The Pastor's Wife
Page 19
“He's risen indeed!” Twenty voices answered the pastor in unison. Maura, whose throat had turned into a sandbox, silently mouthed the words.
“I hate to send you all out into the cold, but I need to talk to Maura for a minute.” When it became obvious that no one was moving, he added, “Alone.”
Maura watched her students practically run from the room. And did she catch a smile on Lainie's face?
The barn door shut with a dull thud.
Nick cleared his throat. “Maura, I’ve been thinking about us a lot this week.”
She didn’t trust herself to speak. She could only nod.
“Easter is a time of new beginnings,” Nick continued. “I can’t go out there and lead the congregation in this service until we work out our problems. I can’t go on being married in name only. It feels deceitful. Like we’re living a lie.”
What did he mean? “I don’t understand,” she squeaked out.
He pointed to her left hand. “I need your ring back.”
Maura swallowed the tears that threatened to fall. She wouldn’t cry. She had no one to blame for this but herself. She peeled off her glove, slipped the engagement ring from her finger, and held it out to Nick.
His fingers folded around her hand as she placed the ring in his palm. “Maura, I forgive you, and I hope you can forgive me for everything I put you through. I made you feel like you were the least important person in my life. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth.”
Her heart pounded as he got down on one knee in front of her. “I love you, Maura, and I want to be your husband again. If you’ll have me.”
With a cry of happiness, Maura dropped to her knees and threw her arms around Nick. She slammed against him like steel against a magnet, almost knocking him to the straw-covered floor. Their lips met, hungry for each other and the reunion they’d been denied for far too long.
Reluctantly, they broke apart. Nick put his hand against her cheek. “I’m not a perfect man, but I promise to be the best husband I can, with God's help. I promise to love you and not take you for granted ever again.”
She took his hand, drawing it to her lips. “I promise to talk to you and share with you, even if I have to grab you by the ear to do it. No more secrets between us. Ever.”
Nick smiled. “Let's do this right.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the other half of the wedding set. “With these rings, I thee wed. Again.”
A thrill coursed through Maura as Nick slid the rings on her finger. She reached out for his hand, removing the band that he’d never taken off. “I wed thee again too. Till death parts us.” She slipped it back on his finger, where it belonged.
Nick stood, helped Maura up, and sealed their promise with a kiss. “We should get out there before people start wondering what we’re doing.”
He put his arm around her and they walked to the door. “Just one thing,” Maura asked. “How did you get the other half of my wedding set?”
Nick grinned. “I still have a key to your apartment. I snuck in while you were at the theatre. And speaking of your apartment, what would you think about living there instead of the parsonage?”
Maura's head buzzed with excitement. Had she heard him right? “Really?”
“Sure. It's got an extra bedroom. We’ll have plenty of room there, even when our family grows.”
“Unless we have a bunch of kids.”
Nick squeezed her close. “We’ll cross that bridge when and if we come to it.”
He pulled the barn door open, and they stepped outside. To Maura's amazement, the entire congregation stood in a semicircle around the barn, facing them. Lainie and Oren stood in the front, the ring leaders of the group.
Nick kissed Maura on the cheek. He grabbed her hand and held it up high as if she was a winner in a prizefight, making her rings sparkle in the early morning sunlight. “She said yes!”
The congregation erupted in cheers. A few yards away, the choir started singing an impromptu a cappella version of Handel's “Hallelujah!” chorus.
Maura took in a deep breath, inhaling all the joy and exuberance surrounding her. On the horizon, the sun broke out in a riot of colors, igniting the sky like a fiery stained-glass window. Her heart swelled until she feared it would burst with happiness. With her husband beside her, and the congregation in front of her, Maura thanked God for the dawning of a new day, and for the second chance He’d given her and Nick.
Discussion Questions
Maura left Nick because she felt that she came last in his life. Do you think she had an unrealistic expectation of what it would be like to be a pastor's wife? Have you ever felt neglected in a relationship? How did you handle it?
As a new pastor, Nick felt obligated to spend most of his time on his job. Was he right to do this? How might he have better balanced his life? Was he right to expect Maura to immerse herself in church service as well?
There were issues in Nick and Maura's relationship that were never addressed. How might things have worked out differently for them if they had talked about their feelings? Do you find it difficult to talk through problems with your own spouse or those close to you?
Granger is a small, close-knit town. What are the pros and cons of living in that type of community? How did the town affect Nick and Maura's marriage?
Maura felt that Nick put his job before her. But when she takes over the theatre and finds a job she loves, she discovers how easy it is to be consumed by work. Do you think it helped her see Nick's side of the story? Have you ever been in a similar situation? Has your work ever taken over chunks of your personal life?
When Maura returns to town, she reconnects with her friend Rachel. Have you ever had a friend who looked past your faults and just loved you? Have you been that friend? Was it worth it?
At Christmastime, Nick gives Maura a teacup to replace the one he’d broken years earlier. What's the symbolism behind this gift?
When Maura discovers a lump in her breast, she immediately remembers her mother's battle with breast cancer. Have you ever gone through a comparable experience or helped a loved one through something similar? How did you feel?
Nick drops everything to be with Maura as she goes for tests and waits for results. Considering their history, why was that so important?
Maura kept her miscarriage a secret from Nick. What were her reasons? Was she right not to tell him?
When Nick finds out about the miscarriage, he feels betrayed and says that Maura lied to him. Is not telling someone the truth the same as lying? Did Nick overreact? How would you feel in a similar situation?
In the end, Nick and Maura realize they were both responsible for the problems in their marriage. Only through forgiving each other were they able to move forward. Have you ever experienced a seemingly irreparable rift with a friend or loved one?
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