A New Hope

by M. L. Ray

  Jenna swallowed convulsively at the promise in his voice, slowly nodding her head, “I’m trying.”

  “I know you are.” He hugged her once more and then let her go, telling the entire group, “You gals enjoy catching up with one another. Missy?” he waited until his daughter looked at him, “No later than 9 o’clock for you. You’ve been on your feet long enough for today.”

  “Yes, Dad. We’ll keep it short tonight.”

  Jenna watched the exchange and then questioned Taylor, who was standing next to her, “What’s that all about?”

  Taylor looked at her and the smile slowly faded from her face, “Oh, honey! Let’s sit down. We have a lot to catch up on!”

  Taylor pulled Jenna to one of the chairs and the two women sat down, being joined by Missy and Stephanie. She looked around the table and then clapped her hands once, “Where to begin?”

  Stephanie took that as her cue to speak up, “Let’s start by finding out where Jenna’s been all these years. Girl, we looked for you for months. Why didn’t you even call us and let us know where you were?”

  Jenna looked at the dark-skinned girl who had moved to Cathedral Hills when the girls were both seven. As the only African-American family in town, Stephanie and her family had been a novelty, but her easy going friendly style, and the way her parents easily fit into their small community soon had everyone accepting them, regardless of the darkness of their skin.

  Stephanie had matured wonderfully, keeping her long black tresses straightened and her figure trim and toned. Ignoring her question, Jenna posed one of her own, “Are you still modeling?”

  Stephanie narrowed her eyes at Jenna, trying to figure out if she was evading the question, or truly curious. Deciding on the latter, she answered, “I’m still modeling. I come back home every chance I get though. I’m here for another two months and then I’m off to New York to start prepping for the Spring Fashion Show in Paris.”

  “Paris, France?” Jenna asked, really impressed.

  “Where else?” Missy sing-songed. “We have a real life celebrity amongst us!”

  The women shared a laugh and then sobered as three sets of eyes turned to await Jenna’s answer to Stephanie’s question. Jenna swallowed and began to tell them about the last six and a half years of her life. She glossed over bits and pieces of it when she saw how deeply sad her story was making them.

  Missy was openly sobbing, while Taylor tried to comfort her. Stephanie was quietly crying and murmuring under her breath. Jenna couldn’t make out her words and didn’t stop to ask her to repeat them. She herself had lost the battle with her own tears only minutes into the telling of her story, and paused to catch her breath.

  Missy was the first one to speak, “Jenna, you know we would have moved heaven and earth to come get you if we’d only known where you were?”

  Jenna shook her head and then immediately tried to soften her initial response when all three women burst back into tears, “Oh, please stop. I didn’t know that anyone cared what had happened to me. After I tried to contact my father…”

  “You contacted your father?” Missy asked, her tears drying up and a warning tone entering her voice.

  Jenna looked at Missy, “About three months after Trey took me to the shelter. I skipped out on the shelter in Denver and hitchhiked to Ridgway. I called him to come get me but he was drunk and said some really hateful things.”

  “Oh, Jenna!”

  “Three months? But that was before he pushed Michelle off the porch.”

  “He assaulted Michelle?” Jenna asked, horrified that her father’s abuse had affected one of her friends.

  “Michelle wouldn’t accept that you hadn’t tried to contact anyone. She was just sure your dad knew where you were. She went by there every day after school, and twice on Sunday’s. One day your dad had enough and pushed her off the porch before slamming the front door.”

  Taylor nodded her head, “Daddy wasn’t happy at all! He put your father in jail for the night and then convinced him to enroll in a 90-day rehab program somewhere outside Montrose. When your dad came home a few months later, he was a very broken, sad man.”

  “That’s what Trey said. He also said my father tried to find me.”

  Chapter 12

  All three women nodded, “He did. The entire town pitched in to help him hire a private investigator when he’d exhausted all of his other options. They thought they had found you at one point, but the girl was a recovering drug addict…”

  Jenna nodded, “Trey told me that and it was more than likely me that he found. I didn’t make the best choices, and things were so bad at times in the various facilities, drugs were an easy way to escape my surroundings for a while.

