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She watched as Zander prepared her plate just the way she would. He offered her a glass of orange juice as he fixed his plate. Zsanine was mindful enough to sip the juice to see how her stomach responded. Orange juice could be rather acidic, and she didn’t want an upset stomach before she got the chance to eat. Everything smelled so delicious, Zsanine could hardly wait. Once Zander had his plate fixed, he gave Zsanine hers and then climbed into the bed next to her.
As they always did, they held hands and bowed their heads to pray.
“Gracious God, I could never thank you enough for bringing Zsanine back to me safely. Thank you for protecting her. Thank you for keeping her. Thank you for the food we are now about to receive. Let it be nourishing to our bodies. We ask these things in your name, amen.”
“Amen,” Zsanine agreed. “Whew, I’m ready,” she continued. “I can’t remember the last time I ate anything.”
“What do you mean?” Zander asked. “They didn’t feed you?”
“They tried to,” Zsanine corrected. “But I refused to eat anything they gave me. I didn’t trust it.”
Hearing that broke Zander’s heart again. “I hate that for you, babe.”
“I’m good now, though,” Zsanine replied, buttering and slicing her pancakes. “I trust the chef.”
“Just take your time,” Zander encouraged. “I wouldn’t want you to get sick.”
“I promise I will. Now, where’s the remote? It’s time to pick a movie.”
The excitement was still in her voice. That was good. Zander didn’t want to bring up or remind her about anything that happened when she was away. It was time to refocus on the positive and help Zsanine build back up her strength. Within a few moments, they were both laughing, eating, and enjoying each other’s company with no thoughts of anything or anyone else. Zsanine did well pacing herself and, before long, had pushed her plate to the side. Not long after that, she rested her head on Zander’s shoulder. Before the end of the second movie, Zsanine was asleep.
Zander was careful in lowering her head onto the pillow. He pulled the covers up around her and removed the plates from the bed. Quietly, Zander returned to the bed and gently settled in next to her. When he did, Zsanine roused only enough to position herself on his chest. Her eyes never opened. As he lay there with her, relishing in the moment, Zander thanked the Creator again for bringing his truest love back to him.
