couldn’t function. She had been living as an adult woman for many years, but her life had been turned upside-down three months ago, and she was suddenly ten again, but in a grown woman’s body.
***
Annika turned from the window to look at Levi. She had been so caught up in the interaction between Andrew and Sarah from the moment they had seen one another at the dinner-table to the moment where Andrew was having Sarah lie down, she had forgotten Levi was here. But Levi didn’t look at her when the picture faded out, he looked at Joshua.
“W-Who is that?” Levi asked.
“Ask Annika,” Joshua said calmly.
Levi turned to her for an explanation. Apparently Levi had forgotten the name of her husband, but she hadn’t forgotten the name of his wife.
“That’s Andrew,” she said. “He was my husband.”
Levi didn’t respond.
Annika would have been alarmed by what she saw happening between Andrew and Sarah, just as Levi appeared to be, if she didn’t know Andrew like she did, and if she didn’t know Joshua like she did either. He showed her the good stuff. This was a good thing, but she waited for Joshua to tell Levi that. It was His place, not hers.
“I-Is she going to be all right?” Levi asked, turning back to Him. “Has she been this way for three months?”
“She’s fine, Levi. It’s been difficult for her, but I’ve only allowed that so she won’t run from this. She needs Andrew, and Andrew needs her.”
Levi looked back to her then, seeming to believe Joshua, but he still looked unsettled. Annika knew the feeling. Her first year here had been rough at times. Joshua sheltered her from some of the harsh realities, but He told her what she needed to know: that Danae would heal from her mistakes; and she had seen the reality of that during the last three years. She had also seen Andrew’s brokenness at times, but she always knew Joshua was with him, and that had brought her comfort.
“Was Andrew a good husband to you, Annika?” Levi asked, his eyes glistening with tears.
Annika knew there was no need for that, and she smiled. “Yes, Levi. He was wonderful. The best. Sarah will be just fine with him. I’ll bet my South-Shore cottage on that.”
Chapter Six
Sarah was very aware Andrew was in her hotel room. She was distraught and not like her normal self at all, but she wasn’t so far gone to have lost touch with reality, and in the back of her mind were the feelings Andrew’s unexpected presence at dinner had brought. She had been thrilled to see him. It had been a horrible afternoon. She tried to act like she was fine, laughing about getting lost and the police coming to find her, but she had been so humiliated. She had never taken humiliation well. On the surface she did. Smiles and laughter would be coming from her mouth, but inside she was dying.
This hadn’t been the first time since Levi’s death she felt that way over something, but it was the first time away from home, and she had nowhere to turn. She couldn’t flee back to the hotel because it was too far to walk, and she didn’t have an excuse to leave anyway. Her saving moment had been seeing Andrew there. His gentle smile and the way he didn’t tease her about getting lost had eased some of her pain, along with his expression that seemed to indicate he had returned early for her. She felt so alone prior to his arrival, but his simple presence had dispelled that. She had a friend.
Levi had made her feel that way the first time she met him too. Her girlfriends had talked her into going to a party on campus. Parties weren’t her thing--even clean ones. She didn’t have the social finesse for it. Friends would talk her into going, making her feel like a bookworm and a prude if she didn’t. But once they were there, they would abandon her and leave her to sit alone and make occasional conversation with people she didn’t
***
Annika turned from the window to look at Levi. She had been so caught up in the interaction between Andrew and Sarah from the moment they had seen one another at the dinner-table to the moment where Andrew was having Sarah lie down, she had forgotten Levi was here. But Levi didn’t look at her when the picture faded out, he looked at Joshua.
“W-Who is that?” Levi asked.
“Ask Annika,” Joshua said calmly.
Levi turned to her for an explanation. Apparently Levi had forgotten the name of her husband, but she hadn’t forgotten the name of his wife.
“That’s Andrew,” she said. “He was my husband.”
Levi didn’t respond.
Annika would have been alarmed by what she saw happening between Andrew and Sarah, just as Levi appeared to be, if she didn’t know Andrew like she did, and if she didn’t know Joshua like she did either. He showed her the good stuff. This was a good thing, but she waited for Joshua to tell Levi that. It was His place, not hers.
“I-Is she going to be all right?” Levi asked, turning back to Him. “Has she been this way for three months?”
“She’s fine, Levi. It’s been difficult for her, but I’ve only allowed that so she won’t run from this. She needs Andrew, and Andrew needs her.”
Levi looked back to her then, seeming to believe Joshua, but he still looked unsettled. Annika knew the feeling. Her first year here had been rough at times. Joshua sheltered her from some of the harsh realities, but He told her what she needed to know: that Danae would heal from her mistakes; and she had seen the reality of that during the last three years. She had also seen Andrew’s brokenness at times, but she always knew Joshua was with him, and that had brought her comfort.
“Was Andrew a good husband to you, Annika?” Levi asked, his eyes glistening with tears.
Annika knew there was no need for that, and she smiled. “Yes, Levi. He was wonderful. The best. Sarah will be just fine with him. I’ll bet my South-Shore cottage on that.”
Chapter Six
Sarah was very aware Andrew was in her hotel room. She was distraught and not like her normal self at all, but she wasn’t so far gone to have lost touch with reality, and in the back of her mind were the feelings Andrew’s unexpected presence at dinner had brought. She had been thrilled to see him. It had been a horrible afternoon. She tried to act like she was fine, laughing about getting lost and the police coming to find her, but she had been so humiliated. She had never taken humiliation well. On the surface she did. Smiles and laughter would be coming from her mouth, but inside she was dying.
This hadn’t been the first time since Levi’s death she felt that way over something, but it was the first time away from home, and she had nowhere to turn. She couldn’t flee back to the hotel because it was too far to walk, and she didn’t have an excuse to leave anyway. Her saving moment had been seeing Andrew there. His gentle smile and the way he didn’t tease her about getting lost had eased some of her pain, along with his expression that seemed to indicate he had returned early for her. She felt so alone prior to his arrival, but his simple presence had dispelled that. She had a friend.
Levi had made her feel that way the first time she met him too. Her girlfriends had talked her into going to a party on campus. Parties weren’t her thing--even clean ones. She didn’t have the social finesse for it. Friends would talk her into going, making her feel like a bookworm and a prude if she didn’t. But once they were there, they would abandon her and leave her to sit alone and make occasional conversation with people she didn’t
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