Page 114 of Wish You Faith

“I will. Mom’s heart has softened considerably toward things of God since she met you and your mom.”

“Maybe the reason God allowed my mom to be alive is to talk to people like your mom about Christ. Sometimes no one else can do the job.”

Evan nodded. “I believe it.”

“Let’s talk some more at your house.” Rosie pointed ahead of them. “We still have to go to the grocery store before dinner.”

“How about this? Let’s change our dinner plans,” Evan suggested. “Instead of cooking at Mom’s house, let’s go out to eat. We’re celebrating great ideas.”

“We ate out last night. Is it in our budget to eat out for dinner again?” Rosie asked.

“You’re budget conscious, and that’s good. However, I also like to eat out.”

“I do too. Maybe we can find a restaurant that’s not too expensive.”

“Okay.” Evan walked alongside Rosie.

He could have walked ahead, but he didn’t, and Rosie appreciated that he kept the pace with her. Earlier, to pick her up, he had walked on the beach from Mei’s house to SSLR. Now he was walking back again.

Rosie enjoyed these walks with Evan, whether on the city sidewalks or on the beach. With Evan in town, they could also attend premarital counseling together, even though it had been slow moving for the last four months since Evan could only be in town once a month at most.

“Now things are looking brighter,” Evan said. “I’ll talk with Mom tonight and do some research. If all goes well, we can speed up our premarital counseling, and we can have our wedding soon. ASAP, didn’t I say?”

Rosie felt nervous about it. Sure, she wanted to marry Evan like yesterday, but now it was really happening. There was no doubt in her mind that Evan was the one whom God had chosen to be her husband.

“The timing is fine,” Rosie managed to say. “Because we don’t want to rush.”

“I reluctantly agree.” Evan returned to Rosie. “However, I know that we can’t marry when Christmastown is busy. I might even have to volunteer at the tree farm during Christmastime just to see you.”

Rosie laughed but she knew he’d spoken the truth. “We know that we have to either marry before or after the Christmas season.”

“The sooner, the better. Then I can enjoy Christmas with my lovely bride.”

“But we can’t rush,” Rosie reminded him. “So we leave our wedding day in God’s hands. His timing is always best.”

“I agree.” Evan gently squeezed Rosie’s hand. “God has led us this far, so may He lead us all the way.”

Rosie couldn’t help but smile at Evan’s answer. She had nothing more to add to that Christian sense.

CHAPTERTWENTY

Summer turned into fall and then winter before Evan and Rosie finally found a free Saturday on their calendar. By the end of January, all things Christmastown were over—until July, that was—and Rosie was finally ready to add another project to her busy list.

It was time for their wedding.

In lieu of gifts, Rosie and Evan asked for donations to the Hope Scholarship to help more retirees to pay for their room and board at SSLR. After the retirement resort had taken over the apartment complex across the street, they expanded the community center at the main building by moving the in-house pharmacy and doctor’s office to the apartment complex.

In this new and large community center, Mom had obtained permission to hold Rosie’s wedding because she was now on staff at SSLR as a part-time plant biologist at the greenhouse. They didn’t win the award for best greenhouse, but Chevy said it was because they hadn’t started preparing early enough. He wanted to try again the next summer.

If Rosie had her way, they’d have the wedding in the outdoor garden, but it was in the thick of January, and cold outside. The second alternative was the greenhouse, where they were this morning, getting their pre-wedding photos taken by none other than their family friend, Amy Theroux.

Amy was directing them to pose this way and that in the rose garden in front of a trellis. Standing out of the way, but watching the whole session, was Tabitha, Rosie’s matron of honor. She smiled all the time, but Rosie could sense that Tabitha had something on her mind also.

The week before the wedding, Tabitha had quarreled with her husband, Lorenzo, about their infertility. Tabitha came running to see Rosie after church, and they had a long talk and prayer. Having never been married, Rosie didn’t know how to advise Tabitha, but she recalled the lessons she had learned in the premarital counseling sessions about conflict resolution in a marriage. She shared that information with Tabitha, and encouraged her to get some counseling from Pastor Samuel Flores, who had been married over fifty years to the same wife.

Rosie’s eyes met Tabitha’s, and they both nodded to each other. Rosie wanted to say, “God will work it out. Romans 8:28.” But she was too far away to voice it. She said a quiet prayer for her.

“You okay?” Evan whispered.

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