Gina’s lips trembled. She couldn’t hold her tongue. She lashed out at Keith. “At this moment, I don’t feel like hearing your paltry words of appeasement. Right now they mean nothing to me. This is my reality. I’m about to lose my children. Could God relate to that?”
“God lost His only child for us,” Keith said.
“Yes, God gave His Son up, but it was by choice,” Gina argued. “I’m not trying to give mine up at all.”
“What I am trying to tell you, honey, is that God understands what you are feeling right now. He could be allowing us to go through this for a reason.”
“Don’t you dare come to me with that argument. Your reasoning is weak, Keith.”
“I know that God can work everything out according to His purpose. And that faulty reasoning is better known as faith, Gina. Faith.”
“I can see that your faith in God is not shaken by this whole debacle, but I’m shaken. I’m shaken.”
The driver dropped them off at a nearby restaurant. Gina remained silent during lunch. Sensing her inward rebellion, Keith left her alone. He knew his charms were wasted on his wife at the moment.
Nigel met with Gina in a small room to prep her for her closing statement. Michael gave his first. When he was finished, even Gina felt sorry for him.
“He sounds like he should be knighted or given sainthood,” she muttered to Keith. But all her husband did was squeeze her hands.
Gina was poised and ready to give her statement. She didn’t even get two words out before the judge interrupted. “Mrs. Ward, I am going to stop your attempt at a defense. What I want to know is why you should be awarded sole custody. Michael Ward, your ex-husband, is well capable of taking care of the children. So why not shared custody?”
“Because he’s not their biological father, Your Honor.”
“However, his name is on the birth certificates, and he’s been providing for the children, has he not?” the judge asked.
Gina nodded and bit her lip.
“Your Honor, I am the biological father, and I’m more than willing to take over their care and provide for them,” Keith interjected. He saw that Gina’s misery mirrored his own.
“Hmm,” was the judge’s ambiguous response.
“Your Honor, if I may continue,” Gina began again. She had to fight for her children. “I know that my actions were immoral, but Michael doesn’t love my children, as he should. He treats my daughter, Epiphany, with total disregard. I—I think he hates her. He can’t be allowed to have them. It would damage them.” Her lips quivered, and the tears fell. “I’m a good mother to both my children. I love them with all my heart and will be a good example to them.”
“You call your moral turpitude a good example?” Judge Wattinger bellowed.
Nigel opened his mouth to object but remained silent. He could not object to a judge.
“Judge Wattinger, if I may,” Keith interjected, infusing his voice with every ounce of deference and respect he could muster. “I know that our previous actions were questionable, but we were remorseful and have changed. We have changed our lives and have found spiritual guidance to keep us on the right path.”
His words and mannerisms seemed to appease the temperamental judge for the moment. The “torture,” as Gina called it, continued. She was so glad when five o’clock loomed. The judge promised to give both parties’ arguments great consideration.
Keith and Gina left the courtroom in a somber mood. Gina could no longer stop the tears she’d been holding in. She cried during the car ride to Gerry’s house. She cried when she saw the children running to greet her. She cried during the drive home. Once they got back to the house, Keith allowed her to flee while he tended to the children. Gina cried for a good hour until she fell asleep.
After he put the children to bed, Keith also cried. His pain and guilt over the past overwhelmed him. It was because of her love for him that Gina was now facing this agony. But, somehow, through his tears God provided solace. Keith remembered that his weeping would last only so long. He would feel joy soon. His joy was going to come.
Later that night, Gina woke up.
She looked around the dark room in alarm. She could have sworn she’d felt someone tap her shoulder. She should have been alarmed, but instead, Gina felt an odd sense of comfort. Then she remembered the havoc in her life, which she had created.
Feeling suffocated, Gina eased out of bed, not wanting Keith to awaken. She knew how worried he was about her and the possibility of losing their children. However, unlike her, he seemed calm and at peace almost. That was because he wasn’t trying to carry the burden himself. Or so he’d said.
Keith’s words about God giving up His only Son came back to her like a whisper. The words washed over her. God did know what she was feeling.
Gina walked out to her living room, but this time she fell to her knees. Again, she cried, but this time she poured her heart out to God. “Lord, I really never needed You before,” she sobbed. “I know I don’t deserve it, but I beg You not to let that judge take my children from me. They’re my most precious commodities. I’m not me without them.”
In her heart, she vowed that if God performed this miracle in her life, she would serve Him with all her being. She continued to pour out her deepest feelings. “I realize that everything I’ve gone through in my entire life has led me on this path to You. I’m here, ready to open my heart to you. I do need you, Lord. Thank You for loving me enough to provide for me even when I didn’t see it. You’ve been there all along. Please don’t leave me now.” Though Gina still cried, this time a sense of comfort followed her tears. She felt a warmth envelop her being and wash over her soul.
Spent, Gina went back into the bedroom, dove back into her bed, and curled up next to Keith. For the first time in weeks, she slept like a baby.
Chapter Forty-three
The next morning, Michael entered the courthouse, positive that he would be retrieving his children that very evening. He was hoping to hear that he’d been awarded shared custody. Verona was already there when he arrived.
