Page 65 of Wish You Faith

Rosie’s phone played a chime. She checked her messages and was glad to hear from Evan. He wanted her to call him when she finished the tour to tell him all about it. However, he was in a meeting. Could they talk afterward?

Sure.

Rosie wondered if that was how it would be in their relationship. Two people with busy careers on separate coasts, missing each other like crazy every day, but too uncertain to make any changes.

She knew she couldn’t quit her job at Christmastown and drag Mom across the country to Seattle. Until she married, she had to prioritize Mom and her need to be near Savannah Memorial Hospital and to receive the best care at SSLR.

SSLR would be where Mom would spend her last days on earth. And Rosie was determined to make sure those days were filled with happy thoughts. After having lived a long and fruitful life, Mom deserved the rest.

Therefore, there was no way Rosie would leave Savannah at this time—not until Mom passed away.

Perhaps meeting Evan was only for this point in time. Their future together was uncertain and not promised.

I leave our future in Your hands, Lord.

The prayer emanated from the depths of her heart, and Rosie wanted to cry. She missed Evan so much.

And if all indications were right, Evan also missed her.

Not one to dwell on the why and wherefore, Rosie preferred to focus on what she could do right now, given the cards she was dealt.

Of course, You’re sovereign over all, Lord.

Yes, God was indeed sovereign over Rosie’s whirlwind relationship with Evan, over their parting and the distance between them.

Over all.

Rosie felt calmness in her heart. She prayed the same for Evan over there in Seattle, barely starting his morning at work, three hours behind Savannah.

After she said a silent “amen” to end her prayer, she found Algernon and Mom chatting about grandkids.

Grandkids?

Right now Mom had none. Rosie wondered if Mom would ever see her future grandkids. If her cancer returned, then there was no guarantee how long Mom would live without treatment. Why was Mom stubborn like that?

Therefore, whether this condo had anything to do with Evan, which Rosie would soon find out one way or another, she knew that she had to take it and accept it as divine providence.

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

Awhole morning of meetings this Friday, five days before Christmas, made Evan long for his delivery truck job. As menial as that might be, he was able to spend his workday with Rosie, and that had made all the difference. Also, he slept better in Savannah and woke up refreshed every morning and eager to go to work to see Rosie.

It would be selfish of him to ask Rosie to consider moving to Seattle. It would mean inviting her mother as well. Evan wasn’t sure if Sonya could adjust to a city she had never lived in before at this stage of her life. Perhaps it was best for her to stay in Savannah, where she was among friends. If so, then Rosie would no doubt stay with her.

Maybe it was a good thing that Evan and Rosie were apart at this time. Both of them needed time to think through their long distance relationship.

Still, Evan’s heart was miserable. He missed holding hands with Rosie, hugging her, kissing her.

How could making others happy be so hard on him?

This was the last meeting before lunch, and Evan was mentally done for the day. He hadn’t had a proper night’s sleep since he returned from Savannah, and it showed at the office. People avoided him and said little at meetings because they were afraid to cross the already irritable Vice President of Operations.

Truth be told, Evan would rather not attend any meetings at all. But this morning, he had to fill in for Connor, who had been called away to an offsite meeting with Dad.

He had gathered his iPad and was exiting the conference room when she came up to him and tapped his shoulder. Oh, he’d forgotten about Ximena, who had attended this last meeting.

“Lunch with me?” She sidled up to him, her too-tight stretch skirt drawing curves where Evan didn’t need or want to see. “You know, to seal the deal?”

“We already signed the contract.” Evan held his iPad between himself and Ximena. “You knew that today’s meeting was unnecessary.”

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