Love's Image by Debby Mayne

fortune to stay the same.”
     
    Shannon’s mom made some unintelligible sound as she stormed past him and headed for her room. He winked at Shannon.
     
    “Hey, Dad, what’s up with you two?”
     
    “Nothing with me, but I think your mother’s been suffering from empty-nest syndrome since you’ve been gone.”
     
    “I’ve been gone a long time.”
     
    “And your mother’s been acting like this the whole time.”
     
    They exchanged a look of understanding during a moment’s silence. Suddenly, Shannon remembered her idea about helping the family of the man who’d hit her. When she told her dad, his face lit up.
     
    “I’d love to help. Where do they live?”
     
    “North Carolina,” Shannon said.
     
    “That’s a long way for me to go.”
     
    “I know, but I’ll rent you a hotel room if you’re willing to do it.”
     
    “You don’t need to pay my way, Shannon. It’ll be my pleasure.”
     
    “Okay, then, I’ll send money for their bills,” she said. “Even if he had life insurance, I’m sure every little bit will help.”
     
    Nodding, her father agreed. “You’re right.”
     
    Shannon chatted with him for a few minutes over coffee before she stood. “I really need to go home now. The stress of driving totally wears me out.”
     
    He walked her to the door, where they hugged. “You turned out to be quite a woman, Shannon,” he said. “I’m very proud of you.”
     
    All the way home, she thought about her mother’s mood and realized there was something else going on. Depression, maybe? Whatever it was didn’t look good.
     
    When she got home, her answering machine light was blinking. The first call was from Janie. The second was from Judd.
     
    She called Janie first.
     
    “You are going to the Bible study, aren’t you?” Janie asked.
     
    “I’d like to, but after what happened last time I was there, I’m not sure I should show my face.”
     
    “Don’t be silly. Of course you should go.”
     
    “They’re going to think I’m a complete nerd for acting like I did.”
     
    “So? We all act nerdy sometimes. Get over it.” Shannon laughed. “Well, I guess I do have to face people sooner or later.”
     
    “Yeah, and what better place than where we’re all studying God’s Word?”
     
    Judd had called to ask if she wanted a ride to the Bible study. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted to go alone, with Janie, or if I could take you.”
     
    “Would you like to take me?” Shannon asked.
     
    “I’d love to.”
     
    “Okay, then it’s a date.”
     
    The second she said that, she felt like kicking herself. It wasn’t a date. It was just a ride to the Bible study.
     
    “Sounds good,” Judd said.
     
    At least he hadn’t made an issue of her faux pas. Shannon decided she needed to be more careful with what she said from now on.
     
    When Judd arrived, he looked her over, but he didn’t say a word about her appearance. She’d spent quite a bit of time getting ready, so she was a little disappointed.
     
    All the way to the church, Shannon chattered about getting her hair trimmed and seeing her parents. He listened but didn’t say more than an occasional “mm-hmm” and “that’s nice.”
     
    A few people were scurrying around, moving chairs, and getting the refreshments ready. A few of them stopped and hugged her, saying it was good to see her.
     
    “Good to see you back,” Paul said as he came up to her. “How’re you feeling?”
     
    “Much better.”
     
    Everyone in the room approached her at some point, both before the Bible study began and during the break. They were all concerned about her, and they expressed their gratitude that their prayers had been answered.
     
    All the studying she and Judd had done paid off. Not only did she understand everything they talked about, she participated as much as anyone else. With each comment, she felt more a part of the group. During the social time, when they talked about what was going on in their