John was right. It took less than five minutes to drive to The Fairy Forest and two seconds to know it was the perfect venue for Bailey’s wedding.
“This is amazing.” Shelley turned in a slow circle as she looked at the ceiling. Thousands of fairy lights were wrapped around the exposed wooden beams, creating a kaleidoscope of stars above the main event area. “What an incredible space.”
Daniella smiled. “We’ve had a few weddings in The Fairy Forest, but most of them were quite small. We’ve never had one hundred guests.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Not really. We’ll just have to work through the logistics. You’ll need to rent some furniture but, if you’re happy to do that, it won’t be a problem.”
As she wandered around the room, Shelley was impressed. Daniella had recreated every childhood fantasy of what a fairy forest should look like. From the lush green grass to the toadstools and large trees, everything was designed to be a magical wonderland. There were even tiny creatures with glistening wings hiding in the flowers.
Shelley touched the wings of a butterfly. “Where did you find the trees and flowers?”
“Someone I know works in the film industry. Their production company wanted to sell the set from a fantasy movie. They knew I’d leased this building and asked if I wanted any of the pieces. Two weeks later, I’d negotiated a great price and they delivered everything to Sapphire Bay.”
Shelley looked around the forest. “It’s stunning.”
John picked up a small, pale pink chair. “Did the furniture come with the movie set?”
“The local woodworking club made the furniture. They did an incredible job.”
They weren’t the only ones who’d done an incredible job. Shelley smiled at John. “Thank you for suggesting The Fairy Forest. I can’t think of a more perfect venue for Bailey and Steven’s wedding.”
“You’re welcome. Have you asked about a dance floor?”
Shelley was so overwhelmed by what she’d seen, that she hadn’t thought beyond the reception.
“I suggest hiring a portable dance floor from Mabel and Allan,” said Daniella. “They don’t have any in stock at the general store, but they can get it in for you as long as you give them a few weeks’ notice.” She walked to the opposite side of the room. “The other bride and grooms placed their dance floors over here. That way, it allows the guests to enjoy talking to each other without being close to the sound system. If you’re having a live band, you could put the musicians anywhere.”
John leaned over Shelley’s shoulder. “Do you want me to write any of this down?”
Shelley sighed. She must be more tired than she thought. “That would be great.” Taking out her trusty notebook, she handed it to John. “If you could draw a rough map of the interior layout, that would be great.”
Daniella opened the folder she’d brought with her. “I photocopied the floor plan from the building file. There are also photos of what each room looks like from different angles in case you want to add extra decorations. If you want me to leave the fairy furniture in one area for any children who are coming to the wedding, just let me know.”
“Adult-sized tables and chairs?”
Shelley glanced at John. He was better at this than she was.
“I have a few,” Daniella said. “But I recommend renting them from the general store. Eventually, I’ll have my own supply, but it’s not something I can afford at the moment. The artificial grass is really forgiving, so you won’t need to worry about damaging it. The manufacturer told me it’s almost indestructible.”
“What about kitchen facilities?” Shelley asked. She looked at John and saw him smile as he wrote a new heading in the notebook.
“I’ll take you through to the kitchen now. It’s not as good as the one at The Welcome Center, but it’s okay for what we use on a daily basis. Depending on what you want for the wedding, you might want to look at other options.”
Shelley and John followed Daniella into the kitchen.
It was large, but Daniella was right. With only one oven and refrigerator, it would be okay for a small event, but not for a large wedding.
“What you need is a mobile kitchen unit like we used in the army,” John said. “With a little forward planning, you could easily cater for one hundred people.”
If John had used mobile kitchens, that meant he’d probably been overseas. “You were deployed overseas?” Shelley asked.
“I spent some time at Bagram Airfield.”
“My brother was stationed there,” Daniella said. “That’s where he met John.”
When Shelley looked at John, he muttered. “Small world,” and started opening and closing cupboards.