  “I did marijuana and some meth, but I never got into the heavy stuff. I used alcohol for a while, but when I wasn’t high, I really couldn’t stand the taste of the stuff.”

  Jenna stopped talking and looked up, expecting to see censure on the other women’s faces, but all she saw was acceptance and caring.

  “Jenna, we realize you’ve been through a lot, but now that you’re home, we all hope,” Taylor looked at the other women for their nods of agreement, smiling when she received it, “we all hope that we can create a new future together.”

  Jenna was overwhelmed and spent several minutes meeting each one of the women’s eyes. “I have to tell you that I never planned on coming back here. If there hadn’t been a mix up at the bank, I wouldn’t be here now.”

  “But you are here. Have you been to the house yet?” Missy asked.

  Jenna nodded, “This afternoon. It was…emotional. I still have to go through my father’s office but I’ll do that in the next day or so. I just didn’t have it in me today.”

  Taylor, Stephanie and Missy all offered their assistance, “We’ll help, won’t we girls?”

  “I appreciate that, but Trey’s already offered, and I’m not sure when I’m going to feel up to it.”

  “Michelle is going to freak out when she gets home and finds you here!”

  Jenna smiled as she thought about seeing Michelle again. The two girls had been like twins, doing everything together, even getting into trouble together! They had lived in each other’s pockets during the summer, and alternated staying at each other’s homes on the weekends during the school year. Up until the time Jenna’s mother had died, anyway. After that, Jenna had started to withdraw from all social interaction, prompting Michelle to act the way she had.

  “So,” Jenna said, looking at Missy and pointing to her swollen stomach. “When are you due?”

  Missy got a sad smile upon her face as she softly answered, “Another three months. This is my first one.”

  “That’s a good thing, right?” Jenna asked, not understanding the change in the atmosphere. She looked around the table and then asked, “What am I missing here?”

  Taylor looked at Missy for permission before she answered her, “Missy married a Marine she met in the springs. Three weeks after the wedding, he deployed over to Afghanistan. He was killed ten days later when an IED blew up the convoy he was in.”

  Jenna gasped, “Oh, Missy! I don’t even know what to say.” Jenna got up from her chair and knelt next to Missy’s chair; hugging the woman. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  Missy sniffed and then replied, “Thank you, Jenna. Some days are better than others are, but this baby is part of Mitchell. I may not have him, but I will have his son to teach and nurture, and one day I’ll share with him the story of how his dad was an American hero.”

  Jenna looked at Missy and shook her head, “I’m amazed at how well you seem to be taking this. I don’t know if I would be this together.”

  Missy gave her a soft smile, “I wasn’t this calm when I first found out. I was mad at the world and God. I blamed him for doing this to me, but when I felt the baby move for the first time, I was reminded of how great a miracle I had growing inside of me. It took a few more reminders, but God finally managed to speak through my
grief and remind me He was still in control and I needed to trust Him.”

  Was it really that simple? “Still, I’m amazed.” Jenna glanced at the clock and realized that the time had indeed slipped away. Between conversations, they had put a good dent in the food on the table, and the day was almost done. “I probably should get out of here. Trey is waiting to take me to his parent’s house. I’m not ready to spend the night in my father’s house yet.”

  Taylor and Stephanie shared a look with Missy, “Trey’s taking you to stay in his parent’s house?”

  Jenna nodded, “Yes. He said there was a guestroom that connected to Michelle’s and she would be furious if he let me stay anywhere else.”

  The three women shared a look and then Missy spoke up, “Tell you what. Let’s call it a night, but how about we all get together tomorrow for lunch. I’m only scheduled to work the breakfast shift tomorrow. We could take some sandwiches down to the bridge.”

