“They’re still a bit warm, but I won’t tell you to keep away. Maybe the preacher’s wife won’t like it, but I believe some temptations are made for giving in to.” She used a metal spatula to slide cookies onto napkins and then set one in front of each of them.
Evie broke off a piece and blew on it before throwing it into her mouth. The buttery cookie melted on her tongue, and she moaned. “This is so good.”
Terri brightened for the first time that day. Her eyes lit up. “You think so?”
Tosha waved her hand in front of her mouth to cool the hot cookie off. She’d gone right for a big bite. “I don’t even care that it’s so hot. I want more.” She wasn’t kidding; she went for it.
Evie would have scolded her, but she’d followed her example and had a mouth full.
“You’re amazing, Mrs. Terri.” Cassidy swiped at the chocolate around her mouth.
“Oh, go on with ya. It’s Granny’s recipe.” Terri flapped a hand. She stood taller and reached for the spatula. “You go on and have another—you hardly tasted the first one.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Tosha took the new napkin in her greedy palms.
Terri pulled up a stool and sat down, bringing the cookie tray with her. It was probably a good idea, because two just wasn’t going to be enough—not for Evie, anyway.
“What’s your essay this week?” Evie asked around a mouthful.
Tosha hit a few keys. “We have to write about our goals in life.” She made a face.
Evie laughed. “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Neither girl had an answer.
On a whisper from the Holy Spirit, Evie turned to Terri. “What about you? What do you want to be?”
“You guys already are grown up,” said Cassidy.
Evie shrugged. “Who says you can only have one try at growing up? I’ve already had two—no, three, if I think about it.”
“You have?” Tosha’s eyes rounded with interest.
“Yeah. When I graduated high school, I picked a path. I went to college and got a generic degree. Then I started working at this company and dating a man who proposed. I felt like I grew up a lot when I agreed to get married. That was a big moment.”
She paused, wishing she could skip over this part but feeling like it had to come out. “We, uh, broke up and I was adrift for a while. Then I-I m-met Seth.” Met? Ha! More like she’d answered his ad, but she couldn’t say that—especially not in front of these girls. They needed a better example. “Marrying him was another major growth moment in my life.”
“Why?” asked Tosha.
“Because a preacher’s wife is a much different, much less selfish life than I was leading at the time.”
“Marrying him was a sacrifice.” Terri’s face hardened.
“No,” Evie hurried to add. “Making the decision to take a different path was a thoughtful process. But what I believe—” She smiled at Terri to let her know she had purposefully chosen to use the same words she had earlier. “—is that God’s path for us is easier than the path we want to make for ourselves, because it is His will. Does that mean life will be easy? No. I’ve worked harder since marrying Seth than I ever did before. But my moments of joy and peace have tripled.” She glanced around the table at the three beautiful women, and her eyes filled with tears. “And I’ve met each of you. That wouldn’t have happened if I was still in a cubicle crunching sales numbers.”
A gentle quiet filled the room—sweeter and warmer than the cookies.
“I guess my goal will be to find God’s path for me. Do you think I could put that in an essay?” asked Cassidy.
“I think that would be a wonderful essay topic,” Evie confirmed.
Tosha twisted her empty napkin. “I think I already know what He wants me to do.”
“Yeah?” Terri leaned forward, eager. “What?”
“A nurse.” Tosha began nodding, her movements getting bigger as the knowledge grew stronger inside of her. “I’ve felt nudged that direction for over a year; I just didn’t want to dedicate myself to it. The program is really competitive.”
“You’d be so good!” Cassidy side hugged her.
