Page 69 of When Love And Destiny Collide

“Lily... she’s incredible,” I say, my voice steady. “Trust me, I wouldn’t be bringing her into the chaos of my life if I didn’t believe she was ready for it.”

Jon raises an eyebrow, his gaze sharpening. “The fact that you call it chaos tells me something must’ve happened,” he observes quietly.

I take another deep breath before filling him in on the events of the last couple of days, including Marian's comment about taking Davey to London. Jon runs his fingers through his hair, a gesture that reminds me so much of Dad.

"Has Marian said anything to you about wanting Davey to visit her in London?" Jon asks, trying to make sense of what I immediately recognized as a veiled threat.

"The only thing Marian and I have exchanged since her arrival has been insults," I say, mirroring Jon's gesture by running my fingers through my hair. "Her hostility is so extreme and venomous that having any meaningful conversation with her feels nearly impossible."

"The fact that she told Davey her plans but hasn't mentioned anything to you worries me," Jon says, his voice full of concern.

"She knew Davey would bring it up with me," I reply, my own worry growing. "She's threatening to take him from me because she's angry about Lily."

"You need to take action now, Noah," Jon says, touching my shoulder. "You need to consult with an attorney and get ahead of this situation."

I nod in agreement, a knot of fear tightening in my stomach.

"Have you thought about talking to Tim and Bethany about this?" he asks, his voice steady.

"Tim and Bethany?" I repeat, staring at him blankly, having no idea who he’s talking about.

"Tim and Bethany Adams," he repeats slowly as if it should be obvious. "They’re the pastors at our church."

When my blank expression doesn’t shift, he adds, "So you haven’t been attending church this whole time," he says, his eyes locking onto mine, a quiet understanding settling between us.

"Um, no," I reply, my tone edging on the defensive. "You know I’m not religious. I haven’t stepped foot in a church in over fifteen years."

"You’ve been doing life alone, Noah."

"No," I counter quickly, "I’ve been doing life my way."

He nods slowly, his voice calm but pointed. "And how’s that been working out for you?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I ask sharply, though I immediately regret it.

"Well," he starts with his tone just as sharp. "Let’s see—you married Marian, she lied to you for ten years, you mourned a child that never existed, she cheated on you, she left you, divorced you, and now she’s threatening to take your son. Did I miss anything?"

His words hit me like the undeniable truth they are, and the silence that follows feels like a weight I can’t lift.

"You can’t do this alone," he says, his tone softening.

"I have Lily. I have you. I have the family," I say, desperate to end the conversation.

"You need more than that," he says, his voice low but resolute. "What Sharon and I have built—thirty years of marriage, three daughters who love God—it hasn't been our own doing or luck. It’s because of our faith and trust in Him."

I nod because he's right. But the truth? I feel so far from my faith that I don’t even know how to find my way back. Sixteen years of mistakes—how do I fix that? I can’t.

"Please," I murmur, eyes dropping to the floor. "Don't judge me, anddo notpreach at me."

"Our parents raised you to believe in something bigger than yourself. If you’re all you’ve got, you’ll always come up short. And what about Davey? What about Lily?"

Lily doesn’t attend church either, but I bite my tongue and don't mention it.

"Lily’s been hurt," he continues. "She partly blames God for what happened to her—and to her mom. Did she tell you?"

"Yeah," I say softly. "She told me."

"You both bear the scars of life's battles, but the healing you need… you won’t find it in each other. It’ll never be enough."

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