Chapter Thirty Two

The first few miles were driven in silence. Sarah had been impressed with the car, but she was sure it belonged to Tyler’s dad. It was a new model, immaculate, and buffed to shine in the afternoon sunlight. Tyler finally asked Sarah “So, what’s in the packages?”

Sarah looked to the back seat where she’d placed her duffle and the container of scones. “Well, I wasn’t sure what I should wear,” she brought a hand up to her right ear and lightly touched the earring there. “You didn’t tell me what we’d be doing, so I packed some different clothes, just in case. And the plastic container has blueberry scones that Joyce and I made this afternoon. It was my first time baking, but I think they should be alright.”

“Scones? I’ve never had those before. Sounds good. I love blueberries.” Tyler stole a quick glance at Sarah. “And your clothes are fine, trust me. You look very nice.” She looked better than very nice. She was beautiful. He’d never seen her with her hair up other than in a ponytail. Her profile was very feminine, and her skin was very smooth. He had a hard time keeping his eyes on the road.

He wasn’t sure how to tell her they would be spending the evening with his family. It had sounded like a good idea in his mind, but maybe it would be overwhelming for her. That was the last thing he wanted. And with the way she looked, he wouldn’t mind sitting across a table from her, alone, talking for the evening.

He cleared his throat and decided just to say it. “Hey Sarah, would you mind terribly if we just hung out at my house tonight? My family will be home, and they’d really like to get to know you better.” He stole a glance at her and didn’t notice any immediate expression on her face. But he added quickly, “If you don’t want to, that’s fine. Just tell me and I’ll call dad and let him know there’s been a change of plans. No problem.”

Sarah Stiffened and took a moment to answer. She didn’t want to feel like she was on display tonight. Tyler and his dad had been very nice, but what if his family asked a lot of questions? She was deeply ashamed of her past and didn’t want to have to explain that. She wasn’t good at meeting new people. But she also didn’t want Tyler to be offended. Obviously this is something he wanted.

Well, she would trust the Lord to help her through it. She wouldn’t answer questions that made her uncomfortable, and if things got really bad she would just ask to be taken home. She forced a smile to her lips before replying.

“Sure, that sounds nice. Can you tell me about your family? I’m sure you’ve told them something about me. I just want to level the playing field a little.” Sarah hoped it would help her relax to know a little about the people she was going to meet.

“Let’s see, I guess I should start from the top down. My brother Nate is the next oldest after me. He’s fifteen. He’s awesome at baseball, likes cars, and has brown hair and eyes. He’s a nice guy, but really keeps to himself.

“After him there’s a bit of a gap. Jessica and Amy are next. They’re eight years old, and they are twins. You’ll know it too. A lot of people get them mixed up. They both have light hair and blue eyes like me. They talk way too much, will want to be your new best friends, and probably embarrass me.” He smiled at Sarah before continuing.

“Last but not least is Josh. He’s six and really into dinosaurs. A few weeks ago he wouldn’t answer unless we called him T-Rex. It was funny at first, but then mom got a letter from his teacher…and that put a real stop to it.” Josh chuckled and glanced at Sarah. Her face has a soft expression on it, and he could tell she was interested in learning about his family. Tyler went on. “He still growls when answering no to a question, but it’s better than it was.” Tyler laughed as he recalled dinner just the week before. Josh sure was a character.

Sarah sat and took it all in, trying to picture in her mind what the family would be like. There were so many kids! They sounded normal enough. She went over and over their names in her mind, trying to memorize them before they arrived. She’d never been around twins before, nor did she have any brothers. She thought it might be fun to have little sisters for a night.

As they neared Tyler’s house, Sarah tried not to grow more nervous. This was not like her old neighborhood. The houses here were huge, each with a meticulously groomed lawn. Every house had at least two garages, most three, with various new model cars parked in the drives. None of the houses were covered in siding, but each had a unique stone or brick facing, bringing the whole scale of the neighborhood up a notch.

Sarah looked down at her clothes again and hoped she looked ok. She smoothed her hands down her jean legs, then patted her hair, wishing she could look in a mirror without Tyler seeing her. She ran her tongue over her teeth, felt they were clean, and let out a small sigh.

As she looked out the window, she couldn’t help but wonder if the people living in these houses were happy. She’d taken runs through neighborhoods like this before, and had seen at times only two older people living in a house obviously built for a large family. She wondered what made people do that.

Once she had risen very early in the morning for a run, and when passing a large home like these, she heard the husband and wife arguing. They had said some very hateful things to one another. Sarah figured money didn’t make people happy, although it sure gave the appearance of perfection.

There was a very large house at the end of the cul de sac that made Sarah’s eyes widen. It was like a doll house. She had imagined a million times in her youth living in a house just like it, with a new family full of brothers and sisters. And parents who loved one another.

Tyler glanced over and followed her gaze. “That’s my house. The whole family was planning on being here. It should be a fun night.” He parked the car, turned off the engine, and faced Sarah. “Are you ready?” He took in the look on her face, and decided they could both use a little help from the Lord. “Would you like me to pray?” he asked.

Sarah nodded absently. Her insides were quaking, and she thought about telling him to just take her back home. But she closed her eyes and listened with quiet thanks as Tyler asked God to help her relax, and for them all to have a good time. Sarah then opened the door, and tried to get out, forgetting to remove her seat belt. An earring caught on the strap, and her head was jerked to an odd angle. She quickly sat back, disentangled her earring, and took a deep breath.

Her cheeks blushed as she turned to the side to release the clasp. Tyler had already exited the car, and she was relieved he hadn’t seen her. He helped her get her things from the back seat, and then they walked to the house. Sarah worked hard at controlling her breathing, while taking in the massiveness of the home.

The lawn was lush and green, with a stone walkway running from the drive to the front door. Along the front of the house were flower beds full of hydrangeas, lavender, and a few other plants Sarah didn’t know.

A tall Maple stood sentry at the far side of the lawn, its little helicopter seeds flying down toward the ground in their trademark twirly pattern.
The front of the house was lined with large, sparkling windows. As they approached the front entrance, Sarah took in the stone face of the small porch. She placed her hand against the cool rock, and tried to settle herself down.

Sarah reminded herself they were just people. No, they were Christian people. Surely that would make a difference. That thought did comfort her some. So did Tyler’s reassuring smile as he opened the door for her. Sarah didn’t want to be the first to enter the house, but she couldn’t refuse his gentlemanliness. As she stepped through the doorway, she saw the family all lined up, waiting to greet her. The look on Tyler’s mother’s face calmed her instantly. Maybe this wouldn’t be so hard after all.