Grace After the Storm Read online

  “What? And miss my special dinner that I cooked for you? I made your favorite – homemade chicken nuggets with sweet potato fries. Besides, I need your help icing the cake!” she said, diverting his attention from their departure.

  Travis looked at his mom with his sadness in his eyes.

  “It’s okay buddy. I think it might be better if Mitch and I go alone this time, but I promise we’ll all go out as a family soon. Go help Maggie and be good while we’re gone, okay?” Laci replied.

  “Okay, mom. I love you.”

  “I love you too, Trav.”

  “Okay, Gramma. I’ll come help you ice the cake!” he yelled as he ran off toward the kitchen. Travis loved Mitch’s mom and Laci was grateful for the way she had supported their new blended family, but her recent departure from ‘the living’ probably didn’t help their relationship much. She wasn’t sure it would ever improve, honestly.

  They drove to a small restaurant in town and luckily it wasn’t busy. Laci was grateful. The few people she saw were older and so far, no small kids were around. The last time she went outside the house was for her doctor’s appointment. She had kept her head covered with a hood, staring at the ground as she walked toward the office. She wasn’t proud of how she’d handled the miscarriage. One doesn’t set out to be diagnosed with post-partum depression, it just happens. Between the sadness, no appetite, having no desire to be with her husband, which is a crime in and of itself, and enduring episodes of crying that would last for hours at a time, she lost all semblance of who she was. It’s a new day now though, and she felt something big was about to happen.

  It was hard to make conversation over dinner, which wasn’t like them normally. Mitch updated her on the winery, going over things that she had missed, and then mentioned his concern for Brad, his brother – that he seemed ‘out-of-sorts’ lately.

  A romantic dinner and you’re going to talk about your brother? She thought. Brad was Laci’s least favorite topic, and she almost lost her appetite at the mere mention of his name, but there was something else going on with Mitch and she couldn’t figure it out.

  “Okay, now that you’ve given me the rundown on all things wine and family, how about you tell me what you really want to say. You’re hiding something from me, I can feel it,” she said.

  Mitch took in a long, deep breath and stared at her for a second without saying a word, then pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket.

  “I’m not really hiding anything… but you’re right. I am holding something back. You always know, don’t you?”

  “I can see through to your soul – didn’t you know?” Laci smiled.

  “Okay… hear me out before you say anything, promise?”

  “Yes, yes. I promise. Now what is it?” She clicked her nails on the table impatiently.

  “There is a nice long break coming up at the winery – no events and nothing big going on. Our stock is good and we don’t have any big orders to fill. The kids’ school schedule is good too.”

  “And this means what exactly? Where are you going with this, Mitch?”

  “I swear Darlin’… you are the most impatient woman I have ever known! I’m getting to it. Now will you just let me finish?” Mitch laughed through his frustration. Laci rolled her eyes and smiled. “I’m sorry… I’ll be quiet.” She bit her lip.

  “I think it’s time to give you a real change of atmosphere… and barometric pressure. You and I both need a break from things here.” He slid the envelope across the table and her eyes caught the airline symbol showing on the outside.

  Her hands shook as she opened the envelope, pulling out two tickets to Seattle.

  Mitch reached across the table and set his hand on hers. “We still have a couple of weeks before we leave, so that should give you plenty of time to check in with your doctors. Plus, I’ve already talked to Mama and Brad, and they are happy to handle the winery and take care of the kids. Everything is taken care of – leaving you nothing to worry about. Caleb is even taking on more duties at the winery, and he can keep Brad in check while we’re gone. We need to do this together, Darlin’. It’s time we made a fresh start, don’t you agree?” he asked.

  Staring at the tickets in her hand, she was overcome with joy and the tears came without warning. She stood up and walked around to Mitch, pulling him out of his chair and hugging him right there in the restaurant, in front of everyone. Mitch added a soft kiss, lingering on her lips for some time. So long in fact, that a few couples seated around them began to clap, thinking they were newly engaged or that something ‘big’ had transpired. They were right. Something big had happened.

