by Bonnie Doran
His stomach complained that a mere energy bar didn’t substitute for dinner. A thick rib eye sounded good, medium rare with a baked potato. He hailed Jasper, who needed no coaxing to join him at Perry’s Steakhouse.
Walking out, Frank spotted Hildi and Dan on their way to the parking lot, holding hands.
Ouch.
5
“I” Minus Three Months
Hildi’d taken Atlanta’s transit system from the airport. As soon as she emerged from a MARTA station, she enveloped her friend in a bear hug.
Francine squealed. “I can’t believe it’s been seven months.”
Hildi grinned. “Time’s fun when you’re having flies.”
“Ribbit.” Francine shook her finger. “Don’t ever do this again.”
They stowed Hildi’s carry-on and drove into gridlock. Typical Atlanta traffic.
“So how’s astronaut training?” Francine thumbed her steering wheel as she not-so-patiently waited through another cycle of the traffic light.
“Grueling. They let me off for good behavior this weekend, but I usually don’t get any farther than Perry’s Steakhouse.” Hildi smiled. “Last week I went to the beach with Dan. That was nice.”
“And?”
“And what?”
Francine grabbed Hildi’s left wrist. “No engagement ring?”
Hildi snatched her hand out of Francine’s grasp. “No. He hasn’t asked me. Yet.”
“What’s wrong with that man?”
Hildi sighed. “I don’t know.”
Francine raised an eyebrow but said nothing more until they pulled up to their favorite Chinese restaurant. “Is this OK for lunch?”
“Perfect. You can’t imagine how tired I am of steaks and the Johnson Center’s food.”
As they walked in, Francine eyed her up and down. “Yep. We need to put some meat on those bones.”
Hildi sighed again after they ordered their usual choices—hot-and-sour soup, Mongolian beef, and garlic chicken. “Dan and I have run into a bit of a snag. Our careers.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s simple. We both love our work, and neither one of us wants to give it up.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. Why should you let your jobs interfere with love?”
Dipping a spoon into her soup, Hildi twirled it before answering. “I know. It’s stupid, but there it is. He’s so stubborn—”
“Oh, and you’re not?”
“Don’t you start.” Hildi immediately regretted her sharp tone. “Sorry. Things have been a bit tense with Dan lately, and the training’s wearing me out.”
Francine sipped her tea, apparently weighing her next words. “You’re not thinking of breaking it off, are you?”
Hildi ignored the sudden lurch in her stomach. “Perish the thought.” Or not.
Francine dropped the subject.
Hildi described the practical jokes she’d endured at the hands of fellow astronauts. “And then someone put a slide rule in a glass case inside the simulator, with a note saying, ‘In case of computer malfunction, break glass.’”
Her friend guffawed, wiping her eyes with a tissue. “Was Jasper the culprit?”
“I think so. He and Frank are nose to nose in practical jokes.”
“How is Frank, anyway?”
Distant. Hildi huffed out a breath. “He’s been acting a bit weird. One day he’s Mr. Eager-to-Please, the next he’s avoiding me.”
“Do you think he suspects? About you and Dan?”
Hildi propped her elbow on the table. “He might. We’ve tried to keep it quiet so NASA doesn’t know. They wouldn’t like it.”
“Good grief.” Francine cracked open a fortune cookie that crumbled with the force of her grip. “Do they expect you to turn into automatons while training? Can we say human?” She rescued the slip of paper and read it aloud. “‘Money and fools are soon parted.’ Well, no one said these things were infallible.”
Hildi broke open her own cookie. “‘Love will find you in the oddest place.’”
“Ha.”
Hildi tried to smile, but her heart wouldn’t cooperate. Love itself was odd. “As a matter of fact, they don’t expect us to be human. Just astronauts. But enough about me. How’re you?”
“Same-o, same-o.” Francine signaled their young Chinese waitress for a fresh pot of tea and poured another round.
