One Chance To Love (Christian Romance) (3 page)

Chapter Four

The church on Baychester Avenue
would never be a rival in size to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, though it was large
enough to hold several hundred worshippers. Allison had barely closed the door
behind her when a middle-aged woman greeted her with an outstretched hand.

“Hello! I’m Maggie. Are you here to
help?” The woman’s voice was pleasant.

Allison gave her hand a polite
shake. “I’m not entirely sure.” That was true. She had no idea why she was
here, except that she’d been invited. “I bumped into Daniel Trotter yesterday
afternoon—literally—and he suggested I come here today.”

“Oh, that Daniel!” Maggie laughed,
eyes twinkling. “He’s always recruiting. Come. Follow me.”

She turned, walked to a side door,
pulled it open, and Allison followed her down a flight of stairs. Voices—and
other sounds—came up to greet her ears. What was going on in the basement? And
what did it have to do with Daniel?

Her questions were mostly answered
as soon as she was at the bottom, then turned to her left. Men, women, and
teenagers were standing around tables, packing things into boxes. A pile of
empty boxes as tall as Allison took up one entire end of the massive room.
Along another wall were more, but those appeared to be full of something, and
unopened.

As if sensing Allison’s search for
Daniel, Maggie pointed him out. “Right over there, dear.” She smiled, turned,
and ascended the stairs to the main floor.

Making her way across the room,
Allison noticed that Daniel was paying particular attention to a young boy in a
wheelchair. The man’s eyes were lit up with the glitter that only delight could
bring, and the child seemed to be enjoying himself.

“Hi there. What’s all this?” She
tried to sound upbeat, and was glad to hear she’d succeeded.

He looked up, and his smile seemed
to stretch even wider than it already was.

“Allison! I’m so glad you came!”

“Well, you were so mysterious
yesterday, I couldn’t help being intrigued.”

He chuckled. “To answer your
question, this is a food drive that we do twice a month for inner city
families.”

“So… you only asked me here because
you need more help?” she asked with a chuckle, glancing around at what seemed
to be thirty or so volunteers.

“We can always use more help.” His
smile never faltered. “Here. I saved you a spot, so let’s get you started.”

He stepped over to the empty boxes,
grabbed one, brought it back, and placed it in front of her.

“Here you go.” He indicated a box
near the center of the table. “Just grab a few items from there, and put them
in your box.”

She complied, though there wasn’t a
lot to choose from.

“Okay. Now what? There’s nothing
left.” She’d no sooner spoken the last word when a burly man plopped another
box on the table. Allison jumped back a few inches. “Oh!” Lifting her head, the
first thought she had was that the man looked like a human ox. But then, oxen
didn’t smile like he did.

“Thanks, Jerry,” Daniel said,
obviously pleased.

Jerry nodded his head toward
Daniel, then left, apparently to deliver a box to another table.

A few of the other people at the
table opened the box, each removing a couple cans of green beans. Daniel
followed suit, with Allison right behind him. The box was then moved to the
opposite end of the table, and another box filled with cartons of oatmeal
cereal was set before them.

This process continued until each
person’s box was filled with an assortment of non-perishable food items. Every
kind of canned vegetable she could imagine was represented, along with instant
mashed potatoes, stuffing mixes, drink mixes, and several other items that
needed minimal preparation.

Allison watched as Daniel moved his
full box to an area where dozens of similar ones were neatly stacked, and
followed behind him. Once he set his load down, he took hers, placing it on the
mound.

“So this is what you do? Fill food
boxes for the poor?”

He chuckled. “Well, this is my
charity work.”

“Ah! I see.” It was a noble cause,
and one she thought she could learn to enjoy. But something else was on her
mind at the moment.

“I couldn’t help noticing that you
seem to be very attentive to the boy in the wheelchair. Will his family be
getting one of these boxes?”

This time, Daniel let out a hearty
laugh. “Nope. That’s my son.”

~~*~~

His son? Did she hear him
correctly? If so, then that meant Daniel was probably married, though she hadn’t
noticed a ring on his finger. Not that she was presently on the hunt for a man.
Far from it. But there was a vivid memory in her mind of their handshake the
previous day. And the fact that he embodied her idea of the perfect mate.

“Oh.” She was glad to note that her
disappointment hadn’t come through. “So, does that mean your wife is here,
also?”

