caught her eye: “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” The envelope shook in her hand. “Why do I get the feeling You’re trying to tell me something?” she asked the Lord.

  She took a deep breath and gently opened the envelope and pulled out the card. It wasn’t anything like she imagined. It wasn’t covered with hearts or romantic sayings. Instead it was homemade. David had taken blueprint paper and drawn little cartoons of what he imagined their life together would be like. Her fingers drifted over the thick, soft paper, and she craved a pencil to be able to add to his plan. She had been kidding herself. Architecture wasn’t her father’s dream, it was her own, and she missed everything about it.

  She opened the thick paper and a shiny ring fell into her lap. She gasped.

  Aria,

  I wanted this letter to be eloquent and something you could treasure, but I’m not one for flowery language. I have tried to show you how I felt, albeit sometimes poorly, ever since you steered that kite straight into me. It may have scarred my head, but you have branded my heart. I love you, Aria, more than I can express with a pen and paper. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. This ring may not be real, but if you’re willing to wear it as a symbol of our future together, I hope to replace it with something that will stand the test of time.

  Hopeful and forever yours,

  David

  Aria fingered the ring. On closer inspection, she could tell the princess-cut diamond was made from either glass or cubic zirconium, but it was still beautiful. She slid it on her fourth finger and imagined what a marriage to David would be like. As a tremor of fear clutched her, she fought it back with the words she’d just read. Nothing could separate her from the love of God, and because of that, she could love others fully even with the risk of losing them.

  Aria looked around the cluttered storage. She had three sudden desires: to deliver the cards into the hands of her mother whether Mom wanted them or not, to visit her father’s grave and to see David in the hospital.

  Fifteen minutes later, she found her mother wasn’t at home, which was odd since Aria had borrowed the sedan from her. Aria left the cards in a pile on her nightstand. After a stop at the flower shop, she pulled into the parking lot of the cemetery. She hadn’t visited the gravesite since the burial.

  She stepped out of the car and tightened the belt around her long raincoat. The skies released a frequent drizzle that often accompanied January afternoons.

  Cradling the small pot of begonias into her elbow, she walked the path bordered by dogwood trees until it opened up to thick grass. In the back, the cemetery was lined with oak trees. Her mother said they had made sure to buy a plot that matched their anniversary so it’d be easy to remember. December 27. Twelve lines back, twenty-seven spots over, next to the thickest tree.

  She counted the lines, but as she grew closer she noticed a man in a navy-blue jacket with a white diagonal stripe and a matching hat on top. His shoulders were broad but hunched over. She really didn’t want to have step past another mourner. It was such a personal, private thing. Yet as she got closer she realized the stripe was actually a sling, and the man was in front of her father’s plot.

  “David?”

  He turned toward the sound of her voice. It was him. She shifted the pot of flowers to her left arm and ran to him. The wet grass flicked droplets on to the back of her legs but that didn’t slow her down.

  “Aria?”

  “I thought you were still in the hospital,” she cried. She tried to slow down but the slick glass had its revenge. She lost her footing, and if it weren’t for David, who took a large step and righted her with his left hand, she’d have slid into him as if he were home base.

  * * *

  David continued to hold his wide stance and squeezed her upper arm. The gold flecks in her eyes danced with the light coming through the tree branches. “Are you okay?”

  “Safe,” she said, triumphantly.

  He cocked his head.

  She flashed a breathtaking smile.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said, not able to help himself.

  Aria bent over to pick up a dropped pot filled with flowers that resembled small roses. She straightened. “Thank you.” Her voice was softer, more vulnerable.

  “Um...were you here to...?”

  He nodded. “Pay my respects. Since I missed the funeral.”

  “There was no funeral.”

  “What?”

  She shook her head. “Dad put in writing he didn’t want a funeral. He didn’t want a dime going to what he thought would be a boring event where everyone was forced to pretend he was a great guy.”

  “But he was a great guy,” David protested, meaning every word.

  She laughed. “And I think Dad knew he was, too. It was an excuse.” She sighed. “He didn’t want friends and family spending money to come to it and he wanted any life insurance money to go fully toward providing for my mom.”

  David nodded. He could understand the reasoning. “Would you like some privacy?”

