Push To Happiness

Chapter 67

Abe awoke, aware of a presence in her room. She glanced around warily before glimpsing a shock of dark hair beside her bed. She moved closer as she realized the figure sitting on her floor was Marc. She scooted nearer to him on the bed. She hesitated before silently resting her arm on his shoulder, her fingers dangled against his chest. She realized he was asleep and smiled to herself. Her fingers moved absently tracing the buttons of his shirt.

"I have got to be the worst husband ever," he murmured. Her fingers stilled for a moment, then started their silent pattern again.

Abe shook her head and whispered, "No, you aren't."

"I had a simple job. All I had to do was to love and protect you. The loving you is the easy part. I am a crappy protector."

"You shouldn't have to raise a child that isn't yours. You shouldn't be ridiculed for my sake," she lamented.

He turned slightly to face her. "I want this child. It is a part of you and I love you so much. I would bear any burden for you. It would probably be less scandalous for me if I denied responsibility for the baby, but I don't want to. I want this to be MY baby."

She smiled at him gratefully then wrapped her arms around him in an awkward embrace. He turned in her arms and was shocked when their lips met. He returned her timid kiss. The kiss deepened until breathless, he pulled away.

"I better go." He rose to his feet.

"Why?"

"I need to leave now before I can't. I don't trust myself to be able to stop." He smiled down at her. "But, I am happy that you want me to stay." He leaned down and kissed her again, then pulled away and started from the room.

"Marc?" she asked sitting up. He turned back to face her from the doorway. "How do we get to have an eternal marriage?"

He came back into the room and sat on the window ledge. "What do you mean? Like the steps?"

"Well, that is a good place to start."

"Well. I guess to start, you have to believe in Christ," Marc said.

"Ok."

"Then, you need to talk to the missionaries and take the discussions," Marc added to the list.

"Scheduled."

Marc grinned. "Yeah. Next, you need to read the Book of Mormon and pray to see if it is true."

"Check." Abe made a check mark on an imaginary list in the air.

"You've read the Book of Mormon? Really?" he asked, surprise written across his face.

"Yeah. Your Dad gave me a copy that one of you had abandoned after the scripture tag was over." She shook her head as she pictured the boys running around hitting each other with the scriptures and yelling TAG!

"Scripture tag?" Marc asked.

"That's what he called it, I think."

Marc sat for several minutes thinking. "You mean Scripture Chase?"

"Maybe that's it. What is it?" she asked innocently.

Marc chuckled. "In seminary, we have to memorize scriptures. Then, we have a competition to see who can find the scriptures fastest. It is called a Scripture Chase."

"You wanted to be a preacher?"

Marc gave her a funny look. "What?"

"You said you went to seminary. Isn't that where you learn to be a preacher?"

Marc grinned. "It's more like Bible School."

Abe nodded. "So what's next? After the reading and praying."

"Then, you get baptized and confirmed a member of the church. Then, we live right and follow the commandments and after a year, we can go to the temple and be sealed for eternity."

Abe nodded. "Ok, so I need to take the discussions and be baptized?"

Marc grinned. "Yep. I probably missed something, but that's the Readers' Digest version. The missionaries are going to love teaching you. You are one of those once-in-a-lifetime golden contacts everyone talks about." Marc rose to his feet. He kissed her on the forehead and left the room.

All eyes turned toward him as he descended the stairs. "Well?" asked Jon.

Marc shrugged and grabbed his scriptures from the chair where he had dropped them earlier.

"It must be bad if he's going for his scriptures," Matt muttered.

Ellen studied her son's face and smiled. His burden was visibly lighter. She silently returned to her knitting.

"Is she ok?" pressed Jon.

Marc shrugged. "She was asleep." He settled on the couch to read.

Abe came down the stairs a short time later and curled up on the couch next to Marc.

"What are you reading?" she asked quietly, looking over his arm at the book.

"The Christmas story," he replied simply.

"Read it to us," requested Ellen.

Marc choked up. "I don't know if I can get through it today."

"You start and we'll take turns," suggested Jon.

Marc read for several minutes before he couldn't read any more. He passed the book to Jon who picked up the story. Marc wrapped his arms around Abe and listened to the story while tears rolled down his cheeks. The family was silent as Jon finished reading.

"Hits close to home this year," Bob commented.