To Be Made Whole (A Christian Romance) (On Hold)

Chapter 17: First Date & His Past

I emptied the contents of my duffel bag over top the coral bedding. An array of dresses fell out of it, laying sloppily over each other. There were two floral options, one tan dress and one pink dress, which both laid on top of the pile. My eyes sought out for any dress that would be worthy to be worn for such an occasion.

Rafael and I had be talking to each other more frequently and encouraging one another in our walk with Christ. He would greet me in the early mornings, I presume it was always after his prayer walk. Then we would chat with me throughout the day. He even began calling me during his breaks. I had learned more about his interests than I had ever known before. He genuinely loved music and played his guitar more in his free time. His favorite colors were navy blue and forest green. And he really loved to sing although he didn't believe his voice was "that special."

He was a creative and hard working man.

Ben's words would still jump back into my mind, but not enough for me to become skeptical of Rafael. I wanted to indulge in his past, but we would need the time for that.

Gabriella hadn't shown her face since Rafael had last seen her. There was a warrant out for her arrest based off of the photo and two videos alone, so it seemed like this could be solved all on it's own. At least this was my hope and my prayer. I didn't feel an overwhelming sense of fear at the thought of her. Instead, I trusted God. I forgave her atrocious and evil act and although it seemed odd, I pitied her.

Thinking back to that rainy spring night had always brought back a horrific feeling of guilt that would settle at the base of my stomach. Not because I lacked forgiveness, but instead because I lacked answers. No matter how strongly Gabriella felt towards my dad, getting rid of his daughter would not make any man swoon for her.

I shuffled through the few options that seemed appropriate for tonight's date with Rafael. I practically tossed the top four options to reveal the dresses underneath. My eyes tore away from them shortly, to admire the bouquet that sat on the bedside table. The tall glass vase held together the long, dark green stems of the deep red roses. It was always a dream of mine to be at the receiving end of such a gift. I sighed as I thought back to the day that he'd delivered them.

I sat on the bed with my legs crossed while listening to a new Christian playlist as I journaled. It was a quiet and peaceful day. Nothing extravagant had happened and without school, I could pour all of my focus into God.

Rafael appeared to be busy, as he hadn't responded to the text that I had sent him about two hours ago. I wasn't alarmed by this. He had a blue collar job which required a lot out of him. I appreciated how dedicated he was to getting his job done well and I had no intention of rushing him to text me back.

I hummed along to the melody of the song, but soon I was interrupted by a loud knock sounding at my door. I popped my head up immediately with furrowed brows.

Who could it be? I wondered.

With a quick twist and pull on the doorknob, my eyes were met with the sight of Mr. Hawthorne. He had a large smile on his face and nodded towards me in the form of a slight bow. The tilt of his head allowed the few white hairs scattered about to shine in the light.

"Hello, Mr. Hawthorne." I greeted politely with a genuine smile. Throughout my stay here, Mr. Hawthorne had quickly become a second dad to me. He went out of his way to learn my interests, the degree that I had been pursuing, and even my faith. He would check on me almost daily to see if I had eaten and to ensure that Ben hadn't overstepped my boundaries again.

"I have no use for a chauffeur today." I reassured. The surprise in my voice caused him to chuckle. The look in his eyes told me that he was not standing there to guide me out to the car.