Destiny sighed heavily and then took a deep breath before proceeding. “Yes, I do, if you would like to.”
Adam laughed to himself. “Well, that’s good to know. So, Miss Destiny, when can we plan on getting together?”
Smiling, she replied, “Well, my schedule is fairly full these days, Pastor Wheeler, but I guess I can squeeze you in sometime between now and forever.”
“Well, that’s really wonderful to know. How does this evening look, say around seven?”
“Let me check my schedule.” She paused for a minute before responding with a laugh. “I guess if I have to see you again, then tonight at seven will be perfect, and we can eat at the house. Auntie would love it, and please don’t be late. Auntie likes to eat on time.”
Adam smiled into the phone. “Me late? Never. I’ll see you tonight at seven.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Not as much as I am.”
Pulling into the driveway, Destiny gave a peaceful sigh. Tina’s car was in the driveway, which caused her spirits to lift automatically. Getting out of the car, she performed her normal ritual of scanning the area around the house. Walking up the porch steps to unlock the front door. She stuck the key in the lock without a second thought to look behind her. That probably would not have been smart if it was dark outside. She had taken a self-defense class before moving to Seattle. The fact that she had to take all of these precautious perturbed her more than anything right now. If Stanley had had something in mind, wouldn’t he have already made his move?
It had been quite a while and there were only a few phone calls that concerned her right now. The decision she made to move here was imperative in order to put as much distance between him and her as possible. She stuck her key in the lock, thankful for her new life in Seattle. She heard the latch disconnect then she push the door open.
As soon as she stepped inside she automatically reached for the light switch. Realizing it was still daylight, she chuckled nervously to herself. With each passing day her paranoia was getting worst.
After turning around she gasped with surprise when she saw everyone staring curiously at her, “Hi, guys,” there was some nervous tension in her voice. She managed a smile. Her stomach was churning. They had seen her caution as she entered the house. So she decided to act as if nothing was wrong.
Dropping her bags to the floor, Destiny sank down in the first chair she found. Cynthia must have been walking from the kitchen, along with Sara, because each of them had a tray of refreshments. Sweet smells wafted from the kitchen, filling the room with their aroma. Destiny could already taste the ham with its pineapple glaze. The biscuits sent her nose into overdrive, and she swore one of the smells was collard greens.
“Hi, Miss Destiny,” she heard David and Jonathan say as they headed her way. From behind them she heard the voice of Taylor.
“Hi, Auntie,” she said as they all ran to grab her at once.
“Hey, guys, I didn’t expect to see all of you today. What have you been doing?” she inquired after giving each of them a hug.
Taylor hugged her before saying, “We’ve been waiting on you, Auntie. I have a recital, and we came to pick up David and Jonathan. Do you want to go?”
“Not this time, guys, but next time for sure.” She smiled before making her way around the room to give everyone a hug and kiss.
“Destiny, I feel as though I have known Cynthia forever instead of just a few months. We could not stop talking during lunch last week. We shared so many aspects of our lives—Taylor, her sons, and the new addition on the way.” She looked down and laid a hand on her growing stomach and smiled brightly.
“Cynthia, you and Destiny have become family. I prayed that God would send Destiny to Seattle, but he cared enough to send both of you.”
They all squeezed hands, smiling at one another. In the distance they could hear Sara singing in the kitchen as if she didn’t have a care in the world. They all settled back down in the living room. Destiny pulled off her heels, stretching out her toes while giving them a break for the first time today. After closing her eyes, enjoying the moment, she opened her eyes only to find both women looking at her.
“Well?” they said in unison. Tina and Cynthia looked at each other and fell into a spell of laughter.
“Well, what?” Destiny asked as if she didn’t have a clue as to what they were talking about.
“Are you having dinner with Pastor tonight or what?” They were both waiting for an answer.
“We decided to get together tonight. I wanted him to get a little better acquainted with Sara, so I invited him to dinner. Then I called Sara, and I guess from the smells raffling through the house, she started cooking right away.”
Tina stood, gathering her purse. “Well, everyone who’s going with me needs to get their things. We’re about to leave the station.” She watched as all three of the children began to clean up their areas.
“Cynthia, it would be a joy and a lot of help if you wanted to tag along.”
“I thought you’d never ask. Let me get my purse.” Cynthia turned, heading down the hall.
“Enjoy yourself, Destiny.” Tina winked as she started toward the door. “I’m sure you and Pastor will have an interesting dinner with Auntie. We should be back around ten this evening. We’ll see you then.” With that, she grabbed her keys, made sure the kids were ready, and headed for the car.
Destiny returned to the living room. She had plenty of time to relax. After she checked the lock on the door, she sat down and immediately closed her eyes. There were still a couple of hours before Adam would arrive.
