by Nancy Hopper
Tim sighed, and gave Tasha one of his looks that asked her not to be too angry. "Mind if I close my eyes?" he asked sleepily.
Tasha shook her head at him ruefully. "You pathetic man. Is that all you do, sleep?"
He grinned. "It's the safest choice, right now." He threatened her, with that lazy twinkle in his eye. He slid down in a seat, and pulled his Stetson over his face. When Elaine got off the plane, he was still sound asleep.
Tasha greeted Elaine with a hug, and a kiss on the cheek.
"Where's Tim? Didn't you say he was coming in now, too?" Elaine asked brightly.
Tasha made a face, and pointed. Elaine followed her gesture and saw his tall frame draped into a chair, his face covered by a hat.
"What a mess. Let's buy some Vaseline and put it behind his ears and under his nose." Elaine suggested in a mean voice.
"Ooh. That sounds wonderful! Maybe we could find some of that gooey green putty stuff they sell to kids, and put it on his hand."
Elaine laughed aloud, and Tim pulled his hat back into place.
"Oh, no fair! We were just plotting against you." Elaine complained.
Tim gave her a wise look. "Yeah. I could feel imminent danger approaching." He assured her, with a hug around the shoulders. "Let's go home."
When they got to the house, Tasha showed Elaine to her room, and Tim got settled in his. Tim met Elaine in the hall a bit later, and she grabbed his arm.
"Timothy, I have a very big favor to ask." She said quickly.
"Sure, Elaine. What's up?" he asked sleepily.
"Oh, you poor man. You're exhausted, aren't you? I can't impose."
"Nah. Elaine, I'm always tired. Don't worry about it." He assured her. "What's on your mind?"
"Could you ... Is Tasha's father at home?"
Tim raised his eyebrows in puzzlement. "I don't know. I didn't hear anything from his office, but his Jeep was in the garage."
"Could you keep Tasha busy, for a time?" Elaine asked uneasily. "I have something of a surprise for her, and I ... I need to talk to her father about it, without her knowing."
"Sure. We'll take a walk or something, if we have to." Tim agreed.
"Which door is his office?"
"Downstairs, go left, first door, next to the stairwell."
"Thank you, Tim. It's very important." Elaine said nervously.
Tim grinned at her. "Go on down. When I know you're inside and that he's there, I'll take care of the rest."
Elaine smiled her thanks, and went downstairs. With Tim there watching, she had no choice but to do it now, and get it over with.
Tim followed her far enough down the stairs that he could hear Brent answer her knock, and see him sitting at his desk when she opened the door and went in.
She closed the door behind her and waited for him to look up. When he did, she was gratified to watch the blood drain from his face.
"Hello, Brent." She said quietly.
"Elana? What are you doing here?" he asked incredulously.
"Well, it seems that I am … your guest."
"You're the Elaine Tasha's been talking about?"
"Yes. We have become very fast friends."
"How much does she know?"
"Nothing. Well; next to nothing. Brent, I want you to know that this was innocent! She was lovely, and she reminded me of her mother; but I didn't put the pieces together for a while. She used the name Taylor, and so I didn't realize she was your daughter until Tim said the name 'Charles', and I started following the stories."
"How did you meet?" he asked, clearly dumbfounded.
"She came into my dress shop in Los Angeles. She needed something to wear on the TV show, and we made plans for dinner. She was like a lost lamb, and she needed a friendly ear."
Brent sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "Have you told her mother?" he asked warily.
"No. I came to you, first. You know that Emilie has married again?"
"Yes." Brent answered tersely.
"She had a daughter, Isabelle, who was just lost in an airplane crash. I don't know that it is prudent to deliver such a shock, so soon after."
"I'm very sorry.” Brent answered thoughtfully. "Well. What do we do now?" he asked with wonder. "Are you going to tell her about yourself?"
Elaine sighed. "I don't know. I am afraid that when I do, she'll want to know about her mother; and so, of course, I hesitate. I wanted to consult with you."
Brent chuckled. "Now, that is a surprise. But I'm grateful to you, for Tasha's sake."
