A Secret Ally

I know I haven't posted in a few weeks, and I am sorry about that. I finally completed my daily schedule so I should have time to post regularly.

As for A Secret Ally.....

This is a short story I recently completed. It is a little far-fetched, but hopefully you all enjoy it:)

A Secret Ally

“Mommy!! He threw the ball at me!”

            “You threw it at me first!”

            “No I did not!”

            “Did to!”

            “Mom, he’s telling lies!!”

            Bethany sighed and pulled out her headphones. Her little brothers were always fighting. For some reason they just couldn’t seem to get along. She plugged her headphones into her IPod and hit the play button. She only had two more subjects to do before she could take a break. Her brothers’ yelling faded as Casting Crowns began to play. She finished those two subjects in an hour and set them on her mom’s desk. After letting her mom know where she was headed, Bethany headed outside. Wishing she had a friend to run with, she leaped across the field. Homeschooling could get really lonely sometimes, especially when your only friends lived an hour and a half away.

Stopping on the bank of the creek, she looked around. This was by far her favorite spot to go on her breaks. She sat down on a nearby rock and looked around. A butterfly caught her eye and she watched it flutter across the creek. With its blue and orange stripes, it was very beautiful. Bethany watched as it flew across the creek and hovered right over her head. It was a very strange butterfly, or maybe it was just its rare colors that made it stand out. Sitting perfectly still, she watched as it flew back and forth in front of her face. It hovered closer and closer, until, finally, it settled on her shoulder. As many times as she had been out here, that had never happened before. Bethany smiled and carefully moved her head to look down at it. As she sat admiring it, she heard a strange voice.

“Hi, I’m Katherine.” Bethany jumped to her feet and cautiously looked around. No one was there. She sat back down but kept watching the path. If there was a chance someone lived out here, especially a girl her age, she had to know. Just when she was about to give up, she heard the voice again.

“Well, aren’t you going to tell me your name?” Again, Bethany jumped up and spun around. It sounded like it was nearby, but no one was there. Tempted to run home, she turned toward the path.

“Don’t go home; I just want to be your friend. Don’t be afraid.” Bethany stopped and glanced around. Someone had to be out there because voices didn’t come out of nowhere. It was then that she noticed the butterfly was still sitting on her shoulder. That was weird because butterflies don’t just sit on your shoulder when you are jumping around. Bethany stared at it. Could it be?

“What’s your name?” Bethany jumped and looked down at the butterfly. Butterflies don’t talk, that was not normal. But who else would be talking?

“B-B-ethany.” Hesitantly introducing herself, Bethany looked around and then looked back at the butterfly. To her surprise, Katherine flew up and, making a figure eight, landed gently on her nose.

“Nice to meet you, Bethany.” Katherine glided up again and hovered in front of her. “Hold up your hand.”

Bethany cautiously held up her hand and she watched in amazement as Katherine settle in the palm of her hand.

“There, much better. Flying is hard work, you know.” Bethany giggled and brought her hand up close to her face.

“I wouldn’t know, I’ve never tried it.”

“Oh that’s right! You humans have these things called legs. It must be boring to have to walk all the time. You can get to places so much faster when you fly.”

“I’m sure.” Bethany sat down and leaned against a tree.

“You live around here, right?” Katherine folded her wings and appeared to sit down, that is if butterflies can sit.

“Yep, just across the field. I come here every day when I am on my morning break. What about you?”

“I live on the other side of the creek in a little house way up in the trees.”

“You live in a tree house? That must be so awesome!!”

“Of sorts. All butterflies live in what you call tree houses.”

“I didn’t know that. I thought they lived in the flowers.”

“We work with the flowers every day and I do enjoy them, but I would not enjoy living in them. Besides, I wouldn’t want to go home to a flower when I work with them all day. Those flowers can get really feisty sometimes.”

 “You make the flowers grow, right?”

“Yes, but not just the flowers. We pollinate everything.”

“Wow. That must be a hard job.”

“At first it is, but when you do it every day for 15 years, it becomes second nature.”

“How many brothers and sisters do you have?”

“Well, too many to count, really….”

And this is how their conversations went for months. Katherine told her about the strange life of a butterfly and Bethany showed her the equally interesting life of humans. They talked about nothing and everything. As spring came to an end and Bethany finished the last of her schoolwork for the year, they became inseparable. Everywhere Bethany went, Katherine was always nearby. On one particular day, as summer was ending and fall was creeping in, Bethany and Katherine were walking along the Creek. They were exhausted from running back and forth across the field. 

“I’m going to have to leave soon.” Katherine stopped and landed gently on Bethany’s outstretched hand.

“Why?” Bethany froze and stared at her.

“Well, because butterflies don’t come out of their houses very often in the fall.”

“So I won’t be able to talk to you anymore?”

“Not during the fall and winter, you won’t. At least not every day, I will try and visit you as much as I can, though.”

“How come you don’t work during the fall and winter? Is it too cold for you?”

“Yes and the flowers have to rest. They go to sleep for a while and then in the spring, we bring them back. Besides, we have to rest sometime.”

“Ok, but when will you come and visit?” Bethany wiped a tear away and ran a finger gently across Katherine’s wings.

“I will try and come as often as I can. I can’t tell you how often that will be.” Katherine fluttered up to Bethany’s shoulder. “Don’t cry, my friend. I’ll still be here, and if you ever need me, just call and I’ll come.”

“But I want you every day!” Bethany held back a sob and lifted Katherine off her shoulder.

“I must go, but just remember, making friends means being a friend.” Katherine opened her wings and fluttered up. Bethany watched as she gliding higher and higher until she disappeared into the trees.

Katherine watched as Bethany slowly walked back across the field. It was going to be hard on her at first, but Bethany had so much more in store for her now. Katherine sighed and flew, up and up, until finally, she reached her home way up in the trees. She had done her job, now it was time to let life run its course.

