Drew kissed the top of my head. “The one thing I can say is that I couldn’t leave matters as they were.”
The crazy part was that there were often several days when we didn’t have a chance to see each other. Our only communications were random texts or phone calls. I’d missed those and knew he had, too.
“I’ve felt miserable myself.”
“I tried to explain,” he reminded me.
“I know, but I was in no mood to listen.”
“The kids missed you, too. Both Mark and Sarah offered up ideas on how best to win you back.”
I couldn’t hold back a smile. Separating myself from the children had been the worst part of this breakup.
“Sarah believed all it would take was an order of almond chicken.”
A giggle escaped me. “What about Mark?”
“First off, my son told me he found it hard to talk to girls, too, and that the other sex is difficult to understand. He felt I needed to be patient, and then just the other day he thought I should do something romantic to win you back.”
“Something romantic?”
I could hear the amusement in his voice. “I asked for a few suggestions and he thought a Starbucks gift card might do the trick, or leaving you notes at the café so you’d find them when you came in to work.”
“Not a bad idea.”
“I considered it,” he admitted, “until Sarah insisted it would be easier just to order Chinese.”
“And to think all it took was a kiss,” I told him, grinning like a silly fool.
Drew lifted his head and I raised my eyes to his. “Maybe it should take two or three or even more.”
With that, he kissed me again and it was even better than before.
Saturday morning I felt like a new man. After settling matters with Shay, I swear I could have leaped over tall buildings in a single bound. I couldn’t remember any kisses that affected me as strongly as those I’d shared with Shay in the middle of an abandoned parking lot practically in the middle of the night.
When I finally woke and wandered out of the bedroom it was already after nine o’clock. Both kids were up. Sarah had plopped herself in front of the television and was watching cartoons, nestling a bowl of cold cereal in her lap. She still had on her pajamas. Mark was dressed and sat at the kitchen table, reading from his iPad.
Coffee was first on my mind and I headed for the kitchen. “Morning,” I said as I passed my son, ruffling the top of Mark’s head.
He immediately jerked, which was his way of letting me know he wasn’t a kid and didn’t want me doing that any longer. I hated to tell him this, but he would always be a kid to me. I could see myself doing the same thing when Mark was thirty, whether he liked it or not. The thought made me smile.
“Hey, pumpkin, what are you watching?” I asked as the coffee slowly dripped into my cup.
“Minions.”
“Can I talk to you kids for a minute?” I asked, after my first reviving sip of coffee. I cradled the mug with both hands as I leaned against the kitchen counter.
Something in my voice must have alerted them that whatever I had to say was serious. And it was.
“Are we in trouble?” Mark asked, looking up from his iPad.
“Whatever it is, Mark did it, not me,” Sarah piped up.
“Did not,” Mark cried, glaring at his sister.
“No one is in trouble,” I said, holding up my hand. I wasn’t awake enough to deal with their squabbles.
Sarah glared at her brother. “Mark made a face at me.”
“Would you two kindly be quiet for two minutes?” Taking another sip of coffee, I realized I probably should have waited for this discussion, but I was anxious to talk to my children. They knew I liked Shay and was upset that I’d hurt her. I hadn’t been able to hide my feelings. What they weren’t aware of was the way she’d become important to me over the last several weeks since my visit with Joe. Before I moved to the next step, I needed to discuss the matter with my children.
“What’s up, Dad?” Mark asked.
Sitting on the sofa, I gathered the two of them around me. “As you know, I went out last night.”
“With Kevin in the van,” Sarah added.
Before I left I’d talked to the children about where I was going and what I’d be doing. Both thought handing out food and clothes to the homeless was a cool idea. What I hadn’t told them was the real reason I’d agreed to accompany my friend.
“Did you meet a lot of people and give them stuff?”
“I did, but I wanted to volunteer for another reason. Shay was going to be there, too, and I wanted a chance to talk to her.”
Sarah’s eyes widened. “You saw Shay?”
“I did, and we talked.”
“Is she still mad at us?” Mark asked.
“No.” It did my heart good to be able to reassure them.
Sarah tossed her hands in the air. “Oh good. Can she come over today?”
Mark grinned and nodded approvingly. “Good going, Dad.”
“Thanks.”
“Can I call her?” Sarah asked.
“Perhaps later, pumpkin, but first I need to talk to you kids about something else. Something important.”
“Okay.” Sarah climbed back onto the sofa.
I placed an arm around each of my children. “It’s been four years since your mom died. I know how much you loved her and you know how much I loved her. I miss her every single day.”
“Me, too,” my son whispered.
“I sometimes forget what she sounded like,” Sarah said, her own voice small and sad.
“She’s been gone a long time and I’m lonely. I would like to start dating again.”
Both of the children went still and quiet.
“You mean dating other than the widows from church?”
I grinned and explained. “Yes, women my own age this time, or close to my age.”
“You mean you want to fall in love with someone else?” Mark asked.
That wasn’t the way I would have put it, but basically, yes. “I suppose so. No one will ever be able to replace your mother, but it would be nice to have a woman around here again, don’t you think?”
