Facing Redemption (42 page)

Chapter 60

             
“We’re home.”  Chastity sighed and set her overnight bag on the porch.  Timothy grabbed both suitcases from the taxi and paid the driver.  She dug for her keys to the front door and found them at the bottom of her purse.  She’d spent enough time at Timothy’s house, that it felt like home but knowing she lived her now was unreal. 

             
“Not so fast Mrs. Banks.”  Timothy set the bags on the porch and reached for her.  “It’s my duty to carry you across first.”

             
“Well I have to unlock it!”  She laughed and turned the key.

Timothy lifted her light frame and carried her across the threshold of their home. 

“Welcome home Mrs. Banks.”  Timothy proudly carried her to the couch.  “Can you believe it?”  He grinned down at her.

             
Chastity sighed as she let herself be set down.  “Yes and no. What I can’t believe is that we have this whole house to ourselves. I live here now!”  She squealed with delight.

             
Timothy brought the bags in and locked the door.  “I know.  I’m going to want lasagna every Thursday night you now?  And I hate mayo on my grilled cheese sandwiches.”  Timothy teased.  “You know – just thought I’d start with your wifely duties.”

             
Chastity laughed hard.  “Okay Mr. Man.  Well I expect a pedicure every Sunday evening and I’ll need a hammock for the back patio.”  She raised her hands up to Timothy.  “And you’ll need to help me up each time I’m sitting on this couch…it swallows you whole!”  She laughed.  “I’m serious about that last part.  I never can get off this thing.”

             
Timothy pulled her up into his arms.  “It’s pretty big, and the perfect size for …” He dipped his head and nuzzled her neck. 

             
Chastity heard her phone ding and pulled back.  “Another time maybe?  I have a feeling it’s Uncle Jesse.  At the least, I need to is to respond to let him know we arrived safely.”

             
“I’ll go unpack my bag and let you sort it out with your uncle.”  He grabbed both their bags and walked down the hall. 

Chastity dug through her purse for her iPhone.  “I’ll be there in a sec to unpack mine too.”  She called down the hall.

             
Chastity lifted her phone, without a clue that what she was about to read would change her life faster than expected.

             
Wanted you to know we’re leaving on an immediate flight.  John’s wife is in surgery.  It sounds serious.  Think baby is okay – not sure about Andie.  I’ll keep you posted.  Know you’re welcome but not expected.

             
“Um Timothy?  Can you come here?”  Chastity sank back down into the couch. 
             
“On my way.”  Timothy poked his head in the living room.  “What’s up?”

Chastity sat with her head hung, and arm extended with phone in hand.  “Read it and tell me what to do.”  Chastity cared more than she’d like to admit, but couldn’t make up her mind on how to handle this new information she was given.

He quickly crossed the room and took the phone.  She watched him read the text and hoped he’d have input on what she should do.  He lifted an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders before handing her back the phone.

“What do you think?”  Chastity scrunched up her nose and looked to him for assurance.

Timothy leaned on the bar, which separated the kitchen and the living room.  He gave himself enough distance in case what came next would cause him bodily harm.  He crossed his arms and put on as stern of a face as he could muster.

“I think you leave the bastard alone and let him suffer.  That’s his problem not yours.”  He said gruffly.  Timothy had never played devil’s advocate before with her, not with such a serious subject matter, but it was a tactic he used to practice often when he had his law practice.  He found it helped prep his defendants when preparing for cross-examination.  His method, with Chastity, was to throw the extreme at her and let her own sensibilities take over. 

“What?  Are you serious?” Chastity was taken back. 

“Dead serious.  He’s not your family.  Why worry about him?” 

“No, he’s not but he’s a part of me whether I like it or not!”  Chastity’s stress level rose.  She was defending her father and she couldn’t believe her own ears.  “And … and his daughter is my s-sister!” 

Chastity got up and paced the floor.  She re-read the text again before coming to a stop in front of Timothy. 

“You’re supposed to help me figure this out!”  Chastity half begged and half yelled.  “I can’t desert Uncle Jesse or my new sister!  I want to know her.  I told you that on the plane.  You said you’d support me!”  By the end of her speech, Chastity was strictly yelling. 

Timothy smiled and pulled her to him.  “I think you know the answer now, don’t you?  You didn’t need to know what I thought.  You only needed to figure it out for yourself.” 

Chastity pushed at his chest.  “You jerk.”  She said as she wiped a tear from her face.  “You were playing me!” 

“No, I would never do that.”  He said softly.  “I was only helping you figure out what you thought.”

“Well, you know what I think?”  She sighed and leaned into him.

“What?”
             
“I think we’re getting on another flight.”  She groaned, and then texted her uncle saying they would be there as soon as they could get a flight.  Jesse told her to head straight to Sundance Airport, a smaller charter airport.  He told her he’d have a flight waiting for them to bring them to Virginia.  He texted Chastity with the hospital info and told her he’d send a taxi for her.

             
Chastity and Timothy quickly re-packed a smaller bag, in case they stayed overnight and ran out to Timothy’s car.  She didn’t think she’d be making this journey so soon, and was sure she was 100% unprepared for what was about to happen. 

