smell Sunday dinner cooking as she sat in her chair, looking out the window. She thought about the honeymoon she and Lewis had planned. Ten days in Vermont.
Never to happen.
She thought about the apartment they had rented on the second floor of Carl Higgins’s house. They couldn’t move anything into the apartment until they returned from their honeymoon. The previous renters had to go out of town to attend a funeral, and this had delayedtheir moving plans by some five days. Once they were out, Mr. Higgins wanted to do some painting in the apartment before his new renters moved in. He’d promised to have it all done so they could move in immediately upon arriving home from Vermont.
It had upset her that they would have to wait to take their clothes and other belongings to the apartment until after they returned from their honeymoon, but as Linda pondered it now, she felt a strange sense of relief. She couldn’t imagine having to go there now and bring her things back home.
“Thank You, Lord,” she whispered softly. “I can see Your guiding hand in the timing of that. You knew all of this was going to happen and at least spared me that heartache. I … I just don’t know why You ever let me fall in love with that despicable man in the first place.”
She broke down and wept once more, saying, “Lord, I don’t want to go on. I can’t ever face anyone who knows me here. Why don’t You just let me die? Take me to Your home, where I won’t hurt like I’m hurting now.”
There was a tap on the door, accompanied by her father’s voice. “Sweetheart, can I come in?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
Nolan stepped inside, smiled, and said, “Mom wants to know if you’d like to eat with us.”
“I’m not hungry, Daddy.”
“I was glad to hear that you ate some toast and drank some tea,” he said, moving toward her. “Mom thought maybe you’d feel like eating something more substantial now.” He bent down and kissed her forehead. “You won’t forget that I love you, will you?”
She looked up through weary eyes. “No, Daddy. I won’t forget.”
“Aunt Beth said she’d come back tomorrow.”
Linda nodded.
“Well, I’ll see you a little later. Mom’s about got dinner ready.”
“Daddy …”
Nolan stopped and turned. “Mm-hmm?”
“I suppose everybody at church knows that Lewis dumped me for Janet.”
He scratched his head. “Well, some of them do. There were several who said to give you their love and to tell you they’re praying for you. Joline was crying when she asked about you.”
This made tears well up in Linda’s eyes. “She’s the best friend I have in the world, Daddy.”
“She loves you a lot, I know that. See you later. Mom and I know you want some privacy, so we won’t bother you for a while. But you know we’re right here for you if you need us.”
“Yes. I know that.”
When her father was gone, Linda stared out the window for several minutes, then rose from the chair and went to the cedar chest at the foot of her bed. It had been her hope chest for nearly two years. She lifted the lid and took out a scrapbook, which lay on top of the linens and things that almost filled the chest.
She carried the scrapbook to the small desk in a corner of the room and sat down. Her fingers trembled as she touched the cover. She knew what she was about to look at was going to cause more pain, but somehow she felt compelled to do it.
She flipped past the pages that held photographs of family, then paused at the first page that had photographs of Lewis and herself.
She looked at the two of them—at church, at the harbor shore, at church picnics, in Lewis’s buggy, and together in the yard of the Forrest home. There were even photographs at the Forrest home with Janet in the background.
A mixture of pain and anger swirled within her as she thought of all the hopes and dreams she’d built on Lewis.
She quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks when she heard a light tap on the
Never to happen.
She thought about the apartment they had rented on the second floor of Carl Higgins’s house. They couldn’t move anything into the apartment until they returned from their honeymoon. The previous renters had to go out of town to attend a funeral, and this had delayedtheir moving plans by some five days. Once they were out, Mr. Higgins wanted to do some painting in the apartment before his new renters moved in. He’d promised to have it all done so they could move in immediately upon arriving home from Vermont.
It had upset her that they would have to wait to take their clothes and other belongings to the apartment until after they returned from their honeymoon, but as Linda pondered it now, she felt a strange sense of relief. She couldn’t imagine having to go there now and bring her things back home.
“Thank You, Lord,” she whispered softly. “I can see Your guiding hand in the timing of that. You knew all of this was going to happen and at least spared me that heartache. I … I just don’t know why You ever let me fall in love with that despicable man in the first place.”
She broke down and wept once more, saying, “Lord, I don’t want to go on. I can’t ever face anyone who knows me here. Why don’t You just let me die? Take me to Your home, where I won’t hurt like I’m hurting now.”
There was a tap on the door, accompanied by her father’s voice. “Sweetheart, can I come in?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
Nolan stepped inside, smiled, and said, “Mom wants to know if you’d like to eat with us.”
“I’m not hungry, Daddy.”
“I was glad to hear that you ate some toast and drank some tea,” he said, moving toward her. “Mom thought maybe you’d feel like eating something more substantial now.” He bent down and kissed her forehead. “You won’t forget that I love you, will you?”
She looked up through weary eyes. “No, Daddy. I won’t forget.”
“Aunt Beth said she’d come back tomorrow.”
Linda nodded.
“Well, I’ll see you a little later. Mom’s about got dinner ready.”
“Daddy …”
Nolan stopped and turned. “Mm-hmm?”
“I suppose everybody at church knows that Lewis dumped me for Janet.”
He scratched his head. “Well, some of them do. There were several who said to give you their love and to tell you they’re praying for you. Joline was crying when she asked about you.”
This made tears well up in Linda’s eyes. “She’s the best friend I have in the world, Daddy.”
“She loves you a lot, I know that. See you later. Mom and I know you want some privacy, so we won’t bother you for a while. But you know we’re right here for you if you need us.”
“Yes. I know that.”
When her father was gone, Linda stared out the window for several minutes, then rose from the chair and went to the cedar chest at the foot of her bed. It had been her hope chest for nearly two years. She lifted the lid and took out a scrapbook, which lay on top of the linens and things that almost filled the chest.
She carried the scrapbook to the small desk in a corner of the room and sat down. Her fingers trembled as she touched the cover. She knew what she was about to look at was going to cause more pain, but somehow she felt compelled to do it.
She flipped past the pages that held photographs of family, then paused at the first page that had photographs of Lewis and herself.
She looked at the two of them—at church, at the harbor shore, at church picnics, in Lewis’s buggy, and together in the yard of the Forrest home. There were even photographs at the Forrest home with Janet in the background.
A mixture of pain and anger swirled within her as she thought of all the hopes and dreams she’d built on Lewis.
She quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks when she heard a light tap on the
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