Part XIII

The girls all say yes so I excuse myself. I can hear some conversation resume as I leave. I return with a tray of tea and all the fixings. Pouring the tea I say," So I was hearing you tell me that you tried to share your feelings with Brice but he didn't understand." Toni nods," Yeah , he didn't get it at all. Now he's hardly talking to me, I don't even know if we're still "together", as lame as that sounds. I really do love Brice. I don't know what to do." I set my cup down. "Wow, I can see why you're feeling confused. That's a really tough situation." Praying again for wisdom I ponder how to respond to her story. Her eyes are full of questions and concerns and I truly feel for her. "Have you assured Brice that you do love him?" I ask finally. She shakes her head,"I tried, but I don't know if he even heard me." Toni sighs.I wonder and ask " What do you think bothered him the most?" She looks out the window for a minute,"I think it was the fact that I was questioning how we had been living. I think he translated it as me not wanting to continue our relationship." Toni looks back at me again and at her friends. Its obvious too me that this is a smart girl. She isn't dizzy or flighty like a lot of the college girls. I realize that this is probably because the Lord has come into her life in a powerful way. "I don't think he loves me anymore." Toni begins again with a tear in her eye."You don't think he loves you any more." I restate to be sure she really believes this. " No , I mean he doesn't even talk to me." she sighs. " Well, the first thing I would do is pray about this. A very wise lady who had a great impact on my life used to always say ,"Pray, first of all". And don't drop communication. Maybe you should just tell him that you want to continue the relationship if you do. Do you?" I think I already know the answer, but I don't want to speak for her. She thinks for a second looking slightly ashamed,"Yeah, but I would want it to be different." "Well, just be honest with him and tell him that. Even if he doesn't like it at least you'll have done your best to help him understand. And, if he really loves you don't you think he'll respect your feelings?" Toni smiles a little and shrugs,"He should." I smile and say" I know this is really hard, believe me I do, but it might take him a little while to get used to the new Toni.Give him a little time." "Yeah, I guess your'e right. I've just never felt like this before. I have never had this inner turmoil and conflict before. You know, I mean, on one hand I want to just do whatever it takes to make Brice happy, but on the other hand I want to live like Jesus says in the Bible. I guess that makes me a lousy person." She looks around at us as if to receive our judgement.I look her right in the eyes. " Toni, that makes you flesh and blood, just like the rest of us here. That conflict you are feeling is a good thing. It means that the Holy Spirit is moving in your heart. Before you became a Christian would you have ever given your life style choices a second thought?" She looks relieved,"No, I wouldn't. I haven't really made a commitment yet, about being a Christian I mean... I don't know why, but I just haven't said it out loud." I can feel the very presence of God,surrounding the four of us. Cassie smiles at me." What's stopping you? Why not say it right here and now with your friends right beside you." By this time tears are running down Toni's face. I know right now that this has nothing to do with me or Cassie or Julia, but that God has moved her heart to himself. "Can we pray together?" She says glancing around at us. We all nod and say yes. Julia begins, Lord, we just thank you for Toni and we thank you for drawing her to yourself, we just ask that you draw her even closer, and give her wisdom in the difficult situation with Brice. I pray that you would draw him too Lord... Then Cassie begins, Father I thank you so much for my friend Toni and thank you that we have an even stronger bond now in You. Please help her and give her peace in Yourself. Finally, Toni in a quaking voice says, Lord, Thank you for dying in my place and even though I don't understand it all perfectly I know that you love me and that I want to do what You say. I know that I'm a sinner and I want you to save me. Thank You Jesus, Amen." We all look up smiling and teary. A group hug is in order.

