Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 106839 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106839 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
She comes towards me and slides her hand in mine. Instantly, there’s a connection. I didn’t come back with Rosie in mind, but she was the very first person I saw from Disciple when I got coffee that morning. And ever since then, we just seem to find each other.
We’re quiet at first as we make our way down the first part of the boardwalk, which is an easy-sloping ramp, taking our time and just looking at the forest all around us as we descend into the New River Gorge. It’s still very early, but getting to the first lookout to see the magnificent single arch bridge is easy, so there’s a small crowd of families.
If you keep going to the lower one, the rest is mostly steps.
We keep going and Rosie doesn’t complain, even though the way back up is gonna be a hike.
When we get down to the lower platform we lean on the railing and take in the view. It’s a sea of green trees with the bridge and river below as the main focus.
Rosie turns a little, looking at me. “It’s nice.”
“It is,” I agree.
“You’re a good date planner, Amon.”
“You’re worth the effort, Rosie.”
She laughs. “Oh, my God. You’re so…” But she can’t find the word, so she just shakes her head.
“So… perfect?” I ask, teasing her a little, but only a little. Because I am making an effort.
To my delight, she agrees with me. “Yes. That. But… seriously, I’m not the only single woman in Disciple, Amon. You could have your pick. You know that, right?”
“Well… I did have my pick.”
She blushes pink now and I turn away, looking at the bridge again to give her a moment. But I’ve got things to say to her and right now is a good enough time to do that. And anyway, this is what she’s looking for. She wants to know why I’m putting in so much effort and it’s a reasonable question that I am more than willing to answer.
So I turn back to her, ready to say all the things and put her heart at ease, but I find that she is frowning. And not some slight frown, either. But a deep one that goes all the way up to her eyes. “What?” I ask. “What did I do?”
“You? Nothing, Amon. You didn’t do anything. But before this goes any further, I need to tell you something.”
“OK.” My heart beats a little faster. Because this was a little speed bump I wasn’t expecting. “What is it?”
“Remember those letters?”
“The ones I sent into the lab for testing?”
“Yeah. Those. Well…” She bites her lip and wrings her hands a little.
“What, Rosie? What is it?”
“I know who they’re from.”
“Who?” This comes out a little bit too loud and a little bit too surprised as well.
“Cross’s daddy.”
“What?” Now that right there is a little more than a speed bump. “How do you know?”
She begins to tell me the story of her illumination and how she ended up at some waterfall just outside Fayetteville. Not far from here, actually.
“It’s where we used to go,” Rosie says. “When we were kids, ya know?”
“What’s his name?” As soon as it’s out I know I shouldn’t have asked. Especially since it comes out kinda mean. So I really don’t expect an answer, but she surprises me.
“Erol Cross.”
“Cross?”
“Yeah. I named our son after him. By the time Cross was born Erol had been missing a few weeks already.”
“Missing? What kind of missing? Like people kidnapped him or he fell off a cliff or something? What happened to him?”
Rosie shrugs. “I don’t know. I still don’t know. But he was gone before I even gave birth.”
“So that’s why you were so scared that day.”
She crinkles her face at me. “What?”
“When your water broke at school. I was looking right at you when it happened and I had never seen somebody look so scared.”
Rosie smiles, then laughs. “Oh, wow. I haven’t thought about that moment in years.” Then she frowns again. “So that’s why you said that.”
“Said what?”
“Alone and scared. In your ad. That’s how you remember me. Pregnant and terrified. On the verge of giving birth. All by myself.”
“Was I wrong?”
“No. I was scared. And sad, too. Erol and I had made a lot of plans.”
“And that was the moment that you realized they were ruined?”
Rosie nods.
“OK. All right. So…” I look at her in earnest now, staring deep into those gray eyes. Because there is only one reason why she felt so compelled to tell me this story right now, in the middle of our date. And that’s because she loved him.
“So…” Rosie picks up the sentence I didn’t finish. “So I just figured you should know. He’s back. Cross’s father is back and wrote me a real letter.”
There is a crushing feeling inside my chest. Like I just got the worst news ever. My mind is jumping with scenarios, trying to figure out which way is up, as I come to terms with the idea that this… might not work out.