  “Let’s go visit the rain,” he whispered in her ear, then smiled and kissed her again.

  ******

  Two weeks later, it was time to leave. They said goodbye to the kids, and although Emma had a rough time with the goodbye, she knew it was for the best.

  “Take care of your brother for me, okay Sweetie?” Laci asked.

  “I will mom, don’t worry.” Emma smiled and the tears streamed down her cheeks, staining her recent makeup job. Laci hugged her tight, passed out hugs to Todd and Travis, and walked over to Mitch’s mom to say goodbye.

  “Maggie, I can’t thank you enough for helping us with the kids. It means the world to me.”

  “Laci, I know we’ve had a rough start, but no matter what you believe… I do care about you. I love you, Sweetheart, and I want you to get better. My son is madly in love with you and you make him happy, so take this time and find your way back to where you belong. Don’t worry about anything here, okay?” Maggie replied in a kind voice, on the verge of tears herself.

  Laci wondered if those words were difficult for her to voice, but nonetheless, was glad to be leaving on a positive note between them. Hopefully a new beginning lay ahead – for all of them.

  Out of Laci’s window, familiar mountain tops peeked through a thin layer of clouds hovering below and she knew they were getting close. Mt. Rainier grew bigger and bigger – a full, white moon shining bright above. It was beautiful. The sun had almost set, but she could still see a few faint lines of color spread across the horizon in the softest shades of pink and orange, reminding her of a tropical margarita. That sounds pretty good come to think of it… As the plane began its descent into Seattle, Laci smiled and took in the view of the Sound. Mitch took her hand and leaned over to share it with her.

  The minute Laci stepped outside, she could smell the familiar scent of a recent rain still lingering in the air. She was home.

  “I saw that,” Mitch said, smiling.

  “What?”

  “You know what – you can already feel the rain can’t you?”

  “Yes… I think we just missed a shower.”

  They drove into Olympia, and since it was Sunday evening, traffic was light. Even though the skies were filled with gray clouds hovering above, the evergreen trees were vibrant and full of color and there were already a few signs of spring, which was only a short month away. It was the one thing Laci loved about the Northwest– green all year around. After they checked into their hotel, they took a walk and stopped for dinner at a great little restaurant downtown. From across the table, Mitch’s gaze locked onto hers and the flicker of the candle between them reflected in his eyes. Laci’s heart raced when she looked at him and she couldn’t help but smile. He reached across the table and took her hand.

  “Are you excited to see the girls tomorrow?” he asked.

  “More than I ever realized. I can’t believe you arranged all this for me.”

  “Well, Lena set up most of it, I just made the call.”

  “Does Sandy know we’re coming too?”

  “I don’t think so – Lena was going to try and surprise her, so we’ll see how well that worked out.”

  They finished their dinner, talking about their plans to see Laci’s former co-workers and some other sights around town, then made their way back to the hotel for the night.

  Monday morning arriv
ed and Laci woke early – anxious and full of anticipation for the day ahead. She got up and walked over to the window, pulling back the curtains, and saw rain falling from the sky. She closed her eyes and thanked God. He’s so faithful to give me exactly what I need at the time I need it most. As she watched it pour down, a huge weight lifted from her heart. She could feel the pain drifting farther and farther away and her desire to greet the day with a smile was stronger than ever.

  She walked back over to the bed and slid under the covers, snuggling up to Mitch and watching him sleep. She couldn’t just watch though… he really needed a wake-up call so he could see the rain! She proceeded to mess with his hair, tickle him under his chin, and anything else she could think of to make him stir… except the one thing he truly wanted, which was the one thing she still couldn’t give him – herself. It was too soon yet. A smile spread across his face and he swiftly pulled her up on top of him.

  “Mornin’, Darlin’,” he said. “I take it you are ready to go?”

  “It’s raining, Mitch!”

  “That definitely explains your mood,” he laughed.

  “Get up – we need to go get coffee and start our day.”

  “Yes, ma’am! How could we ever dream of starting a day without coffee?” he smiled and pulled her closer into his warm embrace, adding a tender kiss for good measure.

