12 Years
Makes a Difference
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Romantic Fiction Online
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by PneumaSender
Jessica’s
Choice
Chapter 11
God had
provided help for Christa’s situation, even without Colby’s intervention. However,
Patrick wasn’t so sure he had handled it exactly the way God had
intended. After the party, it was tough to get back to normal with Christa. Though
they had been pleasant to one another, and although he sensed that she still
appreciated all he had done for her through the years, apparently this time
of adolescent growth meant cutting some ties.
When
Christa stopped talking to him as often, he didn’t take it badly. He did
wonder, however, if on the night of her birthday, he had completely misread
God’s intentions for their future. Could she really be the one for him?
When
Christa sat on the steps these days, then, he often avoided her. He felt that,
as she grew, it was more of an intrusion to interrupt her thoughts. Today,
however, she stopped him.
He
had been coming out of the storage closet, putting away his baseball bat and
ball after a pick-up game with his scouts. Seeing her on the steps, he had
stepped back a bit, wary of her mood. Then, as he looked closer, he thought
she looked more like a little girl than a belligerent teen.
"Patrick,
please sit here with me for a minute, like you used to do — if you can spare
a minute." She had added that final comment hopefully. He couldn't
refuse her, though lately she made him nervous. He sat beside her hesitantly,
and as he thought about his reaction, he smiled.
Even
when he had been one, he hadn't liked teenagers, fearing their shifting loyalties
and flaring tempers. Only one had attracted his attention for long, Delia,
and that hadn't gone very well, either. Still, he had watched Christa grow up
from a little girl, and he had known her at an earlier time, when mature
thoughts and strong ideals had overruled her emotions. Every so often, he saw
glimpses of that girl again. This was one such time.
"What
happened?" he asked soberly. Sadly, she told him that a friend was
pregnant. "Which friend?" he asked, waiting. "My best friend,
Jessica." Now it all spilled out, "She was going out with a really
popular guy. She didn't even like him to begin with – same as I was that
time, remember?"
Patrick
remembered, though he was glad to realize she hadn't made that mistake again.
She had been close friends with a few boys, but nothing romantic had started.
She kept saying that she could see that this guy wasn't THE ONE. The happy
thought made him smile a little now, in spite of the somber mood in the air.
"Yeah,
I remember. What happened to change her mind?" Christa shook her head
slowly. "Well, he kept buying her rings and candy and flowers and stuff,
and he seemed so genuine. She got to really care about him. She thought he
loved her.”
Looking
up at him shyly, she said, “Well, you know her policy on kissing, and well,
they got close often. Over time, her defenses began slipping, and in a moment
of passion, she fell. She’s really sorry and now she understands my hands-
and lips-off policy."
Her
eyes held his, pleading with him not to judge her friend harshly, "Now,
he's asking her to have an abortion. The school nurse tells her that it’s
easy and free. Even her parents think it’s a good idea."
Christa
began weeping, but Patrick told her softly, "She doesn't have to do
that. We can get her help. Does she want an abortion?" As she shook her
head, the tears fell from her face, one hitting his white shirt.
"Whoa,
there, no more crying, okay? When can we talk to her?" Christa perked up
at that. "We? You mean you’ll go with me?" He smiled. "If you
need me, you know I'll be there. Call her. I'll go get some papers I've got
upstairs for a just such a need."
Heading
up to his room, he realized that she had been shocked at his offer of help. A
lot had changed, he thought,
if she no longer felt she could count on him. What a mystery the teen
years are! he thought
to himself.
<
; ; > < > < ; ;
> < ; ; > < > < ; ; >
"Jessica,
you have lots of choices,” Patrick said as he handed her some papers. Here's a
pamphlet telling you all about the
Patrick
saw her shocked expression and considered it for a moment. What do these
girls think of me, I wonder? What kind of impression have I given these kids
that they are so shocked at my kindness? It was food for thought.
“I've
planned to give you a ride there, if you need one. But either way, Christa would
go inside with you. What else can we do to make this process easier?"
Jess looked up at Patrick with a thankful smile. “There’s so much you are
doing now, just making me feel like I’m not a dirty freak. Thanks for being
so forgiving.”