As soon as Bethany reached, the house, she ran to her bedroom and shut the door. Katherine was gone and would never be back. She was such a good friend, always there at the exact time they were supposed to meet and never judging her. Her day dreams were interrupted by a knock on the door. Bethany wiped her eyes and stood up.

“Come in!”

“Are you finished with your work for the day?” Her mother swung the door open and put her hands on her hips.

“No, I just got back from my break.” Glancing at the time, she realized she had spent way too much time outside. She was thirty minutes late getting back to work.

“Are you okay, sweetie, you look like you’ve been crying.” Her mom pulled her into a hug and kissed her cheek. The tears came even though Bethany tried to hold them back. “Sweetie, what happened? Is your brother picking on you again?”

Shaking her head, she said, “I lost my best friend today, Mommy.”

“What do you mean your best friend? You mean Cassie?”

“No, mommy, she isn’t my best friend.”

“She isn’t? Who is then?”

“Katherine! Katherine was my best friend.”

“Katherine?? Who’s Katherine?”

“Mommy, she’s the girl I meet every day down by the creek! She had to leave today and won’t be back until spring.”

            “She did?” Bethany’s mom stood up and looked worriedly down at her little girl. No one lived anywhere for miles and miles. The closest people lived 5 miles away and they didn’t have a little girl.

            “Yes, and I miss her. I want her to come back!!” Bethany’s tears were gone now and her temper had set in.

            “Bethany, calm down. I’ll go to the neighbors and see if their little girl can stay for a little bit longer.” She stepped toward the door, knowing full well the neighbors didn’t have a little girl.

            “No, mommy! She won’t be there! Katherine doesn’t live at the neighbors.”

            “Where does she live then?”

            “She lives up in a tree, in a little tree house, with lots and lots of flowers and butterflies fluttering around.”

            “Ok, I’ll ask around, then.” Puzzled, but playing along, she took another step toward the door.

            “No, mommy. People don’t know her. She has to rest for the winter and then in the summer she will come back out. Don’t disturb her sleep; she’s worked hard this summer. Katherine needs it.”

            “So you don’t want me to make her come back?”

            “No, just let her sleep.”

            “Ok, then. Come and finish up your work for the day. Try to finish early because dad will be home early and he has a special announcement to make.” As Bethany headed downstairs, her mom lingered at the door. Did that just really happen? A little girl named Katherine? Living around here? She paused to think about it. Bethany was only seven; it could be an imaginary friend. Was Bethany really that lonely that she would conjure up an imaginary friend?

Bethany headed downstairs and got back to work. As soon as she finished, she rushed outside. Daddy would be home soon, but she had a few minutes to talk to… oh yeah... Katherine was gone. Bethany sighed and plopped down on the porch. Now what would she do on her breaks? She stood up and headed inside. She could do some extra reading while she was waiting for Dad. Momentarily putting Katherine in the back of her mind, she immersed herself in her book. A few minutes later, she heard her dad’s car pull in the driveway and ran downstairs. Everyone was already gathered in the living room, so she quickly sat down and waited for her dad. The walk from his car to the door seemed to take forever and Bethany just couldn’t wait any longer. Jumping up, she ran to the door and flung it open.

“Daddy!! You’re home!!” When her dad reached the door, she threw her arms around his big belly and squeezed.

“Whoa there girl! It’s good to see you too.” Chuckling, he lifted her up off her feet and carried her through the house. Her laughter rang through the house as he tickled her all the way to the living room. When he reached the living room, he plopped her on the couch and took off his hat. Without saying a word to anyone else, he kissed his wife and headed into the kitchen.

“Daddy, aren’t you going to tell us?” Bethany ran from the living room with her brothers close behind.

“Yep.” He opened the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of tea. Then, he walked to the cabinet and reached for a glass. The process of pouring himself a glass of tea seemed to go on forever. Finally, he was done and they headed back to the living room. When they were all seated, he began.

“We’re moving.” He sat back and took a sip of his tea.

“What???? We’re moving??” Bethany scooted forward on her chair, as if she was ready to start driving now.

“Yep-“

“Yes, sweetie.” Her mother cut in. “I know this is a big blow for you, but we’re moving where you can have lots of friends.”

 “We’ll have real friends? That we can see every day?” Bethany jumped up and ran to her mother.

“Yep!”

“Will I have one that I can talk to on my breaks?”

“If she is homeschooled like you are, then yes.” Her mother stood up and pulled Bethany into a hug. After a few seconds, she pulled away and jumped up and down.

“Yay, yay, yay!!! We’re going to have real friends that we can talk to every day!” She turned to her brothers. “Did you hear that? We’ll actually have real friends!!!”

Her little brothers joined in the rejoicing. “Yay, yay, yay!!”

Weeks passed and soon the day came when they were to move. As her parents loaded the last of the boxes, she slipped away and headed down to the creek. In just a few minutes, she would be leaving behind the only home she had ever known and the only best friend she had ever had. Would she have a favorite place like this creek, or would she have to stay inside all the time? If only she could talk to Katherine one more time. Just to say goodbye and thank her for being such a good friend.

“Katherine? Are you busy right now? Cuz I really need you.” Bethany carefully watched the air around her, hoping Katherine was flying nearby and could hear her. “Katherine?” For several minutes she stood there, perfectly still, waiting, hoping Katherine would come. 30 minutes passed and still, nothing. Looking at the sunset, she turned toward the path. Before she could take a step, a movement caught her eye. Spinning around, she saw a faint flutter in the distance. Holding her breath, she waited. She watched as the figure grew closer and closer, appearing to come out of the horizon. Gasping, she ran toward it. It was Katherine!! She did come!!

“I knew you’d come, I just knew it!!” Carefully holding Katherine in her hand, she lifted her hand up to eyelevel. “I have to move, Katherine, but I’ll never forget you, never!”

“I won’t forget you either, Bethany. Just remember, making friends means being a friend.”

“I won’t forget, Katherine.” Bethany smiled at Katherine and lifted her high into the air.

