Regina and Jewel from Merry Maids made their final sweep of the house and had Dave sign an invoice. As he helped them to their car with various vacuums, brooms and buckets of tools, Jill and Shani pulled up with the kids and an Xterra full of party supplies.
“Welcome Wagon!” Jill called as she opened her door and got out, opening the back door for Billy.
“Hi, Mr. Dave,” Billy called out. “We’re going to the zoo! Mommy’s taking me and Franny to the zoo. You wanna go? Wanna go look at the seals and the snakes?”
“Hey, dude! I’d love to go to the zoo - ask mommy if we can go in a couple of hours after everyone gets here!” Dave said, loud enough for the ladies to hear. “Hello, Miss Franny,” Dave said. Franny was dressed in her evening wear, a girly little red corduroy dress with straps and a white long-sleeved top with dainty red stitching around the collar and puffy sleeves. “You sure look beautiful today,” he said.
“Say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Dave,’ Shani said to the little one as she unbuckled the car seat. Franny was holding a ball which she pointed in Dave’s general direction. “Ball” was all she was prepared to say at the present time.
“Yes, ball,” Dave said. He touched Shani’s shoulder, and they smiled at one another.
“She slept all the way over here. It may take her a while to get warmed up,” she said. They packed the children into the house and made several trips back out to the Xterra to retrieve bags and boxes full of party goodies.
“You invite the whole church to this thing?” Dave asked, only half in jest.
“No. I just knew that, between you and Madison, you could eat a horse, and, of course, I’m eating for two,” Jill drawled sweetly as she patted her slightly pooched tummy. “I know you don’t like to be the center of attention, which shouldn’t be a problem with Madison here.”
Shani had barely known her Pastor’s wife until a few weeks ago. She had always seen Jill Enright as the quiet, behind the scenes, southern belle that popped up here and there at church functions. She hadn’t realized that Jill Enright was such a wonderful person, her country roots and solid Christian upbringing influencing more of the Community Chapel program than anyone ever knew. Shani instantly loved and respected her. Jill was the kind of Christlike wife and mother that she hoped to become. Being in such a new relationship with Dave, it was equally strange to see him tossing verbal jabs back and forth with her Pastor’s wife. It was as if they were so comfortable and secure in each other’s friendship and love that they felt no need for any churchy pretense, which she had always felt at church gatherings when Pastor Enright and Jill were around. It was refreshing to know that the Pastor’s wife was a real person. Shani silently wondered if the mood would change after Pastor arrived.
Greg and Terry Fields came in a little after 6:00 p.m. with a potato salad that she said was made by Dawn, so it was sure to be delicious. She said Dawn wouldn’t be able to make it unless she was able to trade with someone and get off a little early. Pastor Dan and Julie managed to find the house at about 6:45 p.m., having driven around the block a few dozen times to find parking. Everyone was given the grand tour of Dave’s old house and dinner was served buffet-style after Madison called Jill’s cell and said he was running late.
“You know I’ve driven by these houses for twenty years and have never been inside one,” Dan said as he worked his way along the buffet line. “I had no idea they were so spacious and nice. They seem so crammed together, but they really open up inside.”
“I hadn’t ever been in one either, Dave said. “But I kind of always admired them. They’re unique. Something uniquely San Francisco, I guess.”
“How did you find this place?” Julie Williams asked as she poured a drink.
“A realtor found it. I just said I would like to look at one, and she found this place. I just came to look, you know, and pretty soon I was signing a contract.”
“Dave’s not one for the long, drawn-out decision-making process,” Jill informed the group. They smiled as Dave shrugged.
“Guilty as charged,” he said. “When you know something is right, why wait?” People raised their glasses to his bit of impatient logic while Dave and Shani’s eyes met briefly, silently acknowledging the possible double-meaning of his words.
Shani and Jill sat at the dining room table attending to Franny and Billy, trying to keep their messiness to a minimum, while Dave and the others sat in the adjoining great room on the leather sofa and chairs.
