IN LOVE'S EMBRACE

CHAPTER 54: MEANT TO BE

"When God brought the first man his spouse, he brought him not just a lover, but the friend his heart has been seeking"— Timothy Keller

•••

JOHN PIERCE

I laughed and shook my head. The room was mostly quiet, the only noise coming from the twins playing. They had run back to their mother a while ago.

I could sense they all had questions bubbling inside, and I was eager to hear them—if they were willing to share.

"Do you know why they kidnapped you?" Shadrach asked, barely glancing my way.

I wouldn't be sincere if I said I wasn’t expecting that question. In fact, I knew it was a question everyone had at the back of their minds.

Marco, who had been quiet throughout my narration, suddenly tensed up. I understood why—this question would drag out a lot of information that some weren’t ready to share.

His question drew attention, as all eyes turned to me. Arthur raised a brow, silently asking if I was okay with sharing or if I wanted him to step in.

"I was once entangled with a dangerous group of people, and they wanted vengeance because they believed I betrayed them," I summarized, holding brief eye contact with Shadrach.

The look in his eyes told me he knew there was more to the story.

"How did you escape?" Ashley rested her palm against her jaw, looking at me with wonder in her eyes.

"God brought Marco and Mandy my way," I said, turning to look at my friends.

Mandy had long forgotten her meal, and kept her gaze on me. When my eyes fell on her, she was quick to mask her surprise, and force a smile. Marco's face, on the other hand, bore no expression.

"They both helped me escaped" I patted Marco on the back, with a smile

Every bit of amusement he had earlier was gone. He simply glanced at me before returning his focus to his food. I wondered what was going through his mind.

"I'm glad you're fine, John. Even more glad that you encountered Christ and are now living for Him," Ashley said with a broad smile.

"Me too. This is such good news. Now you finally understand why we love God the way we do." Sheila giddily clapped her hands.

"Thank you," I said, my smile never fading. It seemed my salvation was more important to them than any of my past wrongs.

"You've got someone worth more than gold. I'm happy for you. That was such an awe-inspiring salvation story." I was taken aback by Jason’s words. He actually sounded and looked happy.

"Ashley and I have a little talk show. We’d love to have you share your story on it sometime—if you're interested, that is," he said, glancing at Ashley, who nodded enthusiastically.

"Uh... yeah, sure. I don't mind."

I masked my surprise perfectly. Never had I expected such a warm and joyful reaction.

"Y'know, when Arthur first told me, it hit hard. But hearing it from you makes it sound even more incredible. I'm beyond happy. This is fantastic news." No one sounded happier than Jocelyn—not even me.

"All I can say is, Hallelujah!" She raised her hands in the air and exclaimed. The twins watched their mom, then thought the best thing was to mimick her. Their screams were much louder.

I cringed at the sound of their high-pitched voices and joined the others in laughing.

Still, I noticed not a single sound escaped Alaine. I bit my lips in worry. I had thought if anything would get her to speak, it would be the story of my salvation