His attention momentarily went to
the floor between his feet. When he brought his head up, she was sure he’d
barely been able to keep the tears from spilling.

“Jenny paid the ultimate price so
that I could have Dylan.” His voice, barely above a whisper, had a noticeable
catch in it. He swiped at his eyes. “She bled out and went home to Heaven only
five minutes after he was born.”

Allison stepped closer and stroked
his arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to bring up such a painful memory.”

He smiled, and held her eyes with
his. “Everything happens for a reason, Allison. I have to believe and trust in
that. Otherwise nothing in this world makes any sense.”

She’d heard those words so many
times before—mostly from Mom—but they’d never seemed to be more than just
words. However, this time a part of her was listening. Truly listening.

A few of the bricks in the wall
around her heart came loose. She felt it happen, and didn’t bother to shore
them up. Maybe it was time to let that barrier crumble. Yes, it protected her
from harm, but she realized now that it was also denying her the freedom to
live a full and happy life.

“I think you might be right about
that.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say.

The smile on his face held. “I’ve
only told Dylan that his mother died after he was born, so I didn’t lie to him.
But I never said how soon afterward.”

“Why not?”

“It was bad enough that he never
knew his mother. I didn’t want him to think he was responsible for her death.”

“I guess that makes sense.” She
stroked his arm once more, then let her hand fall to her side. “So, why is he
in a wheelchair?”

“He has a bone disease. I’ve tried
to find specialists, but apparently his is an extremely rare type. I even
looked into experimental treatments, but none of them showed any promise for
him.”

“That’s so sad. I don’t know what
I’d do if I had a child in the same situation.”

“Well, I’m just glad that God gave
me a son to love and take care of. I cherish every moment I have to spend with
him, and I’m thankful for every one of them.”

Interesting. This man had so much
heartache, so many things to be bitter about, yet he was thankful. How could
that be? Why was it that he didn’t feel cheated?

“I don’t know if I’d be strong
enough to feel that way.”

He chuckled. “All it takes is a
strong faith. Then you can learn to trust.”

She simply smiled in reply, hoping
it looked genuine. Why did those words cut so deeply? Yes, she knew about
having faith and trust, but hers had been shattered years ago. Then again, if
anyone had good reason to be mad at God and lose all hope of a happy life, it
was Daniel. So, how was it that he not only didn’t feel that way, but had a
stronger faith because of it? It just didn’t make sense.

Allison decided to change the
subject. “Well, we’re not getting boxes filled while standing here gabbing.”
She turned and headed back to their table, Daniel only a step or two behind,
each grabbing an empty box on the way.

Dylan smiled at her as she
approached, and for a moment she thought she’d never seen a more handsome boy.
It was no wonder Daniel loved the child so deeply.

~~*~~

He hadn’t been prepared to reveal
what happened to Jenny, or why Dylan was in a wheelchair, but he was glad that
Allison knew. Although he wasn’t sure why, he felt better about having done it.
A liberating sensation washed over him like a tidal wave of warm, healing
water.

Was this a signal that Allison was
in his life for a reason other than to help her? Did it mean that she was meant
to heal his wounds? The way Dylan smiled at her solidified the idea in his
mind. It wouldn’t be the first time that God had given him an answer through
the boy’s reaction. However, this time it wasn’t as clear, but the thought
intrigued him.

Setting his box on the table, he
grabbed a few items to begin filling it. Then he had an idea.

He addressed the people at the
table. “Everyone.” When they all turned toward him, he continued. “This is
Allison on my left. I thought it might interest her if we introduce ourselves,
and tell her about some of the people we help. We’ll go around the table,
starting with Debra.” He indicated the woman on Allison’s left.

“I’m not sure what to say. I’ve
been doing this so long that I’ve met hundreds of them.”

Daniel considered this for a
moment. “Okay. Let’s each tell her about one family that made a lasting
impression on you. Something you’ll never forget.”

Debra chuckled. “I have plenty of
those, too. But I guess the one that stands out the most was when I delivered a
box to a young woman and had to walk up five flights because the elevator was
broken. I must have looked exhausted when she answered the door, because she
insisted I come in, sit down, and have a glass of water.” She smiled. “That was
three years ago, and now Cheri helps us here.”

Allison appeared to have been
listening intently. He could see her beautiful mouth curve upward as Debra
finished her story.

