Read Online Redemption by Karen Kingsbury - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Karen Kingsbury
Tags: Fiction, General, Romance, Contemporary, General Fiction, Family Life, Domestic Fiction, Christian fiction, Religious, Christian, Married People, Adultery
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another few minutes and then eased herself down beside her mother as her father took the closest chair. Kari studied the floral pattern on the cushion near her knee and could think of no easy way to begin. It had been two days since she took the call that changed her life, and she hadn't told anyone yet, hadn't spoken of Tim's betrayal out loud. As if by keeping the truth inside, she could convince some part of her that it hadn't happened.
55
Her cheeks grew hot, and she felt deeply embarrassed by what she was about to say. No matter that the crisis was Tim's fault-she was the one who hadn't been able to keep him happy- And she was the one who had staked her entire life on the belief that her husband's faith was strong, his commitment to her deeply sincere.
She was a failure at the one thing she had prayed might never fail.
Kari lifted her head and saw her pain reflected in the eyes of her parents. The two of them waited, their faces expectant. "Tim and I talked last night." She could find no easy way to say it. "He doesn't want to be married anymore. He ...
he moved out."
Her head dropped, and sorrow choked off her words. Instantly her father moved over to join them on the sofa. She felt her parents' hands on her shoulders and savored the way they made her feel safe and protected. "It's okay, honey." Dad's voice was low, the way it had been whenever he had comforted her as a child.
"We'll get through this."
Kari silently prayed for strength, and after a minute she looked up. "He's in love with another woman."
"Oh no, baby." Her mother's hand fell from Kari's shoulder, and she leaned in closer. "How long? I mean, what happened?"
A sigh slipped from between Kari's lips. "He's been seeing her about two months, I think." Her voice sounded dead, as if she'd reached her limit on feeling hurt and devastated and had let an unfeeling robot carry on in her place. "She's a student. It's been going on since the beginning of the semester. Or maybe longer-I don't know."
"Dear God ..." For a few moments her mother covered her face with her hands.
In all her life, Kari had never seen her father look so helpless. Her every memory of him was marked by sure smiles and his confident way of handling whatever life threw at them. But those images stood in stark contrast to the man sitting near her now,
56
his face pale, his shoulders slightly stooped as if he'd be< blindsided and hadn't yet recovered.
"Kari, honey . . ." He made a slight shaking motion with head, and she noticed that his eyes were glazed over. "I nevi would have thought..."
The nausea was back, but Kari held it at bay. Get me through this, God, please.
A verse came to mind, one that had comforted Kari before, was the shortest verse in the Bible: Jesus wept. If he cried over Jerusalem, if he cried over the death of Lazarus, surely he was crying now over the death of her dreams, the death of her marriage.
Kari didn't know what to say. Her soul ached the way her fingers used to when she was a little girl and played in the snow without gloves.
"I'm so sorry, honey. I'm shocked." Her mother placed a hand on Kari's knee.
"Has he filed for divorce?"
"I told him I won't give it to him."
"So .. . you want to work it out?" Her father sat a bit straighter and raised his chin. Kari felt suddenly scrutinized, like one of his patients.
"Don't look at me like that, Daddy. ..."
"Sweetheart, I'm just trying to understand. It's a lot to take in at once."
Kari felt like a high school girl being questioned about a bad date. Her eyes grew wet again as she tried to explain. "I know it's a lot, Dad." She tossed her hands in the air. "I'm still trying to take it in myself."
Her mother searched Kari's eyes, and Kari could sense her astonishment as well.
"You . . . you don't want a divorce?"
"Mother!" Was that the way it was, then? After all these years of teaching their children the strength of commitment, now her parents would so quickly advocate divorce? She folded her arms
55
Her cheeks grew hot, and she felt deeply embarrassed by what she was about to say. No matter that the crisis was Tim's fault-she was the one who hadn't been able to keep him happy- And she was the one who had staked her entire life on the belief that her husband's faith was strong, his commitment to her deeply sincere.
She was a failure at the one thing she had prayed might never fail.
Kari lifted her head and saw her pain reflected in the eyes of her parents. The two of them waited, their faces expectant. "Tim and I talked last night." She could find no easy way to say it. "He doesn't want to be married anymore. He ...
he moved out."
Her head dropped, and sorrow choked off her words. Instantly her father moved over to join them on the sofa. She felt her parents' hands on her shoulders and savored the way they made her feel safe and protected. "It's okay, honey." Dad's voice was low, the way it had been whenever he had comforted her as a child.
"We'll get through this."
Kari silently prayed for strength, and after a minute she looked up. "He's in love with another woman."
"Oh no, baby." Her mother's hand fell from Kari's shoulder, and she leaned in closer. "How long? I mean, what happened?"
A sigh slipped from between Kari's lips. "He's been seeing her about two months, I think." Her voice sounded dead, as if she'd reached her limit on feeling hurt and devastated and had let an unfeeling robot carry on in her place. "She's a student. It's been going on since the beginning of the semester. Or maybe longer-I don't know."
"Dear God ..." For a few moments her mother covered her face with her hands.
In all her life, Kari had never seen her father look so helpless. Her every memory of him was marked by sure smiles and his confident way of handling whatever life threw at them. But those images stood in stark contrast to the man sitting near her now,
56
his face pale, his shoulders slightly stooped as if he'd be< blindsided and hadn't yet recovered.
"Kari, honey . . ." He made a slight shaking motion with head, and she noticed that his eyes were glazed over. "I nevi would have thought..."
The nausea was back, but Kari held it at bay. Get me through this, God, please.
A verse came to mind, one that had comforted Kari before, was the shortest verse in the Bible: Jesus wept. If he cried over Jerusalem, if he cried over the death of Lazarus, surely he was crying now over the death of her dreams, the death of her marriage.
Kari didn't know what to say. Her soul ached the way her fingers used to when she was a little girl and played in the snow without gloves.
"I'm so sorry, honey. I'm shocked." Her mother placed a hand on Kari's knee.
"Has he filed for divorce?"
"I told him I won't give it to him."
"So .. . you want to work it out?" Her father sat a bit straighter and raised his chin. Kari felt suddenly scrutinized, like one of his patients.
"Don't look at me like that, Daddy. ..."
"Sweetheart, I'm just trying to understand. It's a lot to take in at once."
Kari felt like a high school girl being questioned about a bad date. Her eyes grew wet again as she tried to explain. "I know it's a lot, Dad." She tossed her hands in the air. "I'm still trying to take it in myself."
Her mother searched Kari's eyes, and Kari could sense her astonishment as well.
"You . . . you don't want a divorce?"
"Mother!" Was that the way it was, then? After all these years of teaching their children the strength of commitment, now her parents would so quickly advocate divorce? She folded her arms
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