Fiction

---

"I heard people need emergency care for cuts on the palms of their hands," Angie said after a little while. "My hand still kind of hurts. Do you think I'll be all right?"

"Don't worry," Charles told her, "your hand didn't look like it was cut that deeply. You'll be all right. Just keep it in that bandage for a while. We'll periodically put the antiseptic on it to keep it from getting infected."

"Okay," Angie agreed.

Charles put his arm around her and held her close. "I feel really guilty about you cutting your hand," he said.

"Why? I'm the one who wasn't watching what I was doing," Angie said.

"But you were crying, because I made you cry by yelling at you when you didn't even do anything to make me upset. I could tell by how many tears there were on your cheeks that the tears had blurred your vision," Charles said, "and I never want to hurt you again." He could feel tears coming to his own eyes.

"Charles, you didn't hurt me," Angie told him. "What happened downstairs was an accident. And I know you didn't mean to take your anger and frustrations out on me and that you are sorry. I know you still love me and you always will, so let's just put it behind us." She wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Charles hugged her, then said, "I need to apologize to Jeremiah, too. He doesn't know why I've always seemed to be so mad at him this past few weeks." He looked toward the doorway. "Jeremiah!" he called.

Jeremiah came into the room. "What did I do now?" he asked, stopping at the doorway. "I wasn't making any noise."

Charles smiled at him. "I know. Come here," he said. When Jeremiah came into the room, Charles said, "Come sit on my lap." When Jeremiah did, Charles gave him a hug and a kiss and said, "Son, I didn't mean to yell at you like I've been doing. I wasn't really mad at you or Mommy. You know I was yelling at Mommy a lot, too. I have been angry, but not at you guys. I am mad at the man who broke my ribs for hurting me, because for a while I can't get up and go to work and make money so I can buy new toys for you and new things for Mommy and me and tickets for us to go places, and that's very important to Daddy. I have also been angry, because the man who broke my ribs is the same man who shot Ty. Tyrone, Ty's daddy, found out, because the man tried to rob their house, too, and when Tyrone pulled the mask off of him, he saw it was the same man. He shot the man, but the man received Jesus before he died."

"So he's in Heaven now?" asked Jeremiah.

"Yes, son, he is in Heaven," Charles said. "Jesus forgave him, but I'm still so mad at him for what he did. So I was mad at the man for what he did to Ty and me. The man is dead now." He held Jeremiah closer and said, "Sometimes when people are angry and upset about something, they accidentally hurt the feelings of people they love and let things bother them that normally wouldn't bother them so much--noise, burnt dinners, housework mistakes, and other things. I didn't mean what I said to you and Mommy. I love you very, very, very, very much and would never want to hurt your feelings. Do you forgive me?"

Jeremiah nodded. "I love you, Daddy," he said. "I forgive you."

Charles hugged Jeremiah and said, "Thank you, Jeremiah." He gave him another kiss, then turned to Angie. "Angie, having the Millers over would be wonderful," he said. "I would love to see them."

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE