perspective had always seemed shallow.
“Christina, I’ve never heard someone say that before. You want Bo to be yours more than anything, but you don’t pray for God to give him to you. You pray that he’ll heal?”
Christina set down her silverware and leaned in to speak.
“I’d love nothing more than to wake up in the middle of the night and see Bo sleeping in bed next to me. I think about watching him across the dinner table each night, and knowing he’s there because we’re married, and I dream about us going somewhere as husband and wife. I’d just love those things, but most of all, I love him . I can’t think of love as being anything else but my desire to place his well-being above my own wants, and see him become the whole man God wants him to be.”
“What if he never marries you?”
Christina let out a nervous laugh.
“Don’t scare me like that. It’s best not to think about it, but I have confidence in God. I know whatever He has for me will work out for the best.”
Christina took a sip of ice water. Emma watched her in silence. How could she love someone so much and just be willing to let him go?
Christina set the glass again on the table and smiled to Emma. “Okay, my turn. Tell me what’s going on with you and Michael?”
Emma raised her shoulders and shook her head.
“I don’t know that anything is going on. He’s helping renovate a home office space for my dad. We talked some the other day.”
Her voice trailed off.
“That’s all?”
Emma hesitated.
“Well … we had a good talk this morning, too, while we were moving furniture. I don’t know what else to say. He’s an incredible man, but there’s nothing going on between us. That was a long time ago.”
Christina dotted the corners of her mouth with a napkin, folding it again on her lap.
“I agree with you, Michael’s a really good man,” she laughed. “It’s funny how the two of you just ran into one another.”
“Yes, it was kind of strange. I saw his truck when I was crossing the street and it struck me just how new and clean it looked parked next to Old Red. I was just reading his name on the side when he appeared from out of the hardware store. I think the strange part is that it was a complete surprise, but on the other hand … I don’t know, I sort of expected it?”
Emma laughed a nervous laugh.
“I’m sorry, I realize that must sound completely irrational and stupid.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. Perhaps Michael’s been on your mind?”
“I don’t know,” Emma said, shrugging. “It was just one of those weird moments. I don’t know anymore beyond that.”
“Were you happy to see him?” Christina asked, taking a bite of her salad. Emma thought about it for a moment.
“Yeah, I was. I felt like there was unfinished business between us, and it seemed like a good time to settle things up.”
“My gosh, Emma. You make it sound like a business transaction,” Christina laughed, picking up her napkin and holding it against her mouth.
“Well, I don’t mean it that way. I just … felt like there were things that needed to be said, mostly by me. It’s not easy, Christina. Life isn’t easy. We make choices sometimes without any earthly idea how things will work out. Sometimes we make the right ones, and sometimes we just blow it.”
“What choices are you referring to?”
“Going to college in Boston when everyone else I knew and loved was staying here,” Emma answered. “Starting a new life in a new world.”
“Anything else?” Christina asked.
“You’re intuitive, Christina,” Emma said. Emma set her napkin on the table, and slid back her chair. “Maybe you want me to add, ‘never coming back to the old life’ too?”
“There’s nothing I want you to add, Emma. We were a group of friends who loved each very much once. You left … and then you didn’t come back. We still love you, but we don’t understand why you disappeared. Why you didn’t want to keep
“Christina, I’ve never heard someone say that before. You want Bo to be yours more than anything, but you don’t pray for God to give him to you. You pray that he’ll heal?”
Christina set down her silverware and leaned in to speak.
“I’d love nothing more than to wake up in the middle of the night and see Bo sleeping in bed next to me. I think about watching him across the dinner table each night, and knowing he’s there because we’re married, and I dream about us going somewhere as husband and wife. I’d just love those things, but most of all, I love him . I can’t think of love as being anything else but my desire to place his well-being above my own wants, and see him become the whole man God wants him to be.”
“What if he never marries you?”
Christina let out a nervous laugh.
“Don’t scare me like that. It’s best not to think about it, but I have confidence in God. I know whatever He has for me will work out for the best.”
Christina took a sip of ice water. Emma watched her in silence. How could she love someone so much and just be willing to let him go?
Christina set the glass again on the table and smiled to Emma. “Okay, my turn. Tell me what’s going on with you and Michael?”
Emma raised her shoulders and shook her head.
“I don’t know that anything is going on. He’s helping renovate a home office space for my dad. We talked some the other day.”
Her voice trailed off.
“That’s all?”
Emma hesitated.
“Well … we had a good talk this morning, too, while we were moving furniture. I don’t know what else to say. He’s an incredible man, but there’s nothing going on between us. That was a long time ago.”
Christina dotted the corners of her mouth with a napkin, folding it again on her lap.
“I agree with you, Michael’s a really good man,” she laughed. “It’s funny how the two of you just ran into one another.”
“Yes, it was kind of strange. I saw his truck when I was crossing the street and it struck me just how new and clean it looked parked next to Old Red. I was just reading his name on the side when he appeared from out of the hardware store. I think the strange part is that it was a complete surprise, but on the other hand … I don’t know, I sort of expected it?”
Emma laughed a nervous laugh.
“I’m sorry, I realize that must sound completely irrational and stupid.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. Perhaps Michael’s been on your mind?”
“I don’t know,” Emma said, shrugging. “It was just one of those weird moments. I don’t know anymore beyond that.”
“Were you happy to see him?” Christina asked, taking a bite of her salad. Emma thought about it for a moment.
“Yeah, I was. I felt like there was unfinished business between us, and it seemed like a good time to settle things up.”
“My gosh, Emma. You make it sound like a business transaction,” Christina laughed, picking up her napkin and holding it against her mouth.
“Well, I don’t mean it that way. I just … felt like there were things that needed to be said, mostly by me. It’s not easy, Christina. Life isn’t easy. We make choices sometimes without any earthly idea how things will work out. Sometimes we make the right ones, and sometimes we just blow it.”
“What choices are you referring to?”
“Going to college in Boston when everyone else I knew and loved was staying here,” Emma answered. “Starting a new life in a new world.”
“Anything else?” Christina asked.
“You’re intuitive, Christina,” Emma said. Emma set her napkin on the table, and slid back her chair. “Maybe you want me to add, ‘never coming back to the old life’ too?”
“There’s nothing I want you to add, Emma. We were a group of friends who loved each very much once. You left … and then you didn’t come back. We still love you, but we don’t understand why you disappeared. Why you didn’t want to keep
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