Chapter 26
Several hours later, Olivia still had her Bible open on her lap and had been reading it and talking to God. She hadn't completely alleviated all of her doubts and fears, but the idea that she would be with Mark was absolutely clear in her mind.
She smiled as she stood up and walked to the window as she heard his vehicle pulling into the church parking lot.
There probably would be many nights like this, where he needed to go help someone in the church, and she was home by herself. Was she okay with that?
But the answer was clear. It didn't matter whether she was okay with it or not.
If this was the calling that God placed on her life, if it was true that she was supposed to marry him, and she thought it was, then it didn't matter.
She would have to make it work, she would have to be okay with it.
God would help her do whatever needed to be done.
It seemed like an insurmountable task. The amount of help that people needed, and she was just one person. But together with Mark, they would be more than the two of them individually, and although God didn't necessarily need them, He wanted them to work for Him. She looked forward to it.
She hurried to the door and stood there as Mark walked in, his cheeks rosy, his hat pulled down close over his forehead, his shoulders hunched from the cold.
"Man, it's cold out there!" he said as he walked in, seeing her. His eyes twinkled, and his face broke into a smile.
"Welcome back. I have some water heating. Hot chocolate?"
"Yes please."
But she didn't make any move to go get it.
She didn't have many doubts—but she still had a curl of nervousness, a little fear.
This was a huge step, and she and Mark did not know each other very well.
But God knew them both, and if God ordained this, then she was a fool to not walk forward in His timing.
"I'll take your coat," she said as he unzipped it.
He nodded, grabbing his hat from his head and shrugging out of his coat.
But instead of handing it to her, he threw it over the back of the chair and stepped forward.
She paused for just a moment, and then stepped into his embrace, his arms coming around her, and it felt like coming home. Right and perfect and like it was meant to be.
He looked at her face, and he smiled down at her.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too. But I did something while you were gone."
"Yes?" he asked, their faces just inches apart.
"I called my parents. I apologized to them for being such a brat, and they're coming on Monday."
"Then we're gonna get your furnace fixed by then. I wouldn't want them to think that we're living together."
"No one's gonna think that. The whole town knows my furnace isn't working, I'm sure by now. We will get it figured out."
"Yeah. We."
"Yeah. It's us now."
He nodded.
"How did your trip go?"
"I actually think they're coming to church on Sunday.
" He said it while still shaking his head a little, like he was still a little amazed.
"It never fails to shock me how God works in people's hearts.
But... they apologized to me. I don't get that very much as a pastor.
I think people think they can just kind of take advantage of me and it doesn't really matter.
And I was acting like there was nothing wrong. "
"I think if they're truly Christians, they feel guilty for what they've done. I know I did. Although it took me a little while."
"Sometimes we just don't think about things, because we don't like the way we feel when we do."
"Yeah. I was definitely avoiding it."
"So we each had a pretty good evening."
"Yeah. I spent a little time praying and reading my Bible, and I feel good about this." She indicated their embrace and the two of them.
"I'm thrilled to hear it. I kind of figured I got to that point a little bit before you did." He paused, and then he sounded a lot less confident when he said, "Is it okay if I kiss you?"
"I was hoping you would." It wasn't exactly the reason why she'd waited up, but it might've been part of it.
He smiled before his head lowered, and his lips met hers. She melted into him, feeling warm and safe and a spark of something that could only be the attraction that she felt for Mark fanning into a flame. Kissing Mark was definitely better than thinking about it.
It didn't last long. He lifted his head shortly after and rested his forehead on hers.
"Will you marry me?" he said, their noses almost touching. Almost immediately he apologized. "That was terrible. I'm sorry. You deserve a better proposal than that."
"No. I don't want a better proposal, I want that proposal.
It was perfect. And yes. I would love to marry you.
The sooner the better." She grinned up into his eyes, realizing that all the nervousness and fear that she had, the uncertainty, the idea that this was a huge decision and she should take a lot of time to think about it—all melted away.
She didn't need a lot of time. In fact, she'd read somewhere that taking a lot of time to make a decision actually made a person make a worse decision.
All she needed to know was that Mark was going to do everything in his power to be the best husband he could, and that she was going to do everything in her power to be the best wife she could.
And that God wanted them together. Beyond that, it would all work out.
It had to. It might not be easy, it might be downright hard at times, but she wasn't afraid of a little work, and she wasn't afraid of a little uncomfortableness either.
Not if she was doing what God wanted her to.
"How about that hot chocolate?" she asked.
"All right. I guess I was just standing here, holding you, feeling happy down to my toes and back. I'll do my best to be the best husband I possibly can to you. I guess being the best husband probably means trying to be as much like Jesus as possible."
"I think so. I think that's where we get confused sometimes. We try to be the best version of ourselves, and it's not about that. It's about becoming more like Jesus. That's how we become better people."
"I couldn't agree more. And I'm blessed to have such a wise and thoughtful fiancée."
The Christmas tree sparkled in the corner, and the scent of hot chocolate drifted into the air, but neither one of them noticed as his head lowered and his lips touched hers again.