10. Heather

“ H appy New Year, Mommy!”

Heather looked up from her pen and paper at the kitchen table, drawing in a breath at the sight of her teenage daughter.

“Maddie! Happy New Year, angel. You’re up early.”

“New Year’s resolution,” she said, her long blond hair swinging as she grabbed a glass from the cabinet and headed to the fridge to fill it. “Along with water before coffee, homework before social media, no more cookies after dinner?—”

“Cookies? Now you’ve gone too far,” Heather cracked.

She turned to look over her shoulder, the angle accentuating her high cheekbones and true beauty. “I mean it. And you’ll love my last resolution. I’m going to church with you and Kenny and Ava every Sunday.”

“Church?” Heather blinked at her, quietly spreading her hand over the page of the Bible in front of her. “That’s awesome, honey.”

Water in hand, she sauntered to the table, looking like a supermodel despite her PJs of choice—a faded SpongeBob SquarePants T-shirt and Santa Claus sleep pants.

“Credit—or blame, if I hate it—goes to Ava. She convinced me it’s a great church and she likes youth group a lot. So I said I’d go.”

Heather smiled at her, a warmth filling her as she fought the urge to fist-pump the air and praise the God of surprises.

Her children had not been raised with any faith, since Drew had been an ardent non-believer. Almost immediately after he’d died, Heather had given in to a tug on her heart, starting to read everything she could about Christianity, then finally cracked a Bible.

She’d met Kenny in those early days of finding her faith—a man who’d been raised with plenty of it, but had drifted far away, and for good reason. The loss of his wife and son had left him disillusioned with God.

Together, they’d found their way to a beautiful place, joining Our Redeemer, a church where they were both happy and active. She invited her kids all the time, but understood that teenagers raised with an atheist father had to make the decision to go—or believe—on their own.

She never hid her faith from them, but she didn’t force it, either.

“God bless Ava,” she said, containing her joy.

“Speaking of the Big Guy…” Maddie tapped the open Bible, then glanced at the notebook page covered from top to bottom in writing. “Taking some serious notes, Mom.”

“Not notes,” she said, slowly turning the notebook. “I’m writing the Bible.”

“You’re…what?” She choked softly. “Handwriting it? The whole thing?”

“Yep. I started about four months ago and I’m a third of the way through Exodus, which is the second of sixty-six books.”

Maddie’s soft blue eyes popped. “Dude. You got a long way to go.”

“I’m giving myself ten years.”

She propped her elbows on the table and stared at Heather’s writing, which wasn’t that bad, but was no work of art. “Why would you do this?” she asked.

“Because it’s a way of imprinting the words on my heart,” Heather said. “I heard about people who do it because they learn by writing and remember things better. I read fast and I miss a lot, and this slows me down and forces me to focus. Plus, I feel like it’s a way to honor God.”

While Maddie read, Heather scooted closer, imagining this moment might be a gift from the Holy Spirit to help her open her daughter’s heart. The rest was up to Jesus, Heather knew, but if she could just help her see?—

“The parting of the Red Sea?” Maddie scrolled her finger over the page. “I’d imagine that was a high point so far.”

“One of them,” Heather said. “And I hadn’t expected it to hit me so hard, but right in the middle of all the action—Egyptians chasing Israelites and such—God hit me with a verse that just, wham. Gobsmacked me. I look for those when I’m writing it out.”

“Which one?” Maddie asked, genuinely interested.

“Right there in Chapter Fourteen. Verses Thirteen and Fourteen.” Heather turned the Bible toward her daughter so she could read the words that had just squeezed her own heart. Would they have the same impact?

Maddie’s long lashes brushed her cheeks as she looked down at the page and read. “‘Moses answered the people: Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’” She waited a beat, then looked up. “Okay. That’s…Bible-y. Moses and everything. Not quite getting more than that.”

Heather nodded. “God is saying that He will handle my troubles, all I have to do is stand firm and be still.”

