Scraps of Love Read online

  They drove in silence.

  Cassie wiped at her eyes. Jenny put on her headphones and turned on her ipod. Adam didn’t know what to say to either one of them.

  He really didn’t think there was much he could say to Cassie. From the phone call the night before, he knew her talk with her parents had been rough, but in the long run, they had forgiven her and were looking forward to having a new grandbaby to cuddle. Her eyes were tears of sorrow at having to leave them.

  As for Jenny, she sat sulking in the backseat. He’d dealt with her anger before, and it always passed. But this was the first time in two months that she’d been angry with him. Since the night she stayed with Colleen until the night he’s gone to the hospital with Cassie, they’d gotten along fine. Now this had to happen. He told himself she didn’t understand grown up things, but he knew deep down he was wrong. Jenny had matured a lot in the last few months, thanks to Colleen.

  “You two are quiet today.” Cassie blew her nose and glanced toward the backseat where Jenny sat with her photo album.

  Adam tried to smile. “We had an argument this morning and she is pouting.”

  “I’m not pouting, and I can hear you.” Jenny flipped the page of her scrapbook with anger.

  Cassie turned sideways in the seat and faced Adam. “Want to tell me about it? Maybe I can help you work through it.”

  Silence.

  “You know, like an unbiased third party?” she hinted.

  Jenny sat up straighter, “Yeah, Adam. Why don’t you tell her what we are fighting about? After all, it’s partly her fault.” She met Adam’s eyes in the rearview mirror.

  “That will be enough, Jenny.” Adam didn’t want to have this discussion with Cassie or Jenny. This was his business and no one else’s.

  “Why is it my fault?” Cassie turned farther in the seat to face Jenny.

  Jenny ignored the threatening look from her brother and pressed on. “Well, it seems someone told Colleen you were pregnant. Since you and Adam have been going out a lot, she assumed he was the father and refused to go out on a date with him.”

  Cassie’s sharp intake of breath didn’t stop Jenny.

  “So my brother thinks he’s too good to forgive and forget, and now he doesn’t want to see Colleen at all, even though everyone in town knows they are both crazy about each other.”

  “Jenny, that’s enough.” Adam warned.

  Cassie’s voice came out weak. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault, Cassie.” Adam reached over and patted her hand.

  She nodded her head. “Yes, It is.”

  Adam watched fresh tears fill her eyes. “It really isn’t Cassie. Colleen jumped to the conclusion that the baby is mine. She didn’t ask me; she just assumed.” He moved both hands to the steering wheel and looked straight ahead.

  Cassie touched his arm. “Adam, I didn’t mean to, but I sort of told her the baby is yours.”

  “You what?” His voice, edged with disbelief, echoed with in the cab.

  Cassie jerked her hand back. “I didn’t mean for it to sound as though you were the father, but I guess it did. I told her you were fine with me being pregnant, and that you were helping me get to my doctor’s appointments and everything. Now that I think back on the conversation, I never said Richard and I had gotten married or that he is the baby’s father. I’m so sorry, Adam.” Tears spilled down her cheeks once more.

  Chapter 11

  Colleen finished straightening up the bakery. She turned off the lights, locked the door, and made her way back to the apartment. The scrapbook lay on the kitchen table. It beckoned her to come and finish it. She ignored the summons and made her way to the teapot instead.

  She’d worked on the photo album off and on during the last week, but it just didn’t spark her interest now that Adam and Jenny were out of town and out of her life.

  Once more she asked the Lord why she had been allowed to fall in love with Adam just to have him snatched away from her. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over. She bit down hard on her lip and blinked, determined to maintain the mood she’d left the bakery with.

  While the teakettle heated, she sat down at the table and looked at the scrapbook. Each page captured her family’s history. Colleen made special notes throughout the pages. She wanted to remember the love and laughter of her ancestors. A smile touched her lips.

  For now, the scrapbook and journaling were finished. She’d used the pictures, scraps of notes and letters, and even a few lacy handkerchiefs to fill the pages. She felt each item represented her relatives’ lives.

