Table for One: An Inspirational Romance

by Leah Atwood

  “No coffee?” He snuck a glimpse of her as he backed out of the spot and saw the beginning stages of a blush on her neck.

  “I’ve never cared for it.” She wrinkled her nose. “My parents always told me I’d like it as I got older, but here I am and still can’t stomach it.”

  He cringed. “We can go somewhere else if you’d like. Name it, and we’ll go there.”

  “The original plan is fine. I’m a huge fan of flavored lemonades, and I like the cozy atmosphere available at coffee shops.”

  “All right.” He wasn’t sold that she told the complete truth, but he’d take her word for it.

  When they arrived, a few cars lingered in the parking lot, most of them likely in the coffee shop, since most the shops closed at five on Saturdays.

  “I like it out this way because there aren’t as many college students as the places downtown.” Lest he come across as condescending, he hurried to elaborate. “Not that there’s anything wrong with college students, but I’m reminded it’s been close to two decades since I’ve been one.”

  “No better way to feel old than hanging around a younger crowd, is there?”

  “I never think of myself as old until I’m next to a kid in their early twenties, more so when I hear them talk.” He cleared his throat. “Whenever I wish I could be that young and carefree again, I stop to remember all I’ve learned and experienced since then and am perfectly content where I am.”

  “That’s a good attitude to have.” The bell above the door rang when she walked through. “I’ve never wished to go back to my college years. They were filled with insecurities which led to many bad decisions.”

  He placed a hand on the small of her back as they walked to the order counter. “I never sowed my wild oats, so to speak. I’ve been called boring and old from the time I was in high school.”

  “You don’t strike me as that whatsoever.”

  “Thanks.” He rang the service bell when he didn’t see an employee. “When I was younger, I had rigid standards that I expected everyone to live by. I’ve learned it’s not fair to others or myself to expect perfection. We need to be free to make mistakes because that’s how we learn.”

  “I agree.”

  A man came from the back to take their order. Trevor ordered a black coffee, and true to what she’d said, Lauren requested her passionfruit lemonade.

  While they waited, she picked up their conversation. “I’m sure I wouldn’t have met your standards back then. Because I didn’t believe in myself, I believed what others told me. One day I looked in the mirror and didn’t like the girl I’d become.”

  “What happened when you realized that?”

  “I remember calling my mom and confiding in her, told her everything I’d done and cried over how ashamed I was.” She grabbed her drink from the counter after the man set it down.

  Trevor grabbed his coffee and led them to a table by the window. Neither said a word for the first few seconds, and he gave her the space to continue her story if she wished.

  She stirred her drink absently, then looked at him. “Once I realized my worth was found in God, not others or even myself, everything changed. I wish I hadn’t indulged in many of the activities that I had, but I don’t regret it. My mistakes led me back to God and formed who I am today.”

  Knowing her confidence came from Christ made her that much more attractive, and he appreciated she didn’t hide her imperfections. “I’m glad we didn’t meet then.”

  Her head leaned to the side, and she eyed him with a strange expression.

  He groaned with embarrassment. “That was supposed to be a compliment, but it came out wrong. What I meant was that had we met fifteen years or so ago, I’m sure I would have wrongly judged you as a person, and then I would have missed out getting to know the beautiful person you are.”

  The smile on her face was worth every bit of making himself vulnerable, and he couldn’t stop his own grin.

  Chapter Eight

  Lauren checked her email, thrilled to find an acceptance of the latest article she’d submitted. Freelance writing supplemented the income generated from Table For One, and for the last two months, she’d brought in more from freelancing than her blog. A great feat considering her blog income had increased by two percent those months.

  She printed out the contract, signed it, then scanned it into a file on her computer. In addition to sending a copy in a reply email, she added it to her personal record keeping file. Done with her work for the day she shut down her computer.

