“I think I am, too.” She laughed, but a nervous hiccup interrupted it.
“Come on in. Can I get you anything?”
“I’m fine, but thanks.”
They went to the living room and sat down.
She twisted the corner of her sweater, got right to the point. “I’m not good with apologies, but I’m sorry for overreacting.”
Jared’s facial muscles tensed. “I promise I had no ulterior motives. I honestly just wanted to spend time with you.”
“In hindsight, I can see that, but I let insecurities get the better of me.” She took a deep breath, preparing for what she had to say next. “My answer stands, though. I can’t marry you.”
“I’ve been praying about that and realized I jumped to my own conclusions too soon.” He reached over and held his hand above hers as if waiting for permission to touch her. She gave the nod, and he wove their fingers together. “I want us to be friends.”
“We are.” She sucked in a long breath, taking a leap of faith. “More than friends.”
A smile lit his face up to his eyes. “We’ll take it one day at a time.”
“That’s all I can promise.”
He squeezed her hand, then let go. “It’s all I ask.”
Her eyes caught the book on the coffee table. Other than the mention of prayer seconds ago, he’d never talked about God. Was he one of those church people? But those people didn’t get drunk and get women pregnant outside of marriage. Mom always did say they were hypocrites.
But not Jared. Despite the accusation she’d thrown at him, she knew that he was different. And she’d seen a difference in him after that ultrasound. He’d become peaceful, more restful. She didn’t know if he realized how often he used to fidget and wiggle, but she’d noticed. His eyes brought the most remarkable change. He’d always been vested in their conversations, but a corner of his eyes showed him in another place. Not anymore. What had brought the change?
That church group she’d seen months ago flashed into memory— the one in a corner booth enjoying their time together without a hint of pretense around them. They’d had that same air of contentment Jared now had.
You won’t know unless you ask.
“Do you believe all that?” She angled her head toward the Bible.
“Yes, I do.”
Now what? Did she want to know more?I do. “Why?”
“Why do I believe?”
She nodded. “Mom raised me to believe it was all a myth and church people were the meanest, most judgmental people you’ll come across.”
“No one is perfect, especially within a church.”
“Then why be a Christian if you’re the same as everyone else?” She grabbed the Bible off the table. “Isn’t this just a list of dos and don’ts? Why put yourself through that?”
Sereneness filled his face. “Love.”
“Love?”
“Do you know anything about the Bible or the Christian faith?”
“Not really. There’s a man named Jesus who they say died on the cross, but that’s about it.” Still holding the Bible, she wondered for the first time about the words inside.
“Everything in the Bible revolves around God’s love for His people and His desire for them to follow Him. Love sent Jesus to the cross to die for our sins so we can spend eternal life in Heaven.”
“What do you mean?” She wanted to understand, but those were bold claims that went beyond her comprehension.
Jared spent the next thirty minutes explaining to her the basics of the Christian faith. “Because of everything Jesus did for us, we have faith and hope in eternal salvation. Knowing that this world isn’t the end and that we have Him standing beside us gives us the strength to walk through the trials of this life.”
