Blessings

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Authors: Kim Vogel Sawyer
Tags: Religious Fiction
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You’re always taking care of sick animals. I wouldn’t stop you from helping animals. Of course, once our children start arriving, then you wouldn’t be able to run off all night like you did with Regen, but—”
    “But I want to do more!” Trina implored him with her eyes, begging him to see how much this dream meant to her. She needed someone to understand, to support her, to encourage her. She wanted desperately for that someone to be Graham.
    He ran his hand over his short-cropped hair—the hair that reminded Trina of the sandstone posts surrounding Uncle Al’s cornfields. Even though Graham worked mostly inside at the lumberyard rather than outdoors as a farmer, there was so much about him that reminded her of the outdoors. His sandstone-colored hair, his sky-colored eyes, his lips as full and deeply hued as a pink rosebud ready to burst. But now his eyes bore into hers with a hurt that tore at her heart, and his lips pressed into a firm, stubborn line.
    “Exactly what do you want, Trina?”
    It was the question she’d wanted him to ask so she could share her deepest desire, but now that the opportunity lay before her, she hesitated. She hated her hesitation. Shouldn’t she feel free to share with the man who would one day be her husband?
    Taking a deep breath, she whispered her dream aloud. “I want to be real.”
    He stared at her, confusion evident in the rapid blinking of his eyes.
    She rushed on. “A real animal doctor. Someone trained in the field.”
    “You mean attend college?”
    Trina wasn’t sure whether he was astounded or agitated. “It will probably take that. Yes.”
    Graham threw himself against the seat, his head back, his hands on the steering wheel, and his arms straight as if bracing himself against a fast downhill ride. “I can’t believe it.”
    “I’ve talked about my interest in animals, Graham.”
    “Interest, yes.” He slumped, twisting his head to meet her gaze. “But you’re talking about having a career , Trina.”
    She had never applied that word to her dream. Suddenly the barrier between her and school seemed to double in size. Who was she fooling? They’d never let her have a career.
    “But. . .” The word squeaked. She cleared her throat and tried again. “It would be worthwhile to the community. There isn’t anybody in town who can doctor animals. We have to go clear to Lehigh, and Dr. Groening is getting older. He’ll retire before too much longer. Surely—”
    The look on Graham’s face silenced her. She pushed the car door open. “Thank you for the ride, Graham. If you—if you want to get me tomorrow, make sure you check with Mama first.”
    His eyebrows rose, and even she realized the ridiculousness of her statement. She was planning to attend an institution of higher education, which was unquestionably against her parents’ desires. Accepting a ride home from work carried significantly less importance than enrolling in college. He didn’t respond, and she slammed the door. He drove off without a backward glance.
    Heart aching, Trina stared at the house. She didn’t want to go in. Turning, she headed for town, but she passed the café and went around to the back door of the stained-glass studio instead. Andrew’s truck still stood in the alley. Relief flooded her. Of all the people she knew, Andrew should be the most sympathetic to her desire for something more.
    She reached for the door handle, but the door swung open before she could connect with the silver knob. Andrew stepped onto the small concrete slab. When he spotted her, a smile lit his face, and he gave her an affectionate little pinch on the chin.
    “Hey, Trina! How did your first day at Dr. Groening’s go?”
    To Trina’s chagrin, she burst into tears.



S EVEN

G raham pulled his car into the shed behind his house and shut off the ignition, but he didn’t get out. He sat behind the steering wheel, images of Trina filling his vision. Her expectant, hopeful face as she shared

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