  After working out a few more details, it was agreed that they would meet outside the Baxter residence at noon, Missy and Stephanie were in charge of the food, and Taylor was in charge of the transportation. Jenna gave each of the women a hug, proud of herself for initiating the contact. That’s the first time in a long time I’ve hugged someone else.

  When Jenna stepped out of the backroom, Trey was lounging against the counter talking with Sheriff Watson and George. He stood up to his full height when he saw her and gave her a thorough once over before asking, “Ready to go?”

  Jenna nodded, “Yeah. George, the food was wonderful. Thank you.”

  “Don’t mention it hon. And you remember what I told you. Things may seem hard right now, but they’ll get better. I just know they will.”

  Jenna smiled at George, “I won’t forget.” Turning to address the other man, she offered, "Sheriff Watson, thank you for what you did for my father. Trey told me you were responsible for getting him into rehab and for that, I am very grateful.”

  Sheriff Watson nodded his head, “I only wish I could have helped you both sooner.”

  Jenna shook her head, “It’s enough to know that he didn’t die the same bitter, drunken man I last saw. Thank you for that.” I only wish I’d known he’d gotten help and come home sooner.

  Chapter 13

  After leaving the Diner, Jenna sat in Trey’s vehicle, exhausted after the emotional day she’d had. She watched the town fade away as Trey headed towards the family home she remembered so fondly.

  Trey kept glancing over at her, to make sure she was still doing okay. The day had taken its toll on her and she was beginning to develop dark circle beneath her fragile looking eyes. She needed rest and a break from crying!

  As he pulled onto the street leading to his home, he wondered how she was going to react when she realized his parents no longer lived with him. Or was it he who no longer lived with his parents? He shook his head at the silly thought, as it didn’t really matter. The fact was, Jenna was more than likely going to be surprised when she found out he and Michelle were the only permanent occupants of the new house, and he only hoped she wouldn’t feel like he had been trying to take advantage of her.

  He pulled the SUV to a stop in the driveway and waited while the electric garage opener did its job. He felt Jenna stir and watched as she sat up straight and took in her surroundings.

  “Where are we?” she asked, turning to Trey with a questioning look.

  “My home.”

  “But, I thought you were talking about your parents’ house,” she told him, looking around at the surrounding houses in greater confusion. “This is the right street, I know it is, but I don’t recognize any of these houses. Trey? What’s going on?”

  Trey pulled the vehicle into the garage, turned off the ignition and then depressed the button to close the door, “I promise I’ll explain everything once we’re inside. Come on, you look exhausted.”

  He exited the vehicle and came around to open her door for her. Jenna wasn’t sure if she wanted to get out or not. Today had been full of so many surprises, and this last one seemed like a little bit too much! When Trey just stood there by the open door waiting for her to scoot out of the seat, she looked at him and was relieved to see nothing that hadn’t been there before.

  Trey knew he was pushing the envelope on what Jenna could be expected to accept, but for some unknown reason, it was important to him that she stay close. He wanted her in his home, where he could watch over her, and where he would be close enough to catch her when she finally let go of the past. After all, I’m the reason she ended up in that shelter in the first place! If I hadn’t allowed Michelle and her friends to convince me there was no other way, Jenna might not have suffered so many injustices over the last six years!

  The adult Trey could rationalize that the system, in the form of Sheriff Watson, would have eventually been able to act on her behalf without her having to press charges against her father, but the teenage Trey had acted on pure instinct to help someone who was hurting and much weaker. Jenna hadn’t been able to defend herself back then, and her father had been so much bigger and stronger. Trey had convinced himself over the years that Jenna would have ended up in a casket if he and the others hadn’t stepped in when they did. Maybe that would have been the way things worked out, and maybe not. You can’t undo the past, so stop with the guilt. Now!

  He grabbed her suitcase from the vehicle and headed towards the other end of the garage. He opened the door and led the way in through the mudroom. Kicking off his loafers, he advised Jenna to do the same, “You can leave your shoes here.”

