Chapter 16
sixteen
T he sun shone through the front window of David’s favorite family-owned restaurant on a corner of a residential area in San Jose. If he could figure anything out on this trip, it would be with the help of Maria, the tiny, older owner—more like David’s adopted grandma. She rushed around the counter to hug him when he walked in, asking a long, fast string of questions. He patted her back as she fired off at least a hundred questions. Then she let go, put one hand on each cheek, and pulled his face down to her height.
It had been so long since David had spoken in Spanish, not having needed it since he’d been sent home six months ago, that it took a heartbeat to catch up. “How was your time away? Did your family feed you? Did you fall in love? Are you healed?”
A variety of the same questions mingled as Maria made observations about his clothes, his hair, and even the weight he may or may not have gained. She squeezed his arm and shook her head, clucking.
Wise, older eyes studied him, her brown irises darkening. “How is Leah? And her baby?”
“Great. Isabella is beautiful and growing quickly.”
Maria nodded. “If your family is well, then you’ve found someone, because your heart is sad in your eyes.”
He’d found someone over ten years ago. Completely ruined it then. And now? She’d kicked him out of her life. Again. It didn’t help that her life was over two thousand miles away. David shook his head, and Maria’s hands tightened on his face.
Pain radiated from his spine to his neck to his toes. After the all-nighter he’d pulled looking for Lottie and then driving to the airport in Grand Rapids, only sleeping a few hours on the plane, his body was feeling every ache and pain. None of it compared to the ache growing in the center of his chest, though.
A breeze blew into the café as someone walked in behind him. He struggled to free himself from Maria’s grip, but she tightened the hold on his face, pulling it even closer. Her clean scent mixed with all the spices she used in the kitchen. She let out a loud sigh and practically slapped at his cheek. “I’ll make your favorite, and we’ll talk.”
She let go and spun on her heel with more energy than women a third of her age. Her gray bun bounced at the nape of her neck. “Go sit, David. I’ll bring you food. And you will talk with me.”
David chuckled. The café had become a regular stop for him not long after he moved to Costa Rica. Maria had sensed his wandering and lonely soul and latched on to him. He’d drawn the line at attending her family meals and celebrations, but he had been there when her husband, Ricardo, had passed four years ago. Maria’s son Matteo had insisted David attend the family gathering, coming into the school to invite him.
Sadie would like Maria, her no-nonsense business attitude. Her determination, and her ability to read people. Pain seeped into David’s chest, and he rubbed at his sternum—it wasn’t a physical pain, but it hurt just as much as if he’d broken a rib.
A heaping pile of meat and veggies on a tabla slid toward him, the sweet and tangy scent making his stomach growl. Casado de res —his favorite meal—served on a banana leaf. When was the last time he’d eaten? Had it been the stale peanut butter and jelly sandwich at home? No, surely, he ate in the airport, but he couldn’t remember what.
Maria placed a large bowl of soup in front of the seat across from him then gestured toward the kitchen as a young server brought two glasses of Coke. She slid her hand across the table, and David held it, her leathered skin warm against his. David said a quick prayer over the meal and then quickly dug in.
Maria ate in silence, and it wasn’t until David slowed down, almost finished with his meal, that she fired the first question. “What is wrong, David?”
“Nothing.” David shoveled another bite of meat and veggies into his mouth.
Maria shook her head. “You cannot lie to me, David. I know you. Tell me how you have broken your spirit.”
Broken his spirit?
Moving the food around on his plate, he considered Maria’s words. She’d been too good to him over the years to give her a flippant answer. Besides, she’d only pry the truth out of him. “I’m not sure my spirit is broken. But I’ve hurt someone I care about.”
“That is not you, David. You love and serve and give. Why would you hurt someone you love?”
Love. That word dug in. It hurt and pinched, and then settled in feeling rather…right. Like he should have grabbed hold of it when he first recognized it and told Sadie. Run to her with the revelation. He had always loved her. “It was never my intent to hurt her. I was trying to do the exact opposite, but I was stupid and wrong. And exactly what I was trying not to do.”
“Then apologize and fix it.” Maria took another sip of her soup, looking at him like it was the simplest thing to do.
If only it was. David pushed the plate away, the food turning over in his stomach. He shouldn’t have eaten so much. “I don’t know if I can.”
