“Ahh, Colin! You’re home!” Morgan opens the door to the apartment and bounces into my arms before I even step in. A quick smile slips across my face before it returns to its original melancholy state. I hold her close to me and lift her off of my feet. When I set her down, she bounces off to the kitchen.
“We’ve been expecting you for a while! What kept you?” she asks loudly from the other room.
I set my hat on the rack with my coat. “My truck quit on me. I had to call a tow truck. Just told them to take it to the scrapyard.”
Morgan seems surprised. “What? Why did you do that?”
“Morgan, the thing had over two-hundred-thousand miles on it. It probably was totaled for the price of repairs. I’m just glad that I got close to home when it stopped. Do you have a place for my suitcases?”
“Suitcases? I didn’t know you needed more than one suitcase.”
“I’ll explain later. Where’s mom?”
“Just set them down next to the door. Oh, mom? She won’t be home for a while. She’s working tonight at the mission and going shopping afterwards. She said to make dinner and she would have some when she gets home.”
“How was work?” I ask, collapsing on the sofa, which squeaks awfully.
“How do you know I worked today?”
“You’re wearing it,” I tease monotonously.
Morgan giggles and goes back to making dinner. “Silly me! I forgot to take my scrubs off! Oh well, they’re just comfortable I guess!” Morgan’s laughter dies out to long sighs, but I just sit on the couch, thinking about Jenna and Alyse. A pair of hands touches my neck. I shiver.
“What’s wrong, Colin?” Morgan asks comfortingly, massaging my back. “Did you just have a long day? What happened?”
I place one of my hands on her hands. “The thing is that I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? How come?” Morgan slumps on the couch next to me.
I reposition myself. “Have you ever had a time when the truth seems too strange to believe?”
“I work in the E.R. I’ve had plenty of those times, trust me.” Morgan giggles a little, but calms down when she sees my downcast gaze. “Again, what happened?”
“Remember my girlfriend from Kansas?”
Morgan nods. “I remember. But you didn’t talk much about her. I think you said she was kidnapped and raped.”
“She’s the one.”
“What does she have to do with anything?”
“I was waiting in a coffee shop while I was waiting for the tow truck. I met one of my classmates from high school.”
“That’s great!” Morgan interrupts, “Small world, huh?” I silence her with a stare. “Go on.”
“This classmate wasn’t exactly the person who I wished I could meet again, though.”
“How come? Wait, do you want some hot chocolate? Or did you have anything at the coffee shop?” Morgan rises quickly from the couch and bounds into the kitchen before I can reply.
“Can you still hear me?” I ask her, raising my voice a little.
“Yeah, I can still hear you. What’s wrong with this classmate?”
YOU ARE READING
Kansas Summer
SpiritualEveryone wants a perfect love story, although we find that it's impossible at times. Colin King and Jenna Jackson believe they have written the best one of all. However, their faith in their relationship is sheltered by the small Kansas town they...
