face, his hands folded in front of him. When Grandma held up the bite of cake for him to eat, he swallowed it in two bites. Then it was his turn to feed a bite of cake to Grandma. Before he offered it to her, he leaned over and whispered something in her ear.
As Grandpa whispered to Grandma, Christy could see her grandmother’s face soften into the sweetest expression of love. With Grandma’s face glowing, she whispered something back to him.
The scene brought tears to Christy’s eyes, to think that her grandparents shared such sweet intimacy after all these years. Christy silently added “intimacy” next to “commitment” in her mental list of requirements for a lasting, meaningful relationship. She realized that intimacy was so much more than the physical part of a relationship. To her, intimacy meant knowing the soul of the other person and having access to that individual’s secret places in the heart.
These ideas were revelations to Christy. She never had thought through any of this so clearly before and wasn’t sure why it was so important that she do so now. She liked to record these kinds of thoughts so she could go back and look at them later and think them through some more. Remembering that her diary was in the bottom of her suitcase at her grandparents’ house, she promised herself that before she went to bed that night, she would write down all this information.Looking at it on paper would help her to understand how she truly felt and what was going on in her life, especially with Matt.
Turning to face the entrance to the fellowship hall, as she had fifty times that night, Christy realized she might have to decide how she felt about Matt before she had a chance to write out all her feelings. Matt had just entered and was heading her direction with deliberate strides.
And Melissa was right behind him.
12
hat have we missed?” Matt said casually, pulling up a chair next to Christy. Melissa sat down beside him and politely ignored Christy, scanning the room to see who else was there.
“Hi. What are you guys doing?” Christy heard an edge to her voice when she asked the question but hoped Matt and Melissa hadn’t noticed. She suddenly felt as if the situation had changed, and she was now the one asking the same kinds of questions Melissa had asked at the Dairy Queen.
“I want to go to the movies,” Melissa said. “But Matt said he had to clean up here. I thought maybe the cleanup was almost done and we could go to a late show.”
Melissa wasn’t excluding Christy in her plans, but she wasn’t including her, either.
“Looks like the cleanup hasn’t begun yet,” Matt said.
“No. And there’s lots to do,” Christy said.
“Guess I better stay,” Matt said to Melissa. “You can stick around and help too, if you want.”
Melissa hesitated only a moment before saying, “I don’t think so, but thanks anyway.” She looked hurt.
“Hey, don’t say I didn’t offer,” Matt said.
Christy caught the teasing tone in his voice. She guessed that if he really wanted to, Matt could have gone to the movies and gotten out of his commitment to clean up. Christy liked to believe he was sticking around so he could be with her instead of with Melissa.
“I suppose you have big plans already for tomorrow too,” Melissa said to Matt while casting a quick glance at Christy.
“We’re going to the Dells,” Matt said.
Christy noticed that he didn’t explain both families were going. It sounded as if just Matt and Christy had made plans to go to the Dells.
“I’m not doing anything,” Melissa said with a sigh. “Ever since Paula left, I’ve been trying to find somebody to do stuff with, but everybody always has plans that don’t include me.”
Christy couldn’t decide if she felt sorry for Melissa. Christy certainly knew what it was like to lose a best friend, and oddly enough, she and Melissa had both lost the same best friend.
Rather slowly Christy said, “Do you want to come
As Grandpa whispered to Grandma, Christy could see her grandmother’s face soften into the sweetest expression of love. With Grandma’s face glowing, she whispered something back to him.
The scene brought tears to Christy’s eyes, to think that her grandparents shared such sweet intimacy after all these years. Christy silently added “intimacy” next to “commitment” in her mental list of requirements for a lasting, meaningful relationship. She realized that intimacy was so much more than the physical part of a relationship. To her, intimacy meant knowing the soul of the other person and having access to that individual’s secret places in the heart.
These ideas were revelations to Christy. She never had thought through any of this so clearly before and wasn’t sure why it was so important that she do so now. She liked to record these kinds of thoughts so she could go back and look at them later and think them through some more. Remembering that her diary was in the bottom of her suitcase at her grandparents’ house, she promised herself that before she went to bed that night, she would write down all this information.Looking at it on paper would help her to understand how she truly felt and what was going on in her life, especially with Matt.
Turning to face the entrance to the fellowship hall, as she had fifty times that night, Christy realized she might have to decide how she felt about Matt before she had a chance to write out all her feelings. Matt had just entered and was heading her direction with deliberate strides.
And Melissa was right behind him.
12
hat have we missed?” Matt said casually, pulling up a chair next to Christy. Melissa sat down beside him and politely ignored Christy, scanning the room to see who else was there.
“Hi. What are you guys doing?” Christy heard an edge to her voice when she asked the question but hoped Matt and Melissa hadn’t noticed. She suddenly felt as if the situation had changed, and she was now the one asking the same kinds of questions Melissa had asked at the Dairy Queen.
“I want to go to the movies,” Melissa said. “But Matt said he had to clean up here. I thought maybe the cleanup was almost done and we could go to a late show.”
Melissa wasn’t excluding Christy in her plans, but she wasn’t including her, either.
“Looks like the cleanup hasn’t begun yet,” Matt said.
“No. And there’s lots to do,” Christy said.
“Guess I better stay,” Matt said to Melissa. “You can stick around and help too, if you want.”
Melissa hesitated only a moment before saying, “I don’t think so, but thanks anyway.” She looked hurt.
“Hey, don’t say I didn’t offer,” Matt said.
Christy caught the teasing tone in his voice. She guessed that if he really wanted to, Matt could have gone to the movies and gotten out of his commitment to clean up. Christy liked to believe he was sticking around so he could be with her instead of with Melissa.
“I suppose you have big plans already for tomorrow too,” Melissa said to Matt while casting a quick glance at Christy.
“We’re going to the Dells,” Matt said.
Christy noticed that he didn’t explain both families were going. It sounded as if just Matt and Christy had made plans to go to the Dells.
“I’m not doing anything,” Melissa said with a sigh. “Ever since Paula left, I’ve been trying to find somebody to do stuff with, but everybody always has plans that don’t include me.”
Christy couldn’t decide if she felt sorry for Melissa. Christy certainly knew what it was like to lose a best friend, and oddly enough, she and Melissa had both lost the same best friend.
Rather slowly Christy said, “Do you want to come
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