What God Has For Me by Pat Simmons

was
stronger than these pity parties she had been subjecting herself
to. The devil is a lie!
    “Congratulations, Paisley. I’m glad things
have worked out between you and your boyfriend.” And Halcyon meant
that. At least the woman wasn’t after Zachary, but then again…some
people only wanted what other people had. She needed to stop
listening to Desi’s relationship buster conspiracy theories.
    “I thought since the two of us will be
getting married, maybe we can go wedding shopping together. You
know, bounce ideas off of each other.”
    Now who said anything about getting
married? At that very moment, Ashanti lost interest in her
beloved coloring book. She skipped to Halcyon’s side and softly
patted her arm. “Mommy.”
    Any other time, Halcyon would correct her
daughter for interrupting, but in this instance, Ashanti had come
to the rescue, bringing Paisley’s rambling to a halt. “I’m glad you
had a great weekend, but I’ve really got to get going here. I’m in
and out today because I have to take my baby school shopping, and I
really need to review these accounts.” Halcyon capped it off with a
dazzling smile.
    Hours later, Halcyon shut down the computer
and packed up her children. Zachary still hadn’t returned by the
time they made it to the parking lot. Strapped in his car seat,
Jonathan fell asleep before she made it to the first red light,
while Ashanti was staring out the window from her booster seat.
    Halcyon gnawed on her lips. When her daughter
made a second request for Zachary to be her dad, Halcyon knew it
was time to address it. Rolling to a stop at a red light, she
glanced in the rearview mirror, then she cleared her throat.
“Ashanti, you haven’t asked me any questions about seeing your
daddy a few days ago.”
    “I want Uncle Zach to be my dad.”
    “But you already have a father,” Halcyon
explained, hoping she wasn’t opening up a can of worms. But like
Zachary had reminded her, she and Scott would cross paths again,
even if Scott made no effort to see his children.
    “He’s that little boy’s daddy now, so I want
Uncle Zach to be my daddy,” Ashanti said with finality in her tone.
It was as if Ashanti wasn’t fazed by what she saw. It’s not like
Scott spoiled her to be a Daddy’s girl.
    Halcyon’s heart ached for her daughter. At
the tender age of four, Ashanti had reasoned that her biological
father no longer belonged to her. God, what have I done by
taking these detours in life?
    Your crooked paths I have made straight on
the cross , the Lord whispered.
    Before she could quiz her daughter, Ashanti
gave her the answers. “Uncle Zach loves me and gives me hugs. He
plays with us and calls me his princess. I want him to be my
daddy,” she said with defiance in her voice.
    More than once Halcyon had wished Zachary had
been her children’s father. But her heart had to get over her
children’s biological father once and for all, so that she could
let another man into her heart to be their loving father.
    Lord, I need help with this. I want to
move on, but for the right reason. Not for a father for my children
or so I won’t be alone. I want my heart to be empty so that the
love from Zachary can fill it ‘til it overflows, Halcyon prayed
silently. She didn’t dare let Ashanti hear what she had petitioned
God.

Chapter 12
     
     
    Zachary couldn’t get Ashanti’s request off his mind.
He smirked, leaving the location of his second Baer Electronics
store across town. Zachary was touched that she had proposed to him
to be her father. He loved that little girl and would say yes in a
minute, if Halcyon wanted him like he wanted her. Hadn’t he waited
long enough? Hadn’t patience had its perfect work, as instructed in
James 1:4?
    Now Zachary was heading to Car Craze’s
office, per Halcyon’s recommendation, to pull files from earlier in
the year.
    The ringtone he set on his phone for Michael
played right as he drove into the parking lot. He tapped his
Bluetooth.