“Bye, Katherine. I hope I make as good a friend as you at my new home.”

“Bye, Bethany. Remember, making friends means being a friend.” Gliding up, she hovered just above Bethany’s head. Making a figure eight, she fluttered away until she was out of sight.

Bethany ran back across the field and gave her mom a big hug. She would make friends, lots of them. All she had to do was be a friend. They all hopped in the car and began the adventure of a lifetime. One that would challenge them and encourage them, one that would forever change all of them for the better, but most of all, change the world they lived in.

Somewhere Between Two Houses Continued

She found her in the living room with her head in her hands.

    "Christi." Sitting down next to her on the couch, she waited.    "Yes, mom?" Christi sat up and looked at her mother.    "You know, Andrew still loves you."    "Yeah right! He sure has a strange way of showing it."    "He really does love you, rather you believe it or not."    "If he loved me, he wouldn't have cheated. Look I don't want to talk about this. Did you come find me just to harass me or was there some other reason?"    "We need to talk about what to do next."    "What do you mean?"    "Well, since Andrew is no longer supporting this family, you'll need to find a job."    "Can we think about this later? I need to talk to Mandy."    "Fine, but we ARE going to talk about this." Erin opened to her mouth to say something else, but Christi was already out the door. Christi had no idea what kind of a mess she just created. And all because she couldn't forgive and let go of something that happened over ten years ago. Suddenly exhausted, she flopped down onto the couch. Next thing she knew, she was being shaken awake.    "Honey, honey wake up." Erin cracked an eye open and grinned.    "I was just resting my eyes Thomas, don't worry."    "Do you want to go to bed? It is pretty late."    "No, I'm awake now. Sit down; I want to talk to you." She slid over to make room for Thomas. When he had sat down, she began. "Do you think I'm doing the right thing in letting Christi do this?"    "Honey, there's really nothing you can do about it."    "I should have seen this coming. All the times she called me, why didn't I suspect something? I might have been able to talk some sense into her."    "Erin, you know how stubborn she is. If she had her mind set on this, then nobody was going to change her mind. Every marriage has problems and everyone makes mistakes. Christi just hasn't learned how to forgive yet. Remember, Andrew isn't the first to break her heart."    "I thought she was over that. Josh did some horrible things to her, but I thought she had forgiven him."    "Obviously not. I think the best way for her to learn to forgive is to just let her go through this. I really think God is trying to say something, here. Christi has always been the one to learn things the hard way. She never would listen to us until she actually experienced it. Let’s just be there for her and pray. That's all we can do."    "You're right; I shouldn't be worrying about this. You always know what to say, how to deal with things." Erin slid closer and kissed him. Thomas smiled and kissed her back.    "Let's go see if Christi needs help finishing up supper and getting movie night going."    "You go ahead. I'm going to get Mandy and see how she's doing. I left her to write, so hopefully, she's doing a little better." Erin stood up and headed toward the door. Thomas nodded and followed her out.         Mandy slid her diary out of her hiding spot and picked up a pencil from her desk. After reading the last couple of paragraphs she had written last time, she began to write. She had no idea what was going to happen in her story next, but that's how she usually wrote. Nothing was ever planned out. As things came to her, she wrote them down. Soon, she was lost in her fairy tale world. In her story, everything was Ok and her world was perfect. It seemed like just a few minutes later when there was a knock on the door. Trying to push the cobwebs aside, she sat up and called, "Come in." She pushed aside her journal and turned toward the door. "Hi Grandma, is it time for movies yet?"
     "Almost, but we're going to eat supper first. Come downstairs so we can eat." Erin turned to go but Mandy's voice stopped her.
    "Is daddy back yet?"
     She turned around and answered, "No, honey, he's not. Do you want him to come back?"
    Mandy nodded and held up her arms. Erin knelt down and wrapped her in her arms. Mandy doesn't deserve to go through this, she thought. She's only eight. Focusing on what she needed to do now, she pulled away just enough to look at her. "Why don't you tell your mother that? I don't think she knows you want him back."
    "Ok." Mandy pulled completely away and grabbed her hand. "Lets go, Grandma, we're going to be late." Erin laughed and let Mandy pull her down the stairs, through the living room and into the kitchen.
    When they arrived downstairs, supper was ready and the table was set. They all sat down and after Thomas had prayed, they dug in. Erin thought Mandy was going to withdraw, but it seemed as if nothing had happened. After they had finished eating, Mandy cleared off the table as quick as she could and rushed to get ready for bed. Christi put the dishes in the dishwasher and turned it on. After wiping everything down, she headed into the living room. Her parents had decided to go ahead and go to bed. They had just thought they were going make it until 1. Christi smiled at the thought. After all these years, her mom still thought she could conquer the world, it was her dad who was the realistic one. He knew how much Erin could take and when she had reached her limit. On her way to the living room, she stopped to pull a stack of movies out of the closet in the hallway and looked through them. There was no telling what movie she would want to watch. One day she likes Barbie, the next fairies, the next chic flicks and then cars. It just depended on what mood she was in. As she rounded the corner into the living room, Mandy came running out plowed into her.
    "Whoa! Where are going in such a hurry?"
    "I was just coming to find you. I thought you forgot that tonight was movie night."
    "No, honey, I didn't forget, I just had something that I needed to do."
    "Oh ok." Mandy backed up and grabbed Christi's hand, pulling her into the living room. Can we watch a fairy movie tonight? Please?"
    "Sure." Christi pulled the fairy one out of the stack and put it in the DVD player. After turning it on, she grabbed the remote and sat down next to Mandy.
    "You can't turn it on yet!"
    "Why not?"
    "Daddy isn't in here. Remember, we never start movie night without everybody?" Mandy looked up at Christi and rolled her eyes as if to say 'duh, Mom.'
    "Well, honey, daddy isn't coming tonight."
    "Does he have a lot of paper work to do?"
    "Not exactly."
    "Is he on a long trip, then?"
    "No. Listen, Mandy. He's never coming back. He did something very bad to Mommy, so I sent him away."
    "You sent him away?? For good? Forever and ever and ever?!" Mandy's eyes filled with tears and she stood up. "I want daddy to come home, Mommy. He doesn't need to be out there all alone."
    "I know you do honey, but I think it’s the best thing to do."
    "But he'll be lonely and hungry and cold. Can he come home?? Pleeaaassseee?? Pretty, pretty please?"
    "No, Mandy. He's not coming back." At this, Mandy burst into tears and resisted all attempts to comfort her.
    Christi sighed and slumped down on the couch. If she did the right thing then why did it feel like her heart was being ripped out of her chest? Why wasn't she feeling any peace about it? She looked up as Mandy ran out of the living room and up the stairs. Shaking her head, Christi stood up and turned off the TV. There would be no movies tonight. Why did this have to be so hard? Why couldn't life just go on as before? Flopping back down on the couch, she put her head in her hands. Maybe she really had done the wrong thing. Maybe Andrew really was capable of changing. If that was true, she had just thrown away the chance of a lifetime.