Daniella didn’t seem to notice John’s sudden interest in her storage space. “If you’d like to add extra decorations and furniture, send me a list of what you’d like along with a floor plan of how everything will be arranged. I’ll also need the final guest numbers. If something doesn’t meet the fire and safety regulations, I’ll let you know.”
“Are you happy for Willow to take photographs in The Fairy Forest?” Shelley asked.
“That’s fine. If Bailey’s happy for me to use one or two, I could add them to my website.” Daniella checked her watch. “I need to prepare for today’s after-school parties, but if you need anything else, just call me. Bailey has been here before, but if she wants to have another look, I’m happy to show her around.”
Shelley shook Daniella’s hand. “You’ve been amazing. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
John closed the notebook and held out his hand. “It was good seeing you again. How’s Daryll?”
Daniella’s smile faded. “He has his good and bad days.”
“Is he still living with your mom and dad?”
“He is.”
“Good. I’ll call him tonight.”
Daniella’s relieved smile made Shelley frown. “He’d like that. He’s always a lot calmer after he’s spoken to you.”
“It must be the memory of my sweet cherry pie.”
“No,” Daniella said. “It was the way you looked after him.” Her eyes glistened with tears as she said goodbye and walked out of the kitchen.
John handed Shelley the notebook. “We should probably check the number of bathrooms.”
“Bathrooms?”
“It’s important.”
And before Shelley could respond, John left the room.
John tapped his pen against the side of his coffee mug. “Is anyone listening?”
Shelley, Mabel, Bailey, and Emma stared at him with amused grins.
“We haven’t had a fundraising meeting for two weeks,” Emma said ruefully. “I’ve got so much news to tell everyone.”
“We’re supposed to be talking about The Santa Express,” John said. “Not the Christmas play at the twins’ elementary school—although it sounds like a lot of fun.”
Mabel wrote something on the piece of paper in front of her. “It would make a wonderful story for our community Facebook page. I’ll call the school tomorrow and ask if it’s all right if I take a few photos.”
John sighed. Having the meeting at his house wasn’t such a good idea. Since everyone had arrived, they’d compared his decorating tastes with theirs, talked about Mabel’s daughters, and discussed Bailey’s wedding. No one had mentioned their last fundraising event of the year.
He tried again. “In a few days, an enormous steam train is arriving in Sapphire Bay. How are the ticket sales for The Santa Express?”
Emma checked her laptop. “All tickets are sold. We have a wait-list of thirty-four people and ten dogs.”
Shelley’s eyebrows rose. “Dogs?”
“I had some inquiries from people who wanted to bring their family pet with them. I didn’t think the steam train trust or the Colemans would appreciate furry family members joining us, so I put their names on a wait-list. It could be something to think about for next year.”
John shuddered at the thought. He liked dogs as well as the next person, but worrying about potential dog fights and children being bitten was more than he wanted to deal with. “Food?”
Mabel pulled out an enormous sheet of paper. “Everything is ordered. A team of volunteers is joining me on Thursday to prepare the cookies and muffins. Friday is for food that can be refrigerated overnight. And on Saturday, we’ll put everything in boxes and deliver it to the Colemans’ ranch.”
“Did Patrick see you about donating the juice and soda?” Shelley asked.
“He did. He’ll bring everything to the barn on Saturday. What a nice man. I always thought Kathleen and Patrick would make a lovely couple.”
Shelley grinned. “Don’t let Megan hear you say that. She keeps telling her mom she needs to join some kind of social group, but I’m not sure dating Patrick would count.”
“Leave it to me,” Mabel said cheerfully. “Just because someone’s in their seventies or eighties, it doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy a little romance.”
John dropped his chin to his chest. He needed to load the fundraising committees with men. Otherwise, he was doomed to a life of hearing about everyone else’s love life. He glanced at Shelley. If his life was a little more exciting, he probably wouldn’t mind.
