been the worst. Anne had finally gone to see her diabetes specialist to find out why she was having so much more trouble than she used to have. Jared hoped she’d come home with a game plan for feeling better.
Instead, she’d come home in tears.
The doctor offered no hope, she said. Just the same old rant: eat less, exercise more, lose weight.
“He says it like it’s so easy!” She flopped onto the couch. “Well, I’d like to see
him
lose weight simply by deciding to do so.”
That was when Jared made the suggestion. “Let’s get away. Take Faith and go to the coast.”
Anne looked at him through the wetness still shimmering in her eyes. “Oh, Jared, can we? It’s such a long drive.”
“No, it’s not. A couple of hours at the most. Come on, we’ll take it slow and easy. Just enjoy ourselves. And I’ve got some money set aside for something special, so we can stay overnight in a hotel. Go to a restaurant for dinner.”
Annie’s features lit up, and she launched herself into his arms. “You’re so good to me! How’d I get so lucky as to marry you?”
“Hey, I’ve always said you deserve the very best!”
He’d been laughing when he said it, but he’d been serious, too. She did deserve the best. She deserved so much more than he was able to give her. His job as a programs director at the YMCA brought in enough money to pay bills, but not much more.
Keeping up with the kids kept him in shape, and that was good. But it kept him busy and away from home, too. Working six days a week made it hard to find “quality time” for his family, especially since he’d started taking small side jobs fixing things in people’s homes so he could have some extra money to do special things for Anne and Faith. Things that brought those beautiful smiles blooming on their faces.
Smiles that seemed more and more rare. At least for Anne.
Jared lifted his face to the ocean spray, tasted the hint of salt on his lips, and breathed in the earthy fragrance that was the Oregon coast. There was something restorative about the coast. The rugged beauty spoke to his heart as much as it did Anne’s. They’d both needed this trip. She, to get away from the constant struggles to keep up with her daily chores. And he needed it to hear her laugh.
He’d known, deep inside, that their marriage vows would be more than mere words. But he never imagined how connected they’d become over the years. They were like a single entity divided into two bodies. Complete only when they were together. And when she hurt, the way she had been lately, his heart nearly broke for her.
He knew she wasn’t happy with the way she was. He’d told her over and over she was still beautiful, still desirable. And she was. One of those teasing, playful smiles from her, and his heart rapid-beat almost out of his chest. Still…
He looked out over the vast ocean, watching the waves rise and fall, break and recede on the shore. He listened to the solid pounding of the surf, loving the rhythm, the steady cadence that reminded him all was as it should be. If only he had that confidence with Annie, that she really was doing her best to take care of herself.
When she knew what the diabetes was doing to her, what was at risk, why did she still insist on eating things she shouldn’t? It was as though the very things that could kill her called to her, wooing her, drawing her to embrace them even as they destroyed her body. It scared him. He didn’t want to lose her.
He didn’t say much about it, though. It hurt her too deeply when he seemed to be criticizing her.
“Hey, you lazy bum!”
The saucy challenge pulled him from his thoughts. Anne and Faith stood waving at him on top of one of the craggy rocks they’d been scaling. “What?”
“Why don’t you come up here with us, you handsome devil?”
The breezed tossed Anne’s curls and filled her cheeks with a rosy blush. Even from this distance, he could see the joy on her face. She’d told him
Instead, she’d come home in tears.
The doctor offered no hope, she said. Just the same old rant: eat less, exercise more, lose weight.
“He says it like it’s so easy!” She flopped onto the couch. “Well, I’d like to see
him
lose weight simply by deciding to do so.”
That was when Jared made the suggestion. “Let’s get away. Take Faith and go to the coast.”
Anne looked at him through the wetness still shimmering in her eyes. “Oh, Jared, can we? It’s such a long drive.”
“No, it’s not. A couple of hours at the most. Come on, we’ll take it slow and easy. Just enjoy ourselves. And I’ve got some money set aside for something special, so we can stay overnight in a hotel. Go to a restaurant for dinner.”
Annie’s features lit up, and she launched herself into his arms. “You’re so good to me! How’d I get so lucky as to marry you?”
“Hey, I’ve always said you deserve the very best!”
He’d been laughing when he said it, but he’d been serious, too. She did deserve the best. She deserved so much more than he was able to give her. His job as a programs director at the YMCA brought in enough money to pay bills, but not much more.
Keeping up with the kids kept him in shape, and that was good. But it kept him busy and away from home, too. Working six days a week made it hard to find “quality time” for his family, especially since he’d started taking small side jobs fixing things in people’s homes so he could have some extra money to do special things for Anne and Faith. Things that brought those beautiful smiles blooming on their faces.
Smiles that seemed more and more rare. At least for Anne.
Jared lifted his face to the ocean spray, tasted the hint of salt on his lips, and breathed in the earthy fragrance that was the Oregon coast. There was something restorative about the coast. The rugged beauty spoke to his heart as much as it did Anne’s. They’d both needed this trip. She, to get away from the constant struggles to keep up with her daily chores. And he needed it to hear her laugh.
He’d known, deep inside, that their marriage vows would be more than mere words. But he never imagined how connected they’d become over the years. They were like a single entity divided into two bodies. Complete only when they were together. And when she hurt, the way she had been lately, his heart nearly broke for her.
He knew she wasn’t happy with the way she was. He’d told her over and over she was still beautiful, still desirable. And she was. One of those teasing, playful smiles from her, and his heart rapid-beat almost out of his chest. Still…
He looked out over the vast ocean, watching the waves rise and fall, break and recede on the shore. He listened to the solid pounding of the surf, loving the rhythm, the steady cadence that reminded him all was as it should be. If only he had that confidence with Annie, that she really was doing her best to take care of herself.
When she knew what the diabetes was doing to her, what was at risk, why did she still insist on eating things she shouldn’t? It was as though the very things that could kill her called to her, wooing her, drawing her to embrace them even as they destroyed her body. It scared him. He didn’t want to lose her.
He didn’t say much about it, though. It hurt her too deeply when he seemed to be criticizing her.
“Hey, you lazy bum!”
The saucy challenge pulled him from his thoughts. Anne and Faith stood waving at him on top of one of the craggy rocks they’d been scaling. “What?”
“Why don’t you come up here with us, you handsome devil?”
The breezed tossed Anne’s curls and filled her cheeks with a rosy blush. Even from this distance, he could see the joy on her face. She’d told him
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