The Face of the Earth

by Deborah Raney

  He looked up and found Shelley’s eyes again, and what passed between them in that instant was so subtle he was sure no one else even noticed. And yet it was so profound it almost captured his breath.

  They’d made it. They’d done the right thing. Yes, they’d slipped––he’d slipped, and almost fallen. But ultimately they’d done the right thing. They’d obeyed. They’d honored the vows he had spoken to Jill before God. They’d honored Jill and Shelley’s friendship. And they’d discovered a friendship of their own that had not only sustained them both through the most difficult test of their lives, but a friendship that would carry them into the next season of their lives. Jill would have been pleased.

  The thought made him smile. And he knew it was true. That infernal lump came back to his throat. All this grief and joy mixed together so thoroughly it was hard to sort it out, hard to tell one from the other . . .

  October

  Epilogue

  Saturday, October 22

  It was jacket weather again––Shelley’s favorite time of year––and though Mitch had instructed her to dress casually and wear comfortable shoes, she considered this their first official date, and she’d dressed up her favorite khaki jacket with an Audrey-approved scarf and tiny earrings.

  But he wouldn’t tell her where they were going. “We’ll be doing a lot of walking” was all he’d said. And had they ever. All over Sylvia’s charming streets, and in some of the most glorious weather God had every created. They’d had a wonderful day, growing in the new freedom their friendship now enjoyed.

  But she was curious whether––suspected even––he had something else up his sleeve. At times, he’d seemed like he was weighing his words carefully, at others, even a little preoccupied.

  They’d gotten coffees downtown and walked the ten blocks to her favorite park on the north side of town. Mitch led her across the playground toward an empty park bench. “Let’s go sit for a little while.”

  They settled in a sunny spot, a canopy of autumn leaves shimmering overhead, and a view across the street into a neighborhood of Victorian houses with white picket fences and porches full of mums and pumpkins and cats sunning themselves.

  The minute she was settled on the bench, Mitch angled his body toward her, wearing an expression she couldn’t interpret. “I have something to give you,” he said.

  For one breathtaking moment she was afraid he was going to drop to one knee and propose. That was a day she felt certain was coming, and one she looked forward to with joy––but it was too soon.

  He must have read her mind, as he seemed wont to do. “Don’t worry,” he said. “It’s not that.” He winked and gave her that smile she loved more with every passing day. “Not today anyway.” The spark his eyes held was that of a man she hadn’t seen in a long time––the man he’d been before everything that had happened with Jill. She’d almost forgotten this laughing, jubilant side of him. How she’d loved it.

  And now she had the right to love it in a whole new way. “You’re being awfully mysterious,” she said. “So, what are you giving me, besides a lovely day?”

  “Two things, actually. But they both come with warnings. Oh, and . . .” He dug in the pocket of his jacket and produced a packet of tissues. “I brought these, just in case.”

  “Oh, please don’t make me cry,” she said, warming to the playful mood he’d set. “We were having such a good time.”

  He reached into his other pocket and pulled out an oddly shaped package wrapped in brown paper. Looking almost smug, he handed it to her.

  She laughed and began to undo the mishmash of Scotch tape. “I’m going to guess this did not come from Serendipity.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “We try to limit our Scotch tape consumption to three rolls per package.”

  He laughed. “Guilty as charged.”

  She started to unfold the layers of paper, but he put a hand over hers. “Maybe I should explain before you open this.”

  She waited, head tilted.

  “I got Jill’s things back––out of the car.”

  She nodded, remembering when he’d given Katie Jill’s wedding rings.

  He touched the brown wrapping paper. “Jill bought this. That day at the antique store. It’s . . . in pretty bad shape, but I thought you’d like to have it. She bought it for you.”

  She finished unwrapping the package and lifted a beautiful silver-handled magnifying glass. “Oh . . . Mitch. Oh!” Tears sprang to her eyes.

  She gently placed the gift in her lap and reached for a tissue, but Mitch beat her to it. She took it from him and dabbed at her eyes before picking up the magnifying glass again.

  The ornate handle was badly tarnished and the ring around the glass itself had rusted in spots.

  “We might be able to take it to someone and have it restored––maybe even replated or—”

  “No. No, it’s . . . perfect, just the way it is.”

  “I thought you might say that.” He reached to squeeze her hand, looking pleased.

  They sat that way, in silence, for a few minutes before Mitch reached into his pocket yet again. Grinning, he handed her a folded sheet of paper.

  “What’s this?”

  “Do you see that house over there? The one with the black shutters on the windows?” He pointed across the street, ducking down to see under the autumn foliage that partially blocked the view.

  “Yes? I see it . . .” What on earth was this man up to?

  He handed her the paper and she unfolded it. It was a Realtor’s brochure. She skimmed the brochure, seeing all the usual real estate details, for a house she would have adored living in. And the house pictured at the top of the page was the one across the street.

  “What . . . ?”

