“Well, all right. In that case, there’re some potatoes on the counter that could use some attention.”
While Ellie peeled and chopped the potatoes, Jack stood in the opening of the kitchen and quietly observed. Now and then, when Helen wasn’t looking, Ellie would steal a glance at him and smile. And somewhere between the mashing of potatoes and frying of fish, Jack realized the feeling simmering inside wasn’t just the excitement of his first kiss or the second or the tenth. For the first time in his life, Jack Bennett knew what it meant to be in love.
When the last piece of catfish finished frying, they sat down to supper.
“So Ellie, Jack tells me you want to be a college professor—something to do with the stars…?”
Ellie wiped the corners of her mouth before answering. “Yes, ma’am, I do. I’ve always wanted to teach, and given my fascination with the celestial, I figure it’s the perfect occupation.”
“Well, I don’t know nothin’ about bein’ a professor, but seems to me it’d be pretty tough. How much schoolin’ do you need for somethin’ like that?”
“Quite a bit. Once I finish my undergraduate, there’s two years of graduate school, and another year to get my PhD. So if everything goes according to plan, I should be teaching by the time I’m twenty-five.”
“And how old are you now?”
“Nineteen.”
“Six more years.” Concern creased her forehead. “Well, God bless you, honey. I admire your ambition.”
As the conversation continued, Jack listened quietly, contemplating where he fit in Ellie’s plans. She had at least the next six years mapped out, if not more. He, on the other hand, couldn’t say where he would be in six months. And for the first time since falling in love with Ellie, Jack wondered if he wasn’t fighting a battle he was ill equipped to win.
* * *
After supper, Ellie joined Jack on a walk back to Clara’s.
“You were right,” she said as they strolled along the wooded path. “Your mama is a special lady.”
“She sure took a liking to you,” he said, taking in the moon and stars.
“You think?”
He nodded and his eyes drifted to her. “It was nice to see her enjoying herself. Sometimes I worry about her. She’s had to deal with a lot in her forty years.”
They walked on, her beside him.
“Can I ask you something?”
“You can ask me anything,” said Jack.
“I noticed you had a lot of crosses on the walls at your place, but you don’t go to church. How come?”
With a grimace, Jack said, “I used to, but after Daddy died and then Lewis, Mama stopped taking me. I guess she got angry at God.”
“Were you mad at God too?”
Jack considered her question before answering. “I don’t reckon so. After all, it wasn’t God’s fault they died.”
“I know a lot of people back home who would disagree with you. They like to blame God for everything.”
“The way I see it,” Jack mused, “God gives us life and a brain in our head so we can make decisions. What we choose to do beyond that point is up to us, as well as the consequences that go along with it.”
Ellie stopped and thought about that. “Does that mean you don’t believe in fate or destiny?
“Daddy used to say that our fate was written in the stars, but I don’t believe that. I like to think we’re the authors of our own destiny.”
A smile brushed her lips. “I like that.” Ellie walked on a few steps, then said, “I’m somewhere in the middle, I think. I believe in free will, but I also think some of us are destined to do certain things. Take me for example—I know I’m destined to be an astronomer. I can feel it in my bones.”
“The same way I believe I’ll have a house on the hill,” said Jack.
