Page 52 of In a Word, Yes

“Sorry, what was that, Officer? Couldn’t hear you. Too much wind whooshing over my ears.”

This earns me another of his deep chuckles.

“Okay, okay, enough already!” I say. “This concludes the entertainment portion of your Sunday morning.”

“Fine,” he says with a crooked grin. “In that case, I’m off to sharpen my axe—”

“Ah,” I say, turning to leave, “you’re a good son, Wyatt Hayes.”

“—and my wit,” he calls after me.

When I turn back, he holds up the two-finger scout salute. “Always be prepared.”

I click the unlock button on my key fob, then yell back, “Never surrender!”

Seventeen

epiphany(n.): an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure

Carly

“Oh, Rog. Here it is in a nutshell. I never want to get over the hope God has called me to or stop being moved by his grace in my life. And I want that for others.”

“That sounds like my Carly. Although, if you don’t mind me sayin’, I’m not sure I’ve seen you pop a gasket about it for some time. Come out here. Take a gander. Got some warblers at the feeder.”

“That’s nice. Want your binocs? It’s just that it hurts my heart, babe. It breaks me to see people living in such fear.Christians, of all people, living in discouragement and fear. Gorging on meaningless stuff will never satiate a soul created with an internal, eternal appetite. How can it be so many of us are living in terror of the very things Jesus warned us never to worry about? How can we embody love and mercy no matter who sits in the Oval Office or moves in down the street? I tell you, hon, I am ever living on the edge of tears.”

“Whoa, girl. Maybe whittle that down? I get it, hon, I do. But it sounds like you’re speaking to a broad swath of people. Haven’t you always said that if you write to everybody, you write to nobody? No, no, leave the binoculars. Come out slowly. They’re right there, in the poplars.”

“Oh. I see. They’re lovely.”

For a time, we watch the migrating birds in silence. How miraculous that they always know just what to be about.

“You’re right, of course, about narrowing it down. Roger, in my mind’s eye, I can see this woman. She’s stuck. I want her to know God’s love so deep in her bones that she becomes fearless. She’ll surrender anything.”

His brow lifts. “So write to Lucy.”

Our eyes connect. I hold his gaze, hold on for dear life.

My breathing turns choppy. Tears gather, and for once I let them spill. Because my man is spot-on. But what has my heart all stuck up in my throat is that it wasn’t Lucy’s face that first came to mind.

It was my own.

Eighteen

aplomb(n.): self-confidence or assurance, especially in a demanding situation

Lucy

Monday morning, I arrive to find Dot has poured herself into a form-fitting dress of multicolored candy stripes cinched with a wide red belt. Have I mentioned that one reason Dot’s such a stupendous hugger is that she’s pillowy all over? Today, though, the fabric of her dress gathers more than usual around her ample bosom and middle.

“How do I look?” she asks. “Be honest.”

She looks like a piñata. I tilt my head and open my mouth, hoping something tactful falls out.

“Ugh,” she says, “wouldn’t you know I got suckered into buying something that isn’t machine washable. This isn’t supposed to haveruching!”

“You are adorable as always, Dot.” It isn’t a lie.