Until Forever (Women of Prayer) (22 page)

They all headed outside toward the truck. Mark explained their plans. “We are going to head into Janesville for the night, and then we’ll be moving into the house tomorrow. Neither one of us has the energy to unload the truck tonight. I’ll give you a call once we get everything done, okay?” He bent down to give Olivia a kiss and hug.

Olivia didn’t want to let go of his neck. “You’ll call me tomorrow, right, Daddy?”

“Yes, I’ll call you tomorrow. I promise.” Mark pried her arms off his neck by tickling her onto the ground. “I’ll talk with you tomorrow.” Mark nodded to Jessi before joining Julia in the truck.

They had a lot to do tomorrow before they could return the truck. Julia needed to find a car so they would have some sort of transportation. The utilities should be turned on in the house they had rented, but there would be groceries to get and the house to clean before anything could be put away.

Julia glanced at her brother while she was driving. “I’m very proud of you, Mark. I think that this is the single most unselfish thing you have ever done in your entire life. You must love that little girl a whole lot.”

Mark continued looking straight ahead. “Not just her, sis; I still love my wife too.” Mark looked to his sister to gauge her reaction. She remained expressionless.

“I figured that much. She’s a good woman, Mark, but she’s been hurt a lot. You’ll have to give her plenty of time to warm up to you if you are to have a ghost of a chance at winning her back. I’m not sure I approve, only because I’m not sure that she will ever be able to completely forgive you for your part in Ethan’s death, and I don’t want that to be an issue hanging over your head for the rest of your life. It would be hard for any marriage to survive such a devastating trauma, let alone one with your set of circumstances.” Julia realized she’d been talking too much; running off at the mouth without thinking or praying was sometimes a major failing in her life. “I’m sorry, Mark. I didn’t mean to sound so negative. I just don’t want to see you hurt anymore. You’re my brother, and I love you. I care about what happens to you. I will pray about the situation, okay. God is in control. Always has been and always will be. Someday I’ll remember that.” Julia offered her brother an apologetic smile before turning back to the road.

Chapter 25

Julia looked at her snoring brother. They had decided to share a room during the trip to save on money. It worked out pretty well. It was still early, but if they were going to get everything done that they needed to, they’d have to get an early start.

“Mark, time to get up. We have to get going.”

Mark opened one eye and scrunched his face. “What time is it?”

“It’s six thirty. You’ve been sleeping for a full eight hours. Besides, we have a lot to do today. Come on; you can sleep in tomorrow.”

“Do I have to?”

Julia raised her eyebrows and didn’t say a word.

“Okay, I’m getting up. You don’t have to go all big sister on me here.”

He rolled out of bed and headed to the bathroom. He would have to take another shower to wake up, albeit a quick one. He muttered, “Be right back,” before the bathroom door shut behind him.

Julia took the time to finish getting herself ready for the day. Today was the first day in the past few that she actually felt human. She had gotten a good night’s rest and was looking forward to seeing the house they would be living in until she found a house to buy; not only that, but she had to car shop today. The truck should be returned today if possible, and that would mean finding and purchasing a vehicle today—a big job, to be sure. It was another ten minutes before Mark came out of the bathroom. “I thought you might have fallen in.”

“Funny, sis. At least I’m alive now. So, what’s the plan? I hope we get to start with breakfast and coffee.”

Yes, breakfast will do us good. We’ve got a lot to do today. First, let’s go check out the house. I’ve only looked at the pictures the rental agency sent me. He did mention the fact that it was for rent with option to buy. Who knows, maybe I’ll love it and want to buy it. We can unload the U-Haul and then come back into town for lunch and to visit the dealerships. We’ll return the truck then pick up the new car. If it all works out, we should be set.”

After a light breakfast from the hotel breakfast bar, they headed to their new home. The house was in a quiet, older, residential area in Milton. It was too far to walk to Jessi’s, and they didn’t have a bussing system in Milton. He would have to apply for his license. He was sure they would make him use the ignition interlock device, but if it meant he would be able to drive, it would be worth it. It would also make it possible for him to work outside of Milton. He was getting the idea that if he wanted a job, he would have to look outside of the small town in which he was now living. There wasn’t much to be had in a town this size.

Julia followed Mark’s directions and went into Milton following Highway Twenty-six. After a series of turns they pulled into the driveway of a two-story white house with a lovely front porch. It even had a porch swing. Someone had lovingly tended the front yard, for there were still flowers and other plants growing along the walk and the front of the house. The paint on the house was peeling a bit, so that would take some work if she were to buy the place. They walked up the front steps and used the key that the rental agency had sent her. The front door was a full beveled glass pane surrounded by natural wood. So far so good.

