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All Things New

By June Foster

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Chapter One


"Yes, Mom, I miss you, too." Jillian Coleman hoisted her purse on her shoulder and grasped the little sack with the two baby gifts.
"When can you get back to New York for a visit?"
Mom's tender voice sent a ripple of longing through Jillian—to see her parents. But not only that, to feel a part of a family again.
Family. She longed for one of her own—a husband and kids. With a gulp, she acknowledged the question demanding her attention. Would God allow it after what she did? "I can't afford to take time off from the hospital right now. I've got at least six patients who'll deliver in the next couple of months, and they're counting on me." Jillian took a few steps toward the front door. "Maybe I can come home Christmas."
"Jillian, you know how much your father and I love you. We pray for you every day."
"I need your prayers. I love you both, too." Jillian repositioned the cell phone on her ear. "Mom, I need to go in a minute. I'm off to a double baby shower for two of my expectant mothers."
"Another one? Sweetie, you're the most caring obstetrician in the city of Woodlyn. No wonder your patients always invite you."
"That's nice of you to say."
"Honey, do you ever wish..."
Wish for a baby of her own? She didn't have to read Mom's mind to know what she planned to say. "More than I want to admit." In the entry, Jillian slumped against the wall. "I dream of holding my little boy or girl, wrapped in a pink or blue blanket, asleep in my arms. But, Mom, don't count on being a grandmother anytime soon, if ever. I don't think it's going to happen."