  Upon reflection, Colleen realized that Jenny’s school project had brought back the Holidays and Reillys from days gone by. She felt a smile tug at her lips. Warmth enveloped her as she thought about her family. She turned to the last page and looked at the picture of her parents. They smiled up at her. Love filled their eyes.

  “Lord, please let Adam forgive me. I love him so much, but I’m afraid he won’t forgive me and I will never find true love again.” Colleen whispered the prayer and closed her scrapbook.

  Her hands moved over the front cover. What if Adam doesn’t forgive me? She would be a lone forever.

  Colleen walked to the stove where the water in the teakettle boiled. She poured the steaming liquid into a cup.

  Her thoughts returned to her morning devotions. She’d skimmed the scripture and the notes in the devotional. As clear as a summer’s day, Psalm 136:26 echoed through her mind: “Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.” Colleen decided she should reread the devotional.

  Colleen collected her Bible and devotional book. She spread them out on the table and began to read aloud. “God’s love endures forever. People come and people go, but the Lord God Almighty will always be here for you and will always love you.”

  My love endures forever. The words echoed through her mind. Colleen bowed her head and prayed. For the first time since Adam left, Colleen felt at peace. Adam might not forgive her, but she knew with confidence that the Lord would be there for her.

  Sunday morning arrived with fresh snow. Colleen hurried home from the morning services. She looked forward to having a light lunch and then getting to work. Last night she’d decided that the photo album needed a cover.

  She pushed the door open with the help of the winter wind. Snow blew in with her and she laughed as she shoved the door closed. Now that she knew the Lord would never desert her, she looked forward to Adam’s return. It would hurt if he didn’t forgive her, but thanks to her newfound knowledge, she knew that, in time, she’d be fine.

  Colleen put a pot of water on the stove and pulled down the chocolate mix. While the water heated, she made a grilled cheese sandwich and warmed up some tomato soup.

  After hurriedly eating lunch, Colleen opened the trunk. She searched the many articles of clothing for the child’s coat. It would be small enough that she wouldn’t have to waste much of the material.

  What better way to preserve her family’s memories than to use its lining as the cover for her scrapbook?

  “Here you are.” Colleen pulled the item of clothing out. The black coat’s lining held as many faded colored patches. Light green dominated the garment, but faded blues and yellows could still be distinguished.

  She looked back into the chest. The coat had been covering a small sewing basket. Colleen pulled it out. “I wonder if there’s anything in here that I can use.”

  Colleen lifted the wicker lid. Inside were antique spools of thread and a few rusted needles. The lining of the little basket was torn in several places. She ran her hand over it and to her surprise, felt something inside.

  Her heart leaped as she pulled out an envelope. She set the basket off to the side and stood up and carried the faded envelope to the table. Then she sat down and opened it.

  Inside she found a piece of paper. Colleen unfolded the treasure.

  Tears filled her eyes as she read the letter from the past:

  My
dearest son,

  This quilt is the story of your family and the love that binds us together as truly as the threads that hold together these pieces of cloth.

  I began this quilt as a new bride. I didn’t know any more about sewing than I did about being a wife, but I knew about love. The pieces of my wedding dress are in here and form the center block. They are the delicate spring green swatches. It’s the same green, by the way, you’ll see when the first wildflowers poke their brave heads through the winter-worn earth.

  There are a few patches of white in this quilt. They are cut from the shirt your father wore when we got married. Ah, John, what a fine figure he presented that day! I can still see him in my mind, so elegant, so handsome, so sure… and so very much in possession of my heart.

  The little patches were once your blanket. This was the first earthly fabric that touched your newborn skin. The Yellow-spotted flannel looked so warm against your infant skin, like God had poured the sun around your tiny body. It was cold the night you were born-so cold the doctors breath froze in midair-but you quickly warmed our hearts.

