parents are contacting the guests. Amy and her folks are flying back to San Francisco tonight.”
Hannah softened. “She must be furious.”
“Yeah, you could say that. She thinks I ruined her life.”
“Ooooh boy. I’d never forgive you.”
Tom grinned. “Yeah, I know. You haven’t talked to me since that night.… Of course, I should have remembered that from when we were kids.”
Hannah was afraid to break the silence that followed, but she had to know. “Why’d you change your mind?”
Tom moved closer to Hannah. He raised his hands and framed her face with his fingertips. “I couldn’t marry her, Hannah.” He hesitated, and she knew if he didn’t say something soon her heart would beat out of her chest.
He looked at her intently. “I couldn’t. Not when the only girl I’ve ever really loved—” he moved closer still—“is you. I didn’t know it until today, when I realized what would happen after tomorrow. I’d lose you forever.… I couldn’t marry Amy after that.” His eyes searched hers, looking for her reaction. “Hannah, I love you.”
In that instant, she knew her prayers had not been uttered in vain. Indeed, God had seen to it that everything had turned out exactly as she had planned. In his timing, not hers.
Tom stroked her face. “I’m sorry, Hannah. I should have broken it off months ago. Then you wouldn’t be so mad at me.” He tenderly took her hand in his. “Still hate me?”
Hannah felt tears spring to her eyes. A single laugh escaped, and she pushed at him in mock frustration. “I should hate you forever, you big brat.”
“Forever?” Tom grinned.
“Yeah—” Hannah heard the laughter leave her voice—“for waiting to the last minute to realize what I’ve known all my life.”
He caught her around the waist and pulled her close. “I know. But now … can you forgive me, Hannah?”
She paused. “It depends …”
Slowly, he moved his face closer to hers and kissed her as he had so many months ago at the church. A minute passed before he spoke again. “On what?”
She kissed him this time, and when she caught her breath she knew the grudge was gone. “On what you have in mind.” She grinned.
He pulled away, and Hannah had never seen him look more serious. “Marriage. Children. Forever.” He kissed her again. “I want to spend my life with you.”
They were married that summer, and by Christmas, Hannah was pregnant with Alicia. Jenny came along two years later, and Hannah nearly bled to death in childbirth. There was considerable risk that she would not survive another pregnancy, so she and Tom agreed that their family was complete. God had blessed them mightily They could get on with raising their girls, and then one day they would share a long and happy retirement together.
At least, that was how it was supposed to be.
In the days after Tom’s death, when weariness wore her defenses down, Hannah searched for reasons why God had taken Tom and Alicia. What had she ever done to deserve such punishment? Why her? Why, when God had brought her and Tom together in the first place, would he take her husband and leave her so desperately alone?
It was easier to ignore such questions—easier to ignore God, for that matter. She had prayed to him, served him, and loved him all her life. She thought she knew God, but apparently not. He had given her a past filled with sunshine and left her with a future full of darkness. Because of that, Hannah wasn’t sure she wanted to know the Lord anymore. She had nothing to say to him. Anything she might ask him for was already gone forever.
In her other life, the one she lived before the collision, Hannah often fell asleep praying. These days she did not find comfort in prayer. How could she? While she passed the time in a blur of tears and rage and vivid memories, Brian Wesley remained free on bail. Three weeks passed from the time of the accident while detectives gathered evidence and criminalists studied the
Hannah softened. “She must be furious.”
“Yeah, you could say that. She thinks I ruined her life.”
“Ooooh boy. I’d never forgive you.”
Tom grinned. “Yeah, I know. You haven’t talked to me since that night.… Of course, I should have remembered that from when we were kids.”
Hannah was afraid to break the silence that followed, but she had to know. “Why’d you change your mind?”
Tom moved closer to Hannah. He raised his hands and framed her face with his fingertips. “I couldn’t marry her, Hannah.” He hesitated, and she knew if he didn’t say something soon her heart would beat out of her chest.
He looked at her intently. “I couldn’t. Not when the only girl I’ve ever really loved—” he moved closer still—“is you. I didn’t know it until today, when I realized what would happen after tomorrow. I’d lose you forever.… I couldn’t marry Amy after that.” His eyes searched hers, looking for her reaction. “Hannah, I love you.”
In that instant, she knew her prayers had not been uttered in vain. Indeed, God had seen to it that everything had turned out exactly as she had planned. In his timing, not hers.
Tom stroked her face. “I’m sorry, Hannah. I should have broken it off months ago. Then you wouldn’t be so mad at me.” He tenderly took her hand in his. “Still hate me?”
Hannah felt tears spring to her eyes. A single laugh escaped, and she pushed at him in mock frustration. “I should hate you forever, you big brat.”
“Forever?” Tom grinned.
“Yeah—” Hannah heard the laughter leave her voice—“for waiting to the last minute to realize what I’ve known all my life.”
He caught her around the waist and pulled her close. “I know. But now … can you forgive me, Hannah?”
She paused. “It depends …”
Slowly, he moved his face closer to hers and kissed her as he had so many months ago at the church. A minute passed before he spoke again. “On what?”
She kissed him this time, and when she caught her breath she knew the grudge was gone. “On what you have in mind.” She grinned.
He pulled away, and Hannah had never seen him look more serious. “Marriage. Children. Forever.” He kissed her again. “I want to spend my life with you.”
They were married that summer, and by Christmas, Hannah was pregnant with Alicia. Jenny came along two years later, and Hannah nearly bled to death in childbirth. There was considerable risk that she would not survive another pregnancy, so she and Tom agreed that their family was complete. God had blessed them mightily They could get on with raising their girls, and then one day they would share a long and happy retirement together.
At least, that was how it was supposed to be.
In the days after Tom’s death, when weariness wore her defenses down, Hannah searched for reasons why God had taken Tom and Alicia. What had she ever done to deserve such punishment? Why her? Why, when God had brought her and Tom together in the first place, would he take her husband and leave her so desperately alone?
It was easier to ignore such questions—easier to ignore God, for that matter. She had prayed to him, served him, and loved him all her life. She thought she knew God, but apparently not. He had given her a past filled with sunshine and left her with a future full of darkness. Because of that, Hannah wasn’t sure she wanted to know the Lord anymore. She had nothing to say to him. Anything she might ask him for was already gone forever.
In her other life, the one she lived before the collision, Hannah often fell asleep praying. These days she did not find comfort in prayer. How could she? While she passed the time in a blur of tears and rage and vivid memories, Brian Wesley remained free on bail. Three weeks passed from the time of the accident while detectives gathered evidence and criminalists studied the
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