“No. He didn’t,” I assured her. “The closest he ever came was the day I left.”
“Thank You, Jesus,” she sniffled, choking on another sob. “Thank You for protecting my baby girl. Thank You for sending her such a wonderful young man to care for her and love her the way a man should love a woman.”
“It’s over, Mom,” I whispered, combing the fingers of my good hand through her hair. “It’s over. He’s never going to hurt either one of us again.”
Brendan’s arms slid around my waist, and he pressed a kiss to my head.
“No one is ever going to hurt you like that again,” he choked out. “And no one’s ever going to hurt our baby like that. I’ll never let it happen.”
Letting go of my mom, I turned to him and buried my face in his shoulder. He cradled the back of my head in his hand and planted a kiss on my temple, reaching out with the other hand to squeeze my mom’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Peter said quietly.
I jumped a little as I picked my head up to look at him, hissing when it jolted my ribs. He looked like he was just barely keeping his composure, and I could tell he’d been crying since I saw him last.
“You’re not interrupting,” I told him. “What’s wrong?”
“Aside from the obvious?” he said, letting out a weak, humorless chuckle. “I was actually wondering how much of your story you were comfortable with letting me share tonight. I don’t think a lot of the people in this congregation are going to be very happy with me by the time this is over, but I also think the only way they’re going to believe me is if I tell them what he was doing to his family behind closed doors. What he was doing to…”
He trailed off, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. I stood up and gave him a hug, and he squeezed me so tight that it made me groan.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured as he let go of me. “I forgot for a second.”
“It’s okay,” I assured him. “Hugs are good for the soul. And you can tell them as much as you want. I don’t have anything to hide. Not anymore. Not now that he can’t hurt me.”
“Yes,” my mom agreed. “If it’ll help them understand, then you can tell them anything you want.”
“Darla. Brendan,” I heard Naomi gasp from behind me.
I turned around and found her and Alex standing there with almost identical worried expressions. She threw her arms around my neck, letting out a whimper as she squeezed tight. I wrapped my good arm around her and rubbed her back, and I felt a few tears wet my shirt.
“What’d the doctor say?” she sniffled as she pulled back.
“They had to set my arm before they put a cast on,” I sighed. “But at least I got a little bit of morphine for that. I’m still only allowed extra-strength Tylenol for pain normally, though, because that’s the only thing that’s safe for the baby. Other than that, it’s just going to take time. And I see the OBGYN tomorrow, but the ER doctor seemed to think the baby’s okay. I just need to take it easy.”
“We weren’t expecting to see you guys tonight,” Alex said.
I sighed. “We weren’t expecting to come. But Peter wanted us here. And I’ve missed being here. I just wish everyone wasn’t treating me like a leper.”
“They’ll come around. Eventually,” he told me. “It just might take someone smacking them over the head with a two-by-four.”
“Speaking of…it’s showtime,” Peter mumbled. “Wish me luck.”
“Luck,” I said.
My stomach started to turn again as I sat down and leaned against Brendan, but I managed to swallow the bile that rose in my throat. Brendan wrapped his arm around me, turning slightly so I could rest my weight on him, and pressed his lips to my head.
“No one can take the truth from us,” he whispered in my ear. “It doesn’t matter what anyone here thinks.”
I nodded, but a tear still slipped down my cheek as Peter walked up to the podium and glanced at us. He looked so lost and scared and I wished like hell that I could be the one to do this for him. But I knew I couldn’t. My father had done too much damage, and I was the absolute worst person to tell his congregation about it. I was just here as physical proof of the accusations Peter was about to make against the man they’d all looked up to for years and years.
“Good evening, everyone. I realize this is unusual, but I’m going to ask that the parents in attendance tonight please have any children who are in eighth grade or younger leave the service at this time and join Marie in the children’s program,” Peter started, sounding like he was barely able to keep his composure. “I’m about to address some difficult issues, and it’s not appropriate subject matter for them to hear about.”
There was some scattered murmuring and shuffling as a few parents grabbed their toddlers and the half dozen or so older children in the service got up and walked out of the sanctuary. I heard various whispers and a few mentions of my name and Brendan’s name, and I squeezed my eyes shut to stop the tears that were stinging them from shedding. I couldn’t give these judgmental hypocrites the satisfaction of showing them how much they were getting to me.
“Matthew 7:15 says, ‘Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves,’” Peter said a couple of minutes later. “You know, we always think we’ll never fall for that. We always think we’re smart enough to be able to tell when we’re being lied to. When someone’s not who they claim to be. But the truth is, when someone comes along claiming to believe what we believe, claiming to have the same values we do, it’s easy to make assumptions.
“I made assumptions about someone for a long time, and over the past several years, I’ve come to the realization that I was very wrong.” He stopped and took a sip from a bottle of water, swallowing hard. “As I sat here almost four years ago listening to a man who claimed to be a follower of Christ give a sermon that advocated beating children and made a thinly veiled reference to the fact that he was abusing his own daughter, I realized I’d been fooled. I’d been taken in by a false prophet. After the service that day, Marie and I spoke at length about whether or not we wanted to stay in this church. Whether we wanted to appear to support someone like that. And we decided to stay, because we felt that the Lord wanted us here. We felt that He was calling us to minister to the children and teenagers in this church.”
