| |
Casey watched the way the boy’s face once again lit up before he silently ran off in search of books making sure to keep in his sister’s sight through the conference room window.
His dad rubbed his hands together, “All right. You’re all introduced, so I’m going to go.” His twinkling eye was more than enough for Casey to know he was trying his hand at matchmaking. “Case, I’ll see you at home. Miss Jazzy, it was nice meeting you. I hope we meet again.” He ruffled Casey’s hair even though they were nearly the same height now and Casey stuck his tongue out at his father.
Once his father had left the room, Casey pinched his nose with a rumbled sigh. Looking back up, he saw the young woman had turned to study him with a perplexed look. “I’m sorry.” She muttered when he caught her staring, lips moving clearly enough though that he could make out the words.
“It’s fine. I assume you’re wondering about how we don’t look like father and son? He looks real young to be my dad, right?” Grinning at the slightly embarrassed nod, he shrugged. “I’m blessed to be his son. His parents were planning on aborting me once they knew I wouldn’t hear, the only thing that kept them from following through was the way he proved their perfect church image would be tarnished and that he’d take care of me. He was fifteen, he adopted me on his eighteenth birthday and we stayed with his grandparents.”
“Wow...” Her eyes were wide as she opened her mouth and then closed it.
“You can ask me anything! I know we just met, but it seems safe to say you’re just fine to ask anything that comes to mind.” He said confidently, sure in the peace he felt at the words and with a prayer that he could offer her a bit of hope and a glance at the joy he’d had in his life thanks to his dad and the way he’d been raised.
She hugged herself, “How did he do it? I know I’m far from a teen with a newborn now, but I’m so lost. I just want Jeff safe, able to communicate, and happy. Joyful as a child should be. He really only likes leaving the house to come here or when I leave for work, he even dislikes when I meet friends or we go to church. He never leaves my side.”
Folding his arms with a hand under his chin, he’d pulled his glasses off when she began talking, and was tapping an arm to his cheek as he considered how to answer. Replacing his glasses, he smiled and slowly moved his hands. “One day at a time. With a joyful heart because of God’s grace.” He repeated the words aloud at her confused look. “We’ll get you there, okay?”
“God’s grace, and one day at a time. Yeah, that sounds good.” She whispered almost wistfully.
“Hey,” he nudged her to look at the bookshelf on the other side of the glass window. “I didn’t see anything when you two were talking except love with every word.”
Her brow scrunched, “Huh?”
“You showed him you love him with every word, spoken and not. He really doesn’t need much outside of knowing God, love, and he’s the happy and joyful boy I see there.”
She gave a small smile. “Love with every word, I like that.”
He winked, “Thanks, my dad taught me.”
“He did well then. Thank you for wanting to help.”
He shrugged, “This is easier to do than care for some of the random strays my dad’s brought home.”
She giggled which ended in a snort and shook her head. Casey didn’t know what was to come, but he knew life had just become so much brighter with these two in his life.