20

 

Three hours later Will parked in front of the Harris’s house again. He looked at Nila, who sat with her head back with her eyes closed. “That took an awfully long time. Wait there, and I’ll help you out of the truck.” He hopped out of his truck and opened the passenger door. “Careful. You don’t want to slip on this ice.”

He held her good arm while she slid out of the vehicle. He slammed the door shut and wrapped his arm around her waist. “You OK?”

“Just a little groggy,” Nila said as she leaned into his embrace. “Maybe I shouldn’t have taken that painkiller right away.”

She took a step, and her foot slipped sideways. Will tightened his grip and half-carried her up the steps to the house. “Let’s get you inside where it’s warm and ice-free.”

Before they reached the door, it swung open.

“Come in. Come in.” Dave’s booming voice greeted them. “How did it go?”

“All right,” Will said. “It’s not broken, but it is badly bruised. She’s supposed to rest it until the swelling settles down. She’s a little groggy from the painkiller they prescribed.”

Nila looked up at him, eyes not quite focused. “B—but what about tomorrow? The kids?”

Will helped her remove her coat and boots before answering. “I’ll be there, remember? And if you don’t feel up to it, I could probably wrangle those two by myself.”

 

****

 

Nila started to shake her head and grabbed his arm when her head spun. “Whoa. I think I need to lie down.” She smiled wanly.

Dave and Lydia came out of the kitchen.

“Supper smells good, but I’m not hungry. I think I’ll just go to bed if that’s OK.”

Lydia stepped forward and took Nila’s good arm. “You poor dear, of course it’s all right. Here, let me help you down the stairs.” She tilted her head at Will. “You’re welcome to stay, if you’d like.”

“Thanks, but I’ll head home,” Will said, as he turned toward the door. “I’ll call tomorrow and see how you’re doing, Nila.”

“OK,” she mumbled. “Thanks for everything.” Minutes later she lay on her bed and soon fell into a fitful dream of moving shadows, harsh whispers, and an overwhelming feeling of doom. As she moaned and thrashed, she rolled partway onto her sore arm and woke with a yelp.

She checked the bedside clock. Too soon for another pill. She crawled out of bed, went to the bathroom, and rinsed a hand towel in cold water. Holding it to her arm, she lay down and waited for the pain to ease. She was starting to drift off again when the phone rang upstairs.

Dave’s rumble came through the floorboards, and she told herself it was probably church business. Then his voice rose almost to a roar.

Nila cringed. She’d never heard Pastor Dave sound that angry.

Was that because of her? She sat up and strained to hear, but the double layer of drywall and insulation did its job.

No words came through, just the muffled but agitated voices of Dave and Lydia.

She pulled her knees to her chest and sat huddled in her dark bedroom, scolding herself for trying to eavesdrop. She heard two sets of footsteps, one heavy and one light, move out of the room above. Either they were heading out to help someone, or they were going to their room to pray.

She listened for a few more minutes but heard nothing. No one went to the door. All was still.

They’d gone to pray. That was good.

God would listen to them.

She lowered her head to her knees. But not to her. Tears filled her eyes as she whispered into her knees, “Where are you, God? Please don’t leave me. I want to forgive, but I can’t.”

 

****

 

Halfway home, Will changed his mind and turned toward Jason and Faith’s. He parked in front of the house and punched their speed-dial number on his phone.

“Hey, sis, mind if I come over? Thanks.” He got out of his truck, walked up to the door, and rang the doorbell.

Faith answered with a look of surprise that quickly changed to a crooked grin. She punched his arm. “You turkey.”

Will tweaked her nose. “I would have phoned sooner, but I was driving. Can I come in?”

She stepped back and waved him inside with a gallant gesture. “Enter, oh grand munchkin. I don’t suppose you’ve had supper, have you?”

Will sniffed. “Have you guys eaten yet? Something smells good.”

Faith led the way to the kitchen. “The kids have eaten, and Jason’s giving them their bath. He got home late, so we thought we’d have a quiet supper together.” She pursed her lips in a half-grin. “At least that was the plan.”

Will back stepped and held up both hands. “I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt. I wanted to talk to you guys, but it can wait.”

Faith grabbed his arm. “Come back here. I hadn’t planned a romantic dinner, just a quieter one. You’re welcome to join us.” She went to the oven and checked its contents. “What do you need to talk about?” She looked over her shoulder at him, her brow puckered. “You’re not backing out of babysitting, are you?”

He shook his head. “Naw, I just wanted to unload about what happened today.”

Her eyebrows rose. “What?”

A shriek of laughter drifted down the stairs, and Will headed for its source. “That can wait. I want to see your kidlets before they go to bed.”

“You mean get them riled up.” Faith grimaced. “If you do, you get to settle them down again.”

He jogged up the stairs.

Faith called after him, “They’ll probably want their Hunky Unky to tuck them in, anyway.”

An hour later the three adults settled in the living room, Jason and Faith on their couch and Will in the recliner.

Faith leaned forward. “OK, little brother, give. What do you need to tell us?”

Will rolled his shoulders, stretched his neck, and sighed. “Your kids are getting heavy. That was a real workout they gave me.”

Faith raised one eyebrow. “I don’t think that’s what brought you here.”

He leaned back and closed his eyes. “No. I just wanted to unload. It was kind of a rough day.”

Jason leaned forward. “What happened? Is everything OK?”

Will opened his eyes and looked toward the ceiling as if for answers. “I don’t know. Nila’s arm is bruised pretty bad, but it’s not broken.”

Faith gasped. “What?”