  As our family grew, so did our love- and the quilt. Notice how the stitches get more even and practiced on the other patches. I was just learning in the center section, but the patches, straggle though they may be, are still holding together after many years of hard use.

  Love is like that, John. At first, it’s all very new and awkward, but if you’re willing to put your heart into it, it’ll hold steadfast. There aren’t any silk or satin, or velvet pieces in this quilt, but to me, its beauty far exceeds the grandest coverlet. Even the littlest, most mundane pieces of life make an extraordinary tapestry when united by love… these scraps of love.

  Your loving mother

  Bridget Streeter Collins

  No longer able to control her tears, Colleen whipped the streams from her face. Had Grammy known Adam would enter her life again when he delivered the coat?

  Colleen picked up the coat and sewing basket, then stood to her feet. She walked back to the kitchen table and set all the items down. The scraps brought Adam into her life, but indirectly they had brought her closer to God.

  Colleen reached for her cup of chocolate. Fear of rejection shot through her as she whispered to the quiet room, “I have to tell him I love him and ask his forgiveness.”

  Chapter 12

  Adam paced his living-room floor. He and Jenny had gotten home the night before. He’d asked Jenny not to go to Colleen’s before he had a chance to talk to her. He knew he owed Colleen an apology. Would she forgive him? He’d walked out on her and hadn’t looked back.

  He opened the small jewelry box and stared down at the wedding set that sat on a cushion of red velvet. Adam couldn’t believe he bought the ring. But he knew in his heart that Colleen was the woman for him, and he thought she knew it, too.

  He pulled his coat on and stepped into the cold afternoon air. The desire to talk to Colleen filled him with longing. Adam walked in the direction of her house.

  All the way, he tried to come up with ways to say he was sorry. Adam finally gave up. He stopped two blocks from her house. A small park on the side of the road beckoned him to enter its sanctuary. He took the path that led to a beautiful river. Adam sat down on a huge rock beside the water, which trickled though the ice. He looked up into the heavens. “Lord I can’t find the words to tell her how sorry I am, to tell her how much I love her. Father, what am I to say?”

  He stuck his hands in his coat pockets and waited for the Lord to answer. Too late, he realized he should have come to the Lord earlier last week when he’d thought the worst of Colleen.

  The longer Adam sat in the cold, the more he realized he ought to be up-front with her. Tell her the truth, tell her he loved her, and ask her to marry him.

  Adam left the park with a new bounce in his step. He felt confident Colleen was the woman God had chosen for him.

  “Thanks for the coffee, Colleen. I’m sure looking forward to Adam resuming his route.” Sly groaned as he picked up his mailbag.

  Colleen took a deep breath. “Jenny and I were working on a school project. Did Adam say when they would get back into town?” She felt a prickle of guilt for using Jenny as an excuse to learn more about Adam.

  The postman took a last long drink from his cup, “Got home last night.” He set the cup back on the table.

  He was home.

  Colleen felt her heart speed up and her palms turn to a hot swampland. She wiped the moisture on her apron.

  Sly headed for the door. “Thanks again for the coffee,” he called on his way out.

  “Any time.” Colleen tugged on the apron strings. They refused to budge. Hot and anxious, she fretted about what to say to Adam. How would she voice her sorrow for her quick judgment?

  The knot wound tighter and tighter. She turned completely around, facing the kitchen. Her fingers couldn’t loosen the tie.

  The bell over the door tinkled, alerting her that someone had just entered the store. She looked up at the clock on the wall. A few minutes after two, too early for Jenny. A wave of disappointment enveloped her.

  “I’ll be right with you,” Colleen called over her shoulder, still fighting the knot.

  Warm hands enveloped hers. “Here, let me get that.”

  Adam

  Colleen couldn’t hold still. She turned swiftly and looked into his clear blue eyes. An endearing smile touched his lips and caused the dimple in his cheek to wink at her.

  “Adam, your home.” Her voice sounded breathless to her own ears.

  “We got in last night.”

