“She’s the best,” I whispered back. “And she never stopped loving you two while she was gone. Never forget that. Tell her good night for me. And thanks again. For everything.” I slipped out of the car and closed the door as softly as I could. Vicky twisted in her seat but stayed asleep. I waved when I walked inside, letting him know he was good to leave.
Closing the cottage door, I took a deep breath and said a prayer.
“Father, You said to ask, knock, and seek. Help me to see what You’re doing in my life. I want to be content whether it’s here or in Italy. I want what You want for me. Help me to be patient but hopeful. This feels like home, Father. Show me why.”
Church service was morethan I’d hoped for. The congregation in Tuscany was a bit more subdued than Vicky’s church, but I loved the lively music and could feel God’s presence immediately. The sermon was about trusting God even when you couldn’t understand what He was doing. I knew it was just for me. Vicky took notes in her Bible, which I’d never seen before, but I loved the idea.
We left the sanctuary to meet MJ at her class. Once she was settled with the parents of a friend she was spending the day with, we headed out for lunch at a nearby taco stand, and I asked them about Mike. “Not sure why I thought you all went to the same church. Where do Mike, Niko, and Leyla attend?”
“Before everyone got married, some of us went to the same church, but as the couples got together, some went to other places. They go to the church where Niko and Leyla got married. It’s a great church and we visit from time to time, but ours feels like home,” Vicky answered.
“I get that. It’s different than what you and I grew up with in Rome, right?” I asked as we got out of the car.
She laughed. “Very different. But I like it. Took some getting used to, but I love the church family we’ve built here. For the first time, I’ve learned how to apply His Word to my life, not just read it. The message is always so practical. Pastor Glen says that Sundays should impact our Mondays. I like that.”
“I keep telling her to join the worship team with her angelic voice,” Miles said, pulling her in close as we walked.
“You’re crazy. I make a joyful noise, that’s about all,” she answered, making us all laugh.
We ordered and sat down to wait for our food. The smells were heavenly. Vicky told me about this locally owned café. It wasn’t much to look at, but the lines were getting longer by the minute.
“I like the idea of taking notes. That’s new,” I said, bumping her shoulder and making her look at me curiously. “Just found it interesting, is all.”
Vicky and I had been believers for years, but she’d been away for long enough to have picked up on new habits. I liked this one.
“I started it because Leyla had shown me how important it was to go back on those hard days and remember what God has done in your life. I think it’s too easy for us to forget. So I date verses that mean something to me and put little notes to remind me what it was about, what was going on.”
Wiping the condensation from my drink, I said, “I really like that, amica. I sometimes annotate the books I read when I want to remember something. Why not with the Bible?”
“Exactly! I hadn’t even thought about that. I’m stealing it for our next Bible study,” she said with a wink. We smiled at each other and giggled while Miles went to get our tacos.
All morning, there seemed to be a tugging in my spirit, like God was trying to get my attention. Maybe this was what it was about. It was embarrassing how many Sundays I couldn’t tell you what the pastor spoke about an hour later. This idea of Vicky’s was going to impact my walk with God in an exciting way.
“Nervous about meeting Grammy later?” she asked, pouring hot sauce onto her taco. They were the best ones I’d ever had. The smoky taste made me want to kiss the chef.
“A little. More nervous about the fake dating thing.”
Bending down to make eye contact, she grinned, and I knew I was in trouble. “You two looked mighty cozy last night.” Miles snorted.
I huffed out a laugh. “We’re both just crazy competitive, that’s all.” She leaned back and smirked as if she didn’t believe me.
“Fine, fine, nosy pants. It was fun. He was easy to be with. I mean, you know, hang out with. He’s a great guy.” I shrugged and took another big bite of my delicious carne asada taco, so I didn’t have to talk.
Having changedinto a blue sundress that made my olive skin glow, I paced the living room. Miles and Vicky had dropped me off after lunch, and I ignored her yelling out of the open car window not to do anything she wouldn’t do.
I went over in my head what Vicky and Miles had suggested. Be kind, be attentive. Let Mike drive the conversation.
The knock startled me, as I wiped my hands down my dress and walked to the door. Mike greeted me with his signature wide smile and a quick appreciative glance. “You look lovely, Ren.”
There was no reason for me to be nervous, but tell that to my racing heart. “Hi, Mike, thank you. Come in.” I stepped aside and let him enter. He looked around the open-concept cottage, taking in all the details.
“I’ve never been in here before. It’s really beautiful.” His tall frame made the room seem even smaller as he turned in a half-circle, his gaze landing back on me. His T-shirt had some kind of surfing logo on it and his khaki shorts and flip-flops finished the look. He was a California guy through and through.
“How was church?” he asked, pulling me out of my embarrassing perusal.
“Ah, it was great. Better than I expected.” I looked around the kitchen for my purse and put the strap over my head. “The sermon seemed to be speaking just to me.”
He rubbed his perfectly stubbled jaw and chuckled. “Happens to me all the time. What was it about?”