“And why is that, David? What is holding you back?” Maria pushed her bowl away, too, leaning her elbows on the table. If the table wasn’t between them, David had no doubt she’d grab his face again and scold him like an errant child.
“Because I’m here.” David gestured around the restaurant. The warm colored walls decorated with local artwork. The lunch rush had cleared out a while ago, and David was the only one there. In fact, Maria would be closing soon.
“Are you supposed to be here?” Maria’s voice needled the question he’d asked himself over and over. The visit with Wesley this morning had been insightful. The position incredible. He’d be able to return to Costa Rica, his life here, his work, the people he’d made connections with, like Maria, but he’d leave behind his family. Sadie.
“God called me here.” He had. David had no doubt that ten years ago the Lord had asked him to follow the calling to Costa Rica, and David had willingly obeyed.
Maria nodded. “Things change, David. Do you remember when Ricardo died and I floundered? You said to me, ‘God is full of surprises. And even in this turn of events, He is leading you, guiding you.’ Your words gave me the freedom to close up the store, move away, or take over.”
And Maria had stayed. She’d taken up the store, coming into the café day in and day out even without Ricardo. “But you stayed here. Kept this place open, loved on everyone who walked in.”
“Because that’s my calling—to feed the hungry. At first it was to feed my hungry family, and with four boys, they were always eating. But they grew up, and still I wanted to feed the hungry. How I followed God’s calling changed. I’d never spent much time in this kitchen when Ricardo was living. I stayed home, kept our house, and I fed him.”
That wasn’t right. Maria had always been part of the café. “I always saw you here.”
“I came to be with Ricardo. But I didn’t cook here. Not until he died. Then my plans changed.”
“But the school, the students?—”
“God will take care of them.” And He had. He’d already brought Chris in, and after seeing Chris in action, on the weekend no less, David knew that he brought an energy, a youthfulness to the position David had filled for ten years. An excitement that David could feel in the air. “What did God call you to do here?”
“To love and to share Him.” Which he’d been doing in Heritage. His heart sped up, and he wiped his hands on his pants. Was this what everyone had been telling him? That God’s calling could change—not because David was no longer useful, but because God could use him someplace else?
“What is holding you back, David?” Maria reached across the table, pushing his tabla out of the way, and wiggled her fingers, indicating she wanted his hand. He offered it to her, and she pulled it closer.
“What if I’ve mess it up? What if I’ve completely derailed God’s plan and I can’t fix it?”
Maria threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, David. You cannot derail God’s plan. You may have added a detour or two, but His purpose never changes. He will keep drawing you to Him. Unlike God, who can surprise us daily, you can never surprise Him. You’re going to make mistakes, but God offers forgiveness. His mercy will never end, and He will continue to guide you.”
He couldn’t derail God’s plan.
Those words sank in deep, digging in. The truth resonating within.
He couldn’t ruin God’s plan. Hadn’t ruined God’s plan.
If he and Sadie had stayed together, who knew where Lottie would be today. God needed Sadie to be there for that little girl. And David had needed to be in Costa Rica then. But now? Now might be the time for David and Sadie to finally fix their problems.
“What if I’ve ruined Sadie’s trust in me?”
“Ah, I knew there was a woman in your heart.” A wide smile broke across Maria’s face as she used her free hand to pat her chest. “You are a good man, like my Ricardo. He had to prove to me, too. It took a while, but he did. I heard him through his actions. We had forty-seven years together. Prove to your Sadie, with your actions, that you can be trusted. Do whatever it takes to prove that you will be the man that will stand by her. And every day, you show her you love her.”
David squeezed Maria’s leathered hand. He could do that, show up in Sadie’s life, let his actions speak louder than his words. It might take years, but if God was calling him to be patient for years, he could do that. He’d wait as long as it took, because Maria was right. He did love Sadie.
He stood, and Maria wrapped him in a hug, her strong arms tightening around him as she patted his back. “You bring her back to meet me.”
“I will.”
It was a promise he’d be glad to keep.
Instrumental music played over the speakers inside the bank. Two tellers behind the counter were already working with customers on Monday morning, and Eddie Fry sat at his desk behind a glass wall.
Sadie adjusted her purse on her shoulder and ran her hand over her stomach. She had a check for a fraction of what was owed.
Eddie came out and extended a hand to Sadie to shake. “I’m sorry about the accident at the store, but thankful no one was hurt.”
It had been the sentiment she’d heard all over town, but it didn’t make the failure to meet next week’s deadline any better. “I was hoping we could talk for a moment.”
