Page 33 of Wish You Faith (Christmas Sweethearts #1)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

F ounders Row had its own outdoor community pool overlooking the beach and ocean. As Rosie walked by it, she was surprised that the pool wasn’t covered, although it was in the afternoon. It was January after all, and winter was still cold on Tybee Island.

She squatted down to touch the water. It was warm. She wondered how much it cost to heat the pool that nobody was using. Not her problem, was it?

Thanks to the new deal with Evan, Rosie paid only one flat fee each month for Mom to rent his grandpa’s condo. No word had been spoken about extra fees such as pool use. The rest of the costs were covered in the Honor Scholarship that Mom had received from SSLR.

Rosie stood up and continued her leisurely walk to the tiki huts with their thatched palapa roofs and round bar height tables and chairs. There were three of them, all facing the ocean. The bar was closed in January, but it mattered not to Rosie since she didn’t drink.

With no one out here, all was quiet save for the pummeling ocean waves, occasional sea birds, and the rare airplane flying across the sky.

Rosie liked the serene view from the shade under the thatched roof. It wasn’t cold this afternoon, not when Rosie was wearing her new knee-length goose down coat that Mom had given her for Christmas. In fact, if she stayed out there long enough in the sun, she might have to remove her jacket.

She took off her sunglasses and checked for messages on her phone. Just in case there was something from work that she had to deal with.

Nope. Nothing. No work.

It was past two o’clock, but Mom was still upstairs in the condo, getting ready.

She wanted to put on some makeup and look decent.

She was looking for the pearls that Dad had bought her so many years ago.

Rosie didn’t ask Mom why she would need to dress up to play a game of mahjong at the SSLR club house.

Mom’s life had been extended by the grace of God, and she should enjoy life while she still had it.

If she wanted to wear pearls, then by all means.

Rosie had come downstairs to have some time to herself. Second day of her staycation, and already she was looking for quiet time. Mom liked to leave the TV on all day long—in case she missed any breaking news or must-see weather reports.

As for Rosie, she had just come off a busy Christmas season at work.

Even though she had vacation and plenty of overtime, she decided to take only three days off the first week of January.

She’d be back at work on Monday, when Lorenzo and his wife would be in the Caribbean for their seven-day wedding anniversary cruise.

Her first day off had been filled with spending time with Mom doing the usual things like groceries and baking.

Then they went to church for the Wednesday night evening service, where Rosie saw Lorenzo exchange some sharp remarks with his wife, Tabitha, outside the riverboat.

Rosie didn’t want to interfere in their marital conflict, but she prayed for them silently.

They must’ve gotten over it because they walked to church hand in hand afterwards.

Rosie wondered whether she could easily reconcile with Evan if they quarreled like that in public. At church, no less. It would have to be something that aggrieved her if she exploded in front of strangers. She wouldn’t, but she wondered if Evan could be loud like that.

No matter. Now that Lorenzo and Tabitha had popped into her mind again, one day later, Rosie decided she had to pray for them. She closed her eyes and realized she had no idea how to pray for two married people. Having never been married herself, what basis would her prayer be founded on?

What about on the basis of God’s sovereignty over Christian marriages?

Okay. She could start from there. She prayed for God’s perfect will for Lorenzo and Tabitha.

She knew that they had been trying to have another baby, so she lifted that up to the Lord.

If God wanted them to have another child, then He would make it happen.

After all, Psalm 127:3 said that children were gifts from God.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,

The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Rosie prayed, being fully aware that sometimes God did not gift certain people children. Mom and Dad wanted more kids, but God had only given the Hamilton house all of one child. After Rosie, Mom hadn’t conceived again. They accepted what God had and hadn’t given, and blessed His name anyway.

Realizing now that she did know how to pray for Lorenzo and Tabitha, Rosie thanked God and finished her silent prayer.

When she opened her eyes, she was startled to see a small woman only slightly taller than the pub table staring right at her from across the table. The table was about three or four feet tall, so that would put the woman at around five feet.

The afternoon sun cast a halo around her dark brown hair, combed neatly and cut so precisely. Even the gentle wind couldn’t mess up that hairdo.

Rosie couldn’t guess her age, but she looked younger than Mom. Well, many people looked younger than Mom, especially after her chemotherapy.

The woman wasn’t alone. Flanking her, and taller than her, was a woman half her age. She was wearing black sunglasses and red lipstick.

