Finally, they were arriving in the familiar neighborhood. Suddenly Debra almost wished the venture had taken longer. Deep down she knew this day would change everything for her beloved friend. It would change everything for them all.
She stopped in front of the split level home and saw Nancy’s husband, Paul, waiting on the steps. Even from afar, the look on his face said it all. It was worse than she could imagine, worse than her most terrible nightmares could concoct. Before Debra could move, her friend was out of the car and rushing toward the porch. Finally Debra’s body caught up to her mind and she hopped out of the vehicle, quickly opening the back door for the clueless young child waiting there. Then she heard it. She had not even turned around yet, but the scream froze her in place. It echoed with a pain that surpassed centuries. A desperation held within that would forever haunt Debra’s thoughts. In that moment, Debra knew beyond a doubt her friend was experiencing a level of grief few have ever known.
*
It was just another class, unlike any other. Paul was studying the work of God like always. Theology was his calling. He knew deep down this was exactly where he was meant to be but he had no idea how much his faith was about to be tested.
”Paul Fletcher?” The voice was distant from the back of the classroom, interrupting the lecture. Paul wondered if the man had really just said his name.
“Yes, that is me.” Paul did not understand the reason for this intrusion. It seemed very out of place, and he suddenly felt something was seriously wrong.
“There is an emergency call for you.” The man’s words confirmed his concern. He rushed out of the seat and was through the hall in minutes. His journey from the classroom to the phone flew by in a blur. As he picked up the telephone receiver, Paul felt a physical rush of pain shoot through him. He just knew something was wrong. It was his wife’s sister on the other line. Her words were weak as she conveyed the news. The phone dropped from Paul’s hands. He knew what this meant. His wife would never be the same, and worse, he had to deliver the news that would devastate her. He walked out of the building with horror filling him. How was he going to do this? How could he possibly speak the words that must be said?
Finally sitting in his car, he prayed to God for strength. He needed His help to get through this. There was no other way. He could not do this on his own. He started the car and was home in no time. He knew his wife was at the gym. She and Debra had made a tradition out of going every Monday and Wednesday. He plucked up the phone to call her and hesitated. He desperately wished this was all some terrible nightmare, a dream he could awake from. It was not. Paul dialed in the numbers and waited as it rang several times. He then sat on hold while the employee went to get his wife. He could picture the look on her face and, deep down he knew there was no reassurance that could be offered. There was nothing he could do but wait to deliver the ultimate blow till she arrived in person.
After getting off the phone, the moments seemed to creep into eternity. His mind searched for the best way to tell her the news. He already knew the way. He would simply have to force the words from his mouth. There was no easy way around this. Nancy needed him to be a man now more than ever and he was ready to do just that. Well, as ready as anyone could ever be.
He heard the car pull up and rushed to open the door. He was tempted to approach her but Nancy was nearly to him now. He took a deep breath and prepared for the misery that would cloud all of their lives for years.
*
The workout was going as normal with Debra being her usually competitive self. Nancy was more than willing to step up to the challenge as both ladies raised the levels on their treadmills. From the corner of her eye, Nancy then saw a gym employee approaching them. She was looking directly at her. As their eyes met, Nancy knew something was terribly wrong. Over the last few months, she had a growing sense that something terrible was in her future. She had been anticipating bad news for some time, but still a wave of fear boiled up within her.
As the girl approached them, she eked out her required question. “Nancy? Are either of you Nancy?”
Nancy felt her fear rise to a new level. “Yes, I am Nancy. What’s going on?”
The girl straightened her body but her eyes flickered to the floor. She seemed aware she was dealing a vital blow. “There’s a man on the phone. He says he is your husband and that it’s an emergency.”
Nancy began following the girl back to the front desk. She could see the phone’s handset from here. It sat on the counter like any other object, but something about it was ominous. In a strange way, the thing was almost evil incarnate. Nancy hesitantly picked up the phone. She held it there a moment then remembered the need to speak. “Hello.” It was all she could get out.
Paul’s voice sounded through on the other end. There was an eerie desperation and pain in his voice. Something had gone terribly wrong. Nancy just knew. “Nancy? Honey, hurry home…” His words were simple, but they cut her deeper than a knife. She weakly put down the phone. Her mind was in a fog and began wandering a million different directions.
Before she could process one full thought, Debra was at her side. “What is it?” Her friend was clearly concerned. Nancy did not even know how to respond. She stood there a moment feeling blank, much like the living dead. Finally words formed across her lips, which seemed to be operating from some inner auto pilot. “It was Paul. I need to go home.”