  The weather today was her ideal spring day. Louisiana’s notorious humidity hadn’t kicked in yet, and the temperature lingered in the mid-seventies. She’d opened her balcony door earlier, allowing the calm breeze to blow in fresh, floral-scented air from the garden below. Rosie Lou took advantage of the opened door to lay on the cement balcony and bask in the sun’s glow.

  Trevor wouldn’t show up for their date for another two hours, which gave her plenty of time to get more done. She could fold laundry, but who wanted to sit inside on a day this pretty? Instead, she grabbed her journal and a pen, a bottle of water, and then joined Rosie Lou outside.

  The dog lifted her head sleepily, saw nothing of interest, then drifted off to a lazy slumber.

  Opening her journal, Lauren knew what she needed to write. She had to sort her thoughts on Trevor and her increasingly deep feelings for him. She dated the next clean page and began writing, penning the words as they came to her without a filter.

  Trevor and I are going out again tonight. This is our fifth time going to dinner since the day we first went for coffee two weeks ago, not including the movie we saw on Saturday and the festival we went to after attending my church together Sunday morning.

  All this sounds wonderful, and it is, but after never being in love before, it scares me that I could fall in love with Trevor after such a short time. I know it’s possible, even if I wasn’t a hopeless romantic, because I’ve seen it with friends, and they’ve married that person. One of those friends will celebrate her fifteen-year anniversary tomorrow so true love can happen in a short time, but it’s different when it’s happening to me.

  The funny thing is that I feel totally secure in this new relationship. True, I was nervous that day of the game event, but since then, being with Trevor comes naturally. We can talk about anything, or sit in silence and be content, and I know our feelings are mutual.

  So why am I scared? Is it because I sense that he is the one? That big life changes are coming? Maybe I’m thinking too far ahead. Maybe I should take each day as it comes, and trust that if Trevor is the man God intends for me, then there is nothing to fear.

  A far-off siren interrupted her journaling. Was it an ambulance rushing to the home of a sick person, or to the scene of an accident? She closed her journal and set it on a short plant stand she used for a table. Closing her eyes, she said a prayer for whomever the sirens were going.

  She continued praying, asking for wisdom in her growing relationship with Trevor. That she would not fear the future but enjoy the present with him.

  After her prayer, she went inside. The laundry still sat in a heaped pile in the corner of her room. She made a deal with herself—once she completed the task, she’d treat herself to one of the white chocolate truffles she’d bought last week. Sometimes she needed that extra motivation.

  She dumped the basket on her bed, and sorted it into piles, not thinking about the fact she was a grown woman with three loads of laundry crammed into a single basket. At least she hadn’t washed them like that. Setting the towels aside, she would save them for last. Their bulkiness made the pile appear huge, but that stack would disappear the quickest. It was a mind game she played with herself to make the task less arduous.

  While she was in her closet hanging shirts, her cell phone rang, blaring the ringtone she’d set for Trevor. Was it time for their date already? She hadn’t spent that much time on laundry. She accepted the call and lifted the phone to her ear. “Hi.”


  “Hi, Lauren.” His voice didn’t sound normal. “I’m afraid I have to cancel our date for tonight.”

  She’d listened closely and heard the fear he’d attempted to disguise. “What’s wrong?”

  “Dan was taking his sister to her doctor’s appointment, and another truck ran a red light and hit him.”

  Covering her mouth, she stifled her gasp. Were they the reason for the ambulance she’d heard earlier? “Are they okay?”

  “The driver’s side received the brunt of the impact, and Dan’s pretty messed up. Annabelle seems fine—she’s the one who called me—but she’s being admitted for observation since she’s thirty-eight weeks pregnant.” Trevor paused and cleared his throat. “I’m on my way to the hospital now. I hate breaking our date, but I need to be there for them.”

  Her heart went out to him. She could tell he was more frantic than he let on. “Don’t even worry about our date. Being with your friends during this is more important.”