  “Just read.” Again, that smug smile.

  She laughed. “You did not buy me a house. At least you’d better not have. You haven’t even proposed yet.”

  When he stopped laughing, he lifted the magnifying glass from her lap. “You’re going to need this to read the fine print.” He wrapped her hand around the magnifying glass, and moved it to the bottom of the page where a block of tiny print had been added. “Read,” he said.

  She bent and squinted, trying to make out the words. “This certificate grants the holder permission to––” The tears came again, with a rush of love for this man. “. . . permission to dream . . .” Her voice betrayed her again, and she gave him a sidewise look.

  His smile said he couldn’t have been more pleased with her soppy reaction.

  She read the rest to herself, through a curtain of tears.

  This certificate grants the holder permission to dream––about owning a bed-and-breakfast someday (maybe even this one, who knows?), about men who can be trusted for a lifetime (well, except when it comes to dirty socks and taking out the garbage), and about happily-ever-afters. Remit certificate to Mitchell C. Brannon for further information.

  Dear Reader,

  In The Face of the Earth, I explore what it might be like to be that person for whom, suddenly—and forever after—you are defined as the wife of the suicide, the couple whose baby drowned, the parents of the school shooter, or the man whose wife disappeared off the face of the earth.

  How can a person ever go on with life after being marked by such disaster? Can God truly redeem and redefine a tragic life? I believe He can, and in fact, I’ve seen it over and over again in the lives of friends and family who have experienced what most would think is more than their share of tragedy.

  This novel also explores what it really means to commit to love someone “till death do us part.” How far does God expect us to carry that devotion when the other person is unwilling or unable to give their commitment? The answer, I believe, lies in following God. In listening for His still, small voice leading us through His Word, and by His Holy Spirit. It’s not an easy question, but there is peace and joy in knowing we are learning to listen for and heed His voice.

  We
rarely understand, on this side of heaven, why God allows tragedy in the lives of His children, but we can always trust that He is our Comforter and that above all, He is the Redeemer of lives. God’s Word is true when it says in John 16:33, “In this world, you will have trouble,” but when your life is built around a relationship with Jesus Christ, those troubles are ultimately redemptive, and meaningful.

  In Christ there is always hope.

  Deborah Raney

  Discussion Questions

  1. In The Face of the Earth, Mitch Brannon’s wife of more than twenty years disappears, seemingly into thin air. How would losing someone in this manner be a different kind of grief than losing someone to death?

  2. Shelley Austin has always been attracted to her best friend’s husband, but as a Christian, she’s never acted on those emotions. Do you believe it’s possible to be close friends with a person you’re physically and emotionally attracted to, but who is unavailable to you (or you to them)?

  3. Shelley tells Mitch she “knows in her heart” that Jill is dead and not coming back. Would you trust a feeling like that, or would you need proof. Do you tend to think Shelley’s “intuition” was from God/the Holy Spirit or do you tend to think it was her own desires coming into play?

  4. What about Mitch? Why do you think God had not “released” him from his marriage commitment, even though it seemed there was no hope of them finding Jill after so much time had passed?

  5. Mitch had to consider what the marriage vows, “for better or for worse . . . till death do us part” really mean, and how they apply in his situation. Have you ever known someone (or been yourself) in a situation where you weren’t sure how to apply your wedding vows? Are there circumstances where “till death do us part” or “for better or for worse” may not apply?

  6. Jill Brannon was invited to lunch by an old boyfriend. Her initial reaction was to accept the invitation. Why do you think she had second thoughts? Was there any reason that she shouldn’t have met for an innocent lunch with Greg Hamaker? Why do you think she didn’t tell Mitch about the lunch invitation?

  7. Jill didn’t tell her husband about reconnecting with her old boyfriend, but she did tell her best friend, Shelley. Do you confide things in your friends that you don’t tell your spouse? Discuss the pros and cons of that. If you were Shelley, what kind of responsibility would you have felt knowing that information? Do you think Shelley waited too long to tell Mitch about Greg Hamaker?

  8. How do you feel about Mitch going to see Greg Hamaker when the authorities had asked him to let them handle the investigation? Would you have done the same thing in his shoes?

  9. Did the novel end the way you expected it to? Were you disappointed in the ending? Or satisfied? Discuss happy endings. Does real life ever have happy endings?

  10. How do you imagine these two families two years after the close of the novel? What do their lives look like, and how have the tragedy and struggles they’ve faced shaped their lives for the good? How have they been wounded by the events of the novel, and how might they struggle in the future because of it?

  11. How has tragedy shaped your own life for better or worse? Where does God fit into the picture of that “better or worse”?

  Author Q&A

  1. What inspired you to write The Face of the Earth? Was it a struggle to keep the story from becoming too sad?

  I knew from the beginning that I didn’t want the sadness of the situation to be oppressive. And that was a challenge, especially from the perspective of Jill’s children. But in real life, even in the midst of tragedies like this, life goes on, and there is beauty, and even joy, to be found in it. I hope the growing––though decidedly complicated––friendship between Mitch and Shelley, and the loving support of Mitch’s children offered relief from the sad parts of the story.