The scent of jasmine and the hot brew did little to calm Hildi’s worry. Her nerves tightened every time she thought of Dan. Romance and Dan didn’t belong in the same sentence. Where did that leave her?
Francine described the latest Level 4 work in general terms, since the CDC insisted on confidentiality. “Oh, by the way, I’m sorry to tell you Nellie died.”
“Oh, no.” Hildi’s emotions descended to a gray place. She loved that rhesus monkey.
“Yeah. She was a sweetie. The last virus we gave her was just too much.”
Hildi sipped her tea, cradling the warm cup. “How’s Chet? You ever see him?”
“You mean, speaking of microbes?” Francine wrinkled her nose. “Not since I worked with him that one time. I begged Director Hunt not to do that to me again. Chet’s reckless, irresponsible—”
“I know.”
Their server brought the bill. Francine grabbed it. “My treat.” She lowered her voice. “Scuttlebutt is that he’s still in trouble with Hunt.”
“You mean you didn’t have a calming influence on him?” Hildi loved pulling her friend’s chain anytime they talked about her brother.
Francine harrumphed. “Hey, let’s get out of here and do something fun. Are you up for a movie? We can check the computer listings when we drop off your stuff.”
“Anything but space opera.”
“Done.”
Hildi’s heart hummed with the simple pleasure of hanging out with a friend. And an uncomplicated relationship.
6
“I” Minus Ten Days
Carol Hardesty smelled burnt bacon as she sat at the dining table and thumbed through a lingerie catalog. Oh no. She ran to the stove and tonged stiff slices onto a paper towel. At least she hadn’t ruined the scrambled eggs. She divided them between two plates, added the bacon and blackened wheat toast, and carried breakfast to the table. Mike folded the Saturday paper and attacked his meal without grace or a thank you, his eyes still glued to the news.
Carol sighed and ate in silence. Again. She tried being a model housekeeper, but Mike preferred to do the cleaning. She aspired to be a perfect cook, but all it got her was dry chicken. Tantrums to get her husband’s attention didn’t help. Coaxing Mike to take a walk together—or to do anything together—resulted in a blank stare. Even the silent treatment hadn’t worked.
She thought she’d have a fairytale life. They’d met in college, fallen in love, and married a week after graduation. Mike climbed the corporate ladder. She started a website design business. But now, five years later, their love was stale and so was their marriage.
Carol pushed away her plate, finger-combed her ragged brown bangs, and turned her attention to the mail. Junk, bills, magazines. A brochure caught her eye. She read it and re-read it, hope growing. Could this be the answer to her prayers?
She slid it across the table to her husband. “Honey, look at this.”
Mike grunted as he glanced up from the paper, eyeglasses perched on the end of his nose. He picked up the brochure and read the title. “A marriage seminar? Why would we want to go to that?” He tossed it on the table and returned to his reading. His blond hair peeked over the top of the paper as if asking what her problem was.
She shook her head. He still didn’t get it. “Please. It’s important to me. Besides, it’s Worthington Hildebrandt.”
“Is that the crackpot who was drummed out of his denomination?”
“He’s not a crackpot.” Carol grabbed the brochure and scanned it. “I’ve always wanted to hear him speak. And he’s doing a seminar here in Denver. Listen to this. ‘Worth and Laura
have experienced firsthand what can hurt a marriage. They will teach the principles needed for a strong relationship. What they reveal can make a difference in emotional, spiritual, and physical intimacy.’” Carol cleared the dishes from the table, half a slice of bacon leering at her. She snatched it before her diet noticed. “It’s only a hundred dollars a couple,” she spoke around her chewing. “We can afford that.”
“A hundred bucks for a seminar? I bet they insist you stay in the hotel, too.” Disgust etched his face.
“It does include lunch.” Carol hated the little-girl pleading in her voice.
“What’s the matter with you? We don’t need anything like that.”
