Page 27 of Sean
Fortunately, Sean backed away and filled his plate.Monica and her friends followed suit, and they all found seats.
Sean sat with Jace on one knee, feeding the little guy pinches of chicken sandwich and spoonfuls of salad.Thanks to Monica, the baby held a cheese puff in both hands, and Sean’s arms bore smudges of the orange residue.
“Sorry about that.”Monica reached for the wipes.
“Don’t worry about it.I’m used to wearing his dinner.”Sean took a bite of his sandwich and chased it with a swallow of soda from his can of Sprite.“Dinner was a pleasant surprise, but when did you have time to put all of this together?Did you take off work early?”
“No, I made it all up last night and stuck it in the fridge.All I had to do was pack the tote when I went home to change.”
“Monica is our resident superwoman,” Bobbie chimed in.“She always goes the extra mile and takes on the projects no one else has time for.”
“That’s what Mom said.”Sean wiped Jace’s face and hands and let him down to continue his play time with Parker.He focused on Monica.“She told me that, in addition to managing the nursery at church, you also oversee the women’s monthly fundraising dinner.How do you manage all that, a full-time job, and stuff like this?”
Something in Monica’s chest did a little happy dance.Sean was talking to his mom about her.That was a good thing, right?She glanced up to find Sean watching her quizzically.Oh, he’d asked her a question.She ran the conversation back through her head.“I like to keep busy.It makes me feel fulfilled.My dad preached something he called ‘JOY’ to me my whole life.”
“I’ve heard of that,” he deadpanned.
“No, I mean...It’s an acronym.Jesus first, others second, you last.You’re a minister.Surely, you’ve done a lot of that yourself.”
Instead of answering, Sean motioned to the room.“Will this event meet your financial goal?”
Monica rested her elbows on the table.“Not completely, but it will put me fifteen hundred dollars closer.I...”What she was about to say faded away.The baby who’d been crawling behind Parker all evening now stood several yards away, balanced on unsteady legs.Monica put a hand on Sean’s arm and nodded in that direction, afraid to say anything to disrupt the moment.“Look,” she whispered.
Sean followed her gaze, and a gigantic smile split his face.
He started to rise but Monica held him in place.“Let’s see what he does.”
Across the room Parker held up the truck.“Come get it.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Jace toddled in that direction while Parker laughed and backed away.
“Would you look at that.”Sean scrambled to get his phone out and trained the camera on his son’s first steps.“I haven’t been able to get him to take a single step.I guess he just needed someone to chase.”
Parker gave Jace his truck, so Monica held up a banana.
“Jace, do you want a bite?”
The truck clattered to the floor as Jace toddled toward her.When he reached her knees, she swooped him up and bundled him close.
Everyone around the table applauded his success.
“You’re such a big boy!”Monica said.
Jace grabbed two handfuls of her hair, pulled her close, and delivered a wet kiss, then he turned to dive into his father’s arms.
Sean caught him and swung him over his head.
Watching the father-son scene, Monica put her fingers to her lips.It was just the kiss of an excited little boy, but in her heart, it felt like so much more.She wasn’t sure where her feelings for Sean were going, especially since she had no way to know how he felt about her.All she knew in that moment was that she was head over heels in love with this motherless child.
A silent prayer rose in her heart.Father, where are You going with this?