Shelley cleared her throat.
He hoped she was thinking the same thing as he was.
“The volunteers are ready for action,” she said. “I divided the elves into three teams: the train elves, the outside security elves, and the barn elves. The barn and train elves are coming to The Welcome Center tomorrow to collect their costumes. The security elves are wearing elf hats and name tags.”
John relaxed. It looked as though everyone was finally thinking about The Santa Express. “The temporary fencing arrives on Friday. The rental company has assured me that it won’t take more than a day to build. But just in case, we have most of Saturday to finish anything that doesn’t get done on Friday.”
Bailey leaned forward. “What about the decorations? From what Shelley said, it could take a long time to decorate the barn.”
“And the tree,” Mabel added. “We can’t forget the centerpiece of the evening.”
Shelley smiled sweetly at John. He had a feeling he was about to be volunteered for something. “I spoke to the Youth Employment Coordinator and the Construction Program Coordinator at The Welcome Center. They’re happy to send their students to the barn on Thursday morning to hang the decorations. The tree arrives on Friday. It would be wonderful to have John there to coordinate everything with me.”
“I’m happy to help. Especially when you don’t want me to dress as Santa.”
“Santa is already booked and can’t wait for the event. Thanks for helping with the decorations. I’ll show you the plan of where everything’s going, so we both know what’s happening.”
“We’ve all cleared our schedules for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday,” Mabel said excitedly. “This will be the best event yet.”
Emma looked at Shelley. “After our expenses are taken into consideration, how much money will we make for the tiny home village?”
Shelley turned to the last page of the financial spreadsheet. “With our ticket sales less expenses, we’ll make about four thousand dollars. But I’m expecting to make more than that. During each of the Christmas fundraising events, people have been really generous and donated even more money. Based on the other events, we should have at least seven thousand dollars to put toward another tiny home.”
Mabel’s grin said it all. “That’s almost another house built. Well done everyone.”
John wasn’t counting on anything until after the event. There was a lot that could go wrong, especially when a steam train, a large number of elves, and lots of children were involved. He only hoped the storm that was supposed to arrive on Saturday didn’t eventuate. Otherwise, they would have a lot of disappointed families in Sapphire Bay.
After the fundraising meeting, Shelley helped John fill the dishwasher and wipe down the kitchen counters. “Thanks for letting us come here tonight. It was better than sitting in your office at The Welcome Center.”
“Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.”
Shelley smiled. “Maybe a little too much. We didn’t start talking about the train ride until seven o’clock.”
“It doesn’t matter. I discovered that my paint choices weren’t so bad after all. And Mabel particularly liked the pop of orange in the cushions on my sofa.”
Shelley’s smile turned into a full-throttle grin. “If you ever want to change careers, you could be an interior designer. I’m sure a lot of the folks around Sapphire Bay would enjoy discussing paint options and curtain samples with you.”
“What you don’t know is that the paint was on sale and the cushions were a present from one of my sisters. Tracey hadn’t seen the room when she bought the cushions.”
“It must have been fate.” Shelley rinsed the last cup and placed it inside the dishwasher. “I’ll check the living room for any dishes.”
Sure enough, there were two small plates sitting on the coffee table. After John’s delicious lasagna dinner, Mabel shared a yummy batch of raspberry muffins with everyone. Over multiple cups of coffee, they’d enjoyed the muffins and organized the last details for The Santa Express.
On her way out of the room, Shelley glanced at some photos on the wall. One of the smallest images caught her attention. She peered at the three smiling faces looking toward the camera. There was a definite likeness between the man and John. The woman with her hands on John’s shoulders was beautiful. Her blond hair brushed her shoulders and her smile was full of warmth.
“That’s my birth parents and me,” John said from the living room doorway.
“How old were you?”
“About six. The photo was before things got really bad.” Shelley glanced at John, not sure whether he wanted to talk about his family.
