Triumphant Love: A Christian Romance (The True Love Series Book 4)

by Juliette Duncan

  If only the floor would open up and swallow him, but he had to say something. He glanced at Mr. Morgan for support.

  Mr. Morgan stepped closer, placed his hand on Jayden’s shoulder, and smiled at the group. “Hello everyone. Good to see you enjoying yourselves.”

  Jayden’s head spun around. Did Mr. Morgan know these people?

  “Come and join us.” The old man with gray hair patted an empty chair.

  “Thanks, I might just do that.” Mr. Morgan placed his hand on the back of the chair. “Jayden, why don’t you go for a walk with your mother?”

  Jayden’s eyebrows shot up. Mr. Morgan was going to leave him on his own with Mom? What if she did something crazy?

  “You’ll be all right, son.” Mr. Morgan gave him a reassuring nod.

  Jayden let out a slow breath. “Okay…”

  Mom stood and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. “Come on, Jay, let’s go for a walk.”

  As Mom led him to the door, Jayden glanced back at Mr. Morgan. He was already engrossed in the game and the others were laughing at something he’d said. Jayden drew his eyebrows together. How did he do that?

  Mom led him into an enclosed courtyard where they sat on a bench seat. At least it looked nicer out here than inside. A few large potted plants sat in each corner, and the skylights almost made it seem as if they were outside.

  Mom pulled a box of cigarettes from the small bag slung over her shoulder, opened the box and slid a cigarette out. Her hands shook as she tried to strike a match.

  Jayden was about to tell her she should give them up, but something stopped him. He wasn’t here to judge. “Let me help, Mom.” Jayden took the box from her and struck the match before holding it to the tip of her cigarette.

  She held his gaze as she drew long and hard before blowing the smoke out of the corner of her mouth. She drew two more quick puffs before leaning forward and stubbing the cigarette out in the ashtray on the table. She hung her head and began to sob.

  Jayden shifted closer and placed his arm around her.

  She slowly lifted her head. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Jay.” Her bottom lip quivered.

  A shudder ran through Jayden’s body. He pulled a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her.

  “It… it wasn’t meant to be like this.” She paused, breathing heavily. “I’ve made such a mess of everything.”

  As she sobbed into his chest, Jayden squeezed back his own tears. He hadn’t expected her to be like this, but then, maybe he should have. Hadn’t they been praying for her?

  He inhaled slowly. Her body shook in his arms. He rubbed her back. “It’ll be okay, Mom. You’ll be all right.”

  Eventually her sobbing eased and she raised her head. “Can you ever forgive me, Jay? For everything?”

  Everything? Jayden narrowed his eyes and held her gaze. Was she asking him to forgive her for leaving him when he was only a child? Or just for luring him away from Dad under false pretenses? Did she have any idea how her actions had affected him? He drew a deep breath. But how could he not forgive her? God expected it of him, and as hard it would be, and as much as she didn’t deserve it, he had no choice. She was broken. She needed help, and at last she seemed to know it.

  He released his breath. “Yes, Mom, I forgive you.”

  She threw her arms around him and began to sob again. He’d never seen her so needy. “Thank you, Jay. You’re a good boy. The best.”

  Moments passed. Mom straightened and wiped her face.

  Jayden changed position and rested his forearms on the table. “So, how are you doing, Mom?”

  Mom blinked. “It’s hard to believe Buck’s dead.”

  “You shouldn’t have got involved with him.”

  She hung her head. “I know.”

  Jayden raised an eyebrow. “I wish you hadn’t.”

  She raised her head. “I should have listened to you.”

  Jayden nodded.

  “He got me hooked on drugs.”

  “You’ve got the chance to get clean now, Mom. I hope you will.”

  She pulled the blanket tighter and inhaled deeply.

  Jayden studied her. Would she have the strength to stay off them? He prayed she would.

  She reached out and squeezed his hand. “I want to, but I don’t know if I can.”

  “The Morgan’s will help you. They’re great people.”

  “And what about you, Jay? Will you help me?”

  Jayden gulped. “I’m not sure. I might have to go home.”

