Annie, is Alton there with you right now?” she asked.
“Yes, he is Emmaline,” Annie answered. “He lives here on the weekends. During the week, he lives in that rehab facility on the edge of town. He’s learning more about dealing with anger. It’s a wonderful program run by the Assemblies of God.”
Emmaline considered as she measured her words before responding.
“Annie, could Stanley and I stop by just to speak with Alton before he goes to see Maybelle and Little Emmaline? There are some things I want to say, need to say to him to get things out in the open.” She waited for Annie’s answer.
Annie considered what Emmaline had just done. Emmaline had given Alton permission to see her daughter and granddaughter, but not before she and her husband had seen and spoken with him. Annie wanted to do the right thing but didn’t know if Alton was ready.
Trust, Annie heard in her spirit as she hesitated before answering. Trust, she heard again.
“Emmaline,” Annie began. Praying silently in her heart, Annie experienced conflicting emotions within her heart and mind. It caused wariness at the thought of that first contact between her son and the people he had hurt so much.
“Annie, I can’t promise I won’t say an angry word to Alton,” Emmaline interrupted, answering the unasked question. “All I know is I intend to speak to Alton with as much love as I can about the things he did that hurt me.”
Satisfied with her answer, Annie consented to Emmaline and Stanley dropping by to see her son. As she hung up the telephone, Alton walked into the kitchen. He had heard his mother’s portion of the conversation. Annie could tell he had been crying as well.
“Mom,” Alton began. He did not know what to say to this woman who had sacrificed a friendship to stand by his side. “Mom, I’m so very sorry,” Alton continued. He felt inadequate as he apologized for the consuming anger that had taken over his life for so many years.
“Honey,” his mom said quietly, “Mr. and Mrs. Carter are going to allow you to see Maybelle and Little Emmaline. Before you do, though, they want to speak with you first,” she explained. She watched his face the entire time she talked. “Miss Emmaline says she wants to say some things to you to get them off her chest,” Annie continued. She wanted to spare her son the hurt that might come from his mother-in-law. But more than anything else, Annie wanted him to be man enough to accept whatever was said.
Alton considered before commenting. Emmaline Carter was like a second mom. He had loved her almost as long as he loved Maybelle—she was just that type of person. He acknowledged that she was still angry and hurt by what he had done.
He remembered how she had wept during the trial but had never said a word to him. More often than not, she only looked at him pityingly during the proceedings, shaking her head in disgust whenever their eyes met.
“Mom …” He looked in his mother’s eyes, apprehension in his own. “I know Mrs. Carter is angry. She has a right to be. But what will I say to her? What will I say to Mr. Carter?” Alton asked, unsure of what was about to happen.
Alton had had four years to think about what he had done. To this day, he still couldn’t believe he had loved Maybelle so much and yet treated her so badly.
“Son, God has forgiven you. Dad and I have forgiven you. Now you need to give the Carter family the chance to forgive you,” Annie said. She knew in her heart that this was God’s will concerning this situation.
As she patted her son’s face, the doorbell rang. Mother and son looked at each other resolutely, sadness in their eyes as Annie answered the door.