“Do you have troubles, Mom?” Her brows knit in concern. “Is everything okay?”

She let out a sigh. “Everything’s fine, honey. I just…” She swallowed, hating that her throat got thick, but not surprised. Ten minutes ago she’d been crying.

“You got Egyptians on your tail?” Maddie joked, not realizing how close to the truth it was.

And, goodness, she needed to share her burden with Maddie, of all people. This affected her as much as Heather.

“Aunt Blanche,” she said softly.

“She’s Egyptian?”

Heather laughed softly, but her smile faded. “She’s determined to get us back to South Carolina where, in some ways, I was as much a prisoner as the Israelites were. And I guess Coconut Key is my Promised Land.”

“Wait, wait. What?” Maddie waved her hand, not following. “Why the heck would we go back to South Carolina?”

“Why wouldn’t we?”

They both spun around at the completely unexpected sound of Marc’s voice—always a shock that it was so low now that, at fifteen, it had truly changed. But the real shocker was seeing him awake, since he normally used any non-school day to sleep in as late as humanly possible.

He did look like he just woke up, with his wavy brown hair tousled, some pillow lines on his cheek, and his glasses a little crooked since he, of course, hadn’t put his contacts in yet.

“Why would we?” Maddie demanded, rising from her chair as if everything else in her world was forgotten. “Life is perfect here.”

“Perfect for you,” he countered.

“Marc, aren’t you happy in Coconut Key?” Maddie asked. “You’re going to play varsity ball this year, as a sophomore.”

“Life is not just baseball, Maddie.” He pulled open the fridge and reached for the milk that only he drank—but keeping it in stock was a challenge.

“What’s wrong, honey?” Heather asked softly, knowing her boy wasn’t the open book that Maddie was, and this could take a little digging.

“I don’t know,” he grumbled. “I walk down here and you two are talking about Moses and moving? What the hell?”

“Hey.” She narrowed her eyes, not caring that he didn’t think “hell” was that bad a word; it wasn’t. But she wouldn’t tolerate anything worse.

He gave the fridge door a hard push, then spun around to them. “Why couldn’t we go back to Charleston? Kenny would go. He told me he would. And Maddie’s going to?—”

Heather gasped softly. “He what ? You talked to Kenny about it?”

“Yeah, after we got back. I did.” He sloshed some milk into a glass and gave her a defiant look. “I talk to him, you know. And I talked to Grandpa Andy. We talked last night, as a matter of fact.”

She spoke “teenager” well enough to know that they “talked” meant they texted, but she longed to know what was said. And suspected they were getting to the heart of Marc’s bad mood.

“Is he okay?” she asked, always concerned about Andy’s welfare.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“What does that mean, Marc?”

“It means…he’s fine. He’s sad. He’s lonely. He’s fishing all by himself and Aunt Blanche says that’s not safe. Caught some redfish, though, so that’s cool.”

Blanche says it’s not safe? Why doesn’t she go with him? Heather tamped down the unkindness. The bottom line was a seventy-year-old man probably shouldn’t go fishing alone in the Lowcountry marshes and creeks.

“We’re not moving back there,” Maddie proclaimed, not interested in fishing. “That’s insane. It’s my senior year and I’m in the play and I’m going to college in Florida and this has to stop.”

“You’re right, you’re going to college,” Marc fired back. “So will Ava. You two cozy new stepsisters won’t even be here. And if Kenny thinks it’s a good idea, why shouldn’t we?”

Cozy stepsisters? Was he jealous? And Kenny thought it was a good idea? Heather practically reeled at the thought. And why would he talk to Marc about it and not her? She had barely shared what Blanche had said, playing it down, but apparently…he was willing to move?

Was that God opening a door?

“Grandpa Andy should move here,” Maddie said, dropping back and folding her arms. “Ava and I think he and Lovely would make a great couple.”

“Oh, my God!” Marc smacked his hand on the countertop.

