Ten-year-old Alex Edwards stood before them, carrying a long, cylindrical shipping container. “Mrs. Moynah wanted me to give you this tube. She says the building plans for the Wiltson complex are inside.” Apparently nonplussed by Monica’s close proximity, Alex gave her a smile. “Hi, Monica. ‘Member me? From dinner?”
Jeremy reclaimed her hand and glanced up at her. “Marty and Steph’s oldest,” he whispered.
She nodded her recognition. “Absolutely I remember you, Alex. It’s great to see you again.”
“You, too!”
Monica was dressed in a burgundy wool skirt and a black turtleneck that was cinched at the waist by a thick, black belt. With her patent dress boots, chunky jewelry and upswept hair, she was delicious. Jeremy tore his focus from the lovely blonde at his side and turned to give Alex the benefit of his full attention. “Thanks for the delivery, bud. You can set that on top of the credenza for me.”
“Ah, OK. Umm…what’s a credenza?” Alex’s gaze ping-ponged around the room.
“It’s the storage cabinet right behind me.”
Jeremy could tell Monica had trouble fighting back laughter at the scene: uncle and nephew, forging a path side by side in the cut-throat, dog-eat-dog world of business and construction.
“I hope you’re getting top dollar for your work, Alex,” she offered. “I’ll bet you’ve earned it.”
The youngster gave her an easy smile. “Oh, I’m here for free. I get to spend the whole day with Uncle Jeremy. It’s for school. Isn’t that great?”
“It’s Take a Kid to Work day,” Jeremy elaborated. He handed his nephew a stack of manila folders and a pile of purchase orders. “Alex, there are purchase orders for each one of these job files. Can you match them up for me and paperclip the PO to the top?”
“Sure.” Alex looked at Monica. “Uncle Jeremy says we’re going to do a power business lunch at—” Alex checked his wrist watch. “Twelve-thirty. Hey—that’s now. Could Monica come?”
This time she couldn’t seem to resist. She burst out laughing, and gave Jeremy a wicked glare. “A power business lunch? What are you teaching Alex about life in the work force?”
“Don’t gripe. After all, you’re invited. Can you join us?”
“Frankly I wouldn’t miss it. Lunch is why I’m here. Count me in, gentlemen.”
Gratified, Jeremy stood while Alex set the shipping tube on the credenza.
“Let this be another very important lesson you learn today, Alex,” Jeremy explained with supreme authority. “The business world is all about establishing priorities. First, the good stuff. Lunch. Then, the not so good stuff. Paperwork.”
Alex cracked up, and so did Monica. “Got it, Uncle Jeremy!”
“Nicely done, young man.” He looped one arm around Alex’s shoulder, the other around Monica’s waist, and they left the office behind.
Hearts Communion
18
At the restaurant, Monica watched Alex eat, and she gaped, amazed. “I’ve never, ever seen a ten-year-old polish off so much spaghetti.”
Jeremy laughed. “He’s been raised on quality. Outside of a homemade meal, Frank’s Trattoria is the best. That’s why I brought him here. It’s a favorite in our family,” he answered between bites of chicken primavera.
Monica shook her head in continuing wonder as Alex soaked up red sauce with a slice of bread, and then devoured it. “Well, he’s certainly learning how to put a dent in an expense account.” She couched her next question with as casual an air as possible, but deliberately averted her eyes. “So I guess Marty and Stephanie weren’t able to take him to work?”
Jeremy shrugged, downing his food with as much enthusiasm and gusto as young Alex. “They could have, but he went to Marty’s architectural firm last year. Steph’s a residential realtor, and she had a couple high-level property tours, so I told them I’d love a turn.”
Monica smiled gently. “I can tell you enjoy it. You’re great with him.”
Jeremy regarded his nephew with an affectionate look. “I’ve been looking forward to it, actually. It’s fun.”
