adorable grin, he took my left hand in his and placed a small, tin ring on my left ring finger.
“I’m sorry it’s a piece of junk. I got this ring out of the candy dispenser down the hall when you were showering earlier. It took me twelve tries before I finally got the dang thing. I’ve been eyeballing it on our walks down the hall. Since it’s on the display, I knew the stinkin’ thing was in there.” He shrugged then. “Sorry, but I haven’t been able to get out. I’ll replace it soon—I promise.”
“Oh, Tucker! I love it!” I wrapped my arms around his neck and squeezed hard. “Thank you!” He was right, it was a piece of junk, but it meant more to me than anything else I possessed. Because it meant that I was his!
The moment for me was bitter sweet. Because one minute I was relishing in the happiest moment of my life, and the next minute Tucker was screaming my name.
“No! June! Not now!” So quickly, he pulled me onto his lap and buried his face in my neck.
“Tucker! Don’t go! Stay with me!” I screamed. “Stay!!”
Chapter Twenty-seven
June
As the weeks passed, my heart and my spirit crumbled a little more with each passing day. This was the longest one yet, and no one could even guarantee me he was going to come back this time. His parents were calling every day, and my heart squeezed every time I had tell them that he was still ‘gone’.
After the 3 rd month, I finally went back home to the cottage. I still stayed with Tucker during the day, but the nights were just too hard, watching him lying there, so still. I grieved. Every day I grieved for the man I loved more than life. And every day I prayed, with all the strength I possessed, that he would come back to me. My faith was tested in those long dark days, but it also grew. In a time when faith was considered outdated or old fashioned; it was all I had left, and it’s the only thing that kept me going. I was scrubbing my kitchen floor with great fervency when there was a knock at my door. I pulled off my latex gloves and walked to the door. What, or should I say, who I found there made me gasp. “Blake?”
“Hello, June.” He looked me up and down. “You look different. I mean you are still beautiful, just…well, you’re cleaning.”
I chuckled slightly at that comment. I forgot he knew I hated cleaning. “Yeah, I’m the cleaning lady now.”
He glanced past me as if to ask if he could come inside. “Oh, sorry. Please come in.”
“Thanks,” he said as he stepped into the living room.
I was suddenly wondering what he was doing here, and why now? “Blake, why are you here?”
He paced nervously. “Well, I’ve been thinking a lot about you lately. I know I blew it with you, and I have regretted that every day since. I was hoping you might give me another chance.”
My mouth fell open in surprise. Was he serious? “Blake, I’m engaged to be married. I love someone else.”
He shrugged slightly. “Yeah, I heard about that, but I was hoping the rumors were wrong.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, prepared to defend my reasons for sticking by Tucker. “No, the rumors were not wrong. I’m with someone else now.”
He lowered his head as if sad. “I understand. Well, I came all this way. Can I at least take you out to dinner?”
I dropped my hands, caught completely off guard. “Oh, well I guess that would be okay.”
He perked up. “Great. I’ll
“I’m sorry it’s a piece of junk. I got this ring out of the candy dispenser down the hall when you were showering earlier. It took me twelve tries before I finally got the dang thing. I’ve been eyeballing it on our walks down the hall. Since it’s on the display, I knew the stinkin’ thing was in there.” He shrugged then. “Sorry, but I haven’t been able to get out. I’ll replace it soon—I promise.”
“Oh, Tucker! I love it!” I wrapped my arms around his neck and squeezed hard. “Thank you!” He was right, it was a piece of junk, but it meant more to me than anything else I possessed. Because it meant that I was his!
The moment for me was bitter sweet. Because one minute I was relishing in the happiest moment of my life, and the next minute Tucker was screaming my name.
“No! June! Not now!” So quickly, he pulled me onto his lap and buried his face in my neck.
“Tucker! Don’t go! Stay with me!” I screamed. “Stay!!”
Chapter Twenty-seven
June
As the weeks passed, my heart and my spirit crumbled a little more with each passing day. This was the longest one yet, and no one could even guarantee me he was going to come back this time. His parents were calling every day, and my heart squeezed every time I had tell them that he was still ‘gone’.
After the 3 rd month, I finally went back home to the cottage. I still stayed with Tucker during the day, but the nights were just too hard, watching him lying there, so still. I grieved. Every day I grieved for the man I loved more than life. And every day I prayed, with all the strength I possessed, that he would come back to me. My faith was tested in those long dark days, but it also grew. In a time when faith was considered outdated or old fashioned; it was all I had left, and it’s the only thing that kept me going. I was scrubbing my kitchen floor with great fervency when there was a knock at my door. I pulled off my latex gloves and walked to the door. What, or should I say, who I found there made me gasp. “Blake?”
“Hello, June.” He looked me up and down. “You look different. I mean you are still beautiful, just…well, you’re cleaning.”
I chuckled slightly at that comment. I forgot he knew I hated cleaning. “Yeah, I’m the cleaning lady now.”
He glanced past me as if to ask if he could come inside. “Oh, sorry. Please come in.”
“Thanks,” he said as he stepped into the living room.
I was suddenly wondering what he was doing here, and why now? “Blake, why are you here?”
He paced nervously. “Well, I’ve been thinking a lot about you lately. I know I blew it with you, and I have regretted that every day since. I was hoping you might give me another chance.”
My mouth fell open in surprise. Was he serious? “Blake, I’m engaged to be married. I love someone else.”
He shrugged slightly. “Yeah, I heard about that, but I was hoping the rumors were wrong.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, prepared to defend my reasons for sticking by Tucker. “No, the rumors were not wrong. I’m with someone else now.”
He lowered his head as if sad. “I understand. Well, I came all this way. Can I at least take you out to dinner?”
I dropped my hands, caught completely off guard. “Oh, well I guess that would be okay.”
He perked up. “Great. I’ll
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