Rightfully Mine

Chapter 17

Ten Years Later

"Oh no, Andrew. They've already started," I complained as we hurried toward the church. It was our first Sunday living in this place and it seemed that we were off to a poor start. I had hoped that we would be able to make it inside before the singing stopped, but it was quiet now, which meant that the preaching had started.

Andrew's legs were longer than mine, so he was ahead of me. I hurried after him, carrying Victoria, our ten-month-old daughter. Having run up ahead of us, Thomas and his eight-year-old brother, Samuel were waiting for us at the door. Four-year-old James trailed behind me, clutching my skirt.

"So?" Andrew asked without slowing.

"You know I hate being late," I grumbled. There wasn't anything actually wrong about it, but I still knew people would judge us for walking in after the sermon started. I didn't want to give anyone any reason to stare or talk about us. I'd had quite enough of that when Thomas was a baby. All I wanted now was to quietly go about my life and not give people any reason to notice me.

"I know, but it can't be helped. We're not just going to leave after coming all the way out here," he said, unsympathetically.

That was usually something I loved about Andrew - he didn't give me pity and made me be strong. But right now, I was irritated. He'd been the one to oversleep, making us late. Granted, it wasn't his fault that Victoria had cried most of the night, keeping him awake, but at least he'd been in bed. I'd been the one to sit up with her. And I didn't oversleep.

We got up the steps and I peeked in the window.

"The only open seat is up front," I complained. Tardiness was bad enough. It was just plain embarrassing to have to walk all the way to the front, in the middle of the service.

Andrew looked at me and had the nerve to smile. "Kathryn King, I've seen you be fearless with some really hard things, and you're afraid of this?"

I just scowled at him.

He chuckled before kissing my forehead.

"Come on." He took my hand and led me inside.

I blushed as we walked up the aisle and everyone stared. This wasn't like before, I reminded myself. Unlike the people in the town where I'd grown up, these people didn't know me yet and were just curious. Which was a refreshing change actually.

After Pastor Taylor's initial pronouncement of everyone needing to forgive me, people seemed afraid not to. They hardly ever actually said or did anything rude - at least to my face, but the looks were there. The ones that told me what they really thought of me. Thankfully, most people didn't seem to feel the same way about Thomas. With him it was more pity looks for his unfortunate luck of being my son.

I tried not to care. The people I loved never behaved that way. They loved and accepted me as they always had. But it was hard not to feel hurt by the rejection of others. It stung that they couldn't seem to forget this one thing I'd done wrong or see me any other way.

At least it wasn't everyone, though. Not even the majority, if I was being honest. But the ones who were like that, made it feel like it was the whole world.

I'd been so glad to move away after I married Andrew. But of course, the people in that community already knew him and noticed that he suddenly had, not only a new wife, but also a year-old son. We'd gotten plenty of openly curious looks, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the place I left behind.

The only really bad part about moving away, was that I missed everyone so much. I hardly ever got to see Julia and Daniel, or John, Jenny, and their three kids. And I know John missed Thomas terribly.

Thankfully, Jenny never suspected anything about Thomas being John's son. Physically, their similarities ended with their eyes. Thomas took after Papa, so I guess I picked the right name for him. Personality-wise, he was all John. Seeing him at ten-years-old was like going back in time and seeing John at that age. He had the same mischievous smile, the same curiosity that got him into trouble more often than not, the same sweet nature that made John so easy to love, and the same obliviousness to certain important details.

I was so grateful for that. Even though I'd long gotten over my romantic feelings for John, I still loved and missed him. Having Thomas was like getting to keep John with me, in a way.

John and I were able to regain our friendship after a while. Nothing like we had before, but nothing so distant as I'd thought would be necessary, either. We were always very careful never to be alone or put ourselves in potentially bad situations - and Andrew made sure of it, but we were able to be friends again. Unfortunately, that hadn't happened almost until I moved away. Now, I only got to see John and the rest of my family at Christmas and when Andrew surprised me with a trip home.

Ironically, the best part of moving away was also the worst. I liked the anonymity of being new and not having anyone know about my past, but I hated having to start all over, not knowing anyone at all.

Since marrying Andrew, we'd moved three times as his job required. I always hated dragging the children away from their friends, but at least they seemed to make new ones easily enough. Thomas especially. Just like John.

Andrew led us into the empty pew and I tried to ignore all the people who were still watching us. I sat, adjusting Victoria in my lap before checking on my boys. Samuel and James were looking around our new church, wide-eyed. It was a little fancier than the one we'd come from.

Thomas was turned around looking at something. I tapped his arm to signal that he needed to face the front and noticed that he was exchanging smiles with the adorable little red-headed girl in the row behind us.

I smiled at her before I turned around with Thomas and sighed, recognizing all too well the look of adoration in that little girl's eyes.

Lord, I hope she doesn't have a sister!