“It’s okay. Regardless of what happened, they’ll always be my parents. Ask me anything you want.”
“Are you sure?”
John nodded.
Shelley thought about all the things she wanted to ask him. But it was late, and it wasn’t the best time to talk about a painful part of his childhood. “Where are your parents now?”
“Dad died from liver disease four years ago. Mom’s living in Utah. She’s been sober for five years.”
“That’s great that she isn’t drinking anymore. Do you keep in contact with each other?”
“A little. I call her every three or four months. She feels guilty about what happened, but she doesn’t remember most of it. I once asked her if she could have changed anything, what would she have done. Do you know what she said?”
“She wouldn’t have started drinking?”
John leaned against the door frame. “She told me she wouldn’t have had me.”
Shelley’s mouth dropped open. “That’s horrible.” She couldn’t believe any mother would say something like that to her child.
“That’s my mom for you. The only thing she loved as much as dad was her next drink. She only stopped drinking when dad got sick. He needed someone to look after him and take him to his hospital appointments.”
“At least you talk to her. That’s more than a lot of children would do.”
“I guess.”
Shelley pointed to another photo. It was a group of men in army fatigues gathered around a tent. Some were standing, others kneeling on the ground. “Are these your friends from the army?”
John straightened. “They are.” He pointed to the man on the right-hand side of the photo. “That’s Daryll, Daniella’s brother. He was badly hurt in Afghanistan.”
Tears filled Shelley’s eyes. She’d talked to the veterans who lived at The Welcome Center. Some of their stories were so tragic it broke her heart.
“It doesn’t matter how well-trained you are, or how careful everyone is, soldiers get hurt. Last time I spoke to Daryll, he was waiting for his fifth surgery.”
Shelley couldn’t imagine what it must be like serving overseas. It was no wonder PTSD damaged so many lives. Being away from your family and friends, not knowing whether you would make it home, must create a lot of fear and anxiety.
She studied the faces of the other soldiers. Considering what they’d faced, they all seemed happy. Except one. The man standing in the center of the photo wasn’t smiling. “Is that you?”
“It is.”
She didn’t want to tell John that he looked sad, as if he was drowning under the weight of what they were doing in Afghanistan. “You look different without a beard.” She studied his face now and tried to imagine him without the closely cropped beard. “I don’t think I’d recognize you if you had a clean-shaven face.”
John ran his hand around his jaw. “I’ve had this beard since I was discharged from the army. One day I might surprise you and shave it off.”
“Everyone will think your office has been taken over by a male supermodel.”
John flexed his biceps. “You forgot to add toned, intelligent, and articulate to your description.”
Shelley laughed at the grin on his face. It was better than the emptiness that was in his eyes a few minutes ago. “You should write a list of all the words that describe who you are. I’ll tape it to your office door. Then everyone will know they’re stepping into the presence of greatness.”
“The Big Guy might have something to say about that.”
“He created you, so he must realize how unique you are.”
John sighed. “Why do I suddenly feel as though my ego has been squashed to a pulp?”
“Was it the word ‘unique’?”
“Possibly.”
“What about ‘special’. Is that better?”
“Marginally. I know some other words I like better. What about lovable, kind, sensitive, thoughtful, or maybe, gentle?”
“Are you fishing for a compliment?”
John’s smile disappeared. “I like you, Shelley. More than like you. But I haven’t dated anyone in years, and I’m not sure where to start. And there’s something else that worries me.”
Shelley’s face was burning up a storm. If John thought he was out of practice, he should be in her shoes. Just the thought of dating him made her have a mild panic attack. But then she realized he’d said he was worried. Had she said something to make him think she was an ax murderer or an outrageous flirt who was after his worldly possessions?
“I’m worried about our age difference.”
Well, that was a relief. It was better than telling her he was worried about his money. “Twelve years isn’t that much. Look at Hugh Hefner.”
