Page 69 of Look for Me

“Your sanctuary is Jesus.” Martin didn’t mean to correct her, but there it was. “A person, not a place.”

“Of course. Jesus is my sanctuary. I have a lot to learn yet as a Christian.”

“We’re all learning.” Martin swallowed. “I’m learning right now that I’m dying at the thought that I can’t be with you any more.”

“That’s why I came. I knew you needed closure.”

“Closure? No.” Martin stopped walking. He faced Corinne and realized not only was she wearing a wig, she was also wearing makeup that made her look like someone else. The oversized tee-shirt with a vest on top covered her baby bump. “Are you really Corinne?”

Corinne barely nodded.

“I loved you once and I love you still. Marry me, Corinne.” He was on his knees.

“Get up get up get up.” Corinne sighed. “I should never have come.”

“No, I’m glad you did.” Martin brushed off the sand stuck on his knee caps. “Sorry, that was a knee-jerk reaction—literally.”

Corinne chuckled. Then her voice sounded more serious than before. “Both of us are Christians, right?”

“Yes.”

“Our lives belong to God. We are in Christ, our life and hope. We don’t have to worry about each other. Remember that.”

Martin nodded.

“If you must know, I never stopped loving you. Often, I wondered what it would have been like if we had married four years ago. If I hadn’t run away. If I hadn’t…”

Martin stopped her with a kiss on her lips, soft and warm—but it could be the Key Largo sunshine.

Now her lips tasted like salt…

Martin opened his eyes. Tears were flowing in rivulets down Corinne’s cheeks. “Shhhh.”

Corinne wrapped her arms around his neck and drew his head toward her.

“Finish the kiss,” she whispered through her sobs.

They walked a little further before Corinne spoke again. “God will keep us safe in the shadow of His wings.”

“Amen.”

“Look it up. I think it’s mentioned in both Psalm 57:1 and Psalm 17:18.”

“Right now?” Martin didn’t want to let go of her hand.

“Uh-huh. God’s Word cleanses our soul.”

Reluctantly, Martin let go of Corinne’s hand. He dug for his phone and started swiping. Looked for his Bible app. “What were the verses again?”

No answer.

He lifted his head.

He was standing alone.

Around him, families and other beachgoers were either packing up or already walking toward the stairs leading to their vehicles or hotels, driven away by the hot sun.

He didn’t see Corinne anywhere.

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