Somewhere Between Two Houses Continued

Christi sighed and went in search of her father and Mandy.

    Erin shook her head and flopped down onto the couch. Was she doing the right thing? Christi was an adult after all. She didn't want to make Christi feel like she was trying to control her, but she felt like she should say something about her decision. Christi was making a horrible mistake. Yes, she had every right to be angry, but shouldn't she be willing to forgive him? Erin hoped Mandy would be more forgiving than her mother is. She stood up and went to see if Andrew had already left. She needed to talk to him before he leaves. On her way out of the living room, she heard a cry and then someone stomping up the stairs. Uh oh... that didn't sound very good. Just as she was leaving the hallway connecting the living room the rest of the house, she saw Andrew slipping through the front door at the end of the hall. She picked up her pace and caught the door before it shut behind him. "Andrew!" When he turned to look at her, she closed the door and stepped off the porch. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

    "Why?" He sighed and crossed his arms.

    "Because it’s important. Now, are you going to listen to me or do I need to go back inside?"

    "Ok, come and sit in my car and we'll talk." Andrew unlocked his car and slid in, not bothering to wait for a reply. Erin slipped in beside him, trying to find the right words. 'Lord, give me the right words' she silently prayed.

    Andrew crossed his arms and waited. He wasn't sure what this was all about, but he really need to go. The faster he got out of this nightmare the better.

    "You do realize you don't have to go."

    "Yes, I do. Christi wants me to leave and I know I deserve it. I messed up, big time."

    "Christi really doesn't want you to leave, she's just running."

    "I don't blame her. I broke her trust; she has every right to run."

    "She's not running from you, Andrew. She's running from her past."

    "What do I have to do with this?"

    "Everything. Just think about it."

    "What's there to think about? I'm done here, that's that. Whatever she is running from, I'm obviously not helping the situation any. I want her to be happy and if it means me walking out of her life forever, then I'll do it." Andrew looked away from Erin and gritted his teeth. He still loved her and always would. He didn't know how he was going to walk out of her life forever, but he had to.

    Erin studied Andrew while she silently prayed. 'Lord please restore this marriage. It was bound by you and cannot be unbound by man. Make it better than before.' She folded her hands in her lap and waited for him to continue.

    "I have to do this, Erin." He sighed and started the car. "Now if you don't mind, I really need to get going."

    Erin nodded and opened her door. "Where are staying tonight?"

    "I don't know yet."

    When she had said goodbye and went back in the house, Andrew pulled away and drove. He didn't know where he was going or what he was going to do once he got there, but he knew that he needed to leave.

    Once Erin was back the house, she went in search of Christi. She was going to have to deal with the legal side of this rather she wanted to or not. On her way to the living room, she decided to take a detour and go upstairs to talk to Mandy. Just as she was about to know on her door, the door swung open and she was nearly run over by Mandy. She was crying and almost looked hysterical. "Whoa! What's wrong Mandy? Erin caught Mandy in her arms and pulled her around to face her.

    "Why didn't you stop my daddy? Why didn't you tell him to come back?!" She fought to pull herself away, but Erin only held her tighter. Gently leading her into the bedroom and onto the bed, she sat down and pulled Mandy into her arms.

     This was so hard on her, why couldn't Christi see that? Was she so wrapped up in her bitterness that she couldn't see beyond her own needs? Mandy pulled away and she mentally shook herself. Erin knew she needed to be there for Mandy.

    "Is daddy really gone for good?" Mandy asked through her tears.

    "I don't know, honey. That's up to your mother."

    "Why did she send him away? He was always so nice to her. When she needed something, Daddy ways got it for her. If she was sad, Daddy was the first to make her happy again.

   "They just needed some time alone." Knowing Mandy liked to write when she was down or not doing well, she added, "Why don't you write for a little bit and I'll come get you when it's time for the movies, ok?"

    Mandy nodded scooted off the bed. "But you have to leave, first. I can't let anyone see my secret hiding spot."

    "Ok, I love you." Erin got up and headed out the door.

    "Love you too, Grandma." Mandy reached up and gave Erin a hug. "Can you leave now; I really need to get busy." Mandy put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot impatiently. She looked so much like Christi when she was that age. Erin smiled at the thought and backed the rest of the way out of the room. As soon as she was out, Mandy closed the door and she heard feet shuffling. Erin turned to find Christi.

Somewhere Between Two Houses Continued

He found Christi in the kitchen pacing and fuming. Andrew slipped into the kitchen and gently touched her arm.

    Christi spun around and frowned. Quickly wiping her face, she asked, "What do you want?"

    Instinctively, Andrew took a step back. "I was just coming to see if you wanted some help but you obviously don't want my help." He frowned and turned to leave.

    "What is that supposed to mean?" Christi's hands went to her hips. Andrew spun around and gritted his teeth. He didn't need this right now.

    "Nothing, forget about it," He said as calmly as he could.

