Homefires (77 page)

“It was a lovely service, wasn’t it?” I turned to watch the wind ruffle Kirk’s near-white hair, adoring every inch of his slightly sagging features. Time has not been too unkind to him. He’s still as good-looking to me as he was nearly forty years ago.

“It was,” he agreed, giving me that slow smile that still shoots a thrill out my fingers and toes. “It was hard – but I’m glad we did it.”

He reached and took my hand. “Janeece,” he paused and cleared his throat.

My breath hitched at the tone in his voice, the
get ready for an important announcement
one. I leaned toward him, keening for what was to come.

“Gene asked me to consider assuming an assistant-pastoral position in his church.”

I stared at him, my mouth dropping open.
Déjà vu.

Full circle.

“What do you think?” he asked uncertainly.

“It’s been a long time,” I muttered, emotions churning, flapping,
yeowling.

He gave a long ragged sigh. “Too long.” Then after long moments, he added, “but I won’t do it if you’d rather I not.”

In that heartbeat, I knew the depth of Kirk Crenshaw’s love for me. I’d seen the lost, tormented look on his face through the years since he’d vacated the pulpit. I’d known –
felt
his desolation, his remorse in the wee dark hours. Now, a door opened up, casting sunshine over his world again.

And he’d give it up for me.

“I say go for it.”
Heck! Why not?
What could happen that hadn’t already happened?

I rolled my gaze upward. Oh,
Lord – pretend I didn’t ask that.

He crooked his neck and slanted me a dubious look. “Really?”

“Really.” I gave him the most blazing, dazzling smile in me. And in that heartbeat of time, I let it go. All the hurts and disappointment, all the betrayals. I simply – turned loose. Like those released helium-filled balloons tied together, it disappeared into infinity. As far as the East from the West. And I felt the incomparable buoyancy and freedom that comes with forgiveness.

To forgive is – truly – divine.

Slowly, his lips began to curve up at the corners and his eyes shimmered with joy and peace and love – with gratitude.

“I love you, Neecy.”

“I love you, too,” I said, then burst into laughter. “Know what Toby said to me at the cemetery today – after everything was over?”

“What?”

“He said, ‘thanks Mama, for you and Daddy holding our home together for us. And you, Mom –
you
kept the homefires burning. I’ve seen how JoEllen suffered through her parents’ divorce andI – I really appreciate my parents staying together.” I looked at Kirk. “That’s what he said. And you know what?”

“What?”

“I’m glad, too.”

He smiled at me, his eyes moist, his voice husky, “There was never a moment I could have let you go. Never, Neecy.”

I sighed and laid my head on his shoulder. Was it true? God only knows. What I do know is that nothing or nobody was able to destroy our love.

And after all, that’s the important thing.

Dear Reader,

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey with Janeece and Kirk Crenshaw. Such enduring love as theirs is rare and to be treasured. I know you will miss the colorful characters you met along the way because I sure did hate to leave them when I finished writing the book.

In my next novella,
Space
, you will meet equally lovable, vulnerable characters in the Stowe family. This time, the parents have their twenty-nine-year-old daughter, Faith Kenyon, living with them. The once beautiful, “miracle child,”is a now a haggard, difficult, recovering drug addict, with all the problems and baggage that comes with that territory.

Deede and Dan Stowe, nearing retirement age, have worked and saved all throughout their marriage in order to enjoy unencumbered their well-deserved “golden years.” But with Faith’s constant presence, cloying neediness, and endless crisis, Deede and Dan find all their dreams of peace, a comfortable retirement, and togetherness stolen.

Faith not only is recovering from addictions but she has related criminal charges coming up, which require more financial assistance from the already fund-strapped family. Dan grows increasingly angry, resenting that he has become the sole supporter of this brilliant woman who has lost everything to her addiction habit, including husband and child. He also resents being forced into the role of “enabler.” He hates that his home is no longer his haven. He wants his space back.

At the same time, the mother sees Faith differently. She knows all Faith’s faults and failures but she feels there is still hope for a turnaround in their child’s life. But her heart, too, cries out for her own space and sometimes she wonders if she can hang in there much longer.

Thus, the parents’ opposing views reap dissension on the home front. It brews from day to day, tearing away at the foundation of their peace, security and marriage.

Faith feels the tension, too, and knows her father wants her gone but where can she go? There’s nowhere to turn. Is there a place for her anywhere?

All three family members grope and yearn for that much needed breathing space that each can call their own. And the
parents ponder, is there ever a time when one gives up on a wayward adult child? Is one ever justified in handing that once precious child over to be locked in prison?

The emotions here are too complex for a simple solution. Can love, faith, and forgiveness heal this family’s dilemma?

 

Enjoy!

Emily Sue Harvey

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.

 

The Story Plant
The Aronica-Miller Publishing Project, LLC
P.O. Box 4331
Stamford, CT 06907

Copyright © 2011 by Emily Sue Harvey

 

 

eISBN : 978-1-611-88010-6

 

Visit our website at
www.thestoryplant.com

 

All rights reserved, which includes the right to reproduce this
book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever except as
provided by US Copyright Law.
For information, address The Story Plant.

 

First Story Plant Printing: June 2011