"She is all that I care about.” Elaine assured him. She gave him a suspicious look. “So, you aren't going to have your thugs tie an anvil around my ankle, and dump me in the river?" she asked suspiciously.
He laughed, and shook his head. "No, no, no! I've spent too much time and money looking for you, to do that. You little weasel, you hid yourself well! Now, I suggest that we talk to the wisest man I know."
Elaine looked at him blankly. "Who might that be?" she asked worriedly.
"One Mr. Timothy Rain." He said emphatically.
"Oh, Brent! I don't know if I can." She hedged.
He laughed. "Trust me, he can take it. He'll keep his head on, and he'll know just what to do. It's amazing, he's got the wisdom of Solomon. I'll get him."
Elaine almost stopped him, and then sat down hard in a chair and put her hands to her lips, when she realized she couldn't stop him. He'd already made up his mind. She heard the two of them talking and had to blink back tears, so Tim couldn't see how upset she was.
"What, you're going to let me in on the surprise?" Tim asked curiously. His smile faded when he saw Elaine's face.
"Where is Tasha?" she asked tightly.
"She went out." Tim answered, scanning Elaine's face with wary interest.
"Have a seat, Tim." Brent offered lightly.
Tim sat, still watching Elaine. He could see that she was extremely upset. "What's wrong, Elaine?" he asked worriedly.
Elaine turned panicked eyes toward Brent. "I shouldn't have come here. Oh, God. Brent!" she begged nervously.
"No, Elaine. Surely you can see; you can't run away from this one. Tasha's bound to find out. Let's think this through, and come up with the best solution. It's a tangled web, Elaine, but Tim can handle it. Just start talking, or Tim will start reading. You ought to know that, already."
"Do start talking, Elaine." Tim agreed softly. His penetrating eyes told her he wasn't leaving the room until he had the whole story. He knew it concerned Tasha, and therefore, he wasn't about to let it be.
Elaine stared at her hands, and gathered her courage. "I didn't know, Tim. I didn't know, at first. After she went on television, and we were at the airport that day with you, I found out."
"Found out what?" he asked patiently.
"That she was Brent's daughter. I came to Brent because I didn't know what else to do! Only he doesn't know what to do, either."
"About what? Elaine, you're not making sense."
She managed to look up at him, and then had to look away. "I know. It's rather difficult." She explained. "You see, I used to ..."
"She used to live with me." Brent finished for her finally. "She was the love of my life. But, she left me, and I couldn't find her. So, I married her sister, instead." Brent admitted lightly.
Tim looked at Brent incredulously.
"Emilie looked strikingly like Elaine. I thought she'd do, but I was wrong. But I got a beautiful daughter out of the deal, anyway."
Tim closed his eyes, and tried to absorb the shock. Finally, he turned his eyes to Elaine. "You're Tasha's aunt?"
She nodded, not looking up.
"And she doesn't have a clue." He sighed.
"No." Elaine sniffed.
"It's going to be a bit complicated, Tim. You see, I never allowed Tasha to see her mother, or receive her letters. It was self-serving, but I just didn't want the difficulties of it. I was angry with Elaine and Emilie, and I thought Tasha would be better off without her mother's inf
luence."
"What in the world would have been wrong with it, Brent?" Elaine demanded harshly.
Brent winced. "Elaine, I was afraid." He admitted slowly. "I was afraid that I'd lose Tasha, too. I'm sorry, but that's the truth of it."
Elaine shut her mouth, and lowered her eyes. It wasn't like Brent to make such an admission. "I rather thought you'd done it all to spite me." Elaine said. "I thought you married Emilie to spite me, divorced her and withheld your daughter from her to have your revenge."
"I wasn't very happy about it, Elaine. But I didn't marry Emilie to hurt you. I married her because she was so much like you. I guess I foolishly thought I could somehow replace you, with her."
Tears filled Elaine's eyes. "Brent," she chided. "Are you saying that I truly meant ... something to you?"
Brent looked decidedly uncomfortable. "Of course, you did." He snapped. "You meant everything to me! I was madly in love with you."
Elaine looked at him with wide eyes. "Then, why would you never tell me?"
