“Okay. I’ll just write up the prescription while you get dressed, and I’ll also give you some literature on prenatal vitamins. Let’s get you started on those right away.”
“I’m really glad I came to see you today, Dr. Foster. And thanks for the prescription. I’d hate to have to wait much longer to get my cycle back in gear.”
“You know, Michelle, these days most couples just don’t want to wait months and months to conceive once they decide they are ready to have a baby. We are the instant generation, and technology has allowed us to expedite many of these processes.”
Michelle just nodded her head in agreement.
“You get dressed and I’ll meet you out by the front desk with your prescription.” She left the examining room, and Michelle quickly dressed. It was obvious by the crowd in the waiting room that Dr. Foster had a busy morning ahead of her.
“Thanks again,” she said as she took the prescription form and the vitamin information from her.
“You’re welcome, Michelle. I’ll look forward to hearing back from you sometime in the next three months,” she added with a wink.
Michelle was just getting back into her car after filling the prescription at the pharmacy in Sandy Cove when a motorcycle pulled up beside her.
“Hey there, stranger,” Trevor said with a pearly smile. “Monica told me you were back in town. We’ve missed you at class.”
“Hi Trevor.” Michelle’s heart was racing. Why did this guy always have this adrenaline rush effect on her? “I’m only here for a week, then I’ve got to go back to be with my dad.”
“How’s he doing? I’ve been thinking about him a lot. Monica tries to keep me filled in.” He seemed genuinely concerned.
“Well, I don’t know what you heard last, but he’s making eye contact and nodding his head for ‘yes’ and shaking it for ‘no’. Before I left, he actually lifted his right hand and put it on my back to hug me.” Michelle’s eyes sparkled as she thought about all the miracles she had already seen with her father. Especially since Dr. Jeffries hadn’t even expected him to survive.
“That’s great, Michelle. Maybe those meditations helped.”
“I think it was my grandparents’ prayers,” Michelle said, suddenly feeling awkward.
“Meditation, prayer, whatever. It’s great that he’s making progress,” Trevor replied trying to allay her uneasiness.
She paused, and then started to reach for the door handle.
“Hey, before you go, can we set up a time to have coffee or something before you leave town again?”
“Maybe Thursday morning. Steve has a big meeting, so he’ll be leaving for work early. How about the Coffee Stop around 9:30 or 10:00.”
“Sounds good. See you Thursday at 9:30.” Trevor said with a grin; then he started his motorcycle and headed out of the parking lot.
“She said I could start taking them tonight,” Michelle explained as she went over her doctor’s appointment with Steve.
“Are you sure you’re comfortable with all this? I mean it seems a little strange to start out with fertility pills,” he said apprehensively.
“According to Dr. Foster, these will help reestablish a regular cycle and also help predict fertile periods of the month. She says they’re really mild.”
“But didn’t she say something about twins?” He liked the idea of having a baby, but he wasn’t sure he was ready for that.
“Very rare. She did say we should conceive within three months if I take these and we follow her schedule.” Michelle held up the prescription and her chart.
“Well, I still think this is a little weird. We haven’t even had time to really pray about this together. Don’t you think when it’s God’s timing, it will happen?” Steve asked.
“Are you saying God might not want us to have a baby?”
“No. I’m just saying we want His timing.”
“What would be wrong with this timing?” she asked defensively.
“Maybe nothing. But it seems a little premature to jump into all this fertility drug stuff.”
Michelle was quiet, as she looked down at the package in her hand. Steve could tell she was upset. “I’m not saying I don’t want a baby, Michelle. You understand that, right?”
“I don’t know what I understand right now. It just sounded right when Dr. Foster recommended this.” Michelle tossed the bag onto the kitchen table. She sank down into one of the chairs and could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. Maybe Steve was right. Maybe they should just wait and pray about it.
Steve’s heart melted as he saw her tearful expression. “Okay babe. Let’s go ahead and try it.” He bent to kiss her.
Michelle stood and wrapped her arms around him. “I know it’s hard for you to understand all this, but it’s something that is really important to me right now. This next year is going to be so difficult for my parents and for Tim and me. A new baby in the family would be something special for us all to look forward to.”
Steve nodded, drawing her up against his chest and kissing her forehead. Michelle was so happy to be home with him after the long separation in Bridgeport. Melting into his kiss, she felt almost euphoric thinking about her love for him and their new plan to have a baby. As they walked out of the kitchen and headed up to bed, she grabbed the prescription off the counter. Tonight would begin the three-month project!
Monica was dumb-founded as she sat across from Michelle trying to absorb all she was hearing. Though her head was a bit rattled, she was open and interested. She nodded frequently, encouraging her friend to continue.
“So anyway, Monica, I really think there is a lot more to the Bible than Trevor or Starla realize. It’s not just some history book, or the writings of some interesting prophets. I’m really beginning to believe it was inspired by God Himself.”
“But didn’t Trevor say that God is the Universal Consciousness? Doesn’t that mean He inspired all the writings of all the prophets, including Buddha, Mohammed, and all those other guys we’ve discussed?”
