She was fully aware he might perceive the truth a gateway to relationship, but the Scripture clearly stated not to marry an unbeliever, and she was done with disobedience. Their two different worlds would not, and could not, mesh. She wouldn’t lead him on.
In a matter of weeks, she would have a baby who needed her complete attention, and she planned to keep this child her focus.
Jason could not rid himself of the foreboding that nagged at his spirit. Something was not right with his mom. As much as she tried to put on a brave face, he knew he had to get home. He’d just started the September term, and to get away would be difficult. But when he talked it over with his girlfriend, Jennifer, they both agreed that a quick trip home to dispel some of Jason’s unease would be worth the effort.
He left on Friday after his classes and caught the late ferry over to the mainland. After a night at a friend’s place in Vancouver, he got an early start the next day.
Kelowna, the jewel of the Okanagan Valley, came into view. Jason was almost home. The entry to this beautiful city with its mountain backdrop against panoramic lake vistas usually gave him pause for appreciation, but today he felt only angst. He huffed at the aggravation the bottleneck on the bridge presented. The traffic crawled down bridge hill where it converged onto one of the world’s longest floating bridges across the Okanagan Lake. Jason knew his hometown only too well. This meant worse congestion on the city side. His edginess increased. All he wanted to do was get home, not face another traffic jam.
Jason had deliberately not phoned his mom in advance. He wanted to surprise her and hopefully catch her without that plastic smile. He needed to see the real person behind the mask. In truth, he longed to see his old mom, the one without worry etched upon her face. He’d not seen that peaceful soul for far too long now. A new person had emerged after his dad’s death, and he was worried.
He parked at curbside and entered the house quietly. Raised voices reached him.
“Drat,” he muttered. “She has company.” He glanced out onto the street but didn’t recognize the vehicle. With no intention on eavesdropping, his mother’s words stopped him short.
“Matt, you have to understand how sorry I am. I shouldn’t have lied to you under any circumstances. There’s no excuse. Please, forgive me.”
His mom’s voice wavered and Jason could tell she was crying.
“I do forgive you, Anna. I just don’t understand the social pressure you Christians put on yourselves. I’ll never believe that what we shared was anything but the most wonderful experience of my life … but all that aside, Anna, you have to realize with or without a relationship I want to be a father to my child. You can’t deny me that.”
Their voices hushed and fell to a whisper.
Jason was confused. Who was this Matt guy? Why was his mom crying about lying? She never lied. And what child were they talking about? Should he go back and enter with a loud knock, or should he walk into the kitchen? Like a wishbone, he felt pulled in two directions.
The moment of silence stretched into awkwardness. Had they gone out the patio door into the backyard? He didn’t know where they were, but he knew if he didn’t act soon they could come around the corner and find him standing there like an idiot, and so he entered the kitchen unannounced.
His very pregnant mother stood close to Dr. Carmichael, who pressed his hand intimately against her stomach as if it belonged there. With a tender look on her face, she watched Dr. Carmichael smile at the movement of the baby.
“Mom?”
Anna jolted at the sound of his voice. They jumped apart like they had each just touched a hot burner.
His mom clearly had been crying.
“Jason, my dear … why … when did you get here?” She moved quickly toward him, once again with that practiced expression he’d come to loath. “You should’ve called, I … I didn’t know you were coming.” Her voice wavered, and her hands shook as she pulled him close for a quick hug.
Jason had indeed interrupted much more than a casual conversation between them.
Matt moved forward and shook Jason’s hand firmly. “Good to see you again, Jason.” He turned toward the door and waved good-bye. “Anna, I’ll talk to you later.”
He was gone before either of them could respond.
Jason turned his attention toward his mom. “Are you all right?”
His mother shook her head. Tears brimmed and filled her bottom lashes. A few blinked free. “No Jason, I’m not all right and won’t be until the truth is told.”
Jason placed an arm around her shoulders and guided her into the living room. “Let’s sit down, Mom.” They moved to the couch, and he helped her get comfortable with some pillows behind her back.
“Why are you here, Jason? I thought you were coming in a few weeks when junior here gives an appearance?”
“I can’t explain it, Mom, but you’ve been on my mind and in my prayers, I just had to see you.” It sounded lame. He could hear the echo of his brother’s favorite way to tease him, “Mama’s boy. Mama’s boy.”
Her words confused him more. “I wondered who God would send my way next. Rita, my friend at work, assured me God would guide me through this difficult process, and here you are, my gentle Jason.
“What did you hear today before you came into the kitchen?”
He felt heat rush to his face and knew there was no point in denying anything. “It made no sense, Mom. I heard you two talking about lies, forgiveness, and Dr. Carmichael’s plea to be a father … I felt awkward hearing
