“It seems like you’ll be the one going to such lengths,” Henry said. “Faith-based therapy hardly seems like too much to ask, and her tagging along to church on Sunday isn’t a big deal, but I don’t know, Eliza. The youth have a lot of activities. Once she’s able to attend them all, that’s a lot of trips into Rose Creek. Since it wouldn’t exactly be appropriate for me to shuttle her back and forth alone, it’ll be you doing most of the driving.”
Eliza’s face fell. “I hadn’t necessarily thought of that,” she said. “But that’s no matter. This is an incredible opportunity. Do you know how frequently I feel a desire to incorporate my faith into the conversations I have with these kids? I mean, I do to some extent, as much as a general nondenominational acknowledgment of God’s existence allows, but to really, truly talk about repentance and forgiveness and the plan of salvation . . . This is the kind of therapy I would really love to do.”
“Well, then, I’m glad you’ll have the opportunity. I’ll help you any way I can.”
Eliza looked at him just long enough to make him uncomfortable. He’d been doing a pretty good job of avoiding her and had created a measure of distance he imagined made it easier on them both. With all the time she’d been spending with Flip, and now with his knowledge of Flip’s intentions, surely it was better for their friendship to fizzle into something more like acquaintances. Associates, perhaps? But she wasn’t looking at him like an associate.
“I’ve missed hanging out with you, Henry.”
Of course she would say something like that.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you about Daniel. How are things going with him?”
Henry smiled out of relief to be discussing something work related and also because speaking of Daniel made him genuinely happy. “Things with Daniel are great, actually. He’s been writing some of the most incredible things. We’re talking—even about things that don’t have anything to do with English. I never expected it to go as well as it has. How’s Flip?” He shifted the conversation back into Eliza’s court. Talking about other men would keep them from getting too personal. “Has he decided on a date for his baptism?”
“The second Sunday in October,” she said. “His father will be visiting that week, so he thought it would nice to wait and have the baptism while he’s here.”
“That’s really great,” Henry said. And he meant it. It was wonderful the way Eliza had been so willing to share her faith and how receptive Flip had been in response.
“Yeah, it is great. At first I wasn’t so sure about Flip, but now? He’s surprised me in more ways than one.”
Henry wondered if that was a loaded statement. But then, it wasn’t his place to wonder.
He stood.
“Well, it’s been nice catching up. Just let me know if I can do anything to help with Amber. I’ll talk to the branch presidency to let them know they can expect her arrival. I can let the Young Women presidency know as well, if that would help.”
“That would be great. But, Henry, wait . . . Before you go . . .”
He hesitated but finally turned to face her.
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry about Allison. I’m sure it isn’t easy, and I just want you to know I’m here for you if you need someone to talk to.”
Henry had done about all the talking regarding Allison’s marriage that he could stand. After AJ’s conversation with Eliza, he’d confronted Allison about what he’d heard. Surely she hadn’t given AJ the impression that Robert was going to be his new dad—except, she pretty much had.
“It’s not that I told him Robert would be replacing you,” Allison had said. “I just said Robert would be his dad now too and he would be living with us full-time.”
“I’m sure his seven-year-old mind easily understood that,” Henry shot back. “He sure seemed comfortable with the idea when he was telling Eliza he didn’t think I wanted to be his dad anymore.”
“Fine. I should have been more definitive. But let’s be real. He only sees you a couple of times a week. He’ll benefit from having someone around every day. Robert really cares about AJ; he’s going to be a great stepdad.”
The words stung Henry to the very core. “I didn’t sign up to live away from AJ,” he said, anger seething under the surface. “I didn’t want us to be apart, didn’t want us to live like this. You did, Allison. You split us up. You decided to put us through this hell.”
“Right. Because a marriage falling apart is always completely one-sided.”
The conversation had gotten worse from there. It had been the same argument they’d had multiple times, and it never accomplished anything.
In the weeks since, every time Henry was with AJ, he felt almost paralyzed with fear. He wanted to reach out to him, reassure him over and over again that he wasn’t going anywhere, that he loved him and would always be his dad, but the right words never came. AJ seemed to be pulling away, so much so that Henry wondered if he wasn’t excited about having Robert as a dad.
Henry looked at Eliza. It had been so easy for her to offer AJ reassurance and to promise that Henry loved him and would always be there. But, then, that was what Eliza did. For her, loving was easy.
“Eliza,” he finally said with a heavy sigh. “About what you said to AJ, about Allison’s marriage . . .” His words were slow and deliberate. “I just want you to know I appreciate what you said. Sometimes I don’t feel like there are many people in my corner. It was nice feeling like you understood.”
“It was nothing.”
“I also need to apologize. I’ve been meaning to for quite some time, and I just haven’t found the right moment. I shouldn’t have said what I did that night, after my . . . after William Harrison showed up. I realize you weren’t involved and you didn’t deserve my wrath. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.”
“Henry, it’s already forgotten.”
