Epilogue #2
As my mind wandered, looking over this beautiful community we’d grown, I thought about how far I’d come.
It took about a year of counseling, but I’d allowed God to help me work through my issues with perfectionism and shame.
My bouts with depression were gone, and when those old feelings returned, I knew how to handle them.
I used the Word as my weapon and let Ren in when I felt pulled into isolation again.
I’d even been able to help a younger man facing similar struggles in our home group.
When everyone was back under our shelter, it became pure chaos, and as we suspected, all the kids wanted ice cream when they saw Dean and Abby’s. Once they’d all eaten their fill and were exhausted from a day in the sun, most of the kids fell asleep while the adults continued to catch up.
“Ren, how did your parents like Santorini?” Sofia asked.
“Oh, they loved it. They said it was their best trip yet. I got to tell you. Seeing my mother so happy has been amazing. She and Papa have fallen in love and act like teenagers,” she answered.
I smiled, thinking about the sweet video calls that Ren’s parents, now known as ‘Nonno’ and ‘Nonna’, had with Alessia every week without fail.
They adored her and loved speaking Italian to her.
“That’s the sweetest thing, amica. Who would have known?” Vicky asked. “Oh, have you guys seen this week’s episode yet? I’m dying to talk to you about it.”
“Not yet, and don’t you dare tell me,” Leyla answered, pointing her finger, making Ren laugh.
“Are you serious? Is that all you ladies ever talk about?” I asked, wiping sand off my hands.
“Look, we can’t help it if those Turkish shows are better than American TV,” Vicky countered, rubbing Seth’s back as he slept.
“This one is actually pretty good. It’s a mafia story,” Niko said, making the rest of us guys roll our eyes. Traitor.
“Hey, where’s MJ?” Ren asked.
“She went to meet Jojo in the parking lot. They should be back soon,” Miles answered.
He and Vicky had given up trying to separate the two best friends. At sixteen, they were really great kids, but Jojo was still a little boy crazy. We’d adopted her into our group and loved her as if she were one of our own.
“Here they come,” Leyla said, pointing to the girls. They hurried over to us, excitement written all over their faces.
“Oh. My. Goodness. We just met the cutest guy,” MJ gushed. Poor Miles’ eyes went wide as saucers. She was top of her high school class, and even though she’d noticed boys a few years back, she had never talked that way about one. This was going to be interesting.
“Who are you talking about?” Miles growled.
“His name is Elias Aslan, and he’s from Turkey. He has the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen in my life,” Jojo said breathlessly. “Aslan means lion, you know.” It sounded like she roared after declaring that.
“Didn’t you say that about the last two guys?” Luke joked, making her shake her head as if he were being silly.
“Mom, he’s so sweet. And really smart. He just moved here from Chicago, but his family is from Istanbul,” MJ said to Vicky. I wondered what MJ’s biological mother, Katy, would say about all of this, since she was not as disciplined with her as Miles and Vicky. “Uncle Niko, isn’t that wonderful?”
Niko bristled and answered, “Bring him over so we can meet him.” That was uncle talk for ‘let us size the guy up and decide whether to frighten him or not.’
Miles stood up, knocking over the snack bag, chips flying everywhere. “Are you nuts? No, she doesn’t need to bring some guy over.”
Vicky pinched her lips together and tried to be diplomatic. “Well, wouldn’t you rather our daughter be open with us and bring a boy she’s interested in to meet us rather than sneaking around?”
Before Miles could speak, MJ answered, “Mom, he’s no boy.” Whoa. I did not like the look of appreciation on her face.
“What does that mean?” Luke asked, not happy that his niece was drooling over this guy.
Poor Miles couldn’t form words and turned so red I was tempted to pour my cold bottle of water over his head.
I didn’t dare make fun of him, knowing it would be my turn someday.
MJ was still whip-smart, and we all knew she’d probably run for president one day.
But none of her uncles, including me, would like this new development, much less her dad.
“I just mean he’s seventeen and will graduate next year.
He’s a man, Uncle Lukey,” she said, with way too much emphasis on that word.
MJ gave up on keeping her dark-blonde hair in her signature braids, opting to leave it loose around her shoulders.
She no longer looked like a little girl. Nope, I didn’t like any of this at all.
“Somebody check to see if Miles is still breathing,” Niko said with a wide grin, earning him a smack from Leyla.
“Oh, and guess what? You’re gonna love this,” Jojo said excitedly, addressing the women.
She wore her auburn hair in two buns on the sides of her head like Princess Leia, her colorful glasses slipping down her nose as always.
“He’s going to be an actor! Isn’t that amazing?
Can you imagine if he makes it big? We can say we knew a real life Turkish actor before he got famous. ”
Miles turned purple and grumbled, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” I was pretty sure he fainted after that.
Chaos ensued, as it always did, with multiple conversations starting and waking most of the kids in the mayhem. I pulled Ren closer and whispered, “I put my foot down when it comes to Alessia and Turkish actors. Got it?”
She laughed and kissed me. “What about a surfing, woodworking scientist?” Her gorgeous eyes twinkled with mischief.
“No,” I grumbled. “Not one of those either. She’s going to live with us until she’s in her forties.”
Ren smiled wickedly. “Oh, so you’re good with us not having the house to ourselves again for the next thirty-plus years?”
I huffed out a laugh. “Okay, I see your point of view, Spitfire. That might’ve been hasty of me.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought, Data Boy,” she said with a knowing grin. “But, then again, you never know if we’ll have a brother or a sister later on for Alli.”
Kissing her cheeks, her nose, and forehead, ending with a sweet one on her luscious lips, I said, “I’d be happy either way. And just so you know. You still bewitch me body and soul.”
Sighing happily, she answered, “You’re so putting that coat on tonight.” And yup, my wife bought me the Darcy coat for our first Christmas. I liked to think we both won with that gift because it came in handy to make Ren swoon, let me tell you.
I smiled and winked. “I love you, Renata Walker. With my whole heart and for now and always.”
She pushed my wayward hair off my forehead. “And I love you, Michael Walker. With my whole heart. For now and always.”
Once she allowed herself to love me openly, I became the recipient of a fierce love that made me feel seen and cherished. My original idea of us fake dating could have been called love in theory, but God, thankfully, had other plans for our lives.
Miles must’ve regained consciousness, because I heard him call out to his daughter as she walked away, “Hey, MJ.”
When she turned to look at her father, he did their trademark heart sign with his fingers. She smiled widely, put her fingers in the same position, then blew him a kiss. I think they were going to be just fine. The Turkish kid? Not so much.
Heading to the water, MJ and Jojo were still animatedly talking about the guy I knew was bound to give Miles gray hair. I wondered what kind of adventures those two girls would get into. But like the rest of our colorful crew, I knew if they needed us, we’d be here for them through it all.
God’s forgiveness in my life, the way He allowed me to show Ren her capacity to love, and everything He had done in my friends’ lives were constant reminders of His grace, power, and love.
As I held Alessia and Ren close, laughing at the antics of this crazy group He had gifted me with, my prayer was simple.
Let us pass on the gift of faith to the next generation, and let them know that in Him they were loved and accepted just as they are, whole and complete in the One who gave His life for us.
And even though none of us were ready for it, I prayed that our children would find the kind of true love we had all been gifted.
“Lord, just wait a very long time before that happens, though, okay?” I whispered.
A very long time…