“I can do that.”
“It’s not against the rules or something?”
“Or something. I’ll have you know I’ve baptized three people, and not dropped a one of them. I’m an old hand at it.”
“Other girlfriends?”
He couldn’t help laughing. “You’re never going to give up until you get an exact count, are you?” He held up two fingers. “I’ve had two serious girlfriends. Marie is now a physician in New York; Amy is a photographer in Colorado. Both still like me, and both broke up with me because they met someone else they liked more.”
She considered that. “So what’s wrong with you I don’t know about yet?”
He threw a piece of popcorn at her. “Since it was all the way back in high school and junior college, probably nothing besides the fact I was too tall.” He shifted his head and smiled up at her. “I hit medical school and the only thing I saw for about a decade was books and more books and the underside of a pillow while I tried to get some sleep between intern shifts. After that I discovered I was kind of selective. One-time dates do not count. I figure I was waiting on you.”
“I’m going to skip that last point for the moment,” she remarked, reaching into the popcorn bowl. “You do realize you’ve never invited me on an actual date, don’t you?”
“I realize.”
She dropped a handful of popcorn on him. “We’ll have to talk more about that omission after the movie.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
They’d met with the pastor and planned the baptism for Tuesday, the first evening they both had off work, inviting a few friends and Tom’s parents to meet them at the church. Jennifer felt excited about what was coming and nervous at the same time. “What if I fumble the words?”
“You’re not on a microphone or with a big crowd,” Tom reassured. “Just friends, family, and lots of people thrilled for you. If you need to repeat the words a couple times, it’s not going to be remembered.”
He straightened the white robe she wore over her sweatshirt and jeans. “I should have suggested a lighter-weight shirt. Just remember you’ll feel heavy as you come up out of the water, and these robes tend to bunch up when they get wet, so move slowly until you have your balance again.”
“Okay.”
Tom nodded to the pastor’s wife, who had come back to assist them. She whispered to the music minister that they were about ready, and they heard the song that was playing change. In another minute, they would be cued.
Jennifer entered the baptistery with Tom behind her. The water was warm. She was relieved at that fact. It was a deep pool, but not that big. She judged the distance and took a safe stance far enough toward one end so she wouldn’t have to wonder about hitting the side.
“Don’t be nervous,” Tom whispered. “I’ll lead with the words, so just look at me.”
“Okay.” She took a deep breath and tried to relax. It was a good nervousness, but she wanted her voice to be clear.
Their pastor wasn’t on a mic, but they could hear him finishing his remarks. “This is one service of baptism I wouldn’t want to miss for anything. Tom has been a part of this church family for a long time, and his firm faith and love for God warms my heart and challenges me. And I think Jennifer has seen some of the same things in him. It’s a delight to gather together to hear her decision and share with her this day that marks the beginning of a new life.”
Tom squeezed her hand. “Ready?”
She nodded.
The privacy curtain slid back. Jennifer scanned the faces of friends who had come to bear witness to this moment, sharing the joy that was present on their faces, and then looked back at Tom.
He led her through the simple words.
“I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God,” she repeated, certain now they were true and all that Jesus promised was about to become hers.
“Jennifer O’Malley, on the confession of your faith before these witnesses, I now baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, that you might receive the forgiveness for your sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the promise of eternal life,” Tom said, his voice confident and sure.
Her grip tightened on Tom’s forearm, she took hold of her nose as he had cautioned, and he lowered her back into the water. The water closed over her head, the sensation of falling was checked by the strength of the man holding her, and then she was being lifted up.
As she came up out of the water, she heard a chorus of amens from those who had come to witness the moment. She blinked away the water, then smiled up at the man who held her. Tom smiled back. He made sure she had her balance before moving his hand supporting her. She released her hold on his forearm. “I wondered if you were going to drop me there for a moment,” she whispered.
“Not a chance, precious. Not a chance.” He looked proud of her. It had been a long time since a man other than family looked that proud of her. He nudged her to the left. “Look over at Joan.”
She turned and smiled for the photo she’d asked for—a record of this important day for her album. “Thanks.”
“You’re very welcome.”
The curtain closed around them as the music for the song Jennifer had requested began.
Tom guided her up the steps and out of the water. In the privacy of the baptistery area, she took the offered towel to wipe her face and accepted the dry robe. Tom draped a second towel over her wet hair. “Go change. I’ll meet you back here and we’ll have Communion together in the chapel.”
“It will be a few minutes.”
“We’ve got all the time in the world tonight.”
“I thought I would feel different or something,” Jennifer mentioned as they walked along a familiar block, almost to the downtown fountain they’d visited on their first evening together.
Tom looked over at her. “How do you feel?”
“Happy.”
“I’d say that’s a strong enough emotion for the moment.”
“It’s nice, knowing Jesus loves me, really knowing it deep in my heart.”
“You’re loved, Jennifer. Enormously. By one who will never withdraw that love. There’s nothing else like this peace. The Bible says even death has now lost its sting. It’s just stepping from this life into Jesus’ presence.”