  They headed out, grabbed a quick mocha from the local coffee shop and walked over to the bank. Lena had sent Mitch a text to come by around ten and they were right on time. Laci knew that seeing everyone again would be bittersweet under the circumstances, but she also knew it would be the first step to healing her heart. Well, second step, she thought, the first one was seeing the rain.

  They walked inside the front doors and Laci’s friends gathered within a few minutes. It didn’t take long before the tears began, but as they did, she felt the hole inside her heart begin to fill up a tiny bit.

  “Laci J – you’re here!” Lena screamed from across the lobby, then ran over and threw her arms around Laci in a huge, Lena-like hug, squeezing her so tight she could hardly breathe.

  “It’s good to see you, Lena!” Laci said laughing, her cheeks still wet.

  Mitch couldn’t escape her either – before he knew it, she had swallowed him up in a hug too.

  “I’ve missed you, Laci. You look great! Let’s go up and surprise the gang, then we can get all caught up!” She escorted them upstairs. Laci felt a little strange being back in the bank, but it felt good. She had such good memories from working there. They snuck past the doors of Laci’s old office and peeked in to see if her former boss, Sandy, was in. Sandy caught sight of them, then jumped up and screamed.

  “Oh my, gosh! Laci Kram– I mean Laci Young! What are you doing here, girl?” Sandy threw her arms around Laci and began to cry, not realizing how much she had missed her.

  “Hi, Sandy,” Laci replied, and hugged her tight. She heard Sandy sniff and realized she was crying too. As it turned out, Lena had already shared the news about the miscarriage with everyone, and Laci was glad. It saved her from telling the story again and stirring up all those emotions. They visited for a long time then had lunch together.

  After they left the bank, the rest of the day was filled with lots of laughter as they visited with other friends around town. It was exhausting though, and Mitch could tell it was time to call it a day, for both of their sakes. For fun, they picked up a pizza from Old School Pizzeria and a bottle of wine, then had a floor picnic back at their hotel room. As they sat there and ate, Mitch looked deep in thought.

  “Alright my handsome, ‘Creepy-Stalker-Crawdad-Fan’, what’s going on? I know there is something on your mind, so spill,” Laci asked.

  Without hesitation, he voiced his thought, “Let’s take a road trip, Laci. Go visit a winery or two, see the Columbia Gorge, relax and just have some fun – what do you say?”

  “Really? Are you sure?”

  “Of course I’m sure – I think we need some time to ourselves and to enjoy a little of God’s beauty around us, don’t you?”

  “I think that’s exactly what the doctor ordered! Besides, I have never been to the Gorge.”

  “Well then, you are definitely overdue for a little southern Washington scenery. I think it will be… therapeutic.”

  “I’m sold!” and they toasted to each other and their journey of healing ahead.

  By nine the next morning, they were driving south on I-5. The drive was beautiful. There were so many quaint little towns along the way too. They stopped to visit a few of them, rested a little, and shopped a lot. As they got closer to Oregon, the skyline began to explode with breathtaking views of hills and mountains – glimpses of spring colors were popping up everywhere. Laci wanted to stop and take some pictures, but she was also hungry and tired of being in the car, so they stopped in a town called Camas to eat lunch. A small family diner came into sight, and they pulled in and made their way inside. There were only a few people inside, which was nice. Laci still didn’t like being around big crowds.

  After they were seated and placed their order, Mitch reached across the table and took her hands in his, “I am so proud of you for taking this trip. And I have to say, you seem happier today, more like your old self.”

  “I am happier. I can feel myself getting better and better every day, and this trip was exactly what I needed. I’m still sad and heartbroken, but I can feel God telling me that everything is going to be okay. And this may sound crazy, but I get the feeling that we are on this trip for a special reason – I just don’t know what it is yet.”

  “Well, the main reason for this trip is for us to have some quality time to ourselves and that’s the only one I care about right now. I’m glad you are enjoying yourself. Your strength never ceases to amaze me, Laci Young.”