He’d known she wouldn’t be angry. She’d handled far worse things in life and managed not to hold a grudge; it wasn’t surprising that forgiving him for his poor judgment and angry comments wouldn’t even give Eliza pause. But he was still glad to hear her say it. It was important to him, regardless of their status as friends or acquaintances or anything, that she not think poorly of him. It frustrated him to realize that all the distance he’d created between them did little to dampen the importance she claimed in his life. It wasn’t supposed to be that way. She wasn’t supposed to matter so much.
“Right, well, thanks for that, I guess. I appreciate your willingness to understand.” Henry picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder.
Escape. He definitely needed to escape.
“I should go,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll see you around.” He turned and hurried from the room without glancing back.
Chapter 20
Eliza watched from her office window as Amber climbed the main porch steps of the admin building. She dragged a large black suitcase, stopping on each step to heft it up beside her. She was several inches shorter than Dr. Adler, who climbed the stairs beside her, and had a narrow, petite frame that reminded Eliza of her old roommate, Lexie.
Eliza had always felt like the Jolly Green Giant when she’d stood next to Lexie. Even though they’d worn similar sizes and had frequently shared clothes, Eliza had much broader shoulders and stood several inches taller than Lexie, who just barely made it past five feet.
It’s no wonder she can’t get her suitcase up the stairs, Eliza mused. It probably weighs more than she does.
When they stopped at the top of the stairs, Amber turned, allowing Eliza to see her face. She had long blonde hair that hung straight down her back and pleasant, pretty features. Eliza was surprised to note that for the most part, she looked rather normal. For a brief moment, the girl even smiled.
It wasn’t a hard and fast rule, but first days on campus weren’t generally the best days for many students. The first day was overwhelming, often filled with tears and words of anger and criticism as parents left and kids realized their reality w
as very different from what it was the day before.
In contrast, Amber looked nothing but completely complacent. Her curiosity officially piqued, Eliza turned and left her office to meet Dr. Adler and Amber as they came through the front door.
“Ah,” she heard Dr. Adler say. “Here comes Eliza. She will be your counselor here at Rockbridge. You’ll be meeting with her in an hour or so, after you’ve had the chance to unpack and settle in.”
Eliza smiled expectantly at Amber but received only a brief nod in return.
“Eliza, can you walk Amber over to the girls’ dormitory? Rachel is expecting her.” Dr. Adler turned to Amber. “I’m so glad you’re here at Rockbridge. Things will be hard for the first couple of weeks. There are a lot of rules and expectations, but we’re very clear about what they are. The harder you work to remember them, the easier things will become. Just remember, every single person here is on your team. We are all fighting for you, not against you.”
Dr. Adler said good-bye and left Amber in Eliza’s care.
“Can I help you carry anything?”
“I got it,” Amber said.
“Okay; just follow me.” Eliza headed out the back door of the admin building and started across the brick footpath that led to the girls’ dorm. Amber followed closely behind.
“Who’s Rachel?”
“She’s the girls’ dorm manager,” Eliza said. “When you’re not with a counselor or in class, she’s the one in charge. And you’ll like her. She’s really fun. I’ve even heard girls say with Rachel around, every night feels like one big slumber party.”
“Sounds thrilling.”
“That’s the boys’ dorm just over there,” Eliza said, ignoring Amber’s sarcasm. “And the girls’ dorm is the building just past that. When we get there, Rachel will help you unpack. It isn’t an option to do it without her.”
“Why? So she can see all my stuff? Are you afraid I’m trying to smuggle in razor blades and pain pills?”
“Yes,” Eliza said. “We are.”
For a moment, Amber seemed taken aback by Eliza’s honesty, but it didn’t last. “Whatever,” she finally said, rolling her eyes. “I don’t care who searches my stuff. I didn’t bring anything.”
Rachel opened the dormitory door just as they approached the porch steps. Eliza turned Amber over to Rachel and returned to her office. She had an hour before Amber would be back for their first session—time Eliza wanted to use to gather her thoughts. She wasn’t nervous, but surely Dr. Adler would be paying extra close attention to her progress with Amber. Eliza wanted to do her best.
* * *
“So how’s the new girl?” Natalie sat on the long split-log bench next to Eliza, nudging her when she asked the question. It was a typical Friday night at Rockbridge, and Flip had built a campfire in the fire pit behind the staff apartments, where people gathered to talk, eat, and decompress from the strains of the week’s work.
“She’s good,” Eliza said. “Our session went pretty well today. She’s in better shape than most when they arrive.”
“She didn’t punch me when I took away her iPod,” Rachel said as she sat down on the other side of Eliza. “For that, she’s already one of my favorites.”
“Look at you,” Natalie said to Rachel. “You’ve been let out of your cage!”
As one of the dorm managers, Rachel had the least amount of freedom in the evenings. When the students were in their rooms, so was she. She laughed at Natalie’s comment. “Would you believe Dr. Adler herself came over and offered to give me a break for a while? I love that she still enjoys spending time with the girls, especially when there are marshmallows to roast.”
“You get extra time with this one, though, don’t you?” Natalie asked, turning the conversation back to Eliza. “She’s really going to go to church with you every Sunday?”
“It was a condition of her grandmother’s,” Eliza said. “And really, I don’t mind. Trouble is, she seems to mind. She wasn’t exactly thrilled when I told her church attendance wasn’t an option.”
