“Tell her I’ll wait outside,” he said, pointing to the doorway.
Elizabeth watched as her father walked out of the office. A few minutes later, she could hear the muted sounds of their conversation. She couldn’t make out the words.
“Elizabeth, I’ll be back in a moment,” Mrs. Loscalzo said, picking up some mail and leaving through the back doorway linking the offices.
When Mrs. Loscalzo left, Elizabeth slipped out of the office and into the hallway. She pressed against the corner of the wall. Now she could hear them perfectly.
“So you brought my kid to tears because you excluded her?” Michael asked incredulously.
“I didn’t want to hurt her feelings,” Miss Bittner remarked.
“Well, that didn’t work, did it?”
“Mr. Stewart, what would you suggest I do?”
“Include her.”
“Mr. Stewart, when I’ve included her in the past, she would still end up crying. Don’t you see?”
“See what?”
“Mr. Stewart, we’ve had mother/daughter and father/son trips or events in the past. But you never respond to them. So I didn’t want your daughter to have another letdown.”
Elizabeth peered around the corner. She could see her father looking down at the ground as he answered, “You have no idea how hard this all is.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Stewart, but it’s not like we haven’t had this conversation before.”
“I’m sorry, Elizabeth,” Leah said, trying to disrupt the long, awkward silence. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
“If you’re so sorry, why didn’t you wake me?” Elizabeth said through tears. “Where is he?”
Leah was shaken. What have I done? What if her father was captured? He’ll never get out of that prison alive now. I’ll have to take care of this girl.
“Where is he?”
“I am so sorry,” Leah began, “but I couldn’t . . . I’m worried about your father, too.”
Leah tried to hug her, but Elizabeth pushed her away. “I don’t need your pity,” she said, wiping her tears from her cheeks. “I’m fine.”
“I know you are. Let’s go upstairs and eat.” Leah handed Elizabeth a bowl of porridge with extra honey and led the way up the ladder.
After they ate a few moments in silence, Elizabeth asked Leah, “Do you have any children?”
Leah stopped eating.
“What’s wrong?” Elizabeth asked, staring. She noticed Leah was looking at her hands in her lap. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Leah looked directly into her eyes. “We had a child. But she became ill just a few weeks after she was born. We couldn’t save her.”
Elizabeth put her hands over her mouth. “Oh, no . . . I’m so sorry,” she said through her clasped fingers. “I don’t know why I ask these things. Forgive me?”
Leah nodded, before saying, “My husband grieved for so long. I know you can’t truly understand this, but when a child dies, you lose yourself . . . well, that is until he found the man who spoke about a new world.”
“Who was that?”
“I’m not sure. I believe your father knows of him.”
“Has my father met him?”
Leah shook her head. “I’m not sure. He’s a man who talks about love and understanding. My husband would follow him and listen to him . . . when he could find him, that is. But there were many who questioned my husband’s belief in this man, though he didn’t care what they said. Ultimately, he was murdered.”
“Who killed him?”
Leah began to cry.
“I’m sorry. Please, please, don’t cry.”
“Elizabeth, I just don’t know what happened. I never really saw their faces. The crowd swirled around him, and I still don’t know what I saw . . . if I saw anything. He had been away and I had stopped expecting him to come back.
“But then I heard him calling out to me. He was home . . . after all that time, he had finally returned! I was elated as I ran up to the roof. I only wanted to see him looking at me, after all those nights waiting up there. I rushed to the side wall, hoping to see what was going on, but the crowd was too chaotic. I was petrified, watching them swarm below. I couldn’t see him.”
“You didn’t go out to help him?” Elizabeth asked in disbelief.
“Elizabeth, I am so ashamed. I did not know he was in trouble. I went to the roof rather than out to the well. When I realized that he was hurt, I panicked. I had been grieving and feeling isolated for so long. I just felt weak. What could I do? When I got to him, it was too late . . . I was too late.”
The familiar front courtyard of Leah’s home was about a hundred yards away. Michael was hungry, and his body felt battered. The blisters on his feet bled with each step against the dirty stone roads of Jerusalem. This is still Monday, right?
He approached the front gate and caught a glimpse of Elizabeth working side by side with Leah, preparing a meal in the simple kitchen. Their faces held a similar, peaceful expression.
“Elizabeth!”
“Dad?”
He could see her face breaking out in a smile.
“Dad!” She dropped a basket of grains and barreled toward him. “Launch!”
“No, no,” he whimpered, realizing his daughter was about to run full force into his weary arms.
In her excitement, Elizabeth saw only his face but none of his wounds. She hurtled toward her father and Michael reluctantly held out his arms. Giggling, Elizabeth jumped into his arms, causing him to stagger backward onto the ground.
“Nice to see you,” Michael said, before laughing himself.
As they pulled themselves to their feet, Elizabeth’s mood changed suddenly and she was no longer smiling.
“Where did you go? Why did you leave me here? You left me alone! Why? Why did you do that? I’ve been so scared !”
“I know, I know, I’m so sorry. I have been trying to get back to you this whole time,” Michael said, patting her hair. “Are you okay? I’m here now. Try to relax.”
“Relax? Relax? How could I relax? You left me with a strange woman. You didn’t tell me where you went. I was worried you were caught and back in that place.”
“Remember this conversation later when I ask you where you’re going,” said Michael with a smile, trying to lighten the moment.
“Very funny,” she retorted, annoyed. “This is different. You left me alone here in a strange place.”
“I know. I really am sorry, Elizabeth. But I had to. I had no choice. I’m sorry.” He paused. “Hey, let’s go inside where we can talk more. It smells great in there. I’m really hungry.”
Elizabeth stepped in front of Michael, blocking his way. “Did you find the opening?”
“Yes . . . but I got distracted . . .,” Michael said, looking away.
“What do you mean?” she shrieked. “You’ve been gone for nearly two days!”
“I was looking for your mother.”
“What?”
“I thought I could find your mother,” Michael whispered as he put his hands on Elizabeth’s shoulders. “I tried . . . I tried so hard.”
“You’re scaring me, Dad,” she replied, backing away.
“Elizabeth, I saw Jesus yesterday. I mean, I think I saw him. I don’t know how it could have been him, but I ran after him. I yelled to him. He never turned around, so I’m not sure if he heard me, but I really think it was him.”
Elizabeth stared at him.
“No, really, Elizabeth. I know it sounds crazy. There was this parade. You had to see it. Honest. I thought he could help us . . . you know, tell us where your mom is. Seriously, you’ve got to believe me. It was him.”
Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. “I was there with Leah watching a parade, Dad. I didn’t see anything but Roman soldiers.”