And the Greatest of These Is Love: A Contemporary Christian Romance Novel (34 page)

She sniffed to bring the tears and emotions under control again before continuing the story.

“I never saw him again. I think they do that on purpose, so you don’t get attached or something, but it didn’t really matter, I was already attached,” she said as her voice trailed off. “I loved him so much. I still do.”

And the tears took her then as she leaned into the strength his arms afforded her. She could still see that tiny baby looking up at her with the barely opened eyes — so trusting, so full of love. It had been the hardest thing she’d ever had to do to walk out of that hospital and leave him behind. Even now, the memory ripped her heart in two.

“I didn’t even go back to the apartment again. I figured my friends had enough problems of their own without dealing with mine too. So I left. I spent a few nights on the streets, but it was beginning to get cold, and I was starting to get a little worried about things until one night some guy came up and told us there was food and shelter down at the Salvation Army outpost.

“I didn’t really have any other options at the time, so I went. That’s where I met Sr. Mary. Man, was she a little stick of dynamite. I guess you could say she was the mother I never really had. Sr. Mary volunteered at the Salvation Army, but her real job was being the director of the Faith City Mission’s Downtown Youth Center.”

That backed him up a few inches. “Youth Center?”

“Yeah, technically I was only 17 even though I felt like I was 50. Sr. Mary invited me, and by the grace of God I accepted — the rest is pretty much history.”

“But you were in Norfolk, how’d you wind up here?” he asked, not wanting to miss even a single detail of this story.

“Well, Sr. Mary helped me out a bunch, and I managed to get my GED and then an Associate’s Degree in child care. I really think she thought I would stay there my whole life, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t shake the bad feelings I had about Norfolk. There were just too many memories there, so finally one day I told Sr. Mary good-bye and took off.”

“And you landed in Collins,” he finished as she nodded.

“Jerry was desperate, and he hired me on the spot.”

Andrew nodded slowly letting it all sink in — the incredible number of coincidences that had led them to this very spot. And yet he knew, even as the thought crossed his mind, that not one of them was really a coincidence.

“So, that’s it.” She exhaled and shrugged a tiny shrug. “My whole sorry life’s story. Now aren’t you glad you asked?”

It was supposed to be a joke, but he never even cracked a smile as his eyes found hers.

“Yes, Gabi, I’m very glad I asked,” he said, and the intensity in his eyes cut right through her. “I always knew you were strong, but I never knew how strong until now — but more than that, I don’t think I’ve ever loved you more than I do right now.”

It took one breath for his lips to find hers, and for a moment, she thought she must be dreaming or hallucinating. But when he pulled away, and she felt the cold, she knew it had been no dream.

“Taking care of Antonio must’ve brought back all those memories,” he said, suddenly realizing the position he had put her in, but she shook her head.

“I found out my mom was wrong.”

“How do you mean?”

She smiled. “I am a good mother, and it is worth it.”

The smile he beamed at her lit her whole soul with a warmth she had never known.

“I love you, Gabriella Treyvillion,” he said, and he bent to kiss her just as the guard stepped forward.

“Clark,” the guard said, “time’s up.”

Suddenly she remembered why she was supposed to be here in the first place.

“Andrew, what about the hearing? Bryan. I mean... I...”

“Tell Bryan not to worry — when you do the right thing, everything works out like it’s supposed to,” he said as if that removed every obstacle from their path, and then he quickly leaned in and kissed her again. One more quick hug, and he stood back from her. “Take care of yourself, Gabi. And tell Antonio I said hi.”

And with that he was gone.

Somehow after many long minutes, her feet began to move again, and without her knowing how, her body took her home and put her to bed.

His words ran through her head even as she tried to concentrate on the Chutes and Ladders game before her.

I love you, Gabriella Treyvillion.

Even now it was hard to believe he hadn’t run away screaming — but he hadn’t. Yes, he was in jail, but in her heart, she knew now that it was only temporary. They had come this far, and somehow love would find a way to bring them together for good.

“Ha! Ha! Five!” Antonio said, doubling over with laughter, “you have to go back to start! HAHAHAHA!”

“Clark, you’ve got a visitor,” the guard said, unlocking the door as Andrew looked up from the grant requests he was working on.

“Who is it?” he asked. Bryan had left earlier, and Gabi wouldn’t be here today unless Antonio was a lot better.

“Can’t say,” the guard said, shaking his head.

When he stepped through the door, Andrew could hardly believe what he was seeing, and it was almost physically difficult not to blurt out the first thing that came to mind.

“Hi, Clark,” the Assistant District Attorney said, standing awkwardly from the table and offering his hand. Andrew wanted to deck him, but instead he put out his own hand and stuffed everything else inside him.

“Please, have a seat,” Paul said as if inviting him for Thanksgiving dinner, and Andrew obeyed.

A deadly silence filled the room around them as they both searched for a place to start.