"It wasn't my style." He chuckled, shaking his head. "I was a proud fool."
"You always held it against me and Emilie, too, that we were from such a poor background. Didn't you?"
"I don't think so. I didn't treat rich women any better, Elaine. It's just who I was. But I'm not that way, anymore. Will you forgive me for what I've done? And, even worse – for what I refused to do?"
Elaine went so pale, that Tim put a hand on her arm. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.
She nodded absently. "Brent, what's the matter with you?" she asked breathlessly. "You are not the Brent Charles I knew."
"No. Not hardly." Brent agreed cheerfully. "I'm a free man now. Jesus set me free."
Tim took Elaine's hand and held it gently. "Everything has changed, Elaine. Everything Brent ever did is under the Blood of Jesus. He has repented, and he's been forgiven. He isn't the same man he used to be."
Tears flowed over Elaine's cheeks. "I can't believe it!" she said at last.
Tim looked into her eyes pointedly. "Elaine, I know that your wounds are deep, and painful to you. Sometimes, it's hard to forgive. But you can be free of the pain, if you'll walk through that door of forgiveness. That's where your freedom is, too – in forgiving Brent." He urged gently. He let her sob, and waited as the conviction of the Holy Spirit settled upon her like a heavy blanket.
"Elaine; first, accept Jesus. Then, it will be easier to forgive Brent." He suggested softly.
It seemed that she wasn't going to respond. But then, her head tipped forward and she nodded. Tim smiled and prayed for her.
The tears flowed harder, and soul-wrenching sobs racked Elaine for a long time. When she finally calmed down, Tim put his hands on her head, and prayed for her again. He prayed aloud, and helped Elaine ask Jesus into her heart.
Then, he asked the Holy Spirit to come in. Elaine slipped right out of her chair onto the floor, and began laughing as she had never laughed in her life. Tim chuckled with her. He knelt, and prayed over her for some time. Brent covered her with a light blanket from the closet, and grinned at Tim.
"I'll stay with her, Tim. You go ahead and do whatever you need to do. I was going to be here, anyway."
Tim just laid back in his chair and sighed. "I think you and I ought to try to catch some of this." He suggested tiredly.
Brent met his eyes, and lightning struck. The two of them were both on the floor before they knew what hit them, with the Holy Ghost all over them. They all laughed hysterically, and enjoyed His healing touch. Then they just laid there, soaking in His glory.
Thus Tasha found them, when she came home. Tim opened one eye and smiled lazily at her when she opened the door. She sat on the floor beside him, and touched his face with gentle fingers. She could see that Tim couldn't get up, so she dropped down and laid her head in the crook of his arm.
Tim managed to roll over, and snuggled his other arm around her. The sound of his heart beating and his hand on her head were wonderfully comforting. They just stayed there, enjoying the presence of the Holy Spirit, until Lucinda announced that dinner was ready.
It was a staggering, woozy bunch that seated themselves at the dinner table that night. They enjoyed Lucinda's wonderful meatloaf, but they were all quite undone.
After dinner, Tasha and Tim went to sit by the fire, and relax. Tim cuddled her under his arm, and just feasted his eyes on her. "I missed you, honey." He admitted. "So very much."
She smiled up at him. "I missed you." She assured him. "You are the most exasperating man! You come and go like the wind."
He sighed. "Well, you'd better learn how to keep up with me, because I'm not going to be able to go without you, anymore. It's tearing me apart."
Tasha put her head on his chest and hugged him. "I know. Me, too." She admitted.
"Tasha, tell me about your mother.” He asked gently.
She shrugged, and her eyes clouded. "I don't remember anything, really." She denied quickly.
"You're hiding from the memory of it, aren't you?" he accused softly.
Tears flooded Tasha's eyes, totally surprising her. "Oh, my God." She exclaimed, finding herself trembling.
"That's what I thought." Tim comforted. "I didn't think you were even aware of it. Let it out, Tasha."
He held her for a long time, and let her cry. It was embarrassing for Tasha, but once she got started, she just couldn't stop. Finally, she blew her nose, and wiped her eyes.
