Faith

Real Scientific Evidence Chapter Thirteen, End of The Date Night

by Lauren Alan
04/26/16
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After the date was over, Rick drove Mari back to her house. Mari smiled at him. "Thanks for tonight, Rick," she said. "I had a really great time."

"I did, too, Mari," Rick said. He wanted to kiss her, but he wouldn't until he knew he had her permission. Knowing God wanted him to be a gentleman, that's what he wanted to be. He was nervous. He hadn't kissed anyone since his wife. He exhaled a couple of times and asked, "Mari, um, I haven't done this since Vera was alive, but is it all right with you if I kissed you?" he asked.

Mari smiled and blushed. "Yes, it is," she said.

Rick leaned toward her and, closing his eyes, tenderly kissed her on the lips. Mari kissed him back, closing her eyes as well. When the kiss was over, Rick said softly, "Good night."

"Good night, Rick." Mari went into the house, stopping to turn back and smile at him.

Rick stood there a minute longer after she closed the door, then got into his car and drove back to his house. He felt as if he were walking on air and couldn't come back down to Earth. When he got inside the door, he thanked Callie, the teenage babysitter who stayed with Ashlyn that evening, for watching her. When Callie left, Rick went upstairs and put his pajamas and robe on, then brushed his teeth and gargled. He went into Ashlyn's room to see if she was okay and needed anything. She was sound asleep, but the covers were a little off of her. Rick pulled them up around Ashlyn a little more, then bent down and kissed her forehead.

Ashlyn woke up. "Hi, Daddy," she said. "How was your date?"

"Very nice," Rick whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep."

Ashlyn sat up. "Are you kidding? I can't go back to sleep until you tell me how it went! Did you kiss? Are you getting married?"

Rick laughed. "Sweetie, it was our first date. We did kiss, but no, we're not getting married yet, but we are starting a courtship."

"What's a courtship?" asked Ashlyn.

"A courtship is when a man and a woman date to see if they want to get married," Rick answered.

"Please decide you want to! Please decide you want to! I want Emmy's mommy to be my mommy and Emmy to be my sister!"Ashlyn begged.

Rick laughed again. "I know you do, honey. You've told me one hundred times. We'll see. Emmy's mommy and I will keep dating and praying about it. You keep us in your prayers, too."

"I will, I will!" Ashlyn cried, jumping onto Rick's lap and hugging him around the neck with all her might.

Rick smiled. "Thanks, Ashlyn. That's very much appreciated." He looked at the clock in his daughter's room. "It's eleven o'clock, way too late for you to be awake." He laid her back gently under the covers, tucked her back in, and kissed her forehead again. "Good night, baby. I love you."

"Love you, too, Daddy," Ashlyn said. Rick left the room and went into his own to go to sleep.

At Mari's house, Mari had checked on Emmy right when she got in the door. Emmy was sound asleep. Mari went into her room, took a hot bubble bath, and put on her pink lingerie nightgown, then lay down in her bed and put her favorite purple herbal pads over her eyes. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, but she had only been asleep for three minutes when her bedroom door opened and Emmy came in. "Mommy, I want all the details!" she exclaimed.

"Honey, I'm tired," Mari groaned. "I'll tell you in the morning."

"Please, Mommy, please!" Emmy begged.

Mari somewhat heard her, but she was half asleep. She sighed and turned over, and soon she was all the way asleep again. She let out a soft snore.

Emmy climbed onto the bed and hung onto her mother's back. "Mommy, you're not sleeping till I get details! Are you getting married?"

Mari shrugged her daughter off her shoulders. "Just to get you to stop bugging me," she said in a playful and teasing way, "we're not, but we're having a courtship."

"What's that?" Emmy asked.

"It's when a man and a woman date to see if they want to get married," Mari explained.

"Get married! Get married!" Emmy begged.

"We have to spend more time together and pray about it," Mari said, "and make sure it's what God wants. I promise to let you know what we decide. Go back to bed."

Emmy went back to her room, praying all the way for her mommy to marry Ashlyn's daddy.