White Chocolate Moments

  "Not bad. Austin and I had a chance to talk. He was surprised to see Quinn and Arcineh doing so well:'

  "You didn't tell me that," Arcineh said.

  "There wasn't time yesterday, and then it slipped my mind until just now. I'm 71, you know:' he teased his granddaughter.

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  Arcineh laughed, but as soon as they were in the car, she asked about Austin.

  "I don't think there is any real hunger:' Sam was forced to admit. "But I was proud of you and Quinn and how you're doing:"

  "Is that kind of pride all right?" Gage asked. He'd just been reading in Proverbs where it was clear that pride was a serious sin.

  "I could be sinfully prideful of them, but I wasn't just now. I know that God has worked in their hearts, and that was my way of saying I'm pleased:'

  "I didn't have talks with anyone Arcineh put in. "In fact I feel bad because I had to get away from Tiffany a few times." "She had a rough weekend:' Sam said.

  "In what way?" Gage asked.

  "She told me that she loves her grandchildren but doesn't want to be reminded that she's old enough to be a grandmother. She cried for a long time about it."

  Arcineh felt terrible. She had spent time avoiding her and hadn't prayed as she should have. Her aunt was a selfish creature, but Arcineh had not been a whole lot different. Looking out for herself had come very easily.

  As Gage drove them home, Arcineh curled up in the backseat and had a long talk with the Lord. There was so much she didn't know, but she was seeing new things all the time. She was thankful, but also very tired.

  "I need to ask you something:' Arcineh said to Sam when she tracked him down in his bedroom. Gage had gone home, and it was just the two of them. She had been so thankful in the car, but now doubts had started to surface as old memories had come to mind.

  "Go ahead:'

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  "Why was Quinn the favorite?"

  "I think because she so reminded me of my failure as a parent. It wasn't obvious in Trevor. He found your mother and made a life for himself, but Tiffany married the first man who asked. I'll be honest and tell you that I've been flabbergasted over the years that the marriage lasted. I love and admire your Uncle Jeremy. He's had to learn to live with a lot.

  "And then the kids came along. Austin was close to his father and seemed to fare better, but Quinn was as needy as her mother from day one. And Tiffany did not rise to the occasion. She was needy right back, and it made for an amazing amount of stress and pain:"

  Sam took a breath. "After I became a believer, I apologized to Austin. I told him I was sorry for making him invisible and being so uncaring. He was gracious and kind in his reply, and we've been a bit closer ever since:'

  Arcineh nodded.

  "Why, was it bothering you?"

  "I'm sometimes still plagued with doubts. I go from thankfulness to God for saving me to anger that it didn't happen sooner. I sound like a basket case:'

  "You sound like a newborn:' Sam said compassionately. "We've got to grow up."

  "You've had those same thoughts?"

  Sam had to laugh. "Arcie, you've come to Christ at 22 years of age. I was 69, with more regrets than I could list in a lifetime. And you didn't arrive the moment I believed. At times I was deluded into thinking that if I obeyed, God would reward me with you. He did reward me with you--not because of anything I did but because He's a gracious, mighty God:'

  Arcineh sighed, knowing it was so true. At the same time, she spotted the picture and went toward it.

  "When did you hang this?"

  "Yesterday morning when the house was asleep:'

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  Arcineh stared at it, and then at her parents. "It looks nice there. I wouldn't have thought of it:'

  "Vi spotted it too. She became rather emotional:'

  "Eleven years:' Arcineh's voice was thoughtful. "Half my life:' Sam put an arm around her. "Thank you for coming home:'

  The phone rang early on Tuesday. Will was calling from the hospital. Jalaina had been in hard labor for an hour and would she come? Arcineh flew into her clothing and raced to be with her friend.

  "Where is everyone?" she asked when Will met her in the doorway of the room.

  "She wanted it to be a surprise. You're the only one who knows we're here:'

  "Arcie?" Jalaina suddenly saw her. She'd fallen asleep between contractions.

  "I'm right here she said, going to her friend's side.

