Aubrey (Revolving With Axis)

096: Aubrey

096: Aubrey

I did, and he followed. I rolled to the far wall. Rafe lay on his back and dialed a number. I was quiet, not wanting to interrupt, but wondering why he'd chosen to call someone right in the middle of our serious conversation.

"We're losing two hours as we drive." He said to me, and looked at his phone to confirm the time.

"But right now we're in the same time zone as my family." I said softly. "Mountain Daylight time."

"Hello, is Bishop Bradley there?" It would have been close to ten p.m. I was shocked he was actually making that call. At all.

"Hi, Bishop, this is Rafe Stryker, how are you doing?" I couldn't hear the Bishop's response, and felt a little funny listening to Rafe's side of it, as I thought it might end up being a very personal conversation. But he knew I was there. If he'd wanted to do it privately, he knew—

"So what did you find out?"

Okay, now I was more than surprised. This meant he'd already talked to the Bishop about something recently. He listened intently, nodding now and then. He told him we'd be in Monterrey tomorrow. He told him we wouldn't be near another temple for nine days. I felt my body tingle with adrenaline. He had thought about things.

Finally he said, "She is planning to stay on tour during our time in Mexico, a little over a month.... Yes, yes, yes, we have a hard time keeping our hands off each other. Yeah, no. Nope. Nope. Not at all. Thanks. Yeah."

I was dying to know what was being said. I felt the blood pumping hard in my veins, and my breathing was shallow. When Rafe hung up I could barely just lay there.

"That was my Bishop." He said unnecessarily.

"Our Bishop." I corrected. I wanted so badly to start pummeling him with questions. Remaining silent, or supportive as he decided what to tell me was killing me. But I did. I just laid there.

"So, this is the deal. I'm to find the missionaries in Monterrey tomorrow and get a blessing. You can come with. I need to download several articles and books including the Book of Mormon to my iPAD and start reading every day. You will have to help me with this. I'm not a big fan of reading long things, and I have the feeling this is going to be long. I'm to pray morning and night, and in between."

"What are you supposed to read?"

"Book of Mormon."

"I have that."

"Temple ready handbook."

"That's easy to get and I should read it too if we are preparing to go to the temple. I have to take the classes as well."

"You, why?"

"Everybody does."

"Oh." Now he didn't feel so singled out.

"What else?"

"The Miracle of Forgiveness by Kimball."

"I have that." I drew in my breath sharply. It was one of my favorite books, but I could see how you'd feel differently if you'd sinned. You really came to see sin as sin, reading that book.

"Aubrey, what are the actual questions in the recommend interview? Ask them to me right now."

I got out the Kindle and turned to Exodus 20 in the Bible. "How about if we start at the beginning? How about the 10 commandments?"

"Okay, assuming I believe in God at all, right?"

"Do you?"

"Yes."