“I’m sorry…” she said apologetically as she fixed her straps and quickly left the room.
Chapter 18
“Let’s go to church today,” Robert said.
The statement cut across the breakfast table as the children devoured their food and the adults ate in tension-filled silence.
Dana looked up and met Robert’s dark brown eyes with surprise.
“Oh. I was actually planning to go myself. I’m happy to hear you want to join me,” she said after a short pause.
As the kids chatted away, the heavy silence continued to stretch out between Robert and Dana on the drive over to the church.
Dana eventually turned to Robert, who sat beside her in the limo, and said quietly, “I noticed you didn’t come to bed last night. Where’d you sleep?”
He turned to look out the window. “I fell asleep on the couch.”
“Why didn’t you come to bed?”
He didn’t answer immediately. “Being in such close proximity to you would have made it a little difficult for me to honor your wish that we not…” he cleared his throat and after shooting a glance at the children he lowered his voice a few decibels. “…make love. I thought it best that I cool off first, so to speak. I ended up falling asleep on the couch. When I woke this morning, it was just after five o’clock. I decided to just swim, read the Bible, and start my day.”
“I’m sorry about last night…”
Robert shrugged. “It’s okay,” he said and shifted his gaze out the window again.
It was, in fact, not okay. He was fighting to control the feelings of frustration that were starting to creep in on the edge of his contentment. Even though he’d had his first concrete memories the previous day, the fact that he still had no real memories of Dana made him feel so impotent. He felt like banging his head against a wall and stirring some memories. He was becoming discouraged with what seemed to him to be such slow progress in spite of spending so much time with the woman and looking at every photo album they had. His memory was stubbornly refusing to be jogged. He began to wonder if he was deliberately blocking her out for some unknown reason. But that hardly made sense. Why would he want to block out the memories of such a beautiful, amazing woman?
When they walked into the church, there were many curious glances shot their way. Several members of the congregation greeted the family. Robert assumed that he knew these people. They seemed quite friendly. But none of them registered with him. He just smiled politely at everything they said and matched his responses to theirs. He knew he should be delighted to be in the house of the Lord, but as unfamiliar faces swam around him, and he recalled the events of the previous night, he began to feel a burden in his soul.
The worship service was also strange to him. It was Protestant and unlike the service at the Catholic Church in which he had grown up. He began to wonder why he had not insisted that they go to that church. When the minister, Rev. Charles Michaelson, eventually spoke, though, he realized that he was exactly where God wanted him to be.
“There are some of you here this morning who are feeling discouraged. Perhaps there has been some tragedy in your life, the loss of someone or something you hold dear. But I want to encourage you today that there is hope. There is hope. The one who made everything sees you and is with you. Sometimes in our lives, we go through desert-like situations. Things are barren. Circumstances beyond our control may have occurred, and we feel abandoned and alone. But be assured this morning that God is with you. He is carrying you through this difficult time.”
The minister paused to take a sip of water. “Whenever we talk about trials, most people think immediately about Job, but there is another person in the Bible I’d like to reference today who also went through a tough time. I’m speaking about David. Yes, he was a man after God’s own heart, but David was also a man whose faith was tested time and time again, and he always remembered that God was in control. Even after he’d been chosen by God to be king and anointed by Samuel, David had to run for his life and hide out from King Saul, and this was over the course of several years. Yet, he never turned away from God or tried to wring things from his hands. Yes, he was frustrated, I’m sure, but he never said, ‘let me kill Saul and take what’s mine.’ In fact, in 1 Samuel Chapter 24 we see that he had the opportunity to take out Saul, but he didn’t. He said, ‘touch not the Lord’s anointed.’ Imagine what you and I might have done. We might have said, ‘Lord, this is taking too long. I’m here serving you so why should I suffer like this?’ Yet, it wasn’t God’s time, and God’s timing is what counts.”
The minister paused to look around the sanctuary at his congregation.
“The story of David and Saul reminds us that when God is ready to move, he moves. All we have to do is live in obedience to His will, and He works things out perfectly. When the time was right, Saul died in battle. David never had the stain of Saul’s blood on his hands or that shadow over his reign. Another important point is that during that time, that barren time, God sustained David. God preserved him for His victory. In the same way, God also sustains and strengthens us, brothers and sisters, during our own times of trial. So we mustn’t ever give up and lose hope.”
The Minister looked around the room again.
“We live in a town that’s all about superstars and idols. And not only do people worship these mortal beings, the beings themselves feed off this worship and come to believe they deserve it. Reality check, folks. There is really only one superstar. There’s only one superhero. There’s only one supernatural who has the power to save us. It’s not Superman. It’s not Batman. It’s not Captain America. It’s not American idol or America’s Next Top Model. It’s not even the Virgin Mary and it’s not the dead saints, so don’t pray to them…” Robert’s mouth dropped open here. This was so unlike his early teachings he began to squirm, then the minister’s next words were like a light bulb going on in his head.
