A Time to Gather by Sally John

Author:Sally John
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2009-05-20T16:00:00+00:00

Thirty-Four

Morning.” Max handed Claire a mug of coffee.

“Thanks.” Wrapped in an afghan, her legs curled beneath her, she closed the Bible she’d been reading and watched Max sit at the other end of the love seat.

As usual, he’d risen before her, made the coffee, and joined her in their master suite. After a lifetime of hitting the floor running their separate ways, the glide into a daily habit of conversing with each other first thing had been surprisingly easy.

But something was off.

“Hmm,” she said. “I was kind of getting used to the ‘good morning, sweetheart’ with a little lip action.”

He smiled briefly, leaned over, and planted a solid kiss on her mouth. “Good morning, sweetheart.”

“Ahh. Much better. Okay, what’s up with you?”

He sat back, his eyes nearly creased shut. “How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Know things. You didn’t used to read me like this.”

“I did. I just never felt safe enough to tell you.”

He sighed.

“So what’s up, hon?”

“I’m going to the office.”

She stiffened.

He drank from his mug and avoided eye contact.

With a deep breath and a long, loud puff to exhale, she let the tension go. “I don’t think so.”

“What?”

She smiled. “I said I don’t think so. It’s a new phrase Tandy suggested. I still haven’t got the attitude down, though. Let me try again.” She cocked her head and made her voice gruff. “I don’t think so!”

He squinted as if totally baffled.

“It’s to remind myself not to react in old ways. Like just now, when you said you’re going to the office, I instantly got all uptight because you used to say that on evenings and weekends and holidays. It meant you’re choosing work over family. It meant I had to carry on without you. It meant I played second fiddle.”

“Yeah, well.” He rubbed his forehead. “It might mean that today.”

“I don’t think so!”

“No, it’s true. I admit it.”

“It might be true, but I’m still talking to myself here. Give me a second.” She half teased, half stalled, not wanting to hear his plans. “Okay. Not only am I not going to get a stomachache over this, I am going to tell you exactly what I think and how I feel.”

“That’s good. Keep our communication lines open.” He quoted the counselor who had talked and prayed with them through some rough spots after their decision not to divorce.

Claire nodded and offered another quote. “And reassure each other that we’re on emotionally safe ground.”

“Right.” He gave her a small smile. “This is the hard part, huh?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I promise to listen. I promise to value your feelings and opinions and not attack you for having them. Okay?”

“Okay.” She rested back against the cushions, her fingers entwined around the mug on her lap. “After the fire, I couldn’t handle being a violinist with the symphony. Emotional trauma and all that. I had to step down. Since more or less recovering, I’ve been able to go back as a sub, now and then. For fun I play once a month with Tandy and the others.

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