  "It's so hard:' Jalaina gasped. "I didn't realize:'

  "You can do this. You're going to be a mother today:'

  "Oh, Arcie, why didn't I send for you hours ago?"

  "I'm here now. I don't have a clue what I'm doing, but I'm here now:'

  This gave Jalaina the giggles, but that didn't last. Another contraction was soon on her. The nurse came in to check a short time later and sent for the doctor. Pushing took longer than Jalaina banked on, but at last, some 90 minutes later, a howling Emilie Marie Schafer was born. She was pink and beautiful, and both Will and Arcineh had tears pouring down their cheeks.

  Jalaina held her daughter against her chest, her smile and sigh making Arcineh cry some more. She tried to slip away to give this new family time to themselves, but Jalaina called her right back.

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  When Will finally took Emilie away to be weighed, measured, and cleaned up, Arcineh came close to her friend's face.

  "You did it."

  "I did it. Isn't she beautiful?"

  "Amazing:'

  "God has been good to me, Arcie:'

  "Yes, He has:' Arcineh agreed, causing Jalaina's mouth to open. They didn't have a chance to talk. The nurse was back to take care of Jalaina, and the new mother was already giving orders to call everyone, starting with Grandma and Marco, and then Nicky and Libby. It took some doing, but Arcineh was finally on the phone to Sam. He was thrilled with the news, and the two made plans to shop for a gift that very afternoon.

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  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Arcineh got home from an especially tough day in the last storage unit to find chaos at the house. It was just past mid-April, and she had not expected the pool work to start so soon. Parking on the street and going in by way of the kitchen, Arcineh found Violet at the stove.

  "Did you know about this?"

  "Of course I knew about this:'

  "But you didn't tell me:'

  "I just do what I'm told:' Violet said.

  "Since when?" Arcineh teased before making her way to the family room and the patio doors. She looked out at the hole being dug and spotted her grandfather, wrapped against the cool temperatures, enjoying the show from a chaise lounge.

  "Surveying your kingdom?" his granddaughter asked.

  "No, just thinking that I chose the wrong kind of work. I really want to run that backhoe:'

  Arcineh had a good laugh over this and pulled up a lounger of her own.

  "How did it go?"

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  "I found this:' she said, passing an eight-by-ten photo to him. "I thought Gage might enjoy seeing it, but I'm hoping you can tell me about it first:'

  "Ah, yes:' Sam said, looking at his son with a group of other men, all standing next to bicycles. "This was in college:'

  "I didn't know he ever rode. I never saw a bike:"

  "He was too much like me after he graduated--all work and little play. I guess I'm glad he didn't have a bike. You would have seen even less of him:'

  Arcineh had forgotten about that. Her mother had been home the most and made it such fun that she hadn't always noticed his absence.

  "Was it a school team?"

  "No, but the young men were all from the university. This man right here:' Sam pointed, "was your father's roommate:'

  Arcineh grew thoughtful. "There aren't a lot of questions you think to ask when you're eleven. I wonder if I even knew my parents:'

  "In all fairness, Arcineh, that would be their fault. They lived around your world. Do you remember how long
it took for you to dance after the accident?"

  "A long time:'

  "Yes. You'd never done it without your mother. She didn't have a life outside of you and Trevor, and because Trevor worked a lot, much of the time it was just you:'

  Arcineh had to think about this. It was not something she had thought about very much. Gage worked a lot. With the legal business over and the new lineup coming out, he worked late most nights. If they ever got married, would he work just as much, leaving her and their prospective children alone?

  "What's going on in that head?"

  "What are the right hours for a man to work, especially men like you and Gage who own your own companies?"

  "You have to ask the hard ones, don't you?"

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  Arcineh waited, but Sam didn't answer. His granddaughter didn't press him, but the question stayed on her mind.

  "This is a great photo:' Gage said, having studied Arcineh's father for a while, "and comes at a very appropriate time:'

  "How's that?"

  "Come this way:' Gage invited, taking Arcineh out her front door and down the sidewalk to his house. He had her stand in the driveway while he ran inside and put the garage door up.

