Because of Lauren: A Love Story

by Vivi Underwood

  “We are leaving here around three-twenty. Any time before that, I guess.”

  “I’ll tell him.”

  She walked over to Jonas. He reached up and stroked her cheek. “Are you doing okay out there?”

  “More than okay. Henry has been showing me all his tricks. He is so much fun. And I’ve been helping Allison get things ready for the dinner.” She gave him a warm smile. “I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing.”

  Reluctantly, Jonas removed his hand, but his eyes followed her until the door closed behind her.

  “Intriguing young woman,” said Jake, his eyes still on the door. “I’m looking forward to getting to know her better.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Anticipation was growing in the Andrews household. Henry was napping, but the girls waited anxiously for their grandparents to arrive. The adults were a bit more subdued, and in Jake’s case quite emotional. Growing up, he had a close family, The banishment broke his heart. In the early days, only the love of the gospel kept him going. Then he met Jonas. So often he had thought Jonas was Heaven sent, a friend who became the brother he never had, and in his own way made up for the family Jake could no longer call his own. And now he and Lauren were responsible for this imminent reunion.

  He heard a squeal and Leah’s excited voice, “There is a car pulling in. That must be them.” She ran to the door, Nora close behind. She yanked the door open, and both girls flew down the steps. Their parents followed at a more sedate pace. Still cautious, Jake remained on the doorstep, framed in the open doorway. The girls rushed to their grandparents as they stepped out of the car and hugged them warmly.

  They looked well, Jake thought. Older, of course, and his father’s hair had turned silver in the intervening years, but he was as tall and distinguished-looking as he remembered him. His mother, his gentle mother, was still trim and well-groomed. But he saw grief on their faces and detected a hesitant attitude as they released the girls. They were unsure of their welcome. Feeling empathy for them, Jake walked quickly down the steps and embraced them both. “Thank you for coming. I can’t tell you how good it is to see you.” Then the tears started flowing. Allison stepped up with tissues and introduced herself to her mother-in-law who immediately embraced her.

  When they broke apart, she said in a broken voice, “Thank you for caring for and loving our son all these years.”

  “Thank you for raising him to become such a fine man,” said Allison sincerely.

  Mr. and Mrs. Andrews looked at each other, then at Jake and Allison. They detected no bitterness, no anger for having cut their son off from the family.

  They saw only love.

  Inside, Jonas and Lauren waited. Peter felt relief when he saw them. Lauren had a way of making difficult things easy.

  Seeing their uncertainty, she went to them. “Everything will be fine,” she assured them. “Jake and Allison are not people who hold grudges. I understand the girls have heard stories of their father’s happy childhood since they were quite small. They are overjoyed to have you here.”

  Sarah’s tears had subsided somewhat, but Lauren’s comforting words made them run freely again. She dabbed them with another tissue. Peter’s eyes were burning, but he kept the tears in check. He leaned down and kissed Lauren’s cheek. “Thank you.”

  Presently Peter felt a tug on his hand and looked down. Little Leah slipped her hand in his and led him to a seat on the sofa. “I want us all to gather so we have time to hear what you want to tell us,” she said ingeniously, and stretching out her hand to her grandmother said, “You too, Grandma. Mom, Dad, hurry up! And since it is my baptism day, no more crying,” she ordered. “This is a happy day.”

  As if on cue, Jonas and Lauren wordlessly slipped away. This was a time for the Andrews family to be alone, to find their way back to each other so the healing could begin.

  With everyone seated, Peter looked at his family. There was pain in his eyes as he faced them. He was a good man who had made a terrible mistake and because of Lauren had finally found the courage to make things right.

  He cleared this throat. “Thank you for letting us come here today. It is more than we deserve. Seeing your beautiful family Jake,” he cleared his throat again, dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief, and started over. “All these years wasted because of . . .” Peter swallowed and tried again. “I’m sorry, Jake, that I allowed pride to destroy our family. I am even sorrier that I didn’t come to you years ago. Sending you away was cruel and unforgivable.”

  Jake had never seen his father so emotional. It was clear he had suffered because of the decision he’d made so many years before, a decision made in anger. Feeling compassion well up inside, he said, “I forgave you a long time ago, Dad. It was lack of understanding that made you do what you did. I always knew that.”

  Peter shook his head. “It was ignorance mixed with pride and stubbornness,” he insisted.

  “Perhaps some of that, too,” Jake agreed and reached for Allison’s hand. “We’re just glad it’s in the past, and our children will have both sets of grandparents in their lives.” He looked at his father for a considerable length of time before finally saying, “I am curious, Dad. What happened to change your thinking after so many years?”

  Peter looked at his son, then allowed his eyes to rest on Allison and the children by her side. They were young, but he hoped they would understand.

  “I have a story to share with all of you,” he began. “If you’ll be kind enough to listen, you’ll have your answer.” He paused a moment, then in a determined voice proceeded.