“This is really nice, Dave,” Terry said. “Greg, honey, why didn’t you buy me one of these instead of our place?”
“Well, Babe, I can think of about 900,000 reasons, offhand.” Greg turned to Dave and whispered, “What in the world kind of business did you sell anyway?”
“It’s a long story. Can I just say it matters more how badly someone wants something than what that something actually is?”
“That’s a little philosophical for a truck driver, but I guess it’ll do. Someone must have wanted it pretty badly, then, huh?” To which Dave raised his glass slightly in agreement.
“Understatement of the year,” Dave thought to himself.
Chapter 30
Madison made it to Union Street in San Francisco about 7:15 p.m. and had to circle the block a few times to for a parking spot on Dave’s street. Finding someone to work the closing shift in her place was easier than Dawn expected, as most of the young men would have walked over hot coals to be chosen. She found a parking spot around the corner from Dave’s street about 7:20 p.m. and started walking up the block in search of the right address. Jill had told her that she would leave the yellow Xterra in the driveway, if she could, so, unless there were a bunch of those, it shouldn’t be too hard to find. Madison swooped in to a spot just as it was vacated that was only two houses down from Dave’s. He smiled with a sense of victory as he caressed the Rover into the parallel slot. Dawn was on the sidewalk, about five houses down, when she noticed the exchange of cars in front of her and silently cursed not finding the spot herself. Timing was everything. She was about thirty feet away when the driver’s door opened on the black SUV and a tall blond man hopped out, shutting the door behind him. Setting the alarm with a click of the key-fob, he turned and jogged up the sidewalk to the house with the yellow Xterra parked in front, took the front steps two at a time, knocked and entered. Dawn recognized Pastor Enright and knew he was supposed to be here tonight, but it was still intimidating, since the only time she met him had been in the awkward setting of his office asking for help getting away from Brad. She had been too far away and too embarrassed to call to him when he got out of the car, and, since he hadn’t seen her, she figured that she would just follow him to the right house. As she walked by his car, the warm engine still making clicking, settling sounds as she passed, she had the strangest feeling that she had seen the black Range Rover before. For the life of her, she couldn’t place where, but assumed it was at church sometime without realizing to whom it belonged. She took the same steps, one at a time, and knocked on the door, waiting for it to be answered. Dave Bean was just handing his best friend a cold Coke when the door bell rang.
“I’ll get it,” Jill announced.
“Now, don’t go into labor. Put your feet up and let a guy answer his own door,” Dave said. “Dawn! You made it. Come in, come in.”
“I’m not too late, I hope.”
“No, in fact, we would have waited for you, but the potato salad you made looked too good, and we couldn’t resist.” Dave gave Dawn a hug and welcomed her into the living room where everyone was gathered. Shani was the first to see her enter and nearly spilled her plate in setting it down so she could rush over and greet her.
“Dawn, I’m so glad you made it,” Shani said. “I think everyone knows Dawn Neilson, my newest friend and maybe the best cook I know,” Shani announced. Dawn felt completely out of place, yet totally welcome among these people who, in her eyes, were spiritual giants.
“I haven’t had the pleasure. Da
wn, I’m Jill Enright, Pastor’s wife. It’s wonderful to meet you,” Jill said, rising from the table where she had been helping Billy with his table manners.
“Mrs. Enright.”
“Call me Jill, honey,” Jill said, patting her tummy. “I’m going to get enough ‘Mrs. Enright’ when this one reaches kindergarten, and I’m the only aid using a walker.”
“Jill, then. It’s so nice to meet you. I guess I’ve seen you at church, but I didn’t know you were Pastor’s wife.”
“Well, we tend to come and go at different times, story of life in the ministry.”
“When are you due?” Dawn asked.
“February 15th,” Jill announced. It was the first time most of her friends had heard an actual date, and there were murmurs of excitement in the room. “It seems like a long ways away, and then again, it seems like tomorrow. It’s been a while since I’ve been through this.” She gestured back at the table where Billy was licking the center out of an Oreo without separating the sides first, his tongue mining for the white frosting.