  Her brows puckered. “No, don’t go, Jay. Please don’t leave me.”

  Here we go again… “I might not have a choice, Mom. I’m illegal, you know that.”

  Her face blanched as she clutched his arm. “Oh, Jay, I need you. Don’t worry about that.”

  He tilted his head as a wave of sadness washed over him. If only he could stay. “I’ll be found out eventually. I’m not sure when I’ll be going yet, but it might be sometime soon.” Jayden swallowed hard, pushing down the lump growing in his throat. God really had to help him with this.

  “It won’t be the same without you here, Jay.”

  “Why don’t you come home with me, Mom?”

  Tears welled in her eyes again. “There’s no one there for me.”

  Jayden pinched his lips. “What about me?” What went on in her brain?

  She let out a feeble laugh. “I’m sorry. Of course there’s you.” She smiled at him as she patted his hand. “I’ll think about it.”

  He gave her the best smile he could manage. “Get better first, okay?”

  She nodded. “I need to go back in, Jay. Can you help me?”

  He stood and helped her up. As he walked across the courtyard to the door, he stopped, placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her slowly to face him. “Mom, I really hope you get better. Try hard?”

  Her eyes moistened again as she nodded.

  He pulled her close and gave her a big hug. “And Mom, can you please not call me Jay?”

  Her head jerked back, her eyes widening. “What do you mean?”

  “I hate being called Jay. I much prefer Jayden.”

  Her hand flew to her cheek. “I had no idea. I’m sorry, Jay.” Her shoulders sagged. “I’ve done it already.” She let out a deep sigh.

  He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek. “It’s okay, Mom. Just get yourself better.”

  Her face softened into a smile, not one of her over-the-top flashy smiles, but one that was genuine, giving him hope she might just get through this.

  Mr. Morgan was still playing cards when Jayden and Kathryn returned. The other three were genuinely upset when he stood to leave.

  “I’ll come back as soon as I can.”

  “Make sure you do.” The older woman had a sparkle in her eye.

  “You can count on it, Betty.” He gave her a friendly smile.

  “Bye.” She waved as he moved away from the table.

  “Mom wants to go back to her room,” Jayden said quietly when Mr. Morgan joined them.

  “No problem. I’ll call a nurse.”

  Within minutes, Mom was lying in her bed, curled up like a little child, her eyes squeezed shut.

  “It’s going to be a long road, son.” Mr. Morgan placed his hand on Jayden’s shoulder as they walked out of the hospital towards the car.

  “Yes, but I think she might just make it.” Jayden felt a lightness in his chest.

  “I think so, too, son.” Mr. Morgan unlocked the car and gave him an encouraging smile before opening the door and climbing inside.

  Jayden returned to his apartment to pack for camp while Mr. Morgan went back to school. But instead of packing, he flopped onto the sofa and closed his eyes. So much had happened over the last week. In fact, it was like he was caught in a whirlwind and had no idea where he’d land.

  After a few moments of rest, Jayden pulled himself up. If he stayed lying down, he’d end up asleep, and then he wouldn’t have time to pack bef
ore Mr. Morgan came back for him. His guitar caught his attention. He picked it up and began playing some of the songs he and Angie had been practicing. Songs that had now come to mean so much to him. As he played, a sense of God’s presence descended on his heart, and a verse that Angie had shared with him came to mind. Jeremiah 29, verse 11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” While Jayden didn’t know what the future held, God did. And that’s all that mattered.

  Chapter 17

  Ben quickly finished packing his small suitcase and zipped it closed.

  Tessa sat on the edge of the bed watching his every move. “Are you sure about this, Ben?”

  “Absolutely. It’s time.”

  “We’ve been through it countless times, wouldn’t it be best to wait for him to decide?”

  Ben closed the space between them and placed his hands on Tessa’s shoulders. “I’m not going to force him, Tess, but it’ll be easier for him to do the right thing if I’m there to support him.”

  “Do you want me to come with you?”

  Ben raised an eyebrow. “In your condition?”

  Tessa glanced down at her stomach and sighed. “You’re right. I doubt the doctor would let me travel anyway.”