That piece of elaboration was unnecessary. Monica kept her thoughts to herself, but, when she had walked behind Jeremy’s desk to announce her arrival, she had seen the webpage left open on his computer monitor and noticed the smooth way he shuffled a stack of papers and a note-filled legal pad. A subtle sense of being “caught” had rippled from Jeremy, but when she didn’t make an issue of it, he seemed to relax, and she let the moment pass. She was certain he wanted to keep his explorations a secret. For now, that was fine. After all, Monica faced a similar dilemma. She wasn’t at all sure how to respond to her own tumult of emotions about the topic.
Still, avoidance didn’t change facts. Family issues built and loomed around them like an oncoming thunderstorm, full of tense expectation, rolling clouds and dangerous, electric undercurrents.
But just like a cloud break, another thought came to mind. As lunch progressed, and she enjoyed their company and interaction, Monica couldn’t help but recall her concluding words to Ken Lucerne:
I want to make him as happy as he makes me.
It was just that simple—and just that complicated. Monica toyed with a luncheon portion of lasagna, moving it around on her plate, staring at her food. Sometimes, it felt like getting God to answer a prayer the way she wanted was just this side of impossible. Now, Monica understood why. There was so much more out there, so much love she could hold fast to, if she would open her heart, and her spirit to receive it in faith—and trust.
Watching Jeremy now, realizing the effort he put into ignoring his own call for a family, gave her a lot to think about. He refused to pressure her about her life choices, despite his own depth of feeling. Instead, he attempted to put his nephew at the forefront, exploring the option of becoming even more firmly engrained in the lives of his extended family. His attitude did a miraculous job of tenderizing her spirit, and strengthening the abilities she needed in order to try to move forward in her own way.
Through it all, she became certain of one inescapable fact: she wanted, desperately, to build a life with Jeremy Edwards.
****
Late the next day, one of the teachers opened the door to the rumpus room. “Monica, you have visitors in the lobby.”
“Thanks. I’m on my way.” She knew she sounded a bit breathless from the exertion of lifting a toddler in both arms and circling him through the room like an airplane. Playtime interrupted, Monica set the boy down and gave him a pat on the back. Walking out of the rumpus room put her directly in the lobby, and when she saw who her visitors were, her footsteps stuttered. Her nerves awakened, and a subtle, anxious tremor began.
Daveny, Kiara, Ken, and Elise turned in unison. They shook snowflakes from their coats and Ken stamped lightly on the rubber entry mat to knock slush from his shoes.
“Hi there!” Monica stepped up in welcome. “Let me take your coats.”
“Do you mind the invasion?” Daveny asked, taking in her surroundings with a smile. “Kiara and I had a slow spell at work, and since she’s been so eager to see your facility, we figured there was no time like the present to stop by.”
“I don’t mind at all.”
Elise’s encompassing sweep of the room struck Monica as sharp, and keen. “This is nice.” She pulled off her leather gloves finger by finger. “Still, it’s so difficult. Please don’t take it personally—I just wish every mother had a chance to be home with their kids.”
Monica understood where Elise was coming from. “I know what you mean, but there isn’t much of a choice anymore. Even if both parents don’t have to work, and one of them stays home with their child, they end up discovering most kids in kindergarten have extensive daycare, or, at minimum, a year or two of pre-school in their background.”
“Makes sense. I’m just glad we can come to a center like yours, where we know the owner, and have built-in trust, and respect.”
That unexpected piece of praise from Je
remy’s mom brought Monica to a stilling pause. “Thank you, Elise. I really appreciate hearing that.”
Kiara, who had been wandering, stopped to turn and give them a grin. “She’s as protective as any mother would be.”
“And I don’t blame her at all. Daveny, let me get Jeffrey. He’ll be so happy to see you. After that, Ken and Kiara, I’ll be happy to show you around.”
Moments later, following a stop in the pre-K room, Monica returned, hand in hand with Jeffrey. He let out a happy shout and broke into a run the instant he saw his mother crouch down and open her arms wide in welcome. Daveny and her son settled at a nearby table and began to make good use of the nearby coloring books and a coffee tin full of crayons.
They made the most beautiful picture, Monica thought, fighting back an onslaught of wistfulness that bordered on envy. Two chestnut heads, close together, quietly chatting, filling the pages before them with vibrant colors. Monica closed her eyes, breathed deep, and rebuked the inflow of negativity, focusing instead on the blessing of a tender-hearted mother at play with her child, and nothing more.