John started to say something, then stopped. Was he laughing at her? He was.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “At least you think it’s funny.”
“I’m not sure comparing the former CEO of Playboy with a pastor is a good comparison. But I get the idea.”
“I thought it would make you feel better. You know, about the age thing.”
John leaned against the door frame. “Before I met you, you assumed I was old and didn’t like change.”
Her sisters had told Shelley that her spontaneous mouth would get her into trouble one day. And here it was. Because of her, the man she was falling in love with thought she was too young for him.
She needed to pull on her big girl panties and tell John how she felt. And she had to be honest with herself. “We’re really good friends and I like you a lot. More than like you. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you can’t start a relationship with doubts. If you think twelve years is too much, then there’s no point in dating. We should stay friends.”
John would never know how much it hurt her to say those words. She wanted more than anything to be a special part of his life, but she couldn’t change her age and she wouldn’t want to.
When John didn’t say anything, she moved away from the wall. “I should go home.”
“Shelley, I—”
“It doesn’t matter.” She picked up her jacket and the folders she’d brought with her. “Thank you for holding the meeting at your house. I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
“Shelley, wait.”
Taking a deep breath, she turned around.
“I’m worried that I’m too old for you, not that you’re too young for me.”
Shelley frowned. “There’s no difference.”
“There’s a big difference. I don’t care about being twelve years older than you. But I thought you might wake up one day and think you’re dating a dinosaur.”
“A dinosaur?”
“When you’re fifty, I’ll be sixty-two.”
Shelley’s frown deepened. “If we’re still dating in twenty years’ time, you’ll have more than our age difference to worry about.”
“I’m serious.”
With a sigh, Shelley placed her folder on the sofa. “So am I. You’re a special person. I don’t care that you’re twelve years older than me.” She placed her hands on either side of John’s worried face. “You are kind and caring, and make the world a better place. I want to spend more time with you.”
John’s blue eyes filled with tears. “I’d like to spend more time with you, too.”
“Does this mean we’re officially dating?” Shelley whispered.
John leaned forward. “I hope so.”
And with the softest, sweetest kiss she’d ever imagined, John swept her off her feet and left her wondering why she hadn’t moved to Sapphire Bay sooner.
John turned off his computer and looked through his office window. The Welcome Center’s parking lot was busy with parents dropping off children for the after-school story time. In the next fifteen minutes, the living room would be full of noise and activity. He wasn’t sure who was taking today’s program but, by the looks of things, there would be more children than usual.
With Sunday’s sermon finished, he could concentrate on the never-ending list of things to do around the church and The Welcome Center. But before he did that, he needed to call Patrick about the tiny home village. A volunteer group from Chicago wanted to visit the old steamboat museum where they made the houses, then look at how the village was operating. With Christmas not far away and production in full swing, John didn’t want to put extra pressure on the construction team.
“Pastor John?”
He looked up and smiled at Andy, Andrea Smith’s ten-year-old son. His smile disappeared when he saw the tears in Andy’s eyes. He hurried around the desk and knelt beside him. “What’s wrong?”
“Charlie’s crying. I can’t get him to stop.”
John placed his hand on Andy’s arm. “Where is he?”
“On the floor outside our old room. He wants Mom.”
“Let’s see if we can help him.” John hurried into the corridor and across the foyer with Andy. The room that Andrea and the boys had been sleeping in was in the west corridor.
Since their mom had gone to Polson, Andy and Charlie had been incredibly quiet. Bailey had spoken to them in individual and group therapy sessions, hoping they’d talk about how they were feeling. But they were so overwhelmed that even Bailey couldn’t do more than reassure them that their mom was okay and they would be, too.
“How was Charlie at school today?” John asked.
Andy’s thin shoulders shrugged. “He was okay. He didn’t start crying until all the moms and dads arrived with their kids for story time. Mr. Jessop’s nice, but Charlie misses Mom something bad.”
John guessed that Andy did, too.