  “For once I want to take the initiative, Tess. I feel good about it, but please pray.”

  Tessa smiled up at him. “Of course, Ben. But don’t stay away too long.”

  “I won’t, don’t worry. I’m not planning on staying any longer than I have to.”

  “I know, Ben, but I’m going to miss you.”

  Ben stepped closer and gently pulled her towards him. “And I’m going to miss you too, Tess.” He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand as their eyes met. His heart filled with love for her. He lifted her chin and lowered his lips until they touched. He kissed her slowly, savouring every moment. When he let her go, her face was flushed and her eyes moist.

  “Hurry back, Ben.” Her voice was soft, barely more than a whisper.

  He gave her another slow kiss. “Don’t you worry about that, Tess. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Tessa clung to Ben and gave him a huge hug before he stepped onto the escalator leading to the departures area of the Brisbane International Airport. Fixing her gaze on him, she waved and blew him one last kiss before he disappeared.

  If only she could have gone with Ben, but having been advised to ‘take it easy’, they’d agreed that her job was to pray and to look after herself and their unborn baby.

  She stepped out of the cool air-conditioned airport into a beautiful late spring day in Brisbane. The sky was a brilliant blue, and as a plane soared upwards, leaving a trail of vapour in its wake, Tessa’s thoughts drifted. The last couple of months of her pregnancy had been challenging. She’d been so tired all the time, and although she loved her work, especially now she'd returned to her old job as Head Surgeon, she was looking forward to taking a break. But how was she going to cope with Ben being away? They’d hardly spent a night apart since they’d married, except for the couple of days she’d spent at Stephanie’s mother’s farm before they went to Ecuador.

  Tessa came back to the present with a jolt. Stephanie… She glanced at her watch and breathed a sigh of relief. Plenty of time. In fact, she’d be early for their lunch date.

  When Tessa arrived at the new Waterside Café in New Farm ten minutes early, she chose a table and ordered a coffee, all the while keeping one eye on the car park and one eye on the river. She was just finishing her coffee when Mrs Trejo’s modified van pulled into the car park and stopped under a shady poinciana tree. Mrs Trejo slid out and waited for Stephanie’s wheelchair, with Stephanie in it, to be lowered to the ground. Tessa’s heart still ached for her friend every time she thought about her not being able to walk. Mrs Trejo had been so convinced Stephanie would walk again, but now it seemed highly unlikely. Stephanie would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

  Tessa stood and waved to Mrs Trejo as she drove off, and waited while Stephanie wheeled herself towards the entrance of the café. At least she had some independence these days, although she still lived on the farm with her mother. Tessa leaned down and hugged her. “Great to see you, Steph.”

  “And you, Tessa. Hope you’re looking after this little one.” Stephanie’s eyes sparkled as she gently ran her hand over Tessa’s stomach. “You’re getting so big.”

  Tessa rolled her eyes. “And don’t I know it!” She glanced inside. “I’ve got a table right on the water. We should be able to get you there without too much problem.” Tessa stepped around the wheelchair and placed her hands on the handles.

  Stephanie reached out and tapped Tessa’s hand. “I can do it, Tess.”

  Tessa’s hand flew to her chest. “I’m so sorry, Steph. I keep forgetting how clever you’ve become with this thing.” She laughed lightly.

  “You should see me zip around the farm.” Stephanie chuckled as she maneuvered around the tables and chairs to reach the table Tessa indicated. “This is a great spot, Tess.”

  “It is, isn’t it? I really love living so close to the river, but sometimes I feel so guilty when I think back to the living conditions in Ecuador. We’re very spoiled.”

  “But you enjoyed your time there.” She held Tessa’s gaze. “You know, since I’ve been confined to this chair, I’ve come to realise it’s not so much about your living conditions or what you do, it’s what’s inside you that counts.”

  “A very profound statement, Stephanie!”

  Stephanie laughed. “I know. I have too much time to think these days!”

  Tessa looked up as the waiter came to take their orders. “I’m sorry, we’ve been so busy chatting we haven’t even looked at the menu. What do you suggest?”