“She’ll be all right,” Flip said from across the fire, “once she realizes how fun it is to hang out with you all the time.”
Natalie leaned over to Eliza, speaking low enough that only she could hear. “So, yeah—how’s that ‘friends only’ thing going with Flip?”
“We are just friends.”
“Says you,” Natalie said. “But for him? It’s a done deal. He’s totally in love with you. The end.”
“He is not,” Eliza said. “It’s not like that at all.”
Rachel leaned over to join the conversation. “It’s all right, Eliza. She’s only ribbing you because she wishes Flip would look at her that way instead of you.”
“Seriously? You have a thing for Flip?” Eliza looked at Natalie and tried to read her expression.
“No,” she said quickly. “I mean, I did, at one point, when he first started working here, but it never really . . . I guess it just sort of fizzled out over time.”
“Did you ever tell him?”
“Of course she didn’t tell him,” Rachel said. “That would require her to actually talk to him. I’m pretty sure that’s never happened.”
“Oh, come on. That’s not true. I talk to Flip all the time. About work or . . . work.” They all laughed. “I’ve just never been very good at talking to guys. Casual conversation is hard enough. You want me to tell a guy I have feelings for him? Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”
Eliza could relate to that. She would rather die a slow and painful death than tell Henry how serious her feelings were. But that was only because she was certain he didn’t feel the same way.
“You should tell him,” she said to Natalie. “Ask him out; tell him you’d like to go see a movie.”
“No,” Natalie said. “I’m pretty sure that ship has sailed. Besides, he really does have feelings for you. It’s written all over his face every time he looks at you. I’m not getting into the middle of that.”
Eliza looked up and caught Flip’s gaze across the fire. He was looking at her with a kind of intensity that made her want to look away. The same old question coursed through her mind. Could she develop feelings for Flip? Could their friendship turn into something more?
As if to answer her question, Henry appeared from around the corner of the apartment building and headed toward the campfire.
Natalie noticed him as well. “Well, miracles never cease. It’s Henry coming to join the party.”
It was true. In all the Friday-night campfires Eliza had enjoyed since her arrival at Rockbridge three months before, Henry had never been there.
“Now all we need is for ole’ Gerald to show up and stand everything on its end,” Flip said.
Everyone laughed. Gerald never did anything but grumble about the Friday-night fires. His apartment, at the end of the building, was closest to their gathering space. It wasn’t a Friday night if Gerald didn’t open his window at least three times to complain about them all making too much noise.
Eliza was pleased when Henry stopped in front of the empty bench next to Eliza.
“Do you mind if I join you?” he asked.
“Please do,” Eliza said. “How are you?”
“I’m good. I met Amber this afternoon.”
After Amber’s counseling session, Eliza had walked Amber over to the conference rooms, where she would meet her teachers.
“How did it go?”
“She was very polite. I was completely surprised when I looked over her transcripts. Her grades were decent before she moved to Georgia, but once she started school there, she completely tanked. She didn’t have a single passing grade for an entire semester.”
Eliza nodded. “Her parents went through a difficult divorce, and she ended up moving to Georgia to live with her grandmother. That was a year ago, and she’s been struggling pretty much since then. I believe her grades were probably one of the largest reasons her grandmother decided to send her here. I actually think she�
�s a good kid—just angry and hurt and lost. It’s like she’s decided the world is a really ugly place, you know? She doesn’t want to see the good. I’m going to change that though,” Eliza said. “Or I guess I’m going to try, at least.”
Henry smiled and shook his head. “I don’t doubt it. If anybody can, it’s you.”
He spoke the words lightly, like he was simply making conversation, but given their recent conflict, Eliza was pleased to hear him speak highly of her in any regard.
“Hey, Eliza!”
Eliza looked up. Jeff was hurrying across the parking lot in her direction. “You got a call. Somebody named Gina? She says it’s urgent.”
Eliza stood. Gina was on the phone? It was the first anyone had heard from her since she’d disappeared in Knoxville. She hadn’t contacted anyone, not her mom, not Barbara. Eliza stood frozen in place while her mind raced through the possibilities.
Her first thought was that Gina was either stranded or in need of money. Of course, she hoped it was something more, but if the past was any indication of the present, Eliza shouldn’t expect much from the phone call. A warm touch on her arm brought her back to reality.
It was Henry, leaning close, a concerned look on his face. “Are you all right? Do you want me to come with you?”
His sincerity nearly melted her out of her shoes. Of course she wanted him to come with her. She wanted him to go everywhere with her. But that wasn’t anything he wanted to hear. She shook her head. “Thanks, but I’ll be okay.”
She hurried over to Jeff. “Can I take it in my apartment?”
“She’s on the main line, but if you run, I’ll kick it over to your place. It’ll only ring four times before going to your voice mail, so you better hurry.”
Eliza’s phone was ringing when she made it to the foot of her porch steps. She took them two at a time and made it inside just before the fourth ring.
“Hello? Gina?” She was out of breath, both from her race back to her apartment and the adrenaline pounding its way through her veins.
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