A New Chapter by Diann Hunt

Author:Diann Hunt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2013-11-19T16:00:00+00:00

Differences of opinion can separate or strengthen. The wise woman can grow through adversity.

PEARL CHAMBERS, The Gentlewoman’s Guide to Love and Courtship

CHAPTER FIVE

While Lia’s class worked on writing letters, she graded papers at her desk. She glanced up at Grace, who seemed to have recovered from her scare the day before. The little girl’s pain ran deep. Lia’s heart squeezed. If only she could help her.

Stacking the students’ papers in a neat pile, she put them in a folder marked Numbers and placed it in her bottom drawer. Then she walked over to the blackboard, picked up an eraser, and started wiping down the board, ridding it of names, letters, and numbers. She sneezed for the umpteenth time today. She would like to have blamed it on the chalk dust, but she knew better. Her yearly cold had arrived. Normally it hit during Christmas break, but evidently she’d picked up a virus while ice skating.

By the time the bell rang, she was more than ready to go home. The children gathered coats, hats, boots, book bags, and lunch boxes, then chattered and squealed their way to the buses. Once they were gone, Lia tidied her room for the evening. She turned to leave and spotted Joey in the doorway.

“Joey. What brings you here? You know Grace is already on the bus, right?”

“Right. I just wanted to talk to you. Do you have a minute?”

All she wanted to do was go home, put on her pajamas, and drink hot cocoa. “Sure. Take a seat.” She pointed to the chair beside her desk.

“Thanks. I wanted to apologize for ending things so abruptly after our skating on Saturday.”

“It’s all right, Joey. I understand why Grace was upset.”

He nodded. Silence hung between them as he studied his hands. “I’m going to take her away.”

“What?”

“Over Christmas.”

“But why?”

“To get her away from all the reminders.”

“But, Joey, Christmas is everywhere.”

“It looks a little different in Florida than it does in Chicago. Or Smitten.”

“So you won’t celebrate Christmas?” The thought nearly took her breath away.

“A day at Disney World would be a nice replacement, don’t you think?”

“But what about the Christmas Eve service at church? The live nativity? Joey, children love that. That’s the true meaning of Christmas. Do you really want her to miss out on that?”

Joey shrugged. “The fewer reminders of Christmas, the better.”

“Is this for you or for her?”

His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. “It’s for her. But can’t it be for me too? We’ve been through enough.”

“So that’s the plan? You’ll just shun Christmas every year?”

“I don’t know,” he snapped. “I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

“You can’t protect her from everything, Joey,” Lia said as softly as she could.

“We’re leaving on Saturday. Just wanted you to know when you didn’t see us around the apartment.” He stood and walked toward the door.

Lia couldn’t help herself. She called out, “Merry Christmas.”

He kept walking and didn’t turn back.

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