October Joy (Moments In Paradise 1) by Melanie Wilber

counseled grieving people many times, but this affected his heart differently.
    If they hadn’t been standing along the street, he would have been content to stand there and hold her for as long as she needed, but knowing someone from the conference may see her crying in another man’s arms, he gently led her to the end of the block and onto the street that bordered the church parking lot.
    “I miss him so much,” she said, continuing to sob like she didn’t have the ability to stop.  He didn’t know what to say, so he remained silent.  For whatever reason she hadn’t been able to be this honest with anyone about how difficult not having Levi was, and he had no doubt trying to calm her down and not take her pain seriously would absolutely crush her at this point.  She needed someone, and apparently he had been nominated for the job--by her and by Jesus, he felt certain, regardless of the fact he had only met her yesterday.
    It was dusk and getting cold out.  The wind had picked up and was blowing the fall leaves off the landscaped trees lining the parking lot.  She had on a short-sleeved dress, and he felt it was necessary to get her warm, so he walked them into the parking area of the church where he’d left the car.
    She was still crying and seemed oblivious to where they were.  He got her inside and started the car to turn on the heater, but it was warmer in the car than it had been outside.  Taking his jacket from the back seat, he offered it to her, and she put it around her shoulders.
    She continued to cry, and he let her, but he was worried about her.  This seemed to be beyond normal grieving.  When several minutes went by and she hadn’t stopped, he offered to get Linda for her.
    “No,” she said in no uncertain terms.  “Please don’t, Andrew.  Please?”
    “Okay,” he assured her, not certain what that was about, but he had an idea.  Linda was sweet, but she could be insensitive in her comments at times.
    “Is there anyone else?  I’ll go find whoever you need, Sarah.”
    As he spoke the words, he heard Jesus telling him, She needs you, Andrew . That’s why you’re here.
    Sarah’s words confirmed that.  “I don’t know anyone here, not really.  Levi was my best friend, Andrew.  I can’t--I don’t know how--I’m sorry, Andrew.  I’m so sorry.  This isn’t like me.  I’m not--”  She couldn’t finish and continued to cry.
    He considered his next words prayerfully before he spoke them.  “Would you like to go back to the hotel and lie down, Sarah?  I’ll stay with you, and you can talk to me all you want.”
    She didn’t respond, but she didn’t have to.  Without saying anything else, he pulled the car out of the space and headed for the hotel.  Neither of them spoke, and Andrew prayed the whole way there.  He knew she needed more than a little hand-holding and nice-sounding words, but he also knew giving her more would place them in a vulnerable position with one another, and he needed to be someone she could trust implicitly.  And with some of the thoughts he’d been having about Sarah since last night, Jesus was the only one who could make him completely trustworthy right now.
    He took her up to her room when they reached the hotel, and he didn’t ask if he could go in because he knew she would probably say she was fine now and he could go, but he knew she wasn’t.  Several weeks of pain and loneliness had surfaced in her tonight, and he knew she couldn’t be left alone.
    He turned on the light and became business-like for the next minute or so, turning down the bed and having her remove her shoes, taking his jacket from her and telling her to lie down.  She obeyed like a distraught woman who had been horribly abused, not looking at him and remaining perfectly silent.  Her tears had stopped, but the fear and pain was still there.
    He knew she wasn’t afraid of him though.  She was afraid of life.  Life without Levi.  She couldn’t bear it.  She