“He’s precious. Looks like quite a hand full.”
“You got that right. If you ever want to take him for a few days, give me a call.” Jill hugged Dawn again and said, “Listen, my schedule has blown out of the water, since, you know,” she pointed to her belly, “but let’s spend some time together. Can you drop by the house sometime? I’ll give you my cell number.”
“Sure. I guess. Yeah, I’d love to.” Dawn was overwhelmed at the genuine grace and acceptance of Jill Enright. She seemed like both a princess and an angel. Jill made Dawn feel more at ease than she had been in years. Dawn took a seat in the living room by Julie Williams, with whom she had counseled after Pastor Enright the day after the big blowout with Brad. She found Julie and Pastor Dan to be just as kind and wonderful as she remembered.
“Before I forget,” Dawn said to Julie and Dan after they greeted one another. “I wanted to give you this,” she handed Julie a white letter envelope.
“What’s this?”
“It’s the money I borrowed from the church. I wanted to pay it back, first thing.”
“Oh, Dawn, you don’t have to do that. It wasn’t a loan. It was a gift. People donate that money specifically for us to use to meet needs. We give it away with no strings,” Julie said, handing the envelope back to Dawn.
“Please, really,” Dawn said. “I’m doing much better, I’m making good money, and I want to do it - I want to pay it back. Use it to help someone else like me. I know there are more of us out there.”
Julie looked at her husband, who glanced across the room at Madison, wondering if he had overheard any of this. Madison hadn’t heard, but was looking their way, apparently at the floor, or at Dawn’s legs. The Pastor felt Dan’s eyes and looked up instinctively. Their eyes met, and Madison motioned for Dan to come over.
“Excuse me,” Dan said to the two ladies, and got up to join Madison in the foyer.
“What’s up?” Madison said, trying to cover embarrassment with concern.
“She’s giving the money back.”
“That’s unusual.”
“Said she wants to. Needs to.”
“Well, good for her. What are we going to do, make her keep it?”
“I know. I just wanted to see if you had any input.”
“No. I’d just say good for her, and, if there is any further need, don’t hesitate to let us know,” Madison said in his official boss tone.
“Sounds good... You okay?” Dan asked.
“Mhmm. Why do you ask?”
“Oh, just seems like your mind might be someplace else.”
“Lot’s going on, I guess.”
“You can say that again. Let me know if I can help you with anything.”
“Thanks, Dan.”
The time flew by as Billy bounced up and down the three flights of stairs, and people meandered through the house and held impromptu court over social issues and politics. Dave mostly sat back and watched it all. This was more energy than he had felt in his home for a dozen years. This was friendship, love and acceptance. These were the kind of people that he wanted to hang out with, that he wanted to rub off on him. He subconsciously wished the evening would never end.
Greg and Terry were the first to leave. “Got to get my beauty sleep,” nurse Terry announced. Dave and Shani walked them out to the sidewalk.
“Where’d you park?” Dave asked.
“Just around the corner, a good romantic distance for an evening stroll with my first love,” Greg said as he took Terry’s hand and they started up the street.
“This was great, Dave. You have a lovely place,” Terry said, looking back, and then, as she turned away, “It just needs a woman’s touch.” She said the last part softer, receiving a loving shove from her husband.
“What was that last part?” Dave called.
“Nothing,” Greg said. “See you guys later.”
“Who’s SUV?” Greg said to his wife as they passed Madison’s Rover.
“I don’t know, why.”
“Mmm. Looks familiar, I don’t know,” he said.
“You just want one... You just bought a house, remember?” Terry said.
“Oh yeah, the one with the nurse,” he said, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her close.
“I’ll nurse you,” she said.
“What?”
“Wait, that didn’t come out right.”