A man spoke up. “Hi. I’m Craig.
I’ll never forget the woman who couldn’t wait for me to put the box on the
table. I turned around, and she hugged me so tight I could barely breathe. Then
she kissed me on the cheek.” His face reddened. “Some people are very
thankful.”

Amused chuckles erupted around the
table.

The next man spoke up. “I’m Tom,
and I guess the most memorable one for me was when I brought a box to a man
with two kids. He shook my hand, and I could tell he was trying not to cry. The
boy put his arms around my waist and just hugged me. But the little girl took
my hand, looked up at me, and said, ‘God loves you, sir.’ I’ll never forget
those little blue eyes as long as I live.”

Daniel glanced at Allison. She’d
procured a tissue from somewhere—most likely her purse—and was dabbing at her
eyes and nose. He wasn’t sure why, but he sensed that she needed this.

“I’m Cheri, the one who gave Debra
a glass of water. By the way, the elevator in my building has been working for
over two years now.” A few chuckles. “I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ll
never forget the first box I delivered. It was for an older couple who could
barely pay their bills with the little bit of income they had. They’d shared
the last bowl of oatmeal for supper the night before, and had no money to buy
more food. The lady told me they were prepared to die of hunger, because they’d
had a good, long life, and if this was God’s will, then so be it. But when I
came with a box of food, they realized that He still wanted them alive and they
weren’t meant to die of hunger.” Her voice hitched as she spoke the last
sentence. “I wouldn’t have been able to do that if this program hadn’t helped
me.”

Three more people introduced
themselves and told their most memorable moments. Daniel told his memory last.

“The one I remember most was a
woman with four children. My son was with me.” He glanced at Dylan. “Do you
remember that?” The boy nodded, smiling. “When she opened the door and saw us
with two boxes for her, she let us in, then dropped to her knees in the middle
of the living room. I saw tears of joy fall from her eyes as she thanked God.”
He paused, rubbing his own eyes with the palms of his hands. “After we set the
boxes on the kitchen counter, she looked straight at Dylan and said, ‘God has a
special plan for you, young man.’ Then she stood up and told me that she’d just
been sitting on the couch holding her children, and praying for a miracle.”

Dylan piped in. “That was almost
two years ago. Right, Dad?”

“Yes. It was.”

Chapter Five

She wasn’t sure what was happening
or why, but something about the stories Allison had just heard made the wall
around her heart weaker and weaker. By the time Daniel and Dylan had told
theirs, the bricks and mortar had been reduced to a pile of dust.

Each account played out in her mind
over and over for the next half hour as she finished the box in front of her,
then filled three more. She remained silent as everyone else resumed their
usual banter, not knowing what to say, yet feeling accepted by them all the
same.

Daniel suggested they take a break
for a few minutes, and Allison retreated up the stairs without the slightest
delay. The air in the church basement seemed to be closing in on her, and she
needed to catch her breath. Why did she feel that way? Everyone else seemed
perfectly fine. Maybe she just needed to think for a couple minutes. That must
be it.

Stepping out the front door, she
sat on the top step, placed her elbows on her knees, and lowered her chin to
her hands. The cold, crisp air seemed to revive her lungs—and her mind. What
was happening to her? It had been too long since she’d felt this way, and
wasn’t sure she wanted to let it in and rid herself of who she’d become. The
better question was why she stood there so long, allowing the stories to change
her.

“Dad,” she whispered. “I wish you
were here so I could talk to you.”

A tear raced to her chin. Funny.
This time it wasn’t the anger that brought it out. She realized it was
loneliness. Sorrow was present, as well.

Without warning, the dam burst,
washing away the wreckage that had been her wall of protection. A hot torrent
of rain slipped and slid down her face, dripping from her chin.

“Oh Dad! I miss you so much.”

The downpour continued. She was
powerless to stop it. Letting it happen was the only thing she was capable of
at the moment. There was no other choice.

Five minutes went by before she
realized someone was sitting next to her. She wiped her face as best she could
with her hands, and turned to see Maggie there.

“Better now?” She detected a warm
concern in the older woman’s voice.

Allison nodded slowly. “I think
so.”

“I have to say, in all the years
I’ve done this, that has to be the most unique reaction I’ve ever seen.”

“What do you mean? Reaction to
what?”

“Being recruited to help with the
food drive.”

“No. That wasn’t it at all.”
Allison gave the woman a slight smile.

“Maybe. But I’ll bet that’s what
brought it on.”

