Our Little Love Story *NOW PUBLISHED ON AMAZON KINDLE!!*

chapter fourteen

The week in Wisconsin really seemed to fly by, even with Jared on my mind almost constantly. Before I knew it, the time had come to pack our belongings and leave our host parents’ home for the last time. It was Sunday morning, and we would be leaving after lunch to head on to Minnesota for a few days, then on to Kansas, and finally back home Saturday. I was more sad than I thought that I would be when we said good bye to Janet and Mark. They had been more than wonderful to us. 

“Here, we got you girls a gift for being such wonderful daughters for the week,” Janet said, handing each of us a small velvety box. We each glanced at the box, and then each other, then back to Janet and Mark. 

“Well, go ahead, open it,” Mark said, chuckling a little. He looked at his wife and laid his arm over her shoulders. She rested her head on his shoulder, continuing to look at us, smiling. Carefully opening our respective boxes, a small silver bracelet rested inside.

“Oh, wow. This is beautiful,” I breathed. “You really shouldn’t have,” I added, looking up into their eyes. 

“It was the least we could do. You girls have been absolutely wonderful,” Janet replied. She took a step towards us and gave us each a warm hug.

“Thank you,” we replied. We took turns helping each other put the bracelets on. I took the box and set it inside my duffel bag. Zipping it closed again, I looked at our host parents for the week, saying a small prayer for them. Maybe it wasn’t too late for them to have a child of their own, or to at least adopt. They would make wonderful parents. 

“You girls have a good time, and a safe trip back home,” Mark said.

Time seemed to be on hyper speed, and almost the next thing that I knew, I was loading my luggage into yet another van, and heading off towards Minnesota. Most of the way there, I touched the thin silver bracelet adorned on my wrist, thinking of Janet and Mark. Oh, how I wanted Jared and I to be like them when we were older. Except with children. I definitely wanted a couple of children running around our home. I let my imagination run for the rest of the ride to our next destination. 

****

We were only in Minnesota from Sunday night until Wednesday afternoon, and then we were Kansas bound. Arriving in the small town of Abilene, Kansas around eight Wednesday night, we were all tired and ready to be in a bed, any bed.

The host parents for the next few days were already waiting on us, and we quickly figured out our new groups and headed home. The girl that I was roommates with for the next few days was named Jennifer. She was very sweet, and from Missouri. We would be dropping her off on our way home Saturday. Our host parent was a widowed older lady in her seventies. Her name was Margaret. “But call me Marge,” she instructed us with a smile as we headed up the driveway to her small home. 

The next few days, we helped out with the vacation bible school the local church that was hosting us was putting on, and then spent the rest of our time sight seeing. We went to the Eisenhower museum, and some mansion that these wealthy sisters from long ago owned. We were allowed to take pictures everywhere we went, and I was thankful that I had remembered my camera.

****

Saturday morning arrived, and I was sad to be leaving Marge, but also glad to be finally heading  home. I was as anxious as ever to see Jared, even if it wouldn’t be until tomorrow at church probably. 

We settled into our seats in the van, waving out of the window at the last group of host parents. Once they were out of sight, I  turned and faced forward, sad to be leaving, but glad that we were finally on our way home. I had Jared’s jacket in my duffel bag, and I pulled it out and laid it over the top of me backwards, and fell into a light sleep, the smell of him wafting off of the jacket and into my nose. 

We stopped about halfway to fill up the gas tank and use the bathroom.

“Why doesn’t everyone take this time to call their parents and let them know we will be arriving at the church probably around seven. Maybe a little earlier. Have them there by six or six thirty, just to be on the safe side,” Nancy informed us. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed my own home number. 

“Hey, Mom. I just wanted to call and let you know that we’ll be at the church around six or seven,” I said once she picked up on the third ring.

“Oh, okay, sweetie. We’ll be there in plenty of time. See you soon!” she replied. After a few more minutes, we hung up and I climbed back into the van and resumed my seat next to the window. 

Pulling out my Ipod, I settled back into the seat and watched the passing scenery outside as the miles ticked slowly by. I must have drifted off to sleep, because Nancy was gently shaking my shoulder, waking me up.

“Honey, we’re here, wake up,” she said softly. I blinked my eyes several times, trying to rid my mind of the fog from sleeping.

“Oh, I didn’t even realize I fell asleep,” I said, yawning and stretching. She smiled, and then headed to the very back of the van, to wake up someone else that had drifted off during the ride. I rubbed my eyes, and grabbed my duffel bag that I had apparently used as a makeshift pillow. 

I gingerly climbed out of the van and stepped onto the graveled parking lot, stretching, and looking around. I didn’t see my parent’s car, so I walked to the back of the van to retrieve my luggage. 

Carrying it over to the back doors of the church, I went inside to use the bathroom. When I returned, I glanced around, still not seeing my parent’s car. “Ugh, that’s just great,” I sighed, and sat down on the sidewalk next to my stuff, and wrapped my arms around my knees, resting my chin on my arms.

“Um, miss? Could I offer you a ride home?” 

I looked up to the familiar sounding voice and saw Jared towering in front of me, smiling. I jumped up from the ground and wrapped him in a long hug.

“Oh, my gosh! What are you doing here? I thought my parents were coming to pick me up,” I said, slightly pulling back from him to stare into those eyes, that face, his smile that I had longed for since I left.

“Well, they stopped by my house earlier, and said that you called saying you’d be home soon. They thought that you would be surprised if I came and picked you up,” he replied, smiling.

“Well, I am definitely surprised!” I smiled, and hugged him for another long moment. “Uhm, let me tell Pastor and Nancy that I’m leaving. They’re just inside, in the office. I will be right back,” I promised. 

“Okay. I’ll load your stuff up, then,” Jared said, grabbing my luggage.

“Where did you park, anyways?” I asked, turning around with my hand still on the handle of the church door. 

“Around front. I didn’t want to take the chance of you seeing my truck and ruining the surprise,” he replied.

“Oh,” I said, with a large grin still plastered onto my face. I hurried inside the cool and darkened church, heading straight to Pastor’s office. “Hey, my ride’s here, so I guess I’m gonna go ahead and leave,” I said, sticking my head inside the doorway. 

“Oh, alright, Tiffany. Have a safe trip home, and thanks for coming with us. I hope that you had a good time,” Pastor said, glancing up from some papers on his desk.

“I did, thank you for letting me come along,” I answered. With a small wave, I headed back down the short hall and out the back doors.

“Well, you’re all loaded up,” Jared said. While I was inside, he had moved his vehicle from the front or wherever he had momentarily hid it, to the underneath the pavilion. I climbed inside, breathing in the familiar scent of his vehicle.

“So, how was your trip?” he asked, pulling out of the parking lot.

“Good. It would’ve been better if you had been there,” I answered, smiling over at him.

“Yeah, I don’t know that you would have gotten much of anything done, though, if I had been there,” Jared smiled at me, and patted my leg. I intertwined my fingers with his, watching  as he rubbed his thumb along the side of mine. 

Looking over at him, watching him drive silently down the road, I decided there wasn’t any other place in the world that I would ever rather be than here with him, in this very moment.