12
Gigget parked by the police station and went inside.
“Hi..” Bing greeted her without his usual bubbly good humor. “What brings you here?”
“I got a letter I need to talk to them about.” Gigget waved the envelope.
“Interesting. So did I.” He raised both eyebrows.
“Hmmm. Maybe we should compare?” Gigget suggested.
They put the envelopes close to each other. Gigget’s was a large manila envelope and his was a white legal sized one. Both were postmarked with the same zip code but had different return addresses. The penmanship matched.
“Was there any indication who it was from?” Bing asked.
“Someone you must know. It specifically mentioned to stay away from you. It was also threatening things. I have to take precautions for my kids’ sakes. So here I am.” Gigget placed a hand on his forearm and a tingle traversed all the way to her heart giving it a little jump start. She removed her hand.
“I’m pretty sure it’s my ex-wife. Do you believe whatever she wrote?” Bing asked.
“No. I’m not an idiot. It’s obvious this person is not happy, or paranoid, or simply can’t stand to see you happy. If she believes I’ve caused that, well, I guess I need to take that as a compliment..”
Bing shook his head. “I’m sorry someone from my past is taking her misery out on you.”
She frowned. “Well, despite her issues, you’re a kind, helpful man who has been sweet to my children. Any woman should be thrilled to be associated with you.”
His face brightened but his eyes were moist. “You really think so?”
Gigget smiled. “I wouldn’t be reporting this if I didn’t like you, Bing. She’s stalking me. I thought Fez was the only one doing that.”
“He was arrested at work this morning. I suspect he’ll leave you alone for a while.”
“Good. Not that he was arrested, but that he can’t bother me. Now this?” She tapped her envelope in her open hand. “This is another matter entirely.”
“So, if you don’t mind associating with me, would you let me take you on a date?”
She smiled. “I would love that, Bing.”
His shoulders relaxed and he returned a smile. “Good, maybe tomorrow night? I’m being deployed next week, and I don’t want to waste any time.”
“Deployed?” Gigget gasped. “I didn’t realize you were in the military.”
“Army National Guard. I got called up to go overseas. No idea where yet but they can send me anywhere they want.”
Fear skittered its way into her happiness. “Tomorrow night, then.”
He smiled, and then nodded towards window. They walked up together to speak with the officer.
~*~
They were escorted into a room where an officer would join them.
“Good afternoon. I’m Lt. Seyore. How can I help you?” The man sat down across the table from them.
Gigget and Bing told the officer about the letters and handed them over to him, along with the photo.
“I’m assuming these are the only copies? I’ll make photocopies for you to keep.” He rose and left the room.
Bing sighed. “Sometimes you worry you won’t be taken seriously.”
“But will it be enough for them to do anything?”
“I don’t know. We may need to be vigilant and keep documenting any further communication.”
The officer returned and handed them photocopies of their letters and the photo. “I think I have enough information here. I’ll be filing a report and referring this to the Postal Inspector. Sending threats through the U.S. Post Office is a federal crime. Call me if you get any more letters.” He handed a business card to each of them. “You can email me or call and leave a message. When I’m on patrol I don’t usually answer the phone.”
Bing rose and shook the officer’s hand. “Thank you for your help, Lt. Seyore. And thank you for your service. Stay safe out there.”
The officer smiled. “Thank you. It’s nice to know we have support. Have a nice evening.” He escorted them to the front lobby.
Bing stopped Gigget before they exited the building. “Stay safe.”
She grinned. “You too, Bing. I would be sad if anything bad happened to you.”
“So would I,” he teased.
She raised her brows but didn’t smile at his joke.
They exited the building and went their separate ways.
~*~
The next night, Gigget put on dressier pants and one of her favorite sweaters. She was afraid she’d ruin it if she wore it too much. The pink, purple and yellow combination made her happy. She hoped Bing would like it, too.
The kids were at Lulu’s home and would be staying overnight so Gigget didn’t need to worry about getting home early. They were aware she was going on a date with Bing and were thrilled as they were continuing to pray for him to be their father. She kind of hoped for that but realized it was far too early in whatever kind of relationship she had with Bing to make that decision. Still there was a giddiness welling up inside that he found her desirable.
