Autumn Falls by Delia Latham

Author:Delia Latham
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: christian Fiction
Publisher: Pelican Book Group
Published: 2017-07-17T00:00:00+00:00

12

The next few days dragged by. Autumn’s cell phone became an extra appendage. Surely Russ would call—if nothing else, he’d want to give her grief for putting him on the spot in front of his daughter. She could take that, she had it coming. But she needed to know Dalynn was OK, that she hadn’t caused the child undue suffering. And she needed to know Russ didn’t hate her. He didn’t have to love her—didn’t even have to like her. She wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t. But she didn’t think she could stand thinking he hated her.

“Honey, you have to stop this.” Ceci dropped onto the sofa next to her. “Why don’t you just call him?”

“If he doesn’t want to talk to me, I don’t want to force the issue.”

“Autie.” Violet eyes took on a deeper shade, as they always did when she was worried or concerned. Autumn had never been able to put a definitive color on the particular shade in all the years she’d known Ceci. “You had every right to ask Russ about his wife. He should understand that.”

“Yes, I agree.” She set her coffee mug on a small table and pressed both hands to her unsettled tummy. “But I could have chosen a better time, and I should never have brought it up in front of Dalynn.”

“How could you have possibly known it would be a painful subject? You didn’t do anything wrong, Autie.”

“Then why does it feel as if I did?” She blinked back the burning in her eyes. This crying thing had gotten completely out of hand, and she needed to stop it already.

“Sweetie…that’s because you’ve got such a big, soft heart. I know you don’t like to admit it, but you can’t stand thinking you’ve hurt someone. That’s one of your most endearing qualities.”

Autumn rolled her eyes. “Please. I’m not nearly as sweet as all that.”

Her friend gave her a playful punch on the arm. “Did I say you were sweet? No way. I said you have a big ol’ marshmallow heart. That’s not the same, is it?”

“Pretty much.” She shot Ceci a pretend glare, and then scooted close and rested her head on the other woman’s shoulder. “Hey, Ceci…?”

“Huh oh. Should I be afraid?”

“No. I’m just curious. We haven’t really talked about…you know. Sunday. When you went up front at the church.”

“You mean when I gave my heart to the Lord?”

“Yeah. What’s it like? I mean, do you feel different?”

“Yes.” Ceci’s voice took on a soft, thoughtful tone. She combed through Autumn’s hair with her fingers as she spoke, and Autumn closed her eyes and relaxed, enjoying the moment. “I feel clean, and at peace. Things that seemed of utmost importance before don’t matter so much now…and vice versa. It’s as if I’ve been recreated or something. Inside, I mean. Like God made me brand new.”

A little spark of longing ignited in Autumn’s soul. What would it be like to experience a “recreation”? But God would never want her. Where Ceci was sweet and soft-spoken, she was mouthy and loud.

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