Page 74 of Look for Me

Corinne wished she could have a cup of hot tea too. The weather outside was still cool this February, but unseasonably warmer than past years, she heard. No snow this month so far.

She carried the two cups on a tray, with a bottle of honey, just in case anyone asked. She didn’t have sugar in the house, so she didn’t bother asking them if they wanted sugar.

“Sorry I have no sugar, but I do have slices of frozen lemons,” Corinne said.

“This is fine. Thank you.”

As they sipped their hot tea, Tanaka began to broach the subject.

Since the days Corinne had known her as Stephanie, her non-cousin in Hawaii, Tanaka had been forthcoming with her—as much as she could. To gain Corinne’s trust, the agent had told her all the horror stories of how bad Flavian really was behind Corinne’s back.

Corinne had known much of it, and wasn’t surprised by any of it.

Now it was about Oscar, a little-known business associate of Flavian’s.

“I’m assuming you don’t have Oscar because whatever information I gave you didn’t help,” Corinne said.

“No, no. It helped,” Tanaka said.

“We just need more,” Evans added.

“He’s elusive.” Corinne knew that much. It was in the interest of her daughter and son that Oscar was caught as soon as possible.

Yes, Dahlia and Liam.

Corinne closed her eyes to whisper a prayer to God for her children. She didn’t care what happened to herself, but she knew that she would do everything for her children, even if she had to sacrifice her own life.

Yes, she would go that far.

The log cabin was quiet. Outside, no birds chirped. No vehicles roared by. Any time now, Corinne would hear footsteps on the porch, accompanied by Dahlia’s giggles or laughter as Larina walked her home from preschool.

Home? Hardly. This was still their mountain safe house, all because danger had not passed by.

Corinne recalled the two verses she had left with Martin the last time they kissed on the beach in Key Largo. Was it in July? Seven months ago now.

She wondered if Martin had looked up the verses in his Bible app. Whether he did or not, it was between him and God. It wouldn’t change her memory of him.

Yet somewhere in her heart, she hoped he had read the verses, especially Psalm 57:1, which she had committed to memory.

Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

Regardless of whether she had memorized many verses yet, the most important thing in her life was her salvation in Christ, making her a new creature in Christ.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Corinne had memorized that verse in the first year of her salvation. Her journey as a Christian had continued in weekly Bible studies at church, where she studied more verses to infuse into her new life. She had been studying the Bible ever since, with God renewing her mind day by day, and filling her heart with the love of Christ.

She thanked God for II Corinthians 5:17 again and again. “New in Christ. Blessed thought indeed.”

“What blessed thought?” Tanaka asked.

“II Corinthians 5:17.” Corinne opened her eyes.

“Ah yes. ‘Old things are passed away’ and ‘all things are become new.’ I like that verse,” Evans said.

“Are you a Christian?” Corinne asked.

Evans nodded.

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