Page 59 of Echoes of Eternity

“I’m fine.”

Elizabeth looked over at Emily. “Yeah, Mom. You look like you’re about to cry.”

“It was just a difficult day. Seriously. I’m okay.”

The dinner was mostly quiet. Her parents tried to ask questions about her job and being back at the school, but Emily barely replied.

After dinner, she took the kids out for a walk and down to the beach to play in the sand at the ocean. As the boys chased each other around a piece of driftwood, Elizabeth took selfies of herself with the ocean in the background.

Emily found a rock to sit on. She recalled coming down to the same beach with Ryan. The long walks on the beach hadn’t happened in years, but they were a reminder of the life they shared together.

Her phone rang.

It was him.

And though she was still upset with him and still angry for what he had done, she couldn’t help but feel her heart leap at his name appearing on the caller ID.

“Hey, Em. How are you? And the kids?”

She sighed. “I’m at my parents’ house. I think that says enough. How are you?”

He let out a long sigh. “I can imagine how fun that is . . . Honestly, I’ve been better. I’m kind of a wreck without you.”

Warmth and love radiated in her heart. How could the man she was so upset with make her feel so good and cause her to long for him?

“I see.”

“What have you been up to? I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner. I’ve been upset and laying around for days now.”

“I got back on at the school as an assistant teacher in fifth grade for summer school. The kids are at my parents’ house during the day. Just settling in here the best we can.”

His voice dampened. “Oh. Well, that’s good.”

She let out a long sigh as she felt her spirit push toward being honest. “Ryan, I’m honestly miserable.”

“Then just come home, Em. Stop this pain.”

She started to cry. “I can’t. The lying, the long work hours, the lack of affection. It’s just too much for me. You broke my heart, Ryan. I don’t know how to deal with that . . . I don’t want to come back just for you to hurt me again.”

Silence lingered on the call between them.

Wiping her eyes, she sniffled. “I want things to work between us, but I don’t know how to do that.”

“Well, I’m going to keep praying for us. I hope you’ll do the same.”

She nodded and said, “I will.”

“Can you get the kids? I’d love to talk to them.”

Calling the children over, she let each of them pass the phone around and talk to their father. Watching each child as they talked, she saw them grow up too fast in those few brief moments. They shouldn’t have to deal with this kind of thing, and it crushed her. What was the way out of this? Should she go back to Cedarwood Creek? Or should she ask him to move back to California?

That evening, after the phone call with his family and while watching television, he had a thought come to his mind. It was something the pastor had told him. Go talk to Bill directly . . .

He knew where Bill lived, and he knew he was most likely home as well. Could he push himself to go over to the man’s house? Could he reason with him, or would it be a waste of time?

Letting the idea slip away, he kept watching television.

Then it came again.