  “Thanks for understanding. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

  “No need for that.” She remembered the long hours of waiting when her grandfather had surgery. She’d never been at the hospital waiting for someone who’d been in an accident, but she imagined the process could be just as grueling, if not worse. “Do you want me to come and sit with you? If I’d be in the way, I understand, but if you want company, I can come over.”

  “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d welcome you, and I’m sure Annabelle could use a woman to talk to.” Trevor’s sigh was filled with a heaviness. “Her husband is out of town and trying to get back now.”

  “What hospital are they at?”

  “Lafayette Cooperative.”

  “I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Where should I meet you?”

  “The ER. That’s where they were taken, and I’ll find out more once I’m there. I’m pulling into the parking lot now.”

  “I’ll see you in a bit.”

  He didn’t respond for several seconds, and she thought he’d ended the call, but then he whispered, “Thank you. You’re coming means a lot to me.”

  “You’re welcome.” She disconnected, then hurried to brush her hair and teeth. Didn’t bother changing out of her denim capris and t-shirt. They were comfy and perfect for hours of sitting, which she could be facing tonight.

  As she drove to the hospital, she pushed the boundaries of the speed limit, careful to still obey all traffic signs. She prayed continuously for Dan, Annabelle, and the baby. Trevor had told her previously how Dan was like a brother to him and Annabelle like a sister. They’d all grown up together and had been friends for decades, and when Dan and Annabelle’s parents had died seven years ago, Trevor’s parents had taken on the siblings as an extension of their own family. She could only imagine how Trevor felt, and what must be going through his mind. And poor Annabelle. Worried about her brother and baby and not having her husband by her side.

  The ten-minute drive dragged on. At every traffic light, she hit red. Going the back way only led her to construction roadwork. She hit the steering wheel out of frustration. If Trevor was beckoned to another part of the hospital, she didn’t want him to worry about her finding him. Her purpose was to be there for him, not cause more stress.

  Finally, she arrived and rushed in. She couldn’t remember if she locked her car doors, but she wasn’t turning around to check. Just in case, she pressed the lock button on her key fob. She doubted the signal would reach from the emergency room’s entrance, but it was worth a try.

  The extra wide double doors slid open automatically. Her eyes scanned the room for Trevor even before she stepped all the way inside. She saw him standing by an elevator entrance and went to him.

  His facial muscles were taut, distress written in the lines of his forehead. Lifting his head, he met her gaze and came to her with open arms. “Thank you for coming.”

  “Any updates?” She chided herself for enjoying his embrace, but pushed aside the small level of guilt. There was no reason to take on blame.

  “Dan is in surgery.” He flinched and swallowed. “Severe internal bleeding.”

  “Oh no.” She’d had a friend in high school whose mother walked away from an accident seemingly unharmed, then died that night of internal injuries, but she didn’t mention that event. “The good thing is they caught it now and can operate.”

  “Yes, praise the Lord.” His eyes clouded over. “I’ve been praying since I got the call.”

  “Me too.” She withdrew from his embrace but wrapped her hand around his. “What about Annabelle?”

  His face pulled even more. “She didn’t tell me over the phone, but they are delivering the baby via emergency C-section. They couldn’t stabilize the baby’s heart rate.”

  “Now?”

  “Yes. I was waiting for you before going to labor and delivery. A nurse told me she’d likely be done before Dan.”

  “Does her husband know?” Her heart broke anew for the family.

  “I called him as soon as I found out.” His hand tightened around hers. “He’s in a rough place with blame. Annabelle didn’t want him going to the conference so close to her due date and returning from offshore, but it paid a few hundred dollars per diem, and he wanted to save every penny possible before the baby’s arrival.”

  “I’m so sorry. I wish I had magic words to make all of this better.”

  His gaze softened. “You’re here. That’s enough.”

  They made their way to the labor and delivery ward then stopped at the nurses’ station.

  “Can you give me any information on Annabelle Dupre?” Trevor tapped on the counter, his fingers jumping with nerves.

