Grace Alive (A Christian Romance)

Part 22

Chapter 22

After a really long talk, Branson and I drove back to where I’d parked my car. Even though the pain of Mia’s and my dad’s betrayal was still there, I felt more peace knowing that Branson was by my side to help me through it. My mind kept going to Mia, Tomas, and her kids, and how her family would be destroyed by this. How my family would be destroyed. My mom. I kept thinking about her. After twenty-some-odd years of marriage, my dad had just flushed it down the toilet. Had he been doing that for a long time? Part of me didn’t really want to know. When I got home and stepped inside the house, my dad was sitting on the couch his face red and splotchy. Had he been crying? I’d never seen my dad cry in my entire life.

“Zoe, can I talk to you for a minute?” He looked completely shattered. No! I wanted to scream, run upstairs, and bury myself in my blankets.

“I guess,” I said and sat down on the chair across from the couch.

“What you saw I can explain.”

“Okay,” I quietly said. How could he explain away his sin?

“Mia and I…we love each other. I’ve been unhappy with your mother for over five years now. When Mia came to the church…we started counseling together about her and Tomas. She told me how frustrated she was with him, and I just listened for a long time. I don’t know how it happened, Zoe, but something changed in both of us.” He rubbed his forehead, and I saw guilt lingering there.

“Our tithe has been down, and our bills are piling up. If I had lost the Whitmens, Light on the Hill would go under. Mia told me I should take the deal that Jacob’s dad was offering me. I didn’t want to at first.”

Mia had told him to offer me to greasy Jacob? Mia? I ground my back teeth. Or was my dad just dumping it on her?

“I love Mia, Zoe, like you love Branson. I know it's sin, but the more I try to stop, the more I want her.” He sighed again, and I saw his shoulders stoop. This man, this God-fearing man was a mess, and I could see it now. I started thinking about all the conversations I’d had with Branson about the grace of God, the love of God, and the compassion of Christ, and I felt my anger leave me. Who was I to judge my dad? Who was I to judge Mia?

“If this gets out, it will ruin me. I’ll have nothing at all.” Fear filled his face and he grabbed my hands.

“Please, Zoe, talk to Jacob. Maybe he will convince his family to stay. They wanted you in exchange for their commitment. If you don’t say something they will leave the church. Please,” he begged me. I looked into my dad’s guilt filled eyes that were brimming with tears.

“Dad, I can’t court Jacob. If that’s the condition then they are going to leave the church. I’ll talk to him, but I love Branson. I’m courting Branson. I’m not going to say anything about Mia, but you need to. You need to make this right.” My eyes filled with tears, but I promised myself I wouldn’t start crying again, I wouldn’t be able to stop.

“I will. I promise,” he said, and I believed him.

“You need to read this book Branson told me about. Promise me.” I rummaged in my purse and pulled out Destined to Reign. I’d went and bought my own copy, and had read it twice already, being a speed reader.

“I will,” he said and looked at the cover of the book.

***

Dinner that night felt like chewing on nails. Painful. My mom knew something was terribly wrong between me and my dad, but I don’t think she wanted to ask what it was. After we’d eaten, I called Branson and lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling.