Page 28 of Perilous Healing

Silence surrounds us as the memory of that day settles in my mind. It had been a soft kiss, a gentle caress of lips and nothing more, yet it stoked a fire in my heart that hasn’t gone out since.

“Who knew Silas had this whole romantic side to him,” Andie says.

“Had being the key word,” I reply with a sad smile as I stand. “I better get this place cleaned up, I still have dinner to make.”

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Reyna laughs.

“You guys really don’t have to help me.”

“Please, we are absolutely helping,” Margot says. “We’re family. It’s what we do for each other.”

Tears blur my vision as I nod. Family. I haven’t had a family in a long time, and this is the second time in a week that word has been used for me. I can only pray it’s not a mistake that I stay.

Chapter9

Silas

“You look contemplative.”

I glance over as Pastor Redding takes a seat beside me on the park bench. Eloise is laughing happily as she runs up and down the playground equipment that resembles a pirate ship.

“A bit,” I admit. “Just a lot on my mind these days.”

“I can understand that.” He leans back. “Eloise has grown so much in the time you guys have been here.”

“She has,” I reply. “What has you out and about?”

“I went and met with Juniper Kline. She’s been having some troubles lately and wanted someone to talk to.”

While I don’t know Juniper well, I do know she’s one of Mrs. McGinley’s close friends. “I hope everything’s okay.”

“It will be,” he replies with a smile. “How are things with you? I hear you patched Bianca’s roof.”

“A tree fell through it.”

“I’m eternally grateful no one was seriously injured in that storm. It was a rough one, though not as bad as it could have been.”

“It was our first hurricane,” I tell him, nodding to Eloise. “She was pretty scared for most of it, but as soon as—” I trail off, not wanting to admit it out loud.

“As soon as?” he presses.

“I carried Bianca over and cleaned her leg. Eloise fell asleep on her.”

“Aww, that’s sweet. Sometimes having someone other than a parental figure around helps. And sometimes it does the opposite. There was a hurricane, oh wow, about two decades ago, that came through here. Terrified my daughter, Kassandra. She refused to sleep until our neighbors came over after their front window broke. They have a daughter about her age, and the two of them just fell right to sleep on the floor.” He smiles at the memory. “I remember thinking to myself, how are they sleeping through this chaos?” He laughs. “Kids are resilient.”

“That they are,” I agree. “Bianca has been reading that Bible you gave her,” I blurt. I’m not sure why I say it. I definitely don’t want to be talking faith with a pastor, but the words just pour out.

He smiles. “Good. I’m glad she is.”

“Yeah. She seems better, now that she’s been reading it.”

“God’s Word will do that,” he replies.

“For some.”

He turns toward me. “You don’t think it would for you?”

“It never has before.”

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