Oh, my God.
That morning, after that service, Marie had pulled me aside. She’d asked me if there was anything I wanted to talk about. Anything that was going on at home. How hadn’t I realized that she was trying to get me to tell her about the abuse? That she knew and wanted to help?
But, in a strange way, I was glad that things had worked out the way they had. Not because I’d enjoyed any part of the fear and uncertainty I’d been living in, but because if none of it had happened, I had a feeling that the child growing inside me right now might never have been conceived. And I already loved this baby more than I knew I could love anything at all. I believed with all my heart that she was part of God’s plan for Brendan and I.
“I know there’s been some speculation about what’s been on the news over the past couple of days,” Peter continued. “And I’m sorry to inform you that it’s so much worse than what’s been reported. Marie and I spent Saturday night in the emergency room with Darla, prayed with her and Brendan for their comfort and peace, for Darla’s healing from the injuries inflicted on her by her own father, and for the survival of their unborn child, after her father had tried multiple methods of ending her pregnancy. And not even four hours ago, I put a videotape of what I thought was last week’s sermon into the VCR in Pastor Jones’s office and was saddened, sickened, and enraged to find myself watching a video of a young woman I’ve known for years and have watched grow up being molested by the very same man.”
A chorus of gasps and whispers echoed throughout the entire sanctuary, all of them murmuring about how they couldn’t believe my father would do such a thing and how they couldn
’t believe I was pregnant, and I curled further into Brendan’s side.
These people, people who had watched me grow up, were all sitting here judging me for making love to one of the only people who had ever truly loved or cared about me in my whole life instead of being horrified at what my father had done to me. They’d all fallen so far under my father’s spell that they were more concerned about how my child was conceived than the fact that he had tried to kill me.
“Let me be very clear about something,” Peter said firmly. “If there is even a single person in this congregation who would judge a boy and girl who you’ve watched grow into strong, courageous, kind, and gracious young adults for the choices they made, I want you to leave. Get up and walk out of this sanctuary right now. And don’t bother coming back. Because in this church, we follow the Lord’s teachings, not a man’s. We do not judge one another. We do not blindly follow a man just because he screams Bible verses at the top of his lungs. In this church, we love one another. We support one another. And we treat each other with compassion. We do not judge and ostracize two young people for falling in love and conceiving a child before they’ve signed a piece of paper while speaking out in defense of a man who has been charged with the attempted murder of his own daughter and is about to be charged with over fifty counts of possession and production of child pornography and God knows how many counts of child molestation.”
Using every ounce of strength I had, I sat up straighter and looked around the sanctuary, trying to see if anyone was getting up and leaving. And, much to my surprise, everyone was still seated, and they all wore similar deer-in-headlights expressions. I knew it was a lot to take in and a lot of the congregation was probably still processing, but I’d thought that at least Brendan’s mom and the ladies who had been hanging on her every word would have gotten up and walked out the door.
Peter walked down from the podium to stand down on the same level as the rest of the congregation, then grabbed an empty chair and placed it next to him, facing the back of the room.
“Darla, Brendan, can I get you both to come up here for a moment, please?” he asked. “You too, Gloria.”
Brendan and my mom both helped me to my feet, and we slowly made our way to the front of the sanctuary. Peter gestured me toward the chair, and I gratefully took a seat. Then he walked behind me and gently put his hands on my shoulders.
“When I look at these people, I see three of the strongest and bravest people I know,” he announced. “I see three people who have survived more pain, heartache, fear, and trauma than anyone should have to endure, and who, despite all of that, still have faith in the Lord and His plan for their lives. I see a young man who went to extraordinary lengths to protect the girl he loves, a young woman who stood up for herself and protected herself and her unborn child, and a mother who risked her life to protect her daughter. I see survivors. People I’m proud to know and love and support. If that’s what you see, I’d like to ask you to come and join me in laying hands on and praying for this family.”
Naomi and Alex shot up from their seats, and Naomi made a beeline for us, first hugging my neck and then grabbing my good hand and putting her other hand on Brendan’s arm, while Alex put a hand on each of our shoulders, squeezing gently. Mrs. Rhee followed them, giving my mom a hug before taking one of her hands and putting her other hand on my cast. Mr. Rhee walked over to where Naomi was standing, putting a hand on her back and a hand on my back. And slowly, one by one, almost every single member of the congregation walked up to the front of the sanctuary. I noticed a few people, including Brendan’s mom, walking out. And a few others, like Brendan’s dad, didn’t leave, but they also didn’t come up to join us. But at least ninety percent of the people in the congregation did come up and start laying hands on us, or on people next to us, and seeing how many people chose to stay and be here for us made tears well up in my eyes.
“Darla, Brendan, Gloria, I want you to take a look around you right now,” Peter told us. “This is your family. Your brothers and sisters in Christ. And each and every one of us loves you and supports you.”