“Someone who can do a French braid,” Sarah inserted, “and a mom who knows how to bake cookies.”
“You like Shay,” Mark commented. “Do you think she’d want to date you?”
“I hope she does, but if I date her that doesn’t mean I’m going to marry her. I will probably date a few other women, too.”
“I vote for Shay,” Sarah insisted.
“Yes, I like her a lot, too, but it’s still early. The reason I mentioned it is because I wanted to be sure the two of you were okay with me meeting other women and dating again.”
Mark’s face folded into a frown.
“You have a problem with that, Mark?” I asked.
He took his time answering. “Will Sarah and I have a say in who’s going to be our new mom?”
“Of course.”
“Not Mrs. Kowalski’s niece, okay?”
Evelyn Kowalski had practically tackled me one Sunday following church to introduce me to her niece. In my entire life I had never met anyone with a more dour look. “No problem,” I assured my son.
Heaven knew I was attracted to Shay, but there were several mitigating factors when it came to a relationship with her. She had shown me I was ready to look for a wife, and that excited me. What I’d said to the children about being lonely was true. I hadn’t realized how alone I’d felt until I’d met Shay. The way the children had taken to her was another factor, a sign that they were ready, too. That said, Shay was the only woman I was interested in dating at the moment. But I needed to be cautious and, as Joe suggested, go slow.
“Okay, we’re in agreement,” I said, kissing them each on top of their heads. “Time to get going on our day. Who wants to go grocery shopping with me?”
Sarah raised her hand. Mark didn’t.
“Okay, Mark, you
get to vacuum. Sarah, once you get dressed, take the dishes out of the dishwasher. I’ll get the laundry going.”
“If we get a new mom, will she be doing the housework?”
“Probably not all of it, but some for sure,” I said. “I’m not going to choose a wife on how well she keeps the house clean or cooks.” The role of a pastor’s wife was complex and was far more involved than keeping up the home and raising children. My wife would need to be a partner to me in my work, welcoming and gracious and, most important, living a life of faith. Katie had done it all beautifully. I didn’t know if I could possibly be that fortunate twice.
The morning passed with chores. When Sarah and I returned from buying groceries, it was time for lunch. While I put together sandwiches and folded clean clothes, my mind was reviewing my sermon for Sunday. I was about to start a new series based on the gospel of Matthew. I’d written the first two weeks’ messages but felt they lacked something. I hoped to read over my notes again before Sunday morning and prayed for inspiration. My goal was to make my sermons relevant and provocative. I wanted to give my congregation something that would grab their interest and enthusiasm but I wasn’t convinced this new series did all that.
As soon as the lunch dishes were done, Sarah asked, “Can we please call Shay now?”
“Sure.” I had to admit Shay had been on my mind all morning. I was eager to see her again, probably more than I should be at this stage. I couldn’t stop thinking about the kisses we’d shared and immediately felt the desire to kiss her again. These feelings were foreign and yet ever so welcome. I couldn’t stop smiling. Couldn’t stop thinking about Shay.
I reached for my phone and realized she was still at work, dealing with the busy lunch crowd. Knowing she wouldn’t be able to answer, I sent her a text instead.
Any chance you could stop by the house after your shift? Mark and Sarah would like some time with you. I would, too.
I didn’t expect to get a response anytime soon and I was right. An hour passed before I heard from her. I kept my phone out on the kitchen counter, listening with half an ear.
Sure. Be there ASAP.
Just a few words, and after reading them one would think I held a winning lottery ticket.
“Shay’s coming by,” I announced to the children. Sarah let out a whoop of delight and Mark, being Mark, smiled and stuck up his thumb in the universal sign of “good job.” That was about as excited as my boy got these days, but it was enough for me to know he was pleased.
—
When Shay arrived, Sarah immediately hugged her waist with both arms as if she hadn’t seen her in weeks instead of only a few days. “I’m so glad you’re our friend again.”
“I’ll always be your friend,” Shay assured her, hugging her back. “I bet you want me to fix your hair.”
“Will you?”
“Of course.”
I stood back, hands tucked in my pockets, resisting the urge to hug Shay myself.
“Hey, Mark,” she said, looking toward my son. “I brought something for you. It’s my favorite movie and I thought we’d all watch it together.”
“What movie?” Mark asked.
My son had never taken a lot of interest in movies.
“The Incredible Hulk.”
Mark shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal, and to him it probably wasn’t.
“I’ll pop the popcorn,” I volunteered.
“Shay has to braid my hair first,” Sarah insisted.
“I can do it while we watch the movie,” she told my daughter.
While Sarah gathered her comb and other hair products, Mark lobbed pillows onto the living room carpet and got the DVD player ready for the rented movie. In a money-saving effort, I had the least expensive cable program and we didn’t have Netflix.
Shay pulled out the bowls while I started the popcorn. It was tempting to steal a kiss from her while the kids were preoccupied, but I resisted. Not that it was easy. I wanted to kiss her again to test if it would be as good as it had been the first time. That didn’t seem likely, though. I was only half listening to the conversation between Shay and Mark.
