Prologue
He finally found her. She was sitting in the old sanctuary, in the third row from the alter.
Travis slid into the pew next to her. The candlelight from the Christmas Eve kantata reflected tears in the emerald eyes. She stared ahead, her fingers mindlessly toying with the ends of her scarf.
"Why...?" Her voice was husky from unshed tears. She swallowed and tried again. "Why did He take my baby?"
she looked at him then. The tragedy that her eyes conveyed, the heartbreak he wasn't sure she would ever recover from, took his breath away.
"Why? So many people have children and don't want them. I wanted mine baby, even if he was conceived under the worse circumstances. I wanted him! It's not fair!"
"Kassidy--"
"Is He punishing me for my mistake?!" She demanded.
"No." Travis whispered emphatically. "Never."
"It's Christmas Eve. Why are you still here? Where's Samantha?" She wiped away tears.
"She's outside talking. Chad was looking for you, and I offered to check here."
"What do you want, Travis? I really want to be alone."
"I just want...." His hand touched her hair. "I just want to comfort you, hold you. Just for a minute."
Kassidy searched his eyes for any hint of dishonest intentions. Slowly, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. She laid her head on his shoulder. She couldn't have stopped the flood of tears even if she had wanted to. Travis cupped the back of her head, and together they wept. She for the baby she would never know, and him for the love he knew he could never convey to her.
He finally found her. She was sitting in the old sanctuary, in the third row from the alter.
Travis slid into the pew next to her. The candlelight from the Christmas Eve kantata reflected tears in the emerald eyes. She stared ahead, her fingers mindlessly toying with the ends of her scarf.
"Why...?" Her voice was husky from unshed tears. She swallowed and tried again. "Why did He take my baby?"
she looked at him then. The tragedy that her eyes conveyed, the heartbreak he wasn't sure she would ever recover from, took his breath away.
"Why? So many people have children and don't want them. I wanted mine baby, even if he was conceived under the worse circumstances. I wanted him! It's not fair!"
"Kassidy--"
"Is He punishing me for my mistake?!" She demanded.
"No." Travis whispered emphatically. "Never."
"It's Christmas Eve. Why are you still here? Where's Samantha?" She wiped away tears.
"She's outside talking. Chad was looking for you, and I offered to check here."
"What do you want, Travis? I really want to be alone."
"I just want...." His hand touched her hair. "I just want to comfort you, hold you. Just for a minute."
Kassidy searched his eyes for any hint of dishonest intentions. Slowly, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. She laid her head on his shoulder. She couldn't have stopped the flood of tears even if she had wanted to. Travis cupped the back of her head, and together they wept. She for the baby she would never know, and him for the love he knew he could never convey to her.