Part XII

Julia again comes right to the point. "It's boy trouble." Cassidy breaks in,"Toni here has a boyfriend problem." The quiet girl Toni speaks up."O.k Cassie, I can take it from here." She looks at me earnestly. "It's my boyfriend, Brice.We've been dating for a year. Over the summer I started going to Bible study with Cassie. Brice didn't really mind at first but without realizing it I began to change. I didn't notice it but Brice did. I didn't realize it but my thinking was different. It was like I was seeing through new eyes." I am nodding and praying Jesus will help to say to this girl what He wants her to hear. " I started to see how shallow some of our thinking was. I mean we had been living for the moment. We weren't really thinking about the future or anything important.We were just thinking of our selves. Well, I started to get dissatisfied with this, so I began to share my feelings with Brice. Well he totally freaked out. He thought I was crazy and that I didn't love him anymore. Which was not true at all. I love him so much. I am closer to him than anyone else, so I thought I could share this stuff with him." I can tell she's getting emotional so I say, " Would you ladies like some tea?"

Part XI

I'm on my feet again and decide to put on some classical music. Good for the mind they say. Not long after ten o'clock some college girls that come to the Bible Study file into my shop. Im standing on a step ladder dusting. " Hi there guys." I say trying to make a graceful exit from the stool. The girls are regulars at the shop so they make themselves comfortable. After an assortment of muffled greetings I realize something is wrong. " Is everything o.k?" I say glancing from one girl to the next."Well,uh..." began the first, Cassidy. " We have a question." interjected Julia the second girl, rather known for coming right to the point. The last girl whom I didn't know as well as the others was checking her phone. Cassidy and Julia turned their attention toward her.She looked up rather surprised," Uhh, yeah they thought we should come talk to you because, I have a problem, well actually Cassidy has a problem too." She smirked leaning toward the others.By this time my curiosity is perked. "Well, whats going on?" I ask joining them in the sitting area.

SPECIAL SUNDAY EDITION

It is Sunday evening again. Sometimes I wish Sunday would linger on a little longer. It's so good to rest and reflect. Right now I am thinking of Ezekiel 36:24-29 Vs. 26 says, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. May God move our hearts and wash over us with His Spirit...

Part IX

It's not like people are breaking down my door to get in but I like to be punctual. I begin my Monday routine. I get my duster out and go over the whole place. I check my little plug ins to make sure they're good and smelly. I wipe off the coffee table with some spray cleaner. I do love that lemon fresh smell. I find some books under the table. Among them is a gift Mavice gave to me on my birthday. She gave me the brown leather Bible the second year we were friends. As I open the cover I finger the worn gold edged pages. On a blank page is her dear inscription. It's soft from being touched so much. It has some little water marks too from tears at a particularly difficult time in my life. There in the midst of them in her elegant penmanship are these precious words, No more wondering ,the answers are all here. In His Words we have truth, in His Life, hope,in His resurrection, joy. Here we see we have so little, but he has so much and all for us, to lavish upon us, in His mercy and grace. This is what He has given to you. There is nothing you cant face when you possess ALL THIS. Love, Mavice I don't cry much but I'm tempted to as I remember just how beautiful a person she was. She was my second mother. The bell on the door rings, "Jenna, yoohoo!?" How I hate that "word" yoohoo. I try to get up but Mrs. Crandly is too fast for me."What are you doing down there sweetie?" she asks,noticing my eyes are red. " Oh, I..." What was I doing?" Honey, is it a man?,tell me all about it!" Mrs. Crandly is at my side in a flash patting my shoulder. "No no , I'm fine I was just cleaning.(that's it)She doesn't look convinced so she smiles and says,"Right , well if you wanna talk I'm here." Trying not to laugh I say "Well thank you." She's a little cooky but you cant help but love her. " Did you need something?" I ask wondering why she's here so early. "Oh yeah." She laughs because obviously she had totally forgotten." How does my window look to you? Do you think it looks overcrowded?" " No , I think it looks great. I noticed it earlier." Shes gazing at me as if her whole day's mood is in the balance."Really, it looks beautiful." I reassure her. She is inspecting her window looking through mine. "Well good." She looks somewhat satisfied then laughs. " Well I'm gonna run along now, I'll be seein ya." She's frolicking out the door as she says "Dont let that man treat you bad, hear?." I just shake my head. Wow.

