I must confess something to you,” Sophie said softly as soon as they were seated in the restaurant on Friday night.
“All right.” Alec’s expression was open, although his date looked rather serious.
“I read past the first chapter.”
Alec’s smile was huge. “So did I.”
Sophie laughed softly; she had been so nervous. “It is such a good book, so practical and with humor, too. I could not stop.”
“Me, either. On every page I found something else I wanted to discuss with you.”
“It was the same for me. I wished we could be reading together.”
Alec smiled very tenderly at her. He had read his book while in bed, and Sophie could not know the image her words created. It was a relief to have the waiter arrive to take their order.
Sophie ordered the Tour of Italy, just as she’d done when she’d dined in this restaurant with Brad Marshall, but he was the farthest person from her mind. Alec was in the mood for lasagna, and both were in the mood to talk. They interrupted one another for the next 90 minutes in their haste to say all that had been trapped inside for a week, laughing time and again at how often they spoke nearly the same words.
The topics of discussion from the book were varied, but the main subject was marriage with some discussion of their childhoods. They had both read that they had to be compatible not just physically and mentally, but spiritually as well. “Now Is the Time” was one heading in the book where it discussed the fact that the first year of marriage was not the time to find out about each other. Nothing was off-limits. Pasts must be discussed, future dreams, goals, sin problems, everything. It was imperative that it all be uncovered during courtship. The book recommended that the superficial be stripped away, and that the real people come forth. It was easy to put on a facade for an evening, but how did your potential spouse respond in private? At one point, Alec made a very honest admission.
“I really struggled with jealousy,” he told Sophie. “When Van and I had been married for about seven years, we attended her class reunion. An old boyfriend of hers was there. I was incredibly jealous. She didn’t do anything to tease me, and her actions were proper in every way, but I was a mess. I thought I was all over that, but then on Sunday—”
He stopped talking, and Sophie leaned forward.
“What happened Sunday?”
“I saw you talking with Brad Marshall,” he admitted. “I heard almost nothing of the sermon, worried to death that you were going to accept a date with him.”
Sophie’s heart broke. She could tell him that he meant more than that, but it wouldn’t have made any difference since he’d felt that way with his wife—a woman who had vowed her life to him.
Sophie couldn’t know that that was exactly what Alec wanted her to say. He wanted her to tell him that she was totally committed to this relationship, that he didn’t have a worry. Instead, she shocked him speechless.
“Is it not wonderful that jealousy is a sin?”
Alec only stared at her, and Sophie didn’t notice his expression.
“You could have told me,” she went on, “that you have cancer, and I would know there is no cure. But sin is good news. Sin has a cure because of Christ’s work on the cross. I could tell you that there is no need to feel this way because I care for you and would not do this, but that is only a little gauze and tape on the wound. In Christ you can be cured of the sin of jealousy.”
Alec was still staring. He had never met anyone like her.
“I’ve never thought about it that way before, Sophie. You’re certainly right. I mean, nothing else makes sense, but I’ve just never—”
He stopped, but Sophie did not understand how thunderstruck he felt. She only smiled gently and accepted more coffee when the waiter arrived.
“I will pray for you, Alec. If I can do something, please tell me.”
“You’ve already done quite a bit.”
The conversation made a gentle turn then and moved to the children. Tory and Craig were headed back to school on Monday, and Rita would return Wednesday. There were mixed reactions from the children; they were excited to see their friends, but the summer had gone too swiftly.
“And what will you do for something special this weekend?” Sophie wished to know.
“Well, I don’t know. Craig always wants to go to the Dells, but the girls are tired of that. And since they’re all with friends tonight, I think they might want to take it easy.”
Sophie lifted a very skeptical brow over this, and Alec shrugged. That he couldn’t be more wrong was proven to him the very next morning when both Tory and Craig appeared in his room just after 7:00. He and Sophie had talked until after midnight, so he was not thrilled to see them.
“We want to do something today, Dad,” Tory began. “School starts Monday, so this is our last chance.”
“You make it sound like your life is over,” Alec mumbled, but they were not amused.
“Come on, Dad,” Craig now urged.
“Can I have another hour?” he asked and heard them sigh.
“All right,” Craig yielded. “Are you going to get up, or should we come back?”
“You better come back,” he managed before sleep crept in again.
They forgot him for over an hour, and by the time they returned he was ready to rise. Rita was just climbing out of bed as well, and they sat around the breakfast table trying to agree on an activity. When it was decided that they would miniature golf, Alec said he would give Sophie a call.
“Does Sophie have to come?” Tory asked. The other three members of her family gawked at her.
“Why don’t you want her to come?” Rita asked before Alec could utter a word.
“She’s just around all the time,” the youngest Riley complained.
“Well, get used to it, Tory.” Craig thought she was being ridiculous. “ ‘Cause Dad’s gonna marry the woman.”
Tory’s mouth opened, but she was speechless and simply stared at her father. Alec didn’t know how to answer. The little girl took this as a good sign.
“He is not, Craig,” she said loudly. “Just be quiet.”
And Alec was still mute. Of his three children he thought Tory would have the least problem with his relationship to Sophie.
“Do you really not want us to ask her, Tory?” Alec finally found his voice.
Tory squirmed with guilt, but said, “Not this time.”
Alec turned away, hurting and confused inside. His in-laws had been wonderful about things when he’d told them, and Rita and Craig had known for some time. But Tory…Alec had no idea what to do.
