gift that you have ever given me, and I am so grateful to you.” Russ drove towards his home feeling lighter than he had in years, but at the same time, he felt as if he missed quite a few things in his conversation with Leigh.
Once he had driven up into his garage, he turned off his truck but didn’t get out. Thinking about their conversation, Russ wondered how she did it. How can someone just let the past go when it had shaped their life for the most part? She made it sound easy, but he had spent the past six years so heartbroken and angry, he hadn’t even been able to hear Leigh’s name without snapping someone up. He hadn’t dated or been with any woman since her; having lost all trust for females; At least in that area.
And Leigh. She had been run from town to avoid the embarrassment he’d caused her. In his anger, he’d cropped the incriminating picture of her with Bill to make it decent enough for others to see and photocopied it so everyone, who’d been invited to the wedding, got one. An action that he had regretted almost immediately. Even though she’d cheated on him, she didn’t deserve everyone turning on her, but they had. Everyone in Pine Grove spoke trash about her. At first, they had even shunned Mary Leigh, but he and his parents had put a stop to that.
How could she just act as if it hadn’t happened? Especially now that she was being turned away everywhere she went. What was he going to do if he found out that the situation had never been as it seemed?
*****
Leigh caught sight of her mother standing in the doorway to the basement just beyond the kitchen. “Can we talk for a moment before you head up?” her mother asked before she could take a step.
They settled down on the bottom stairs as they had done when Leigh lived at home before.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I was coming back upstairs from doing a load of laundry, and I caught part of your conversation with Russ.” her mother started. She seemed to struggle a bit with what she wanted to say, so Leigh waited and watched as her mom fidgeted; which was very unusual for her. “Your father and I told you, when you got old enough to go places on your own, that you would have to make your own decisions, but you’d have to live with the consequences if you made bad ones.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“Well honey, I have let you make your decisions, and God knows that you’ve been living with the consequences, but I have to beg you to tell Russ the truth.” she said, tears moistening her eyes. “I promised you that I would not tell anyone and that I would not interfere, and I will keep that promise, but I can’t stand to see my daughter suffer. And I have been watching you suffer for far too long. You still love him, and believe me or don’t, but I know he still loves you. Neither of you have been with anyone else in all this time. I believe God meant for you two to be together.”
Leigh shook her head before what her mom had said could take hold. “I think that if we were meant to be, then none of that stuff would have happened.”
“Baby, the Devil is a liar, and he’ll whisper in good, God-fearing people’s ears just to get them off the track that they’re supposed to be on.” She grabbed Leigh’s hand. “Russ made a mistake when he wouldn’t listen to you or talk to you about it. He made a mistake in all he did with that situation and everything since then, but you’ve made mistakes too in how you handled things. You’ll make up your own mind as I’ve always told you to. I just figured I’d get my two cents in before you did. If I’d done more back then…” She shook her head as she stood up to head on to bed. “I love you Leigh. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Leigh sat on the stairs thinking over both what her mother had said, and how her conversation went with Russell. She desperately wanted to do what was right, and needed to
Once he had driven up into his garage, he turned off his truck but didn’t get out. Thinking about their conversation, Russ wondered how she did it. How can someone just let the past go when it had shaped their life for the most part? She made it sound easy, but he had spent the past six years so heartbroken and angry, he hadn’t even been able to hear Leigh’s name without snapping someone up. He hadn’t dated or been with any woman since her; having lost all trust for females; At least in that area.
And Leigh. She had been run from town to avoid the embarrassment he’d caused her. In his anger, he’d cropped the incriminating picture of her with Bill to make it decent enough for others to see and photocopied it so everyone, who’d been invited to the wedding, got one. An action that he had regretted almost immediately. Even though she’d cheated on him, she didn’t deserve everyone turning on her, but they had. Everyone in Pine Grove spoke trash about her. At first, they had even shunned Mary Leigh, but he and his parents had put a stop to that.
How could she just act as if it hadn’t happened? Especially now that she was being turned away everywhere she went. What was he going to do if he found out that the situation had never been as it seemed?
*****
Leigh caught sight of her mother standing in the doorway to the basement just beyond the kitchen. “Can we talk for a moment before you head up?” her mother asked before she could take a step.
They settled down on the bottom stairs as they had done when Leigh lived at home before.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I was coming back upstairs from doing a load of laundry, and I caught part of your conversation with Russ.” her mother started. She seemed to struggle a bit with what she wanted to say, so Leigh waited and watched as her mom fidgeted; which was very unusual for her. “Your father and I told you, when you got old enough to go places on your own, that you would have to make your own decisions, but you’d have to live with the consequences if you made bad ones.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“Well honey, I have let you make your decisions, and God knows that you’ve been living with the consequences, but I have to beg you to tell Russ the truth.” she said, tears moistening her eyes. “I promised you that I would not tell anyone and that I would not interfere, and I will keep that promise, but I can’t stand to see my daughter suffer. And I have been watching you suffer for far too long. You still love him, and believe me or don’t, but I know he still loves you. Neither of you have been with anyone else in all this time. I believe God meant for you two to be together.”
Leigh shook her head before what her mom had said could take hold. “I think that if we were meant to be, then none of that stuff would have happened.”
“Baby, the Devil is a liar, and he’ll whisper in good, God-fearing people’s ears just to get them off the track that they’re supposed to be on.” She grabbed Leigh’s hand. “Russ made a mistake when he wouldn’t listen to you or talk to you about it. He made a mistake in all he did with that situation and everything since then, but you’ve made mistakes too in how you handled things. You’ll make up your own mind as I’ve always told you to. I just figured I’d get my two cents in before you did. If I’d done more back then…” She shook her head as she stood up to head on to bed. “I love you Leigh. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Leigh sat on the stairs thinking over both what her mother had said, and how her conversation went with Russell. She desperately wanted to do what was right, and needed to
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