Heart of a Hero (H.O.C. #3)

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

1963

Home of Belinda Williams

Belinda watched closely and studied her granddaughter's expressions as Sophie attempted to process all that had happened to Lottie. Her mind raced at the events surrounding their first year of marriage. Belinda still found herself in awe at the strength, fortitude, and unfathomable peace Lottie showed throughout her whole ordeal. Sophie didn't understand, couldn't understand, what marriage was like until she was older and understood a little more about life. "One day", Belinda thought, "she will reflect on this story and the lightbulb is going to brighten up."

"Sophie?" Aunt Jess said, breaking the spellbound expression on the young girl's face. "Sophie. Are ready to hear the rest of the story?"

Sophie shook her head. "I need a minute longer." Putting her finger in the air, as if to say "one more moment," Sophie inhaled sharply, drew up her shoulder until her back was as straight and flat as a wall, and then exhaled louder than she intended. "Okay! I'm ready!" She said, drawing herself a couple of inches, steeling her will to finish the story. Before Aunt Jess or Granny B. could form the next sentence, Sophie spoke again. "She forgave him?"

Both women said "Yes" in unison.

"I don't get it? Why? He was the cause of all her pain? How could she? Forgive? HIM?"

Granny B. spoke in her softest voice. Sophie found it angelic. It was the voice of compassion and caring. One Belinda used when Sophie was hurt, angry, or afraid. "Because, sweet child, she loved Jesus, and His love burst forth from Lottie all the time, but especially when she knew it would bring a soul to Christ. And it did!"

Sophie again sat speechless, staring. Then her face brightened, as if stepping into the dawn of a new day. "I get it. Really, I do. That's just so incredible. Tell me the rest, please, Granny B.

I have to know how they finally get back to their lives. I wanna know about their children and, and, well, I just want to know EVERYTHING!" Jess and Belinda laughed until their cheeks hurt.

"Oh, Jess, I remember thinking the same thing when Gramma Lottie told me about their early days. They sure didn't have it easy, did they?" Belinda said with a sigh.

"No, ma'am, they didn't, but they did have one thing: each other." Jess patted Belinda's hand.

"And JESUS!" Sophie chimed in!

"YES!" Both women shouted, each raising one hand in the air simultaneously.

"Okay! Back to it, then!" Belinda said with a joyful laugh.

Fort Hays, Kansas

1884

Two years after the death of El Forajido

Lottie inhaled a deep breath and held it, trying hard not to scream. She thought back to all they had gone through, and now here she was, with David. She remembered not wanting David to touch her in the husbandly way, for fear that it would bring back all of the memories. For months, he was content to hold her, even on the nights when she could not embrace him. She would cry for hours, seemingly weeks, on end, for the child they lost. Grieving the innocence lost with the events surrounding her rape and torture, all in the name of information that would lead to the death of her husband. She would jump at a shadow, and if anything at all looked intimidating, she would break down all over again.

Lottie tried hard to remember all of the good things they had also experienced. Finally reuniting with her love, David, after her ordeal on the train. Choosing a life with a soldier, Lottie married David without any proper preparations. She thought of their wedding, simple as it was, as the best day of her life. Finally they were together. They fought to be together in a world that only saw the outside of a man and the color of his skin, and knew nothing of the inside. Here they were, two years later, happy as jaybirds.