“Marc, don’t take His name in vain,” Heather said.

“Come on, Mom! What’s wrong with you two? That’s all you talk about—people falling in love, and Mom getting married, and now you’re going to church?” He pointed at his sister, making Heather wonder just how long he’d been eavesdropping on their conversation.

“If either of you cared about God or what was right,” he continued, “you’d make Grandpa Andy more important. You’d care about what was happening to him. He’s still our grandpa, even though Dad’s dead. But all you two care about is weddings and church and dumb stuff. I care about him !”

He thunked his empty glass in the sink, making Heather flinch. It didn’t break, but her heart did when he marched out and called, “I’m going back to bed and not going to that stupid party. I told Grandpa we could talk later.”

The next sound was his door banging closed, making Heather flinch when it echoed like a gunshot.

“Nice way to start the new year,” Maddie muttered.

Heather let out a groan. “I was worried about this. But I honestly didn’t expect Kenny to agree, especially without talking to me first.”

“Those two are thick,” she said. “Which is cool, but…”

“I don’t want to leave,” Heather admitted on a whisper, dropping her head in her hands. “I do not want to move back there.”

“We need to get Grandpa Andy here.” Maddie stood up. “I’m telling you—he and Lovely? Match made in heaven. How cute would they be? Old people love! Ava and I have been plotting the whole thing. Will he be here for your wedding?”

She looked up. “I don’t know. I think coming to my wedding is a lot to ask of a man who lost his son less than two years ago. It’s hard for him. You can’t imagine what it’s like for a parent to lose a child.”

And no one knew that like Kenny, she thought, forgiving him for having the conversation with Marc. Her son filled a hole in Kenny’s heart and, normally, she counted that as a blessing.

“Well, you know what to do, Mom,” Maddie said as she pushed in her chair.

“I do?”

She leaned over and pressed her fingertip to the Bible page. “Stand firm. Don’t let them Egyptians get ya.”

With that, she left and, despite all odds, Heather felt a smile pull. Sometimes God sent his message through the most unlikely sources.

Through the discussion of typical travel logistics for the party—Maddie wanted to drive over with Ava, who would bring Kenny’s truck, so Mom could pick up Kenny in the van—Marc was the one who stood firm.

He wasn’t going to Savannah’s house for a party. The discussion—and door—was closed.

So Heather drove alone to get Kenny, fighting a battle with the devil, who loved nothing more than for her to feel uneasy and uncertain.

“Get out of my van,” she muttered as she parked in Kenny’s driveway, leaving the door open to symbolically boot the enemy from her heart and head.

Replacing all thoughts with a prayer, she walked up to the house and tapped on the door, barely waiting a moment for him to open it.

And as soon as he did, she felt better. The tall, strong, faithful, handsome, wonderful man who’d changed her life always looked at her with just enough adoration that she felt whole and beautiful.

Today was no different.

“Morning, gorgeous,” he said, reaching for her with a smile that sparked his dark eyes, the same one that had been there last night when he’d stayed until midnight so they could have their first kiss in the year they were getting married.

For reasons she’d never understand, her heart dropped as he pulled her in for a hug and another light kiss. Then he looked over her shoulder, drawing back with a frown.

“Where’s Marc?”

“He’s not coming.”

“Whoa.” He studied her face, always able to read her emotions. Without another word, he brought her into his small house, a rental he and Ava would be leaving in February when they moved into Heather’s house. “Come on, we’re early. Talk to me, babe.”

Following him to the leather sofa in the living room, she sat down and told him everything, from Blanche’s diatribe to Marc’s temper-tantrum.

“Oh, and your wonderful daughter has convinced mine to start going to church,” she finished.

His jaw dropped. “Well, that’s the real news, Heather. That’s awesome. Way to go, Ava.”

“I know, you’re right,” she agreed. “Maddie knowing Christ is a way bigger deal than us moving. Did you really tell Marc you would?”

