White Chocolate Moments (31 page)

Arcineh was not missing a word. She had never heard anyone talk

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like this before. Coming that morning, she had thought she would be nervous, especially when she learned that Gage would be joining them, but she was not. She sat between the two men, taken with the pastor's words.

"But I'm going to keep trying:' Simon went on. "God's greatness might be inexhaustible, but I'm going to keep at it. So now turn with me to one of my favorite verses on this subject in the first chapter of Genesis:'

Gage had actually brought a Bible. Sam shifted his toward Arcineh at the appropriate time, pointed, and let her read with him.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth: I think it might be easy to read past this verse swiftly, but we've got to stop ourselves. Our unsearchably great God has done the miraculous here. He created heaven and earth!

"Do not yawn over this statement. Gasp in wonder and awe. In fact, do more than that, gasp all week. Come back to these seats next Sunday, amazed at the great God we have, and amazed that He wants to be a part of your life, save you, conform you, and have a relationship with you:'

Pastor Simon had a few more words to end his sermon, and then

they sang a new song they had worked on as the service began. Even the words of the song made Arcineh think. She didn't try to sing but stared at the words printed on the back of the bulletin, trying to take in each one.

What does my soul cry out for more than the truth? What does my spirit thirst for more than holiness?

I long for light from the Word, and sight from the Lord. I want to be like my Savior and God.

So work in me, and save my soul.

Oh cleanse my heart, and make me whole. Oh make us one in righteousness.

Pour out Your power and send Your grace.

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Arcineh did not let her mind wander onetime, but not everything made sense. She planned to ask Sam about some of it but hadn't counted on Gage beating her to it. They were no more in the car when he began.

"So Pastor Simon thinks you can have a personal relationship with God too?"

"Yes, he does:' Sam answered.

"But the God he just described is immense. He's totally unattainable:'

"From a human standpoint you're right, but a supernatural work went on when God sent His Son to give us a path to Him. Simon didn't go into that this morning, but it's true:'

"The cross:' Gage guessed.

"Yes. What do you know about it?"

"The cross itself, not very much, but Jesus is the most pivotal figure in history. I'm just not convinced that He's God:'

"Then why did He die?"

"Well," Gage reasoned, "I think
He
thought He was God:' "Gage, who do you think He is?"

Gage didn't answer right away. Why did Jesus have such an effect on history? There had been many men throughout the ages who had left their mark, but not like Jesus had.

"I don't know," Gage suddenly said.

"Arcie?" Sam glanced in the back to speak to her.

"I'm here:'

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, just thinking:"

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"I don't know. I can't put it into words right now. I liked Pastor Simon, but I didn't understand everything he said, and I hate missing the point:'

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"Just think about this one thing, Arcie," Sam decided to say. "God wants to enter the life of each one of us, but He'll not shove His way in. If you're open, you can understand everything God wants from you and for you."

The three continued the ride in silence. It had been a tense morning for Sam, but at some point he knew he would have to stop trying to save his granddaughter and Gage Sefton. He didn't think there could be anything sweeter than the two of them coming to Christ and making a life together in Him, but he realized this was his plan and might never be God's.

Somewhere along the line in talking to Gage, Sam knew that he could not sit back and worry. He would have to give direct answers and ask direct questions, but the balance between not wanting to overwhelm and fear that he would offend was a hard line to walk.

For the moment he was all right with the silence, but he was going to get back to his granddaughter on all of this. She might not embrace his beliefs, but there would be no doubt.in her mind as to what he believed.

"Okay, I've thought about it," Gage said to Arcineh late in the day on Sunday. "Our first official date is going to be a little more low-key. Nothing fancy, no set times:'

"All right:' Arcineh said, not sure why having an official date was so important but thinking him very sweet and romantic. "Where are we going?"

"I'm not going to tell you:'

"How will I know how to dress?"

"Casual:'

"Which kind of casual? Business casual, or barbeque-in-the-park casual?"