  “About five years ago our Seattle office hired a young woman of extraordinary talent and ability. She came to my attention when she was sent on loan to the New York office to help turn around an under-performing sales department. She flew in from the west coast like a fresh breeze, called a meeting, assembled her people and went to work. I wasn’t at the meeting so I don’t know what took place, but the reports forwarded to me were all positive. Before long, morale was climbing right along with sales. I decided it was time I met this paragon.

  “I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t the lovely young girl who greeted me with confidence as she entered my office. The surprise must have shown on my face because she grinned as she introduced herself. I remember thinking, ‘This lovely child is the dragon who singlehandedly whipped the sales department into shape?’” Peter ignored Jake’s chuckle and continued. “She was confident and articulate as she explained the direction she was taking the team and the progress already made. She had figures at her fingertips and mentioned some very lucrative accounts they had just brought on board. I was beyond impressed.

  “A couple of days later, I happened to be passing her office. The door was ajar, and I heard amused laughter coming from inside. Out of curiosity, I stopped to listen. From what I could gather the young lady was turning down a very persistent young man’s request for a date. She was very diplomatic, but he wasn’t giving up. He suggested at least having a drink together after work. She declined, explaining that she didn’t drink alcohol. In frustration, the young man raised his voice and demanded, ‘Don’t you have any vices? What are you, a damn Mormon?’”

  Soft laughter filled the air, but Peter seemed unaware of it and continued. “Naturally my ears perked up. Nothing could have moved me from that spot as I waited for her reply. Her answer almost sent me to my knees in pain,” he admitted humbly. “Sounding somewhat amused, she informed the young man that she wasn’t a damn Mormon, but a good one. The young man was thunderstruck. He wanted to know how someone like her could waste her time being a Mormon.”

  Again, Peter looked at the faces of his family. “I have never forgotten her answer. She said being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the greatest blessing in her life. I didn’t stay and listen to any more. All I could think of was that I had banished my son for joi
ning a church that produced individuals as outstanding as that young woman. I was devastated. I went back to my office and locked the door. And wept.

  “After overhearing her reply, I knew I didn’t want her returning to Seattle when her time with us was up. I think I believed if she remained here she would somehow give us a link to you, Jake. It took time and patience and some tough negotiating, but we got her in the end. Seattle has never forgiven me,” he added with a wry smile, “but I could live with that because having her here gave me hope that a family reconciliation might someday be possible.”

  Having listened intently to her grandfather, Nora remembered something Lauren said while they were traveling to Long Island that morning. It was their grandfather who had persuaded her to move to New York. Her grandfather was talking about Lauren. It had to be Lauren.

  In a soft voice, she said, “It was Lauren, wasn’t it, Grandpa? The girl in your story?”

  Peter looked at the pretty young girl whose eyes never left his face and knew he would always regret the years he had missed.

  “Yes, it was Lauren. I have never told her what I overheard that day, how it affected me and why. But I have known that I needed to come and see you. Regrettably, until today I lacked the courage. But seeing Lauren on our doorstep with your beautiful daughters, Jake . . .” Peter shook his head. “The joy I felt cannot be described. There are no words that can adequately express the regret I feel for the pain I inflicted on all of us, but especially on you, son. And though you say you have forgiven us, it will be a long time before we forgive ourselves.”

  Spent, Peter leaned back in his seat and waited for their reaction. Though difficult, he had found the courage to say what he should have said years ago. Now it was up to his son and his son’s wife to decide what they wanted the future to hold.

  The only sounds heard for the next few moments were sniffling and soft crying until Nora said, “Grandpa?”

  Peter lifted his eyes.

  “The reason we aren’t angry is because the gospel teaches us to forgive. We were sad because we loved you and wanted you to be part of our lives, but we never hated you.”

  Nora’s sincere words were Peter’s undoing. The tears he had managed to hold at bay spilled over. To think that Jake had taught his children to love grandparents who had treated their father so shamefully! But he had done exactly that. They were all prepared to embrace him and Sarah and make them part of their lives. He wasn’t sure he would have been big enough to do the same under similar circumstances.

  Suddenly a wail penetrated the air. Allison wiped her eyes and stood up. “That’s Henry. I’ll just be a few minutes while I change him and get him ready. Pass the box of tissues around, please, Nora. We don’t want to arrive at church with wet faces. And Leah, comb your hair, please. You’ll want to look nice for your special day.”

  The distraction was just what they all needed.

  Within a few minutes, Henry came toddling in on wobbly legs, showing off his latest skill.

  Entering the room a few steps behind him, Allison saw the wistful longing on Sarah’s face. Full of empathy, she picked up Henry and brought him to her.

  “This is Henry, our youngest. Would you like to hold him?”

  In a grateful whisper, Sarah said, “May I?”

  “Of course.” Allison placed the baby in her arms.

  “Oh, Peter,” she whispered, “look at him. He is the image of Jake at this age. He’s beautiful.”

  As Peter joined her, Jake rose and went to them. Putting his arms around their shoulders, he said, “Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet your grandson and namesake. This is Peter Henry Andrews II, but he goes by Henry to avoid confusion.”

  His father was overcome. “You named him after me?” he asked in hushed tones.

