Belief in Miracles (completed)

Chapter 35: Summer

35 Summer

Two weeks later:

I twiddled my thumbs nervously as I stared at them, folded in my lap. My right knee was bouncing about as fast as my heart was racing, and I inhaled deeply, blew out long and slow to try and steady it. All around me, people were coming and going, some in tears, some angry. Not one person looked like they were happy to be there. Why would they be? I certainly wasn't happy to be there.

Tears started filling my eyes as I considered what it was I was about to do. I didn't want to, but I had to. I had promised Sebastian...

Staring through the window at my right, I watched the breeze blow through the palm trees, and a hot, Florida sun beat down on the pavement to create little water mirages. Christmas was in just over two weeks, and I wanted to have this done and behind me before the holiday madness so I could start the new year fresh. In the coming days, I still had shopping to do with Tory, Riley, Kat, and Charlotte to get last-minute stuff for Laurie and the baby before her due date. We still had to get with the realtor about selling Sebastian's house... there was just too much to do. I didn't want to be there.

Swallowing hard, I felt a single tear fall down my cheek, and sniffed, forcing a small smile as a finger reached out from my right and wiped it away. Turning, I looked into Sebastian's smiling eyes, and leaned in to rest my head on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around me.

"We don't have to do this if you're not ready." He said softly, and I shook my head.

"I'm ready. I want to get it over with. I'm just nervous."

"I know." Leaning down, he kissed my head, then rested his cheek atop it. "But it'll be worth it."

Nodding, I pressed into him as I dried my eyes with my shirt sleeve. A moment later, my name was called from across the room, and I jerked up to see a woman with a clipboard waiting. Sebastian squeezed my hand, and I helped him stand as we approached the woman.

"Screen ten, over there." She pointed toward the rows and rows of computer screens, many of which were being occupied by others who were there to Face-time with their loved ones.

Taking a deep breath, I thanked the lady, and approached the unoccupied screen across the room, keeping Sebastian's hand firm in mine. We both took a seat in the available chairs, Sebastian out of the line of sight for the screen, donned the microphone headsets, and waited.

"What time are you scheduled for again?" Sebastian whispered.

"Nine a.m." I said, and glanced at the time on the computer screen to see it was ten after. "What if he won't see me?"

"He'll see you." Sebastian assured, and wrapped an arm behind my back as we waited.

Ten minutes later, just as I was about to take off the headphones and give up, a guard appeared on the screen. Keeping his back to us, he helped a man to sit in the chair before the monitor, then walked away. My heart jumped into my throat at the sight of Pastor Charles staring back at me. Sebastian took my hand and squeezed it as I trembled, and I swallowed hard as I looked into the eyes of my rapist; of mother's killer.

The years hadn't been kind to him, it seemed. He had deep circles under his sunken eyes, and his brown hair had turned gray and receded a good bit. There were lines across his forehead and around his mouth, and when he looked up into the screen, I could see that his eyes were no longer a vibrant blue, but rather, an aged gray.

For several moments, he simply stared with an expression that I couldn't read, then with a deep, inaudible breath, he lifted the headset from the table in front of him and put it on.