Figures, Michael thought. He did not want to enter the courtroom and be forced to engage in meaningless conversation with his attorney. So Michael left the courtroom and took the elevator to the lobby. He decided to grab a cup of coffee from the coffee shop across the street. He was about to pay for his order when a pair of beefy hands tapped his shoulder and someone said, “Hey!”
It took a moment for Michael to place the face, but then he recalled Lauren’s cameraman, “Tiny.” The man’s nickname was an oxymoron. At over six feet and almost three hundred pounds, he was anything but miniscule. Michael greeted Tiny with a warm smile.
He felt a funny surge in his heart. Tiny’s presence meant that Lauren was somewhere in sight. He was a bit surprised at the emotion. He didn’t expect to feel anticipation at the thought of seeing Lauren again.
Michael had kind of given up after calling her for over two weeks and getting no response. He chalked up their time together as a brief encounter and was determined to keep moving. However, Michael could not admit that he had not started moving yet.
“So where’s our lady?” Michael asked with a slight grin.
“You didn’t hear? She quit the station and disappeared,” Tiny bellowed with a loud guffaw.
Seeing the scrutiny of the other customers, Michael decided to steer Tiny outside to continue their conversation. His interest was piqued. Glancing at his watch, Michael realized that he had about a half hour before Judge Wattinger was due in court.
His heart did a telltale drop as Lauren’s last “revelation” sank into his system. He needed to find out what was going on, because if Lauren was not lying, then . . .
Keith and Gina made it to court with five minutes to spare. Both Nigel and Verona were already present. The tension between the attorneys was even more palpable.
Keith lost his patience and grunted, “Listen, whatever is going on with both of you needs to stop this minute. Gina and I
are here fighting for our family—our lives. Whatever squabble you two have can wait.”
“It’s not us,” Nigel replied, mortified. Keith knew that his attorney was not aware that his and Verona’s rift was so evident or well known.
“Then what is it?”
“Michael has decided to . . .” Verona trailed off as Judge Wattinger entered the courtroom.
Keith’s brother was nowhere to be found.
“Where is your client, Ms. Stachs?” Judge Wattinger asked without preamble.
“Ahh . . . ah . . . ” Verona sputtered and fiddled with her blouse. She was clearly out of her element. Her demeanor made Gina nervous.
“Spit it out,” Nigel commanded, not withholding his delight at her uncharacteristic discomfort.
“Judge, Michael Ward has dropped the case. He is no longer seeking custody of Trey and Epiphany Ward,” Verona begrudgingly admitted. She shifted the papers around on the table, trying in vain to keep the blush from spreading across her cheeks.
Judge Wattinger couldn’t disguise her surprise but pasted on a plastic smile. She addressed Gina. “Well, Mrs. Ward, I guess this hearing is over. I hereby grant you full custody of both Trey and Epiphany Ward, and I further move to remove Michael Ward’s name from the birth certificates. Keith Ward’s name will now be placed on their birth certificates as their biological father.” At the end of that comment, the judge banged her gavel and departed the courtroom in a huff.
Keith pulled Gina into a tight embrace. “God is the ultimate, victorious judge. No one can fight a battle like Him.”
While her husband praised God with fervency, Gina looked up and whispered, “Thank you, God. You answered my prayer, and you came through. I will keep my promise. I give you my heart and all of me. My life is in your hands.”
Keith and Gina jumped with triumph. It was over.
Keith heard Nigel needle Verona so that she would spill the beans about Michael’s sudden retraction, but she wouldn’t budge.
Keith and Gina questioned what happened for a brief moment, but they were too exhilarated to debate the topic for long. They both knew to whom the credit really went. They knew that God had fought the battle for them and won. They headed home.
As soon as they entered their home, Keith swept Gina into his arms. He was free. Free to love Gina. Free to father his children. Free.
Keith would not delay another moment. He called his mother, whooping for joy, and made sure she was up to keeping the children for a couple of nights. Of course, she was thrilled and more than happy to give him time with Gina. Gina was too overcome with emotion to speak. She was still busy crying from relief.
Next, he called Colleen and Terence and told them the good news. He also warned them not to call for at least two nights. He had pressing business with his wife that he needed to settle—yesterday.
Then he made Gina don her wedding gown and those remarkable glass shoes. He grinned in delight when he saw what she was wearing underneath. They stepped outside the front door Keith lifted her over the threshold, signifying that they were about to embark on a fresh start to the rest of their lives. Then they made a beeline for the bedroom.
Keith was going to make love to his wife. No holds barred.
And he did.
All night long.
All through the morning.
Through lunch.
Through dinner.
And . . . God give him strength . . .
Till daybreak.
Epilogue
Lauren sat in her newly rented house with her feet propped up on the coffee table. She looked around the sparse room. Like the rest of the house, it was almost bare. All she had so far was a sleeper couch, the coffee table, and a TV. Reporting and news were in her blood. She had to know what was going on in the world.