He let out a sigh and leaned back. “I told Marc the truth—that I would do anything to keep this little family we’re creating together and happy. Why didn’t you tell me about Blanche? You’ve been back for a few days.”

“I don’t know. Because, deep inside, I knew you’d probably say if I wanted to move, you’d move. Especially with Maddie and Ava going to college.”

“Maddie going,” he said. “Ava? We’ll see when the acceptances come in.”

“What do you mean? They both applied to the same schools.”

“And Maddie will get in anywhere, even UF, which is like Ivy League these days. But Ava doesn’t have her grades or test scores or the extracurricular stuff Maddie has. She might not get into the same level school.”

“Then Maddie won’t go to that school,” Heather said. “She wants to be roommates.”

He choked softly. “Maddie is not going to pick a junior college just because Ava didn’t get into a four-year university,” he said. “That’s crazy.”

She held up a hand, waving off the discussion for when it became a reality. Now, she had to think about the problem at hand.

“What’s crazy is moving to South Carolina,” she said. “You’ve built a thriving construction business, I love my job at the café, my house is perfect for all of us, the kids are happy at this school, and we have an extended family here that— Well, trust me. It beats the one I have there. Why would we go?”

But even as she said it, she knew. Grandpa Andy.

Kenny rubbed his clefted chin, freshly shaved for the day. As always, he took a moment to consider his response, no doubt mentally skimming scripture for guidance. It was something she loved dearly about him, but right now, she wanted a simple, “We’re not going.”

“You know I have a weak spot for Marc,” he said instead.

“It’s one of the many reasons I love you. He’s lost a dad and?—”

“And I lost a son,” he interjected. “We both fill a need for each other. And that kid loves his grandpa so much. I respect that.”

“He can love him from afar.”

He nodded. “I know, but I can’t help spoiling him a little, you know. When I think about Adam…” He worked to swallow. “He’d be a sophomore, too, now, and…” Turning to her, she could see his brown eyes fill with tears. “I want to give him everything he wants.”

“And me?”

“You?” he scoffed. “I want to give you the sun, moon, stars, and…and…anything. Anything in the world. I love you so much I can’t even breathe when I think about it.”

She laughed at that, both of them hugging in a move that had become as natural as breathing. “I don’t know why I ever doubted this marriage.”

He whipped back. “Excuse me?”

“You know doubt is my worst trait.”

“Not about me you don’t doubt!”

She smiled, always touched at the fervor he put into this relationship. She hated to let herself think how much she’d longed for that from Drew, but never got it. And he’d been a passionate man about a lot of things—just not Heather.

But Kenny was more than making up for what that marriage had lacked.

“I don’t doubt you, but…”

“But what?” he asked, stroking her hair back with his large but oh so tender hand.

“It’s fast. Getting married, I mean. It feels very fast.”

He nodded, no stranger to this concern. “It also feels very right, blessed, and certain.”

“But to my in-laws in Charleston? Drew hasn’t been gone that long.”

“He hasn’t,” Kenny agreed. “And you know I’ve given my word that he won’t be forgotten by your kids, just like Ava and I talk about Adam and Elise all the time.”

“You don’t talk about them all the time,” she said gently. “And there are full days in our house when Drew’s name is never even mentioned.”

“We’ll change that,” he promised. “And I’ll talk to Marc. I’ll tell him that moving is not a reasonable request and, hey, maybe over spring break the four of us can drive up to Charleston and take ol’ Grandpa Andy fishing.”

Her heart eased at the offer. “You, Kenneth Gallagher, are the greatest man to ever live.”

“Not even close, but I love that you think that.” He leaned in for a kiss, then held her close. “Let’s swing back to your house and see if I can talk Marc into changing his mind and joining us today.”

She sank deeper into his arms. “I love you.”

“Darn right you do,” he teased, kissing her head. “You’re marrying me this month, Heather Monroe, and nothing is going to stop that.”

She kissed him again, and felt the doubts lift and float away.