“Of course.” Eddie motioned toward his office, and Sadie followed him in. She sat in the leather chair across from his desk as his thick brows burrowed together. “What can I do for you?”
“I brought a check to apply toward our balance. I know we still owe more. But I’m hoping that perhaps since I’ve been able to pay so much, that we could work out an extension. After the accident, the store’s not open. If I could just have a little more time, I know I could pay off the balance, eventually.”
Sadie pulled the check out of her purse and slid it across to Eddie. He glanced at the amount. She still owed thousands. She held her breath as Eddie studied the check. “I talked to Mr. Mackers about this. Knowing the accident would be a severe setback, he still says he can’t extend the loan any longer. I’m so sorry.”
The tears stung, but she refused to let them fall. She had known it would be the inevitable outcome, but she’d hoped for a miracle. She’d run the numbers last night one more time. If she could collect all the outstanding credit at the store, she’d only be short a few thousand dollars. Maybe she could ask her siblings to cover that. But without the credit, she couldn’t ask them to cover the balance. It was too much. She’d tried. Prayed for a miracle, and it just hadn’t happened. “I understand. Thank you.”
Sadie stood and offered her hand to Eddie. She wouldn’t cry in the bank. It wasn’t Eddie’s fault she’d failed. He squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry.”
She nodded and left the bank, walking toward her parents’ house. She had to tell her dad. She paused in front of Hoover’s boarded-up window. Romee had been true to her word, helping to clean up and organize the store as best they could. They’d been making a list of all the merchandise ruined in the accident, trying to figure out what was left, and pulled the glass out of the walls. Sadie had found a company she could order new windows from but hadn’t placed the order. There was no reason to. She couldn’t pay the bank. There was no money left to replace windows and fix the store.
Walking on, she crossed Richard Street and stepped into her parents’ house. Her dad sat in the living room while her mother played the piano. She drew the old familiar hymn “Trust and Obey” to a close as Sadie shut the front door and settled into the couch next to her dad.
“Looks like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders.” Her dad closed his Bible draped over his lap and set it on the table beside his recliner.
“I took the payment to the bank. Eddie says there’s no more time. October thirty-first is still the deadline.” Sadie’s heart picked up speed as her dad let out a breath. “There is one chance. If we could collect the credit due the store, we’d be close enough that we might make the deadline.”
Her mom settled on the couch next to Sadie and stretched out her hand. Sadie held it and took a deep breath. “There’s?—”
“I’m sorry, Sadie. I should never have forgiven the Mathews family’s payment. I knew how much we needed the money. However, I trust God to see us through. I still think He will.”
Maybe God would see them through. Sadie wished she had the faith her dad did. Even with the blow today, he still sat there, confident that the store would be saved.
“I appreciate that, Dad. We do need every payment. But I think it’s time to admit that maybe it’s God’s timing for the store to close.” Sadie let out a shuddered breath. Her mom’s hand tightened on hers. “But there’s something else I want to tell you.”
Her mom placed her free hand on top of their joined hands, her long fingers older and more wrinkled than the hands from Sadie’s childhood. These hands belonged to the woman who had guided Sadie, loved her, pushed her, and comforted her growing up—the hands of a mom.
“Doris and Patrick are contesting the adoption. With the situation at the store, my lawyer says the case could go either way tomorrow.”
Her mom gasped, and she released Sadie’s hands, instead pulling her into a tight hug. Her dad stood and pulled them both up, wrapping his arms around them. Sadie let the warmth of the embrace infuse her with confidence. Her mom’s rose-and-lavender scent mingled with her dad’s leather and peppermint, creating a cocoon of comfort. Of family.
Her dad’s deep voice rumbled through their embrace as he tightened his hold. “You are an excellent mother. The judge will rule in your favor.”
Sadie longed for her dad’s confidence. “Doris and Patrick say I am irresponsible, and they’ve built a pretty compelling case. The situation at the hardware store doesn’t help. Lottie has written a note to the judge, expressing her wishes. But, Dad, what if…”
“No.” Her mom loosened her embrace, her gentle hands moving up to Sadie’s shoulders. “Absolutely no what-ifs.”
“Your mother’s right. God has gotten people out of impossible situations before. Look at Jonah. Three days in the belly of a big fish. I cannot imagine a more impossible situation, and God got him out. God is not going to take Lottie from us.”
