Reconciled for Easter (21 page)

They went back to the little house after dinner, and they all piled in Abigail’s bed to watch a movie and then read.

And Abigail couldn’t remember ever being happier, feeling more like a family.

It was after nine when Mia finally went to bed. She wasn’t too happy about bedtime, but Abigail told her she needed to get some good sleep, since tomorrow was Easter.

Thomas asked what Mia was most looking forward to about Easter, and the girl thought for a long time and said it was a tie between wearing her new dress and singing her favorite hymn with all the Alleluias and knowing that Jesus had risen from the dead. He stroked her hair and told her they were all good things, but the last was most important. He told her that Easter was about hope and victory and new life—the sign that what was wrong with the world would one day, finally be fixed.

She nodded gravely and leaned up for her bedtime kisses from both of them. And, as they were leaving the room, she asked, “Like us?”

“Like us what?” Thomas asked, turning around.

“Being fixed. Us as a family. We were fixed because of Easter?”

“Yes,” Thomas said, his eyes meeting Abigail’s in the dim light of the room. “That’s right.”

***

The next morning, three of them went to the sunrise service, which was held outside on the lawns of the church, from which there was a view of the sun rising from behind the mountains through the clouds in a splendor of orange and purple.

The morning was chilly, and Abigail and Mia were wearing thick sweaters over their Easter dresses, but they still huddled together for warmth.

Abigail felt overly emotional as she sang and prayed, her arm around Mia and Thomas’s arm around both of them.

She listened to Daniel talk about the resurrection as being so full of hope and joy because suffering and death are so real and powerful in the world.

And it felt to her, standing there with Thomas and Mia, that their marriage, their family, might be full of even more hope and joy because they’d both worked so hard to get here.

There would be more work—some of it excruciating—and more joy too. Both of them a kind of gift.

Afterwards, they all went back to the church building to have a breakfast before the regular church service.

Lydia ran over to hug them all with obvious delight and excitement, and Jessica and Daniel were both beaming when they looked in her direction. It didn’t even make Abigail feel self-conscious.

It seemed natural for others to be happy for them—to be happy that what was broken could eventually be mended.

She wanted to be part of this church, have these people as part of her life and the life of her family. They probably didn’t understand everything that she and Thomas had been through—who could if they didn’t live through it themselves?—but these people seemed to care about both of them, feel with and for both of them.

And she realized with a pang of surprise that she wasn’t even assuming they were judging her for all the mistakes she had made.

After the breakfast was over and people were cleaning up, Abigail noticed Sophie Miller in a corner on her own, wiping down one of the tables.

Abigail went over to say hello, since she hadn’t seen Sophie since the book club, except just in passing.

Sophie smiled, looking lovely in a pale blue dress but with a kind of loneliness under the surface.

Abigail started helping by straightening the chairs around the table that Sophie was wiping. “Do you have plans for dinner today?” she asked, thinking that maybe they could invite Sophie over if she wasn’t already doing something.

They were having dinner with Thomas’s parents and Lydia, Gabe, and Ellie, but she didn’t think anyone would mind an extra.

“Yeah,” Sophie said with a smile. “The Duncans invited me over.”

“Oh, good. Maybe we could have lunch sometime in the next week or two,” Abigail suggested, the idea coming to her spontaneously. “I’m going to start coming to church here now, and I wanted to get to know some more people.”

“I’d like that,” Sophie said with a smile. “I’m glad things are going better with…” She trailed off, but completed the thought by nodding toward Thomas, who was having an earnest conversation with Mia and Ellie.

“Yeah,” Abigail said, feeling a rush of pleasure at the knowledge that the other woman’s observation was true. They didn’t just look like they were doing better. They
were
doing better. “We’re still working on things, but we’re…we’re happy too.”

Then she remembered that Sophie’s situation wasn’t nearly as hopeful as hers was. “I guess you get tired of people asking you if there’s any news about Mark,” she said.

Sophie nodded with a dry smile. “It was really bad at the beginning. No one could seem to talk to me about anything else. But no one asks anymore. I think they’re afraid of hearing the answer—that they’ve given up hope.”

“But you haven’t given up hope, have you? Prisoners do get returned from…from situations like that, don’t they?”

“Not always, but they sometimes do. It’s just a matter of when. I can’t even imagine what he’s going through. It’s going to have changed him so much. I’m not even sure I’ll know him when he comes home.”

She’d said something similar the day of the book club, and Abigail could completely understand why. “Yeah,” she murmured, not even sure how to answer the poignancy of the words. “I can see that.”