  2. What was the most difficult part of writing The Face of the Earth?

  The research is always the hardest part for me. I always struggle with making the technical aspects of the plot fit with the story that’s unfolding in my imagination. I’m blessed with writer friends who are lawyers, detectives, and authorities in the various other areas that came into play in this novel, but because of the specific setting of The Face of the Earth, sometimes I just had to quit writing and pick up the phone and call an authority and then hope and pray that what he or she told me didn’t derail what I wanted to happen in the story. Most of the time things fit together nicely the way I wanted them to.

  3. As a wife and mother, did you find yourself putting yourself in the place of your characters?

  I think that’s what writers do! One of the qualities that delineates writers from normal people (ha!) is that we have an ability to put ourselves in another person’s shoes and vividly imagine what it would be like to be that person. Sometimes it takes us to uncomfortable, or even scary, places. But we can’t write with compassion or empathy if we don’t crawl into our characters’ skins. I empathized with Shelley and Jill, but also with Jill’s parents, and with her children––especially Katie. Maybe more than any of the characters, I empathized with Mitch. I’m a very girlie girl, but I often find the heroes of my books trying to take over the story. In truth, I enjoy writing the male point of view more than any other.

  4. Mitchell was determined to keep his wedding vows, even when it seemed like Jill’s disappearance would never be solved. Why was this so important to him, and to you as a writer?

  It seems our society has all but discarded the value of loyalty in marriage. It breaks my heart to see the petty things people allow to destroy their marriages. I believe the wedding vows are sacred and precious, and it’s been one of my goals as a writer to portray the kind of marriages I’ve seen modeled in my family––my parents and grandparents, who all celebrated fifty-year anniversaries and well-beyond. My husband’s grandparents lived to celebrate their 81st wedding anniversary! My own marriage has “toughed out” forty-two years now. It hasn’t always been a breeze, but it has always been worth fighting for. I want to portray that truth in my novels.

  5. Could you see this story ending any other way? Jill’s safe return would have made her family happy, but other relationships would have been complicated.

  I considered several possible endings (including an all too realistic one where we never find out what happened to Jill) but I knew readers would want to know, and I wanted to give Mitch and his family closure and as close to a happy ending as a book like this can have. After all, as much as I love exploring real-life situations in my novels, we read (and I write) fiction as entertainment and to find hope and a satisfying ending.

  6. Would this story be different if the children were younger and still living at home? Why did you decide to have Mitchell and Shelley be empty nesters?

  It would have been a very different story if Mitch and Shelley had both had children at home. And perhaps the answers to their questions of “how long must we wait” would have been less complicated if the needs of their children had taken precedence. But I didn’t want to make it too easy for Mitch and Shelley. And I wanted their reasons for desiring to have a relationship to be selfish, which made their reasons for doing the right thing, self-sacrificing. Self sacrifice is so rare today. And yet it is the foundation on which our nation was built, and of every successful marriage and family. Self-sacrifice is the foundation of our faith. I’d love to see it come back in style.

  7. Shelley and Jill had a close and beautiful friendship before Jill’s disappearance. How important are good female friendships to you, and your writing?

  I remember reading, early in my marriage, that I couldn’t expect my husband to meet all my needs, and that God created women friends to fill in the gaps. I’ve been blessed with so many wonderful women friends throughout my life. Women of all ages who mentored me, struggled with me, helped me learn to be a good wife and mom, laughed and cried with me… I can’t imagine my life without the precious friends God has granted me, and thinking of losing even one of those friends brings tears
to my eyes.

  8. How have your opinions on marriage and faith changed as you’ve gotten older? Would this story have been different if you were newly married yourself?

  Perhaps I don’t see many things quite as “black and white” as I did when I was younger. But on the topic of marriage, if anything, I see commitment in marriage as even more priceless and precious the longer I am married. I think as we grow older, we begin to understand “the two shall become one” of the Bible even more profoundly. Which is why Mitch’s challenge was so great.

  9. Several characters used social media in the novel. Has your writing changed at all to adapt to new technologies?

  Definitely! I didn’t even realize it until I was rewriting my first novel for reissue ten years after its first release in 1996. I’d thought I was only going to update the medical information and fix some of the writing mistakes I’d made as a first-time author. But what I discovered when I got into the rewrite was that my characters—professional Chicago suburbanites—did not own cell phones or computers! Quite realistic for the early 90s when my story was originally written, but not at all for this 21st century. So I ended up adding 7,000 words to my original manuscript and bringing my past characters into the future, which is now their present. (And if that confused you, join the club!) That process made me realize how much technology has changed our daily lives, and how well-connected we are now––sometimes to the chagrin of writers who don’t want their characters to be connected in certain scenes!