Sophie's Heart (63 page)

I would settle for heaven,
she told Him,
but I wish it could be here. Please show me the way, Lord. Maybe I should make a trip there if she won’t come here, but please show me the way.
And Sophie left it at that. She was never anxious over the matter, but trusted, believing with all of her heart that God would come through and give her the strength to handle whatever His answer might be.

Fifty-Four

W
ell, Sophie, come in,” Mrs. Kent bid her renter, and Sophie slipped into the house from the backyard and followed her through the kitchen to the living room.

“How are you, Mrs. Kent?”

“Well, now that I’m back on this foot again, I’m better. Got to my nerves, having to hobble like that.”

“I am so glad you are better, Mrs. Kent,” Sophie told her kindly and sat in the chair she always took.

“What have you got?” Mrs. Kent had also sat down and now eyed the tin in Sophie’s hands.

“Muffins.” Sophie held up the container. “Pumpkin Cranberry. The combination sounds different, but they are my favorite, and I think you will like them.” Sophie then placed the tin on the coffee table and sat back.

“The cold weather’s headed in,” Mrs. Kent told Sophie.

Sophie smiled. “I have all my warm clothes spread out in the living room. I had them bagged up, and now I’m giving them air.”

“I need to get mine out,” the older woman agreed.

“Could I help you?” Sophie offered, and as usual, Mrs. Kent looked surprised.

“Oh, go on with you. You don’t want to do that.”

“I do, Mrs. Kent. I have an hour before Alec is coming. I would like to, really.”

“Your boyfriend’s a nice one,” Mrs. Kent commented as she led the way to a back bedroom. “You two gonna have any kids?”

Sophie answered her landlady’s back. “We’re not married, Mrs. Kent.”

The woman stopped with her hand on the bedroom door. “That doesn’t stop young people nowadays.”

“It stops me,” Sophie told her gently.

Mrs. Kent eyed her. “Is it because of your religion?”

“No, it’s because the Bible says it is wrong, Mrs. Kent, and I want to do things God’s way.”

“That’s the same as religion.”

Sophie shook her head. “I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, Mrs. Kent. I do not call that a religion. I have hope for tomorrow and peace about life after death. It is more than a religious practice. It is a way of life.”

Again she found herself under scrutiny. “Well, you’re the first I could stomach. My aunt feels like you do, and I can’t stand the way she preaches. She doesn’t live it, only talks it, and I hate that.”

Sophie had no idea how to answer, so she stood mute until Mrs. Kent led the way into the bedroom. They were taking winter clothes from the closet when Mr. Kent joined them. He had run to the hardware store and now came to lend a hand. Mrs. Kent tended to boss a bit, but Mr. Kent took it in stride. He winked at Sophie when his wife became very domineering and simply kept on with what he was doing. The time got away from Sophie and, when she suddenly looked at her watch, she saw she was late. Alec would be wondering where she was. Indeed, when she bid her neighbors good-bye and left the house, she met Alec as he was starting across the grass to find her.

“I am sorry, Alec. The time sped away.”

“I thought I’d been stood up.” He smiled and kissed her cheek before Sophie tucked her arm in his as they went around the house to the van.

They were headed out to dinner—just the two of them. It had been several weeks since they had had some time alone, and they knew they had to take the time when they could. They were still talking about the marriage book and discovering new things about one another every week.

“Mrs. Kent wanted to know if we were going to have any children,” Sophie spoke softly once she’d buckled her seat belt.

“Children?” Alec turned to her. “Does she think we’re married?”

“No, she just said that these days young people had children anyway.”

“Were you embarrassed?”

“A little, but I told her I thought it was wrong because it is against God’s Word. I do not know if she really understood.”

“We’ve never talked about children, Sophie. Do you hope to have your own children someday?”

“You mean, from my womb?”

“Yes.”

Sophie stared out the front windshield. “My great-grandmother was never married. My grandfather was the product of a rape, but then when he grew up and married my grandmother, there was only one child—my mother. They never took precaution, but there was still only one child. And then with my parents it was the same. They never used birth control, but only I was conceived.

“My grandmother has warned me from early on that I should not expect to be overly fertile. I guess for this reason I love children. I do not block out the truth, but neither do I dwell on the facts. I probably will never mother children of my own. I would like to, but I must accept who I am and how God made me.”

Sophie now turned back to Alec. His look was caring, but not embarrassed by all she had revealed, and her heart swelled with love.

Alec was once again amazed at her.
I would love to have children with this woman, Lord. I’m almost 40, but I would love to make love to Sophie and see her grow with our baby. Thank You that she has accepted this. Thank You that she always teaches me so much.

“I’m glad you told me, Sophie. Have you ever wrestled with it, or has it always been an established fact?”

“When I hear of people who abuse their children, I wrestle. I say to God, ‘Why can’t Sophie have a child? She would take care of her baby.’ But then God reminds me that He is better at His job than Sophie, and I must be calm.”