“That’s right,” I heard someone say.
“Amen,” someone else murmured.
“I’m going to start us off in prayer, and then if anyone else wants to pray aloud over Darla, Brendan, and Gloria, you’re welcome to,” Peter said. “Lord Jesus, I just want to lift up these three people, Your children, to you right now. I pray that you give Gloria peace and patience as she answers the questions that law enforcement has for her over the next couple of days and allows them to search every nook and cranny of her home. I pray that you watch over Darla and Brendan as they continue to work with law enforcement to ensure that the horrible crimes committed against them do not go unpunished.
“Lord, I ask that You help Darla heal quickly from her injuries, and that You give her doctors guidance to make the best decisions for her medical care. I ask that You ease her pain as she puts her child first and abstains from taking prescription pain medication for her broken bones. I ask that You watch over her and her baby during this pregnancy and help this baby to be born healthy and strong. Most of all, Lord Jesus, I ask You to work in their lives and show them Your love and comfort as they recover from the wounds that none of us can see. Please give any counselors or therapists that they choose to work with the wisdom and tools to help them cope with the trauma they’ve been through for all these years.
“And Jesus, I ask that You work in this congregation. I ask that You show us how we can help our brother and sisters in this difficult time, and I ask that You provide comfort and healing for all of us as we try to make sense of the events of the past several days. I ask all this in Your precious and holy Name, amen.”
I was bawling by the time he was done, and Brendan was crying into my shoulder and holding me so tight that it hurt a little, but I didn’t have the heart to tell him. A chorus of “amens” sounded from everyone, but before I could raise my head, my mom spoke.
“Jesus, I want to thank You for keeping my daughter safe and for bringing this wonderful young man into her life,” she murmured. “Thank You for finally giving Darla the courage to speak out against her father, and for giving Brendan the patience, love, and compassion to support her. I have faith that You’ll continue to work in their lives through this difficult time, and that You’ll provide a way for them to support and care for my grandchild.
“Lord, I want to lift all of the children my husband harmed up to You tonight. Please show them Your love and grace and help them to heal from the wounds he’s inflicted on them. And Lord, You’re a God of love and compassion, but You’re also a God of vengeance, so I also want to lift up the people who are handling my husband’s case to You tonight. Please give them the wisdom to pursue the best course of action, and please show them Your will for how to prosecute him for the crimes he’s committed. In Your Name I pray, amen.”
Another chorus of “amens” rang out, and this time, I did lift my head and turn to look at my fiancé, whose eyes were red and puffy from crying. I leaned my head against his shoulder, and he put his hand over my hair and pressed a kiss to my forehead.
“I love you, Dar,” he whispered. “And I still thank God every day for bringing you into my life.”
“I love you,” I sniffled as I turned my head for a kiss, a request he happily obliged.
“Oh, my God. You two are like a damn Hallmark movie,” Alex groaned.
“Cut them some slack, jagi,” Naomi chuckled, sniffling and wiping her eyes. “They’ve earned the right to be sappy.”
“I hate to break up the love-fest,” Peter teased. “But…Marie and I were wondering if we could bring you two dinner on Friday night. I’m meeting with the church elders on Friday afternoon to talk to them about what’s going to happen with the church leadership, and I wanted to keep you both in the loop. Actually, Gloria, if you can join us, we’d love that. We wanted to speak with you too.”
“Yeah, absolutely,” Brendan said as he w
iped his eyes on his sleeve. “What time?”
“How’s seven?” he asked.
“That works for me,” my mom said. “I just need your address, Brendan. I can’t believe I’m saying that. I should know where my daughter’s living.”
“I’ll write it down for you before we leave,” Brendan chuckled weakly. “Seven works.”
“Great.” Peter cracked a little bit of a smile. “We’ll see you Friday.”
Chapter 36
Darla
Come Together
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay, Dar?” Brendan asked for the tenth time. “I can tell my uncle I need more time.”
It wasn’t that I didn’t want him here, because I did, but there was really nothing he could have been doing. I didn’t have any doctor’s appointments coming up today, so I was just going to be lying on the couch watching TV and trying not to think about how much my arm and ribs hurt for most of the day. He didn’t need to be here for that. And he couldn’t keep taking time off of work. In about seven months, we’d have a child to support. We needed to save every penny we could.
“I’ll be fine. I promise,” I sighed. “There’s nothing you could be doing here. And my mom’s going to come hang out with me this afternoon anyway. I think we need some mother-daughter time.”
“Okay,” he said hesitantly, bending down to give me a kiss. “I’ve got my phone on. Call if you need me.”
“Okay. But I’ll be fine,” I repeated. “I love you.”
That earned me another kiss, and I could hear him choking back tears as he slipped his tongue out to trace the seam of my lips. I eagerly let him deepen it, wishing so much that I could give him more than this. After everything we’d both been through, we desperately needed to reconnect, but until I healed a little more, reconnecting in the way we both needed to was impossible.
“Text me when your mom gets here,” he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion.
My Vows Are Sealed (Sealed With a Kiss) Page 41