Soon Bing drove up in his truck and strode up the pumpkin-free front steps. She held her breath until he rang the bell. Once that chime sounded, she swung open the door so fast she thought she might have dislocated her arm.
Had he trimmed his beard and gotten a haircut? He handed her a bouquet of flowers. “These are for you. You are stunning.”
“Thank you.” She took the flowers. “Come in while I grab my coat.” Gigget closed the door behind him and rushed to the kitchen to put the flowers in a vase. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had bought her flowers. She inhaled a soft fragrance from the blooms. Bliss. She set the vase on the kitchen table and rushed back to the front door while he waited. She reached into the hall closet to grab her winterish coat and let Bing help her shrug into it.
“The flowers are lovely, Bing.” She turned to smile at him as she zippered up her coat and reached in for her gloves. She grabbed her purse off the table by the door.
“You’re welcome. A pretty lady deserves pretty flowers. I’m glad you’re not allergic to them.” He followed her out the door, making sure it locked behind them, and then helped her down the steps.
“I’m allergic to lilacs, but otherwise I’m good.”
“I’ll avoid lilacs in the future. Easy to do this time of year.” He grinned as he helped her into the passenger side of the car.
She shivered in the cold but relaxed once he closed the door. He’d been considerate enough to leave the car running so it would stay warm.
As he got in, a blast of cold air from outside gave her a slight tremor. She buckled up. Dining out was something she simply didn’t do unless it was an occasional quick trip through a fast-food lane.
“It’s fall but certainly feeling more and more like winter. I hear we might even get snow tomorrow.” Bing backed up and drove down the road away from the city. “I decided we’d go to eat out of town. I hope that’s all right. Until the police clear up this mess with Sharlie, I thought it better to avoid alerting her.”
Gigget frowned. “I wonder what her problem was. The way I see it, if you marry someone, sure they might get annoying at times, but people’s basic temperaments are typically unchanging. If my spouse has behaviors that need to change, sure I can confront that, if its offensive or sin, but eventually I’d need to leave them in God’s hands to initiate the change. Why would I think I know better than Him how to change them?”
Bing shrugged. “We all have areas where we need to grow and change. I suspect I’ll spend the rest of my life here on earth undergoing that process of becoming more like Jesus. Trust me, I am not there yet. We need people to point out our sin and blind spots—sometimes we all do things that unintentionally hurt someone else and need to be aware of it—but that admonishment should be wrapped in kindness, selflessness, and good intention. She hated that I worked in a factory and was in the Army. But that was who I was before we married, so I don’t understand why it was good enough then but suddenly wasn’t.”
“I’m sorry. I had a blind spot, myself. Desperate for love, I took the first man who dared show me attention. I missed all the yellow and red flags that should have led me to stop dating him much less marry him. I was young and foolish.”
“You’re not desperate anymore. I admire that about you. You’re independent, but I also realize that neither of us is meant to face life alone. It can be hard to lean on someone else when you need help. I often fail to remember that letting someone help me is a blessing to them as much as me helping someone else is a blessing to me.”
“Thank you for the compliment. I still struggle with being good enough to be a good wife someday.”
“You’re a great homemaker and mother. I cannot imagine you being anything other than a wonderful wife.”
“Someone else didn’t think so.”
“How about this,” Bing said as he pulled into a parking space at a restaurant. “Why don’t we set aside the past and focus on getting better acquainted as we are now—not our past failures in the relationship department. I want to discover more about your hopes and dreams, the things you really enjoy. Stuff like that.”
Gigget grinned. “I would love that.”
Bing turned off the car. “Wait there, please.” He jumped out, shut the door, and came around to open hers. “Let me help my lady down.”
Putting her hand in his, she stepped out of the truck. He closed the door, clicked the lock, and held out an elbow for her to put her arm through. He was treating her like a lady. Precious and worthy of respect.
I think I’m falling in love . She couldn’t hide her grin. She was determined to enjoy this moment.