Chapter Forty-Five

April watched father and son together. Their blue eyes blazed at each other, a matching severity on their faces. To a stranger, it might seem they were locked in an argument. To April, it looked like love. She imagined capturing the image of anguish and forgiveness sorting themselves out with her camera. It would be a picture to be proud of.

She thought of her topaz book sitting at home with Luca’s story. She’d give it to Nick soon. He was ready to read it. And when he was done, she’d give it to Sierra. It would do so much for her to see what Luca went through. And here he was, right beside them, getting stronger every day.

Next to her, Carlos leaned down to Sierra with a heartbreaking smile. “You hungry, Brown Eyes?”

April felt a twinge of worry, just the normal thoughts of a mother with a teenage daughter—broken hearts and teenage hormones.

“Hey, Mom.” Sierra came to her side. “Can Carlos and I get something to eat?”

April put her arm around Sierra’s shoulder. “You did great, Sierra. You were brilliant, really. I’m so proud of you.”

This time, Sierra didn’t pull away. She put her arm around April briefly before slipping off to join Carlos.

“Have her home by ten, Carlos,” April said.

He smiled at April as though he guessed what she was thinking. “I’ll have her home on time, Mrs. Wright, safe and sound.”

 

The sun was setting, sending amber flames across the sky. April stood on the deck, letting father and son have a moment to themselves. After a few minutes, the door opened and closed behind her. She didn’t turn to see who it was. She knew by his step.

“Hey,” she said, as Nick joined her.

“Hey, yourself.” He leaned his hands on the railing.

She turned to look at him. He was still too thin, but that lost look in his eyes had been replaced by a gleam, a gleam that lit some place within her that had been dark for too long.

“How are you feeling about everything?” she asked.

“Those kids really came through for me. It’s the most hope I’ve had in weeks.”

April looked off into the pine trees. “There’s a lot of that going around lately. Hope’s a seductive thing.”

“I know what you mean.” He looked at her with a steady, searching gaze.

“Oh?” she said weakly.

“I laid some of my deepest wishes on God’s altar earlier this week. And when it looked as if He might be returning two of them to me—my job and my dad—it occurred to me He might just bless me with the third as well.”

Warmth crept up April’s neck and into her face.

He had a boy’s earnestness in his eyes when he looked at her. It felt as though the years were stripped from her and she was a girl again. For a fleeting moment they were two kids without decades of hurt and doubt behind them.

“April, am I wrong to hope?”

A pulse beat in her throat as two different answers fought it out. “Nick. It would break my heart if I brought ugliness into your life. It’s tempting to think I can open my hands and let Gary’s death flutter off like a bird in flight.” Her voice seemed to fade away into the evening air. “I’ve tried that though. It doesn’t work.”

He moved his hand beside hers on the railing, a finger’s width away. “I’m not asking you to put your grief aside, April. It’s too real to put behind you. I’m asking you if I can be part of your life while you heal.” He paused, and a remnant of his emptiness called out to hers. “I’m asking if you’ll be a part of mine while I put things back together with my dad and my job. Because I want you beside me, in good times and bad.”

She closed her eyes, wanting to believe, wanting so much to be whole enough to have something to give Nick in return.

Nick stroked the back of her hand. “I wonder how many years my father lost because no one coaxed his story out of him. He lost decades waiting for someone like you to help him face his past.”

She opened her eyes, finding Nick’s blue eyes focused on her, willing her to have faith in them.

“How long are you willing to spend swallowing your pain, alone, April?”

She had waited and waited for God to heal Sierra’s wounds and hers with a quick wash of His Spirit. She’d been so sure that places of pain and suffering were devoid of God’s blessings. But God had been with them right in the midst of their pain. Deep calling them into His depths. Today. These last months.

The sky softened to champagne clouds and the pine trees dimmed to silhouettes. How could she not believe? She opened her mouth to speak but could hardly find the words. It had been so long since she had said yes to anything. Nick stood before her, and that gave her the strength she needed.

“Truth or dare,” April said, steadying the tremor in her voice.

Nick tipped his head to her, his glasses slipping, and April pushed them back up for him.

“We’ve had enough truth for today,” he said. “How about a dare?”

He leaned down to her, and his arms, solid and strong, drew her to him. As his lips touched hers, the scent of sweet pine drifted up to meet them.