The Weekly Mercies of Pam Ellis: Episode 32 (Finally)

New curtains to match my new quilt and a Paddington audiobook. Those were my evening plans. I hit the play button on the Paddington audiobook and pulled out the longest piece of fabric left over from my quilt. I quickly realized I would need to piece something together if I wanted a decent-sized curtain. I didn’t have enough of any one fabric to make a whole curtain. I looked toward the window, but there wasn’t much to see. Even though it was a lovely day, the blinds and the curtains that had been made over ten years ago were closed in an attempt to block some of the summer heat from seeping in.

I rolled my neck. Here it was, just the beginning of August, and already I was longing for the cooler temperatures. With August usually being our hottest month, I was not sure I would make it. How had people survived the heat before AC?

I smirked. Probably by living further north.

I settled on a simple pattern and cut out the pieces for my curtain rather quickly. I stopped only once to blow my nose. I was grateful my cold was mostly gone, and my symptoms were dissipating.

There was a knock at my door.

“Come in, but be careful,” I called.

Ben poked his head in. “Mind if I come and talk for a bit?”

I glanced around. I stood, making sure I didn’t disrupt my neat rows I had laid out. I moved my purse and bags, which I had dropped on my chair when I got off work, and motioned for Ben to take a seat.

“What are you making? Another quilt?”

I stared at Ben for a moment. His voice sounded weird, but I let it slide. I returned to laying out my pieces. “Curtains to match the quilt.”

“That’s nice.”

I selected the first row to sew and moved toward my sewing machine.

“How was work?”

“Okay, I’m still struggling to get back my stamina, but it was fine.” I set the pieces in place under the needle.

“That’s nice.”

I turned toward my brother. He was fidgeting. And did his face look a little red? “Ben?”

Ben didn’t look up. He rubbed his hands on his jeans. “Did you get dinner?”

I put my hand on my hip. “Yes, I did. Now, are you going to tell me what’s going on and what has your ears so red?” I could only remember a few times my brother had been like this. Most of those times had been in his teens. But who of us didn’t blush or turn red a few times in our teens? It’s an awkward time.

He grew redder. “I’m thinking about getting my own place.”

I swallowed and knew I needed to pick my words carefully. While I loved living with my adult siblings in our parents’ home, I had always known it wouldn’t last forever. Frankly, I had been more than a little surprised that the boys had stayed as long as they had. Independence often meant a lot more to young men.

“I think I might want to buy a house and… have my own place.”

I nodded and set aside my work. I sat on the edge of my bed and faced him. “Have a house in mind?”

I didn’t think Ben could get any redder. “Well, I…wanted to get some opinions I hadn’t…I mean, this isn’t just about moving out on my own… I mean, I want to be for the practice… but not because I don’t like living here. I…”

I raised a hand. “Ben, are you okay?”

He pulled at his shirt collar, which wasn’t tight at all, and cleared his throat. “I’m just thinking it’s time I start preparing for the future.”

Like a movie, my brain caught hold of images and started snapping them together. “Goodness, Ben, are you thinking of…” I cut myself off from saying getting married, because that was a huge jump forward. I swallowed “dating someone?”

I had been wrong. Ben could get redder.

“Well, I’ve been emailing with Natalie and I…” He blew out a breath.

My mind raced. Of course. Some of the Keller family had visited their church last week, and Ben had spent all his time with them. I had been occupied with Joan and my own disappointment that Evan wasn’t with them. But I found it was a minor disappointment. Perhaps I was finally growing out of my silly feeling for someone who barely knew I existed.

I remembered how Ben had talked about perhaps joining the church plant.

I remembered how Ben said he was keeping up with the Kellers via email, but I had been trying to suppress/deal with my feelings, so I hadn’t asked him questions or asked who.

Of course, Ben was interested in Natalie. I blinked. Ben was sitting there, clearly waiting for some kind of response from me.

I put a hand on Ben’s shoulder. “I think this is great, Ben.”

He lifted his eyes to meet mine. “You do?”

I nodded. “I hope things work out with you and Natalie, but even if they don’t. I think owning your own home is a great idea.” I figured I should encourage him on both fronts.

He smiled, and the color slowly returned to normal. “Do you think Mom and Dad will think I’m silly for doing a long-distance relationship or moving forward with buying a house when I don’t know if it will work out?” The red returned.

I thought for a moment. “I don’t know how Mom and Dad will respond right now.” I had to be honest with my brother, even if it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. “I know they have never liked the idea of long-distance relationships, but there is nothing biblically wrong with them. Besides, you and Natalie have known each other for years.”

Ben nodded. “Thanks, Pam.”

My heart squeezed tight. In that moment, I knew I was standing on the threshold of the way things had been and the way they were to become. I wasn’t ready, and yet, there was peace.

Weekly mercies:

Peace with the coming changes

My new curtains

Ben hearing back from Natalie. They are officially a dating couple.