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where they’d met. Hannah had heard the story so many times she felt like she’d been there…

    A young woman stood on a ladder trying to reach an elusive book stowed on the top shelf. Without warning, the ladder folded in upon itself. The lady was in dire need. Korzan leapt from his chair, jumped over tables, people, and any other obstacle in a single bound , and as Melanie fell from the sky, he caught her. As they tumbled to the ground together, in a mass of tangled appendages, they confessed their undying love.

    Hannah smiled. Her remembrance of the story was probably more romantic than theirs, but truth was, Melanie had fallen from the ladder, but instead of Korzan catching her in a romantic embrace, she’d actually landed on top of him. He’d spent six weeks in therapy with a broken leg. Melanie had felt so guilty she’d visited him every day. During that time, they’d begun a friendship which had morphed into a shared love.
    Melanie’s spiritual awareness grew. It was a beautiful progression from Melanie, the roaring socialite, to Melanie, the peaceful lamb.
    Korzan proposed and asked Melanie to help him live out his dreams. She readily accepted. But oft times when one gives their life completely to Christ, they leave certain things behind. This instance was no different.
    On Melanie’s wedding day, she was overjoyed to marry Korzan and embark on a new life. They’d applied to be missionaries in Sudan. Their papers of acceptance had been received and welcomed and they were scheduled to leave one week after the wedding.
    Even though the wedding brought joy, it had also brought sorrow. Melanie’s parents had not approved. They liked Korzan well enough. They even liked the idea of Melanie growing closer to the Lord. Her father was a deacon. But what they couldn’t abide was Melanie donating her ball gowns and fancy attire to an auction for sick children, or Melanie allowing a homeless family to stay in her apartment until they could get on their feet, or leaving her car in the care of an elderly couple who needed transportation.
    They liked the words Melanie spoke about putting the Lord first, just not the actual practice of those words.
    When Melanie’s parents learned of her and Korzan’s desire to become missionaries, they’d threatened to disown her. They’d refused to attend the modest wedding Melanie had planned, even going so far as not speaking to their only child.
    Hannah offered to talk to them on Melanie’s behalf but she had said no. She said her parents knew of the Lord and if she prayed, they would listen and respond.
    Melanie had walked herself down the aisle, and as Hannah walked in front of her, she could hear muttered words from the Footprints poem.
    Korzan and Melanie’s romance had been the inspiration behind many of Hannah’s novel ideas. From romantic candlelight dinners, to surprise visits while bearing gifts, lots of her story plotting came from their interludes. Fortunately for Hannah, Korzan was a total romantic and wasn’t afraid of being watched when his love was expressed. This had allowed her to witness true love in action.
    A sigh left Hannah’s lips as she gazed out the window. Now if only she had someone to show that same affection toward her. She couldn’t keep living in the past. The hero she dreamed of wasn’t coming back. Perhaps he’d never been real in the first place. Her mother had said she’d imagined him. No guy was that perfect, she’d said. But Hannah knew her mother was wrong. Rory was perfect. And he was out there. But what did it matter? He was gone to her forever.

Chapter Nine

    From sunup to sundown he stumbled around the roots of the tree. Painstakingly, Rory dug. He tried to focus on moving the monstrosity, but his mind wandered.
    His earlier trek to the airport brought back memories, and as he edged slowly around a root, he thought about his parents. Both of them were