Page 31 of Sean
“True.She’ll get tired of him eventually.”
“I wouldn’t count on that.”
They turned at the end of the aisle, and Monica pointed toward the corner.“There’s the booth I told you about.I’m glad you stopped by.Will I see you tomorrow at church?”
Anohovered on Sean’s lips.What came out was an enthusiastic, “Yes.”
“Good.”She took a step away but then spun back.“Why don’t the three of us run together some morning next week?”
“We’d like that.”
Her smile turned her eyes a darker shade of blue.“It’s a date then.”She blew a kiss to Jace and hurried on her way.
Sean was left to consider her words.A date.
It was a phrase he’d used himself.She probably didn’t mean anything by it.
Or did she?
Chapter 8
Thanksgiving dawnedunder blue skies with a hint of autumn chill in the air outside Sean’s bedroom window.The scent of a turkey roasting in the oven grabbed his attention.He’d awakened twenty-one out of twenty-eight Thanksgivings to that smell.Mom always got up about five in the morning, slid the prepared bird into the oven, and went back to bed.By the time two p.m.rolled around, Sean, Benjamin, and their dad would be cheering for the Cowboys while the scent of warm spices and homemade bread tried to outdo the bird.
Everything about the morning whispered home, and Sean had to admit that, despite the initial embarrassment of admitting his need for help, he was glad to be there.
Father, thank You for...
He cut off the automatic prayer of gratitude in mid-sentence.Sean was thankful to be home, but he was only home because of all that God had taken from him.Who in their right mind would thank God for that?
My grace is sufficient.
Sean grabbed his phone and fired up a music app.He might not be able to shut off the voice in his head, but he was becoming a pro at drowning it out.He changed into a pair of running shorts, a clean T-shirt, and a pair of socks, then crossed the hall to the bathroom.He could hear Jace talking to himself behind the partially closed door of Benjamin’s old room, but Sean hoped he’d have a few more minutes to himself.
Unfortunately, the moment he lifted his toothbrush, the walls seemed to shake with the outraged wails of a baby who’d been ignored long enough.
At the sound of footsteps, he opened the door and stuck his head out.Mom was making her way to the makeshift nursery.She wore jeans and a flour-stained shirt, and her short dark hair was pulled back in a red plastic clip.Something was smeared on her cheek, and she had theharried cooklook that went along with all Sean’s Thanksgiving memories.
