Page 72 of Echoes of Eternity

“What?” He stood up and paced. “What happened?”

“They kicked me and the kids out. I don’t know what to do.”

Recalling the area of her parents’ house, he remembered a nearby hotel. “Go to the Double Tree hotel. It’s right off Grant Avenue.”

“Get a hotel? That’s your solution?”

“Yeah. There isn’t much else we can do until we figure something out.”

“Can we afford that, though? I mean?—”

“Get the hotel, Em. You and our children need a place to sleep.” Walking into the bathroom, he shut off the shower and headed back into the bedroom. “Tell me what happened.”

“I don’t want to get into it. They’re just so . . .” She let out a frustrated sigh. “Rude and unkind. I was fine at first . . . and then I actually got in the car and freaked.”

He had a lot of thoughts and frustration about his in-laws, but nothing productive to say. “I’m sorry. You know, I was thinking maybe I should just move back to California.”

There was a long moment of silence on the phone. As it leaned into awkward, she finally said something. “Don’t do that, Ryan.”

“Then, do you want to come home?”

“No . . .” She sighed. “I don’t know right this second what to do.”

He clenched his jaw.

“Don’t be mad at me, Ryan. Please?”

“I just need to know what you want, Emily. You don’t want me to come there, and you don’t want to come back.”

“Just let me get checked into the hotel and think through this situation.”

Ryan wanted her to make a decision right in the moment so he could act. But then he remembered how long she had waited for him, how patient she had been since losing his father. “Take all the time you need. I’m a phone call away.”

“Thank you. Hey, do you want to talk to the kids?”

“Yes, I’d love that.”

As he chatted with each child individually, Ryan felt an immense gratefulness wash over his being. He missed them more than he thought was possible. The time apart had made him realize how much he had taken time with his children for granted. He resolved in his heart that he’d spend the rest of their childhood making it up to them once they were back together as a family. For Elizabeth, there were only a couple of years left for him to work on that. For the boys, it’d be a bit longer. Ryan knew more than ever that it was but a blink.

After checking in at the hotel, Emily took her children down to the pool area to let them relax and swim. It had been a difficult time while at her parents’ house, and she was glad to brighten their worlds even if it was just a fraction and would only be a temporary reprieve from their chaotic life at the moment. As she lounged by the pool after a dip in the hot tub, she called her friend Sarah back in Cedarwood Creek.

“Oh, girl. God is up to something big.”

Emily let out a defeated sigh.

“What’s wrong?”

Emily shook her head as tears slipped down her cheeks. “I’m glad God is doing something, and I do sense that . . . I just don’t understand why my life had to be ruined in the process.”

“It’s not ruined. Sometimes, when life feels like it’s falling apart, God is actually placing the pieces together.”

Wiping her cheeks, Emily’s heart felt weak in the moment. “It sure doesn’t feel that way.”

“Are you and Ryan talking much?”

“Some. He offered to move back to California.”

“Oh, that’s great. Isn’t it?”