Page 57 of Wish You Faith

Evan’s timing was off. Today he’d texted her when Rosie was busy in the greenhouse. Wearing gardening gloves covered with soil, she was unable to reach for her phone.

She didn’t get to his message until three o’clock in the afternoon when she finally made it back to her office. It was lunch time in Seattle. Evan had left her a short message. He’d described his morning as mundane. He missed her too, and that made Rosie feel a little bit better that it was two-sided.

When the phone rang, Rosie immediately picked it up, thinking it was Evan.

Nope. It was Roger Patel of the Savannah Senior Living Resort on Tybee Island.

“Good afternoon, Dr. Patel.” Rosie realized it must be pretty serious for Roger to call her himself. Usually matters of SSLR applications were relegated to his assistant.

“Your mom is the new recipient of our Honor Scholarship,” Roger said.

“Wow! For real?” Rosie nearly jumped out of her tattered office chair. “I thought you already announced the winner back in October.”

The Honor Scholarship was SSLR’s own. They managed it with funds contributed by private individuals, some of whom remained anonymous, and local businesses who wanted to give directly to the retirement community. Sometimes they earmarked recipients. Sometimes they let SSLR pick the best candidate from the waiting list. Every October, five finalists were selected, and one would win a full scholarship to move to SSLR for the rest of their lives. Mom did not win.

“As you know, the Honor Scholarship is quite competitive,” Roger continued. “However, last week we received new donations. The anonymous donor wants to give scholarships to the remaining finalists who didn’t win in October. Since your mom was in the top five, she is now also a recipient.”

“Bless the donor.”

“The lawyer who called me last week told me that his client was impressed that the Honor Scholarship is based on Ephesians 6:2.”

Rosie knew the verse by heart. Read it as a child. Memorized it somewhere along the way. Taught it to her third-grade Sunday school class every year.

“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise.

Rosie quickly thanked God for providing the scholarship. She wanted to say it was unexpected, but then in her life as a Christian, she had learned not to underestimate God.

“Tell me more about what Mom is receiving, please.” Rosie’s brain clicked into gear. If there wasn’t enough scholarship, there was still some life insurance money from Dad. She had decided that if she had to sell their family home, she would. Mom might oppose it. If she was totally against it, then Rosie would have to find another job that pays more than being a manager at the tree farm.

“Yes, I forgot to say. It’s a full scholarship.”

“Whoa. A full scholarship. Give me a second to process it.”Thank You, Lord.

“I know you and your mom have been waiting for this.”

“Yes, we have.” Rosie sniffled. “So this full scholarship… Is it for a year or something?”

“For two years each person.”

“No way. For real?” Did people really have that much money to donate to charity? Rosie’s small piggy bank could not comprehend.

“Yes. No penalty for early cancellation.”

The last sentence caught Rosie. If Mom died while she lived at SSLR, there would be no penalty. Rosie didn’t want Mom’s cancer to return, but she must prepare for all possible eventualities. The fact that she had to think about it made Rosie sag into her chair. She wanted to just cry and let someone else handle Mom’s situation, but she couldn’t. She was the only child and Mom’s only guardian.

Would Mom live for two years or more?

That would be up to God.

Rosie steeled herself. No worrying about things that God had prerogative on. Her job now was to do her best while Mom was still alive on earth.

“There’s a catch,” Roger said.

“Tell me.”

“Your mom can start coming over here for the daily activities, but we still have no room at the inn. She’s still on the waiting list for either an apartment here or the new ones across the street.”

“I understand. What happens when the apartment is ready, say in a year?” Rosie asked. “She would have used up a part of her scholarship money.”

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