“Very, but my gut told me they didn’t mean it. I visited with them this morning and had a nice talk.”
“What did they say? If you can tell me without breaking confidences.”
A discreet nod showed respect for her consideration. “They’re scared for their son’s future and acted out of that fear. They still think Lara and Aiden shouldn’t keep the baby, but are now advocating for adoption.”
“And if they want to raise the baby themselves?”
“They didn’t give a direct answer, but said they wouldn’t put their son on the streets.” Elijah sighed. “It doesn’t make sense. They’re so worried about their son’s future, but aren’t willing to help him succeed when he would need it the most.”
A sharp retort rose to her lips, but she blocked it in and chose the gracious route. “It goes back to those gray areas. Life is messy, but ultimately, our actions should reflect grace as did Jesus’s, time and time again.”
“Agree, and after my conversation with Lara and Aiden yesterday, I began to understand your situation more. Choosing not to help an unwed mom out of a sense of moral high ground creates a no-win situation.”
“Exactly.”
“That leads me to my favor. I believe Lara would benefit from talking to someone who had a similar situation. I know yours aren’t identical, but she’d be able to relate to you in ways she wouldn’t to others.” He leaned forward a degree. “Would you be willing to speak with her, mentor her in a way and encourage her?”
“I can do that.” She held back her enthusiasm, but she burst with excitement inside. If she could help anyone from her experience, those trials wouldn’t have been in vain.
“Great. I’ll give you her number, and I’ll tell her you’re agreeable to it. I trust you to arrange it in whatever way is best for both of you.”
She set Alice’s empty bottle on the end table. Her heart softened toward him. “Thank you for thinking of this. It’s those mindsets and actions that will make a real difference in people’s lives.”
“I owe you much of that credit.” He stood to his feet. “One more thing…”
“Yes?”
“Please don’t stay away from church on my account.”
She didn’t have a ready response and drew a breath then steadily exhaled. “It’s less drama this way. Even if you had a change of heart, others haven’t.”
“I haven’t heard a single person say anything bad against you. In fact, I’ve only heard well-wishes and a desire for you to return.”
She found that hard to believe, but didn’t say so in an effort to maintain the pleasant tone. “I’ll think about it.”
Chapter Seven
Valentine’s Day. A completely made up, commercial holiday. He’d never cared much about the day one way or another, had only celebrated it in the past when he had a girlfriend to keep happy.
So why am I agitated and depressed today over being single on this superficial day of love? I don’t even want a girlfriend.
He knew why—he’d made the mistake of scrolling through Facebook earlier. The overload of happy couple pictures didn’t bother him, nor all the sharing of what people received from their significant others.
One only post affected him. Ella, his most recent ex, sharing pictures of her engagement. He hadn’t known she’d been dating anyone, and his family must not have known either or they would have told him.
It had to be a case of wanting what he couldn’t have. They’d mutually agreed to break up. He admired her, respected her, and found her attractive, but in the end, he knew they didn’t have the connection required for a marriage. Maybe because her life had moved on and his hadn’t. He hadn’t dated since her, but in his defense, he hadn’t met anyone he wanted to go out with. He’d been focused on his job and giving that one hundred percent.
Maybe he needed a break from it all. A weekend away or a trip home. He hadn’t taken any time off in the five months he’d been in Jasper Lake. That had to be it. His gloom had nothing to do with Valentine’s Day or Ella’s engagement, but they happened to fall on the day he finally hit the brink of exhaustion.
Feeling better, he pulled himself off the sofa where he’d been moping for the last hour. When he went to work tomorrow, he’d ask Pastor Gray about taking off for a few days to refresh and recharge. For now, he’d grab a bite to eat then watch a movie or go to bed early.
What time is it? He checked his watch and saw he had plenty of time to make it to the diner and eat dinner out. A man could only subsist on sandwiches for so long. He cooked occasionally—his mom insisted all men must know how to make a handful of meals at a minimum, but cooking for one rarely made sense. Generally, he didn’t care for leftovers, although he’d lived off them his first month in Jasper Lake, but that’s because he’d had so many frozen meals from church members and he hadn’t wanted to waste them.
He put on a pair of socks and tennis shoes, then bundled in a coat and scarf. Right about now, he really missed his winters in South Carolina. Perhaps by spring he’d figure out the logistics of wearing a bulky coat while buckled in a car. Thank goodness he rarely drove more than ten minutes at a time because he found driving while bundled uncomfortable and stifling, yet if he drove without a coat, he stayed cold.
An eerie quiet hung over the town. He figured most people had gone to Farthington or elsewhere with romantic options for dining. When he pulled into the parking lot of Tippy’s Diner, only three cars occupied spaces. He parked close to the door and went inside.
He had his choice of places to sit and chose a table near the counter. While waiting for a menu, he looked around the restaurant. An elderly couple sat in a booth by a window, smiling at each other and sharing a slice of pie. At their age, they’d probably seen plenty of Valentine’s Days, and didn’t need a fancy restaurant to celebrate their love.That’s a relationship goal I’d like to reach.