    "I am NOT going to forget about it! I want to know what you mean by that. I don't appreciate you being rude to me like that. I am so glad you're leaving!"

    "Me being rude to you? You are the one that snapped when I came in here and tried to offer my help. But, since I am apparently such a jerk, you don't want me in your kitchen. In fact, you don't even want me in your life. And you know what? That's fine with me because I can't believe I thought this could work.”

 Christi gritted her teeth and turned to leave. "Oh," she threw over her shoulder, "you better be out of the house before the movies start."

    "Fine, but I don't know how Mandy will take it. She'll want me to be there."

    "With my parents here, she won't even notice you're gone. When she heads upstairs to get ready for bed, just slip out the back door."

    "But I can't leave without saying goodbye, she'll never forgive me!" Andrew tried to keep his voice down, but he couldn't seem to help the fact that both of their voices grew louder with every sentence.

    "What? So you can cheat on your wife without a second thought, but you can't walk out of their lives forever without saying 'goodbye'?" Andrew winced and crossed his arms. "That was uncalled for. That is not how it is and you know it."

    "That's exactly how it is. You know what, just go. I want you out of my house, now."

    "Fine, but you are making a huge mistake!"

    "Maybe I am, but I cannot and I will not live with another lying, cheating, and unfaithful man in my house. So get out!"

    Andrew sighed and gritted his teeth. He was getting nowhere with her. This was one argument he just wasn't going to win. "Ok, I'll leave. But I don't know if I'll still be waiting for you when you come running back. I made a mistake, I know and I'm really sorry. I thought this marriage could work, I really did. I never planned to cheat on you, it just happened. I'm going to ask you one more time to forgive me. Then I'm leaving because I can't live with someone who can't forgive. Christi, will you forgive me? I made a huge mistake, and I apologize. I also promise it will never happen again."

    For a split second, Christi considered forgiving him and letting him stay. Then she thought of the last time she forgave someone and gave them a second chance. It had turned into a disaster. She gritted her teeth, crossing her arms. She had no idea she was going to survive if he left, but he had to go. Marriage never worked out for her, never would. She uncrossed her arms and looked at Andrew.

    "No. You cheated on me, Andrew. I thought you were different, that despite your history, you were different. I took a chance on marrying you, thinking it would work, that you would be honest with me. I thought I could trust you. Apparently I was wrong. So please go. It will be best for everyone. I can go on living and Mandy can grow up without having to witness the fights. You can move on and find someone that will make you happy, satisfy you." Christi willed herself not to cry and turned back to the table.

    "Ok, I'm leaving. Now." She heard him take a deep breath and practically stomp out of the kitchen and into their bedroom. Pausing, she thought she heard a sniffle and shuffling of feet. Putting the stack of plates on the table, she turned toward the doorway into the hall. Standing there was her parents with Mandy wrapped in her mother's arms. How had she not noticed them standing there? From where she had been standing, they were directly in her line of vision. Before she had a chance to say anything, her mom spoke.

    "I think we need to talk, Christi." All she could do was nod. Her mother handed Mandy off to her father and headed toward the living room. Christi swallowed hard and followed her.

    Her mother got right to the point. "Why didn't you tell me?"

    "Because I knew you wouldn't approve."

    "If you know this is wrong, why are you doing it?"

    "Mom, he cheated on me! What I am I supposed to do?"

    "You could forgive him." Her mother raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

    "FORGIVE him?? Like that's going to solve everything." Her words were laced in sarcasm.

    "It would solve a lot of your problems."

    "MY problems? Are you saying this is all my fault?!"

    "No, that's not what I'm saying. I said YOUR problems, not his problems. You never forgave Josh, did you?"

    "Josh has nothing to do with this, Mother!!" Christi gritted her teeth and barely managed to keep her voice down.

    "You're right, he doesn't. Why do you keep bringing him into this, then?"

    "I'm not bringing him into this!"

    "You're letting what he did to you control the decisions you're making now."

    "Mom, if you're trying to talk me out of this, then you might as well just stop because I'm not going to change my mind." 

"I'm just trying to make you see what a big mistake you are making. Andrew is your husband, you made a vow- for better or for worse- you need to keep that vow."

    "Why should I keep my vows when he didn't even bother to keep his? Tell me one good reason why I should give him another chance, not that it will do any good."

    "Because it’s the right thing to do."

    "Why do I have to be the one doing the 'right thing'? Isn't the husband supposed to be the leader? He definitely didn't do the 'right thing'."

    "You're right, he didn't. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't. Just make sure you are doing what is best for Mandy, not just running."

    "I know I'm doing what's best for Mandy."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yes, mom."

    "Ok, then." Erin stepped forward and wrapped her daughter in her arms. "I love and no matter what decision you make, I will always love you. I may not agree with what you're doing, but I will respect whatever decision you make."

    "I love you too, mom." Christi pulled away and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I better get back out there and explain to Mandy."

    "You know, she's not going to take it very well."

    "I know. I just hope she'll forgive me someday."

Somewhere Between Two Houses Continued

Right now, he just needed to survive the next couple hours. Once he got out of the house and away from them, he would be fine. Sighing, he got up, straightened his clothes and went to the kitchen. Christi would be serving supper right about now and would be expecting him to be there on time. As he roamed through the kitchen, the smell of chicken assaulted his senses. Grinning, he went in search of everyone else. Hearing laughter from the living room, he headed that way. Just as be turned the corner into the living room, he ran into Christi. Looking down at her, he quickly reached out to steady her. Out of habit, he reached for her hand but quickly stopped himself when he realized what he was doing. Andrew held his breath. Christi was bound to say something about him touching her, but to his surprise she simply smiled and slipped past him. He shrugged it off and went to greet Erin and Thomas, Christi's parents.

    "Hey Thomas, Erin, how did today go?" Sitting down across from the couch they were on, he smiled and propped his feet up on the coffee table.

