Page 43 of The Christmas Ring
“I already saw it. I held it in my hands, Dad. Remember?” Ben was determined to be kind today, but they weren’t off to a good start. “You can’t sell that ring. It belongs to Vanessa. I know it.”
Nothing short of astonishment filled his father’s face. “Do you know how many antique Christmas rings there are in the world?” He shook his head. “Too many to imagine.” His dad resumed his walk toward the front door.
Ben stood and caught up to him. “Vanessa described her ring to me. It’s the same one, Dad.”
“Then why didn’t you say something the other day?” He stopped and faced Ben, no longer baffled but angry. “When you saw it?”
“Of course I wondered.” Ben raised his voice now. “I mean, it looked like the ring she had lost. Of course.” Ben clenched his jaw. “But I didn’t know her ring was real. And I had no idea her ring was engraved. And this one is.” Ben paused. “I’ll buy it myself if you want. Just give me time to get the cash.”
“Ben. Enough.” His dad started walking again. “You’d bewasting your money. The ring I’m selling today isnotengraved and it’s not Vanessa’s. Period.” He uttered a frustrated laugh. “This ring is scratched. It’s old and worn on the inside. That’s it.” He shot a look at Ben. “There’s a difference.”
His options all but gone, Ben took light hold of his father’s arm. “Look at me, Dad. Please.”
For a quick moment, his father stopped.
“Dad, the engraved word isMaison. It’s French. It means ‘home.’ Please... go look, Dad.”
“It’s not engraved.” That was all his father said in response. As if the matter had long been put to rest. “The buyer will be here in an hour. I need to get to work.”
Ben thought about following his dad into the store and forcing him to see the inscription. But that wouldn’t work. He wouldn’t see what he had already missed. Out of options, Ben walked to the rear of the building and used his key to enter the back room. How could his dad be so obstinate? So downright rude?
And what would Vanessa think of him and his father once she knew that he’d found the ring and sold it to the highest bidder?
Ben grabbed the broken bookcase and laid it on the workbench. He grabbed the loose boards and set them aside and then took a sledgehammer to the back of the piece. Venting everything he had on the stubborn thick slabs of wood. The whole time he prayed just one prayer.
That his father would have eyes to see.
Chapter 15
Long ago, Vanessa had learned how to handle pain and where to take her deepest questions. When she was a little girl, she watched her parents bring out the Bible often. And she’d seen from their example that the best way to stay close to God was to read it on her own time as well.
As a kid she used to think reading the Bible was a to-do item, something a person was supposed to do to keep in the Lord’s good graces. But that wasn’t how Vanessa saw reading the Bible now. Before she and Alan married, Vanessa had come to think of the Bible as God’s love letter. Personally written for her. The first chapter of John declared that “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
And so it was.
After that, when she sat down and opened the covers of this book, she no longer thought of it as a task or a textbook. Reading the verses in the Bible meant having a meeting with God. He was truly alive and active in the pages of Scripture.
That morning, the day of the military dance, with Sadie still asleep down the hall, Vanessa found her Bible and settled in on the sofa. She turned to Philippians chapter 4 and read the verses she had recited to Sadie the night before. The section held more than Vanessa had quoted, more than she remembered.
And now she wanted to spend time here.
She started at the fourth verse.“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”Vanessa closed her eyes. He was near. He absolutely was.
Once more she found her spot and kept reading.“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
The words washed over her and filled her very being with peace. She had read somewhere that it was impossible to be thankful and anxious at the same time. And sure enough, here was that very idea written in the Bible so long ago. God’s promise to those who were worried or troubled. Rejoice... be thankful... take every problem to the Lord. And the peace of God that knew no bounds would guard her heart and mind in Jesus.
It was a promise.
She drew a deep breath. Before she could read further, she heard Sadie coming down the hallway. When she stepped into view, Vanessa smiled at her. “Hi.”
Sadie held up her little children’s Bible. “I found this on my bed.”
“Yes.” Vanessa smiled. “I was looking through the box from under the TV.” She nodded to the container, still in the corner. “I found it in there.”
Sadie came closer and took the spot next to Vanessa. For a moment she stared at the little book. “I sure loved this.”
“You did.” Vanessa studied her daughter.