  Words exploded from her lips. “I’m so sorry, Adam. I never should have judged you. Can you ever forgive me?” Her throat closed up, tears filled her eyes, and Colleen silently prayed for the strength to continue.

  He guided her to the nearest chair and indicated that she should sit down. Colleen chewed on her bottom lip. There was so much she wanted to say, but her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth.

  “I’m sorry, too Colleen. I was wrong. My pride got in the way of my thinking. Please forgive me for being so rude to you.” Adam continued holding her hands.

  His eyes pleaded with her to forgive him. Colleen wanted to sink to the floor and sit with him, but her body refused to do as her mind screamed. All she could do was nod. He must think she was an idiot.

  Tears streamed down her cheeks when he released her hands. She wanted to scream that she did forgive him and that she had been wrong, too. Silently, she prayed, Lord, what’s wrong with me? Why can’t I speak or move?

  Adam took a small box out of his pocket. “I love you, and I’m praying you love me, too.” He opened the box and held it out to her.

  He loved her. The words screamed through her mind.

  “Colleen, will you marry me?” Adam held the box out to her with one hand and took her cold fingers in the other.

  Colleen smiled though her tears. She opened her mouth and the words she’d silently been thinking burst forth. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

  His rich laughter filled her heart and home. Colleen gasped as he stood up, pulled her from the chair and into his arms, and swung her around. “I was so afraid you would say no.” He laughed and held her close for several moments.

  Colleen hung on to him. He’d forgiven her and asked for her forgiveness as well. He really did love her.

  Adam pulled back from her and cupped her face in his hands. “Are you sure?”

  Colleen saw the worry in his eyes and wanted to erase all doubt from his mind. “Adam, I have loved you forever.” She watched in wonder as he pulled her face to his. Adam’s kiss felt gentle and sweet- Just what she expected from him.

  Epilogue

  Three weeks later, Colleen’s fingers shook as she fitted the veil on her hair. Today was the day. Her wedding day. She wondered if Adam felt as nervous as she did at this moment.

  Jenny came into the room wearing a red dress that fit her young figure beautifully. “Adam is pacing the floor,” she gigg
led. “You better hurry.” She stopped mid-stride, he mouth formed a perfect O. “Wow, you look fantastic.” She circled Colleen, and her hand rose several times as if she wanted to touch the fabric but didn’t dare.

  “Adam’s going to die when he see’s you,” Jenny said, her voice tight with awe.

  Colleen had chosen a simple satin, A-line dress with long sleeves that tapered to a V ending at the base of her middle finger. Tiny pearls and white shine of the pearls shimmered as she moved. Colleen’s hair hung full and shiny in a natural sweep. She placed trembling fingers lightly across her lips, feeling of confidence warring with major insecurities.

  “You really think he will like it?” She questioned anxiously with a little giggle.

  “Oh, yeah. He’s gonna love it. You’ll blow him away.”

  “Thanks.” Colleen caught Jenny in a quick hug, and then turned once more for a final glance in the full-length mirror. She ran her hands down the satin fabric of the dress. “Okay.” She breathed deeply. “I’m ready.”

  The small church would be drafty-something Colleen had anticipated, it being the middle of winter. Over a hundred years old, the building had stopped being used, and it had taken a couple of days to clean, but she loved it. The old wooden pews, the intricate carvings in the woodwork along the walls, and the high ceilings evoked an earlier time that spoke to her heart.

  Jenny handed Colleen a bouquet of red roses with baby’s breath mixed throughout it. She then picked up her own bunch of artificial white tulips. “You know, Colleen. When you first said you wanted a Christmas wedding with Christmas colors, I thought you were crazy. But I was wrong. The church is beautiful, and the red and white colors are absolutely gorgeous.”

  They both turned at the knock on the door. Giggles burst from Jenny’s lips. “We’d better get going.” She hugged Colleen then opened the door and walked out.

  Colleen followed and came face to face with her father. She gasped with happiness. “Daddy, you made it.” His black hair had turned silver around the temples since she’d seen him last.