  Arcineh had to smile. Gage came out to get her like a kid on Christmas morning. Parked next to his car was his bike, the one he was currently riding. Next to it was a smaller bike, a woman's bike.

  "My sister got a new bike for Christmas. This is her old one, and she said you could use it."

  "That was sweet of her:' Arcineh said.

  "Wasn't it? And if you're free, we'll go biking this Saturday. It's supposed to hit 74."

  Arcineh had to smile again. He made it sound like a heat wave. "Am I being laughed at?"

  "No:' Arcineh lied, working to school her face.

  "So you'll go?" he double-checked.

  "Yes, but I'm not in shape like you are. Will you remember that?"

  "You're in great shape," he argued.

  "For dancing:' Arcineh tried to tell him, but he was already asking her to sit on the bike so he could adjust the seat and check the pedals.

  A day with Gage. Arcineh was looking forward to it already. She only hoped she would be physically up to whatever he had in mind.

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  "This is the most adorable baby on the planet:' Arcineh said, holding two-week-old Emilie in her arms. "How do you get anything done?"

  "You can look at this messy apartment and ask that?" "It looks fine:'

  "It's picked up, but not dusted or vacuumed. Don't look in the corners:'

  "Does Will care?"

  "No," Jalaina smiled. "He comes in the door looking for one face, and it's not mine:'

  Arcineh laughed with her friend, and then laughed again when Emilie started. She didn't cry, however, and Arcineh cuddled her close and kissed her downy soft head.

  "What changed for you?" Jalaina suddenly asked, and Arcineh looked at her friend, knowing just what she was talking about.

  "Seeing Sam. You remember everything I told you--how he favored my cousin? All that is gone. He's working very hard to be close to all of us. And he doesn't fight with his daughter anymore," Arcineh added, "but my Aunt Tiffany hasn't changed a bit:'

  "So that did what for you?" Jalaina asked, taking her now-fussing daughter and letting her nurse.

  "Well, he gives all the credit to God, but he never believed in God. I went to church with him just to see what it was like, and Gage went with us and then Gage had all these questions:'

  "Did Gage already believe in God?"

  "Yes, but not in a personal way like Sam, and Gage wanted that:'

  "How is it personal?"

  "Well, one verse I know about is in John 15. It says, 'You are My friends if you do what I command you: Jesus says it:"

  "You know the Bible?"

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  "Just a few verses, but I'm learning more all the time:' "Could Will and I go with you Sunday?" Jalaina asked. "Yes. I'd like that:'

  Jalaina stared at her. "What are the odds that you, an atheist, now know more verses than I do?"

  "But you could know them too, Jalaina. I'm sure of it:'

  "Thanks, Arcie," the new mother said quietly, her eyes still searching Arcineh's, the yearning in her face unmistakable.

  Arcineh didn't even know what to pray right then. She just asked God to help them both.

  Arcineh read the verses in Genesis 16 a second time, her mind trying to take it all in. Sarai had actually sent her husband to be with another woman in order to have children. Arcineh read about Hagar and Abram and had all she could do not to shake her head.

  It was early, but she knew Sam would be up. Bible in hand, she went looking for him and found him in the four-season room, his own Bible open.

  "Can I bother you?"

  "No bother," he said, looking over the top of his glasses. "Why would Sarai encourage Abram to take another wife?" "Because she didn't trust. God had made a promise, one that

  seemed impossible to her, and so she ran ahead of God's plan, thinking

  this was the way Abram would bear a son:"

  "What kind of woman was Sarai to do such a thing?"

  "As a matter of fact, Sarah, as she's later called, is very special. That's not to say that she didn't make mistakes, but she was the perfect mate for Abraham, again, a name he came to be called later, and God blessed her repeatedly for her faith:'

  "He's so forgiving, Sam. I can't believe how much He's willing to forgive:'

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  "It's true, isn't it? Whenever I lose sight of what went on on the cross, I forget what a huge, saving God He is:'

  Arcineh was quiet as she thought about this. It was almost more than she could take in.

  "What time do you go with Gage?" Sam asked.

  "Not until 10:00"

  "Do you want to read together for a while?"