“You are what is best for that little girl.” Her mom’s hands moved from Sadie’s shoulders to her elbows and back up. “There is no doubt in any of our minds. Jeremy knew it, too. We are going to trust God in this. He will do what’s best for Lottie, and letting her stay with you—that is what’s best.”
“But—”
Sadie’s mom gently shook her. “No buts. Have faith.”
What choice did she have? She couldn’t fix it on her own, couldn’t think her way out, couldn’t will anything to change. She could only trust God.
“How long have you known all this, Sadie girl?”
“Not quite two weeks.” Sadie settled back down on the couch because her legs trembled.
“No wonder you’re exhausted. Let me get you something to eat.” Her mom stepped into the kitchen.
Her dad sat back down in his recliner. “Have you been carrying this alone since then?”
A rough cuticle poked her thumb as she ran it over her nail. “David knew.”
“He’s been good for you this time. I’m sure he’ll be there tomorrow to support you.”
Her dad’s confidence was misplaced.
“No, he won’t. He’s made his choice, and I’m not it.” Her dad grunted and Sadie held up her hand. “Don’t. I don’t want him there. Ten years ago, maybe I should have fought for us. But not now. I’m different now. The situation is different, and I have to think about Lottie. David made his choice. It’s time to let him go. Time to move on.”
As much as it hurt, as much as she wished things could be different this time, they weren’t. This was one thing her dad had wrong. He may be right about God. The good Lord had gotten people out of pretty tough places in the past. Maybe a miracle could be in her future.
“Ok, Sadie girl. I won’t say anything more about David. But I’ll trust God to work everything out.” A confidence and faith that Sadie longed to have flowed from him. Until then, maybe if she said the words, the faith would appear.
“I wish I had that kind of trust, Dad.”
Her dad covered her hand with his own. “Trust is a learned behavior. The more you do it, the easier it becomes.”
“But I trusted God to work all this out.” Sadie had asked His blessing, followed through every open door. Given everything she had to save the store, given her life to care for Jeremy and now Lottie. It wasn’t enough.
She had tried trusting.
It hadn’t worked.
Her dad’s large hand squeezed hers, and he shook his head. “Trusting God isn’t a matter of making plans and then asking Him to bless. Trusting God is asking Him what plans to make then doing the ones He lays out. Trusting God is knowing He’s already seen your future, already has it planned out, and even if you go through some ups and downs, it’s going to be worth it, because He’s already taken care of it all.”
No wonder trust brought about peace. If she could trust God to work out all the details, if she didn’t have to carry that all by herself, it would help. She hadn’t really asked God about the move, about the adoption, about David. She’d asked God’s blessing, but his advice? Nope, not that.
Her dad gestured toward his Bible. “Before you walked in, I was reading in Exodus chapter eight, where the flies had invaded Egypt during the infamous plagues.”
“I know the story of the ten plagues. Learned them back in Sunday School as a kid.”
“I know. But this stuck out as I was reading. The flies? They were everywhere. Ruined tons of stuff.”
“And Moses prayed, and the problem was solved.” See? She’d paid attention. Had even told Lottie the story.
“Yes, but did you notice that after Moses prayed, all the flies left?”
“All the flies? Really?”
“It says not a single fly remained. God controlled them all. Every tiny little detail surrounding each individual insect. If God can take care of each tiny little bug, He certainly can take care of you. Of Lottie. Of the store. So, we’re going to pray, and we’re going to trust, okay?”
Perhaps it was time to pray and ask God’s guidance, not just His blessing. Pray that God would remove the ‘flies’ in Sadie’s life. She’d pray that Lottie would be protected. That whatever was best for her would happen, even if that meant losing her to Doris and Patrick.
While Sadie had convinced herself that to succeed, she couldn’t depend on anyone, she’d unknowingly self-sabotaged it all, allowing all the pesky flies to eat up her life. Without God, she would never have the peace, the love she so desperately wanted.
Her faith might be a little out of practice, but she knew that God would forgive her pride and help her to trust in something beyond herself.
That elusive peace that had been just out of reach filled her. She turned her hand over and squeezed her dad’s.
God would work things out. He would be with her to carry her through whatever came next. And she’d trust Him to take care of the flies, because she couldn’t do it herself. She trusted that, not because she didn’t have a choice, since she had nothing left to lose, but because she knew God had never left her, and He never would.