Page 6 of When We Were Young
“You should join us,” Kari had said. Then she had told Emily how the meetings worked. An informal conversation first and sometimes a dinner. Then the six or eight couples would sit around the Taylors’ living room and open the Bible.
“The focus is marriage. How we can love better and why marriage is worth the fight.” Kari had looked deep into Emily’s eyes. “I think you and Noah would love it.”
The truth was they needed it.
Olivia waved at her from the top of the slide. “Hi, Mama!”
Aiden was right behind her. “Don’t worry, Mommy. I’ve got her.”
Emily smiled. “You’re a good boy, Aiden. Such a nice brother.”
The memory from a year ago was still right in front of her. Clearer than the kids.
Back then Emily and Noah had thought they could save their marriage. They were sure of it. The two of them dated every week or so and always tried to find common ground. More often than not, though, their evenings ended with a social media post for the public and silent tension for the two of them.
A deadly combination.
So when Emily had jumped at the offer of a Bible study group focused on marriage, Noah had been less excited.
“It’s too personal.” Noah had looked alarmed from the minute Emily brought it up. “People will study us. They’ll think we’re in trouble.”
Emily had stared at him a few beats before stating the obvious. “Wearein trouble, Noah.”
“Exactly.” He had paced the kitchen that Sunday night. “The other couples will figure it out. And then... everything we’ve worked for...” He shrugged. His voice sounded weary, like that of someone three times his age. “Look... I don’t want people in our business.”
“Youwhat?” Emily’s laugh had dripped with sarcasm. She had taken a step closer, narrowing her eyes. He couldn’t be serious. “You don’t want to lose what we’ve worked for? Fame? An imaginary illusion? Is that all I mean to you?” She had wanted to leave, take a drive and figure out what she was supposed to do next. But the kids were asleep upstairs. So she had tried to reason with him. “You don’t want people in our business? Are you kidding me, Noah?”
She had turned her back on him and then after a few seconds she’d spun around and faced him, glaring. “People arealwaysin our business. Thatisour business, right? Inviting peopleintoour business and giving all the world—”
“Okay!” He had yelled loud enough to wake the kids. “I get it.” Upstairs Olivia had begun to cry.
“Nice, Noah.” Emily had leaned on the kitchen counter. “Wake the baby.”
“Stop!” He’d lowered his voice, but his anger had filled the room. “Enough!” He was seething, his face red. Like a sea of fighting words were pushing to escape his lips.
“What does that mean?Enough?” She had still been angry, too, but she found a quieter voice. Upstairs, Olivia had settled back down. “Enough what?”
“Enough of you trying to convince me.” He had exhaled and taken a step closer. As he did the fight began to leave him. “We can go to the Bible study.”
She had stared at him, at the flash of darkness in his eyes and the tight line of his lips. She had a lot more to say. Like the fact that going to a Bible study for married couples shouldn’t be this hard. Or that if the invite caused him to be so angry, maybe it was too late already.
But Emily had kept quiet.
“Will you do me a favor?” Instead of rage, Noah’s expression went flat. His shoulders sank as his request came. “Can you hide it?”
“Hide what?” She couldn’t tell where the hurt stopped and the anger began.
“This.” Frustration filled his eyes and he waved his hand around in the air. As if he were trying to clear away the poison between them. “Hide... this. Whateverthisis. Please.”
And so they had.
The memory stopped short as Aiden ran up to her. “Is the storm coming, Mommy?” Olivia was close behind. Aiden looked around, clearly nervous. “Or can we keep playing?”
Emily studied the clouds. It was getting darker, but so far no rain. “You have time. A few more minutes.”
“Yay!” Aiden took his sister’s hand and they ran back to the slide.
Like coming to the park, the weekly Bible studies had become their routine. Ryan and Kari Taylor’s seventeen-year-old daughter, Jessie, would come to the house each Wednesday to watch the kids so Emily and Noah could fake it. Hide it.
