Page 69 of Wish You Faith

And yet, this gift to them had come at a cost to himself.

What if when all this was over, he still lost Rosie?

A slight pain gripped his heart. He winced.

“Are you okay?” Rosie asked.

“Fine. I think it’s indigestion.” He had no idea what it was.

“Stress?” Rosie asked.

“I don’t know.” Evan wasn’t sure if Rosie had forgotten about the question she’d asked earlier. Soon, he’d have to come clean and tell her that Rusty Cavanaugh was his grandfather.

“Have you been eating right, sleeping well, exercising?” Rosie asked. She seemed to be in a hurry to get all her questions in.

“Uh… I try.”

“Get thee to the gym. At least three times a week.”

“Yes, Dr. Girlfriend.” He drank more sparkling water. The pain in his chest had eased somewhat.

“Most importantly, have you been reading your Bible and praying to God?” Rosie asked. “Our Lord is the best stress reliever.”

“I read my Bible almost every day, and I go to church with my brother and his wife.”

“Good to know.” Rosie leaned toward her phone. “I didn’t mean to tell you what to do.”

“No, no. I needed the reminder.”

She glanced at her watch. “Five minutes and then I have to get back to work.”

“Noted.” Evan took another bite of the sandwich.

“Did you call me so that I could watch you eat?”

“It’s more selfish than that.” Evan chuckled. “I just wanted to see you live. Haven’t spoken to you since last night.”

“You texted me this morning,” Rosie reminded him.

Yeah, he had. He had taken a photo of the morning sky outside his top-floor condo and sent it to her with the caption, “Good morning.”

“Not face-to-face though.”

“I went with Mom to an early-morning Bible study with the Super Seniors at Piper’s Place. Sorry I couldn’t call you. I want to spend time with Mom as much as I can in these last days... Well, while she’s still alive, that is.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right. I just want you to know that even if we don’t talk with each other, we both have work to do. I am spending every free hour with Mom until time runs out.”

Evan nodded.

“I don’t know what came over me today…” Her voice cracked. “Oh. I’m talking too much. I think it’s the caffeine I drank all morning.”

Evan wished he was there with her right at that very moment when Rosie felt sad.

She closed her eyes. Tears fell. Just as quickly, she wiped her face. Drew a deep breath, and looked straight into her phone camera.

“So, Evan. We miss each other, but I have to trust sovereign God that while you’re over there working, I get to spend more time with Mom.” She paused. “Since we started dating, I’ve had to split my time between Mom and you.”

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