Page 128 of The Emma Special

Katie hugged her coffee mug against her chest with both hands. “I wonder how Christ feels sometimes. When we fight His good gifts, trying to earn back what He paid for our ransom... If that were possible, then He died for nothing.”

“Amen, sister.” Summer lifted her mug, then downed the rest of her tea in one gulp.

Lottie twisted her wedding band around and around. “Love doesn’t keep a record of wrongs… It clings to what is good. Emma, you married a good one. Don’t be afraid to jump in all the way.”

Emma smiled as the rush of warmth filled her. “I’m in love with my husband.”

The confession earned cheers and hugs from the whole group. The new owner turned sharply toward them from where he was adjusting those awful photos on the wall. He’d probably have more fun if he’d paint the walls pink.

Emma laughed, thinking of sneaking in during the night and painting the walls a mixture of pink and teal, making glitter photo frames with pictures of all the parties hosted in this room.

She looked around at her friends. Love, joy, hope, excitement, and a bit of mischievousness reflected back at her. Emma had been fighting against her feelings so hard she hadn’t stopped to see the plan God was unfolding in her life. Emma stood up, raised her arms wide with renewed energy and hope for her future. “I guess I’m ready for my lingerie party!”

The girls let out an excited squeal and attacked her with a group bear hug.

“Excuse me.” The man in black jeans and a black shirt buttoned all the way to the neck stood beside their couch holding a dish towel. He wore a nametag with “Jared” printed on it. “If you can’t contain your voices, I will be forced to ask you to leave.”

Summer took a step toward him, but Katie grabbed her arm.

“Sorry,” Katie said. “We’ll try to be more quiet.”

The girls stood still until the man walked away, then fell into hushed laughter as they crowded around Emma.

“Now that we’ve established I’m in love with my husband, how do I tell him?”

“Ooh ooh, let me.” Summer raised her hand like an excited kid in a classroom. “Make him dinner.”

“I already do that.” Emma high-fived Summer’s raised hand.

“But you can use fresh produce from my garden, and it will be amazing.”

“Bring him flowers,” Katie said.

Summer squinted an eye at Katie. “Men don’t get flowers.”

“Exactly,” Katie pointed out. “Men never get flowers, but the meaning behind them is the same. It’s still a way to show him you’re thinking of him and want to bring him something beautiful.”

Summer rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’ll pick you a manly bouquet.”

“I have an idea,” Allison added. “You could write him a letter and tell him all the things you like about him. Get dressed up and ask him to take you dancing at Honky Fish this weekend.”

Lottie laughed. “That’s a great idea, but you could just take your shirt off. There’s not much to it.”

The four girls looked at Lottie. Emma started to speak, then sat back. Allison tapped her finger against the arm of her chair. Summer and Katie exchanged a glance, then looked at Emma.

“Just… take my shirt off?” Emma felt her face heating. “That’s it?”

“That brings us back to lingerie.” Allison cleared her throat as she pulled a legal pad and an assortment of colored pens from her bag. “I realize Lottie is the expert in the room here, but please leave me in ignorance for a few more years. Let’s plan a dirty underwear party.”

Chapter 37

James Gets New Furniture

James adjusted his hold on the beaten-up couch as he backed through his front door. “I’m glad we don’t have to take this one apart.”

Daniel turned the couch at an angle to maneuver it through the opening. “Yeah, but at least the other one had more than three seats. Seriously, we’re going to be in each other’s laps when the girls come over.”

“Is that a bad thing?” James grunted a laugh at Daniel’s repulsed expression. “I’ll still have a recliner. Maybe I can finish the empty basement into a living area where we can hang out.”