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"As casual as you want, just as long as you're comfortable from head to foot."

Arcineh laughed at him but still said, "What will you wear?"

"Jeans and a long-sleeve shirt with comfortable loafers."

Arcineh's eyes narrowed. Dressed like that they could be going any number of places. Arcineh was not an overly curious person, but this might drive her crazy.

"Well, I'd better get home Gage said, enjoying himself a little too much.

Arcineh watched him move toward the door. Just before he went out, he turned and smiled at her. Arcineh did her best to frown, but Gage's smile only grew larger.

c2S19

"I'm going to try and wrap up here this week:' Arcineh told Nicky on Monday morning. "I think if I work a little longer each day, I can get it done by Friday."

"It's up to you." Nicky's shrug was real. "It can go into next week, you know."

"I'll only do that if I have to. I probably would have been done for sure this week if I hadn't gotten sick."

"Grandma wants to hear from you:'

"Okay. Tell her I'll call:'

"No, she wants you over so she can feed you and meet this guy" "How does she know there's a guy?"

"She has her ways:'

"You mean, you talked:'

"I might have:'

Arcineh laughed.

"She means it:' Nicky said now. "You'd better get over there." "Yes, sir."

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"Don't try that 'sir' business with me. I saw you drive up in your fancy car:'

"I'll have you know that's the one I got for my fifteenth birthday. It's in great condition, but hardly new:'

"Why are you driving it now?"

"Because my grandfather's been bringing me, but today he's visiting my cousin and her baby:'

"How's it going with your grandfather?"

"It's going well. It feels amazing to be home:'

"Where to from here?" Nicky asked, fairly certain she would not work for him again.

"My grandfather has asked me to work on some things in storage. My parents' things:'

Nicky nodded. At times it was easy to forget how alone she had been. She never complained or let on.

"Don't forget us:' he finally said.

"That's not possible Arcineh said as she turned to her work, knowing if she looked at him for a moment longer, she'd be tempted to cry.

"Are you feeling better?" Tina asked Arcineh before the Windy City Troopers could start on Tuesday night.

"I am, thanks. Did I miss anything big?"

"No, but I think you look pale, so do me a favor and don't faint or hurt anything."

"I never faint:' Arcineh replied dryly, "and I'm pale because it's March!'

Tina only smiled at her. It was time to start class and work on their number for the fundraiser for the children's wing at the hospital.

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"I have a question:' Arcineh said to Sam when she arrived home.

"Okay."

"Do you believe you'll go to heaven when you die? Do you believe in heaven and hell now?"

"Yes to both of those:'

"Where are my parents?"

"I can't know that for sure, Arcie. We never talked about God, so I have no encouraging memories to draw on

Arcineh's eyes closed.

"Listen to me." Sam's voice came to her. "I have chosen to trust God for this, Arcie, but it doesn't change the fact that I grieve over the choices I made, choices that surely affected the choices my son made. But I know this: God is in control and He died for your parents as He died for you and me."

"But if hell is real, it's awful."

"It is awful, Arcie, but there's nothing I can do about that. Much as I love and miss your folks, you're here and now. That's my main focus."

"But you trust a God who will cast people out."

"Yes, I do, but it doesn't have to be that way. All people have or had a chance to accept Him. Even your parents."

Arcineh fell quiet then. Sam too, his heart prayerful. He had known that Arcineh would ask this, but he could not shrink back from the truth, even when he feared it might drive her away. He begged God to give Arcineh a hunger and answers when He did.

How many times,
Arcineh was asking in her heart,
am I going to be asked to be separated from the people I love? How alone do I have to be?

"I have to think about this:' Arcineh said, not wanting to think about those questions. "I just don't want it to drive us apart." "I don't want that either. You must believe that."

Arcineh knew it was true--she could read it in his eyes. She was

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opening her mouth to tell him the same thing when they both heard the front door. Violet was home.