After all, a convicting voice inside her said, what good is envy when you know you could have something just as rewarding. If you let yourself.
“For now, Ken and I are leaning toward enrolling for childcare once our baby is around six months old or so.” Kiara’s words ended Monica’s bout of introspection.
Ken nodded. “We’ve both done a lot of figuring, to see how long we can stay home and focus on just being parents.”
“After that, I plan on working part-time in the office, part-time at home.”
“We can definitely help you out.” Monica took the lead from there. “ Come on over to the nursery area and I’ll show you what we offer.” She began their tour at the infant section of her facility where there were cribs, playpens, and a two-to-one teacher-to-baby ratio. There were foam rubber balls, colorful, plastic blocks and a spacious main area with cushioned flooring, and mat games. There were bouncy chairs as well, one of which was occupied by a cooing baby who held hands with the staffer who was seated, cross-legged, nearby. “Also, I can be flexible about scheduling, as long as I have a little notice to plan for staffing.”
“Meaning?” Ken had lifted a large, sturdy picture book, but set it aside to focus on Monica.
They continued walking and he kept a protective hand near Kiara’s back as she moved forward, taking everything in. Her stomach, Monica now saw, had rounded pleasantly, and a loose-fitting silk blouse flowed around her growing midsection. Monica closed her eyes for a moment, braced against an onslaught of imagined sensations and pleasures: a child’s movement within an ever-expanding womb, the roll and thud of a baby’s movement. Witnessing pregnancy didn’t normally hit her so hard; this time, though, she couldn’t escape the alienation she felt. These people comprised Jeremy’s world, and occupied his heart. Therefore, all she longed to give him, left her aching.
Discussing Sunny Horizons and focusing on work lent her a needed lifeline. “Well, for example, if meetings come up, where you know you need to shift daycare from one day to another, I can be accommodating. I only need a few days’ notice to be sure there’s adequate staffing.”
Kiara nodded. Her hair was fashioned into an elegant French braid. The style drew emphasis to high cheekbones and creamy skin, leaving wide green eyes the focal point of her features. “That makes sense.”
Monica continued to fill in details while they walked. “My infant area is somewhat smaller than the toddler and pre-K program, but we have half a dozen children we care for who are at least six weeks old to eighteen months.”
“Hmm.” Elise followed them, exploring right along with Kiara and Ken, who conversed quietly, smiling and pointing out items of interest.
Jeremy’s mom stepped up to Monica’s side. “I see now why Collin speaks so highly of the work you do. Taking care of this many children is quite a challenge. You have a beautiful facility, Monica.”
On nervous automatic, Monica tucked an errant wave of hair behind her ear. She wanted so much to win this woman’s good grace and favor. This was Jeremy’s mother, a guiding, loving force in his life. Elise was unmistakably sincere, but she searched for assurance as well. She chronicled the most important aspects of Monica’s life for two main reasons—the love and protection of her son.
“Thank you very much for the compliment. This center has been wonderful for me. So are the children. I’d miss them terribly if they weren’t a part of my life.” That comment escaped without a filter. It reached deeper than Monica had truly intended. Elise, however, seemed to bypass the deeper layers. When she laughed lightly, Monica released a relieved breath.
“You’d miss them? Even on snow-bound days like this? They must be hard to handle when they get cabin fever.”
Refocused, Monica smiled as well. “True, but you learn to divert and entertain.”
“You seem to be a natural.”
A drawing of sunshine and rainbows caught her eye; for the time being, Monica turned away from its symbolism. And she opted to leave Elise’s comment alone.
Since Ken and Kiara continued to explore, Elise stayed near Monica. “Jeremy tells me you’re coming to Becky’s wedding in a couple of weeks.”
“I accepted his invitation, yes. It sounds like it will be a beautiful event. I haven’t been to the west side of Michigan in years, and Jeremy’s excited for his cousin, and her fiancé. I’m really looking forward to meeting them.”
