Page 54 of Not So Very Sensible

“Don’t you think God can heal my mum?” Lucinda demanded.

“I know God can heal your mum, but whether He chooses to do it this side of heaven, I can’t be so sure. I’m not God.”

Lucinda huffed and rolled her eyes, then picked up Christine’s hand. “I don’t think it’s healthy to be talking about things like heaven right now.”

He coughed. “So when is a good time? We all die, Lucinda.”

“Oh my gosh.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Must you be so insensitive?”

This was going nowhere. Nowhere good, anyway. He’d need to get an Uber. He couldn’t stay. He pushed to his feet. “Christine, you’ll be in my prayers, and if there’s anything I can do, please know I will do my best. But I can’t—I won’t—do what Lucinda requested.”

“Not even if it’s my last request? My dying wish?”

His fingers clenched. “I’m sorry, Christine. But marrying your daughter is not something I’d do for any reason other than I felt it was right before God to do. I’m sorry if that disappoints you.”

She turned her face away.

His heart panged. Looked like his declaration had disappointed her. It certainly seemed to have disappointed Lucinda, who had tears rolling down her cheeks as she followed him from the room. “Why do you have to be so stubborn? Marrying me wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”

“Lucinda, I know you think this might be a good idea right now, and that you might want to please your mum, but marriage isn’t about making other people happy. It’s supposed to be about making each other happy.”

“But you make me happy.” She flung herself at him, pressing in and squeezing him in a way that was borderline inappropriate.

He gently grasped her arms and unwound them from his neck. How to say this next bit without offending her forever, he didn’t know. Lord, give me wisdom. “Lucinda.” He waited until she looked at him. “Lucinda, you know that I care about you, but I don’t love you. Not in that way.”

“Do you love someone else?”

“No.”

“So, you’re saying there’s a chance you could love me one day?”

Good grief. “Lucinda, today has been a very emotional day, and I really don’t think you’re in a fit state to be making decisions about your future. I need to go now.”

“I’ll drive you.”

“No, I’ll call an Uber. You need to stay here with your mum.”

“But, but—”

“Lucinda, the kindest thing you can do right now is to let your mum know that you are okay about this.”

“But I’m not okay about this.” She stamped her foot. “Not when it would mean so much to be able to spend the last few months of her life giving her hope to see her only daughter get married. She’d be so happy to be distracted by planning my wedding, knowing that I’ll be okay, that I’ll be looked after all my life.”

“I’m sure she would. But that doesn’t have to be with me.”

“But it does,” she insisted. “You’re the only one who could ever make me truly happy. You’re such a gentleman, after all.”

“I appreciate that, and I can understand that you might be confusing being friends with something more, but I don’t feel that way and don’t want to feel backed into a corner like this. Good night, Lucinda.”

For a moment, she stared at him; then she launched herself at him, clutching his face between her hands and kissing him full on the lips.

It took him a second to realise what was happening; then he dragged her fingers from his face and pushed her away, holding her at arm’s length in case she decided to launch herself at him again. “What the heck was that?”

“I love you.”

“No you don’t.” He doubted she knew what the word love actually meant. “You need to go inside.”

“But—”