    "It went really good. Thomas and I rarely get time to ourselves so it was nice being able to be by ourselves." Erin smiled and shook her head at his on the table. "I don't think Christi will like your feet being on the table, she's real picky about that... if you haven't noticed yet."

    "Yeah, I guess I better." As if on cue, Christi appeared in the doorway. Taking one look at him, she stomped over to the couch and frowned.

    "You know I don't like feet on my coffee table. We've been married how many years and you still have not learned that yet?"

    Andrew knew she was teasing, but her words still cut deep. You're just being over sensitive, he told himself. Just because tonight is your last night here doesn't mean you can act like a baby. She was just kidding and you know it. Despite how much Andrew tried to convince himself he didn't care, he knew the truth. He was losing everything he had worked for and more. He was losing everything he had ever really cared about. Pushing those thoughts away, Andrew smiled and moved his feet. "Your mom and I were just discussing that." Grinning, he turned to Erin and winked. She just shook her head and tried to hide a smile. Andrew turned back to Christi and started to do the same, but when he saw the frown and icy glare she gave him, he decided against it. "Yes ma'am, I'll remember that next time." Christi nodded and headed back to the kitchen.

    Christi sighed and checked the chicken pot pie in the oven. It was almost done. Calling Mandy, she opened the fridge and looked for the tea. Not finding any, she found some tea bags in the nearby cabinet and pulled them out. Just as she was putting them in a sauce pan, Mandy came bounding through the kitchen door.

    "You called me?" Mandy screeched to a halt just inside the door.

    "Yes, I was wondering if you wanted to make tea."

    "Sure!" Mandy took the sauce pan and filled it up with water then carefully walked to the stove, set the pan down and turned it on.

    Christi shook her head and grinned. For some reason, Mandy had this obsession with making tea. She loved to make tea and if anyone else made it, she would be mad. Her thoughts turned to Andrew and she frowned. Even though he had cheated on her, he still made her grow weak in the knees when he smiled and made her skip a beat when he touched her. If only him leaving would solve all the problems, but she knew it wouldn't. They were Christians and Christians didn't have these kinds of problems. Christians were happily married, their spouses didn't cheat on them and they didn't get divorces. This was not how it was supposed to be. Christi shoved those thoughts away. Andrew had to go and that was just the way it was going to be. Her parents may not agree with it and it may not be the "Christian" thing to do, but she couldn't live with a liar. She had been lied to way too many times and she was not about to put with that from him. Christi stood up and checked on the food. A few minutes longer and it would be done. She got a stack of plates from the cabinet and began to set the table. She had just finished when Andrew and Mandy came running through the kitchen.

    "It’s time to eat guys!" Christi took the chicken out of the oven and set it on the table. Pulling the salad from the fridge and the tea, she called them again. After she had put everything on the table, she went in search of everyone. They were in the living room bent over something that Andrew was holding. Curious, she walked behind them and tried to see what Andrew was holding. Mandy squealed and jumped up. Andrew glanced up and saw her standing there.

    "Look at this." Andrew moved his hands where she could see what was in them. Christi peeked over his shoulder and shrieked.

    "Get that thing out of my house!!!" Andrew laughed as she scooted past him and flew out of the living room. He handed it to Mandy and stood up.

    "You better get it out of the house before your mother comes back in here and sees it again."

    "But it’s so cute!! It has really long legs and a tiny body! Can I keep it? PPllleeaassee??" Mandy jumped up and down and put on her puppy face.

    "That's up to your mother and from her reaction earlier; I doubt she will let you keep it."

    "He is absolutely right! You are NOT keeping that thing. You know much I hate bugs," Christi hollered from the other room. She came stomping into the living and her hand went to her hips. "There is no way we are keeping that! It could be dangerous! We don't even know what it is."

    "I know what it is, it’s a daddy long leg." Andrew walked over to Christi but didn't dare touch her. "Oh, and it’s perfectly harmless. Its legs are too long for it to bite anyone."

    Christi frowned and crossed her arms. "Look, I don't care if it harmless or not. I don't like bugs in my house and that's final."

    Andrew knew he was getting nowhere. "Ok, ok. The spider goes." Turning to Mandy, he got down on her level and told her, "Mandy, it’s going to have to go outside. Your mom hates spiders."

    Mandy frowned but complied. "Ok, but he's going to be really lonely."

    "Well, I'm sure there are lots of other daddy long legs that he can make friends with. He won't be lonely after he finds some friends." Andrew glanced at Erin and Thomas. He had forgotten they were there but now he grinned at them. They smiled back and burst out laughing. He turned to speak with Christi but found that she was no longer standing there. Did Erin and Thomas know about what was going on between them? Would they approve? Andrew went in search of Christi so he could ask her. It would probably start another fight, but at this point, he had nothing to lose.

Somewhere Between Two Houses Continued

Andrew tossed his jacket on the table and went in search of Christi. It had been a long day at work and he just wanted to sit back and relax with his wife. He found her in the laundry room finishing up the laundry.

“Andrew, you’re home early!” Christi exclaimed and set the basket on the floor.

“Yep, I am and I want to spend the rest of the day with my wonderful wife.” Andrew gave her a kiss and leaned against the wall. “How does a movie sound to you?”

“It sounds great, but I have a lot of work to do. If I don’t get it done today, then it will probably never get done.” She sighed and picked up the laundry basket. “Oh and my parents want to take Mandy to the zoo tomorrow. I told them it is fine with me if it’s fine with you.”

“That’s fine with me and it’ll give you time to catch up on your work since you are going to slack off today.” Andrew grinned and walked away.

“Wait! I didn’t…” Christi let her sentence hang, it was no use. Andrew had convinced her to take today off and spend it with him, after all, it wasn’t very often he came home early. Shaking her head, she dumped the last load of laundry into the wash and turned it on.