“…It’s Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters, he is the one you should turn your eyes to. David himself in Psalm 121 says, ‘I lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip.’ So don’t look to things or people, today. Look to the Lord, your Redeemer, your Savior, your friend. He alone, I’ll repeat it because it’s important, He alone has the power to save you from this situation you’re in; this barren time you’re in. You can trust in him. You can lift up your hands and praise him because you have already won the victory.”
Rev. Michaelson then invited anyone needing prayer to come to the altar.
Robert left the pew and walked up the aisle with a few other people. Then he knelt at the altar as the minister prayed for them. When he got to Robert, he placed his hands on his shoulders and prayed, “Dear Lord, I pray for my brother today that you will free him of the chains of worry and concerns that weigh him down. Comfort him with the knowledge that you have all things in your hands; that there is nothing that happens on earth that you are not aware of, and if you allow those called by your name to go through trials, it is ultimately for their good…”
~*~*~*~
Two days later, Robert and Dana sat in Dr. Franklin Richards’ Cedars-Sinai office as he spoke to them about Robert’s condition. It was their first visit. It had begun with Robert undergoing a series of tests. Now they were discussing the results.
“Robert, your progress has been great. Your brain is healing wonderfully,” Franklin Richards said. He was a muscular man with dark brown skin, a bald head, a mustache, and a goatee.
“I know you’re concerned that you still haven’t regained the majority of memories you lost. I have a suggestion to make.”
He leaned forward placing his elbows on the table.
“Is there any place that has been very significant for the two of you?”
Dana answered, “Our home. We got married there, and most of our memories surround that house,”
Dr. Richards nodded thoughtfully.
“Any
where else?”
Dana glanced at Robert and then it dawned on her.
“Barbados. It’s my ancestral home, well kinda. My paternal grandfather was a Barbadian, and it’s the place we spent our honeymoon. We visit often.”
“Barbados. Great place. My wife, Tonya, and I visited her relatives there last year.”
“Yes, it is. We go there to celebrate our wedding anniversary on February 26 each year.”
“That’s a little over a week away. I think it would be a great time to travel there. Try it for a week or two. See what it yields.”
~*~*~*~
“Aaron got into a fight today,” Alex announced the moment the three children got in the door after school that day.
As Dana had accompanied Robert to the appointment with the neurosurgeon, she had asked their chauffeur, Ramon, after he had dropped them at home, to collect the kids from school.
“What? Why?” Robert asked in alarm. His gaze fixed on Aaron as his hands found his hips.
“Jimmy Grier said you had brain damage and were now mentally retarded and off drooling somewhere and would never make movies again. He said that’s why you’re not talking to reporters, and you just move in and out of a limo with dark tinted glass. So I punched him in the stomach. You would have been proud of me, Dad. I totally floored him. He didn’t know what hit him,” Aaron said fiercely, his bright brown eyes shining at the memory of the event.
Robert’s face was like stone. He shook his head at his firstborn son.
“You shouldn’t have fought, Aaron.”
Aaron protested with wide-eyed innocence, “It wasn’t a fight, Dad. I sucker punched Jimmy, and he doubled over. There was no fighting involved, just a beating.”
Adam rushed to his brother’s defense.
“Yeah and he deserved it, Dad. Jimmy Grier was totally provoking us, and you said you shouldn’t provoke people.”
“That’s not the point, Adam. And Aaron, it’s not right to go around hitting people just because they say mean things.”
“But you do it in your movies, Dad. You punch out the bad guys who say mean things all the time,” Alex said.
Robert took in a deep breath and glanced heavenward.
He got down on his haunches to be eye-level with his kids.
“Never mind that. Do you know what I read today in God’s word?”
The trio shook their heads and watched him.
“I learned that you pray for your enemies. You don’t return evil for evil. You pray for them and leave them to God. People can say all they like about us but Christians are not supposed to let that determine our actions. Don’t let others make you into something you’re not. People can say what they want about me. That’s okay. This family knows the truth. The people who matter to us know the truth. Okay?”
“But it’s hard to ignore people who are nasty,” Aaron protested.
Robert smiled. “I know. The easy thing is to get back at them. Any fool, any weakling, can do that. What makes us really strong is when we smile at them and walk away. It says in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. That’s one of the first verses I had to memorize when I was about your age. I’d like you kids to memorize it too. It reminds us that God doesn’t ask us to do hard tasks in our own strength. We can pray and ask Him to strengthen us for what He calls us to do, and He will answer our prayer. Okay? Good. Now come give me a hug.”
Dana watched in wonder as her kids all rushed into Robert’s embrace. This was surely the season for firsts. Robert Cortelli quoting Scripture to their children? And asking them to memorize it too? Remarkable. She couldn’t help but wonder what other firsts were in store for her family.
~*~*~*~
“Dana, I need to meet with Robert.”
Dana ran her hand down one of the large palm leaves on the terrace and swallowed back the response she wanted to give.
“I told you I’d let you know, Sandy. Now’s not a convenient time.”