When he saw Charlie, his heart nearly broke in two. He was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, quietly sobbing into his knees. The poor little guy looked so alone and scared that John wanted to wrap him in his arms and tell him everything would be okay. But Andrea, Charlie, and Andy’s life were a long way from being okay.
“Hey, little guy. How are you feeling?” John sat on the floor beside Charlie, hoping he could do something to help him. Taking a bunch of tissues out of his pocket, he wiggled them in front of his knees. “Here you go.”
Charlie’s small hand reached for them. He blew his nose hard, then handed the soggy mess back to John.
“Do you want to talk about what’s making you feel sad?”
Charlie kept his eyes locked on his knees and shook his head.
At least he’d stopped sobbing. Andy sat beside his brother. The two boys had been through so much and, being the elder, Andy felt a deep sense of responsibility for what was happening in their lives. Somehow, John, Bailey, and Mr. Jessop needed to help the boys understand that what their mom was going through wasn’t their fault.
Andrea divorced her husband because she didn’t want to be a victim of domestic violence. And she didn’t want her sons to think that what they were seeing was normal behavior.
With nothing but a few suitcases, she’d traveled halfway across the country to leave their old lives behind. But they needed more than a new address. The trauma of what they’d been through had changed them in ways that needed specialist help.
Even though John had counseled many people with PTSD and provided pastoral care to the community, he felt as lost as Andy and Charlie. The way children reacted to stressful situations was different from adults. He had to be careful, but doing nothing could be just as damaging as saying the wrong thing.
John leaned toward Charlie. “Your mom is doing really well.”
“She said she can’t come home for a while. How long is a while?”
“It’s as long as she needs. Mr. Jessop enjoys looking after you. He said you helped him in the greenhouse yesterday.”
Andy leaned against his brother’s arm. “We planted carrots and onions. Mr. Jessop said they wouldn’t grow outside in the snow, but his greenhouse keeps them warm.”
Charlie let out a trembling sigh. “He has a cat like Mr. Whiskers, but his cat is called Tabby.”
“Does she like sitting on your lap like Mr. Whiskers?”
Charlie nodded.
“She uses her nose to push under our blankets when we go to bed,” Andy said. “Tabby likes sleeping by my feet.”
John smiled. “You must have nice warm feet at night.”
Andy looked up at John. “Mr. Jessop said that if she’s annoying us to let him know. Tabby has a bed in the laundry.”
Charlie wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket. “But Tabby likes us so we don’t mind her tickly whiskers.”
“That’s good. Why did you sit here, Charlie?”
“’cos it’s beside our old room.”
“And it reminds him of Mom,” Andy said quietly.
Suddenly, John thought of something that might help the boys feel less alone. “Did you take everything from your room to Mr. Jessop’s?”
Andy shook his head. “Mrs. Allen said to take our clothes and toys and stuff, but she would look after everything else until Mom comes home.”
“I’ve got an idea. Do you want to come with me?” He looked at Andy and then Charlie. An anxious glance passed between them.
It took a few seconds, but both boys eventually nodded. Before they changed their mind, John stood and held out his hands. “Do you want to see a special room where we keep people’s things safe?”
“Like a magic cave?” Charlie asked.
“Sort of. But this room is for the people who have left things at The Welcome Center while they visit other places.”
“Like us?”
“Exactly like you. Let’s see what Mrs. Allen has put in there for you.”
Charlie held John’s hand as they walked toward the foyer. But instead of going straight ahead and walking into the living room, they turned left.
John pulled out the bunch of keys he carried around with him. When they reached a room at the end of the corridor, he smiled at the boys. “This is it. I’ll open the door and we can have a look at what’s inside.”
He switched on the light and smiled at the boys’ reaction.
Charlie’s eyes were as round as saucers. “There are bicycles and surfboards.”
