The days dragged by for Leah. Even her job at the bakery, which should have given her joy, was just busy activity to help her get through another day. Only when confronted with Max’s true character had Leah realized how much she truly loved him. The knowledge that he wasn’t the man she had thought pierced her heart until she could hardly stand it.
The only ray of light in her life was Collin. Dear sweet Collin. He was going through his own private torment. That was plain from the confusion on his face. He didn’t understand why Max wasn’t coming around anymore. And he hadn’t seen fit to ask her. She knew it must be hard on him seeing Max every day at school and wondering why he had stopped coming over.
One night when Collin was taking his bath, Leah sat in the rocking chair, attempting to concentrate on a new book.
“Mom.”
Leah looked up. Collin stood there in his pajamas and slippers, and his wet hair was tousled from a not-so-successful attempt to towel it dry.
“Yes, sweetheart?” Leah reached over and brushed a straying lock of the damp hair out of his eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
Puzzled, Leah frowned. “Sorry about what, honey?”
“I’m sorry I was so bad and rude and all about Mr. Reilly.” His face seemed to crumple. “It’s my fault he stopped coming over, and now you’re sad.”
“Oh, Collin, no.” Leah stood up and pulled her son into her arms. “It’s not your fault at all. This is something between Mr. Reilly and me. It has nothing to do with you.”
“You sure?” The expression on Collin’s face as he looked up indicated he wasn’t completely accepting her statement.
“Sure as can be. Now, Collin …” She bit her lip and studied her son. “I know it must be difficult for you to be around Mr. Reilly every day under the circumstances, so I’m thinking about letting you switch back to your old school after all. What do you think?”
A totally horrified look crossed Collin’s face.
“No, Mom! I mean, do I have to?”
Surprised, Leah stared at her son. “I thought that was what you wanted.”
“That was a long time ago. I like Rosemont now, and I’ve got lots of friends there. Besides, I don’t even see Mr. Reilly very much anymore.”
Leah peered at her son anxiously, trying to ascertain if he was being truthful or if he was just saying what he thought she wanted to hear.
The tears, threatening to spill over, convinced her he really meant it.
Suddenly his eyes grew wide, and he clapped his hand against his leg. “Oh no!”
He bounded up the stairs and into the bathroom. In just a minute he was back, breathing heavily and holding out a piece of folded paper.
“Wow! I’m glad I remembered this before my trousers went into the laundry. Mr. Reilly asked me to give it to you.”
She took the note from him with trembling hands and clutched it tightly.
“Well, all right, Collin. We’ll leave the matter of changing schools for now since the term is almost over. Maybe we’ll talk about it again before next year.”
“Okay, Mom.” He reached over and kissed her good night, then went upstairs.
Leah closed her eyes, almost afraid to look inside the folded piece of paper. Finally, with trembling hands, she opened it.
Genesis 39.
Leah stood staring at the words for a moment in stunned surprise.
Genesis 39? What in the world?
Leah picked up her Bible from the side table and leafed through it until she found the passage. She had only read for a few minutes when she inhaled deeply, then continued to read. As she came to the end of the chapter about Joseph and Potiphar’s seductive, vindictive wife, her knees grew suddenly weak, and she sat down quickly.
Had she been too hasty in accepting the accusations in the clipping as truth? Could it be that Max was innocent of the charges?
In spite of herself, hope began to rise in her heart and mind. Hope that was quickly replaced with shame. She hadn’t given Max a chance to defend himself. On the other hand, this wasn’t proof positive that he was innocent. Of course, he would claim innocence if he was guilty. But based on what she’d seen of his character, did she truly believe he was capable of the vile actions the article had accused him of?
When Leah finally went to bed, she tossed and turned in an agony of indecision. Should she give him a chance to explain—and risk her heart again? She was already in so much pain she could hardly function. If she gave him a chance, only to discover that the accusations were true, it would be unbearable. And what would it do to Collin?
Finally, she fell into a restless sleep filled with disturbing dreams. One moment, she would see Max with hurt and pain on his innocent face. In the next, the expression would turn into a gloating sneer. When her alarm clock went off, she felt as though she hadn’t slept at all.