“Yes, we do!” Carol slammed the egg skillet into the sink, adding scalding water and tears. “You always have your head in the paper. We never talk anymore.”
“I keep telling you to join some clubs.” Mike’s calm voice infuriated her. “You need to branch out a bit, make new friends.”
Carol continued her tirade. “You’re never home, and when you are, you never acknowledge my presence. Monday is our fifth anniversary, and you’ll be working late. Again.” Bitterness edged her voice.
Mike gave her a puzzled frown. “I thought we agreed to go out on Tuesday.”
“You’ll forget. You always do.” She loaded the dishwasher, determined to tamp her temper.
Mike put down the paper and sighed in apparent defeat. “When’s the seminar?”
Carol picked up the brochure and checked the dates. “Uh, the weekend after next, Friday and Saturday. Monday is the last day to register.”
“I wanted to work on the yard that weekend. It’s the only chance I’ll have with the overtime at the office.” He crossed his arms in an I-won’t-budge-from-my-plans gesture. “Tell you what. I’ll attend this thing, but I’ll have to skip church on Sunday to trim the hedges. Do you mind?”
Carol controlled her impulse to hurl the dish sponge at his face. He always tried to manipulate her, especially when it came to Sundays. She drummed her fingers on the counter. She hated going to church alone. Everyone would talk. But if the seminar would make a difference in their marriage…
“Deal.”
7
“I” Minus Five Days
C. Worthington Hildebrandt raised his eyebrows as he turned to his wife. “No luck, I take it?” He glanced toward the mantel to the framed photograph of their son in happier days. Chet and Worth had identical hair back then. Now gray strands sprouted among Worth’s red curls like weeds in a lawn. Age and the price of his betrayal had taken their toll.
Laura wrinkled her nose as she returned the cordless phone to its cradle. She plopped into the blue armchair, propping her feet on the ottoman. “I had to leave a message. I don’t know if Chester screens his calls or just wasn’t home. Evie says he often works late.” She flipped a strand of brown hair behind her ears.
Their daughter, who preferred the nickname Hildi these days, always made excuses for Chet. Worth was tired of excuses. She wanted to spare her mother’s feelings, he supposed, but Laura was too smart for that. “Well, you tried.” His lopsided smile was an attempt to reassure Laura, but his heart dropped to his toes. He fought his decidedly unchristian desire to let Chet stew in his own angry juices. His son had never forgiven him. Worth had a hard time forgiving himself for nearly tearing apart his family. One rip remained.
“I can’t imagine what this is doing to you, Worth.” Laura sighed. “Maybe it would be better if I didn’t call him.”
Worth responded with what little enthusiasm he could muster. He owed her that much. He walked over to the window and gazed into the backyard. The bushes needed trimming. He turned to her. “No, I think you should keep trying, at least for his sake.”
“For his sake?” Laura’s voice raised a notch, the loudest the soft-spoken woman ever got. “I hit a brick wall every time I invite him for the holidays. He hung up on me the only time he picked up the phone. He’s our son.”
Worth sat on the loveseat and raised his arm.
She slid next to her husband and cuddled into his embrace. “Why can’t he be more like Evie?”
He stroked her hand as if he could stroke away the hurt. Her question was one Worth had asked God many times, and he’d never been satisfied with the answer. “Chet is still filled with rage. Until he comes to terms with his anger…” He stood again and paced, thoughts of estrangement with their son churning in his mind. “I’m glad forgiveness won out with Evie. Only the Lord can turn Chet around.”
“If you ask me, he’s taking this too far. Soon he’ll be nothing but a bitter old man.”
“He hurts himself as much as he hurts us.” Worth said the words, but the old pain persisted.
“It’s getting harder and harder for me to reach out.” She straightened the coasters on the coffee table, apparently skewed one degree off center. “So…are you looking forward to this conference?”