She was speed talking, and increasingly nervous—and her curiosity was piqued. Why had Elise brought it up? Was she troubled by it? Monica wanted to wince. Instead, she slowed her breathing, and stopped short, wishing she felt more comfortable with Jeremy’s mom.
Elise’s gaze softened. “Monica, you’re trying too hard. Relax. You hold Jeremy’s heart, and I know it, so I’ll tell you what I’ve already told him. If that’s the case, then you hold my heart as well. And I’m sincere about that.”
Monica couldn’t find the words she wanted, and needed, to let Elise know how much that statement meant. Her mind spun, but into the vortex came the sound of a loud cry from the next room over. Snapping to, Monica nearly jogged to the rumpus room. There a small group had already gathered around an injured child. “What happened?” She asked the closest teacher.
“Jason and Lindsay were in a bit of a disagreement about who got to play with that big, metal dump truck. They were tussling back and forth with it. When Jason let it go, Lindsay lost her footing and when she fell, the toy truck hit her head.”
The teacher made ready to help, but Monica shook her head. “Go ahead and help watch the others. Calm the kids down. I’ll take care of Lindsay.”
Lindsay continued to cry, hugging her knees to her chest as she rubbed her forehead and rocked back and forth. Monica gathered the little girl onto her lap, holding her close until the tears slowed. There was a small gash on Lindsay’s forehead that would require cleaning, some antiseptic and a bandage, but nothing more, thank goodness. She’d be fine.
“You’re OK, honey,” Monica cooed softly, rubbing Lindsay’s back, continuing to cradle her. In silence they rested. Lindsay’s sobs lessened to hiccups, and she clung to Monica’s neck, her tears warm as they trickled against Monica’s skin. Lindsay’s breathing eventually evened out, and she closed her eyes with a sigh, just the signs Monica was waiting for. “Let’s go back to my office. I’ll clean you up and make things good as new. Then, you can come back and play.”
“I hate that truck now. I don’t want it anymore!”
“For now, I don’t blame you, honey, but let’s see how you feel once you’re back on your feet.”
Lindsay sniffled. She looked up at Monica with watery eyes, but an authentic, grateful smile. “M’kay. Thank you, Miss Monica. I’sorry. An’ I’sorry to Jason, too.”
Monica gave her little student a snuggle. “You’re a brave girl, Linds, and I’m proud of you for being sorry about what happened. When we’re done, let’s have you an
d Jason apologize to each other. C’mon, sweetie.”
They stood and held hands, preparing to move toward the hallway leading to Monica’s office. Suddenly she realized she had completely ignored her visitors. All four of them now stood in the rumpus room, watching. In passing, she gave them an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry. I’ll be right back.”
Ken and Kiara exchanged glances, and knowing smiles. “Actually,” Kiara said, “I think we just saw everything we need. Where do we sign up?”
Monica fell victim to a heated flush of shyness and pleasure, but what set her heart soaring even more than Ken and Kiara’s show of confidence was the impressed, tender expression presently worn by Elise Edwards.
Hearts Communion
19
Swags of white netting stretched like curved arms across the length of the ceiling. Clear twinkle lights illuminated the great room of the Baxter Morgan Bed and Breakfast with a creamy glow. Music pumped through the air, sometimes fast and driving, sometimes slow and romantic. The atmosphere was perfect for the wedding reception of Steve Richards and Rebecca Tomblin Richards and the party was in full swing.
Watching the newly married couple dance made Jeremy smile. He held a flute of champagne; best man and maid of honor had just offered their toasts. He stood near the family table, and a pleasing rhythm surrounded him punctuated by chatter, flashbulbs, laughter, music and dishware chiming and clattering as attendees finished eating wedding cake. Swaying a bit, tapping her fingertips on the back of a chair, Monica stood close by, watching the proceedings with a happy look in her eyes.
Jeremy’s hand came to rest against the small of her back, and before she could even turn, he wrapped an arm around her waist and tucked in close. She leaned back with a contented sigh, which he could hear despite the party atmosphere. Among many things, he loved her natural, effortless affection, the connected intimacy she created with nothing more than a well-timed caress, or a meaningful look.
Hearts Communion Page 14