  Hearing Mitch say her name with his last name still gave her chills – in a good way. “It’s not my strength… I’m just borrowing a little from the big man upstairs,” she replied.

  “A reliable source indeed,” he smiled.

  They relaxed and ate their lunch. Laci was glad to have Mitch all to herself. After they had returned from their honeymoon, they hadn’t gotten much alone time with kids around, a new winery to run, volunteering at the cancer center, and the normal family activities. Their recent loss and her disengaged state of mind only magnified the distance between them. It pushed them so far apart that there were moments Laci could barely breathe not being able to hold him or talk to him like she truly wanted. After thinking about the kids, she decided to give them a call and check in.

  “I’m going to go outside and call the kids before we take off.”

  “Great idea. I’ll pay for lunch and meet you at the car. Tell them hi for me,” he said.

  Laci walked outside and sat on an old bench outside the café, then dialed her mother-in-law’s number.

  “Hello,” Maggie answered.

  “Hi, Maggie. It’s Laci. I was just calling to check in and see how the kids were doing. Are things going okay so far?” she asked.

  “Oh yes, we are having a very nice time Sweetie, don’t you worry!”

  “Well, I can’t help but worry after everything that’s happened, but I’m glad to hear everything is going well.”

  “Those kids are stronger than you realize, my dear. But the real question is how are you doing? Has the trip helped you and Mitch take your mind off… things?” Maggie asked, a genuine concern in her voice.

  “It has, more than I ever thought it would. It was a good decision, and I appreciate you taking care of the kids for us. I hope they don’t wear you out.”

  “They’re fine and so am I – it’s my pleasure to do this, Sweetheart. You just focus on each other and come back refreshed, you hear?”

  “We will. Call me if you need anything. And thanks again, Maggie.”

  Maggie put Emma on the phone first, and then Travis. They both seemed to be in good spirits. Todd was at a friend’s house and Laci was glad to hear he w
as getting out. Maggie was so good to care for them on such short notice, and even though it sounded like she was enjoying it, Laci was concerned about her health. She didn’t sound like herself.

  Mitch walked outside and sat down next to Laci. He scooted close and put his arm around her. “How is everyone in Crystal Creek? Kids okay?” he asked.

  “They are being spoiled rotten. Your mom, however, sounded a little worn out. I hope this isn’t too much for her, Mitch.”

  “She might be a sweet southern belle, but she’s tougher than she looks.” He gave her a tight squeeze and kissed her on the cheek. “Quit worrying. Let’s get back on the road.”

  Laci could tell he was excited to be on this little adventure, and although he hid it well, their loss and the months of worrying about her had been just as devastating for him. It made her happy to see him smile. They drove another hour or so until they approached a large sign that read, ‘Bridge of the Gods Next Right.’

  “Stop the car – pull over!” Laci exclaimed.

  “What? What’s wrong?”

  “That’s the bridge!”

  “What bridge?” he asked, thoroughly confused.

  “THE bridge… the one that Charlie and Bella drove across on their way into Forks in the first movie!” Laci’s excitement was a bit much for him; she could tell by the glazed look on his face. Laci, on the other hand, was having a minor panic attack.

  “Who in the blue blazes are Charlie and Bella?” he asked.

  “I’ll explain later… will you please just stop so I can get a quick photo of the bridge?”

  “Okay, okay… we’re stopping at the bridge that fake people drove across,” he mocked sarcastically.

  Laci’s love affair with the recent vampire book series and their movies was no secret to her closest friends, but that was pre-Airplane Man. It was such a small thing, but a fun and healing part of her past – a source of mindless fun and entertainment after losing Andrew. Seeing that bridge brought back fun memories. She and a few of her close co-workers used to attend all the midnight premieres of the movies, waiting in line for hours. It was an annual event – they bought new t-shirts to go with each movie, then swooned over their favorite characters throughout the night. They referred to Laci as the ‘vampire mom’ since she was over 40 and had kids, but she didn’t care. She and those ladies formed a special friendship because of those books, and back then, it eased her pain… even if only for a short while.