Suddenly, the door to the bedroom flew open and Lynne, Rickii, JC and Justin came barging in. "Is everyone okay?" Justin asked as he zeroed in on what they appeared to have interrupted. "No one answered us when we got home and we saw the light on."
Lance jumped up from the bed, dropping the wash cloth as he did. "Elaine and I bumped heads on the balcony looking through the telescope and a... when she went to get up, she a....almost fell. I was just putting a cool, wet cloth on the bump."
Rickii and Lynne ran around to the other side of the bed to see if Elaine was okay. Justin, JC and Lance went out and downstairs and left the girls alone.
Elaine loved her best friends to death, but at this point in time, she wanted to strangle them. "Why did you have to come home right now?" she cried, partially from frustration and partly from being so close to Lance. Lynne and Rickii looked at one another and then at Elaine as she ran into the bathroom.
"Hey man, what's goin' on?" JC quizzed.
"Nothing, nothing at all!" Lance barked.
"Oh watch out," quipped Justin.
Lance turned and gave them both a hard, stern look. "What is wrong with being concerned for our friend, our family?"
"Looked like more than just concern to me, man," joked Justin.
JC put his hand up for Justin to be quiet and told him to go into the kitchen and get them all something to drink. He, in turn, took Lance in the TV room and sat him down to talk. "Lance? You okay?" he asked calmly.
"Yeah, I guess so. I just don't know what came over me."
"I do," JC came back.
Lance looked at him like he was lost. "What?"
"Love. Plain and simple love. No complications, no games, just simple love," JC said.
Lance looked at JC and was almost in tears. JC had not seen Lance cry since the whole Vivica mess. It was like Lance had turned off all his emotions, that way, he didn't have to deal with the pain. Lance raised his head and looked into JC's eyes, "you're right man. I love her so much and in such a way that it scares the hell out of me!"
"What scares the hell out of you, Lance?" Justin was coming in with their drinks and he heard only the end of Lance's comment.
JC motioned to Justin to be quiet. "Lance why are you scared?"
"JC, I don't think I can stand to be hurt again."
"Who says you're going to be hurt? Do you think that Elaine would hurt you deliberately?"
"What if she doesn't care about me like that, though? I know she loves me like a brother, but we're talking something all together different here."
"Well, for what it is worth Lance, I would say that she's looking at you as more than a brother."
Lance looked up, "what are you saying JC?"
"From the look on Elaine's face when we walked in up there, I would venture to say that she would love to have killed us for interrupting what was going on. That girl has got love written all over her and you know who she directs that look of love at? Not me and not Justin, but you, bubba."
"But she's only 17," Lance commented, again.
"Not for long," chimed in Justin. "What does age have to do with it anyway? Elaine has got more together in her seventeen years than all the bimbos you've dated over the years. Y'all have grown up together and know more about one another than most old married couples I know."
"For once I have to agree with the kid here," JC commented. Justin gave him a strange look, even at twenty-four, he was still "The Kid".
The guys heard the girls coming down the stairs so they tabled their discussion until another time. It was late and they had a lot to do the next day so JC and Justin left to go home after getting very nice goodnight hugs and kisses from the girls.
The girls said goodnight and went upstairs and Lance stayed down to close up the house for the night. He walked outside to make sure everything was okay and as he turned to go back in, he saw the doors on the balcony open and Elaine walked out to get the telescope and bring it in. As he started to head back in, she walked out onto the balcony again. She was brushing her hair in the cool, gentle breeze that was blowing and he watched every move that she made. She stopped and looked heavenward and seemed to be talking to herself or maybe she was praying. Oh how he wished he could hear what she was saying. Maybe if he was really quiet, he could slip over by the balcony and hear.
Elaine was brushing her hair before bed and the breeze on the balcony was heavenly. She had put the telescope inside when she came up to her room. It was such a beautiful night, she just wanted to stay under the stars. As she brushed, she looked heavenward and began to pray. "God, thank You for this day and thank You for Your many blessings. Thank You for getting us here safely. As we get ready to leave out on the road, Father, bless these guys with the stamina and resources to do what they need to do."
She was quiet for a moment and ran her hands over her face and then she dropped to her knees next to the railing. "Oh God, I love him so much. I have never loved anyone the way I love Lance. He is all I have ever wanted in my life. But could he love me? What do You want for me Lord? He is such a good man. He's been hurt so much, can I get him past all the hurt? Help me to be patient with him. Help me to love him the way he deserves to be loved. Lord, I've lived my life according to Your word and You say that if we pray, You will give us the desires of our heart. Lord, I just want to spend the rest of my life loving him and trying to heal the hurt he has endured. Am I wrong in wanting him to love me? Father show me a sign."
Lance was speechless. "She loves me!" Then he thought about the things she had said. "She loves me, but, is it a true deep down love or is it love born from pity for what I've been through?" He then cast his eyes heavenward and cried out in his soul, "God, help me!" He turned and went inside to bed.