Worth chuckled at Laura’s usual tactic—an abrupt change of subject. Chet’s behavior poured boiling water on her heart. She’d come back to the issue after she calmed down. “Yeah, I am. I’ve always liked Seattle. The office tells me we should have the best turnout ever.” Worth returned to Laura’s side and pecked her cheek. “You did a great job of choosing the luncheon menu for Saturday.”
“Chicken is always a safe choice.”
“What would I do without you?” Worth closed his eyes. “There are so many broken marriages out there. If we can help just one couple, it’ll be worth it.”
“Well, I for one will be glad when the Seattle trip next weekend is over, we’re done with the conference here in Denver, and we can spend time at home.” Laura stood and wrapped her arms around herself. “We need some ‘us’ time, and right now I’m exhausted. Especially after that woman in Detroit.” She huffed. “I hate the ones who ask for advice but are really looking for permission to blame their husbands. I don’t know how you stand it, teaching these couples and knowing full well some will fall over the brink of divorce no matter what you say.”
“All we can do is speak the truth and leave it to God. Like we do with Chet.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
Thankfully, Worth also knew when to change the subject. “Heard anything lately from our astronaut daughter?”
She smiled and wiped her cheeks. “She sent us an e-mail. Evie jokes that the training is killing her, but I know she loves it. She always did love being the daredevil.” Laura’s tone turned serious. “Only this time it’s not jumping from a ten-foot wall with a homemade parachute. This could get her killed.”
“She’ll be fine.” I hope. “You know how careful NASA is these days. She’ll be with veteran astronauts and have plenty of training herself.” He grinned. “We take our life in our hands every time we get on the freeway.”
“I know.” Laura’s eyes took on that faraway look. “Our daughter the astronaut.”
“Hard to believe.”
“I worry about her.”
“Of course you do. She’ll be going into space. You don’t know what alien race might be lurking behind Mars, just waiting—”
She grasped his hand. “Oh, stop it.” A frown wrinkled her forehead. “I was thinking about Frank and Dan.”
“She’s forgiven Frank, and Dan…well, I like Dan.”
“So do I, but she’ll be spending a lot of time with Frank.” Laura turned to Worth. “I know how hard forgiveness is. It’s easy to say the words but harder to live it.”
Worth winced.
Laura knew from experience what a man’s unfaithfulness could do to a relationship. She had taken him back, but not without tears and fears. His heart ached for Hildi as much as it ached for his wife. Hugging her again, he cocked his head. “What did she say about Dan?”
“They’re still dating, if that’s what you mean. It’s been a year. I’m glad she’s taking it slow, but—”
“They should be engaged by now?”
She folded her arms and glared at him.<
br />
Worth stared at his watch and gasped. “It’s been two whole hours since we talked about this.”
Chuckling, she fell back into his arms. He loved to make her smile.
“We need to pack.” She pulled another gear change.
He shrugged. “I’ll do it in the morning.”
“I don’t know how you speed-pack. Me, I like a list.”
“That’s because you’re organized.”
Laura took a deep breath. “Well, if we’re going to make it to the plane on time through the morning rush hour, I’d rather start now. Should I take the aqua pants or the red dress?”
“Love, you look wonderful whatever you wear.” His usually confident wife must feel vulnerable, or she wouldn’t ask. He vowed to enjoy some time together without the usual overbooking of counseling appointments. “The dress, of course. It’s always been my favorite. But let’s pray before you disappear into the bedroom.”
They asked God’s blessing for the conference, the attendees, and the message. But Worth’s thoughts were with his children.
8
“I” Minus Three Days
Hildi sighed and then cuddled into Dan’s shoulder. Warm sand tickled her toes as they sat on a beach towel, admiring a pumpkin-colored moon as it rose out of the sea. Stars twinkled their welcome. The surf shooshed in a comforting rhythm. Ahh…
Picnic on the beach with her favorite person. The perfect setting for that special question. God must have ordered this romantic moment especially for them.