Flipping on the lights in the living room, Sara relaxed against the doorframe, watching Destiny sleep. Her eyes scanned Destiny’s outfit all the way down to her shoeless feet. Destiny never liked wearing shoes. Lord, she was so much like her mother. Sara’s heart was full as she admired the young lady who had been through so much in life. It seemed as if everything in her life was changing since they had come to Seattle. She was happier than Sara had ever seen her, but some things in her behavior gave her a slight concern. She never failed to ask if any calls had come from Stanley and she was always checking the locks on the doors almost obsessively when she was home. Sara heard her crying in her room on several evenings after everyone went to bed. Even the way she had entered the house today alarmed her. She had been nervous as she came in the house, turning on the lights to the living room and porch only to realize that it wasn’t even dark out yet. Maybe she needed some counseling for battered women.
She prayed that Destiny would inquire about the programs and if not at Greater Community then maybe a private center. Bless her, Lord, Sara said to herself. My sister would be so proud of her. Clearing her throat, she watched as Destiny’s eyes opened.
“Baby girl, when are you going to start getting yourself ready for dinner? Pastor Wheeler will be here shortly.” She smiled, deciding that now was a perfect time to wake her up.
“Thank you, Auntie. I need to get up and get started now,” she responded, sitting upright.
“Baby, you don’t owe me any thanks,” her auntie said, kissing her lightly on the cheek. “I should be thanking you for being the best child anyone could ever want. Now go get dressed. Pastor will be here in a few minutes.”
After dressing, Destiny went into the kitchen. When she didn’t see any signs of her aunt, she began to set the table. Sara came in shortly after and began to hand her the silverware she needed.
“We’ll put the food in the oven until Pastor gets here so it won’t get cold,” she said, heading for the living room. Destiny did as she was instructed and then followed her into the living room. Sara sat in the living room in her favorite chair, rocking back and forth. Destiny sat across from her, relaxing on the sofa.
Looking around the room, Destiny was pleased with how the house was becoming a home for each of them. Their tastes were different, but they managed to compromise on a lot of the decorations, giving the home a country, ch
ic elegance. The family photos of the twins, Cynthia, Sara, and herself graced the tops of the tables and the walls. Destiny admired all of the pictures. Picking up the picture of Sara, she admired the softness that epitomized her character.
“What are you thinking about, Destiny? You’ve been kind of quiet the whole evening,” Sara asked, breaking the silence.
Destiny shrugged. “Just thinking about everything that’s happened and how wonderful God is to bring us to this point.”
“God always takes care of his children.”
“I’m learning so much about the goodness of God. Pastor Wheeler is an excellent teacher,” Destiny stated, not realizing she was smiling.
“You’re smiling like you won first place in a contest.” Sara was laughing now.
Destiny laughed. “Is it wrong to be this happy? Sometimes I don’t think I deserve all the happiness I’m feeling right now.”
Sara looked and rolled her eyes. “The Lord wants all of us to be happy, and you deserve some happiness. You’re a wonderful young woman, and your mama would be proud.”
Destiny sighed. “I like him, but I’m worried that our going out might not be good for him. I noticed on Sunday how some of the young ladies were watching me at church. I don’t want to cause problems. We’ve only been there a short while. Today, before I left for work, I got a phone call, but the person didn’t say anything. It was strange, just a lot of breathing on the other end.”
Sara sucked her teeth. “Child, it’s been almost five months. It couldn’t be anybody you know; just a wrong number or some kids making a prank. At least you’re not running up behind him every Sunday or Wednesday like a dog in heat, trying to get his attention. It’s a shame, but that’s what it is. The man’s probably been looking for a lady like you all of his life.”
Before Destiny could comment, the doorbell rang. She jumped to her feet. She let Pastor Wheeler in as Sara came to her feet.
Destiny held the door open for Pastor Wheeler, and as he walked into the room, he stopped to hug her gently. Destiny smiled warmly at him.
“Hi, Destiny,” he said quietly as he looked over at Sara.
“Hi, please come in.” Taking him by the elbow, Destiny led him into the center of the room.
“Good evening, Miss Sara. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble fixing dinner for three.”
“No, no, not at all,” Sara said while giving him a hug.
“I hope you’re hungry,” Destiny said as she took his jacket. “We put everything in the oven, waiting for your arrival.”
“I am,” Adam responded, “and it smells wonderful.”
Adam and Destiny followed as Sara led the way into the kitchen. Sara instructed Pastor Wheeler to sit at the head of the table while Destiny filled each glass with the richly colored tea she considered the best. After placing a lemon on each glass, she placed them in their respective place. Sara brought out the food in the beautiful servers that she only used on Sundays. After making sure she had everything, she settled herself in the chair next to Destiny.
Sara gestured toward Pastor Wheeler. “Pastor Wheeler, if you don’t mind, I would be honored if you would bless the food.”
Adam was pleased. They all bowed their heads as he blessed the food as well as every occupant of their home.
“Amen,” they all chorused at the end of the prayer. Then, reaching for the collards, Sara began to fill each plate with the delicious contents of each bowl.
“So Pastor Wheeler, how was your day at the church?” Sara inquired as she began to cut her ham.
Adam cut into his ham, taking a bite before responding. “I generally take Mondays off because of my schedule on Sunday. So today I relaxed and began to pray about what God wanted spoken to his people in the coming week.”