"Tell me you are not up and making coffee!" Violet said, arriving in the kitchen after Arcineh, thinking it might be the first time she'd made coffee in her life.

Arcineh laughed before saying, "I've got to get to work:'

"Today?" Violet sounded as disappointed as she felt. "I come rushing back from Europe, and you're not going to be here:'

"You did not rush back, and this is my last week on the job:'

Violet smiled at being caught out. She had been so wound up the night before that she hadn't fallen asleep until late. Getting up had been almost impossible, and she hadn't beaten everyone to the kitchen, which was her way. Jet lag was wearing on her, but she had to see her girl.

"Why don't you go back to bed? I'm not even eating breakfast"

Violet ignored this suggestion and continued to watch Arcineh making sandwiches and then preparing a huge travel mug of coffee, adding cream and sugar.

Arcineh felt her eyes on her and wondered if she was all right with all of this. A glance to the side showed her all was fine. Violet's elbow was on the counter, her chin propped in her hand, clearly having the time of her life.

"I have to go:' Arcineh said with a smile.

Violet came to hug her. "Enjoy your day," she said, just as she had when Arcineh was a child.

Arcineh left, her heart thinking about so many things and wondering at the fact that Violet hadn't changed.

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Arcineh studied the work in front of her, enjoying the even rows and perfectly spaced tiles. She even looked at her own hands, knowing her grandfather would say that God created it all.

Are You really out there? Do You really determine all of this, or are we wound up and allowed to run on our own?

Somehow Arcineh knew that God was listening. She didn't have answers to her questions, but her grandfather kept rushing back to her mind. It was true that they'd only been back in each other's company for six weeks, but the person that he'd become was having a profound effect on her.

Arcineh realized she'd come to a dead stop. She made herself get back to work. Sam was back in her life and she was in his. She wanted that more than anything, and no matter who he was, she was sure he would never again give her a reason to leave.

"I didn't see enough of you this week," Gage said when they left on Friday evening in his car.

"I wanted to finish your great-grandfather's kitchen."

"And did you?"

"I did. By the way, what are you doing with the house?"

"Opening it to the public. I'd like folks to be able to see one of Chicago's old residences. It's going to be as original as we can make it, furnishings and everything."

"You have the original furniture?"

"Most of it. I come from a family of pack rats:'

"How much longer will it take?"

"Months:' Gage told her. "I just learned that the company that is reproducing the wallpaper is way behind, so we might be looking at a year from now."

"It sounds like it will be worth it."

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"I think you're right:' Silence fell for a few blocks and then Gage asked, "What's next for you?"

"I have to start through the storage units that hold all my parents' possessions:'

"Are you looking forward to that?"

"I don't know yet. It might be interesting, and it might be painful:'

"What's there exactly?"

"Well, we went through things the summer after they died, and I knew I didn't want all their furniture, but anything that I was iffy over, Sam saved. His place was so large that he just packed a few rooms with it, but now it's sitting in storage, and it's time I decided what to keep:'

"What will you do with what you keep?"

"I don't know. Maybe I won't want that much, and I can take a reasonable amount. There is room at Sam's house for quite a bit, but I need a good reason to keep things, especially since I live in a furnished home:'

"Are we talking photos and such?"

"Yes:'

"That might be a little hard:'

"I think so too:'

When Arcineh fell quiet, Gage let her be. He remembered going through his father's things and what a painful process that had been. He and Erika had waited about a year, and maybe that was too soon. Arcineh's parents had been gone for years. Maybe that would make it easier.

"The Shedd?" Arcineh suddenly asked, seeing where he was headed. "We're going to the Shedd?"

"Um hm."

"I love the Shedd."

"I think I knew that:'

"Do you like it?"

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"I love it--always have'

Arcineh got out of the car like a kid at Disneyland. It had been so long, and she couldn't wait to get inside.

Gage, standing by the car watching her, waited for her eyes to meet his. As soon as they did, he bent and kissed her.