She thought about that for a
moment. “I guess you’re right.”

“So. Are you gonna get it off your
chest willingly, or do I have to drag it out of you.” There was a playful tone
in Maggie’s voice.

Allison chuckled with amusement.
Why not? She’d been holding it in for too long, anyway. Maybe it was time to
tell someone about it.

“When my father was killed,” she
began, “I was so angry at God for letting it happen. It was my eighteenth
birthday, and Dad was on his way home from work. He’d called before he left to
tell me he’d found the perfect gift for me.”

“Oh, sweetheart! That’s so sad. But
you must know God didn’t have anything to do with it.”

“Yeah, I know.” Allison paused for
a couple seconds. “I was always ‘Daddy’s little girl,’ and I never thought he’d
be taken from me before he grew old. I always thought parents were supposed to
get old before they died.”

“I can only imagine how hurt you
must’ve been.” Maggie reached out and patted Allison’s hand.

She sniffled. “I was devastated.
Not only was my father killed by a drunk driver, but he died on my birthday. I
never got his gift, and still don’t know what he bought for me.”

“Wow! You got a triple dose of it
that day, didn’t you?”

Allison let out a dry chortle. “I
guess you could look at it that way.”

“Now tell me. What brought this
about? Hmm?”

“Well, not long after all that with
my Dad, I decided nothing was ever gonna hurt me again. So I built up a
defensive barrier to protect me from the pain.”

“That makes perfect sense to me.”
Maggie seemed to be paying special attention.

“Back there,” Allison pointed her
thumb over her shoulder toward the front door of the church, “I heard stories
that some of the volunteers were telling, and I could feel that wall come
tumbling down. I don’t understand why, but that’s what happened. After that, I
felt like I was suffocating, and needed to get some air.”

“Aha! I get it now!”

~~*~~

Allison was befuddled. What did
Maggie get? How could she possibly know what was going on when Allison,
herself, was at a loss for an explanation?

“What do you mean?”

The older woman fixed her muted
green eyes on Allison’s stormy grey ones. “You’ve been mad at God for all these
years, and now He’s brought you to a place where He can get to you. You still
want to be mad at Him, though. Don’t you?”

Allison considered Maggie’s words.
“I guess you’re right. Again.” She tried to smile.

“Now that He’s gotten through, you
finally had the chance to grieve over your father’s death. You got hit with a
double whammy today. It’s no wonder you’re in such a state right now.”

She made a brave attempt to hold
her weak smile, but lost the battle as the tears flowed anew.

Maggie placed an arm around her,
drawing her close. “Listen to me. God knew that you needed to heal, so he
allowed Daniel to come into your life and bring you here. That wall had to come
down so you could finally work through your grief.” Reaching her free hand into
her pocket, she brought out a tissue, and handed it to Allison.

Wiping her face and dabbing at her
nose, Allison slowly regained some of her composure.

“So, what am I supposed to do now?”
She searched Maggie’s eyes.

“Allow yourself the time to get
beyond your father’s death. You’ll know when you get there.”

“How will I know? Will I just wake
up one day and everything will be okay?” Allison tried to keep the sarcasm from
her voice, but some slipped through anyway.

Maggie chuckled. “You’ll know because
one day you’ll realize that thinking about your Dad won’t hurt anymore. You’ll
know because that day will come when you only remember the love he had for you,
and all the good and happy times you had together.”

Again, Allison paused to consider
the older woman’s words. “Thanks, Maggie. I don’t know why, but you seemed to
know the right answers.”

Maggie grinned. “I was once where
you are. For different reasons, of course. But my wall had to come down, too.
Once that happened, I was able to face the real problem and deal with it.”

“You’re not just saying that, are
you?”

“Nope. Not at all. It’s the truth.
And I’ve been a happy woman ever since then.”

Allison couldn’t resist the urge to
hug Maggie tight. Upon her release, the older woman rose to her feet and held
out a hand to help Allison stand up.

“We’d better get inside before we
freeze out here.”

“Wouldn’t that be a sight? The two
of us frozen like statues on the top step of the church!” Allison couldn’t hold
back the hilarity of that thought.

Laughing, they went inside. Daniel
was coming across the vestibule as they entered.

“Ah! There you are!” His eyes were
directed toward Allison. “I was looking for you.”

“You were?” Allison let a teasing
tone slip into her words. “Why would you be looking for me?”