  The waiter, a young man with dark, curly hair and translucent blue eyes, flashed a smile at them. “Well, for two such beautiful young ladies like yourselves, I’d recommend some share plates. The Lamb Koftas are very good, as is the Baked Camembert served with a baguette and a green tomato chutney.”

  Tessa glanced at Stephanie and raised an eyebrow.

  Stephanie shrugged. “Sounds good to me. We’ll have one of each.”

  “And to drink?” The waiter’s pencil was poised above his notepad as he angled his head at Stephanie.

  “Sparkling water?” Stephanie glanced at Tessa.

  Tessa nodded and smiled. “Thank you.” When the waiter left, she sat for a moment, her thoughts turning to Ben. She glanced at her watch. He’d be boarding by now.

  “How’s Ben feeling about the trip?” Stephanie asked.

  Tessa inhaled slowly. It was such a huge thing after such a long and challenging road. Strange to think that Jayden could be home by this time next week if all went well. She let her breath out and lifted her gaze. “Nervous. Excited.” Tessa blinked back the tears suddenly pricking her eyes.

  “I can understand that, Tess. It’s hard to believe Jayden's been gone for more than a year.”

  “Yep, and he’s changed so much.”

  “Do you think he’ll come back?”

  Tessa shrugged. “I hope so.” She glanced at the CityCat pulling away from the terminal on the other side of the river and wiped her eyes. “He seems very attached to his girlfriend, and now this has happened to his mother…”

  “Wait, what happened to his mother?”

  Tessa drew another breath and proceeded to tell Stephanie all about Buck’s murder and Kathryn ending up in a Mental Hospital.

  “Wow! And they thought she’d killed him?”

  Tessa nodded, looking up as the waiter returned with their share plates. She smiled at him and thanked him before picking up some bread and placing a little cheese on it. “Shouldn’t be eating this, but it smells so yummy.”

  “You’ll get fat if you’re not careful.” Stephanie shot Tessa a playful look, but then laughed as she proceeded to do the same.

  Tessa s
hrugged. “I’m past caring.”

  “I bet you are. But you’re looking great.”

  “Like a beached whale, you mean?” Tessa looked up and burst out laughing. She took a sip of water and settled herself. “I can’t wait to be back to normal, Steph.” As soon as Tessa said it, she wished she could retract the words. At least she would get back to normal, unlike Stephanie. She touched Stephanie’s wrist. “I’m so sorry, Steph. That was thoughtless.”

  “It’s okay, Tess. You don’t need to tip-toe around me. I can handle things like that.”

  Tessa shook her head. “I don’t know how you’re doing it, Steph. Sure you’re not just putting on a happy face?”

  “No, Tess, I’m not. God’s taught me so much by sticking me in this wheelchair. Sure, I miss not being able to walk, but I kind of knew that from the beginning. It was Mum who found it harder to accept. But it’s okay, it really is.” She leaned closer. “And I’ve got something exciting to tell you. The reason we came to the city was for me to meet with the Director of Youth Services. I applied for a job working with disadvantaged kids, and I got it! I’m so excited!”

  Tessa threw her arms around Steph. Joy for her friend welled within her and bubbled out. “That is the best news, Steph.” She straightened. “Wait, does that mean you’re moving back to the city?”

  Stephanie nodded, her eyes shining. “Yes, so I’ll be able to help you with this little one when he or she comes.”

  Tessa let out a happy sigh. “I bet your Mum’s not too happy about that.”

  Stephanie chuckled. “I think she’s going to sell the farm.”

  “No! She can’t. I love that place.”

  Stephanie nodded. “I think she is.”

  A thought flashed through Tessa’s mind. But was she jumping the gun? Maybe she needed to pray about it. But it wouldn’t hurt to run the thought past Steph, surely. Hadn’t the seed of the idea for Ecuador been planted in her heart just like this one had now been? Maybe that’s how God works sometimes, planting spontaneous ideas in people’s hearts. Why not? She leaned forward, placing her crossed arms on the table. “Steph, I’ve got an idea.”