The Incredible Hulk? Had I heard her correctly?
“Is The Incredible Hulk really one of your favorite movies?” I asked.
“Sort of,” she admitted, helping me dish up the popcorn. “I thought Mark would enjoy it because of the message.”
Message? That was an interesting thought. “And what exactly would that be?”
“The Hulk has an issue with anger,” she explained, keeping her voice low. “I don’t know what happened with Mark the day he got his black eye. If he was in a fight or if those boys I saw were looking to cause trouble, he never told me. Did he tell you?”
“Not really.” I’d quizzed him, but Mark had remained stubbornly quiet. “I have the feeling he lost his cool and paid the price,” I said, keeping my voice low, not wanting Mark to hear me. Mark was like that. He held his anger inside until it exploded.
“Anger was certainly an issue with the Hulk, and look what it did to him,” Shay pointed out. “There’s a spiritual reference in the movie, too.”
“Oh?” That was a stimulating thought. Hollywood movies didn’t strike me as being anything even close to spiritual.
“Think about it, Drew. It’s not easy to let go of our anger. Without all those sessions with Lilly I probably would still be stewing over all the wrongs done to me. Lilly reminded me that self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit. It takes time and patience not to give in to our anger. The thing is, if we choose to remain calm then eventually we’re able to walk away from fighting.”
Shay impressed me with her insights into the movie and into my son. “Do you do this often?” I asked. “Do you see deeper meanings in popular movies?”
“All the time. It’s a sort of game I play with myself. I love movies, especially the classics. Modern ones, too, of course.”
The popcorn started to pop and I removed it from the stove and set it into a large bowl before adding the salt. Shay had the smaller bowls ready.
“Give me another example,” I said.
Over the course of the afternoon, Shay and I discussed several other movies and the spiritual lessons she’d found in each one. I was fascinated by her ability to draw parallels between story and spiritual truth. We discussed Jurassic Park, The Princess Bride, the entire Rocky series, and my personal favorite, Casablanca. Her insights sent me reeling.
Shay stayed for dinner. We ordered pizza, which was a treat for the kids.
Because she had to work the following morning, I drove her home, my mind whirling with ideas. I would have kissed her, but Sarah had insisted on coming along with us. I walked Shay to the front door, all the while aware of Sarah watching our every move.
Holding Shay’s hand, I gave it a squeeze. “Will I see you soon?” I asked.
“I’m off on Wednesday.”
I didn’t need to look at my appointment calendar to know I had meetings and appointments set up for most of the day. “What about lunch?” I asked. I’d do whatever was necessary to spend time with her.
“Sure.”
Unable to resist, I hugged her. “Thank you for today, for the attention and love you give my children, and especially for giving me a great idea.”
She laughed softly. “And what would that be?”
Pressing my forehead against hers, I said, “I’ll tell you later. Thanks to you, I’m likely to be up most of the night rewriting my sermon.”
—
By the time I made it to bed it was almost two in the morning. Even then I couldn’t sleep for the excitement I felt. I had Shay to thank for the inspiration.
Sunday morning, I stood at the pulpit and looked out over those gathered to worship. “I’m starting a new series of messages this week,” I announced. “We’re going to be discussing movies most of us have seen and loved through the years. Movies that you will easily recognize.
“A friend and I had an enlightening conver
sation yesterday afternoon. Some of you may know her. Shay Benson. She’s opened my eyes to look at movies from a spiritual standpoint, and that’s what we are going to be discussing. This morning I’d like to start with The Incredible Hulk.”
I reached for the coffeepot and refilled Devon’s cup. Devon, one of our regulars, worked as a truck driver for a company that made a small part for the 737 Boeing airplane. He generally stopped in two or three times a week for breakfast.
“When are you going to let me take you to dinner?” he asked, not for the first time.
Ever since I’d served him, Devon had let me know he wanted to date me. I had never accepted because I didn’t feel I was ready to have a man in my life. Drew, on the other hand, had felt safe, and we were more like friends than in a relationship. Until recently, that is. Suddenly matters between Drew and me had become more promising. I wasn’t taking anything for granted, though. Not a single thing. We’d kissed but that was it. Oh, and we sent innocent text messages back and forth a few times a day.
When it came to choosing men to invite into my life, my record wasn’t exactly stellar. I was leaving my options open and I knew Drew was, too. We weren’t serious. We liked each other and were comfortable together, but that was it. I didn’t feel I knew enough about Devon to take him seriously. A lot of the guys joked around about wanting to date me. That kind of teasing was common at the café, especially with the morning regulars.
“You should go,” Sadie said as she scooted behind me to collect an order that was up from the kitchen.
“Yeah, what’s stopping you?” Frankie called out from the kitchen as he set one of my orders out.
I groaned and glanced over my shoulder, hoping Devon wasn’t paying attention.
“Sadie. Frankie. Please,” I muttered.
Devon must have heard their comments because he quickly said, “They’re right, you know. I’m an upstanding guy. A lot of women would give their eye teeth for the opportunity to have dinner with me.”
I laughed and put the ticket for his meal on the counter. “I’ll think about it.”