CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Sunday, May 9

Stephanie and Lindell boarded the plane for St. Louis behind her mom, dad, Cyd, Cedric, and Chase. Stephanie paused halfway down the aisle while they put their luggage in the overhead bin and got situated. She reached over and pinched Chase’s cheeks as he stood bouncing on Cyd’s legs, that big smile on his face, then she continued on.

“Babe, where are you going?” Lindell said. “There’re two seats right here behind them.”

They were on Southwest Airlines and could sit where they wanted.

Stephanie kept going, putting a few rows between the two of them and the rest of the family. She stopped near the back. “I wanted to be able to talk in private,” she said.

She stood aside as Lindell threw their carry-ons overhead, then let him have the window seat.

He buckled his belt. “I could tell you were preoccupied. I know it was hard saying good-bye to Grandma Geri.”

Stephanie pushed her handbag under the seat in front of her. “Bittersweet,” she said, looking for the second part of her seat belt. She found it under her seat and clicked them together. “Grandma always said don’t be sad, because she’d be with Jesus and Grandpa Elwood.” She smiled faintly, thinking about it. “But I regret taking so long to get to know her. I can’t believe I only spent real time with her in the last few months of her life.”

“Don’t focus on what you didn’t have, babe. The time you did have was sweet.” He held her hand across the armrest. “Cyd even said she envied how well you got to know Grandma Geri because of the concentrated time you had with her.”

“Yeah.” Stephanie sighed. “It was definitely a special time. I’m still trying to understand it, though. Was that all it was about, getting to know Grandma Geri? Helping to serve her?” She added quickly, “And if so, fine. It was more than worth it. But I feel like there’s more. Like I’m supposed to do something, but I’m not sure what.” She looked at her husband. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

A teenager took the seat next to Stephanie, with her family across the aisle.

“I know what you mean,” Lindell said. “I still have an unsettled feeling after Haiti. It’s almost like, how can life still be the same?”

Stephanie nodded, wide-eyed. “Exactly. I’m doing the same thing I was doing before Hope Springs—basically nothing. Looking at church ministries, but can’t figure out where to plug in.” Her brows knit. “Lately I’ve been thinking about a job. What do you think?”

“How about the pancake house near church?”

She let go of his hand so she could swat his arm. “I’m serious! But hey, now that I’ve got experience . . .”

“Well.” He thought about it as the attendant gave instructions in the event of an emergency. “You majored in criminology. Maybe you’re supposed to be serving criminals in some way.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. I had no idea what I wanted to do in college. I only majored in that so I could take classes with a guy I was dating.” She shot him a look. “Don’t judge me.”

He shook his head at her. “I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and I’m doing it,” he said. “For the first time, though, I’m questioning. But I don’t think God could be telling me to leave my profession. Could He? What else would I do?”

Stephanie’s eyes got wide again. “Nooo, He couldn’t be saying that. That was my calling, to marry a doctor.” She leaned over with a big smile and kissed him, then took his hand again. “The funny thing is, after Hope Springs, I’m open to just about anything. I just want to know what it is.”

“This can’t be a coincidence,” he said. “Both of us having these feelings.”

The engine roared as they taxied down the runway and took for the skies. They both sank into their thoughts for several minutes, then Stephanie turned toward him.

“Several rows away, and I still hear her.”

Lindell chuckled. Stephanie had told him how God spoke to her in Cyd’s voice. “What did she say?”

“That we need to pray, because one thing is sure—after these experiences we’ve had, we’ll never be the same.” She looked into his eyes. “Our lives are about to change.”