song.
As he and Beth walked arm-in-arm toward the front of the church, Josh spotted Danny standing on the concrete stoop outside the entrance. Danny’s skin appeared as pale as the early patch of snow lying in the shadows of the bare oak trees around them.
“Danny looks nice in his suit. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so dressed up,” Beth whispered in Josh’s ear. “But he still reminds me of the Pillsbury Doughboy.” Her eyes danced with mischief.
“And you remind me of my wife, the funniest and prettiest girl in the world.” Josh winked at her, and she blushed. He loved her lack of self-absorption. “I’m glad you’re feeling up to this today.”
She took his hand in hers. “Me too.”
They walked from the shadow of the tall oak grove into the sunlight.
Sometimes it was easy to see where life was heading. At other times, the path disappeared behind a wall of doubt. Perhaps it was good to be reminded occasionally that this life will one day end, because Josh didn’t want to fail to fully enjoy the present. His wife could be taken from him at any moment, and he was determined to enjoy every minute he had with her.
He tried to wipe the negatives from his mind and think about tomorrow’s plans to announce Beth’s pregnancy to their church family. In a few weeks, they would be celebrating the end of her first trimester. A good sign, the doctor had said, thatthe baby was tolerating the morphine. No doubt, good things were intermingled with the bad.
“It’s all good.” Beth stopped and turned to him.
“How do you always manage to read my thoughts?”
“You’re too quiet,” she said, pushing a strand of chin length, dark brown hair behind her ear. “I know you. You’re under a lot of stress.” She paused to reflect on something in the distance. “Most of it’s my fault, and I’m sorry for that,” she said. “But there’s not much I can do about it.”
“It’s not your—”
“Shhh.” She put her fingers to his lips. “Let’s forget about our problems and try to bring some peace to Danny and his family.”
“I love you,” Josh said. “Nothing could ever change that.”
The church was crowded by the time they found the seat reserved for them up front, near the family. Beth slid to the inside of the bench so Josh would have access to the aisle.
“Good morning.” A well-dressed, older woman greeted Beth as she settled in.
“Hi, I’m Bethany Harrison.”
The woman stuck out her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Pamela Morris, a friend of Nell’s.”
“I’m very sorry for your loss,” Beth said. “I didn’t know her, but her son works with my husband.”
Pamela leaned forward to take a look at Josh. “You’re a nice-looking couple.”
Beth felt heat rise in her face. “Thank you.”
“Do you have children?”
“Oh . . . no. Not yet. But we’re expecting our first.” She patted her tummy.
“How exciting, dear!” The woman’s blue eyes sparkled, and then she teared up. “I’m sorry.” She dabbed a tissue to her face. “I know Nell would have loved to meet you. She loved babies. I would expect she’s doting over all of the little ones in Heaven right now.”
“It’s a shame she will never see her grandchildren,” Beth said, nodding toward Danny, who was seated two rows in front of them.
“Her daughter Susan, Danny’s sister, has two. But Nell would have loved to see Danny married with children.”
“How did you know Mrs. Stevens?” Beth asked.
“We met through our volunteer work.”
“That’s nice,” Beth said. She could visualize this beautiful, gray-haired woman looking dapper in a Red Cross smock or delivering food to the elderly. “What kind of volunteer work?”
“Abortion clinic.” Tears welled again in Pamela Morris’s eyes. “Nell and I worked together as street counselors. There are so many young women taken in by the lie that unborn babies are not viable human beings.”
Beth swallowed hard to keep down her
As he and Beth walked arm-in-arm toward the front of the church, Josh spotted Danny standing on the concrete stoop outside the entrance. Danny’s skin appeared as pale as the early patch of snow lying in the shadows of the bare oak trees around them.
“Danny looks nice in his suit. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so dressed up,” Beth whispered in Josh’s ear. “But he still reminds me of the Pillsbury Doughboy.” Her eyes danced with mischief.
“And you remind me of my wife, the funniest and prettiest girl in the world.” Josh winked at her, and she blushed. He loved her lack of self-absorption. “I’m glad you’re feeling up to this today.”
She took his hand in hers. “Me too.”
They walked from the shadow of the tall oak grove into the sunlight.
Sometimes it was easy to see where life was heading. At other times, the path disappeared behind a wall of doubt. Perhaps it was good to be reminded occasionally that this life will one day end, because Josh didn’t want to fail to fully enjoy the present. His wife could be taken from him at any moment, and he was determined to enjoy every minute he had with her.
He tried to wipe the negatives from his mind and think about tomorrow’s plans to announce Beth’s pregnancy to their church family. In a few weeks, they would be celebrating the end of her first trimester. A good sign, the doctor had said, thatthe baby was tolerating the morphine. No doubt, good things were intermingled with the bad.
“It’s all good.” Beth stopped and turned to him.
“How do you always manage to read my thoughts?”
“You’re too quiet,” she said, pushing a strand of chin length, dark brown hair behind her ear. “I know you. You’re under a lot of stress.” She paused to reflect on something in the distance. “Most of it’s my fault, and I’m sorry for that,” she said. “But there’s not much I can do about it.”
“It’s not your—”
“Shhh.” She put her fingers to his lips. “Let’s forget about our problems and try to bring some peace to Danny and his family.”
“I love you,” Josh said. “Nothing could ever change that.”
The church was crowded by the time they found the seat reserved for them up front, near the family. Beth slid to the inside of the bench so Josh would have access to the aisle.
“Good morning.” A well-dressed, older woman greeted Beth as she settled in.
“Hi, I’m Bethany Harrison.”
The woman stuck out her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Pamela Morris, a friend of Nell’s.”
“I’m very sorry for your loss,” Beth said. “I didn’t know her, but her son works with my husband.”
Pamela leaned forward to take a look at Josh. “You’re a nice-looking couple.”
Beth felt heat rise in her face. “Thank you.”
“Do you have children?”
“Oh . . . no. Not yet. But we’re expecting our first.” She patted her tummy.
“How exciting, dear!” The woman’s blue eyes sparkled, and then she teared up. “I’m sorry.” She dabbed a tissue to her face. “I know Nell would have loved to meet you. She loved babies. I would expect she’s doting over all of the little ones in Heaven right now.”
“It’s a shame she will never see her grandchildren,” Beth said, nodding toward Danny, who was seated two rows in front of them.
“Her daughter Susan, Danny’s sister, has two. But Nell would have loved to see Danny married with children.”
“How did you know Mrs. Stevens?” Beth asked.
“We met through our volunteer work.”
“That’s nice,” Beth said. She could visualize this beautiful, gray-haired woman looking dapper in a Red Cross smock or delivering food to the elderly. “What kind of volunteer work?”
“Abortion clinic.” Tears welled again in Pamela Morris’s eyes. “Nell and I worked together as street counselors. There are so many young women taken in by the lie that unborn babies are not viable human beings.”
Beth swallowed hard to keep down her
Similar Books
