Page 103 of Delta
And then—we fall.
I hold her tightly, pressing one foot on the floor, one hand above us to try and brace for the fall. “Dylan,” she cries.
“I’ve got you, baby.”
We hit the water with such force that it slams the side of my head against the steel of the safe. Water begins to pour in from the bottom. Considering how quickly it does, I imagine they drilled holes to make sure it sinks nice and fast.
My heart rate remains steady. I didn’t lean on God back in that cave, and it cost me a piece of myself I only recently got back. I won’t make the same mistake.
I only wish I could see her face.
“This isn’t how I pictured your wedding day,” I whisper.
“Drowning? No, I can’t say I did either.”
“No,” I say. “Walking down the aisle toward anybody but me.” I trace her shoulders until I find her face, then I cup her cheeks and pull her forehead against mine. “I am so sorry I wasted so much time.”
“I’m so scared,” she cries.
“I’m not,” I tell her. “Because I know He has us. Even now, Emma.” The water is up to our hips now. We have a minute—maybe less. “I’ll see you on the other side.”
She laughs, and I brush her wet cheeks with my thumbs for a moment before guiding her toward me and pressing my lips to hers.
It’s just a kiss.
But for me, it’s deliverance.
Not from sin—no, Jesus Christ did that on the cross. He died so that we could be cleansed by His blood and stand spotless before God.
Her lips tremble beneath mine, fear rooting in her heart. I wish I could take it all away so she could feel the peace radiating through mine.
And if this kiss is my final act on this earth, then it was time well spent. My only regret is that I couldn’t free her from this fate.
Emma pulls back slowly, then presses her cheek to my chest. Her shoulders shake as she cries, and I wrap my arms around her, holding on tightly as the water continues to climb. It’s up to her shoulders now.
“Put your legs around my waist.” I lift her, and she does, keeping her in the oxygen a little longer. “Listen to me, okay? I love you. We’re going to be okay. No matter what happens, everything is going to be okay.”
“Okay,” she cries.
“‘The Lord is my Shepherd,’” I start, using the King James version of Psalm 23 that I memorized when I was a kid.
“‘I shall not want,’” she says.
“‘He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.’”
“‘He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake,’” she adds, voice trembling.
“‘Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.’”
* * *
The cold water hits my shoulders, and I know we’re seconds away now.
It climbs my neck, brushing the bottom of my ears.
“Dylan,” she cries.
“I’m right here, baby.” I hoist her up higher, trying to keep her toward the top. “God, we ask that You be with us in this moment. Even if it’s not to take us to safety, we trust in Your plan. Because when life is not good, You are, and Your promises are waiting for us. Thank You, God, for the time you did give us.” The water hits my chin. “I pray this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