“Andrew, how long are you planning to keep this up?” Paul finally asked.

“As long as they keep asking.”

“Andrew, come on! Just tell them what they want to know. This is insane,” Paul said, standing and pacing the room.

“
You
think it’s insane. I’ve spent the last fifteen days away from my little boy and everyone else I love — believe me, you don’t have to tell me how insane it is.”

“Then for Pete’s sake, tell them what they want to know!”

“No. I gave you my word that I’d keep your name out of it. It’s not my job to tell them,” Andrew said although that was far from what he really wanted to say to this man pacing back and forth in front of him.

Paul was silent then. He barely knew this man, and yet Andrew was willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of his word?

“Then I don’t know what to say,” Paul finally said sighing with the words and sitting down heavily.

Andrew exhaled slowly. “Neither do I.”

Bryan came in around nine o’clock that night to discuss strategy, but strategy at this point was hopeless.

“How’s Gabi?” Andrew asked to fill the silence in the room.

“Fine.” Bryan tapped his pen on the paper in front of him, totally out of options. “Antonio’s better. They’re probably going to go back to the center tomorrow.”

Andrew nodded. It was like looking into a world he would no longer be a part of. “That’s good. I’m sure Jerry will be glad to see them.”

*              *              *

When she entered the cold building the next morning holding the little hand in her own, Gabi had the distinct feeling that she had finally come home.

Andrew caught sight of Mitchell, sitting out in the audience, the second he took the witness stand, and it was like feeling Judas’s kiss. With a resigned smile he sighed.

“Mr. Clark,” Judge Carson said, looking at the witness as if worn out by the whole mess, “may I remind you, you’re still under oath?”

“Yes, Sir. I remember,” Andrew said, nodding without ever taking his eyes off of Paul.

“Good,” Carson said, willing his witness to play by the rules this time. “Now, will you please tell the court the name of the source you quoted as ‘anonymous’ in your story dated Oct. 21
st
?”

A hush fell over the entire courtroom as Andrew’s gaze swept across them. There were people he knew — Bryan, Bill, Rob, Blankenship — but many more that he didn’t. Then he looked directly into one specific set of eyes as he leaned into the microphone and said, “I’m sorry, Your Honor. I cannot.”

Gasps of disbelief sounded throughout the courtroom, and Bryan squeezed his eyes closed and shook his head.

“I see,” Carson said through clenched teeth, “then perhaps you can you tell us the whereabouts of the tapes you cited in that article.”

Andrew leaned forward again. “No, Sir, I cannot.”

The classroom was in chaos, and Gabi was fighting to remember how she’d ever made this work in the past.

“That’s
enough
!” she yelled over the din as shrieking children ran helter-skelter around the tables. “I said that’s enough!”

The sound of the door closing from behind her startled her, and for a moment, it was all she could do to find enough composure to turn and face the newcomer.

“Hey!” Irvin yelled, and immediately every child in the entire room stopped dead in their tracks. “I believe Miss T asked you all to be quiet. Now, you all know the rules.”

Gabi gaped at him in disbelief as he stood poised with his hands on his hips, face set in stone. Then she heard it — a rustling behind her, and when she turned back around, every child was sitting quietly in a chair, hands folded neatly on the tables in front of them.

“Now, nobody and I mean nobody, moves until I say you move,” he said with more authority in his voice than she had ever heard in her life.

It was only then that she noticed his clothes. He not only sounded like a teacher, he looked like one — nice jeans, a long-sleeved, button-down shirt that fit, and even a tie. It was Irvin, and yet it wasn’t.

“Hi, Miss T,” he said as a smile lit up his face, and he held out his arms to her. “Welcome back.”

“Hi, Irvin,” she said, and it was useless to try to hide the amazement in her voice as she stepped into his arms. “You sure look nice.”

“Thanks,” he said with a tiny shrug. “It’s just some stuff I picked up from the thrift store on 6
th
.”

“It’s nice.” She nodded, and when he smiled at her, she knew Andrew had been right. She would never stop loving this child — who had suddenly grown into a man before her very eyes. Never.

“Now,” he said, resuming the authority in his voice as he looked back across the classroom. “James and Patrick are going to be here in about five minutes. How about we get this place cleaned up?”

In less than a second, children were scrambling to gather the toys scattered about the room, and before Gabi even had time to ask what was going on, they were back in their seats.

She looked at him with surprise and awe. “Irvin?”

He simply held up his hands to stop her.

“Now, I want the chorus over there,” Irvin said, pointing to the windows, “and the players over here.”

Immediately the roomful of children took their places, and only one, single, little boy remained in the seats.

“Antonio,” Irvin said smiling happily at him. “My man, why don’t you come over here by me? I’ve got a special part for you.”

Antonio’s face lit up like a Christmas tree just as two boys Gabi had never met before entered the room. They looked like toned-down versions of Irvin himself.