Andrew plopped down on the couch and sighed. He really should tell Christi, but he didn’t know what to say. It had been three days since he had come home late. She would probably never find out anyways. Standing up, he went in search of Christi; she should be done putting the last load of laundry in. Just as he was walking through the kitchen, his cell phone rang. Pulling it out of his pocket and reading the caller id, he cringed. That was the last person he wanted to talk to right now. He silenced it and shoved it back in his pocket. Finding the laundry room empty, he turned right into their bedroom and found Christi seating on the bed.

“Christi, is something wrong?” Walking over to the bed, he put his hand on her shoulder. That’s when he saw what she was holding. Christi jumped up and spun around.

“Something is very wrong when I find a picture of a woman in my husband’s jeans. It may just be me, but I think something is definitely wrong with that! Is this why you came home late the other day? Because you were at another woman’s house? Am I not good enough for you?”

Andrew held his head in his hands and sighed. He should have told her when it happened. It was stupid of him to think she would never find out about it. Rising, he pulled started to pull Christi into his arms. “Don’t touch me!” Christi couldn’t believe this was happening to her.

“Christi, that’s not how it was. It was a one-time thing and it will never happen again. You are all I need, all I want. I-“

“I don’t want to hear it. If this is how you show your family that you love them, then get out.” Just then, the front door slammed. Mandy must be home and her parents would be home soon.

“Get out? Where am I supposed to go? What am I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care. Just leave, now.” Christi dried her eyes and straightened her hair. She could hear Mandy moving around upstairs and she would soon be looking for an after school snack.

“At least let me explain, make it up to you, something.. Anything.” Andrew gently grabbed her arm and turned her around.

“I said, don’t touch me.” He let go of her arm, but didn’t move from in front of her.

“At least let me say goodbye to Mandy.”

“Fine, but you will be gone after supper. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go fix Mandy something to eat.” Christi walked out of the room and headed to the kitchen.

Andrew could hear Mandy and Christi talking in the kitchen. Mandy was saying something about her play and Christi was laughing. He had just gotten kicked out of his own house, for one little stupid mistake. The least Christi could have done was let him explain. He had no idea where he was going to go or what he was going to do. Flopping down on his bed, he thought about Christi.

Mandy rushed through the door and sped up the stairs. She couldn’t wait to tell her mom all about her new singing lessons. Mrs. Courtney had volunteered to give them to her last week, but she had forgotten to ask. Mandy wouldn’t let herself think about anything else or she would forget to ask her mom. Running back downstairs, she went in search of her parents. Hearing voices coming from their bedroom, she headed that way. Stopping when she heard her mom raise her voice, Mandy hesitated. They were fighting, again. Knowing she shouldn’t listen, she started to turn around. When she heard her mom yell “Get out, now!” she stopped and listened. Mandy couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation but she could tell that her mom was upset at her dad. “After supper…. Mandy... Afternoon... Home.” She heard her mom sniffle and took this as her cue to leave. As she sat in the kitchen waiting on her mom, she wondered if daddy was in trouble again. Mandy had only been sitting a few minutes when her mom came in to fix her afternoon snack.

“Mommy, guess what?”

“What, honey?”

“I get to take singing lessons, if it’s ok with you. Mrs. Courtney offered to teach me!” Forgetting all about her parent’s fight, she jumped up and down then plopped down in a kitchen chair.

“That’s fine with me.  Now, what would you like for a snack?”

“I want chocolate chip cookies!!” Mandy licked her lips and grinned. Laughing, Christi grabbed a few from the cabinet and handed them to Mandy.

“Ok, but only a few. I don’t want to spoil your supper.” Giggling, Mandy ran off to her bedroom to write some more. Christi sighed and sat down. Mandy was so full of life and carefree. Christi didn’t know what she was going to do without Andrew, but she did know that he had to get out. She couldn’t believe he would do something like that. As Christi sat there thinking about what this would mean for her and Mandy, she began to have doubts. They had relied on him to provide for them for over ten years. What was a little slip up compared to all the years of faithfulness? She knew he said it would never happen again, but how she could trust him to keep that promise when she couldn’t even trust him be faithful to her. No, he had to go. It was best for Mandy and best for her. She was not going to deal with unfaithfulness and Mandy didn’t need to be exposed to the fighting and arguing. The problem would be telling her parents. She checked the time and got started on supper. Tonight was movie night for her family so they were going to eat just a little earlier than normal. Movie night!! She had forgotten all about movie night. What was she supposed to do about Andrew? If he just up and left on movie night, Mandy and her parents would know something was wrong. Just then, the front door opened and she heard Mandy squeal. Her parents must be home and Mandy must be in the living room instead of doing homework upstairs. Shaking her head, Christi went to greet her parents.

“Hi Mom and Dad, did you guys enjoy yourselves?”

“Yes, we certainly did.” Turning to Mandy, she smiled mischievously and winked at Christi. “Mandy, I have something for you.”

“For me, what is it?” Jumping up and down, she tried to see what was in the bag, but her grandmother held it up out of her reach.

“If you ask politely, she might give it to you.” Christi said sternly, trying her best not to grin.

Sighing, Mandy stopped jumping and asked politely, “May I please see what you got for me?” Smiling, her grandmother reached in the bag and pulled out a notebook. Mandy snatched it out of her hands and turned it over and over. Opening it up, she grinned and closed it.

“It’s for you to write in whenever your other notebook is filled up.”

Surprised, Mandy glanced up. “How did you know I like to write?”

Smiling, her grandmother answered, “Why, your mother told me of course.”

“What do you say to your grandmother, Mandy?” Christi cut in.

“Oh, thank you so much Nana, I will keep this in my secret hiding place with my others.” Giving her grandmother a big hug, she turned and ran upstairs to her room to stash her new treasure away.

Christi grinned and turned to her parents. “Every Friday night, we have movie night and today’s Friday so we’re going to have a supper a little earlier tonight. You don’t have to stay up the whole night if you don’t want to. You’re welcome to bed anytime since you getting up early and taking Mandy to the zoo tomorrow.”

Her mother raised her eyebrows and said<,” We’re not that old, honey. I think we can stay up just as late as you can.” Turning to her husband she pretended to whisper,” Did you hear that? She thinks we’re old.”