  “Are you family?”

  “Her brother, Trevor.”

  Lauren kept her eyes forward, not glancing at Trevor with surprise at his white lie. Not every situation was black and white, and she knew that Annabelle would want him to receive updates.

  The nurse typed information into a computer. “Ah, yes, I see you listed right here as authorized to receive information. She’s being taken into surgery now.”

  “When will she be done?” He leaned forward in a desperate pose.

  Fortunately, the nurse was sympathetic. “Within an hour. There’s a waiting room down the hall, on the left. I’ll let you know any updates as soon as we have them.”

  “Thank you.”

  When Trevor appeared reluctant to leave the nurses’ station, Lauren gave his arm a gentle tug. “Come on.”

  He took a deep breath then followed her down the corridor, then sat without a word on a patterned tan chair.

  She lowered herself into the chair closest to him. “No matter what happens, God is in control.”

  “I know.” A tense smile surfaced, and he put a hand to his heart. “In here, I believe Dan, Annabelle, and the baby will all be fine, but it’s getting my head to agree that’s the problem.”

  “Isn’t that always the case?” She let out a light chuckle. “I’m convinced half our problems would be automatically solved if we could shut off the worry portion of our brains.”

  “Thank you again for coming.” His countenance lost another notch of tension. “I sound like a broken record, but this is hard enough as it is. I wouldn’t want to sit here alone.”

  “That’s what friends are for.”

  His gaze intensified. “I had hoped we are more than friends.”

  “We are.”

  Chapter Nine

  Lauren’s declaration was a flash of light in an otherwise dark moment. Now wasn’t an appropriate time to discuss their relationship status, but he found contentment knowing they’d crossed a bridge.

  Unfocused for long, he uttered another silent prayer for his friends. Protect them, Lord. Watch over and heal them. Give the doctors steady hands and wisdom as they operate.

  Twenty minutes later, the nurse, Jenn, found them. “The baby is here—a beautiful girl. Mama and baby are both doing great. The baby had a knot in her cord, plus it was wra
pped around her neck, which is likely the cause of distress, but all her initial vitals look great. Annabelle will be in the operating room for another half hour and then to recovery. If she grants permission, you’ll be allowed to see her then.”

  “Thank you.” He raised his head. “Thank you, Jesus.”

  Jenn smiled at him and Lauren. “I took the liberty of checking on her other brother. He’s still in surgery, but the outlook is positive. The damage is severe, but not to the level initially believed.”

  Weight lifted from his shoulders. “I appreciate that. Thank you again.”

  “I have to get back to my station, but I’ll let you know when she’s in recovery.” Jenn offered another understanding smile before leaving.

  He slid his phone from his pocket to call Steve. No signal. He held it high in the air in hope that a signal would appear. It was a futile effort. He tapped Lauren’s shoulder. “Do you mind staying here while I run outside to tell Steve he has a daughter?”

  “Go.” She waved him away. “I’ll sit tight if they come with any more updates.”

  “You’re the best.” Bending over, he kissed her forehead.

  The gesture came naturally, and as he raced down the stairs, he realized that was their first kiss. Nothing romantic about it, but soon he’d have to remedy that. Once he saw for himself that Annabelle, the baby, and Dan were fine, he’d take Lauren on a romantic date. He’d tell her how he felt about her, that he’d fallen in love with her. He wouldn’t worry she’d think he was crazy for saying it after knowing each other a month because he knew his heart spoke truth.

  What was time? Love was love. Three years of dating never gave him assurance that he loved Mariah because he hadn’t. The experience had taught him that if he wasn’t truly in love, all the convincing in the world couldn’t make him believe. But Lauren had shown him that when he did fall in love, he’d know without a doubt.

  He’d been falling—spiraling—and when she’d walked through the emergency room doors, he knew. Lauren was the one for whom he’d waited thirty-eight and a half years.