Scraps of Love by Rhonda Gibson

o’clock. The emergency room had taken forever to
finish treating Cassie. What must Colleen think? He hurried into the house and
found her asleep on the couch.
         He stood for several long
moments just staring down at her sleeping face. Should he let her sleep? Wake
her up? Or just continue to stare at her? If he let her sleep, would her
reputation be ruined by those who might see her leave in the morning? The
questions buzzed around his tired mind.
         Adam moved to the closet at
the end of the hall and pulled out a soft quilt. Made with flannel on one side
and a cotton print on the other, comfortable was the only way to describe it.
He smiled as he carried the colorful wedding ring quilt back to the living
room.
         Jenny stuck her head out of
her door. She whispered, “Is Colleen spending the night?”
         Adam walked back to her. “How
are you feeling?”
         “Much better.”
         “Good. I’m sorry I took so
long. Cassie needed me to do something for her tonight, and it took longer than
we’d planned.” He glanced over his shoulder and down the hall. “Do you think I
should wake Colleen or let her stay the rest of the night?”
         He felt his little sister
studying his profile. Adam turned his attention back to Jenny. The tilt of her
head and the glow in her eyes made him realize he’d never asked her advice
before. Why hadn’t he? She was old enough to make some decisions. He decided he
must be more tired than he’d first thought.
         “Let her stay.” Jenny smiled
and turned back into her bedroom. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
         Adam stuck his head in the
door. “Jenny, I have to go to work early tomorrow. I’ll probably be gone before
you or Colleen wake up.”
         She yawned. “I’ll set my alarm
for six. That should give us both time to get up and get going, don’t ya
think?” Jenny reached for the clock beside her bed.
         That should be plenty of time.
Night.”
         He went to Colleen. She lay in
the same position she’s been in earlier. Adam spread the quilt over her and
returned to his bedroom.
         Adam set the alarm clock for
four-thirty. He’d only get an hour of sleep, but by leaving early, he’d avoid
being seen in the early morning hours with Colleen. He lay down across his bed,
and right before he went to sleep, he heard the door open and close.
         Adam pulled himself up and
went to the living room. Colleen was gone. The quilt lay neatly folded on the
couch. The sound of her car starting filled the night air. Adam looked out the
window and watched her drive away. He returned to his bedroom. Just as sleep
overtook him, Adam decided he could see himself married to Colleen. She would
be a good wife, and he knew she loved God.
         When had thoughts of marriage
entered his mind? Was this something God was bringing to his attention?
     

Chapter 9
     
         Two weeks later, Colleen
marveled at the difference in her baking skills. Thanks to Jenny’s lessons,
Colleen could now make several different types of pastries. She and Jenny had
fallen into the habit of making dinner for all three of them. While the meal
cooked, they worked on their scrapbooks, adding this item and taking away that
one. Adam usually arrived in time to eat with them.
         Colleen suspected he had
decided to spend this time restoring the bond between himself and Jenny. She
could see the two of them growing closer every day. After dinner, Adam and
Jenny looked over photos and reminisced about their childhoods.
         Inevitably, Colleen sank
deeper into loneliness. Her own pictures brought back memories as well. She
missed her mother and Grammy Leah. At times, she longed to see them, talk to
them, pour out her heart, then cry on their shoulders offered with sympathy and
caring.
         Another problem that snipped
away at her conscience was the fact that Adam was seeing Cassie. Colleen had
seen them several times