Easter Blessings by Lenora Worth

Author:Lenora Worth [Worth, Lenora]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2003-10-19T20:00:00+00:00

A couple of days later, Mariel walked out of ICU to find her mother standing in the hallway with a tall, tan-skinned man. Evelyn looked up, her eyes laced with a wild fear. “Mariel?”

“What’s wrong?” Mariel asked, her gaze flying from her mother’s face to the man beside her. “Is something wrong with Granny—something the doctors didn’t tell us?”

“No, no,” Evelyn replied in a strained voice. She glanced at the man. “This is your father.”

Mariel had to reach for the nearby wall railing. Leaning back against the sturdy wood, she stared at the man who’d walked out of her life all those years ago. Vincent Evans looked gaunt, a thin pallor showing clearly through his olive complexion. His hair, once dark brown, was now tinged with streaks of gray. But his eyes were a vivid blue-green, and right now, they looked misty.

“What do you want?” Mariel asked, her voice raspy.

“I—I wanted to see you,” Vincent said. “Your mother and I—we ran into each other in the cafeteria downstairs. We’ve been talking for hours.”

“I told him about Jeffrey,” Evelyn said.

“That’s nice.”

Evelyn touched an arm to Mariel’s sleeve. “Vincent and I have made our peace, Mariel. At last.” She almost smiled, but Mariel saw the old pain cresting in her eyes.

“Am I supposed to be happy about that?”

“I’d like you to…consider it,” Evelyn replied. “And I think you need to listen to what your father has to say.”

Mariel watched as Evelyn headed for the double doors of the ICU. The swishing of those doors sounded like wind over flowers. Then there was only silence.

“What do you want?” she asked her father again.

She heard the shuffling of his feet, heard a soft, trembling sigh. “I love you,” he said. Then he turned to leave.

“So…that’s it?” she called after him. “You love me, and yet, you’re leaving again?”

He turned, his hands in the pockets of his khaki work breeches. “I don’t want to leave. I want to get to know you.”

“Better late than never?”

“Yes,” he said, coming back to stand in front of her. “Sadie told me you were home. Sadie said better now, than never.”

Tears pricked at Mariel’s eyes. Her grandmother had just said almost the very same words to her. “Let Heath love you, Mariel. Better to take a chance now, than never at all.”

“Granny is very sick. She wants everything neat and tidy—”

“She’s right to want that. I don’t want her to…pass on…thinking I didn’t love you.”

“That’s very thoughtful.”

“I’m not being thoughtful. I’m being honest.” When Mariel didn’t respond, he said, “You Hillsboro women—always stubborn to the end.”

Mariel thought about her mother, about the change that had come over Evelyn. That her parents had held a civil conversation was a miracle in itself. Maybe it was time for her to start trusting again. Sadie would tell her to use faith as her guide. Help me, Lord. Mariel heard the silent plea inside her head. Then she turned to face her father. “I do need some answers.”

He nodded, cleared his throat. “Let’s go get a cup of coffee.

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