The Road to Mercy by Kathy Harris Read Free Book Online Page B

this.”
    “We’ll make it.” He assured her, while trying to reassure himself.
    “I know. Somehow.” She nodded and pulled away to return to her meal preparation.
    Josh walked back to the table and took a seat on the bench. He knew the situation was difficult for Beth too. But the responsibility of it all scared him. He had to be strong for both of them.
    He had so many questions. So many doubts, about the kind of long-term damage the drugs were inflicting. God had been gracious to give him Beth when he needed her most, just before he lost his mother to a devastating illness and less than a year before his father passed away from grief and exhaustion.
    Josh had hoped for a family of his own since losing his parents. But not under these circumstances. Beth interrupted his thoughts as she set two plates on the table, one in front of him.
    “It looks great, honey,” he said.
    She sat opposite him, and he held her hand across the table while he said grace. The food smelled delicious. Beth had made one of his favorite meals. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and corn. He picked up his fork and took a big bite of the meatloaf. He had looked forward to eating Beth’s home cooking the entire time he was away.
    The mealy texture of the hamburger shocked him back to reality. His first impulse was to spit it out. But Beth was beaming, proud of her accomplishment. He rolled the soggy mixture around in his mouth. It would have been tasteless except for scorched places on the bottom crust. He took a long drink of iced tea and swallowed.
    Beth watched him dig into the mound of mashed potatoes on his plate. He smiled back at her. He could make a meal of mashed potatoes anytime.
But not these potatoes
. They were lumpy, which wasn’t so bad. But Beth must have salted them twice. They were almost intolerably seasoned. How would he make it through the meal without hurting his wife’s feelings?
    He took a small bite of the corn.
Sweet and delicious
. Thank God for Del Monte.
    “This is great,” he said. “Would you please pass the corn, honey?”
    She smiled and handed the bowl back to him. He piled more of the golden kernels onto his plate, practically smothering his potatoes and meatloaf.
    “You’re eating a lot of corn,” she said, her expression wavering.
    “For some reason I’ve been craving it.” He whispered a silent prayer for forgiveness of his little white lie. “Thanks for cooking for me.”
    She smiled. “You’re welcome!”
    His wife had gone out of her way to fix supper when she didn’t feel well, and he would fill his stomach with sweet corn. Even though his stomach complained, his heart overflowed with love for her.

    “Do you think we’ll get through this?” Josh asked Alex while they stood in the backyard watching Buster running at warp speed.
    The little black-and-white terrier scampered like a streaker at a football game, dodging trees and bushes as he ran. The chilly weather always invigorated him.
    Josh too. The clear crispness of the air would have made for a perfect football game day. But, instead of watching his favorite sport on television or at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, he was discussing his wife’s bizarre behavior with their neighbor. Alex had stayed with Beth this morning while he ran errands, and she knew what he was facing.
    “God will get you through it.”
    “Us. You’re in the midst of this battle too.”
    “We can make it a day at a time,” she said.
    Alex was one of the most positive Christians he knew, even when circumstances didn’t warrant optimism. “Nights are worse than daytime. She’s had some terrible nightmares. Even getting out of bed and acting . . . strangely.” Josh wasn’t sure how to describe Beth’s manic actions.
    “Sleepwalking?”
    “Yes, I guess that’s what it is.”
    “It’s likely the medication. She’ll grow more tolerant after a while.”
    “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Josh shook his head. “I don’t know the