*****

Riley Mathis never thought he'd park in front of a church, much less attend a service inside. The red brick building with the towering steeple perched on top seemed like home now. Almost. The old Chevy sputtered when he turned off the engine.
The extra cars on a Saturday in the parking lot puzzled him. Maybe he had the wrong day. Was the pastor having a meeting? He should pull on around and disappear out the opposite entrance.
No. He had to mow the grass. Couldn't procrastinate another week. Anyway, the event didn't involve him, though he wouldn't mind getting acquainted with some folks besides Tim Garrett. Except they probably wouldn't want to know him. Not when they found out about his past—where he'd spent the last ten years. He'd do his work and leave.
The grass in front of the building didn't appear overgrown, but it wouldn't hurt to mow before the lawn got too high. He wanted to serve the Lord and take care of God's property. Do the best job he could though he hadn't always thought that way. Now he lived to please God more than man. At least that expressed his heart's desire. Whether he could live up to the standards... well, he had to try. The yard in back bordering the woodland would definitely need attention.
Tim had the keys to the maintenance shed in his office. Riley would get them and head out back for the lawnmower. The covered entrance through the double glass doors led down the hall in that direction.
The laughter and chatter of feminine voices wafted from the fellowship hall when he walked through the front door. He poked his head into the large room.
Tammy, Evergreen's efficient secretary, stood with one hand on her hip and pointed to the long tables in the back of the room. Another lady he'd seen at the services faced her and gestured toward the front wall nearest the door.
"Hey, Riley."
He circled around to the voice behind him. Tim Garrett, just the guy he needed to see. "Hey, buddy. I came by for the keys. I'm going to tackle that jungle out back this afternoon."
"Thanks. Since you didn't show up last week, the grass is pretty high."
"Yeah, uh…" Riley had no excuse except procrastination. Wait until tomorrow or the next day. Who cared? He gave himself a mental shake. That was the old Riley thinking. "Sorry, Tim."
"You're here now." Tim turned his head to the voices in the fellowship hall. "I think there's going to be an event here this afternoon." He scratched the back of his neck and offered a sheepish grin. "A double baby shower and you'll never guess who one of the expectant mothers is."
Riley laughed. "Hmm. Don't tell me. I spotted an invitation on the bulletin board for… hmmm. Holly Colton." He enjoyed giving Tim a hard time, he had to admit.
Tim jabbed him in the ribs. "A double shower, man. My wife is having a baby too. You know that."
"Just gotta kid you a little." He shrugged away the discomfort creeping up his shoulders. "Hey, dude. I don't have much experience with women and babies." Probably never would. He'd muddled his life so bad he'd never subject someone else to sharing it.
"Your day will come, buddy." Tim smirked and cupped a hand on his mouth. "If you want the truth, I have no idea how to change a diaper, though Jess Colton said he'd give me lessons."
Tammy dragged a chair from one of the tables in the back and set it toward the front of the room. She smiled. "Hey, you guys. We need a couple of sets of muscles here. Could we impose on you two?"
Riley glanced at Tim and lifted an eyebrow. "Sure. Be happy to help out. As long as I'm out of here when Roxanne and Holly start opening all that baby stuff." He shuddered. "I don't do bottles and diapers."
"Don't worry, I just need for you men to move those two tables up front here to the wall and make about half of those chairs into a large circle." She pointed toward the front of the room. "Stack the rest against the far wall next to the kitchen. Oh, yeah. Hang the banner over the gift table. All of that before the guests begin to arrive." The church secretary giggled. "And that's all."
Tim cut his eyes toward Riley. "No problem."
They marched toward the long rows. Tim picked up one end of the rectangular table, and Riley grabbed the other, moving it up front along the wall. They placed the next table beside it. After they put the chairs in a large circle, they taped a banner over the first table with Congratulations, Holly and Roxanne in pink letters and pictures of baby rattles and those little shoes infants wear.
Tammy emerged from the kitchen and set a large tray of fruit and a basket of crackers on the food table. "Thanks. You guys are great."
"Any time ladies." Tim picked up an old Sunday bulletin from the floor and tossed it in the garbage receptacle.
A good-looking woman carrying two packages wrapped in white paper with a pink bow on each glided through the door toward them.
Riley didn't want to stare, but the tall lady with shoulder length auburn hair and aquamarine-blue eyes looked familiar. Hmm, where have I seen her before? Something about her face…
She strolled toward Tammy, then set the gifts on the first table now covered with a white cloth.
Oh, man, I've got to stop gawking at her. This was ridiculous, but her presence bugged him. She must be someone…from his past. Someone who was more than an acquaintance.
Tim grasped four unneeded folding chairs and hauled them to where the others were stacked. Three more chairs rested against the wall between the food table and the kitchen a few feet from Tammy who chatted with the woman.
If Riley wanted to take those chairs to the back with the others, he had to walk right by them. Steeling his nerves, he gawked at his tennis shoes as he trudged across the tile. Then he froze in place. A sapphire necklace on the lady's throat glistened with the rays from the ceiling lights.
As if a magnet drew him, Riley inched closer, first staring at her beautiful face, then allowing his gaze to travel down her neck with the blue sapphire surrounded by a row of diamonds hanging from a silver chain. How many other necklaces were like that one? It had to be a one-of-a-kind. Dear Lord. Surely not. He swallowed the groan that tried to escape his throat. She couldn't be the same person from that night so long ago, the girl who wore an identical necklace. Could she? The innocent girl he'd shown no regard for -- who'd only represented another conquest.
He'd never forget. How could he? The necklace had preyed upon his dreams for years. Riley couldn't calm his quivering hands.
Again he peered at the jewelry gracing her long white throat. When he looked up, to his dismay, the shapely woman glared at him.
Someone grasped his arm. "Hey, Riley. You're slacking off." Tim tugged his elbow.
Squeezing his eyes shut didn't help sweep away the cobwebs from his past. He carried the remaining three chairs and stacked them with the others.
Tim's eyebrows, in the shape of a V, gave Riley the clue. He'd messed up. With a wide sweep of his arm, Tim motioned him back where the two ladies still conversed. "Uh, Jillian, may I introduce my friend and fellow church member, Riley Mathis. Riley, Dr. Jillian Coleman."
"It's…uh, nice to meet you Dr. Coleman." Should he shake hands with her? He stuck out his palm. It hovered in the air a moment. He pulled it back when she frowned at him. "I was… noticing your necklace." How stupid did that sound? He'd ogled her for five minutes. Nobody would believe he was looking at the jewelry instead of her chest. In fact…he'd more than likely insulted her.
"How do you do?" She turned to Tammy. "If there's anything I can help with, please let me know."
Tim clutched Riley's arm hard. "May I see you in my office, please?" He clipped his whispered words.
Okay, he didn't have the best social skills. After all, he'd missed the chance to live in society for the last ten years since his confinement in the Puhoma Correctional Institute. He cleared his voice. "Yeah, sure." But he knew what his friend would probably say.
Marching down the long corridor to Tim's office wasn't pleasant, especially in Tim's tight grip.
Riley was a school kid in trouble on his way to the principal's office. "Look man, I'm sorry."
The sign below the frosted glass panel at the top of the door read Tim Garrett, Pastoral Counselor. "You're probably going to offer me advice, and I'm sure I need it, but…"
Couldn't talk his way out of this one. Riley followed him into his office.
Tim closed the door and glared at Riley. "You've been out of prison now for almost six months. I'm grateful you gave your life to the Lord. Thank God for Chuck Colson's Prison Fellowship Ministry, but..."
"Okay, I have a feeling the but is leading to a lecture."
"Must I remind you," Tim held up his palm, "you're on supervised release, which requires participation in a mental health program. You're fortunate the state allowed you to work with me instead of a secular agency."
"I know. I think the only reason was because my monthly drug tests have been clean." Riley tapped his foot.
Tim straightened his shoulders and narrowed his eyes to slits. "That's right. Now... Jillian Coleman is an attractive woman. I have a suspicion she thought you were trying to look at her in an inappropriate way." He ran a hand through his hair. "But I'm wondering if you weren't looking at that expensive piece of jewelry on her neck. Riley, I hate to say this, but you acted like either a letch or a thief." He grasped his shoulder and squeezed. "You've come too far, man, to fall back into past sins."
As if a splash of icy cold water doused him on a frigid winter day, Riley caught his breath. The disgusting truth invaded his awareness. He dreaded telling Tim, but his friend already knew so much about him. He cleared his throat. "No worries, man. Not now. Not anymore. I've already stolen something from that woman, and I'm not proud of it."
His pulse throbbed with the memories, the shape of her eyes, the curve of her lips, her flawless skin. Jillian Coleman -- the woman from his past.
"Look, friend. I don't know the details of what you've confessed to me, but it sounds like a big deal. My door here at church is always open to you. I think we need to talk about this at our next session." Tim issued him a scrutinizing look.
"Yeah. I know… Later, man." Riley grabbed the set of keys to the shed that Tim offered and staggered out of his office. Jillian. A doctor who'd worked hard while he'd sat in a prison cell. If he hadn't made those mistakes trying to have it all, maybe he'd stand a chance with her now. But he'd blown his life on drugs and sex, and even if they didn't have a one-night stand between them, a maintenance worker would never measure up to a doctor.

