Page 53 of To the Moon and Back
“I’ll never forget today.” Jenna took a step closer to him. “You’re the only one who knows just how I feel.”
“You, too.” He couldn’t keep from telling her how he felt. He practically whispered the next words. “I want to kiss you, Jenna.”
She looked like she wanted that, too. But she only smiled. “I think we should wait.”
“Yeah.” He could feel himself flirting with her. “Come here.”
They were only inches apart. Jenna did as he asked and it took all of his willpower not to kiss her. Instead, he took her in his arms and held her. The hug wasn’t something passionate.
It was deeper than that.
Like two people who’d been lost and now were found.
• • •
THE DREAM WAS fading, at least it felt that way. Brady could see light through his closed eyelids. He could hear sounds. He still couldn’t lift his head or turn it, couldn’t move his hands or feet or shift his position. And he certainly couldn’t talk.
Someone was saying something about levels or numbers, vital signs. Something Brady couldn’t make out. It was a guy and he was still talking. “Brady? Brady, can you hear me?”
He tried to close his eyes more fully. He didn’t recognize the voice of the man. Why would he be talking about numbers? Where was he, anyway?
Then another voice spoke closer to him. A woman’s.
“Brady . . . can you hear me?”
The sound worked its way through his consciousness and straight to his heart. Jenna? Jenna, is that you? Only his words didn’t come out very loud. They didn’t come out at all.
The voice came again. “Anyway, it’s me. Jenna. I’ve been living in Columbus, Ohio. Teaching.”
Brady tried with everything in him to sit up straight and open his eyes. Tried to shout that yes, he could hear her and yes, he knew who she was. He was dreaming still, of course. He had to be. Jenna wasn’t in his life except when he dreamed.
But for some reason in his dream he couldn’t move.
“You’re probably wondering how I found you.” It sounded like she was crying. She sniffed. “You know that woman? Ashley Blake. She found me, Brady. She drove all the way to Columbus and found me at my school.” Another pause. “I came here as soon as I could.”
Jenna was still talking, but Brady couldn’t make out the words. Ashley Blake? Ashley had found Jenna? That could only mean one thing.
Maybe he wasn’t dreaming after all.
16
J enna hadn’t been to the Oklahoma City memorial in eleven years. Today was as good a time to go back as any. She’d been in town three days, and this morning her mother’s friend, Allison Wessel, made her breakfast. They chatted for an hour before Allison headed to the inner city medical clinic where she worked.
Talking to Allison was like getting a glimpse of what it might’ve been like if Jenna’s mother had lived. Allison had worked with Jenna’s mother. Same floor. But on April 19 she had taken the day off.
A random doctor’s appointment saved her life.
Before she left for college, Jenna used to stop by Allison’s house once every few weeks. Jenna always had the feeling she was visiting with her mother. Never mind Allison’s brown skin and deep brown eyes. In the woman’s presence, Jenna was home.
Back then they would share coffee and catch up on Jenna’s schoolwork and friendships and dreams. Usually they’d end up laughing about something, and then before Jenna would leave, the conversation would turn to Jenna’s mother.
“It should’ve been me,” Allison would sometimes say as they hugged goodbye. “I wasn’t married. I didn’t have a little girl waiting at home.”
“No.” Jenna would shake her head. “You can’t say that. No one should’ve died that day.”
Now, Jenna had a clearer understanding. It was her parents’ time. They loved God. They believed in Jesus. They had gone home to heaven together. Period. Whenever she was tempted to doubt God or spiral into a whirlpool of whys, Jenna would remember Romans 8:28. The meaning stayed with her every day. In all things God works for the good of those who love Him. No matter what dark alley her thoughts sometimes took, that truth remained.
God was working good out of what had happened.