  Arcineh was very pleased with the idea. Sam answered questions as she continued in chapter 16, and then they prayed together. It was a perfect start to the day.

  "Are you okay back there?" Gage asked, clearly having the time of his life.

  "Yes," she shouted, thinking she could get used to this in a hurry. He had taken them along the lake shore park, and the day was gorgeous. Arcineh, wearing the new Rugby Shades Gage had given her, was having a blast.

  Gage had brought a lunch for them, and they would be stopping in an hour to eat. Arcineh could have eaten then--she'd had a small breakfast--but she pressed on. However, some 30 minutes later, when Gage suggested an early lunch, she was all for it.

  They sat on a grassy area. It was a bit cool but dry, and Gage trotted out a lovely feast of deli sandwiches, fruit, cheesecake, and plenty of water. They were eating in companionable silence when Gage surprised her with a question.

  "Have you ever been overweight?"

  "No, why?"

  Gage touched a part of her upper arm that extended from the sleeveless top she wore. "These stretch marks:'

  "Dancing:' Arcineh explained. "Years of dancing:'

  "I didn't know that:'

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  "I guess I don't think too much about them. They're part of dance, and I've been in that world for so long--" Arcineh shrugged, letting the sentence hang, but she had a sudden horrible thought. "Are they gross to you?"

  "No:' Gage said, his face showing his surprise. "I just didn't realize dancing would do that:'

  Arcineh brushed at her arm a moment, suddenly wishing her skin were perfect. Just as suddenly, she found her jaw in Gage's hand. With a gentle movement, he brought her eyes to his.

  "They're not gross:'

  Arcineh nodded and relaxed, knowing that pleasing Gage was more important to her all the time. Her grandfather said she was falling in love, and Arcineh knew he had to be right.

  "Tell me something:' Arcineh said, knowing she had better think about something else before she grabbed this man and kissed him. "What's the biggest change for you, Gage?"

  "My thought life. I was pretty di
stracted by women's bodies, and I wondered if that was always going to be the case, but now I catch myself and know that my thoughts can't go there. It actually feels better not to look, to fight through the temptation:'

  Arcineh had not expected this.

  "In fact:' he went on quietly, "that's why you're riding behind me or beside me and not leading:'

  "That's thoughtful of you:' Arcineh said, very impressed that he had planned ahead.

  "What about you? What's the biggest change for you?"

  "It's probably the lack of fear and resentment. I didn't think I was the type to feel sorry for myself, but I blamed a lot of things on my grandfather and feared being left alone all the time. I still think about those things, and I'm tempted to fear, but there's no panic. I know I'm not alone now:'

  "The peace is amazing, isn't it? I talked to an old friend on the

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  phone this morning. I tried to tell him about my peaceful heart, but I don't know if he caught it"

  "What about Luke and Erika? Any talks there?"

  "No, but I've been putting in a lot of hours at work lately, and I haven't had time to see them:'

  Arcineh didn't comment. He had been working a lot lately, and she didn't know how she felt about that. Pushing it out of her mind, she determined not to let such thoughts ruin their wonderful day.

  "Oh, Sam:' Arcineh said when she came from the downstairs shower, "I've done it now."

  "Come in here and relax:' Sam encouraged, leading the way to the four-season room. "I'll see what Violet has:'

  Arcineh made her way slowly to the comfortable wicker furniture in there. Sitting took an amazing effort, and Arcineh shuddered as her muscles reminded her of the long bike ride.

  Violet came with ice and muscle rub. Arcineh sat on the ice for a while, but when she told the older woman where she hurt, they didn't use the muscle rub. Sitting very carefully, and not at all comfortably, Arcineh only hoped she would be on her feet for church in the morning.

  "I think Gage is here Sam told Arcineh about an hour later.

  "Oh, no!" Arcineh whispered in a panic. She had taken over the four-season room; climbing the stairs had been too painful. "Don't tell him:'

  "Why not?"

  "Just don't. Just tell him I'm resting, and I'll see him tomorrow:'

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  Arcineh could tell that her grandfather was not happy, but it never