The subject was dropped, and the family did have a great day together, but Rita could not get the scene from her mind. She slipped into Tory’s room that night and sat on her bed.
“Hey, Tory,” she began. “What’s up with you and Sophie?”
“Nothing, Rita. I just thought we could do something on our own today.”
Rita looked at her. She had not sounded upset, but it didn’t make any sense.
“I thought you liked Sophie.”
“I do, Rita, but I don’t want her to marry Dad. I mean, where would she sleep?”
“With Dad, Tory. Married people do that.”
“She can’t, Rita. What about Mom?”
Rita sighed. This conversation was just too bizarre for words. “Tory, you know better than anyone that Mom’s not coming back.”
“That doesn’t matter, Rita. What will Mom think when she looks down from heaven and sees Dad with Sophie? You know she’ll be hurt. He just can’t do that.”
“Tory,” Rita’s voice was patient, “you can’t expect Dad to stay alone forever. I’m sure the three of us will marry. Why shouldn’t Dad have someone?”
Tory frowned. Rita’s words brought tremendous guilt, but she would not admit that.
“I don’t want another mother,” Tory said.
“She wouldn’t be your new mother. She’ll be your friend like she always has been and Dad’s wife. What’s wrong with that?”
“What’s wrong with things staying the way they are? Tell me that, Rita.”
Rita knew then that it was time to end the conversation. She stood and told her sister good night. Tory bid her the same with a rather smug voice. Rita hadn’t answered, so the child felt she must be right. Things needed to stay just as they were. And anyone wanting something else was just being selfish. Tory fell asleep then, but it was a restless, awful night. However, she refused to even entertain thoughts that her attitude might be playing a major role.
Tory arrived home from her fourth day of school very tired and in a poor mood. The Labor Day weekend started the day after tomorrow, and all of her friends had plans. Tory felt very put out about this and made no bones about it to anyone. Craig told her to knock off the bad attitude, but she only stuck her tongue out at him when he wasn’t looking. Rita decided that to ignore the situation would be best. Unfortunately, no one had mentioned anything to Sophie. She did not know about Tory’s feelings concerning her relationship with Alec, or she might have been more careful. She did know that Tory had been in a bad mood all week, but thought this was just fatigue from the start of a new year.
When the kids arrived home, the two older children went in separate directions, but Tory remained in the kitchen—something she hadn’t done all week. She shuffled through the pantry, since she didn’t like the bars Sophie had made, and when she found nothing of interest, shut the door with a rather hard thump.
“Did you not find something, Tory?” Sophie asked gently.
“No.” Completely out of sorts, the 11-year-old moved around restlessly, and Sophie decided to distract her.
“I watched ‘The Price is Right’ today, Tory. I wish you had been here.”
“Does my dad know that you watch TV when you’re supposed to be working?”
If Tory had slapped her, Sophie couldn’t have been more surprised. Sophie’s hands moved helplessly, and Tory turned away in anger. She had been spoiling for a fight, but Sophie hadn’t obliged her.
“I’m going to make a cake,” she announced, and Sophie’s shoulders slumped.
“Oh, Tory, that is not a good idea. I made one today. Why don’t you wait a few days?”
“What kind did you make?”
“Chocolate.”
“I’m tired of chocolate. I’m going to make a yellow cake.”
“Oh, Tory,” Sophie went on. “It will be too much.”
“We can eat it.” She was taking bowls out now, and Sophie saw that she was going to have to be firm.
“No, Tory, I do not want you to do this.”
“What did you say?” The little girl had turned to her, and now had her hands on her waist.
“You cannot make a cake today, Tory. Maybe later.” Sophie’s voice was gentle but firm.
“Are you telling me no?”
Sophie nodded, even as she wondered what had gone wrong.
“You’re not my mother,” Tory now told her, and again Sophie was as hurt as she was surprised.
“I know that, Tory, but I still think it’s best that you don’t do this.”
“You can’t tell me what to do.” Tory was really pushing now and reached to turn on the oven.
“You will not do this, Tory.” Sophie’s voice was even, but she was shaking inside.
“You’re not my mother,” again she insisted.
“I realize that, Tory,” Sophie now whispered. “But I am your friend, and I hope you will listen to me.”
Sophie’s voice and face were too much for Tory. Tears of anger over the fact that this hadn’t felt as good as she imagined filled the little girl’s eyes, and she bolted from the room. Sophie stood trembling for long moments before she walked slowly over to turn off the oven and then up the stairs. She knocked softly on Tory’s door.
“Tory, may I come in?”
There was no answer, so Sophie opened the door just a crack.
“I did not say you could come in.” Tory’s tear-filled voice filled the air.
“Can we talk, Tory?”
“No.”
Sophie hesitated for only a moment and then shut the door. She walked to the kitchen and found a piece of paper. She wrote a note to Rita as to what needed to be done to finish supper and then collected her things. Halfway home she asked herself if she was running, but knew that she was not. She wished in many ways that this was not Thursday. She had a feeling she and Tory could use some time apart. Of course there were ways to handle even that and get her work done. Tory needed her to be away, that was clear, and Sophie was not a person to push in where she wasn’t wanted. Tory had made her feelings quite clear—for some reason she wanted nothing to do with her.
The pain this caused brought tears to her eyes. She told herself not to cry until she arrived home, and she almost made it. She could barely see to use her key, but at last she was inside where the only thing to witness her tears was the soft throw pillow on her sofa.