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“Really?”
“Really.”
He took his time, exploring her mouth with his, celebrating life with her, yet knowing kissing wasn’t really the answer, as he sensed she still had more to say.
She drew back, reluctantly it seemed, and smiled, before resting her head on his chest again. There was something so sweet about her, the way she treated him like her human-sized teddy bear, like she found comfort from being with him. As he did her.
“Thank you for sharing.”
“Thank you for listening.” Her hand slid up to touch his stubbly chin. “You’re a good listener, just like you said you were.”
“I try.”
A sound like amusement pushed from her, then she sighed again. “I don’t mind if you want to tell the others. I feel bad I haven’t told Ellie, but I couldn’t find the right words, or the right time.”
“It’s not an easy conversation.”
“No.” A beat. “And I don’t mind if you have any more questions. Better ask them now while I’m spilling my heart rather than wonder.”
Okay then. “How long were you in hospital for?”
“A week or so, in surgery then ICU. Mum and Dad came out to see me. Mum ended up staying for weeks.”
He nodded, remembering a request for prayers for the Franklin’s daughter who had been involved in a terrible accident back home. Maybe they’d said incident. Regardless, the gossip had not relayed things accurately. As usual.
“It was so hard on them,” she continued. “Mum already felt guilty for leaving me in Australia and coming here. I had insisted on staying, saying it was safer there. Ha. Look at me. Got it wrong. Again.”
“You can’t blame yourself.”
“I get told that all the time, so you’d think I’d believe it. But if I hadn’t left the desk like I’d been trained not to—”
“Then the druggie might’ve attacked the old man, who would’ve died,” he said.
She stilled, then after a moment, pushed up from her nest next to his heart.
“What is it?”
“I never thought about it like that,” she said. “You’re right. The guy was so drugged out he was going to attack someone, and it probably would’ve been the old man who was so frail he might’ve died.”
He caressed her cheek. “So you’re actually a hero.”
“Please.”
But she was. And her self-deprecation only increased his admiration. “I’m so glad you’re okay now.”
“Well, not exactly okay, but not as bad as I could be. I just wish I’d done things differently, you know?”
Oh, he knew, all right. He wouldn’t have bought Brutus. He wouldn’t have let his mom work herself to exhaustion. He would’ve manned up enough to let his brothers know he needed their help. And he wouldn’t have thought he knew so much when clearly he knew not much at all. But something he did know—at least, something he was learning—might encourage her.
“Lexi, you can’t second-guess life. Stuff happens, people make choices that are dumb, that are hard to explain, that sometimes can’t be understood. But God was with you, God still is with you, and He’s got you here for a good reason. I know that.”
“That’s what I tell myself.”
“And do you believe it?”
“Sometimes.” She smiled and snuggled closer.
Her smile caught him in his chest. As tempting as it was to try to kiss away her pain, he knew a better remedy. His hand slid down her arm until he caught her hand and once more threaded her fingers with his own. “Can I pray with you?”
