Wings of Refuge (49 page)
“Were you able to decode Ben’s message?”
“Very easily, once we knew his verse. Here, we’re finished with it.”
“I want you to keep it,” she said, pushing it back into his hands.
“Your Bible? Abby, I know how important it is to you. . . .”
“Please, I want you to have it. To remember me.”
Ari accepted it, then drew her into his arms for a brief embrace. “I could never forget you. . . . Shalom, Abby.”
“Shalom,” she whispered.
Abby was at peace as she boarded the airplane and buckled herself into her seat. She felt strangely calm as they prepared for takeoff, then roared down the runway and lifted off. When the plane was finally airborne, she opened the gift from Ari and Hannah, removing the wrapping carefully as if she planned to use it again.
Inside the jeweler’s box was a small green mosaic stone, hanging from a golden chain. She lifted it out and slipped it around her neck. Tucked beside it was a note in Hannah’s writing:
One small piece of God’s design to remind you that His redemption is displayed to the world through us—one small act of grace at a time
.
The final leg of Abby’s flight, from takeoff in New York until landing in Indianapolis, seemed longer to her than the flight from Israel to New York. She was eager to see her children again and glad that Emily and Greg were both coming to pick her up at the airport. As she stepped off the de-boarding ramp, she searched the crowd for their faces. But when she finally spotted a familiar face, it wasn’t Emily’s or Greg’s.
It was her husband, Mark.
Abby stopped walking, frozen in place. Mark saw her, too, but he also remained where he was. His face was somber, his eyes questioning, sorrowful.
Daddy has changed
, Emily had insisted, and he did look different somehow—less certain of himself, more vulnerable. He reminded her of the serious mathematics major she had fallen in love with twenty-three years ago, not the smooth computer executive he had become.
Abby slowly walked toward him, stopping a few feet away. Tears brimmed in Mark’s eyes, then trailed down his cheeks. He didn’t wipe them.
“Hello, Abby.”
She fingered Rachel’s necklace, remembering God’s unfathomable design.
“Hi,” she managed. Then her own tears began to fall.
LYNN AUSTIN has authored several works of fiction, including
Eve’s Daughters
, winner of the Silver Angel Award, and the C
HRONICLES OF THE
K
ING
series. In addition to writing, Lynn is a popular speaker at conferences, retreats, and various church and school events. She and her husband have three children and make their home in Illinois.
Other Books by Author
Books by
Lynn Austin
FROM BETHANY HOUSE PUBLISHERS
All She Ever Wanted
Eve’s Daughters
Hidden Places
A Proper Pursuit
Though Waters Roar
Until We Reach Home
While We’re Far Apart
Wings of Refuge
A Woman’s Place
R
EFINER’S
F
IRE
Candle in the Darkness
Fire by Night
A Light to My Path
C
HRONICLES OF THE
K
INGS
Gods & Kings
Song of Redemption
The Strength of His Hand
Faith of My Fathers
Among the Gods
