Vulnerable (10 page)

            He winced and clapped his palm across his face,
“Why did I bow?”
He shook his head, sighed and tiptoed into the next room, where for the first time, he fell asleep to the sounds of crickets chirping and sporadic snickering rather than Millie’s muffled sobs, and that was definitely something he could get used to.

            And for the first time, he didn’t feel guilty about his feelings for Millie. A new chapter in life had just started; his new life was about to begin.

The next few weeks were a dream, and it wasn’t just because Michael and Millie were dating. The day after Millie was attacked, Michael flipped on the television and turned on the news:

“
Fifty-four-year-old Max Grey was caught passed out on the railroads last night—well, early this morning—around four thirty a.m. He was awoken after officials were notified of the criminal offense inflicted upon his daughter, Millie Grey.”
Michael shifted in the red velvet chair and was tempted to go notify Millie, but decided on letting her sleep. He looked back at the straight-faced brunette woman reporting the news as if it were just another tale to be told.

“After undergoing a court hearing in the upcoming, he will most likely serve a twenty-year pension in the state penitentiary. There were many witnesses, so it will be hard for him to get—,”

“Is that about my father?” came a voice from behind. Michael turned around and saw the disconcerted face of Millie peering between him and the T.V. “Because I saw no one…”

Michael glanced at the T.V. to see if they were still talking about the incident, but they had already moved on to some fluffy story about a puppy pageant that took place the same night. He looked into Millie’s face as he got up to comfort her. It was turning more and more brown from the bruises, and had a slight yellow tint to it. Her right cheek was puffing out with her matching upper lip.

He shrugged, “Maybe you just didn’t see them.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and stared lightly rubbing them in circular patterns with his thumbs.

She shook her head, “No, I—wait…” She was obviously having some sort of inner struggle; her eyes were searching the space before her and her trembling fists were clenched together in deep desperation. Michael thought hard. She was a gold mine filled with inner struggles and conflicting thoughts, and he knew that he’d have to have the strength and courage to surface her struggles and tame the stormy waters plaguing her conscience, not allowing her to take part in happiness. It would be worth it to him, of course, but he needed to start preparing now. This was his first test. What to do…

“What’s up?” he asked, cringing at the casualty form the words that came spewing from his mouth.

“Nothing, I was just thinking… Hey, how about we catch something to watch later.” Her face was glowing, but he could tell that there was something boiling beneath the oceanic blue in her eyes.

“All right,” he said, “But first you have to tell me what you were thinking about.” He winked, which seemed to ease the tension he was afraid of starting, but luckily it didn’t end up becoming too tense anyway.

“Okay… I was thinking about how when my father found me… and attacked me… I wanted to scream… but no one seemed to be there…. but I didn’t scream, so how would I have possibly known if anyone was there? I don’t know… maybe if I would have screamed, none of this would have happened…”

“But then we wouldn’t have been brought together,” Michael burped up the words before thinking. He quickly added, “And your father wouldn’t soon be behind bars. We’ve been very blessed.” Michael realized after he said those last four words that they made Millie extremely happy. In turn, he became even happier himself, if that was possible.

“Yeah,” she replied gently, dimples apparent, “You’re right.”

·
       
 

            Soon, it had been a month and Michael and Millie hadn’t even realized it until they heard the doorknob of the lake house clatter and turn. “I’m ho-ome!” rang Lydia Withersworth’s voice. The two on the leather couch nearly jumped a thousand feet up and then drop down onto the carpet. It was nearly midnight and everything was thick with dense black of the shadowy night.

            “Oh, sorry,” Lydia whispered, “I’m used to Japan’s time zone. And boy, did I have a GREAT time!” Michael and Millie exchanged skeptical glances before Lydia continued with a loudly anticipated gasp, “And you two are together!” Millie and Michael didn’t realize they were cuddled so tightly, entwined in one another’s limbs due to habit and daily routine. They’d grown so close over the last few weeks that it seemed crazy to think of a time when they weren’t together, which, saying out loud, would seem crazy in and of itself.

            “I knew it!” Lydia shouted, prancing over with her hands bouncing in the air, her elbows clanking against her orientally clad hips.

            “What do you mean?” Millie asked, her eyebrows furrowed as she examined the cocky face of Lydia Withersworth gazing down upon the two of them.

            “I heard of Michael from Mr. Ketter, and—actually—
Mr.
Withersworth and I were thinking of setting the two of you up before he… passed away…” her eyes trailed off for a moment but shot back up again in an instant. She continued, “And I didn’t even realize that I had invited Michael to come and stay with
you
in the lake house until after the face. HA! I guess if God wants something to happen, He’ll find a way to make it happen!”

            Millie and Michael looked at each other, studying the other’s expression closer while the same thoughts sped across both of their minds. So they were going to be set up together, but it had fallen through, but then they ended up together, anyway… And maybe if they had been set up it wouldn’t have worked out. Maybe it needed to happen naturally…

            Well, whatever the reason, it happened the way it happened for one reason or another, and it worked. They were together and blissfully content with their lives. And although they knew it wouldn’t be easy, they knew that—just like life—it would be worth the hard work and love to stick through with it all in the end. Through the hard comes the better, and through the good comes the best.

Millie and Michael exchanged experiences, laughs, and cries with Lydia on that unexpected summer’s night as Michael talked about the house he found close by and the new novel he had been inspired to work on, and how he and Millie came together at last. Through all of this, the same principle seemed to bounce into each of their minds. Sometimes we don’t know when God will send us what we need, but we do know that He will send it, and it will be better than we could have ever imagined.

- End -