"What was that?" Arcineh asked.

"Just a kiss. Now we can relax:'

Arcineh studied him a moment. "Is that what it did, relax you?" Gage studied her right back. "Not in the lease

Arcineh laughed at his face as well as his tone. But she did not hesitate when he reached for her hand and started toward the building.

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Chapter Twenty-One"

Look at this fish:' Gage pointed through the glass, and the two watched a neon tetra glide slowly by.

"Maybe Sam and Pastor Simon are right:' Arcineh said, amazed at the color. "I'm not sure any of this could have just happened."

"Have you been thinking about our Sunday conversation all week?"

"Constantly"

Gage put an arm around her and began to walk them along. "What bothers you the most?"

"Being left alone again:'

"I'm not going anywhere:"

"You'd better not:' Arcie said, "but I want Sam too:' She looked up at him. "If heaven is there and he's going, I want to go too:'

"It sounds wonderful," Gage agreed. "I wonder if there's any real way to know"

Arcineh didn't have any answers, but it felt good to talk about it. They stopped for a long time to look at the seahorses and then went

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to the Soundings Restaurant where Gage had already booked a table. They sat at the window and looked out over Lake Michigan.

"Tell me about your sister:' Arcineh asked when they'd ordered their food.

"How did you know about Erika?"

"Sam. I asked about you:'

"Ah, checking up on me:'

"Guilty:"

"Well, Erika is three years older than I am and married to Luke Barnett. I see them every week or two:"

"Children?"

"No. That part of their lives has not gone so well. Erika has never conceived in at least six years of trying. They've just started looking into adoption, but it's too early to know how that will go:'

"And you're close to them?"

"I am. My dad is gone, so it's been good to have them living in the Chicago area with me:'

"Were you born here?"

"No, but both Erika and I went to Northwestern and wanted to stay. Did you go to college here?"

"I didn't go to college at all. I was so tired of school when I finished high school that I had no desire to go on. I still don't love the idea. I think if I knew what I wanted to study, I might, but not right now."

"So where did you learn Italian?"

Arcineh laughed, and Gage got ready for a good story. She told him about being whisked off to Italy with a few hours notice and then eventually living with Jalaina and her family.

"Grandma spoke Italian to me every day. I couldn't help but get good at it:'

"And Nicky and Jalaina are her grandchildren?"

"And Marco. He's still in high school:'

"Where are their parents?"

"Their mother never married their father, and he left when Marco

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was a baby. Then Jalaina's mom took off a few years later, and Grandma moved in."

"And where do they all live now?"

Arcineh explained the changes Nicky's marriage had made, where everyone lived, and when all the babies were due. She finished with, "I want you to meet them. In fact, Grandma expects it. She wants to feed me and meet you."

"Should I be afraid?"

"Not unless you're playing games with me."

"That's the last thing I would do:"

"What's the first?" Arcineh flirted a little.

Gage looked at her mouth.

Arcineh reached for her water. It was suddenly very warm in the restaurant.

"Have more lasagna," Grandma commanded Arcineh before she was finished with the first helping. "You too, Gage."

Before it was over, everyone had more on their plate, even Sam.

It was delicious, however, and everyone's praise was genuine. "I'm going to explode," Arcineh told the woman in Italian. "You're skinny," she fired right back. "It's the way Nicky works

you."

"What?" Nicky could not let that go, but he was speaking in English. "She's done, off to lead a life of luxury"

Jalaina threw a balled-up napkin at her brother, and Grandma scolded them all. Grandma's sister, Aunt Viola, got her words in as well, but she was mostly taken with Gage.

"He's good-looking," she told Arcineh in Italian, watching the younger man all the time.

Arcineh only smiled and agreed and then laughed out loud when she asked if Sam was single. Arcineh did not let on that Sam could understand every word.

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It was hours before the three left Aunt Viola's home, and everyone had to promise to return.