Will pushed the recliner upright. “We went to the hardware store for stuff for the basement. While I was getting what I needed for the bathroom, Nila had a visit from Nick by the paint chips.”

“Right there in the store?” Jason frowned. “Isn’t he supposed to stay away from her?”

“Yeah, a hundred meters. Problem is, no one admitted seeing him, and when we talked to the cop, he didn’t seem to believe her.” His shoulders slumped. “If only I’d stayed with her…”

Faith spoke as if to one of her children. “You couldn’t have known, Will. This isn’t your fault.”

“Then why do I feel so guilty?”

“Maybe because you care so much,” Jason said as he put his arm around Faith. “We want to be able to protect the ones we treasure.” He frowned again. “But what does that mean for tomorrow? Is Nila still willing and able to babysit? I don’t want to sound self-centered, but if we need to find someone else…”

“She still wants to babysit, and I said I’d do any lifting. So yeah, it should work.”

Faith looked at her husband, and a line appeared between her brows. “Maybe we should stay home. I’ve been looking forward to this party, but what if…?”

“Nothing will hurt our kids. Nila and Will are going to take good care of them. God will, too.” He pulled her close. “You need this break, and we aren’t going to let that jerk ruin our plans.”

Faith leaned into his hug. “Fine. I guess you’re right. I hope so.”

Will clenched his jaw. He hoped so, too.

 

****

 

“Good morning, sweetie. How are you feeling?” Lydia handed Nila a steaming cup of coffee.

Nila smiled her thanks as she took the cup. “Pretty good. Woke up a lot because of my arm, but I got some sleep.” She took a careful sip. “Um-mm, this is good.”

Lydia sat across from her at the table, and something in her gaze put Nila on alert. “I’m glad. But when you’re ready, I need to tell you something.”

Nila’s throat tightened. She sipped her coffee and swallowed with difficulty. Last night’s phone call. It had to be about that. “Go ahead.”

“Constable Roth phoned,” Lydia said.

Nila closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and forced herself to look at Lydia. “What did he say?”

Lydia glanced toward the window and the dark, frozen backyard before turning back to Nila. “He said the store’s security cameras couldn’t prove that Nick was there. Too many people in bulky jackets and hats. And since the paint chips are free, they didn’t bother putting a camera there.”

Nila’s heart sank to somewhere near her navel. “So now he really doesn’t believe me. Does he think I hurt my own arm?”

Lydia sipped her coffee before answering. “He didn’t say anything about that. But he did say he couldn’t locate Nick, so he talked to his parole officer. Apparently Nick got permission to go to La Ronge to visit his father for Christmas. He left two days ago.”

Nila sputtered. Her mind whirled. That couldn’t be right. He’d never go there. Not with good intentions, anyway.

Lydia tilted her head, her eyes shining with compassion. “You may have heard Dave raise his voice last night. That was when Constable Roth suggested you may be reacting to stress by hallucinating or even trying to frame Nick. Dave didn’t take kindly to that.”

“I—I heard him yell,” Nila said, “but I hoped it wasn’t my fault he was upset. I’m so sorry.” She shook her head and leaned forward. “But Lydia, Nick would never go visit his father. That man used Nick as a punching bag from the time he was little. He hates his father. Besides, he was at the store.” She scooted her chair back and pushed herself upright. “Excuse me. I have to go.”

“Nila, wait.”

She ignored Lydia’s plea and hurried to her room. Nila’s mind whirled as she paced her small space.

Constable Roth didn’t believe her. Dave and Lydia still did, she hoped, but her problems were disrupting their lives. What was she supposed to do? She put her hand to her forehead and sat on her bed. Was she going crazy? Was it possible she’d imagined Nick’s threats and attack?

She drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. A jolt of pain in her left arm reassured her. No. Nick had been there. He’d injured her. She wasn’t crazy. But she felt so alone. So hopeless. She couldn’t depend on the police or anyone else for protection. That left God. Only He could help her.

Was God there? Did He see her?

A name swam into focus: Hagar. Nila got her Bible and flipped through the pages of Genesis until she found Hagar’s story in Genesis 16. Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant, had been used and abused by her mistress and was running away. She remembered the feeling of kinship the first time she’d read that chapter. Hagar and she had a lot in common.

She read on until she found what she was looking for: the name Hagar gave to God. El Roi, the God who sees me.

She placed her open palm on her Bible and lifted her face upward. “Thank You, Father God, for seeing me. You know what Nick is doing, and You know his plans. Help me, please, to trust in Your power. Fill me with Your mighty Spirit, so I don’t have to be afraid. I’ve been too tangled in Nick’s web of fear to listen to You, but I’m listening now. To You, not Nick.” As she sat with her eyes closed, she felt peace wash over her from head to toe. It wrapped her like a comforter, and she breathed deeply, filling her lungs and body with tranquility.

After several minutes, she opened her eyes. Was this how Lydia felt behind her serene smile? She felt lighter somehow, as though the weight of fear had been removed.

“Thank you, Jesus,” she whispered.

She looked around her cozy room, and the hunger she’d tamped down so many times flared again. She was free from fear, but she craved more. She wanted more freedom and more responsibility. She needed a home of her own. She nibbled her lip. Did she dare? Was it time?

She grabbed the newspaper from the family room and eagerly searched the “for rent” ads. Nothing clicked. She tossed the paper onto the coffee table. She didn’t know why, but she felt certain those ads wouldn’t lead her to her new home. Hope dimmed.

She bowed her head, and the memory of another ad materialized. Her head lifted, and hope displaced her disappointment. God promised to watch over her. Had he also prepared a new home for her?