“It’s hard to get my mind around the idea of what eternity will be like in heaven.”
“Enjoyable,” Tom replied, smiling.
“You’ll pick me up for church Sunday?”
“Bright and early,” he promised.
She dug change out of her pocket. “I think I’ll move up to tossing quarters tonight and thrill whoever scoops up the money out of the water every week.”
Tom opened his hand and showed her a bankroll of coins. “I got you Texas state quarters. I figured you could use ten bucks for something absolutely frivolous but celebratory tonight.”
She laughed as he broke open the roll and dumped them into her hand. She walked around the fountain and studied where coins had already bunched. “Do you think God would mind if I started listing all my patients and praying for them to get well?”
“I think it would be a prayer that would bring joy to God’s heart. He likes healing people, Jen.”
“Will He make me a better doctor, do you think?”
“I think He’ll fulfill the deepest wish of your heart, and do it for no other reason than it makes God happy to bless you.”
“I wish I’d made this decision years before.”
“You’ve still got a lifetime to fully enjoy it.”
She trailed a finger through the water. “The other O’Malleys need to believe too, Tom. That’s the deepest wish of my heart right now. And I’m not wise enough to help them with the decision—not the way you helped me.”
“God laid the groundwork for you. Trust Him to do the same for the other O’Malleys too. He loves them even more than you do, if that’s possible.”
“I’m glad you’re coming to
the Fourth of July gathering and can meet them all.”
“I was getting nervous that you wouldn’t invite me, or you’d go on your own and meet someone you liked better or something.”
She laughed. “Impossible. And I do like the fact you worry like that.”
“It’s called protecting my interests.”
The cover on her own Bible was just beginning to feel broken in. Tom had bought it for her as a baptism gift. Jennifer set the book aside, having read for half an hour before turning in for the night. She was trying to absorb the words and become acquainted enough with the book of Luke that the verses would come easier to mind. Tom was familiar with this book in an intimate way and could describe passages in detail. To her it still felt so new, even after reading sections multiple times.
She found herself humming “Jesus Loves Me” as she got ready for bed. She had heard it from many of her patients over the years, and she’d learned the melody long before she had thought about the possibility the words might be true. Now it seemed like such a wise and wonderful song. Simple enough for a child, profound enough to capture so much of the heart of the Bible in its opening phrase. “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. . . .” Tonight, the words wrapped themselves around her like a warm blanket.
She turned back the covers and slipped into bed. Tom had convinced her she was loved by God. And it made the idea of falling in love with Tom so much richer. They’d share a faith too.
She wasn’t afraid of the idea of falling in love anymore. It had been a concern over the years, how to juggle being a doctor with being a wife and someday, hopefully, a mother. She loved kids. She wanted to be a mom. But she’d trained all her life to be a doctor and she didn’t want to set that aside. So she’d waited. Tom understood the dynamics and how important it was to her to be a doctor, the reason she loved kids. Rather than pushing them apart, it was becoming another connection they shared as he volunteered his time and got to know her patients. Tom was slowly convincing her it was safe to love him. She knew that was where he was heading, and she was willingly walking that road now.
For the first time in many years she was looking forward to not knowing how something would work out; it would take away some of the joy unfolding around her. For now, she was content to rest in the fact she was going to enjoy this journey with Tom . . . and with Jesus. It was becoming her special year to remember.
10
Walk with me awhile,” Tom requested. Jennifer obligingly slid her hand into his when he gestured toward the hotel gardens. Neither of them was in the mood to linger inside the dimly lit restaurant, and even romantic candlelight was not the most conducive to the relaxed conversation they were after.
Tom had said to dress up for this official date. She swirled her dress as she walked, watching it shimmer back and forth around her knees, and decided it had accomplished her hope.
“You look lovely, and you know it,” he mentioned, looking amused.
She nodded her appreciation. “Consider this the final side of me you haven’t bumped into before. At times I rather enjoy special nights like this and the dressing up involved.”
He broke off something that flowered white and paused to slide it into the hair she’d pulled back with a pearl clasp. “It’s been a nice night,” he murmured.
“It has,” she agreed. The gardens were private, the only sound the faint drift of music from the hotel across the grounds. They walked down toward the reflecting pool.
Tom pulled her to a stop by the roses and smiled down at her. “May I kiss you an early good-night?”
“I’d like it if you would,” she whispered.
He cradled her face in his hands, taking his time, filling the moment with a tenderness that melted her heart. She basked in the feeling of being precious to him, enjoying both the care he was taking and the claim he was making as he kissed her. He brushed his thumb gently across her lower lip. “You are—” he leaned down and kissed her a second time, lingering to savor the feel of her and the taste—“a whole lot richer than I even dreamed.”
She leaned into his hug and rubbed his suit jacket button with her thumb. “Can we repeat tonight sometime? This has been very . . . nice.”
“What were you going to say?”
“Fun. Enjoyable. Spectacular.”