Alec had still not moved away from the curb. He reached for Sophie’s face, and with the backs of his fingers tenderly stroked her cheek. Sophie’s smile was loving, and Alec had to force his eyes away. He put the van into gear and pulled into traffic. It was the start of a wonderful evening.

Rita’s suggestion that the family go to Chicago seemed like years ago, but the day they planned to leave was now on top of them. Sophie looked at the clock for the tenth time, knowing that Alec and the kids would be home any moment. Everyone’s things were packed—that had been seen to the night before—and Sophie had spent the day spiffing up the house and making a dinner to be eaten on the road. The plan was to be in Chicago in time to attend a special Thanksgiving Eve service with the Rings. Sophie was looking forward to this as much as Thanksgiving itself. She had made a Jello salad, some cinnamon bread, and dozens of cookies to take along, and now all she had to do was wait. In the process, questions ran through her mind.
What was David’s family like? How many were there? Would she be sharing a room? And last of all, why hadn’t she asked anyone about this before?

Sophie felt her palms grow moist and knew she was becoming anxious. Why was she worried? She knew Janet and David; they loved her. With that thought, she laughed at herself. It was going to be a great weekend. Why would she think otherwise? Although…Something still niggled in the back of her mind. She had the sudden sense that it might be more than great. It might be life-changing. Sophie didn’t know where this thought came from or what to do with it.

The van had pulled up, and right on its bumper was Alec’s truck. What timing! Sophie smiled. It was going to be a wonderful weekend. Yes, indeed.

“Oh, Sophie,” Janet cried with delight as she put her arms around the younger woman. The women embraced for a long time before David claimed Sophie. Janet moved on, as had the others, so David was able to have a private moment with Sophie.

“How are you?”

“I am fine. How are you, David?”

“I’m doing well. Are you still putting up with that brother-in-law of mine?”

Sophie’s eyes shone. “Oh, David,” she whispered, “I like him so much.”

David’s eyes twinkled. “Well, we’re glad, Sophie,” his voice teased, “because Janet and I can see how homely he is, and we know that no one else would have him.”

Laughter bubbled out of Sophie’s throat, and Alec joined them. The men shook hands.

“Is David assassinating my character?” He had slipped his arm around Sophie’s shoulders.

“No,” David answered for her, laughter in his voice. “I was just thanking her for putting up with you since, homely as you are, no one else will.”

“We’re going to be late for the service,” Janet said as she breezed through. “Bethany, your coat is still lying in the hall.”

And with that they loaded into the vans and headed to the church where the Rings were members and regular attenders. The Rileys had not even taken time to change, but it didn’t matter. It was an informal time of praise—a service of open hearts and thanksgiving. Sophie cried through many of the testimonies as person after person went to the microphone and shared. What a year it had been! There was so much over which to give thanks.

By the end Sophie thought she was cried out, but she was wrong. Rita came to Sophie as soon as the pastor ended with prayer, tears in her lovely eyes.

“I couldn’t get up,” she whispered close to Sophie’s face. “I wanted to tell everyone how I feel, but I couldn’t, so I’m going to tell you. I thank God for you, Sophie. I thank God that you came into our lives and that you love us. That’s what I would have said, Sophie, and I wanted you to know.”

Tears spilled over as Sophie put her arms around Rita. They hugged for a long time, both crying and squeezing each other tightly.

“Oh, my Rita,” Sophie finally gasped. “You are so precious to me.”

“I love you, Sophie,” Rita said into her ear, and after a moment they stood apart to laugh at each other’s tearstained, red-nosed faces.

“Your eyes are on your cheeks,” Sophie told Rita, referring to her mascara.

Rita laughed and searched for a tissue, and then Sophie noticed Craig. He was a little ways off and, with a final hand to Rita’s arm, Sophie moved toward him.

“Do tears make you discomfort, Craig?” she asked immediately.

“Sometimes.”

“Now?”

He shook his head, and Sophie reached with gentle fingers to brush the hair from his forehead.

“I don’t want you to go away,” he told her, and Sophie looked into his eyes. “The other day, I think it was Monday, I walked out to the van with Rick. Do you remember?”

“Yes.”

“Well, he couldn’t see who was behind the wheel and asked me who it was. Before I would have said it’s our housekeeper or Sophie, but this time I said it’s my Dad’s girlfriend.” Craig laughed self-consciously. “It felt sorta funny, but then Rick asked, ‘Is she nice?’ And I said, ‘It’s Sophie, Rick, and she’s the same as she’s always been.’ And right then I thought about how true it was.” Tears came to his eyes now.

“You’ve always been nice, Sophie. You’ve always been there, just doing your job and taking care of us even when we didn’t even say thanks. I am thankful to God, Sophie, but I’m also thankful to you.”

Sophie hugged him then and stepped back, telling herself not to blubber all over him. It took an effort.

“You are so close in Sophie’s heart, Craig, and you have been for a very long time. I will not make promises I cannot keep, but as long as I am able, I will be here for you.”