The Apple

She stood in the shallow water of the lake, wiggling her toes in the cool water. Lily stooped low again to grab another flat stone from the rocky soil. Standing back up, she straightened out her white dress. She tossed the rock and smiled as it skipped across the flat surface of the lake, creating small ripples across the calm water wherever it touched.

Bending down to grab another stone, she heard her mother call her from their house, "Lily, come wash up for supper!"

Lily dropped her stone back into the waters of the lake, and ran over to the small apple tree that sat on the bank. She grabbed her white shoes from the shades of the tree, and reached up to grab a red apple hanging from a low branch.

Lily skipped to her house, only stopping to pick a few pink flowers. She reached the open door of their simple home and went inside. Her father was sitting in his chair, still wearing his church clothes, waiting for supper. His childhood friend, Joseph Young, was sitting in a chair beside him. He looked her up and down with his striking blue eyes.

"Little Miss Lily! Or maybe not so little any more. Girl, I swear you grow more beautiful every time I lay my eyes upon you."

Lily smiled, "Thank you Mr. Jospeh. Will you be gracing us with your fine presence this evening for supper?"

"I will be here, but I think it is I that will be graced with the presence of such a kind family."

Joseph reached down to the ground beneath his seat and brought back up a lily flower. He presented it to Lily and her smile widened.

"I was on my way to your family home when I found this flower. It is the most beautiful I have ever come across and I thought that I would bring it to a beautiful girl."

"Thank you, Mr. Joseph."

Lily blushed fiercely as she took the flower and walked past him, smelling it as she walked past. She walked over to her father and bent down. He smiled at her as she kissed his cheek.

"Have you been down at the lake this whole time, Lily?"

"Yes, Daddy, and I got you a gift, as well,"Lily presented the shiny red apple that she had been hiding behind her back. Taking the apple, he placed it on a table beside his chair.

"Thank you, Lily," he pulled her close and looked over at Joseph and grinned at him, "You watch that man, he has been hitting the bottle pretty hard today."

Lily smiled and nodded knowingly as Joseph stepped up behind her. His hands came to rest on her bare shoulders and he squeezed slightly, "That is a fine looking apple, Miss Lily. I believe I would appreciate it much more than the preacher."

Lily turned and smiled at Joseph, "I will go pick you one right now, before dinner."

Lily turned to walk out her door when her mother's voice came from the kitchen," Supper is on the table, come eat."

Lily looked back to Joseph, "I am sorry Mr. Joseph. Could I go pick you an apple after dinner?"

"No, no I will be fine, Miss Lily. There is no need to worry yourself with an apple for a man like myself. For women as beautiful as you do not go picking apples to give to lowly men like me."

The three walked into the dining room and sat at the dining table, supper already laid out and ready.

The preacher sat across from his friend, "Joseph, you are not a lowly man. You just hit a rough patch in life, but if you ask the Lord to help and put your faith in his will, one day you shall be blessed with what the Lord thinks will be best for you in life."

Lily turned to face Joseph sitting to her right, " I agree, Mr. Joseph, the Lord has a place for you in this world, and though you may not see it now, he will show you what you need to do when the time comes. If you live your life by the Lord's will, he will show you a good life in the end."