“That’s what Trevor thinks. But I don’t see it that way now. It’s hard to explain, but if you could spend some time with someone like my grandfather, you’d know God is not some impersonal force. He is like a person, only bigger. More powerful, but very loving.” It seemed she was grasping for words.
Monica didn’t know what to think. “You think I’m nuts, don’t you?” Michelle continued. “No. Not nuts. I’m just not sure I see it that way. God, I mean.”
She was really confused now. Here she had gotten settled into their personal evolution class and was beginning to make sense of the universe, when Michelle threw this loop at her. Did all this mean Michelle wouldn’t be going to class with her anymore? Would their friendship deteriorate? She decided to find out. “So does this mean you won’t be taking Trevor’s class anymore?”
“Probably not. It just seems so off from what I’ve been studying with my grandpa. I really think Christianity is more for me than most of the New Age stuff.”
Monica was quiet. That was a first. “Well, I hope we are still going to be friends,” she said softly, thinking about how their friendship had been forged through their yoga and personal evolution classes.
“Are you kidding? Of course we’ll be friends.” Michelle scooted around the booth and hugged her.
“All this heavy talk is making me hungry,” she said with a grin.
“Me, too,” Michelle replied. They both eyed the dessert menu in the clear plastic holder at the edge of the table. “Let’s order something totally oinky,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.
“Good idea.” Monica smiled, relaxing and enjoying their usual camaraderie.
Steve had a light schedule on Wednesday, so Kelly and Ben invited Michelle and him to come over for dinner. They were eager to show them their house. Steve promised Michelle the evening would be very casual, explaining that Ben was rarely caught in anything other than jeans and a T-shirt, so she just put on her pale yellow sweatshirt with her jeans a
nd surprised Steve by bringing a pair of matching yellow hi-top tennis shoes out of the closet. “Where’d those come from?” he asked.
“I got them at a discount store in Bridgeport,” Michelle replied, slipping them on and lacing them up.
“Cute,” Steve said approvingly.
“Thanks,” she replied, rising from the edge of the bed and giving him a kiss. Steve wasn’t about to let her get away with a little peck. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back.
“Hey, buddy -- we’re supposed to be out of here,” she reminded him.
Not yet releasing her from the embrace, he put his finger under her chin and looked into her eyes.
“What? Is there something wrong?” she asked.
“No. It’s just that I’m going to miss you when you go back to Bridgeport.”
“Hey,” she began, pulling back from him a little, “don’t forget our ‘schedule’,” she said, referring to the chart the doctor had given her. “I figure I’ll have to see you again the following weekend,” she added with a glint in her eye. “And for the next five days after that.”
“So you’re coming back next weekend?”
“If we can afford it,” she said hopefully.
“No problem,” Steve said, winking at her and drawing her back into another kiss. Michelle knew they were going to be late, but she didn’t resist.
Ben and Kelly greeted them at the front door. Before they even got inside, Michelle could smell the fragrance of garlic wafting from the kitchen. “Something smells delicious,” she remarked, returning Kelly’s hug.
“Kelly made her special lemon-garlic chicken. You’ll love it,” Ben promised, gesturing them in.
Immediately Michelle was impressed with Kelly’s decorating. It was clear they had very little money to work with, but Kelly had used her innovative ideas to begin decorating their house with common objects such as orange crates and old milk cans. Homemade decorative wreaths and birdhouses gave the living area a homey and cozy feel.
“Your house is adorable,” Michelle exclaimed.
“Gee, thanks,” Ben replied in a squeaky lady voice.
Kelly swatted him playfully and explained, “Ben thinks I overdo the decorating. He’d be happy with a plain sofa and coffee table and nothing on the walls.”
Ben just grinned and shook his head. “It’s a girl thing, I guess,” he said to Steve as he led him into the kitchen. “Want some chips and salsa?”
“Sounds good,” Steve replied, happy to see that Michelle and Kelly were already engaged in a conversation.
While the girls talked decorating, the guys discussed the new church and Ben’s plans to reach out to the community. He shared about the Bible study he hoped to begin at the beginning of the month. “I really want to start before the holidays.”
“Good idea. Lots of people get hungry for spiritual things this time of year. They see the commercialism and get turned off.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Ben replied. “I just hope people will be willing to fit it into their busy schedules.”
“Some will; others may join in January. Michelle and I will be here whenever she’s in town. I’ll come by myself when she’s not. Also, I asked my partner at the firm, Roger, and he said he’d like to give it a try. He’ll probably bring his wife too, if they can get a sitter.”
“Great! Hey, you should be my P.R. guy,” Ben added with a smile.
“Seriously, Ben, if you need any fliers copied or anything, just give them to me and I’ll take care of it. No use spending a lot of money on copying costs when I’ve got the equipment at the office. Roger won’t mind. The secretary can run them off.”
“Hey, thanks. That would be great. I’ve actually got one I wanted you to look at tonight while you’re here.” Ben stood up from the kitchen table where they had been munching on chips and salsa. “Be right back.”
Kelly and Michelle came into the kitchen while he was gone. “Don’t eat too many of those,” Michelle warned Steve. “You’ll ruin your appetite for that yummy smelling chicken.”
