The man sat on the couch, refusing to move a muscle. The woman sat quaking next to him, her shoulders shaking at a frantic pace. Across the room, on the table, sat the box with the only thing inside that the insurances office would not cover, all the money they had left after paying the balance, the bills that were coming due, the high rent and potential increase, that was due tomorrow. The man looked at her as she huddled in her seat. She cried softly, her head bowed down as her hands and fingers clutched at the ripped fabric of her night gown. She whited out, the red blood vessels on her neck sticking out.
"You're going to be okay, Honey. God forgives," the man said. The man felt nothing but remorse. Whatever she was going through, he knew he didn't deserve it and she didn't need it, especially not from him. But those were four words, 'you're going to be okay, Honey,' the only thing he knew how to say, but it sounded so empty even to her ears.
Then she looked over to the box. "How could I have done this?" she asked.
"It's okay," the man said. "Just think of the good."
"The good?"
"Yeah, the good you've done. How many people would want to do all the good you've done? God blesses people like us to do good."
"But you're talking about what we did together, and you can't get around it. That's the start of the bad stuff."
"I know, Honey," the man said. "The bad stuff's never very far away."
"No," the woman said. "It's what we've been living. The sex wasn't wrong. Sex is not wrong, but what we did after."
"I know there's two parts," the man said, "but we can get past this, because we've got some strong principles to rely on. That won't change."
"Yeah, that's true. We can get past this part. But what if I do it again? How do I know I can still trust God?"
"That's what the church is for. They can tell you, and you can tell me. We just have to go to the church. God can give us strength."
The woman sat silently, squinting, her eyes wide, "the church? You want me to go now? We're not done with this."
"Just think of what an old woman's saying and the sick look on her face, and the little kids, the ones that have already died," the man said. "We can't forsake the biggest of the all. Where can you turn to then?"
The woman covered her face with her hands and talked through her fingers. "But I feel sick. What if I mess up?"
"You won't. You can do it. I believe in you. That's the best thing I have going for me."
"What Else?"
"There's nothing in there. It's in here," the man said as he pounded his breast.
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because there's nothing in here except love for you, because You are my salvation is my joy!" the man said. "That's what I think. It's my best hope, right now."
"But what if I get pregnant?"
"You won't. I promise. We'll be going to the church. God brings us together in His own good time. Trusting God's timing is the best way to be safe, right now. Don't see it now, but I know you want to."
"I do want to, Daddy! I'm just scared. I'm really scared."
"I know, Honey. I know that's the whole reason why I came to you, because I wanted to leave my faith behind and I found out that it was contributing to my life, and now you and the kids are doing the same thing. Praise God, the man said as he pointed to the ceiling. "Don't be afraid."
"You know what else I was afraid of?"
"What's that?"
"I was afraid of talking to you today, because you might think that you couldn't face me anymore."
"Facing up to it is what I'm good at," the man said as he hugged her. "I will always face you. I can face anything. I won't go on my knees to get you back, because I won't leave you. A strong woman like you won't give up on me."
The man rose and walked across the room and up to the box.