"She was … very beautiful. She was shapely and slender, with dark hair, and … and blue eyes, I think. She was always very gentle and kind to me. She always smelled good, and she was always wearing a pretty dress. She was like a queen. She always made me behave like a lady.”
"Then one day, I remember …. I heard her crying. So, I went into their bedroom, though I wasn't allowed to go in without permission. When she saw me, she just cried harder. I remember that she scooped me up into her arms and held me tightly. Not like she usually did, but ... passionately."
Tasha smiled sadly. "She told me she was being sent away. She said she didn't want to leave me. She said that she'd take me with her, but Papa wouldn't let her. She promised she'd see me again someday. Then, Papa came to the door and said her name in the harshest voice I'd ever heard. We both jumped. He told her to give me to him. She looked at him with such glittering hatred in her eyes." She said, shuddering at the memory. "That's the last time I saw her. I've never heard from her since."
Tim studied her thoughtfully. "Do you think you'd want to?"
"Oh, Tim. I don't know. I mean, she could be dead; or, living in the street; or married again, with other kids. I … I don't know. She might not want to see me."
Tim nodded carefully. "All of those things could be true." He admitted. "I'm just suggesting that it's a possibility you can consider, now. I think Brent may be at a place where he could handle it."
Tasha paled. "Oh, Tim. I don't know! It's kind of frightening to think about, you know?"
Tim hugged her close. "It's up to you. Whatever you want, I'll go along with." He promised. “But you know, sometimes, things just come along and there's not much to be done about it.”
"What do you know about this?" she asked suspiciously. "Are you getting some kind of knowledge in the spirit about my mother?"
Tim shrugged. "I can only say that I think you haven't seen the last of her. I know for a fact that your family horizons are suddenly expanding. And I think it's going to be a good thing. So, be ready."
Tasha raised her eyebrows quizzically, and looked up at him. He just grinned at her, and hugged her tighter.
As Tim was headed upstairs to his room that night, the phone in the hallway rang. He stopped, and answered it. It was an overseas operator, and she was trying to put a call through from Italy for Elaine. Finally, a woman's voice said, “Hello?”
"Hello." Tim answered.
"You are not Brent." The woman said, in softly accented tones.
"No, I'm not. This is Tim. How can I help yo
u?" he asked with interest.
"I was calling for Elaine. But you are ... you are the man who is going to marry Tasha, is that so?" the woman asked excitedly.
"Yes. I am." He agreed dubiously.
"Praise be to God! I have read, and seen on television! Please, you must help me!" she said in a voice choked with tears. "Please, be a friend to me, dear Timothy!"
"I already am." He assured her. "Who are you, and how can I help?"
"I am Emilie DeLonge." She replied breathlessly. "Elaine is my sister. I called to speak to her. I was given this number by her shop assistant; and I could not believe it! She is there? With Brent?"
"She is." Tim confirmed.
"And is ... Tasha there, too?"
"Yes, she is."
The woman sucked in her breath sharply. "Does she know that Elaine is her aunt?"
"No." Tim assured her. "I just found out, myself. We've been discussing what to do about it. Tasha and Elaine became friends without ever knowing there was a family relationship between them. Elaine just got here, and we've been discussing with Brent what to do."
"Oh, my poor darling." The woman said through tears. "It must be such a shock for her."
"She doesn't know anything yet." Tim assured her. "Are you ...?"
"Yes. I am her mother." The woman said tearfully.
Tim raised his eyebrows, and sighed heavily. "Well, I am glad you called. Give me your phone number and address, before we go any farther." He insisted.
Once that was out of the way, Tim chuckled. "You know, Tasha was just telling me about you. What she remembers, anyway."
The woman began to weep. "She speaks of me?" she asked tenderly.
"She did, tonight. I've been trying to pave the way for a time when we could perhaps visit you, if that would be all right."
"Nothing would make me as happy as to see her again! I knew that you are a good man! I had another daughter, you see, with my present husband. She was recently killed, in a plane crash. Oh! If I could only see Tasha again, I think I could go on living." The woman pleaded.
"Remember that the idea is brand new." Tim warned gently.
"Brent could not stop it after she is married to you!" The woman insisted indignantly.