"This is your other family:' Sam said from the backseat. Arcineh had driven.

"Yes. It was not without challenges, but they took me in and treated me like their own. And Aunt Viola wants to treat you like family as well, Sam," Arcineh teased.

"Be that as it may, she couldn't take her eyes from Gage:'

"That's hard for any woman to do:' Arcineh said, loving Gage's pleased smile as she put the car into motion.

"I had a man in my office this week:' Simon said from the pulpit. "He lost his brother about five years ago. He had not stopped grieving for him in all this time, and he thought the answer to his hurt might be in God, so he came to see me.

"We talked about God's plan for man and the life that only God can give, but this man could not get past the fact that if his brother had not believed, he was lost. I don't know if I'll see that man again. I opened my Bible to passages that talk about God's love and His work on the cross, but he wanted me to pray for his brother. He did not want to accept the fact that his brother's decisions were made while he was alive, and there was nothing more for us to do.

"I showed him in Scripture where Jesus talks about Lazarus and the rich man, but he would not accept it when I told him that all he can do now is make sure
he's
ready to meet God. He didn't believe me when I told him that if his brother were not with God in eternity but had a chance to come back and tell him the right thing to do, I know he would say, 'Run to the cross. Run as fast as you can to the cross of Christ:"

Pastor Simon looked out on his flock, his eyes a little moist.

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"How many do I need to say it to today? How many in this room? Run to the cross. No matter who's gone before you or will come after you, understand
your
need for a Savior and the great love God is ready to show you through His Son. Be ready for eternity and run to the cross:'

Sam sat and listened to this, amazed at the workings of God and asking his heavenly Father to help Arcineh hear Simon's words. She had asked this very thing of him, and he had tried to answer. He wanted to look down at her but forced his eyes to the front, right through the closing prayer.

Not until the service ended did he look at Arcineh's face, and to his gaze she looked a little pale. When she didn't want to linger, he followed her and Gage to the car. And just like the week before, Gage beat her to the punch in asking questions.

"What if it's all true, Sam?" Gage asked him the moment they were in the car. "If what your pastor said today is true, my father is probably lost. There's nothing I can do about that:' Gage sounded as though he was reading a list. "I've got to make sure I'm ready for eternity"

"I think that sums it up," Sam said, having just realized that he'd prayed for Arcineh during the service and forgotten Gage.

"I'm not ready:' Gage said to him, Arcineh watching him from the backseat with huge eyes.

"What happened this morning, Gage?" Sam asked. "What did Simon say that has you thinking so seriously about this?"

"It just makes sense for the first time Gage said. "I mean--" his voice broke a little but he kept on. "I don't know what my dad believed. He was a good man, but he might not have accepted the cross like Pastor Simon says we must. But if it's true, and he's lost for eternity, he would want my sister and Luke and Ito all know the truth:'

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The younger man looked into Sam's eyes, not sure when he'd last felt so vulnerable. He wanted to cry for the first time in years, desperate to understand what had happened inside of him that morning.

Sam's own eyes grew moist, remembering how he felt when he realized that Trevor and Isabella were probably lost. He'd come to the same conclusion. He had to make sure he was ready.

"There is grief that comes with understanding that not everyone will be saved, Gage. The cross is there for the taking--God's Son died for all--but some will choose otherwise. However, you could not be more correct in realizing that you can only answer for you, and that you must not throw your life away because someone else did not make that choice:'

"You must also realize that a life lived in Christ and for Christ is the most amazing experience you could possibly imagine. Knowing that God loves me, and wants to help me in every area of my life, brings indescribable peace. I didn't know what I was missing all those years:'

Gage suddenly turned so he could look at Arcineh in the backseat. Her eyes were filled with tears. He shifted so he could take her hand. Neither one spoke. There were no words right then.

Sam started the car and put it into gear. It was bitterly cold and time to go home. There they could continue to talk or cry, whatever was needed.