He stopped at a red light and shook his head. “She wouldn’t betray that confidence.”
“My original position at the shelter was that of a resident. I’d gotten hooked on prescription drugs which clouded my judgement when it came to relationships. I stayed with an abuser for three years.”
“Why?” He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that to sound pompous and intrusive.”
“It’s okay. If you’ve never been in the situation, it’s hard to understand.” A self-deprecating laugh sounded hollow against the air. “The short version is that I didn’t think I deserved better. One night, an old friend invited me to church. It took time, but I realized there was more to life, and that I had value. I accepted Christ and I got clean.”
“That’s a great testimony.”
“It doesn’t stop there.” A peaceful look that contradicted the events settled over her. “I broke off the relationship, but he wouldn’t leave me alone. And then one night, like Luna, I ended up in the hospital.”
He raised a brow. “That’s part of the testimony?”
“When I left the hospital, that old friend brought me to Hope House. From there, I got back on my feet and found a career path. What my ex meant for bad, God used for good.” Joy radiated from her and she let out a contented sigh. “You know what, it’s not easy to remember that time in my life, but I needed to tonight. God is always good, even when we struggle to see it.”
“Yes, he is.” His eyes left the road for a second to look at her. “Thank you for sharing. I needed that reminder, too.”
“By the way, thanks for coming to get me. I’m sure this isn’t how you envisioned your holiday.”
He shrugged. “Life happens.”
“For the record, I’m glad you and Rachel found each other.” Tiffany spoke softly as though unsure she should be admitting that. “I didn’t think there was a man out there good enough for her, but you’ve proved me wrong.”
“Rachel is special.”
The conversation fell into a lull. Tiffany retrieved a notebook from her purse and wrote in it.
Aaron reflected on the day. He hadn’t counted on an emergency taking the place of a romantic evening with Rachel. His disappointment was fleeting considering the seriousness of what had occurred to Luna.
He also hated that it happened during her parents’ visit, and he prayed they’d enjoy the remainder of the trip without this shadow hanging over them. While Rachel was in the office with the social workers, he’d taken the liberty of calling her dad and filling him in on the situation.
The patrol cars were gone when he returned to Hope House, but the social workers were still there. Not surprising since they’d have to speak with Tiffany and take care of paperwork. He lingered in the parking lot, taking in the scene.
Twilight dwindled and turned to night. A few streaks of violet painted the sky in the far western horizon. Stars danced above him, and a sliver of the moon hung from an obsidian sky. The distant rumble of passing cars whirled in the background. A choir of frogs croaked at a nearby pond.
The setting could only be described as serene, ironic considering what had happened earlier. He bit his lip. What happened tonight affected him more than he realized, even though he’d never met Luna. It had taken the last hour to understand why.
He loved Rachel.
In less weeks than he could count on his hands, he’d fallen completely in love.
Tonight, he saw that her job held the potential to place her in danger, and that scared the daylights out of him. He wouldn’t want her to quit—he knew God had called her to that position—but if anything happened to her…
The front door to Hope House opened, and light poured from the entrance.
Rachel came to him, her hands in her pockets. “There you are.”
“I was admiring the sky.” His eyes met hers, connected him to her soul. The breath in his lungs dissipated into a vapor. “How’s the situation inside?”
“As good as they can be. Sue and Kami are going over details with Tiffany.”
He heard her despair, saw the lost emotions in her. “How are you?”
She didn’t answer with words but buried her head in his chest and locked her hands at his back. His arms went around her and offered the comfort she needed. The tears she shed weren’t for herself, but out of compassion for Luna. Her capacity to selflessly care about others is what he loved most about her, but it wasn’t the time to tell her.
After the cries subsided, he lifted her chin with his finger. “You were great tonight.”
“My insides shook the whole time.” She moved her hand to wipe her eyes. “They’re still unsettled.”
