“Oh, good. Archie is coming. It will be good to see him as well.” Evie pulled herself up using the bar above the bed.
Lainie watched her effort, so much emotion swirling inside. Her sister was strong, improving quickly, and she worked hard to get back to normal. The only nagging problem was her cloudy memory.
“Are you up to a jaunt out to the patio?” Lainie asked. “We can have lunch out there.”
Evie nodded. “I could use some sunshine.”
She sat up and swung her legs off the bed. Lainie helped Evie into a robe and then stepped back to get the walker. Evie got off the bed by herself and walked slowly, limping slightly, across the room to where Lainie handed over the walker. Dr. Hardin had told them that while Evie’s brain was healing well, the other bumps, bruises, and strains would probably be sore for a while longer.
They left the room and passed the officer at the door.
“We’re just going to the patio. You can take a break.”
He nodded.
The patio was in a protected area of the hospital. There was no way to get to it from outside because they were two floors up. They found a table. Evie put the walker aside, and they both sat. It was a few minutes before she spoke up. “Lainie, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“Once I’m released, will I be able to visit Stan?”
“What? Why would you want to?” Lainie couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“He’s still my husband and the father of my children. I pray for him every day.”
“He almost killed you.”
“I don’t know that he had anything to do with what happened to me. And neither do you.”
“You don’t know that he didn’t.” The rage Lainie had felt toward Stan that day on the beach when he tried to sell the shark attack resurfaced. She worked to calm down.
“I would be the first to say that he’s not perfect. I live with him, I know that. But we are all sinners saved by grace, Lainie. I know that you haven’t forgotten that.”
“Evie, he tried to convince everyone that you were killed by a shark. He knew you were in danger, and he was only concerned about himself.”
“I realize all of that. And I am angry and hurt. But I still need to talk to him and hear from him directly about everything.”
“Even the affair?” Lainie was immediately sorry she asked the question when pain crossed her sister’s face. But Evie recovered quickly.
“Sorry, that was mean.”
Evie gave a wave of her hand. “Even the affair. Stan has his faults, and so do I. I can’t walk away without talking to him and praying every single day.”
“I get it.”
“Do you? I worry about you, Lainie. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you in church. Do you really understand my faith?”
Lainie looked away, fighting the shame and guilt that threatened to engulf her. At least it pushed away the anger. She turned back to answer. “I wouldn’t have known how to answer that question a weekago. I might have gotten angry. In fact, when you called me before all this mess started and I saw your caller ID, I didn’t want to talk to you, because I didn’t want a lecture about church.”
“Is that what I do, lecture?”
“No, no, that was just how I saw it then. I didn’t like being called out for my sin.” Lainie took a deep breath and cleared her throat, the pain of that phone call hitting like bricks all over again.
“When I talked to Stan that day, I realized how far I’d moved away from faith. I regret that. I regret that I opened a door for hatred of Vine and closed a door on the love of God. I’ve prayed for forgiveness. I’m trying to move back.”
Evie reached across the table and gripped Lainie’s hand. “A sincere prayer is all it takes. God forgives, Lainie. He forgives you. If he asks me to forgive Stan, I will.”
He lied.