“There are all kinds of things in here. Sometimes, people only leave Sapphire Bay for a few weeks. But it can be for longer. This is where we keep the things they don’t need all the time. When they come home, they know their special things will still be here.”
Apart from the big items, like the surfboard, the other boxes were kept in alphabetical order according to the person’s last name. John moved along the shelves until he found their boxes. Carefully folded inside one box were the clothes Andrea hadn’t taken to Polson
Taking the box off the shelf, John gently placed it on the floor. “Would you both feel better if you had something of your mom’s to cuddle?”
Charlie glanced at his elder brother again.
Andy nodded. “Like what?”
John hunted through the box. “Well, here’s a striped scarf. Did your mom wear this?”
Charlie nodded.
“And what about this woolly hat?” John held the bright blue hat with a black pompom in the air.
It was Andy’s turn to nod.
“When you’re missing your mom or feeling sad, you could wear the scarf or the hat to make you feel better.” John’s heart sank when Andy frowned.
“Other kids will think we’re silly.”
“No, they won’t,” John assured them. “It’s winter. Everyone wears a scarf and hat.”
“But that’s for outside,” Charlie said logically. “What if we want to wear them inside?”
“You can still do that. Or we could find something that’s a little smaller that you could put in your pocket?”
Andy held the scarf and hat in his hands. “These would be okay. What one do you want, Charlie?”
Charlie bit his bottom lip as his eyes darted between the two items. “The hat.”
John held his breath when Charlie pulled it on. “It looks great. Try the scarf, Andy.”
“Flick it over your shoulder like Mom showed us,” Charlie urged his brother.
Andy flicked one end over his shoulder and smiled. “It’s soft like Mr. Whiskers.”
John closed the flaps on the box. “If you want something different, come and see me.”
Charlie took off the hat and held it against his chest. “When will Mom come home?”
“I’m not sure, but she has some wonderful people looking after her.”
Andy held his brother’s hand. “That’s what Miss Jones told us. She said we can talk to her anytime we want.”
“And that we didn’t do anything to make Mom feel sad,” Charlie added.
John looked into the boys’ worried faces. “Miss Jones is right. You didn’t make her sad. Would you like to say a prayer for your mom?”
Charlie frowned. “What if God isn’t listening?”
“He’s always listening. Even when you’re miles from home and feeling lost, God is with you.”
“I guess that would be okay,” Andy said. “What do we say?”
“Say what’s in your heart.” John closed his eyes and bowed his head. He felt Charlie move closer, felt the pull of the unknown, of waiting for what would come next.
Andy cleared his throat. “Dear God. It’s Andy Smith here. My brother Charlie and me were wondering if you could look after Mom and help her get better. She feels real sad and it makes us sad, too. And please bless Mr. Jessop and Tabby. They’re looking after us while Mom’s away.”
“Amen,” John said softly.
“What about Pastor John?” Charlie whispered. “You forgot him.”
“And Pastor John,” Andy said in a loud voice. “Amen.”
John opened his eyes and smiled. “That was a wonderful prayer.”
“I hope it helps,” Andy said with a sigh.
“It already has. Do you want to come to story time with me?”
Andy looked at his little brother, waiting for his nod before speaking. “Yes, please.”
John was proud of them. It took courage to sit with a group of children when they were feeling so sad. “We could sit together, if you like?”
The relief on their faces touched something deep inside of him.
“That would be great,” Andy said.
Charlie pulled on his mom’s hat and held his brother’s hand. “Do you think Mr. Whiskers will be there?”
John smiled. “He goes to most story times. He’s probably sitting in the sleigh beside the Christmas tree.” And with the boys beside him, John locked the storage room door and walked toward the living room.
As the first notes of the story time music filled the corridor, John said a silent prayer. He prayed for Andrea, for her two boys, and for the man who had hurt them.
God worked in mysterious ways. All you could do was look after each other and trust that everything would work out the way it was supposed to.
Even if you didn’t know what that was.