CHAPTER 28: BUSY DAYS

CHAPTER 25: TRIPPIN' IT

By the time Jules woke up Saturday morning, she had made up her mind. She did not waste much time carrying her plan out. She had eaten her lunch and Duncan had fallen asleep for his afternoon nap. She gathered up her phone and headphones and headed out the door for her daily walk. The spring air was crisp and clean, and felt almost dewy, regardless of the bright sun shining down.

The next several weeks dragged by slow, and painfully for Jules. She started getting up earlier in the mornings to work out and make a healthy breakfast. All of the lifting, pushing, and caring for Duncan that she did was wearing out her mind more than anything else. She tried to set aside time each day to take a walk while Duncan was sleeping in the afternoons. She always looked forward to this time to let her mind wind down and relax, but it wasn't always enough.

As the glowing sun set behind Knight Manor. Isabella Knight a beautiful 21-year-old girl was finishing the last few touches on a surprise birthday party for her mom and uncle her mom’s twin brother. Bella scribbled on a piece of paper the last couple of items she needed to grab from the store.
‘Cake, candles, and balloons.’ thought Bella as she ran out the door to her black truck and rushed to the store. As Bella picked up the last few things on her list her phone rang.
“Hello” “Bella honey, it’s dad is everything ready for your mom and uncle?”

I’m an introvert.
I get peopled out.
I need time to recharge.

I’m naturally shy.
I don’t like talking to
people I
don’t know.
I hate it when they
don’t say
anything—
it forces me to talk.

I’m prideful.
I want to be the best.
I want to excel
at whatever I do.
I want people’s good opinion.
So I hide the real me.

I'm forgiven because You were forsaken
Almost exactly a month after I turned 16 in the April of 2014 I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and King, and I confessed my understanding that I could add nothing to my own salvation except for the sin I carried in my flesh. For the first time in my life I really thought about what Christ bore on the cross. More than the tempestuous pain and suffering; He bore the wrath of God poured out upon His head in my place. He cried out "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
I'm accepted, You were condemned

"Jules?"
"Mm?" She licked her dry, cracked lips and yawned, kicking the blanket off of her lap while she swung her feet around to touch the floor. She rubbed her eyes. "Wait, where am I?"
Greta smiled. "You're still in the waiting room."

Jules sat on the edge of the counter, a dazed look on her face. She brought her hand up to her heart, trying to still its wild beating. A tear slipped out of the corner of her eye.
Kevin reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay, Jules?" His voice held genuine concern.
"I don't know. Yes... no. I'll be okay. I just need to wrap my brain around this. What is she doing now? Is she clean? Do you know?"
"No, I mean, last I heard she was a few months clean. But Jules, that was twelve years ago."
"Do you have contact information for her?"

Minutes had turned to hours, and Martin was still stretched out on his cot in the corner of the little hospital room. Jules took a peek at him. He was sound asleep, his black hair making his face look even more pale than it already was. She noted the dark circles forming around his eyelids with a bit of concern. He had never been able to handle stress very well, and this was the worst she had seen him. If he wasn't careful to rest he'd need a caretaker, too. She heard a sigh from behind her, and turned her attention back towards the hospital bed. She spoke softly. "Margaret?"