Part VIII

Suddenly a car horn shakes me back into the present. "Hi Jenna!" it's one of the college students. "Hi Mark" I wave."How are you this morning." I realize I can see my breath hanging in the air. " Fine, I was planning on stopping by later,maybe around two. Will you be out for lunch that late?" "Oh no, I usually get back by one." Why do I always give out extra information I never just say yes or no. " Alrighty then, see ya later." he flashes a smile and pulls back onto the street. I look at my watch,"Oopsie, time to get back Big Daddy." I say to Bronx. It's nearly nine, time to open shop!The Bronx does not approve of my quickened pace home. He drags his feet a little but we make it back in time to flip the CLOSED sign to OPEN by 9:01.

Part VII

" As you can see," she smiled." The previous owner ran a florist shop here." She motioned to the silk flower petals sprinkled here and there. I could still smell the plastic of artificial greenery. As she showed me around I began to envision book shelves all around and a few chairs and lamps. A coffee table here, a love seat there. I was getting creative. Mavice must have seen the wheels in my head turning. "Its got lots of promise."she said. I could see it all by this point. I was envisioning curtains in the front window already. Mavice led me to a long skinny staircase. " Let me show you the upstairs." Creeeaaak... the steps were noisy then too. Mavice was a little startled. "That first step's a doosie."she laughed.I appreciated just how down to earth Mavice was. She didn't force the place on me or list all of its attributes she just showed me. I was to find that this was always Mavice's way. The apartment upstairs was adorable. I felt at home straight away.The abundance of wooden paneling and floors thrilled me.I'm an old fashioned and girl and as such I was tickled pink with the low set windows,and the sweet kitchen with its tile floor and white cupboards. I waved my arm and stated"The bedroom and bathroom are bigger then I would have guessed." Mavice nodding in agreement said"They don't build like this anymore." " How old is this building exactly?" I inquired with much curiosity. "This is part of the very first set of buildings on Main Street. It was built seventy-four years ago in nineteen twenty-eight." "Wow, how cool is that." Now I was feeling like I had the opportunity to buy a piece of history. She continued." This shop opened on March sixteenth, nineteen twenty-eight as a drug store." "That's amazing." I was stunned and my good fortune. This was my dream shop. "Canter Falls was one of the first towns built out this way because of the train depot."Mavice smiled " So its a train town."I said. "Yeah, trains are a big deal around here. We have "Train Day", "The Christmas Carol Train Tour",and "Railroad History Month". My husband has a whole room dedicated to a replica of the Canter Falls Station and Main Street. He's the president of the Historical Group in our little town."She looked so happy. "How neat." I was falling hard and fast for this town and Id'e only been there for three hours. "Do you have any questions?" she asked me at the end of the tour. I wanted to sound grown up so I asked about the heat and the A.C. "The heating works great but the air conditioning needs some work. My husband can look at it if you like. Bernard is real handy around the house." I was not in the big city any more and boy was I glad. "O.k , I'm staying at the Bed and breakfast, What's it called?" I had forgotten. " The Tea Rose Inn?" " Yes, that's it.(trying to sound grown up again...) I'll think about it over the weekend. I thought I'de get to know the town a little and decide by Monday. Is that o.k?" I asked. " Thats fine sweetie and when you go to Miss Sadie's make sure you get some of her Hucklberry Scones, mmmhmmm... are those things good." I laughed "O.k I will" We were walking out the door. "Thanks again Mrs. Bernard." I called as I walked down the street. " Just call me Mavice, she waved. Who was I fooling my mind was made up. But... for appearance sake I would take my time. I had to call Mom and Dad in the mean time and tell them the good news. Somehow as I walked down to the Inn I felt like I had been here my whole life. I felt like my life was really just about to begin.