Her dad laughed and shook his head. “I may not be as young as I used to be but I think I can sit around all night. It’s not like we’ll be running around.”

It was Christi’s turn to laugh. “You think so? Just wait, after tonight, you’ll be wishing you took my advice and went to bed after the first movie.” Christi grinned and went back to fixing dinner.

Back in the master bedroom, Andrew was deep in thought.  He was remembering how he and Christi used to be. They used to have such a connection, it was almost unreal. Maybe that’s what it had been – unreal. This is how it is supposed to be, Andrew thought. He wasn’t fit to be a husband; he didn’t know why he ever thought he could be one. Sure it had lasted nearly ten years, but he had planned it for life. Shaking off his thoughts, he slowly sat up and took a deep breath. There was no use in thinking about the past, it wouldn’t change the future. It wouldn’t change the fact that he was about to lose his family and all that he had worked for in the last ten years. Feeling the anger slowly seep in, he stood up and made himself calm down. It was his fault, not Christi’s. He made the choice when he knew exactly what he was doing. 

Somewhere Between Two Houses

This is a story I have been working on for a while now. I decided to post it on here to see what others think. I'm going to try to post part of this story at least once a week. Please, tell me what you think, I love feedback!:)

Mandy ran through the woods and burst in the door. “Mommy, mommy, guess what!!”

            “What baby?”

            “I got the main part in the play!!”

“The princess part?”

“Yeah, the one where I get to sing, all by myself!”

“That’s great. Mandy, I’m proud of you.”

Mandy hugged her mom hard then ran up the stairs to her room. Throwing her backpack on her bed, she gently pulled her journal from its hiding place. She loved to write about her life and tried to add a little to her journal every day. At 8 years old, no one ever took her seriously in her writing except her mom. Carefully unlocking her journal, she sat down at her desk and picked up her pencil. Before she could begin writing, she heard the front door slam. Uh oh, that was dad. Hurriedly, she closed her journal, locked it and slipped it back into its hiding place. Scurrying across the room, she had just gotten to the door when she heard a booming voice. “Mandy!!”

Mandy ran down the stairs as fast as she could. She knew she was supposed to be at the table when Dad came home, but today she got home unusually late because of auditions. Stepping into the living room, she took and a deep breath. “Yes?”

“Come and eat, please,” her mom called from the kitchen.

When she had seated herself, her dad asked her, “Where have you been?”

“I got home ten minutes before you did and then I went to my room to write,” Mandy said cautiously.

“And where were you all day?”

“At school.” Mandy wasn't sure where this was going. Dad knew she went to school every day.

“Why did you come home so late?”

“I was trying out for a part in in a school play, the one with the princess and her prince. And I got the part of the princess!!”

“A play?”

“Yes, the one that our school is doing for a competition.”

“And you entered this without asking me?” For the first time since she had sat down, Mandy noticed the anger in her father’s voice. Glancing up, she found her father’s glare on her. She opened her mouth to answer, but her mom cut her off.

“Andrew, she asked me weeks ago about it and I told her yes. I didn't realize you would have a problem with it.”

“You didn't even bother to ask me about it first?”

“Like I said, I didn't realize you would have a problem with it. It is a school play, after all.”

“I don’t want my daughter flaunting herself in front of everybody and making a fool out of herself!”

“Andrew, she’s eight, not fifteen and this is a school play, not a beauty contest. She is not going to make a fool out of herself. Mandy is very capable of being in this play and doing it well. It’s not that big of a deal!”

“I-“

“Mom, dad, stop fighting!! That’s all you guys ever do anymore! I won’t be in the play if it makes you guys happy. That settles it, now stop fighting!” Rushing to her room, Mandy slammed her door and flung herself on her bed. Why couldn't her parents agree on anything? Why did they always have to fight?  Tears streaming down her face, she reached for her journal. Beginning to write, she lost herself in a story where parents never fought and little girls could be princesses.

Back in the kitchen, Christi and Andrew were silent. Holding her head in her hands, she began to weep. Without even looking at his wife, Andrew got up and, stomping all the way, slammed the front door. Christi stood up, smoothed her hair, tried her tears and headed upstairs. How could they do that to Mandy? That conversation should have never happened and she was sorry Mandy had to see that. Arriving at Mandy’s door, she took a deep breath and knocked. When there was no answer, she tried again, still no answer. Trying the knob and finding it unlocked, she stepped in. Mandy was lying on her bed and, with tears streaming down her face, was writing furiously.

“Mandy, honey, “Christi said gently. Not having heard her mother come in, Mandy was startled. Glancing up, she quickly shut her journal. “What are you writing?” Sitting on her bed, Christi reached for her journal. Shrugging, Mandy pulled it out of her reach.

“Nothing, really” Looking at the floor, Mandy slipped off her bed. Still looking at the floor, she asked,” Mommy, why do you and Daddy always have to fight?”

“Oh honey, sometimes we don’t agree on things and we get a little carried away with our opinions.”

“Do you still love me even if you don’t love Daddy anymore?”

“Of course, I’ll always love you. And I still love Daddy. We just had a disagreement, it happens sometimes.”

“Does Daddy still love you?”

“Of course he does and I know he loves you too.”          

“I love both of you.”

"And we love you, too." Getting up, Christi, walked over and hugged Mandy. "Now come downstairs and help me clean up. Then you need to get to bed, it is way past your bedtime."

When Christi headed downstairs and found Andrew was still gone, she breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't deal with him right now.

Christi pulled into the driveway and parked the car. She took a slow breath and stepped out of the car. Maybe today would be better that the past month had. Christi stepped through the door and flipped on the hallway light. Glancing at the time, she tossed her purse on the table and kicked her shoes off. Thirty minutes before Andrew came home; that was just enough time to throw together a quick meal and maybe, if she hurried, clean up a little bit. As she prepared the meal, she thought about Andrew.