  She nodded. “In a bit, but since you’re here I wanted to give you something. I had planned to come visit you next.” She slipped her hand into her right pocket and withdrew an envelope. “For you.” She looked at his chest and frowned. “You can’t open it. Sorry. I’ll do it.” Aria took out the card and placed it in his hand.

  It was mad
e of blueprint paper. Was she giving back the card he wrote? Except this was different. He studied it and flipped it to see the inside. “These are...part of your designs for a conference center?”

  When they had dreamed about it together on the beach all those years ago, he had no idea she had been serious enough to draw up designs.

  “I found them in storage today. I wouldn’t have gone there without your push.”

  He only half heard her response, as he had already started reading the note.

  David,

  If I had opened your card two years ago I would like to think I would’ve responded the way you hoped, but I can’t be sure. I’m confident of my response now, though. You challenge my strength and weaknesses equally, all to be the best person I can be. But when I mess up, you’re also encouraging and compassionate.

  David skimmed past her list of all his “amazing” traits. He didn’t want to think on them because he didn’t deserve the praise, but he hovered over the last words and took time to digest them.

  I love you and I want to be with you, forever, God willing. I will cherish each day with you and, with God’s love, know that I can handle whatever comes our way.

  He looked up to see that she had walked away to give him privacy to read the card. She set down the flowers next to her father’s gravestone and exhaled slowly, a look of peace on her face. She turned her gaze to him, tears in her eyes, but the light reflected off her hand...her hand? David felt his eyes widen. She was wearing the promise ring from the envelope. David cringed inwardly. If he had a chance to lecture his younger self, he’d tell him to show up at her doorstep with the real thing and tell her straight, like a man. She didn’t seem to be embarrassed at the fake diamond hanging off her finger, though. She was willing to accept him, as goofy as he was.

  David stepped forward and reached for her. With one hand, he pulled her close to him and as her face tilted up, he brushed his lips against hers.

  “I don’t know exactly how it will work,” she admitted. “I don’t want to be long distance again, but I want to finish my semester if they’ll even let me and—”

  David grinned and pulled her tighter to him despite the zing up his forearm. “About that, I just had coffee with your mother and asked her for her blessing—”

  Her pocket vibrated at the same time it released a series of chimes. “Uh, hold that thought for just a moment. This might be Mom.” She pulled the phone out of the raincoat and pressed it against her ear. “Oh.” Her eyes widened. “Okay. Sure. When?” She slipped her phone back in her pocket, and stepped closer to him. “You were saying?”

  His cell phone chimed. He frowned but took a glance at the caller ID. Aria leaned over to see for herself. “It’s George’s lawyer,” she announced. “That’s who called me.”

  “Then I’ll call back later.” He reached for her hand. “Aria, I love you.” He squeezed her fingers slightly as the skies erupted with a downpour.

  She lifted her chin and smiled while blinking away the raindrops. “I love you too.”

  He stepped closer, hoping his tall form would shield her from the rain. He bent down and gave her a soft kiss. God was teaching him to be patient.

  His question could wait for the right time.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  Twelve months later

  Aria stared at the dapper man in the tux standing beside her. They faced the ocean side-by-side, one of the few braving the chilly beach. The crash of waves against some of the large boulders on the shoreline provided a soothing rhythm that lulled her into quiet reflection. It seemed to have the same effect on David.

  The rest of the guests had all left the heated tent attached to the newly built conference center. She looked down at their hands intertwined, the white gold band visible on her fourth finger. The breeze drifted over her neck, playing with a few of the loose tendrils that had escaped from her updo. She may have been tired both physically and emotionally, but the contentment and joy in her heart kept a smile on her face. The sun began its final descent behind the horizon and offered them a magical display of colors to gaze upon. She nestled closer into David’s side.

  “Are you ready for your wedding present?” he asked.

  “Wasn’t my ring enough?” she wiggled her finger but he didn’t let go of her hand.

  “Nope.” He flashed a half smile but his eyes were bright, the telltale sign that he was up to mischief.”

  She narrowed her eyes but her mouth wouldn’t cooperate, still stuck in a wide grin. “What are you up to?” she pressed.

  “I hope you don’t mind, but we won’t be staying in the lodge for our honeymoon like we planned.”

  She felt her eyes widen. “David, we worked so hard to have it finished in time.”

  He titled his head from side to side, his expression thoughtful. “True...but there might have been a secret, second construction project going on at the same time.”