Dave and Shani watched them walk, laughing and joking with each other like high-school sweethearts. The night was crisp, much cooler here than across the bridge. The ambient traffic noise on the main streets provided sound, but it was a different kind of sound than the party inside the house - this was calmer, more private. Dave put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her toward him gently. She didn’t resist, but leaned in, nestling her face against his strong chest.
“What a amazing night,” he said. “Thank you.” He rubbed his hand softly against her sleeveless arm, “You cold? I feel goose bumps.”
“A little.”
“I guess we’d better get back inside, huh?”
“Mmm... I guess.”
They walked up the stairs, and Dave opened the big door for Shani. Jill and Dawn were in the kitchen rinsing dishes, while Madison and Dan were watching something on ESPN. Franny was asleep on Julie’s lap with her yellow blanket, and Billy was playing with a couple of Hot Wheels cars on the stairs. Dave gathered Franny into his arms, releasing her hostage, Julie, to pull her husband away from the A’s game.
“Take me home Dan-O,” she said.
“Yes, dear,” he said, getting up without taking his eyes from the screen. “But Honey, Dave’s got high-definition plasma; it’s got psychic power.”
Dave smiled and wriggled a hand free to shake with Dan. “Thanks for coming,” he said just over a whisper.
“Great place,” Dan said. “Feel free to invite us over any time to watch the A’s.”
“I’ll just get you a key made, how’s that?” Dave said.
“Even better!” They both laughed quietly to avoid waking sleeping beauty.
Dawn excused herself next and Madison said, “Jill, we’d better be going, too. The A’s game is in the top of the 8th - we might be able to beat some traffic.”
Shani reluctantly said to Dave, “Guess that’s my cue as well.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Dave said. “Dawn, wait up, Shani and I will walk you to your car.”
Madison helped Jill pack the car and buckle in their oldest, which was an interesting concept to grasp in itself, who was slowly losing steam. “You want to follow me out?” he said as he hugged his wife and future offspring.
“Mmm, but go slow,” Jill said. Hugs and goodbyes were given all around. When Madison got to Dawn, he hugged her and said he was glad she was doing so well.
“Thanks, Pastor, and thank you for all your help. The church has been great.” She felt a sense of mixed emotion, which she couldn’t quite
put a finger on. Everything and everyone was so great, but she had a sort of check in her heart about Madison. Maybe it was the way he hugged her. It was the same as everyone else, but there seemed to be something behind it. Maybe it was the way he looked at her, as if he were studying her. It didn’t seem fair to him, but she couldn’t help what she felt.
The Enrights pulled away, and the remaining foursome started walking down the street - Dave carrying the sleeping Franny, covered now with her yellow blanket, her head resting peacefully on her shoulder.
“Thank you so much for having me over,” Dawn said.
“Are you kidding?” Shani said. “I need you around to help me bring down the median age. It’s weird hanging out with all these old people.”
“Hey...” Dave said.
The ladies laughed and pulled ahead of Dave and his charge. Thick fog was slowly descending on the streets of San Francisco, the streetlights emitting a misty glow as people strolled in their light. As he watched the ladies walk in front of him, talking and laughing like old friends, he realized that his love for the petite little Shani Andrews was growing more real by the moment. She had been amazing this evening. Her confidence and intelligence, the way she embraced the party guests, making each one feel welcome and important. He replayed it all. And now, to see her walking with a new friend, the single mother and the reluctant beauty, he felt his heart swell with pride that God had given him such a wonderful gift. Not long ago, if put in this same situation, he would have only seen Dawn. Shani would have been invisible. But now, as if contradicting his human nature, he discovered that he only had eyes for Shani. He watched her with a keen eye that noticed every nuance, every gesture. He felt his eyes moistening as the realization that the love he was feeling was the kind he had prayed for, the kind only God could put in the heart of a man, and he found himself whispering to sleeping Franny, “I love your mommy.” With her head resting on his shoulder, her little nose snuggled against his neck, she quietly responded, “I lub your mommy.”