Chapter 23 #3
About how all have fallen short of God’s glory.
About Christ coming into the world to save sinners.
About the cross.
About forgiveness that cannot be earned.
About grace.
Her father listened with unusual seriousness.
Her mother sat unusually still.
When Camille finished, the silence stretched.
“Well,” Carlo said at last, “that’s… a lot to think about.”
Rita nodded slowly. “We’ll… consider it.”
Camille knew that wasn’t repentance.
But it was something.
Later that night, she knelt beside her bed.
“Lord,” she prayed softly, “do what only You can do. Change their hearts.”
~*~*~*~
The evening after Camille’s parents left, Aaron came over to pick up Camille. They were going out to dinner to discuss wedding plans. While they could have stayed at her house, they knew it presented a temptation that they didn’t need.
Madison was going to stay overnight at her grandparents. Aaron would pick her up the next morning as it was Friday night and she didn’t have school.
They went to a nice intimate restaurant near Camille’s home that afforded the privacy to discuss their plans without being overheard.
After the waiter left them with two glasses of white wine Aaron said, “You look thoughtful.” He watched Camille, thinking how beautiful she looked in a royal blue shirt dress, her hair pinned up, her beautiful face radiant in the warm glow of the candlelight.
“I spoke to my parents today.”
He leaned back, studying her. “Oh?”
“They’re getting back together.”
Aaron’s eyebrows shot up. “Well… that’s unexpected.”
“That’s exactly what I said.”
He chuckled softly. “So how did that conversation go?”
Camille hesitated. “They apologized.”
“For what?”
“For mismanagement of my earnings.”
Aaron watched her face carefully. “And?”
“And I forgave them.”
He nodded slowly. “That probably wasn’t easy.”
“No,” she admitted quietly. She set her glass down and looked at him. “I also shared the gospel with them.”
Aaron’s expression softened. “You did?”
She nodded. “I don’t know if they’ll repent. But they listened.”
Aaron leaned across the table and took her hand in his. “I’m proud of you.”
She squeezed his hand. “I kept thinking about Esther.”
“How so?”
“She risked everything to do what was right.”
Aaron smiled. “And now you’re preaching sermons in your living room.”
She laughed softly. “Don’t exaggerate.”
“I’m not. That’s exactly what it was.”
For a moment neither of them spoke. The quiet hum of the fountain in the restaurant wrapped around them, comfortable and unhurried.
Then Aaron said casually, “So… wedding logistics.”
Camille pulled back and shook her head. “Didn’t we discuss the wedding three days ago? I thought the groom left all the planning to the bride and just showed up.”
Aaron grinned. “I’m not your typical groom. I have a director’s brain. I like things organized.”
She laughed.
They paused for a moment when the waiter rejoined them to placed down their entrée’s: classic shrimp scampi for her; baked ziti with ground beef sauce for him.
“Alright, Mr. Organized. What is the topic for today?”
Aaron pierced his pasta and took a few bites before he began.
“Well,” he said thoughtfully, “we need to decide how many guests we are inviting.”
She grinned. “That would be important information. I was thinking that if we’re going to have the wedding at your church and the reception at your house, we need to consider how many people both venues can seat. Then we—”
“So you have been giving this some thought.”
“You had any doubt?”
He laughed. “You had me going for a moment there.”
He took a sip of his wine. “Well, I think the church can seat around two hundred people comfortably, but I’ll verify that with Pastor Gerald. My house should be able to accommodate about the same number once we bring in the tent and seating. The wedding planner and rental company will confirm.”
Camille reached for her phone, already opening the notes app.
“I don’t want the wedding to be too big, though. My immediate family is small, and my extended family from the Carlucci and Santos sides are scattered across the U.S. I may be able to muster about fifty people including friends and family.”
She looked at him. “How about you?”
Aaron exhaled slowly. “I’ve got to tell you… my family is huge. And we’re pretty close.”
He began counting on his fingers. “My mother’s side I’ve got my aunt Barbara in England and her family. Then there’s my aunt, Ronalda in Chicago and her crew. On my father’s side there are my uncles and their families, then great uncles and aunts and dozens of cousins.”
He laughed.
“And that’s before we even get to my friends—from school, college, football, the industry.”
Camille leaned back. “So what number are we talking?”
Aaron gave her an apologetic smile. “It’s looking like it might land somewhere around two hundred.”
Camille shook her head then sighed.
“Alright. So be it.”
She took a bite of her food. “What about music?”
“They’re some nice hymns we can consider.”
“And the reception?”
Aaron shrugged.
“Something fun. Damian has already volunteered to DJ.”
Camille laughed. “What’s his taste in music like?”
“It’s usually decent. Adam and I schooled him on proper music growing up. But we’ll give him a hit list to be safe.”
He began counting again.
“Earth, Wind and Fire, Donna Summer, ABBA, The Bee Gees, Neil Diamond—”
She raised a brow.
“Not Sweet Caroline, I hope.”
Aaron laughed and reached out to gently brush the back of his hand along her cheek. “No, sweetheart. We have our own song.”
She studied him curiously. “What’s that?”
Aaron began singing softly. “I could stay awake just to hear you breathing…Watch you smile while you are sleeping…”
Camille’s eyes immediately filled with warmth as she listened.
“…While you're far away and dreaming…I could spend my life in this sweet surrender…”
His voice grew a little stronger. “I could stay lost in this moment forever…When every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure…”
Camille joined him, her voice soft but steady.
Together they sang the chorus.
“I don't wanna close my eyes, I don't wanna fall asleep, 'Cause I'd miss you, babe, And I don't wanna miss a thing…”
They both laughed when they reached the end, the sound echoing lightly through the quiet secluded area of the restaurant.
When the laughter faded she looked at him with shining eyes.
“You’re really happy about this, aren’t you?”
Aaron reached for her hand.
“After losing Scarlette, I never thought lightning could strike twice in the same place.”
His voice softened.
“But it has.”