There was a long pause.
“Am I still Robert’s agent?” Sandy Brown asked.
“Has he communicated otherwise to you?”
“That’s just it. He’s communicated nothing to me. I’ve only been hearing from you and…”
“That’s not enough for you?”
There was another pause followed by a quick expulsion of breath.
“There are things I need to discuss with him as soon as possible. It’s business, Dana. Whether you understand it or not, Robert is an industry, he’s not just an actor. He’s like a corporation. He’s a brand. The world hasn’t stopped turning you know. There are contracts to fulfill, contracts to sign, meetings to be…”
Whether you understand it or not? What was that supposed to mean? She bit her tongue and counted slowly to ten as she reached for patience.
It didn’t work.
“Do you understand that Robert had brain surgery? Do you understand that he almost died, Sandy?” she exploded.
“Dana, I understand the situation…”
“It somehow doesn’t seem as though you really do. His doctors have advised us that full recovery will take time and that there are certain things that he needs to adjust to. I’m not going to let you, or anyone else, put pressure on him,” she continued angrily.
Sandy pushed on.
“I understand that he has memory loss. Is that true?”
Dana was silent for a moment.
“Who told you that?”
“Is it true or not?”
Again with the tone. This man was unbelievable.
“He has had some memory loss. Yes,” she replied tersely.
“Is his publicist aware? You should put out some kind of a statement.”
“We’ve already put out a statement.”
“Not about the memory loss. People are talking. You do know he’s got two film projects in the works, right? One of them set to begin in a few months. The producers are asking if Robert can handle it. These are things we need to sort out.”
Dana sighed. “Sandy, I will speak with Robert’s doctors, and we will see what’s possible. I’ll let you know.”
“I would like to at least see him.”
“Currently, visitors have been restricted to medical personnel and close family members. Please try to understand that my primary interest is my husband’s well-being. His career is not a priority right now. Unless Robert is healthy he can’t work anyway so any discussion would be pointless.”
As Sandy began to protest Dana interrupted. “I acknowledge that you’ll need to know what to expect, and I will have an answer for you as soon as I can.”
“Fine. I’ll wait to hear from you then,” Sandy said in a resigned, though glacial, tone.
Dana returned the cordless phone to its cradle and padded through the house towards the home gym.
She had always tried to be civil to Sandy Brown even though she had never quite warmed up to him. She knew that Robert respected him and relied on him, but there had always been something about the man that rubbed her the wrong way. He had been her sister Barbara’s agent too at one point until she had decided to begin making Christian films. Suddenly, Barbara had become persona non grata as far as Sandy was concerned and he had tried to bully her into making secular movies that would rake in the millions. When that hadn’t worked, and Barbara had instead given him his walking papers, he had gone around town labeling her a fanatic and a freak. Of course, he had always been careful to keep his opinion of Barbara to himself when Dana was within earshot, but the comments he made got back to her, and she disliked him all the more.
Now here he was, not too concerned about Robert as a person but more as a client. It was blatant that he wanted to ensure that his biggest client was able to continue to make millions of dollars even if it meant killing himself in the process. She was sure he had fed Robert’s narcissistic addiction of always being on the big screen by plying him with scripts to keep him working.
The physical therapist was at
their house working with Robert to help to improve his strength and balance.
Dana quietly sat on a workout bench and observed Robert go through his paces with seemingly minimal effort.
When Robert had gone to shower, she asked the physical therapist, “How’s he doing?”
The man, Joseph Mains, nodded as he packed up his things.
“Mr. Cortelli is doing very well. I wish all my clients were as determined as he is. He’s amazing. When I carried out his first assessment I’d predicted that he’d be at his maximum in about three months but now I’ve revised that to six weeks.” He stopped short and turned to her. “Has he been training when I’m not here?”
She tapped her index finger against her bottom lip, thinking.
“He swims every day. He walks around the property as well. It doesn’t look like he has all the stamina that he did before the accident. But that’s not saying much because he was really at his peak at that time. He was in incredible shape.”
“Yeah, I think I read somewhere that he trained with his personal trainer for months before the movie began and put on fifteen pounds of muscle and got his body fat down to something like three percent for the role.”
Dana nodded. Robert had worked out three hours a day, six days a week. When he wasn’t training, he was eating, having massages, or in the sauna. She had to admit, with an involuntary adrenaline rush at the memory, that the results had been something to behold. Even now, almost two months after the accident, he still looked ripped.
“Yeah, he’s still in great shape,” Dana observed.
“He’s really an amazing man, Ms. Dickson. You’re probably so proud of him. I bet part of his motivation is getting back out there making movies, right?”
Joseph Mains straightened, slinging the bag over his shoulder.
“He’s got lots of fans waiting breathlessly to find out how he’s doing. There are many people who are genuinely concerned for him. It might be good if he could just speak to the public about it. They’d really be happy to know he’s a lot better.”
Second Chance: A Christian Romance (Royals Book 2) Page 20