Somehow she managed to get through the day at work. They were extra busy due to the Easter weekend coming up, so at least Leah’s mind was occupied and unable to wander to the subject that was causing her so much anxiety.
That night when Collin was in his room reading, she went to her room and knelt.
“Lord, I need your wisdom.”
1 Corinthians 13.
What? Leah inhaled sharply. Where did that thought come from? She knew that was the chapter on love. Could God be speaking to her? Suddenly a peace washed over her, and she knew it had indeed been God who put the thought in her mind.
She quickly got her Bible and fanned the leaves until she came to the passage. She carefully read each line, each word, not wanting to miss something that God might desire to bring to her attention. As she read all the attributes of love, suddenly she stopped at verse seven and reread the last part. She felt as though a sword had pierced her heart.
“Believeth all things, hopeth all things.”
Max had been the epitome of moral excellence from the moment they had met. He had been kind, generous, and godly. Yet when she heard a bad report concerning him, she had immediately believed the worst instead of believing in the qualities she had observed, the qualities that had caused her to fall in love with him.
Lord, tell me what I should do. She was met with silence. Making a sudden decision, she rushed from her room.
“Collin, I’ll be right back. I’m going to see if Mrs. Wright can stay with you for a little while. I have something I need to do.”
“Okay, Mom.”
She quickly changed her dress and smoothed down her hair. As she hurried down the stairs, a knock sounded on the door.
Max was having a hard time hiding his misery. He had been so down in the dumps the past weekend when he had gone to his parents’ for dinner that his mother had first cried, then grown angry.
“Max, would you like for me to go have a talk with that young lady?” she had asked, her eyes flashing as she patted him on the shoulder.
He had given a little laugh that came out more like a sob.
“Thanks, Mother, but I don’t think she would be too convinced by my mother defending me. Mothers tend to do that.”
“Well, all I can say is if that woman really loves you, she shouldn’t believe a note written by someone she doesn’t even know.”
“You’re right, Mother. But I have to admit, I should have been more forthcoming with her before it was too late.”
“Well, be that as it may, we must clear up this misunderstanding.” She patted him as only a mother can do, then frowned deeply. “It had to be Claudia who sent the clipping.”
“If I thought it would do any good, I would try to reason with Claudia, but she really has it in for me.”
Max’s father had entered the room about that time, and he emitted what could only be described as a growl. “Good luck if you want to try to talk with Claudia. No one knows where she is. Jake doesn’t even know. She’s been gone for the past four days.”
“Poor Jake.” Max couldn’t help feeling sorry for his little brother, in spite of his treatment of Max.
“Well, if you ask me, he’ll be better off if that woman never comes back,” his mother had seethed.
“We may feel that way, Mother, but apparently Jake doesn’t.”
That had been nearly a week ago. Max wondered if Claudia was still missing. He ate an early supper at the kitchen table and went into the living room. He turned on the radio and searched for something to take his mind off Leah. As if that were possible.
Settling on a music station, he sat on the sofa, leaning his head back against the cushions.
Lord, was I wrong? I was so sure Leah was the woman You intended me to spend my life with.
The doorbell brought him sharply out of his musing. He got up wearily and went to open the door.
“Jake!”
If there had ever been an object of total dejection, it was his brother as he stood in the doorway, hatless, shirt hanging out at the waist. His eyes had the look of a hunted animal, and he ran his hands nervously through his hair.
“Is it all right if I come in and talk to you, Max?” His voice was hoarse as though he had been yelling or, worse, crying.
“Of course.” Max stepped back, allowing Jake to come in. “Coffee?”
“Yeah, that’d be good.”
“Okay, why don’t you just sit down here in the easy chair while I go get it.”
Max had never seen his brother so shaken. His face was pale as death, and his hands were trembling when he took the cup from Max. He took a long drink of the hot liquid, then set the cup down on the side table and dropped his head in his hands.
Max sat in silence to give Jake time to pull himself together.
Finally, Jake looked up at Max and took a tortured breath.
The words he spoke were the last thing Max had expected to hear.
“Max, can you ever forgive me?”
Max felt a wave a love for the brother who sat with tears streaming down his face. He knew his own eyes were damp, too. “I forgave you a long time ago, Jake. You’re my brother. I love you.”
