Chapter Twenty-Nine
Andrew strolled down the steps of his childhood home. He scratched his cheek as he yawned. He hadn’t showered in a few days or changed out his t-shirt and shorts. Why bother when he didn’t stink? He didn’t need to shave anymore either since his hair had stopped growing. Everything seemed so pointless since he’d returned to heaven a month ago.
He rounded the corner and headed to the back of the home. As he neared the kitchen and dining rooms, he heard his parents’ voices. Pausing, he tried to listen to their conversation. The eat-in kitchen sat to the far left. With the refrigerator humming, he couldn’t make out what his parents were saying.
He continued past the open doorway and into the kitchen. His mom and dad sat at the round table facing each other. His dad wore a baby-blue polo top and khaki pants while his mom had dressed in a white button-down blouse with black trousers. She held a mug in her hands. They smiled as he approached them.
“Morning, honey,” his mother said as she set her drink on the table. She leaned back and her wavy dark locks brushed over her shoulders. “Would you like some coffee?”
Andrew scooted one of the wooden chairs back and then sat. “No, it doesn’t have any flavor or caffeine. What’s the point?”
“Don’t be rude, Andrew,” his father said.
His mother waved a hand in the air. “Give him a break, Alfred. He’s depressed.”
“That’s no excuse,” his father said.
Andrew rested his arms on the cloth place mat. “I don’t mean to be rude. I’m tired, okay?”
Sure, he stayed in bed a lot, but he hadn’t sleep well since he’d returned. Since he had nothing else to do, he kept to himself in his room, lying under the covers, and reminiscing the great times he’d shared with Emily.
His mom reached over and put her hand on top of his. “It’s okay, honey.”
“It’s time you left your room and started going out,” his father said.
“I don’t feel like it,” Andrew said in a glum tone.
“Maybe you’d feel like it if you stepped outside once in a while. And you need to change your clothes. You can’t keep sulking around the house and staying in your room every day,” his father said.
“Alfred, he misses his wife and he’s been deprived of the chance to see his one and only child,” she said in a stern, yet calm tone.
Andrew had appealed the decision the same day it had been made. He’d written a letter to God, explaining his situation and requesting a chance to see his baby. To date, he hadn’t received any response. With each passing day, Emily’s delivery date drew nearer and his hope of winning his appeal decreased.
“I realize he’s been through a lot, Elizabeth, but it’s time for him to move forward,” his father said.
“Move forward? How would you feel if you’d lost Mom when she was pregnant with me? Would you have been able to move forward after a month?” Andrew asked in an elevated tone.
“You need to calm down, son,” his father said.
Andrew shook his head. “I wasn’t supposed to come back so soon and now the council refuses to let me return. My wife needs me.” He shot up from his seat. Frustrated with his parents, God, and everyone in general, he headed for the exit.
“Andrew, wait,” his mother called out.
He paused and spun to face her. “What?”
She left the table and came to stand in front of him. Her height resembled Emily’s. She put her hand on the side of his face. “I know you’re hurting. You lost someone you love and care about. We understand.” She moved her palm to his arm. “It was hard for us when we lost your sister.”
“It’s not the same, Mom.”
“She was our child, so yes, I know what it’s like to never be able to see the child we loved and raised. We never got to see her graduate, get married, or have kids,” she said.
“At least you were able to spend sixteen years with her. I can’t even see my baby born.” His voice cracked while his eyes began to water. He looked away from her as he fought the grip of sadness.
“I can’t stand to see you suffer like this, Andrew. It’s not good for you,” she said, rubbing his arm.
His dad came to stand next to her. He slid his hands into his pockets. “One of the counselors will be by today. You should talk to him. They’re here to listen and help.”
Andrew didn’t want to talk to anyone. He wanted to stay hidden in his room. Without Emily, he felt numb and lifeless. Nothing mattered.
“I’m not up to chatting. I want to be alone,” Andrew said.
A knock at the front door captured their attentions.
His mother sighed. “I’ll get it.” She walked around him and left the room.
“Maybe you should go upstairs and put some decent clothes on,” his father said.
Andrew shook his head as he turned away from his dad. He loved his parents, but they didn’t understand what he was going through. Maybe he needed to leave. If he got away from everyone, he might be able to overcome his heartache. Or maybe it didn’t matter. Who cared if he stayed in a funk?