  He gently tugged on her hand. “Come on.” They walked past the lodge and he led her on the new path that connected the center to the gardens. A couple of bouncing animals caught her eye. “Wait. Is that...?” She bent down. “I can’t believe my eyes. The bunnies are back.”

  David chuckled. “They probably didn’t want to miss the wedding.” He raised an eyebrow. “And they’re not my gift to you.” He moved her along to where she knew he’d kept his truck and camper and construction trailer. Except they were no longer there. In its place sat...an octagonal cottage. Her eyes widened with recollection. “The captain’s quarters.” She turned on him, which was hard to do fast in a wedding dress, even with the train detached. “How’d you hide this from me?”

  “I made sure we had enough vehicles here, kept the blinds down on that side of the trailer on the rare occasion you’d stop by during your last month of your internship. Plus, I knew you wouldn’t want to stay long anywhere near the line of Dumpsters.”

  She laughed. “I do have a sensitive nose, don’t I?”

  “And that’s probably why my brothers chipped in and bought me a lifetime supply of deodorant for our wedding gift.”

  She giggled. “They’re so thoughtful.”

  He led her to the front door. “Do you want to do the honors?”

  “You’re not going to carry me over the threshold?”

  He patted his arm. “Old shoulder injury.”

  Odd. She’d seen him working along with his men without complaint, but she didn’t mind—he must be as exhausted as she. The doorknob clicked under her touch to reveal an open living room and kitchen area. To the left, she spied a bay window facing the ocean, and to the right...

  “My dad’s chair,” she cried. Past the wood floor entrance, thick white carpet like the one she envied in the vacation rental prompted her to kick off the jeweled sandals she wore. He’d built her dream home. She let her toes sink into the carpet and picked up the frame sitting on the end table. “It’s the letter from George,” she whispered. George had left an envelope for them at the reading of his will. A week after the fact, she had asked the lawyer’s office if she could have the letter but the receptionist claimed it was lost.

  Aria let her finger drift over the glass as she reread words she hadn’t seen for a year.

  David and Aria,

  I consider you both part of my adoptive family. I am blessed to know two people who love this campus as much as I do, and if possible, have a greater vision for it to bless others. If you’re reading this, then it means it’s time for you two to oversee it. I don’t know whether or not the Lord has opened your eyes enough to see you’re made for each other. I hope you have seen, but if for some reason that is not the case, I still leave the estate for you to do with as you will.

  With love,

  George Swanson

  The Lord bless thee; and keep thee: the Lord make His face shine upon thee, a
nd be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

  Aria replaced the frame gently and was about to tell David how much she loved the gesture, but her attention was diverted by a bookcase that lined the entire wall. “We have some book hunting to do,” she murmured.

  He nodded. “Later, perhaps.” David reached for a remote and she expected him to show her a widescreen television he’d decided to install, but instead he clicked a button and the bookcase split apart. The two sides swung open and revealed a master bedroom.

  “It’s gorgeous,” she murmured. She pointed at him. “You used my secret passage design.”

  “Guilty,” he said, grinning. “Your dad’s chair wasn’t the only thing I found in storage.”

  She looked up and spotted her teal-and-black-colored stunt kite hanging from the back of one of the bookcase sides that presumably served as bedroom walls when closed. She marveled at it until the back of her knees felt pressure and gave way. Her feet kicked up and she screamed as she found herself in his arms. Aria tried to catch her breath, laughing, delighted at the surprises of the day. She patted his chest. “Mr. McGuire, what about your shoulder injury?”

  David titled his chin so they were face to face, his eyes darkening. “I may have exaggerated. Timing hasn’t been my strong suit in the past but I’ve been working hard at it. Are you ready to be carried over the threshold, Mrs. McGuire?”

  Aria put both hands on his face, enjoying every minute she was in his arms. “David, with the Lord by our side, I’m ready for anything.”

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from PROOF OF INNOCENCE by Lenora Worth

  Dear Reader,

  When I visited the coast of northern Oregon with my family, it quickly became one of my favorite places in the world. On the way there, my children listed all the things they hoped to experience. They wanted to see an elk, see a shark, touch a starfish and find an unbroken sand dollar. I laughed at the first two hopes, but it only made my youngest pray harder. And wouldn’t you know it—every single one of those things happened. (Shockingly, a young shark washed up onto the shore. Right at our feet. Rescuers arrived immediately.)