Let It Snow(71)

Jake pulled into the closest parking space available and turned off the ignition. He immediately opened his door and got out, walking around to Tessa’s side and opening her door for her. She took a deep breath. She would have preferred to sit in the car for a few moments and take the time to gather her thoughts, but this was probably better in the long run.

Reaching out to grasp the hand Jake was offering her, she gingerly stepped to the ground. Immediately, she was struck by the power and strength she felt emanating from his hand. It poured into her, strength she could lean on, strength she could depend on. She instantly felt calmer. She could do this. She could do this for Gran because today was not about her at all—today was for Gran.

As they walked towards the front door of Hope Falls Community Church, Jake held Tessa’s hand in his, and she loved how familiar and safe it felt. The years between them melted away, as did every painful thing that had ever transpired between the two of them, and suddenly they were just Jake and Tessa, holding hands. Normal. Natural. Meant to be.

She sighed at the deep sense of loss that thought engendered in her, and Jake put a protective arm around her shoulder. Tessa instinctively leaned against him. It seemed her body wasn’t waiting to see what her mind or heart thought about leaning on Jake—literally and figuratively.

As the two of them stepped through the doors of the church, they were met by a sea of people gathered to honor her Gran. Seeing her there, they began coming up and expressing their condolences. Tessa was extremely grateful to have Jake with her, holding her up, offering silent support. If Jake had not been there, she would’ve certainly felt overwhelmed. She was, after all, a largely solitary person. She had been, by necessity, for nearly her entire life—the one year she had lived in Hope Falls being the notable exception.

Although she was certainly getting back into the “groove” of the small-town Hope Falls lifestyle during the time she had been back, there were still times that it was a shock to her system. Now was one of those times. The outpouring of love was so wonderful but would definitely have been overwhelming to process if Jake had not been right by her side, being her rock as he always was.

Well…when she let him be, at any rate.

“Is this too much? Do you need me to get you away from here?” she heard him whisper in her ear, and she nodded gratefully. God, it was amazing how that man always seemed to instinctively know exactly what she needed at any given moment!

At her response, Jake took control of the situation, as he was so good at doing. He made polite excuses to everyone who came up to them, excuses she barely heard, and ushered her to her reserved seat and sat beside her.

When Pastor Harrison stepped up to the podium and began to speak, Tessa tried to focus on what he was saying, even if it was painful. Gran deserved that. Tessa needed to honor her by being fully present, she knew, even if it hurt.

“When I was a kid,” the Pastor was saying, “I used to walk my dog, Bullet, by Adeline’s house every day. Many of those days, she was outside working in her yard. She would always say ‘hi’ to Bullet and me. Always with a smile on her face that seemed like she was truly glad to see us. One day, she called me over to ask if I would like to earn a little money by taking care of her yard. I was happy to do it and showed up the next day, ready to start my job. When I had finished working, she met me on the porch with cookies and milk and we had the best talk. That day was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. Adeline always seemed genuinely interested in the things that were going on in my life, and that meant a lot to me.

“In fact, the sense of caring that she showed toward me was a big inspiration for me when I was deciding what to do with my life. It was a big part of what steered me to a life of service. I wish that I had told her that while I had the chance.”

Tears flowed freely down Tessa’s face as she listened to the pastor’s story and all of the stories that came after from people who had been touched by Adeline’s kindness and her willingness to listen and to care.

Tessa had been nervous, at first, that no one would get up to speak when offered the opportunity. After all, although Gran was wonderful, she had been gone from the community for many years.

However, in the end, the opposite happened. Far more people wanted to speak than there was even time for, and that fact truthfully touched Tessa’s heart nearly as much as the actual words they spoke.

Finally, Pastor Harrison returned to the podium. “Now,” he said in his melodic and authoritative voice, perfect for ministry, “Adeline’s granddaughter, Tessa, is here. Tessa, would you like to say a few words about your grandmother?”