*****

Jillian crossed one leg over the other and sipped the lime-green sparkling drink with a dab of sherbet floating on top. Relaxing her stiff shoulders seemed impossible, but the image of that guy Tim introduced her to staring at her chest brought her pulse rate up again. How dare the jerk ogle her, and in church? Tim had obviously seen the problem and carted the guy out of the room.
The pregnant Roxanne Garrett, her friend and patient, occupied a good portion of the chair next to her. She balanced a plate of cake on top of her stomach, stuck her fork in the sugary dessert, and took a bite.
"Hey, Roxy, what do you know about Riley Mathis…the one who helped Tim with the chairs?"
Roxy shifted on the folding chair, grasping her plate with one hand. "Oh, Riley? He's a nice guy. Tim and I've known him for a while. I think he's been going to Evergreen since last winter. He mows the grass for the church on weekends. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, I don't know." Couldn't bother Roxy with her negative thoughts and suspicions. But something played at the edge of her mind. Something about the way his light brown hair fell on his forehead and those electric blue eyes. What was it? Had she seen him somewhere? Jillian shook her head and brought her thoughts back to Roxy. "It's nothing."
"Roxanne and Holly. Please move up into these two chairs in front. You're our special guests." Tammy put her hand on the back of two folding chairs next to the gift table. "A lot of exciting packages are waiting for you ladies to open."
Roxy patted Jillian's arm, hoisted herself up, and set her plate on the food table. "Talk to you later, my friend."
Diapers, pink nightshirts, baby toys, blankets, and tiny girls' dresses emerged from the boxes and bags. With each new gift, a round of aw's and oo's sounded through the room.
Infants. How she longed to be more than the doctor who delivered them. If only... She forced the thought away and ran a finger under her eye to wipe away the moisture. Why did she torture herself?
Tammy and Roxanne's mother, Mrs. Ratner, wheeled two baby strollers into the room. A smile sat on Tammy's lips. "Surprise, ladies. We have one more gift for you. Some of us went in together to get you these strollers -- the kind you can use if you want to go jogging with your babies."
Holly and Roxanne gave squeals of delight.
Jillian's churning emotions quieted a bit. Holly had found contentment in her life as a wife and mother. Roxy, barely more than a newlywed, treasured her new role as a soon-to-be-mom. Sharing their joy every time they came in for checkups was easy. But was it enough?
Holly ran her hands along the canvas seat of the grey and black stroller. Both her patients glowed.
Jess, Holly's husband, stepped through the door. "Am I welcome yet?"
Tammy glanced up. "Hey. One of our fathers-to-be. Well, in Jess' case, a father for the second time."
Roxy beamed as Tim strolled into the fellowship hall. "Oh, honey. Look at all the gifts our little girl received." An array of boxes and sacks surrounded her on the table and floor.
Tammy handed Tim a large shopping bag. "For all that loot."
He grinned and stuffed packages of diapers, a baby book, and little pink and yellow night shirts into the sack. Then he looked at Roxanne with adoring eyes.
All Jett did was gawk at her in his possessive way. What would it be like to have her boyfriend gaze at her like Tim did Roxanne? Jillian sighed at the tenderness in Tim's expression.
"Hey, Dr. Coleman." Holly waddled toward Jillian with a smile. "Thank you so much for coming. Timmy's little sister is going to love the baby blankets and the cute booties."
How could Jillian have considered not coming? "My pleasure."
A sprinkling of freckles dotted Holly's nose. "Are you dating that handsome doctor I've seen you talking to between appointments at your office?"
An image of the towering Dr. Jett Camp, with his blond hair slicked back from his forehead, slipped into her mind again. "Yeah. I have to admit I think he's interested in me, with all the flowers and candy he's been sending."
Jillian gave herself a mental pinch. Jett might be interested in her, but how did she feel about him with his clinical demeanor and strongly held opinions about how she should live her life? Though his career seemed to come first, when the handsome guy gave her attention, he could make her pulse pound.
Running her hand over her swollen stomach, Holly squeezed Jillian's hand. "Well, guess I better go help Jess pack up the rest of the presents. I'll see you at my next appointment."
"All right, sweetie." At least she could appreciate the joy of new birth vicariously by bringing babies safely into families like the Coltons and the Garretts. But what about the other young women and girls who'd made unwise choices and found themselves pregnant under the wrong circumstances -- the girls contemplating abortion?
If only she could accomplish her dream of someday operating a free clinic for teenage girls, she could provide the opportunity for many to give birth.
God's message from the book of Jeremiah burned in her mind. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." But The Jeremiah House would have to wait for now.
Jillian rose to refill her punch cup but a sip of the liquid didn't take her mind off the cascade of emotions filling her heart. She'd doctor for free if that would prevent one girl from making that deceitful, devastating mistake. 

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