Sara took her time in responding. “I believe that every pastor should take a day of rest. God wants his men and women to be open to receive and not tired out by all of the issues they have to deal with throughout the week. You have to attend to your own spiritual, physical, and emotional needs because it’s crucial to your ability to serve God.”
“Auntie, I never heard you talk about the role of the pastor before. I knew you loved the Lord, but now I can see your respect for the role of a pastor,” Destiny said while sipping her tea.
Sara chuckled. “I’ve never been married, but I do know that the relationship between the pastor and the church is like a good marriage.”
Sara wasn’t surprised when she noticed the rise of his brows, probably realizing she had a revelation that very few understood. “Yes, Miss Sara, the relationship between the pastor and his church is much like a marriage. It’s a partnership, each giving one hundred percent to make sure they are caring equally for each other.”
“So,” Sara said, “have you lived in Seattle all of your life, Pastor?”
“Yes, ma’am. I was born here. My parents are still living, and I have a twin brother, Marvin, who lives here as well. The only time I left was to attend college in Atlanta.”
Sara nodded. “I had never been to Seattle or anywhere else ‘til Destiny told me about Tina wanting us to come and live here. But I do think I’m going to enjoy it here.”
They ate freely, biting into the ham and dabbing the juices of their collards up on their plates with the homemade biscuits. They talked about everything from the weather to sports, business, and local events taking place in Seattle. Adam talked about his family with so much love and respect. Sara studied him and understood what so many of the women at his church saw in him.
Sara gave Destiny an approving smile. Pastor Wheeler had made her laugh at his jokes and cry when it came to his love for the ministry. Destiny would be treated like a real lady with this man. He’d pulled her into his heart and he had done it in less than two hours.
Her niece seemed to be caught off guard by all that she had seen transpire between herself and Adam. Sara watched as she swallowed the food in her mouth, rinsing the last bite down with a gulp of tea.
Then she jumped up saying, “We’ll clean up the kitchen, Auntie. You go and relax for a while.” She picked up the empty plates and took them to the kitchen sink.
Sara sighed heavily before responding, “You’re right, baby girl. It’s been a long day.” Rising from the table, she extended a hand toward Adam. “Pastor, please come by again. It was really nice having you here for dinner. Our house is always open to you. Try to get baby girl not to worry about that phone call she got today. I told her it was probably some kids playing on the phone.”
“Thank you,” he responded, rising to his feet. “Everything was delicious, Miss Sara. Thank you for having me over.”
As she eased out of the room, she called good night to Destiny over her shoulder.
Adam and Destiny stood together in the kitchen doing the dishes. The low hum of the refrigerator was the only noise to be heard for a while, along with the running water. Rinsing the soap from each dish, Destiny was almost in tears, laughing as Adam spun story after story of his and Marvin’s exploits as kids. With all the dishes dried and put away, Adam tossed the damp dishcloth across the sink and guided her back into the living room. They heard Sara singing as she prepared herself for bed.
Adam guided Destiny down onto the sofa beside him. He picked up the Bible that lay on the coffee table and opened it up. The first book that he came to was Matthew 6:33, and he began to read. “‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ I think this is a perfect scripture to meditate on for the evening. I really enjoyed this evening, but more than that, I appreciate your relationship with the Lord.”
Smiling, Destiny answered, “God will have to come first in my life, plain and simple. Putting God first, as his Word says, is so important. Seek ye first the kingdom of God. It’s a big sacrifice, but when you start the process, you realize and learn that God is just like a protective father watching out for his children.”
Adam was amazed at the response Destiny
gave him. “You know, Destiny, God is supervising his flock and won’t let any harm come to you.”
“My aunt told you?” she looked up from the Bible.
He looked at her, making sure she was comfortable with this conversation. “If you’re not comfortable talking about this, we can change the subject.” He closed the Bible he’d been holding in his hand.
He felt her tension; the way she gave a tiny, almost imperceptible flinch as she held the Bible in her hand. “When I think about those calls, it brings back the fear, anxiety, and insecurity that I felt in South Carolina.”
Adam wanted her to trust him enough to confide in him. But she also had to be comfortable opening up to him. So he waited, not wanting to rush her.
She gave him a fleeting smile. “I believe that one day I’ll be able to share more about my past with you.” She shifted her attention to his face. There was something about the way he was watching her that must have caused the single tear he saw roll down her face. With a trembling hand she wiped it away quickly. He understood her reluctance to reveal her feelings, with him since she was just beginning to really know him.
“Destiny, I’m not trying to force you to…” He stopped speaking when he saw her get up and pace in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest.
“It’s okay, Adam, I’m kind of tried.” He sat quietly, absorbing that information, hoping he hadn’t made her upset.
She twisted her mouth wryly. “To tell you the truth, I think I’ll go to bed early.” She was deliberately pushing him away, as if distance in this moment would protect her from whatever it was she was battling with in her past.
Destiny gave him an apologetic grimace as she sat back down. “I’m sorry.”
He gave her a tight smile. “No problem, but if the phone calls persist, please let the authorities know.”
His words seemed to shock her because she responded nervously. “Do you think that’s necessary?”
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