“I’ll concur. Thanks, Jennifer.”
She leaned back. “For what?”
“Not dismissing the idea of going out with me when you initially were faced with that decision.”
She slowly smiled back. “I think I made a pretty good choice.”
The relationship changed. It became easier to reach for his hand, to lean into an offered hug, to know there was a momentum to their time together now, and a new destination being explored.
One evening after he delivered her back to her home and prepared to leave, he quietly admitted, “I’m falling in love with you.”
“I know,” she answered from the security of their shared hug.
He smiled as he eased back. “That’s all? Just ‘I know’?”
She slid her hands up to hold his face still. “To me it feels . . . it feels like being in the sun after you’ve been stuck in gray, damp shade forever. Just being with you makes me content and so richly happy. I figured out some time ago it was because you loved me and were pouring it out in my direction.”
He blinked back moisture in his eyes.
“Because I know you love me, it’s making it very easy to accept that I’m falling in love with you too.”
“You’re okay with that idea?”
He wasn’t taking anything for granted about her, and it made the soft question all the more special to her. “Before I met you, I would have been petrified with that idea. But now . . . now I’m growing more comfortable with the thought every single hour. You’re swiftly becoming the most important person in my life outside of family,” she reassured him.
“I can no longer imagine a day without you in my life.”
“So where do we go from here?” she asked, not yet having sorted that answer out for herself, yet curious and secure enough to ask if he had.
He gently traced the curve of her cheek with his hand. “Forward, at the pace that seems right to both of us. I like the fact we’re friends. There’s no need or reason to rush past the enjoyment of this unfolding path with its twists and turns. We’ll get where we are going together in the coming months. I haven’t met your family yet, for one thing.”
“There is that.” She gave him another hug. “Thanks, Tom.”
“For what?”
“Content, happy, settled, in love—it’s a pretty big gift you just poured into my life in the last few months.”
“I’d say it’s been mutual.” He kissed her a final time and stepped back. “Tomorrow I’ll come find you at your office, and we’ll go over to my folks or out to eat with friends—something.”
She leaned against the doorframe as he headed down the porch steps. “A funny movie. I like to listen to you laugh.”
He walked backward down the drive toward his car. “I’d say I like to watch you cry, but that wouldn’t come out like I intended. I like to watch you get so involved in a show and care about even people who are acting that you get emotional about it. So maybe we’ll do a double feature. One for both of us.”
“Okay.”
“See, all our decisions are going to be this easy.”
She laughed, shook her head at him, and waited at the door until he was safely in the car and pulling from her drive. She was already looking forward to their movie evening together.
Falling in love was such a wonderful experience. She smiled to herself as she locked up the house for the night, wondering why she had worried so much over the years about being the first O’Malley to be married. She was looking forward to the day Tom eventually proposed. She would probably cry all over him too, and the ring he chose for her.
A tap on her office door the next evening had Jennifer looking up with a smi
le from the chart she was updating. She expected it to be Tom. Her smile wavered as she saw her personal doctor in the office doorway. Their next appointment wasn’t for another few days. Tina looked worried.
“Hi.” Jennifer slowly put down her pen. “Come on in.”
Her doctor closed the door behind her. “Your first tests are back. I’m sorry to bring news like this, Jennifer, but they show some troubling news.”
Tina was carrying X-ray films and two reference volumes, both ones Jennifer had used in her own practice in the last few weeks. She stopped trying to think about what was coming. Instead she slowly nodded. “Tell me.”
11
Tom pushed through the OR prep area doors backward to protect his well-scrubbed hands, whistling a tune he’d heard on the radio. Next up was an evaluation of a young surgeon doing a closure of a glass cut. The child was seven, the cut on his arm deep, and it would take a steady hand and some time, but it was well within the young doctor’s proven range of skills.
“Tom?” Gina held out the wall phone. “Marla wants a word.”
Surprised at the request, Tom diverted and walked over to join his surgical nurse. He’d have to rescrub, but Marla wouldn’t have called the surgery suite if it wasn’t important. “Yes, Marla.”
“Jennifer called in and said she wouldn’t be at work today. I don’t know, Tom. She sounded like she’d been crying.”
“When was this?”
“About twenty minutes ago. I’ve just finished shifting her cases for the day. The thing is, Veronica was scheduled to come in. Jennifer wouldn’t miss an appointment with her without a huge reason.”
“She didn’t give any explanation?”
“No. That’s what has me worried, Tom. This isn’t like her. I just thought someone should know, since she doesn’t have family in the area.”
“Thanks, Marla.”
Tom hung up the phone. An emergency page had cancelled their movie plans for last night, but he’d seen Jennifer on hospital rounds earlier that afternoon, caught her by phone at her office just before he went into surgery, and nothing had seemed unusual. They’d simply rescheduled their plans and moved them to tonight. He debated with himself just long enough to know there were some priorities that were going to clash in his life, and in this case it wasn’t an even contest for which had to win. “Gina, is Kevin about finished with the skin graft?”