  “Who else would we name him after? We always hoped that someday you and Mom would be part of his life.”

  Peter looked at his son. “You really have forgiven us, haven’t you? You haven’t been holding a grudge all these years?”

  Jake shook his head. “The only one I would have hurt by doing that would be myself. The separation was painful enough.”

  “You are a much better man than I’ll ever be,” Peter told his son.

  Following the baptism, the extended family gathered at the Andrews home. Lauren kept a discreet eye on Sarah and Peter. She didn’t want them to feel out of place in this gathering of so many Latter-day Saints. She needn’t have worried. During dinner, which Allison served buffet style, they all mingled. She saw Allison’s mother and Sarah in animated conversation while Allison’s father and her two brothers-in-law appeared to get along well with Peter. A couple of boys had attached themselves to Jonas and happy laughter sounded in the background.

  Eventually he divested himself of the rambunctious boys and came looking for Lauren. He was more than ready for the two of them to spend some time together. Alone. He led her toward the back door.

  Watching them leave, Peter approached his son and nodded toward the doorway. “She handed me a letter of resignation yesterday. I still haven’t recovered. I only found out a couple of days ago that there was a serious boyfriend overseas.”

  “They have only known each other a month, and most of that time they’ve been apart. He wants to take Lauren back home as soon as possible.”

  “That’s what I understand. I’ve been trying to think of a way to keep her working for us.”

  Jake chuckled softly. “Good luck. I think all her priorities shifted once she met Jonas.”

  Peter shook his head. “I’ll have a rebellion on my hands when her department finds out she’s leaving. Replacing her won’t be easy.”

  “Did you ask her for recommendations?”

  Peter nodded. “She suggested someone she is very impressed with, but it won’t be the same. Nothing will be the same without Lauren.”

  They slipped out the back door and into the garden. Jonas took Lauren’s hand and led her across the lawn and toward the lake. They strolled along the water’s edge until they reached the small dock.

  “Can we sit here for a while or do we have to be polite and go back inside?”

  “I’m sure they’ll get along fine without us, and if the kids want our attention, they’ll let us know.”

  They eased down on the end of the dock and sat side by side.

  “The kids like you,” said Lauren.

  “They’ve known me all their lives. Some of them even call me uncle.”

  Lauren looked at him with gentle eyes. “You’ll make a magnificent father, Jonas.” She rested her head against his shoulder. She had needed this time alone with him.

  Eventually he said, “I told Jake we have things to tell him and Allison. They have always been there for me, Lauren. I want them to know my family’s connection to the Church.”

  “Of course. When?”

  “We thought this evening after the kids are in bed.”

  “Alright.”

  She remained quiet until he asked, “Something wrong?”

  “No. Just thinking. And wondering. What made you ask to go to church with me that first Sunday?”

  He slipped an arm around her and pulled her close, but didn’t answer immediately. Finally, he said, “You’d turned down my invitation to stay an extra day. By then I knew I was in love with you, and I wasn’t ready for you to slip out of my life. Then you mentioned church, and a strange thing happened: I felt tingly all over, and, almost in the same instant, I heard a voice as clear as day say, ‘Go to church with her.’

  “Nothing like that had ever happened to me before. I didn’t question it, and when I asked to come to church with you, a warm feeling came over me, as though assuring me everything would be fine, that it was safe for me to love you, that you would be gentle with my heart.”

  Lauren looked at him in wonder. He had never told her this before.
She felt humbled that he trusted her enough to share the experience with her.

  As she pondered upon what he had told her, she couldn’t get the last sentence out of her mind. Then, gradually, understanding came to her: Jonas had loved before and had been betrayed.

  She looked into his eyes and saw the love and trust there. And something more, the something she was looking for. Reaching up and stroking his face, she said, “You’ve been hurt.”

  He simply nodded.

  He was such a good man. It hurt her to know his heart had been wounded. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “It was a long time ago and no longer important. But discovering you are being used is never without pain. I was looking for what Jake and Allison have, but couldn’t seem to find it.”

  “You wanted a home and family.”

  He nodded. “One-night stands never appealed to me, and I wasn’t interested in affairs. I wanted something solid and lasting, but it kept eluding me. By the time we met, I had almost resigned myself to being single.”

  “And then I spoiled it by throwing myself at you.”

  His features softened. “You were so spontaneous and genuine. Nothing had ever felt so good.”

  Her eyes turned serious. “Jonas?”

  “Mm-hmm?” he said, caressing her face with his eyes.

  “I promise to be gentle with your heart, but if I should ever forget, will you remind me?”

  He felt the restriction in his chest and wondered if she knew she held his heart in her hands. “God must have known how much I needed you when He sent you to me.”

  “And I’m certain He sent you to church with me because He knew you would find answers there.”

  “That thought has crossed my mind.”

  They sat, both silent, until Jonas said, “Why is it that I can say things to you I’d never say to anyone else?”

  “Because you know how much I love you?”

  He shook his head. “It goes deeper than that. There is something fundamental about you that tells me you won’t use my words as a weapon against me. Even if you’re angry with me.”