His mother stood in the open door, talking to a man dressed in a blue suit. He held a tablet in his hand near his thigh. Ignoring what his father had suggested, Andrew stopped next to his mom.
“Andrew, this is Mr. Dunham.” His mother gestured toward him. “He’s a counselor.”
The man stood shorter than his mom by several inches. He had trimmed dark hair with curls in a style similar to Andrew’s. He offered his hand to shake. “Paul Dunham, glad to meet you.”
“I’m sorry, but my parents made a mistake. I don’t need to speak with anyone,” Andrew said.
His mother glared at him before she forced a smile to Paul. “Would you like to come inside, Paul?”
“There’s no need,” Andrew said as he stepped past her.
Paul backed up to let Andrew by. “Andrew, can I have a few minutes of your time?”
Andrew continued down the sidewalk and headed for the one in front of the houses. Sure, he wasn’t in decent attire, but his goods were covered. Who cared anyway if he walked around in the neighborhood with a t-shirt and boxers? He didn’t.
He stopped near the street and found Paul next to him. “I’m sorry they wasted your time.”
“I understand you’ve lost someone very dear to you,” Paul said.
“That’s not the half of it.”
“There are no words anyone can say to comfort you. They are living and you are here. You’re not going to feel better tomorrow or the next day. But you will with time.”
Andrew crossed his arms. “Do you say that spiel to everyone?”
Paul half grinned. “Are you happy here, living with your parents?”
“No, I’m miserable.” Andrew gave a single shake of his head.
“How would you like to live in your own home?”
Andrew chewed on the idea. He’d told Emily he would find a nice home for her on the beach. He had no idea when she would arrive, but maybe now was as good of a time as any to find a house she would enjoy living in with him for eternity.
“Do you have any two-story houses with porches along the east coast?” Andrew asked.
Paul lifted his tablet. He tapped his screen repeatedly. “I can find one. Do you have any other preferences?”
“A Jacuzzi.”
Paul continued to touch his pad. “How soon do you want to move? And do you want furniture?”
“The sooner the better. Furniture is fine. It doesn’t matter.”
Paul stared at his screen and then lifted his gaze. “Give me twenty-four hours and I’ll find something for you.”
“Really?”
“Are you opposed to a fixer upper?” He lowered the notepad to his side.
“Uh, I guess not. As long as it doesn’t need too many renovations.”
“I can work with that. I’ll go back to the office and see what I can find. I can come back in the morning and show you a couple of options. All you need to do is select one, and I’ll take you to the train station.”
Andrew lowered his arms. “You can find a house for me that fast? And I can move in the same day?”
“This isn’t Earth. We don’t have realtors and we don’t have to wait for people to vacate properties.”
Andrew shifted his gaze to the house he grew up in. Was he ready to leave it and his parents to prepare for Emily’s arrival?
“Okay, I can be ready by nine in the morning,” Andrew said.
“Perfect. I recommend you tell your parents. They’re very concerned about you.”
Obviously, or Andrew wouldn’t have been talking to a counselor.
“I thought you were supposed to talk to me about my grief and how to deal with it,” Andrew said.
“I pulled your file before I came here. Your history is… Unique. Clearly, you love your wife. You always will and you’re holding onto memories right now because you don’t want to forget the time you had together. Right now, you’re probably waiting for the day she will be with you so you will be happy again. Am I on the right path?”
“Yes.”
“I thought so. The problem is, you could have to wait a long time and none of us in heaven want to see others miserable. My job is to find a way to boost your spirit. I can’t give you what you want, but I can put you on the road to happiness while you wait. This is heaven, after all. Everyone should be pleased to be here.”
A touch of hope sparked within Andrew. Although he doubted he would see Emily anytime soon, he had confidence she would join him one day as long as she didn’t break any rules or do anything illegal on Earth. He wanted to be ready for her arrival so he could spend every minute of eternity pleasing and loving her. Paul’s method of helping Andrew seemed like a good one to bring him out of his misery.
“I look forward to seeing what you come up with. My wife and I stayed in a beach house in Maryland for over a month. She really liked it,” Andrew said.
“I’ll find a few homes, but it will be up to you to decide which one to live in.”
Andrew held his hand out to Paul. “Thank you.”
Paul gripped it. “Glad to help. I’ll see you in the morning.”
As Paul walked away, Andrew headed back to his parent’s house. He doubted he could find any sense of joy without Emily, but preparing for her to be with him would offer him some peace. It was better than the heartache he felt every second without her.