Page 33 of Love Story
Finally he clicked the television off and rushed to find his laptop. Ten minutes later he had a round trip to Louisiana. As soon as he clicked the purchase button, his racing heart slowed some. Another call to his mom to arrange for Riley to be dropped off the morning of his flight and suddenly everything was in place.
He was going to find Andi.
With every minute since he’d seen her on the screen, Cody had felt an increasing certainty. He missed Andi even more than he thought. She was the other half of his heart, and he could only pray God would open doors in the days ahead. That He would lead Cody to find her, and once he did, Andi might want him back again.
One more time.
Because Cody knew something he hadn’t known before seeing Andi onTV. He not only missed her. Cody still loved her. He loved her with all his heart and he couldn’t imagine letting her go ever again. Not now that he’d seen her.
He could only hope that somehow, some way, Andi would forgive him. And that if Cody found her, she would remember something that Cody hoped had been true for years now.
The hope that just maybe she still loved him, too.
11
Aweek passed in the blink of an eye and suddenly Thursday was here again. Like she’d promised, Elaine didn’t stay. Once again she went to her friend’s house to work on her quilt. John saw now that her being gone was the best choice for all of them. He could give himself fully to the story—the way he had last week—and not worry how Elaine might feel about it.
John had decided to hold on to the copies of the photos until he was completely finished with the interviews. That way he could refer to them while he told the story. Last week he had shown Cole that first photo, the one from the dance. And also a picture Bill had taken of the two of them on their bench near the science building. Another one showed John and Elizabeth sitting on their bicycles after a ride around Ann Arbor’s downtown area.
There would be more today.
He met Cole and Ashley at the door and this time he didn’t struggle with where to begin. The next part of their story was as breathtaking as it was beautiful. The hard part of the story would come over the last two weeks. But even then, the pain of the past was part of the reason John and Elizabeth’s story was so amazing. God had taken the broken pieces of those long ago yesterdays and made them into a foundation for the entire Baxter family.
A foundation built on faith in God and love for each other.
When they were all seated, John held up a photograph. “This is the Wesley house. Where I lived. It’s where your grandma made me dinner that first night.”
Already Cole seemed to understand where the story was going. “Did you go back to the house alone again after that?”
“We didn’t. Not right away. I couldn’t put her in a compromising situation.” John almost winced as he said the words. The compromising would come later. First it was time to share some of the happiest days of his life. He titled this next part something that made Cole and Ashley smile.
Falling in Love.
Like before, as he began to answer Cole’s questions he felt himself drawn back in time. Until it was like those days were happening all over again.
In the most beautiful way.
•••
THEY NEEDED Aplan to see each other. John knew he couldn’t bring her back to his house. The outcome would be disastrous. Stopping had been nearly impossible last time. If they began kissing again, John wasn’t sure he’d find the self-control.
Two days later they met at their campus bench and made a plan. Elizabeth would tell her parents she needed all day Saturday to study with Betsy at the library. She would go to Betsy’s house, and Betsy would drive her to John’s.
Then John would whisk her away to Independence Lake Park, a scenic spot ten miles from campus. They could spend the day together and her parents would never know. John looked for her reaction as they talked about the idea.
“I don’t know.” Elizabeth faced him. Her hair was in a ponytail again and she looked young and afraid. “Meeting on campus is okay. I have to be here anyway, you know? And you might just be a friend.” She looked down and then lifted her eyes to him. “Leaving here... going somewhere like that, just the two of us... I could never explain that.” She paused. “If they find out...”
“They won’t.” John didn’t want to push. He rested his arm on the bench and watched her. “We don’t have to go. I don’t want you to worry.”
She slid closer to him, her eyes holding his. “You won’t let us get in trouble, right? My parents can never know.”
John thought about that. One day her parents would have to know, because John couldn’t imagine losing Elizabeth. And if they stayed together, then he’d have to face her parents one day. Even if they hated him and... He refused to finish the thought.
Elizabeth was waiting for his answer, looking to him for strength and certainty. He pushed his hesitancy down deep within him. “Never. I’ll protect you from them and anything else, Elizabeth. While you’re with me you’ll be safe. Always.” It was a response he would later regret. One he would’ve done anything to make true.
He wanted with everything in him never to let her down.
In the end they decided to take the Saturday adventure. He could tell Elizabeth was nervous because while he drove scenic Whitmore Lake Road north to the park, she fell completely silent. John parked the car and looked at her. “It’ll be okay.”