Sophie smiled, her face clearing. “What about Thursday for lunch? Does that work for you?”

Abigail thought quickly over her schedule before saying that Thursday worked fine.

***

Dinner lasted for a long time—between the preparation, eating, and aftermath, so it was late afternoon when things finally started to wind down.

Mia and Ellie wanted to play outside at Thomas’s parents’ house, so Abigail went out with the girls since Thomas and Gabe were in the middle of a conversation about local politics and the others were working in the kitchen.

Abigail had had a really good day. She felt tired and incredibly hopeful. It felt like she was really part of this family.

But it made her think about her own parents, about the Easter card her mother had sent her—signed simply, “Love, Mom.”

Sitting on one of the deck chairs, watching the girls play, Abigail finally pulled out her phone and stared down at it.

She stared for so long and with such focus that she gave a little start when she heard a voice behind her.

“Is everything all right?”

She looked up to see Thomas. She couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him, at the knowledge that they were together again, that they really heard and understood each other at last.

“Yeah.” She waited until Thomas had taken the seat next to hers on the deck. “I was actually trying to get the courage up to call my mom.”

He looked surprised. “Really? Do you think she’ll talk to you?”

“I don’t know. If my dad is around, probably not. But I feel like I want to try. I don’t know—I just don’t like to leave it broken that way. You and I were able to work through things, so that gives me hope that maybe… I don’t know.”

“It can’t hurt to try,” he murmured.

It could hurt. It would hurt if her mother hung up on her. It would hurt a lot. But she knew what Thomas was saying.

She nodded, praying silently as she worked up the last of her courage. “Okay. I’m going to do it.”

“Do you want me to leave?”

She shook her head. “It will help if you’re here.”

She saw the words wash over Thomas’s face and realized they meant something to him.

She couldn’t let that distract her, though, as she scrolled for her parents’ number.

As the phone rang, Thomas reached over and took her hand.

He held it as she waited, and as her mother’s soft voice came on the line.

The conversation lasted only three minutes—mostly just Happy Easters and some news about Mia. Thomas held her hand the whole time.

Her father obviously didn’t want to talk to her, but her mother didn’t hang up.

So that felt like a victory too.

***

They spent the night at Thomas’s house. It was going to be their house soon, since Abigail and Mia were going to give up their little rented bungalow and move in with him.

It already felt like their home as they piled up on the couch together to read a book out loud. They were reading
Little Men
now, which Mia liked even better than
Little Women
, although they had to fill her in on the backstory from the second half of the previous book.

When they put Mia to bed, they came back to the living room and Thomas collapsed on the couch, sprawled out the whole length of it.

Abigail smiled down at him, feeling rather sappy. He looked absolutely exhausted—which was a characteristic Thomas-look. But he also looked happy.

So happy.

And she felt so pleased and proud and overwhelmed that she was part of why he was so happy.

He reached an arm out toward her, and she came to him willingly, letting him settle her half-beside and half-on-top of him—both of them stretched out on the couch.

“I love you,” he murmured, brushing a kiss into her hair.

She smiled against his chest. “I love you too.”

“And I feel like I finally know what it means to love. It took me a long time to figure it out.”

“Me too,” she admitted, tilting her head so she could see his face. “Me too.”

“I’m not saying I’ve got it all together and have everything fixed like I thought I had before,” he added, a different note in his voice. “I can’t believe I was so arrogant back then. I know I’ll still need to—”

“I know,” she interrupted, smiling at him rather mushily. “I know exactly what you mean. That’s how I feel too. It won’t all be easy, but we’ll keep working on it. It just finally feels like it will be worth it. That there’s joy as well as effort.”

He adjusted so he could kiss her softly on the lips. “So much joy.”

When the kissed deepened into something that was clearly turning into sex, Abigail pulled away slightly. “If we keep doing this without protection, then Mia’s going to eventually have a little brother or sister.”

She felt Thomas’s reaction in his body. “I’ve still got condoms we can use. I don’t want to rush you into anything.”

She felt a smile warming her all over. “Does that mean you want another baby?”

He lifted himself up enough so they could have a real conversation. His expression was just slightly sheepish. “I wouldn’t be…disappointed, if that were to happen. But I was serious about not rushing you or assuming you want the same things I do. Having another baby would make things more complicated—in terms of logistics of our jobs and such—so we need to work out whether we want that and then the timing together.”

For some reason, the earnest words filled her with such a wave of affection that she couldn’t begin to contain it. She grabbed him and pulled him down into a tight hug.