He grinned. “I saw the expression
on your face while we were sharing our stories. I thought you might have fled
in terror.”

“Nonsense!” Maggie interjected. “We
were just having a little womanly heart to heart chat. Weren’t we, dear?”

“Yes, we were.” Allison tilted her
chin upward in playful defiance. “That’s exactly what we were doing.”

Daniel’s grin remained. “Did my
name come up?”

“Oh, it may have. But only briefly,
I assure you.”

“So… you’re not gonna tell me what
it was about, are you?”

“Dunno. I haven’t decided yet.
Although, I suppose we didn’t discuss any vital secrets, so there’s a
possibility that I might.”

He burst into a spirited laugh.
“I’ll be waiting to hear all about it.”

“Don’t hold your breath, though.”
Allison walked past him to the basement door. She burst into a fit of laughter
when she turned to see Daniel still standing where she’d left him. He was
staring at her with confused amusement on his face.

~~*~~

What could the women have talked
about to bring on such a noticeable change in Allison? But then, was it
necessary for him to know? Whatever it was, the difference in her was clearly
noticeable. The sad, lonely woman he met yesterday seemed to be gone, replaced
with a vibrant, happy one.

He must have had an odd look on his
face because Allison let out an energetic laugh as she turned toward him. Then
she disappeared down the stairs to the basement. He couldn’t move his feet for
a few seconds, but when he was able, he followed.

Over the next few hours, he noted
that she was more animated, more involved in conversation with the other
volunteers. Allison had gone through a transformation during the short break
earlier, and he was determined to learn what had brought it about in her. He
decided to take her to dinner. Maybe then he could get her to tell him about
it.

Daniel finished packing the last
box just after six o’clock. Looking around, he noticed only a few volunteers
still adding the final items, then bringing them to the area with the other
filled boxes. The day had been busy, but now the work was over. He felt the
satisfaction of a job well done, but one item remained on his list of things to
accomplish before the day was complete.

He squatted in front of his son’s
wheelchair. “Hey, buddy. I wanna ask Allison out to dinner, so I’ll get Mrs.
Woodrow to take you home. Do you mind?”

“It’s okay with me. She’s nice.”
Dylan always seemed to understand him. “Is she your girlfriend?”

That question threw him off kilter.
Maybe his son saw something that Daniel hadn’t noticed. “Why do you ask that? I
hardly know her.”

“I know you like her, Dad. A lot.”
Dylan’s face was serious. “And so do I.”

“Well, we’ll see. I’ll do my best.”
He saw a gleam of hope in the boy’s eyes. “Wait right here while I go ask her.”

Dylan beamed his winning smile at
him, and Daniel felt the familiar tug on his heart.

Looking around as people were
leaving, he spotted Allison moving to a quiet corner. He caught up to her as
she reached into her purse.

“There you are. I was wondering if
you need a ride.”

She glanced at him, a grin on her
face, and a cell phone in her hand. “To be honest, I was just about to call a
cab.”

“I’d be happy to take you home, but
you have to do something for me first.” He hoped that didn’t sound sappy or
desperate.

A slight chuckle escaped her. “And
what would that be, Mr. Trotter?”

“Have dinner with me.” He saw her
hesitation, and quickly added, “My treat.”

“Okay. Suppose I agree. What
happens after dinner?”

“I will drop you off at your home,
then return to my own. That’s it. Nothing else.” He tried to effect a pleading
look with his eyes. It must have worked.

She seemed to titter with pleasure.
“Well, since you’ll be a perfect gentleman for the duration, I’ll accept your
invitation.”

He was sure the smile on his face
made him appear to be a schoolboy again, but he didn’t care. All that mattered
was she accepted his invitation, and he was delighted. An evening with her was
just what he needed to end his day.

“Great! Let me get Maggie to take
Dylan home, then we can go.”

“Why would you need Maggie to take
him home?” Her eyebrows knitted together.

“She’s his nanny. I have to work,
so I can’t be with him constantly.”

“Oh. Right. Sorry, I wasn’t
thinking for a second.”

He smiled. “It’s okay. There’s no
way you could’ve known that.” He paused for a beat. “Meet me at the curb out
front in about five minutes.”

“I’ll be there.”

Daniel went back to where Dylan was
waiting for him. “Okay, buddy. Mrs. Woodrow will be taking you home, but I’ll
try to be there in time to put you in bed.”

“Yay! Dad has a date!”