  Jenna toed off her shoes and then quickly followed Trey who had disappeared into the rest of the house with her suitcase. She tried to take in her surroundings, but she didn’t actually see a lot. She was more focused on following Trey through the large kitchen and not getting lost!

  “Through here,” he told here, leading the way into what she assumed was the guest bedroom. He set her suitcase down at the foot of the bed and then opened another door. Jenna could see it led into a bathroom, “The bathroom is through here, and the connecting door leads to Michelle’s bedroom.”

  “So, Michelle really does live here?” Jenna asked, taking in the rustic décor, the handmade quilt on the bed, the oversized rustic furniture, and the large throw rugs under the bed and scattered across the hardwood flooring.

  “Yes, Michelle and I live here. My parents live in a little house right next to the church. After the avalanche, my dad just didn’t have it in him to rebuild. He and mom decided they were ready for a simpler life and moved to town.”

  “Avalanche?” Jenna asked.

  “A few years back, we had a ton of snow in the late spring. It was really wet, and really heavy. Before the Forest Service could get up here and clear the ridge above, nature did it herself. The snow came down so fast, no one had any warning. Anyway, the force of the avalanche knocked the houses along this stretch of town off their foundations. It was cheaper to destroy them and rebuild, than it was to fix them.

  “Since everyone was at the mercy of the insurance companies, that’s exactly what happened. Everyone else stayed in their homes, but mom and dad decided to leave. I offered to buy the land from them, and worked with the insurance company to build this.” Trey gestured to the house in general.

  “It’s lovely,” Jenna offered. Turning to look him in the eye, she questioned, “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier? You knew I thought you were offering me the guest room in your parents’ old house, right?”

  Trey’s smile faded, “I guess I owe you an apology. I didn’t mean to deceive you, but there’s something about you that I didn’t want to let go. After everything you told me on the bridge, and everything you didn’t, I felt responsible and wanted to make sure you were taken care of. I can’t do that if you aren’t close!”

  “Trey,” Jenna began, wondering if all men thought this way, or just overprotective older brothers! “You don’t have to take care of me.”

  “Jenna, my
actions are what started this whole thing. Maybe Sheriff Watson…”

  Jenna shook her head and stepped in front of him, laying a single finger on his lips to silence his self-recriminations. When she felt the tingles in her arm, she let her finger drop away, but didn’t move her body back. She softly told him, “Playing the ‘what if’ game gets you nowhere fast! I know, I tried it for years and it doesn’t work.”

  Trey placed his hands lightly on her waist, needing to touch her now that she was this close to him, “So, how do you deal with those feelings when they come?”

  Jenna felt his hands at her waist and suddenly had the urge to press herself against him for a hug. What is wrong with me! I haven’t had this much contact with other people in years! Ignoring that urge, she whispered back, “You stay strong. You focus on what’s ahead and not what you’ve already left behind. You pray. I pray a lot!”

  Trey smiled at her answer, “I’m glad you didn’t lose that!”

  Jenna shook her head, “Oh, but I did. For a while. My counselor was very instrumental in helping me find God again. It wasn’t that I’d lost him, I think I just quit listening.”

  “You certainly had enough going on I could see how that would happen.”

  Jenna shrugged, “I got mired down in my circumstances, instead of trusting that God was in control and all I had to do was follow Him.”

  Trey thought back to his own detour during college, “I’ve been there. Different circumstances, but in my case, I made a conscious decision to stop listening. It cost me dearly and I learned my lesson.” His hands tightened on her waist as he looked down into her blue eyes. She was only 5’7” tall, and compared to his 6’3” height, he wasn’t surprised when she had to lean back from him slightly in order to look up and meet his eyes.

  “I guess we’ve both learned a thing or two over the years.” Jenna had her head tipped back, and watched as Trey’s eyes searched her face. I wonder what he sees, or what he’s looking for. The intimacy of his look made her nervous and she looked down, ready to step out of his hold, but he stopped her.