Meeting Ruth

Tobias allowed a faint smile to form on his face as he took in the aroma of the dark rich coffee that sat in front of him. It was exactly what he needed after spending hours in the gym preparing for his upcoming fight with Lucas. Tobias took a sip of his coffee and allowed himself to relax into the seat he was sitting in. It was rare for him to spend time alone. Growing up, Tobias spent his upbringing in foster care, so he was always around other children. He never got to have personal belongings, because every toy he owned would get taken by one of his peers. Having time to himself at the Coffee House was a rarity for Tobias, and he was going to take full advantage of it.

"E-excuse me?" a soft voice asked.

Tobias turned his gaze from the window and looked at the person who was trying to get his attention. To his surprise, it was the girl he had noticed earlier. From the moment their eyes met, Tobias felt a tug on his heart. Her voice was kind, something he had not experienced throughout most of his life. Tobias knew that he could not fall for her though, because she was an angel, and she would never get with a guy who had a past like his.

"What do you want?" Tobias asked with a stern tone.

A look of panic appeared on the girl's face. Tobias instantly felt guilty, but was taken by surprise when she took another step towards him.

"M-my name is Ruth." She paused. "I-I believe we go to school together."

Tobias looked at the coffee in his mug to avoid making eye contact again with the stranger he had just met. He knew that if he looked into her eyes, which were his favorite shade of brown, he would not be able to resist getting lost in them.

"Okay. So we go to school together. Do you want to sleep with me? Is that why you are talking to me?"

Ruth took a step back after taking in the statement Tobias had made. Is that how people viewed him? As an object they could use for their own pleasure? Ruth shook her head, it disappointed her that Tobias thought that she wanted to use him.

"N-not at all. I just saw you over here sitting alone, and I thought maybe you could use a friend."

The confession made Tobias' heart swell. Growing up in the orphanage, he did not make a lot of friends. Between moving between foster care families and switching schools every few months, he didn't have a chance to establish permanent friendships with anyone he had met. Nevertheless, Tobias knew that he could not get attached to this girl standing before him--even if that meant acting coldly towards her.

"Well, I appreciate your effort, but I don't need any friends," he told her.

A frown formed on Ruth's face. She could not understand why he would not want any friends. However, she decided to not push him further, in fear that if she did he may get mad at her.

"I-I understand. I apologize for bothering you," she said. Ruth turned around slowly and went back to her table to continue reading over her Bible. At least I tried, she thought to herself.

Tobias silently cursed at himself as the girl he came to know as Ruth walked away from his table. He wanted nothing more than to allow somebody into his life, but he couldn't allow that to happen. Tobias was ashamed of how he grew up, and his closet hid many demons. So as much as he wanted to befriend the girl, he knew it was for the best that he didn't.

Tobias took the last sip of his coffee and took his wallet out of his jacket pocket to leave the waitress a tip. He headed towards the exit door, but paused in his steps when he saw Ruth sitting in a booth in the corner of the coffee house reading a book. Her eyes lit up with wonder as she turned the page. Tobias felt a tug on his heart. He did not know why he was experiencing this curiosity. Fortunately for Tobias, he saw Ruth send him a small wave, gesturing him to sit with her. He hesitated for a moment, unsure if sitting with Ruth was a wise decision. But ultimately, his heart won, and he could not stop himself from walking over to her.

Tobias sat down and looked at the shy girl sitting in front of him. Her eyes reminded him of a pool of chocolate, for they were a deep-rich brown.

Tobias cleared his throat. "Hello again."

A small grin appeared on Ruth's face, she was excited that he had chosen to come sit with her.

"Hi," she let out a short chuckle and began to play with her fingers.

Tobias glanced at the book that was placed in front of Ruth on the table.

"What are you reading there?" He asked then pointed to the book.

"O-oh this? I am reading the Bible. H-have you ever read it?" She whispered.

Tobias thought back to when he had seen Ruth across the street of the gas station standing in the church parking lot. The uncomfortable feeling he had experienced during that moment came back to him.

"No, I have not," he stated bluntly.

Tobias watched as Ruth bit her lip. He did not intend to make her feel nervous.

"I," he paused. "I am interested in reading it though."

He watched as Ruth's eyes connected with his, they twinkled with excitement.

"Y-you are?"

In that moment, Tobias wished he had not made that comment. He knew that God would not accept him. He was imperfect and flawed. Tobias thought that if his own parents did not want him, then God would not want him either.

"I am. However, I don't think reading the Bible would do me any good. I'm not sure if a guy like me deserves to read it."

Ruth sunk in her seat a little. She was disappointed that Tobias thought so lowly of himself. However, it was in that moment that Ruth knew God had wanted her to meet Tobias. She could share the gospel with him, and perhaps help him to establish a relationship with the Lord.

Ruth gave Tobias a comforting smile. "Not that it matters what I think," she paused. "But I don't believe that God would say you are undeserving of a relationship with him."

Tobias allowed himself to ponder what Ruth told him. Since he could remember, he had always taken care of himself. No one was interested in showing him love, including his own birth parents. Tobias wanted to trust Ruth, but his past insecurities made it difficult. He took a deep breath and decided that it was time for him to let somebody into his life. Nevertheless, Tobias would remain cautious, because he feared getting let down again.

"Could we possibly read the Bible together? I don't know where to begin," Tobias admitted.

Ruth took out a piece of paper and a pen from her purse. She wrote her phone number down and handed it to Tobias.

"Text me your availability and I can walk you through it."

Tobias looked at the piece of paper and then shifted his focus to Ruth's eyes, which were again filled with excitement. It was in that moment that he felt seen for the first time in his life.

"Thank you Ruth," he said. Tobias slid from out of the booth and put the paper with Ruth's number on it inside of his jacket pocket. "Have a good rest of your day."

Tobias turned around to head towards the exit of the coffee house, but stopped for a moment when he heard Ruth's voice.

"I hope you have a blessed day."

Tobias smiled to himself. Little did he know that meeting Ruth would change his life forever.