He hugged her back, and his voice was confused and laughing both as he said, “Was that an answer?”

“Yes, it was an answer. I want us to work it out together too. And, the truth is, I would love to have another baby with you. I always kind of wanted one. In fact, I’m ready now, if you are.”

For a moment, it looked like the joy on Thomas’s face would actually crack, but then his expression transformed to his typical warm intelligence. “Well, that might have been the easiest decision that we’ve ever worked out.”

She laughed as he hugged her again, and then she grabbed his face to kiss him.

Thomas had always been a hard worker. His parents and Lydia had been laughing over lunch about how consumed he’d been in high school at preparing for his chess tournaments. He clearly hadn’t changed in that regard.

Because, right now, he wasted no time in getting hard at work on baby-making.

***

Many thanks to all who have supported this odd little series, which I was convinced no one at all would like. There will be one more Willow Park book.
Home for Christmas
will be released in November, about Sophie and Mark. If you haven’t yet read it,
you can check out the excerpt from
A Family for Christmas
about Lydia and Gabe in the pages that follow.

If you’d like to keep up with my new releases, you can subscribe to my monthly newsletter, which includes sales, new releases, special announcements, and giveaways. You can subscribe through the form
here
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When she got to Columbia, it was mid-afternoon, and she called Gabe Alexander from her car.

They had a brief, slightly awkward conversation while she explained who she was and why she was calling him out of the blue.

When she told him that Daniel said that they should touch base, Gabe suggested they meet for coffee at five, an hour before the missions conference began.

That sounded good to Lydia, since she’d been thinking they’d have to meet afterwards, which would put her drive back to Willow Park even later.

She only had vague memories of the man. She’d been eighteen—at home for the summer after her freshman year in college. Mr. Alexander and his wife were just a new couple at the church with a newborn baby.

He’d come across as quiet, intelligent, and always busy—even when she’d been over to babysit, and he and his wife had been on their way for an evening out. His wife had been charming and stylish. She’d seemed maybe a little superficial.

Lydia hadn’t known them well, but they’d seemed happy enough. She wondered why they’d gotten divorced.

The girl must be nine now.

Lydia and Gabe arranged to meet at a coffee shop near the church. She had some trouble finding a parking space, so she was running about five minutes late when she walked in.

She stood at the entrance and looked around, hoping she’d recognize him when she saw him.

Almost immediately, her eyes landed on a man sitting alone in a corner. He wore a suit, but his dress shirt was unbuttoned and he wasn’t wearing a tie. He had medium brown hair and broad shoulders and a slightly heavy-lidded gaze, making him look tired…and kind of sexy.

She wasn’t sure where that thought had even come from, but she was sure this was Gabe Alexander. She walked over to him.

His eyes widened, and he stood up as she approached.

“Lydia?” he asked.

“Yes.” She reached a hand out toward him. “It’s nice to see you again. It’s been a long time.”

“It has.” He shook her hand, his grip strong and very warm. Then they both sat down at the small table. “I’m not sure I would have recognized you.”

She gave a half-shrug. She didn’t think she looked that much different now than she had back then. She still had shoulder-length dark red hair, green eyes, and tall figure. She worked out regularly so she was in decent shape—although not as fit as she’d been in college, when she’d swum competitively. She was dressed more maturely than she used to, since she was now wearing one of her normal church-visit outfits. Long flared skirt, a fitted jacket, and tall leather boots.

But still, she didn’t think she looked all that different.

“Can I get you a coffee or something?” he asked, gesturing toward the counter.

She saw he didn’t have anything to drink yet, so she nodded. “Sure. Just black coffee. Thanks.”

She watched him as he went up to the counter to order their drinks. She saw other women watching him too.

He really was very good-looking, with a kind of understated power in his stance and expression, like he was accommodating the world to go on as it liked until he decided differently. But, when he put his foot down, the world would listen.

It was a strange sort of response to such a brief meeting. Irrational, really, since he hadn’t done anything but shake her hand and get up to get them coffee. Probably a sign that Lydia needed to catch up on her sleep.

Since there was a line waiting to pick up ordered drinks, he came back and took his seat again after he’d ordered. He asked, “So Daniel thought we should connect?”

“Yeah. He said we have a lot in common, since I’m working on raising support to get to Bangalore. So you’re trying to get to India too?”

He nodded. “I’ve been working with the business center in Bangalore for eight years now—making a two-week trip every year. Now there’s a co-director position open that I want to take.”

“What does the business center do?”