“Your eyes. Wow.” It was the woman’s opening words. “Are you wearing contacts?”

“Uh...” Rosie had talked to strangers at the tree farm, but usually it was about which Christmas trees would fit best in their living room.

Other than that, she’d rather talk to plants than to people.

Lorenzo was the extrovert and dealt with the marketing aspects of the Christmastown Tree Farm.

Rosie would prefer to work in the greenhouse or in her office.

“Yes or no?” The woman asked again. “Simple question.”

“No contacts.”

“Natural eye color. So gray. Very unusual.” The woman tried to get up on the barstool, and didn’t want any help from her companion.

After she sat down without asking Rosie if she could or not, Rosie realized that this might be one of those divine appointments that Pastor Flores often spoke about at church. Someone unexpected had shown up.

The woman was still staring at Rosie.

It was a game of who would blink first.

Rosie looked away.

“So gray. You look like anime,” the woman added.

Now Rosie heard a faint accent. She couldn’t pinpoint where the woman was from.

“My father has gray eyes,” Rosie said.

“Maybe your children will also have the same eyes.”

Children? What children?

Rosie didn’t want to ask if there was something she could do for the woman or if she needed help.

Rosie did not want to do anything for strangers today.

She was decompressing after a busy Christmas season.

She wanted nothing better than to stare out at the ocean and talk to no one—except perhaps to text Evan, who was at work and shouldn’t be disturbed.

“I want to see what kind of a woman would make my son give up his freedom for the next ten years and return to a job he loathes,” the woman finally said.

Oh.

Was she Evan’s mother? Rosie didn’t want to ask.

Wait. What ten years?

“You don’t talk to strangers.” The woman laughed. “I’m sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Mei Cavanaugh, Evan’s mom.”

She did not extend her hand across the table, and neither did Rosie. Most of the time, she’d rather do fist bumps at work, but she’d give people the occasional hugs if they needed it.

“You don’t shake hands either.” She smiled. “Germs, right?”

Rosie nodded. “Nice to meet you. I’m Rosie Hamilton.”

“I know. Already we have two things in common, but that’s not enough.” Mei made a face.

Now Rosie understood why Evan’s mom was intimidating, even to her own sons. How could she handle such a person? Rosie knew she had to pray for help. Well, how would she pray for help?

Help me, Lord.

It was all her heart could bleat out.

“Nice ring.” Mei pointed to Rosie’s engagement ring. The diamond was bright in the afternoon light.

“Thank you.”

“Why Evan?” Mei asked.

“What do you mean?” Rosie asked as calmly as she could.

Firstly, she was surprised that she would see Evan’s family this soon. Granted, they were now engaged, and Rosie should expect a meeting at some point. But not this early.

Secondly, Mei had landed in front of her with all these questions that made her unfriendly and somewhat hostile. It was a confrontation that Rosie hadn’t been prepared for, and Evan hadn’t warned her about.

The only thing Rosie could do was take it in stride. She was trying to figure out what to say when Mei continued.

“He’s my son. I worry about him,” Mei said.

“Rightly so.” It was all Rosie could think of saying. “How old is your son?”

“Thirty-three, but you knew that.”

Rosie nodded. “He is old enough to make his own decisions about his life.”

“What if he fails?”

“Then he fails.” Rosie didn’t elaborate. In this regard, she’d taken after Dad, who had often been blunt with the truth.

Mei leaned forward. “What if he marries the wrong girl?”

“Then he suffers the consequences of his decision.” Rosie didn’t give her a chance to ask more questions. “What if I marry the wrong man?”

Mei seemed to be taken aback. “How could my son be the wrong man?”

Then a slow smile crept up Mei’s lips. She pointed a finger at Rosie. “I like you.”

Already?

“But my question remains. Why did you choose Evan?”

“Why not Evan?” Rosie asked back. “Does he not deserve his own happiness? Life is shorter than most of us think. Blink, and your kids are out of diapers. Blink, and they’re married with kids. Blink, and they’re crying as their parents die in some hospital.”

Rosie stopped talking. Had she spoken too much?

“Hmm. So that’s the kind of woman you are,” Mei said.

At least she had been upgraded from girl to woman. “What kind do you mean?”

“The carpe diem type of woman.”

“I would disagree,” Rosie replied. “Carpe diem implies that one lives in the moment. I think about the future all the time.”