20 Years Later…
Hannah tookthe hand of the fourteen-year-old girl who came up beside her, then looked around at all the people who had gathered at the church.
“Where are your brothers?” she said to the girl.
“Looking for a parking spot.”
“They’ll be a while then. There are more people here than I expected. I think the parking lot is full.”
“Yeah. It’s packed,” Robby said, putting his arm around his wife. “Peter invested a lot in us those early years. And judging by the crowd, he’s invested in lots of others, too.”
A woman with red hair approached them. “Hey, I don’t think we’ve met. My name’s Morgan.”
“Hi. Yes, you’re the one who organized this, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. My husband Oliver and I thought it would be worth celebrating both Peter and Jemi, and, judging by how many people made it, it looks like we’re not the only ones.”
“I’m Hannah, by the way. This is my husband Robby and our daughter Rose. Our other two kids are on their way in.”
“It’s great to meet you. Besides this event we’re doing now, I wanted to do a video montage on the people whose lives Peter and Jemi touched. I won’t record until after the service, but I wanted to give people a heads up to prepare what they’re going to say. Would you mind sharing something later? Tell a story of how they’ve impacted your lives?”
“Of course, but how much time have you got?”
“As much time as it takes.”
“What’s it for? What do you plan on doing with it once you’re finished?”
“I’ll send out a copy to everyone here so we all have something to remember them by. Something we can pass down to our kids, even.”
Hannah nodded. “Our experience with them makes for quite a story. But I bet we aren’t the only ones.”
“I can assure you you’re not. I know a few people here, and each one of them has something amazing to share.”
“How is it thatyouknow Peter and Jemi?”
“I met them through my husband.” Morgan looked around the crowd. “He’s around here somewhere—oh, right over there. I hacked into his company’s network and uncovered an assassination plot. Peter helped save us both.”
“Wait,” Robby said. “That wasn’t in Libya, by any chance?”
“You heard about it?”
“We have a similar story, minus the hacking part. But Peter mentioned it when we were headed over to Burma.”
Hannah bumped his arm. “I can’t believe you can remember that.”
“I remember not wanting you tagging along.”
Morgan laughed. “Oli didn’t want me coming either.”
“I can’t wait to hear all about it,” Hannah said. “And everyone else’s. Have you heard any of their stories?”
“Sure. You see that couple over there?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s Liam and Emily. Peter helped them stop a sex-trafficking ring. And I take it you’ve heard how Peter and Jemi met?”
“You mean when they rescued each other in Iraq?”