“How about we show Miss T what we learned while she was away?” Irvin asked, and Gabi didn’t miss the excitement in his voice. “Okay? James?”

Slowly James took his place in front of the children and began waving his hands as the chorus before him watched carefully.

At first she thought it must be coming from some stereo outside, but then it dawned on her, they were singing, and for a second she knew without a doubt what heaven must sound like.

“Judge Carson,” Paul said, striding into the judge’s chambers just before five o’clock and placing a box of files on the judge’s desk. “We need to talk.”

“Yay!” Gabi clapped until her hands hurt and then swiped the tears from her eyes. “That was wonderful!  How in the world did you learn it so fast?”

“I had good students,” Irvin said, smiling at the kids with pride, and the returning smiles told her exactly where Irvin stood in their eyes.

The typewriter sat idle in the corner of the cell. For all the urgings of his head, Andrew’s body simply couldn’t get up the energy to go back to work. He sat, staring at the now-healed scar on his hand as he wondered again about Gabi and Antonio. They were back at the center he was sure. And at the moment, there was little he wouldn’t have given to be there with them.

“Dear Lord, please…,” he whispered to the emptiness around him as he put his head back on the cold, cinderblock wall and closed his eyes. “Please. I’m asking here…”

“Mr. Clark?” Bryan’s said secretary through the intercom.

“Yes, Laura?” he asked, absently scanning the books for any precedent he could conceivably use in Andrew’s defense.

“Judge Carson’s on the phone, Sir.”

“Did you really like it?” Irvin who had taken up a seat on a high stool next to her desk asked as she rifled through papers trying to get reacquainted with her world.

“Like it?” she asked, laughing. “I loved it. It was amazing, Irvin. In fact, I was wondering. What would you think if we used it for the Christmas play?”

He laughed. “Yeah right.”

“I’m not kidding. I think it’s exactly what we need,” she said, and then she looked right at him. “What do you think, Mr. Thompson? Do you think you can handle putting on a real performance for a real, live audience?”

The smile that spread across his face at that moment more than answered her question. “Yeah, I think I could handle that.”

“Clark.” The guard unlocked the cell door, and Andrew let one leg slide off the mattress with a thunk.

“What’s up?” Andrew asked barely able to get up enough energy to even ask the question.

“It’s your lucky day, Clark. You’ve just been sprung.”

“You going home?” Irvin asked as he walked the two of them to her car.

“Yeah, Antonio’s had a big day. I think he needs a good night’s sleep,” Gabi said, and truth be told so did she.

“You talk to Mr. C recently?” he asked, obviously not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable but wanting to know all the same.

“Yeah, he’s doing okay,” she said, dodging the deeper parts of that subject.

“That’s good.” He nodded. “Tell him I said hi when you see him again.”

“I’ll do that.” At her car, she unlocked and opened the passenger door. “Jump in, Antonio.”

“Bye, Irvin,” Antonio said, waving at Irvin before jumping into the seat.

“Bye, Antonio.” Irvin waved back at the little boy. Gabi slammed the door, and Irvin walked with her to the other side of the car — imminently more protective now than he had ever been before. “If you need anything, Miss T, I’m here.”

Gabi stopped and looked at him, and her heart knew it was always worth it to love a child. “Thanks, Irvin. That really means a lot to me.” She reached over to hug him. “Thanks for everything. I’m really proud of you.”

“It’s good to have you back, Miss T.”

“It’s good to be back.”

In what seemed like two seconds, Andrew was sitting in Bryan’s car — dazed and thoroughly confused.

“Is this for real?” he asked again as he looked around him at the city streets and buildings still unable to believe that he wasn’t just going to the courthouse again.

“Yeah, little brother, it’s for real,” Bryan said, and happiness spilled into his voice. The black sports car roared to life. “So, where to?”

“Uh,” Andrew said, wishing his mind would function again. “The center I guess? I need to pick up Antonio.”

For a moment he sat in silence taking it all in, then suddenly his hands shot out from his sides almost without him willing them to. “I’m free!”

Gabi unlocked her apartment door and held it ajar for Antonio.

“What sounds good for supper?” She did a mental checklist of what was in the cabinets. They’d have to go shopping tomorrow night because there wasn’t much left.

“Pizza!” Antonio ran past her into the apartment.

“Pizza?” she asked in concern. “Are you sure?”

“Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!” He raced around the coffee table in circles.

“Well, you sure are feeling better,” she said, and there was no regret in that statement. “Okay. Pizza it is. What kind do you want?”

“Pepperoni!”

There wasn’t a car to be seen in the entire parking lot when they pulled up.

Andrew glanced at his watch. “Crud. I didn’t realize it was so late. Gabi must’ve gone home already.”

“Well then, we’ll just go to her place.” Bryan spun the wheel and headed out of the parking lot.

“Uh, only one problem, Bry.” Andrew let his gaze go over to his brother. “I don’t know where she lives.”