Committed to You

Chapter 12 Alana

Melodic bells chimed from the tower in the old white church that looked prettier than a Rockwell painting. It was the sound of an era gone by. No one seemed to ring the bells anymore. Pastor Whitmore still did. He rang those bells loud and strong, welcoming the community to church. Nora got chills as she stepped from Robert's black Lexus. A flood of comforting memories draped her like a warm, familiar sweater on a blustery day. For a moment she saw her boys as children, playing on the church lawn with the other kids. They laughed and ran. She spent many days trying to keep up with them—Don't dirty your Sunday clothes, boys echoed in her mind. Her eyes gazed upon the old stained-glass windows. They were as beautiful as ever. She inhaled deeply, allowing the sweet scent of peaches to fill her lungs. The old groves were still there, and from the looks of things Pastor Whitmore had bought the two adjoining properties and there were more peach trees in the orchard than ever.

Robert stepped around to Nora's side of the car. He looked so handsome with his neatly trimmed beard, his hair spiked in a youthful style. The new black suit he wore made him look even slimmer than the 20 pounds he'd lost. He adjusted the collar of his blue shirt to make sure that the matching tie was tucked properly. Then he extended his arm to Nora. She tucked her arm in the fold of his and then walked toward the church.

He glanced down at the blue dress that he'd bought her to match his shirt. He smiled, remembering the look on her face as he handed her the gift-wrapped box. The pearls he'd bought added just the right touch. "You look beautiful, Nora."

Her ears were now ringing louder than the church bells. Nora couldn't remember the last time he'd paid her a compliment. She was being noticed, and that made her heart stir. The blush made her cheeks sting. "Thank you, Robert."

The closer they got to the church, the more they heard the choir sing. They still sang the hymns of faith, love and encouragement. As they stepped through the doors, Nora felt as if she had stepped back in time. Very little had changed, and that meant a lot to her. She needed to connect with the very good times that they'd had in this place in years gone by. The lofty voices of the choir made her cry as they sang "How Great Thou Art."

Oh, Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made

I see the stars

I hear the rolling thunder

Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, My Savior God to Thee,

How great Thou art, how great Thou art

Then sings my soul, My Savior God to Thee

How great Thou art, how great Thou art

Robert's face was filled with compassion for Nora as he wiped the tears from her cheek. His lips trembled. The awesome presence of something beyond this world gripped Nora. Her weight shifted against him, she could barely stand. He kept her from falling.

"Do you feel it?" she whispered.

He nodded his head yes. An usher led them to a seat. They sat on that pew, her head resting on his shoulder, their hands locked together. Nora smiled when she saw Pastor Whitmore. He was much older now, his strawberry-blond head now bald and with quite a bit more weight on that old, stocky frame. But his blue eyes were just as piercing, and his message was just as strong. First Lady Whitmore was still there too, her long auburn hair now white. She was seated next to their son Bradley, and was holding a little curly-haired boy on her lap. The little boy kept kissing her hand saying, "I love Grandma."