Patrick
sighed. “It’s not easy to do right, and with the temptations teens are facing
these days and the lifestyle they lead, it’s all but guaranteed that they’ll
fail. I made my share of mistakes with drinking and smoking. I’m no one to
judge.”
She
nodded. “What you were saying about the way youth are acting now. That’s why
you always encourage kids to unplug from the usual way of doing things, right?
The idea of not dating at all comes because of how easy it is to end up like
me, huh?” He smiled. “Nah, it’s not just you, but yeah, that’s a huge part of
it.”
Christa
touched her arm, turning her attention away from Patrick’s lame attempt at a
joke. “How’s life at home now?” she asked Jessica. "I still don't know
how we'll convince my parents," the girl said. “They’re sure that a baby
will ruin my life.” Patrick determined to lighten her load at least this
much. But he made no promises. "Give them time," he said quietly.
In
two weeks, Christa was once again on the stairs with Patrick, just back from
the Crisis Pregnancy Center appointment. "So what happened inside?"
he asked once they were seated. She practically bounced in her seat for joy,
so he guessed it was good.
"Patrick,
they gave her so much help! They tested her again, then helped her fill out
forms and referred her for medical care. Then, they told her to pick out some
maternity clothes. They have a lot of stuff there." Patrick knew all
this, but he just listened.
"She
thought since they're Christians that they would look angry or mean, but the
lady was so nice and welcoming that Jess hardly looked at me for support the
whole time." Now, her smile lit up. "She reconciled her life with
the Lord, too." Patrick smiled, too, now.
"Wow!"
he said. Just then, the phone rang. Christa went to answer it and came back
looking even happier, if that were possible. "Patrick, her parents just
told her they don't believe she should have an abortion anymore. They said
you helped them see that. What did you do?"
His
gaze rested on her smile as he said, "I brought over some literature
about abortion and
fetal
development from the Crisis Pregnancy Center. I also bought a video and had them watch it. It's
very old, but it gets the point across." Christa smiled and said,
"I see." She sat silent for a moment. Then she said, "Patrick,
thanks for helping me see how much help a willing heart can be.” He nodded
humbly.
“I
didn't think I could do any good, but she said if it weren't for us, she
couldn't have made it through this." She reached out and touched his arm
and said, "All my life, you've an example to me.” Looking away from him,
her face coloring, she added, “I haven't liked you much recently--I thought
you were judgmental and rule-making. I'm sorry.”
Patrick
looked at her with sorrow in his eyes. “How could you think that?” For the
second time this evening, she looked chagrined. “I just had this image of you
disapproving of everything I do. You were always correcting me. It seemed
like you judge me pretty harshly all the time and I always come up short.”
I'm
very jealous for your success." His voice softened, "I love you,
Christa. I don't want to harm you." Now his words began to slow, and
they sounded more like a sigh, spoken. "There is just so much potential
in you and I want you to live up to it."
Patrick
looked tired, as if prepared for an attack he had wearied of confronting. But
he was surprised by Christa's words. "I believe you, Patrick." At
the soft whoosh of a relieved breath from her previous enemy, she smiled.
"You've
proven yourself. The way you faced my friend's crisis — made peace between
her parents and herself – it showed me a glimpse of that compassion you keep
hidden deep inside." His smile told her he heard the note of teasing in
her voice. And now, where there had recently been silent rejection or rebuke,
there was a twinkle in his eyes.
"Good
to have you back," he said. Her laugh was spontaneous and sounded
wonderful to him. "Good to be back, Captain." Impulsively, she
saluted him and then reached out and slapped his shoulder softly.
At
her touch, Patrick felt a surge of feeling. It surprised him because it had
been years since anyone's nearness had impacted him this way, much less a
girl of 16. "Thanks," he mumbled, standing to avoid her touch.
Christa
pulled herself up, again taking hold of his arm. Then, she leaned over and pecked
him on the cheek, saying once more, "Thank you." In a moment, she
was gone through the door into the great room, leaving Patrick bewildered.
12 Years Makes a Difference
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