God help me!
She prayed and grabbed her husband’s hand as he drove to the airport.  She was getting ready to board an airplane and after they landed, walk into having a relationship with her dad.  She felt like she was going to jump out of her skin.

Chastity didn’t say much for the entire three hours it took to fly to Virginia. When Timothy reached to help her down the steps of the small jet, her hand felt clammy and cold.

             
“You okay?”  He lifted her chin to get a clear look into her eyes.  “You don’t have to do this.  We can get right back on the plane and fly home.”

             
She shook her head.  “Don’t tempt me.  I really want to run as far away as I can right now.” 
One step at a time – you can do this girl.
  She told herself and closed her eyes tight.

             
The taxi pulled up outside the gate and waited for the two to cross the landing strip.  Chastity opened her eyes, and grabbed her backpack. She gave Timothy a reassured look and boldly took a step forward.  She reached for his hand and gave him a smile that barely tugged at the corners of her mouth.

             
He knew he married a brave woman, but never understood the depths of that term until today.  He dutifully followed his wife and entered the taxi.

Chapter 61

The two walked hand in hand until they reached the main doors of the emergency room entrance. Timothy walked to her pace and stopped after she paused at the doors.  Once they entered those doors, there was no turning back.

             
“I can’t do this.”  She muttered.  “I don’t think I can do this.”

             
“Chastity we can turn back right now.  Just say the word.  But also know the ramifications of your decision.  If something were to happen to his wife,” Timothy started in referring to Andie. “… and you weren’t here, you might regret it later.”

             
Chastity nodded with intent and took a deep breath.  “You’re right.  We’ve come too far now to turn back.”  She placed her hand on the door and pulled hard.  Timothy came around behind her to open it and allow her room to enter.

             
Jesse saw them walk in, holding hands.  They looked miserable, but he was so happy to see them.  He jumped up from his chair and walked over to greet Chastity with a hug.

             
“I’m so happy to see you.”  He smiled down at his niece.  “You didn’t have to come.”  Lauri walked up behind them and opened her arms for the next hug. 

             
“Is he here?”  Her eyes scanned the room and didn’t see anyone she may know.

             
Lauri shook her head.  “No honey.  He’s in the chapel praying.  Andie’s parents are on their way.  And Andie is in ICU … we’re just waiting at this point.”

             
Chastity, fully aware of her uncle’s history of losing his own mother, reached for Jesse’s hands.  “How are you doing right now?  This must be like a punch in the stomach for you.”

Timothy’s heart ached for his wife.  He was amazed at her tender heart.  Here she was dreading this moment with all the anxiety her mind and body could produce, and she was concerned for her uncle.  He laid his hands on her shoulders and squeezed them gently.

“I’m okay sweetie.  It’s Andie I’m worried about now.  It apparently started with blurred vision and a nosebleed…and then she started feeling sick.  John rushed her here, and they took the baby by C-section.”

“Is she okay?”  She asked nervously.

“The baby’s stable and healthy.  Lauri just got back from checking on her.”  Timothy looked to his wife to fill in the blanks about his newest niece.

“She’s got good color and she’s beautiful.  Do you want to go see her?”  Lauri offered.

“There’s nothing I’d love more, but…” Chastity looked up to Timothy.  “I’ve got to go see John first.”

Timothy squeezed her hand and kissed her on the cheek.  “You going to be okay?” 

“Yeah.  This is something I can’t avoid anymore.  My family is in trouble and I’m needed whether I like it or not.”  Chastity bit her lip.

Timothy pulled her to the side, while Jesse and Lauri stepped away to give them privacy.

“Remember.  You’ve done your duty.  You showed up.  You don’t have to be here to follow through with the rest.” 

“Yes, I do.  It’s the least I can do … if only for Jesse.”

“So you’re okay that he didn’t tell us about John’s financing our honeymoon?” He reminded her.

“I’m not sure.  I know he’s always been up front with me before but I think he was caught in the middle on this one and wasn’t sure what to do. I’m not going to hold that against him.”

“Man, you’re forgiving.”

Chastity smiled with a small realization that some of those church sermons had been wearing off after all.  “Well isn’t that what we’re supposed to do?  Forgive?  Like Pastor Carter says – how can we fully accept Christ’s forgiveness if we can’t extend it to those around us?”

Timothy frowned. “You think that includes John too?”

“I guess it has too. And in some part I think I’ve started that journey or we wouldn’t be here, would we?”

“Yes.  And I’m so proud of you.”  Again his heart swelled.  “I’m so lucky to have you.”  

Chastity bit her bottom lip and held back the tears.  “I’m the lucky one.”  She kissed him softly, dropped his hands, and walked back over to her uncle and aunt. She knew what she had to do.

“Where is the chapel?”  She asked softly.

Jesse couldn’t believe his ears.  In response, all he could do was point the way toward the hallway that led to the chapel.  Timothy quickly grabbed her hands, and looked to her with questioning eyes.  Chastity shook her head in return.  She had to do this alone.

Jesse reached for her before she left.  His eyes held so much regret.  “Chastity?  I need to tell you something.  I did something inadvertently and I need you to know…”

“It’s okay.”  She reassured him.  “Let’s not worry about that now.”