They entered the house and were surprised by its loveliness. It would need a few updates, but overall the place was in good condition. The original woodwork was still intact, and under the carpet were hardwood floors. With a little elbow grease they would be beautiful. The living room ran the entire length of the front of the house. Behind it were the dining room and the kitchen. The kitchen was a bit smaller than she was used to, but with a few minor changes she wouldn’t notice the difference. There was a room in the back of the house that would be perfect for an office and a half bath. Upstairs there were three bedrooms and a full bathroom. After touring the upstairs, she and Mark headed to the basement. She didn’t have a basement in Oklahoma; most people didn’t. This was new to her. Her laundry hookups were downstairs, along with a storage area and a craft or hobby room. The house had a one-car detached garage, and the backyard was fenced in. It had lots of charm and warmth. She attributed that to the natural wood. Quaint, that’s what it was. Her previous home had been a ranch. She fell in love with the uniqueness of this home. If her new rental was given a good report card by a professional inspector, she might just go ahead and buy the place. By the time that happened, she’d know more about the neighborhood and the town.

Mark recognized the look on his sister’s face. She was already planning. He could tell by the way she was looking around and muttering to herself. “Well, what do you think?”

“It definitely has potential. Well, I guess it’s time to get to work if we’re going to get it done. At least we don’t have any big stuff except the beds. We’ll have to be on the lookout for a used furniture shop. I bet Jessi knows right where to shop.”

They headed outside and spent the next two hours unloading boxes. Both were winded and coated in perspiration by the time they finished. They were also extremely thirsty. Mark grabbed a couple of Cokes from the cooler they brought and handed one to Julia. “That was the easy part. Later, we have to put it all away if we’re going to be able to survive here.”

Julia looked around at all the boxes. Most were marked as to where they were going, and some had even ended up in the right room, but most were just scattered around the living room, barely leaving a pathway to get through. “We’ll start with the obvious stuff first: bathroom and then kitchen. The rest will happen. You ready to head back into town? I saw a couple of car dealerships when we were driving around. I’m thinking a broken-in SUV. What do you think?”

“I think that is a good idea. This is snow country, and it couldn’t hurt. I would also suggest looking at a General Motors product. This is a GM town, you know.”

“Good idea. Wouldn’t want to offend the locals right off the bat. Let’s get going.”

***

After test-driving several vehicles, Julia made her decision. She chose a 2005 Chevy Equinox. It was just broken in enough for her with fourteen thousand miles. As part of the sale, she talked the salesman into following her to the U-Haul rental shop so she could return the truck. After dropping the salesman off at the dealership, they got their first true taste of the SUV. “I like it. I’m going to be spoiled, though. This is nice.”

“You deserve it, sis. This will be nice to drive in the winter. It should help to keep you safe on winter roads. I’m happy for you.”

“Me too. Now let’s get some lunch; it’s almost suppertime, I suppose. You must be starved.”

“I am getting hungry. It’s nearly four o’clock. I’d say it’s a little late for lunch.”

After eating, they headed to the grocery store and got enough groceries for a couple of days. Later they could get more. When they got back, Mark dug out the phone and called Olivia. She answered on the first ring.

“Are you moved in yet?” She didn’t even wait to make sure it was him. She had already answered the phone that way three times, and each time the caller had no idea what she was talking about. This time she was right on.

“Yes, we are all moved in. Nothing is put away yet, though. We just got back from Janesville where your aunt bought a new car. Exciting, huh?”

“Brand new? I’ve never rode in a brand-new car before.”

“No, it’s not brand new, but it’s almost brand new. She is only a year old.”

“Why did you call the car a she?”

Mark didn’t realize he’d used the common endearment for cars while talking to Olivia, but it only made sense that she would call him on it. “A lot of people think of their cars as she’s. I’m not really sure why or when it started happening that way, but I guess it’s just a habit.”

“Oh, do you like your new house. I wish you were living here with me and Mommy. I’m going to have to pray harder.”

Mark didn’t want to give her false hope, but he also didn’t want her giving up. He needed her on his side praying alongside him. She gave him the strength to believe this was all part of God’s plan. Time would eventually tell, but he had to stay strong in his faith and trust God no matter how long it took, or even if it wasn’t in his plans at all. “We both will pray harder. How does that sound?”

“That sounds good. Can I come over tomorrow?” Leave it to Olivia to jump from one subject to another with virtually no warning.

“Well, I don’t know. Your mom and I haven’t talked about that yet. I think it would be best if you give us a day or two to get unpacked and settled. Then I’ll come over and talk with your mom about our visits, okay?”

“Do I have to wait? I haven’t seen you in so long, now I have to wait.”

Once again, Mark felt the pull of his only daughter on his heartstrings. He was going to have to get a handle on this if he had any hope of not spoiling her to death.

“Tell you what. Maybe tomorrow I will come out to visit you again. I could bring some sandwiches, and we could have a picnic outside. And after our picnic I could talk to your mom about when you can come here to our house to visit.”

“Yeah. We’re going to have a picnic, Mom. Tomorrow Daddy’s bringing a picnic.”

Jessi took the phone from Olivia. “Hi, Mark, it’s me, Jessi. What’s up?”

“Olivia asked me if she could come here tomorrow, and I countered her offer with me coming over to your place instead. Maybe afterward we could sit down and talk about visitation now that I’m here.”

“I think that would be wise. What time are you coming?”

“How does noon sound? Or would evening be better? It really doesn’t matter.”

“Well, Olivia and I were supposed to go over to her school around eleven to meet with her kindergarten teacher. Then I was going to take her school shopping. With everything else we haven’t gotten to the school shopping yet, so how about evening? I think that would be best.”