In His Eyes by Gail Gaymer Martin

what?” He lifted his hand as if trying to grasp her meaning. “I can’t believe this. Why did you send me away then? Why did you return the ring?”
    “Because I thought you’d come back and ask me to forgive you, and I would have.”
    Was he the one to be forgiven? His hand shook as he lowered it back to the sofa arm. “If you played that lightly with our relationship, Ellene, it was right for it to end. Marriage is for better or worse. No marriage is perfect. No relationship is perfect. It takes work.”
    She didn’t say a word but kept her head lowered.
    “Do you remember Aunt Phyllis going on the other day about how two are better than one? I don’t know how she worked it into the conversation, butshe’s a born matchmaker, and she was reminding us, I think, that God meant people to be in twos.”
    “I remember. How could I forget?”
    “That verse has stuck with me. Two are better than one because when one falls the other picks him up, and when they go to bed, two will stay warmer than one.”
    She held up her hand. “I know, Connor, and if an enemy attacks them, two can defend themselves. ‘A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.’ I know that.”
    “Can you picture the strength of those cords? A man, a woman and God. That’s what we were lacking back then. You had faith. I didn’t.”
    Her expression changed from frustration to question.
    “Your parents always welcomed me into your home as a friend of yours. But once we were engaged, I always figured your father was disappointed that we had decided to get married.”
    A frown appeared, and she shook her head. “That’s not true.”
    “But I thought it was. Your father had always been kind to me. He was when I called about this job. He’s a man who lives by God’s commandments so he does the best he can not to judge, but he knows what the Bible says. A Christian man or woman should not consider marriage to someone who’s not a believer.”
    “You are a believer.”
    “A very weak one then. I’m stronger now, because of what I’ve gone through.”
    “Are you telling me that’s why you didn’t come back and try again?”
    How could he answer her question and not lie? “At the time, that was my biggest fear. The other problem was your dad owned a business. Mine was a blue-collar worker—dirty fingernails, grungy clothes. We didn’t have dinner parties and a house full of chattering relatives.”
    “That didn’t mean a thing. My dad owns a construction company. He learned from the ground up. Our family doesn’t judge others by where they work or how much money they have.”
    “But your father wanted the best for you, just like I want the best for Caitlin. The thought didn’t cross my mind until we became engaged. We were young and in love. When I started college, I realized the difference between the rich and the poor.”
    “So if I’d been poor, you would have loved me more?”
    “No. I couldn’t have loved you more.”
    She looked away as if disgusted with his response, but she hadn’t understood him. He’d loved her as much as any man could at his age, and that’s why he’d fallen apart when she gave him back the ring.
    Ellene had put on her business face again, but Connor wasn’t going to stop now. He deservedtime for his unanswered questions. “What about you, Ellene? If you loved me so much, if you wanted us to be married, why did you play games with our relationship?”
    “It wasn’t a game. I was confused. I was young and was looking for a fairy-tale relationship. I didn’t want you to spend time with your buddies or tell me you had a club meeting on campus.”
    “That’s not realistic.”
    “I realize that now. Back then I was—”
    “Spoiled…like Caitlin.”
    He could tell she didn’t want to hear that by the look on her face, but it was true.
    “I was naive.”
    “You were spoiled.” They’d both been naive.
    Ellene’s eyes narrowed and she rose. “When I come out of the bathroom, I don’t