“It provides training, resources, and mentoring for people trying to start businesses in India who need some extra help or support.” He leaned back in his seat and looked at her with half-closed eyes. “It’s a great ministry, really helping people get their businesses going.”

“Well, that sounds great. You started your own business here, didn’t you?” One thing Lydia remembered from back then was that the Alexanders had a lot of money, at least by Willow Park standards.

“Yeah. Medical supplies.”

The way he said it was understated, as if his company weren’t that big a deal. But it was evidently really successful. She was about to ask a question when she noticed something up at the counter.

Frowning, she said, “Are our coffees ready?”

He glanced up casually. “Doesn’t look like it.”

“Well, that girl was behind you in line, and she already got hers.”

“What does it matter?”

She was faintly annoyed at his disinterest, but she knew that feeling wasn’t rational. So she made herself relax. “Well, it doesn’t matter a lot. But generally people get their stuff in the correct order.”

When she turned back to him, she saw he was watching her face with a mingling of interest and amusement.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing.” He was smiling for real now, and it was so attractive she momentarily lost her breath. “It’s just coffee.”

“I know it’s just coffee. But I think people should be served in the right order.” She gave him a sheepish smile. “Patience isn’t my virtue.”

“I can see that.”

She was going to respond to his teasing, but she saw their drinks finally get set on the counter, so she jumped up to get them.

He was still smiling as he watched her walk back to the table. She wasn’t sure what to make of the expression in his eyes.

Then she realized they should get down to business, since the missions conference would be starting in forty minutes. “You were telling me about the business center,” she prompted.

 “Yes. It’s a great ministry, and I really think they could use my experience.” He shook his head and let out a long breath.

“So what’s the problem?”

He gave her a dry half-smile. “My problem is I don’t have a wife.”

She gasped and straightened up, suddenly realizing what Daniel had seen they had in common. “Seriously? So you’re having problems raising support?”

“No. I’m rolling in support. I don’t even really need it, since I’ve got more than enough income on my own.”

Lydia tried very hard not to resent this leisurely declaration, when it was like pulling teeth for her to get even the smallest of pledges.

He continued, “The problem is the mission organization that runs the center. They keep hesitating, since they’re not sure I’m in an appropriate ‘domestic situation’ for the role of co-director.”

“They really think you need to be married to do the work? I thought it was just women who were blessed with those concerns.”

“I think they’re okay with me being single. They’re not okay with me being a single father.”

“Oh.” She thought about that. “So you have custody of your daughter? What was her name? Eleanor?”

“Yeah. Ellie. I have full custody. This is evidently a problem.” He sounded almost lazy, but she recognized a faint bitterness in his eyes, one that told her he was just as frustrated with his situation as she was with hers.

“And they don’t think, since you’re able to work out the care of your daughter here, you’ll be able to handle it there too?”

“I guess not. I’m not even going to be in India year-round. I’ll stay here for the school year and then just go over there for the summers. I can make other short trips during the year as needed and do a lot of the work virtually anyway. I’m moving back to Willow Park so my folks can help out more in watching Ellie when I have to make the shorter trips. But they’re not all convinced.”

She gave him a sympathetic smile. “We’re kind of in reverse situations, then. My organization is fine with me not being married, but I can’t raise the support I need because the churches don’t think I should be gallivanting around the world when I could be staying here and having babies.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Is it really that bad? So what exactly would you be doing?”

She sighed. “Maybe I’m exaggerating. But I’m having a lot of trouble raising support. I’d be working with the legal team. The organization does investigation and provides legal assistance for under-aged girls in brothels, trying to rescue them and then give them the help they need to get reoriented afterwards. I can’t practice law there, of course, but I can work with the Indian lawyers. There are laws in India against a lot of what goes on—the laws just aren’t always enforced.  Anyway, there’s really important work to do, and I think I can help. But everyone’s worried that I can’t do it for some reason, as an unmarried woman.”

“There are plenty of single, professional women in India.”

“I know. I’ve heard it justified so many ways it makes me want to scream, but not very many churches want to support me.”

His eyes were so dark a blue they almost looked violet, and they were sympathetic at the moment as they gazed at her. “No wonder Daniel said we should talk.”

“Yeah. If only we could somehow pool resources.” She gave a huff. “I need financial support, which you have more than enough of. And you need…”

“A wife.” The one word was drawled, as if in jest.

But, after a pregnant pause, both of them stiffened. Their eyes flew up to meet in an odd moment of complete understanding.

They were basically strangers, but she knew—without doubt—that they’d both had the same bizarre idea at the exact same time.

***

You can find more information about A Family for Christmas
here
.