Jake closed his eyes and sighed. “Claudia told me the truth, Max. That she made the whole thing up. She thought it was funny. She played her little games and lied about everything.”
Max closed his eyes and breathed a silent prayer of thanksgiving. Finally, after all this time. “Where is she? Did she come back home?”
“Yeah, she came back to try to get some money. A lot of money. Said she needed it to pay off her sister’s hospital bill.” He emitted a short laugh. “I wasn’t buying it. I told her she wanted it to pay off gambling debts and buy booze. That’s when she got mad and started screaming and yelling.”
Jake’s face held an expression of unbelief. “Terrible things. Her language was foul. I couldn’t believe some of the things she admitted to. Bragged about, even. Then she laughed and told me she had lied about you.”
He dropped his head into his hands for a moment, then looked up at Max.
“I’m so sorry. How could I have believed you would do anything so vile?”
“It’s okay, Jake. It’s over. She’s your wife. She had you fooled. I may have done the same thing in your shoes.”
“There’s more. She said she had some article from an old newspaper about the supposed attack. Sent it to your friend Leah.”
Max was on his feet like lightning and pulling his brother up from the chair.
Jake jerked backward as if he thought Max was about to attack him. “What? What are you doing?”
Max stepped back and looked at his brother.
“Jake, I know you are miserable. I’m going to do everything I can to help you through this. But will you please follow me over to Leah’s and tell her about this? She won’t talk to me.”
“Of course. That’s the least I can do for you.”
Max drove to Leah’s as quickly as he could while making sure Jake was able to follow. When they reached her house, Max knocked on the door with fear and doubt in his heart. Would she believe his brother or just think he was making it up for Max’s sake?
The door flew open, and Leah stood there with shock on her face.
“Max!” She was in his arms before he realized what was happening.
“Oh, Max, forgive me for doubting you.” She sobbed. “I know you could never do the horrible thing that note accused you of. Will you forgive me?”
“Sweetheart, it’s okay. It’s my fault.” Max cupped her chin and lifted it so that she was looking into his eyes. The love she saw there left no doubt of its sincerity. “If I had had the courage to tell you about it in the first place, you never would have believed the accusation.”
At the sound of a cough, Leah saw for the first time that they weren’t alone. She felt her face flame and stepped back out of Max’s embrace.
“Leah, this is my brother, Jake. He has something he wants to tell you.”
As Leah listened to Jake’s story, she felt a conflict of emotions. Anger toward the woman who had caused Max so much pain. Anger toward Jake for believing it, and at the same time pity for his obvious pain and heartbreak. Most of all, she felt shame that she had doubted Max for even a moment.
After Jake left, Max took Leah into his arms once more, and she snuggled closely and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Leah,” he whispered shakily.
She looked up at the expression of love on his face, and as his lips came closer to hers, she closed her eyes and waited in anticipation for this moment she had longed for. She sighed against his mouth as it pressed against hers, finally. All the dreams she’d had of his kisses were nothing compared to the reality. He tightened his hold, and their passion rose, leaving her breathless. “I love you, my girl,” he whispered, his forehead resting against hers.
“Oh, Max, I love you, too.”
“I’m thinking … June.”
“June? What are you talking about?” She laughed.
“For the wedding.”
Swallowing hard, Leah couldn’t resist a grin. “What kind of a proposal is that?”
“The prelude to the real one, which I promise will be everything you’ve ever dreamed of.” He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her nose, her chin, and finally captured her lips once more. “Or maybe June is too long,” he said with a husky growl.
Leah’s heart nearly stopped. “I think June will be just fine. We have a lifetime after that.”
“So is that a yes?”
Caught by her own words, Leah rose on her tiptoes and initiated a kiss. “Did you have any doubt?”
“Mom! Are you still going somewhere?”
Leah and Max both jumped back as Collin came running down the stairs.
“Mr. Reilly! Hi!”
Max took a deep breath, and, smiling at Leah, he went to meet Collin at the bottom of the stairs.
Leah felt a fleeting moment of disappointment, but at the joy on Collin’s face, she caught her breath. There was plenty of time for their love. Plenty of time. Her eyes brimmed with happy tears as she watched Max catch Collin into a tight embrace.
Deep contentment swelled Leah’s chest, and her heart soared with the truth that God was good indeed.