Lauren knew that she would have to get the place ready soon.
She hugged her tummy, which was expanding and showing the life growing inside. Or, she should say, lives. Dr. Kline had told her he heard two heartbeats, instead of one. She would be going for an ultrasound in a couple of weeks to confirm that she was carrying twins.
She felt her eyes brimming with pity tears again. With a brisk wave, Lauren wiped them away. Her emotions were so topsy-turvy. She cried about the oddest things and at the most inopportune times. It was downright annoying.
She put the television on and angled her body so that she could watch it, as it was sitting on the coffee table. She flipped through the channels until she came to a rerun of, of all things, her interview with Keith and Michael. She quickly hit the record button.
Lauren cried when Tiny zoomed in on Michael’s handsome face. To her, he was the more gorgeous of the two brothers. She did not understand what Gina saw in Keith, why she’d chosen him over Michael.
The last segment was playing now, when Keith looked directly into the camera to address the audience. She perked up. His speech was one that she would never forget. Lauren supposed that it was not by chance that she was now about to hear it again.
Once again, Lauren was enraptured as Keith spoke from his heart. “I must admit that if I were in your shoes now, I would be enthralled by this scintillating piece of gossip. But this is my life. Yes, a few years ago, I fell in love with Gina, who is now my brother’s wife. I can say that I’m sorry, but I would be lying if I said I had regrets. How can I regret the woman who, besides God, has been my passion and my . . . everything? I know that there are other women out there, but they are not Gina.”
Gina had left by then, but Keith had still paused a moment to address her. Lauren wondered if Gina had ever heard Keith’s statement. “Gina, darling, I love you. I always will. My life is meaningful because you’re alive. I know we may never be together, but you’ve always been in my heart and you always will be.”
Lauren saw herself squirm in the face of Keith’s intense declaration. She remembered trying to remain professional, but she had been moved. Lucky for her, Tiny had chosen that moment to take a close-up of Keith’s face.
Keith had turned toward the camera and allowed the world to see his agony and torment and lack of caring. His final words had made the world forgive him and the women’s hearts melt. “I know I could sit here and deny what’s in my heart to make myself look good to you. But I’ll never do that. I could never deny my love for Gina Ward, and now for my children. I profess it willingly. I love Gina. My heart beats for her alone. No other woman can take her place. No other woman will do.”
As she hit the REWIND button, all Lauren could think was, Will Michael ever feel that way about me? Is he even capable of such a love?
Coming May 2015
Book Three of the “On the Right Path” Series
The Fall of the Prodigal
A Condemned Man. His Two Brides. One Untimely Death.
He had it all. Will he have to lose everything in order to save his soul?
Michael Ward is at the top of his game. He didn’t need anyone or anything and he liked it that way. Money is his new best friend. Until he’s arrested for a heinous crime he didn’t commit. As much as he hates to admit it, Michael needs his brother, Keith Ward, the man who stole his wife and children. Will Michael open his heart to forgive his brother?
Verona “Tiger” Stachs has been Michaels’ attorney for years. She’s in love with him but is tired of being treated as his guinea pig. A backslidden Christian, Verona finds herself being drawn closer to God. She thought she was through with God, but He’s nowhere through with her. Which relationship will she choose?
Keith Ward’s a prominent minister and family man, yet he yearns to rekindle his relationship with his brother. When Michael calls him citing that he desperately needs his help, Keith jumps at the chance to set things right with Michael. Will Keith be able to lead Michael into the light?
Readers’ Guide Questions
Gina, Michael, and Keith were parents who had to take care of a sick child. Though Trey recovered, what are some thoughts we can offer families who lose their c
hildren and question or blame God? Why do you think God allows children to be sick?
Gina wanted to have another child, but she didn’t like the idea of having one for the sole purpose of saving another. Share your thoughts on whether or not you think it’s okay to have children for this purpose.
Gina was married to one man while being in love with another. Keith constantly filled her thoughts. As Christians, how can we counsel someone who is facing this struggle?
The story is based on the scripture Psalm 37:23, and the events show that Keith’s steps were truly ordered. What are some incidents or experiences that you’ve had that prove that God is with you every step of the way?
Gina felt that she was a good person and that she didn’t need God. Are there friends or family members in your life who you know behave better than those who profess to be saved? How can we minister to these individuals who have high morals and values but haven’t accepted Christ? Are there any Bible scriptures or histories that back this up?
Throughout the novel, Gina relied on God only when she needed something. How do we engage in this same behavior at times? What are the dangers of knowing God only when we need Him?
Keith was unwilling to face his past, though he had converted. Although the sins of the past are forgiven, there are still consequences. How do we explain, then, that God has thrown these sins into the sea of forgetfulness? Why do we still have to face our past if it has been forgiven?
Keith’s love for Gina made him betray his brother. Do you think there is ever a time when love justifies hurting someone you love or going against family?
Sometimes when we minister to people, they feel as if they’re too sinful for God to really want them. Share your experiences. What scriptures or words of comfort can we offer someone who feels this way?
My Steps Are Ordered Page 24