“Yes, Mother,” Steve said with a sly grin. Michelle blushed as she thought about the double meaning of his remark. Soon she might really be someone’s mother. A wave of nervousness and excitement rolled over her.
“Speaking of ‘mother’,” Ben said as he reentered the room, “Kelly’s got a surprise for you.”
Kelly’s expression told it all. She looked just like Michelle felt.
“You’re pregnant?” Michelle asked excitedly.
“Seven weeks,” Kelly replied with a smile.
“That’s great!” Michelle replied. “I’m so excited for you guys.” She reached out her arms to hug Kelly and pretty soon everyone was hugging each other as congratulations flowed from Steve and Michelle to their friends.
Michelle couldn’t help imagining what it would be like when she could tell Kelly and Ben that she, too, was expecting a baby.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Trevor stared at Michelle as he chewed on his toothpick. Sitting across from him at the Coffee Stop, she was giving a blow-by-blow description of her father’s treatment and progress. But Trevor could not hear half of what she was saying. His mind kept wandering to his persistent fantasies, and he was undressing her in his imagination, when she abruptly stopped talking.
“Are you listening, Trevor?” she asked with an expression of doubt mixed with embarrassment.
“Uh, yeah. You were just saying something about how they moved your dad out of the ICU.”
“That was five minutes ago. Haven’t you heard anything since then?”
“Hmmm,” he hummed as he searched his brain for some clues to the rest of the conversation. “Guess I’m busted,” he finally admitted, shrugging his shoulders and then tossing one of those irresistible boyish grins her way.
“This must be pretty boring for you,” Michelle replied.
“It’s not that. Really. I just get lost in your smile sometimes,” Trevor confessed. “I love the way your eyes sparkle, and that little dimple on your right cheek always distracts me. Guess you’re just too beautiful for your own good.”
“Very funny. Why don’t you talk for a while?” She looked down at her half-eaten Danish and cold cup of coffee.
“Okay. Let’s see. I’ve been working on my thesis, and I should be finished by January,” Trevor began as he pulled his thoughts together. “I’d like you to read it sometime.”
“What’s it on?” Michelle asked.
“It’s on exploring the spiritual dimensions of anxiety disorders and depression. I’ve been incorporating a lot of the material we’ve been covering in our classes. You’d be able to appreciate how they can be used in therapy.”
“Sounds interesting. When do I get to read it?” she asked, biting into her apricot pastry.
“Anytime. I’d be happy to show you what I’ve got so far and get your input,” he said enthusiastically.
“Maybe I could take a copy back to Bridgeport. It gets a little boring in the evenings at the motel. I could read through it before I go to sleep at night.”
Trevor’s mind instantly pictured Michelle sitting in bed, propped up against a pillow, all alone. His body responded to the image, and he was momentarily out of the conversation again.
“Hello?” Michelle waved her hand in front of his eyes to get his attention.
He snapped back to the present. “Sorry about that. My mind wandered for just a second.”
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. Anyway, so what were you saying?”
“I was saying I could read it while I’m in Bridgeport.”
“Right. Good idea. I’ll make a copy. When are you leaving again?”
“I’ll be going back down there on Sunday and then coming back up here the following weekend.”
“You’re really raking in the frequent flyer miles, aren’t you?”
“Steve and I have some business to attend to the following weekend.” Michelle smiled mysterio
usly. “And hopefully in a few more weeks my dad will be moved to a rehab facility in Orange County. Then I’ll only go down once a month or so,” she added.
“I see. Well if you’d like to take my thesis down to Bridgeport with you, I guess we’ll just have to meet again tomorrow,” Trevor replied with mock aggravation.
“I’ve been thinking of dropping by to say hi to Starla sometime tomorrow. Maybe you could just leave it with her,” Michelle suggested.
“I’d really like to go over some of it with you when I give it to you,” he said, groping for reasons to see her again.
“Okay. Give me a call in the morning, and I’ll have a better idea what time I’ll be going over there.”
“Sounds like a plan. I really hope you’ll like it,” he added, imagining how his thesis would help draw Michelle back into the ideas of higher consciousness that she seemed to have lost during her time in Bridgeport. He was glad her stay there would soon be over. Obviously her grandparents were having a negative impact on all the progress she’d made in his classes.
Before she knew it, Sunday had arrived, and Michelle was packing her bags to head back to Bridgeport. The meeting with Starla and Trevor in the bookstore left her feeling a little uneasy. Though they outwardly appeared to be supportive of her exploration of Christianity, an undercurrent of patient anticipation communicated they believed she would soon abandon such a backward belief system and return to their “broader perspective” on spirituality.
How would her relationships in Sandy Cove be affected by her newfound faith? It seemed clear that her closest friendships, Monica, Trevor, and Starla all intended to remain friends. But would that hold true if Michelle continued to deepen her relationship with Jesus? Or would they fall by the wayside? At least she knew she had Kelly now. “Thank you, God,” she whispered.
“What did you say?” Steve asked, walking into the bedroom from the hall.
“I was just thanking God for bringing Kelly and Ben to Sandy Cove,” she explained.
Through the Tears (Sandy Cove Series Book 2) Page 9
