“I’ve heard a lot worse,” he said. “Besides, anyone who abuses and cheats on you IS an asshole in my book.”
“So what are you doing here?” I asked her.
“Your mother said you’d be here,” she said. “I just got hired at the hospital down the road and I start full time in a couple weeks.”
“Where are you staying?” I asked.
“Your mother said I could stay with her until I find a place of my own,” she said. “I heard you’re engaged. Where’s the lucky girl?”
“The engagement’s off,” I said. “And she took an express train home,” I added. Bob laughed at that. “I do have to get back to California, though, just to tie up some loose ends. Then I’ll be back. There’s nothing for me there.”
“Do you have a job?” she asked. I shook my head.
“No, not yet,” I said.
“Well, I hear the hospital is looking for an IT guy. Maybe you can get on there,” she said.
“I’ll look into it when I get back,” I said. “I won’t be gone long, maybe a week or so at the most.”
“Would you mind if I tagged along?” she asked. “I feel like we have a lot to talk about.”
“I agree,” I said. “We do have a lot to talk about. Sure, why not? I could use a navigator.” She smiled and hugged me.
“Thanks, Jim,” she said. “I’ll go catch up with your mother and let her know. It’s great to see you again.”
“Good to see you, too,” I said. I looked at Bob.
“Did you set that up?” I asked. He smiled.
“God works in mysterious ways,” he said. I started to shake his hand and ended up giving him a hug instead.
“Thanks for everything,” I said.
“You’re welcome, son,” he said. “Now, go do what you have to do and I’ll see you in a week or so.”
I left and collected my mother, who said she and some of the other women felt a sudden need to pray for Bob and I.
“Where’s Marissa?” she asked.
“Gone,” I said. “For good.” She looked at me funny. “I’ll explain when we get back from California.”
“We?” she asked. “Are you taking Marissa back to California?”
“No, Marissa’s already gone home,” I said. “Jenny’s going back with me to California.” She smiled.
“Jenny?” she asked. “You don’t waste any time, do you, boy?” I smiled.
Jenny and I left early the next morning and headed west. On the way, I told Jenny about Marissa and everything that happened with Bob at the church. I was still shaken up by everything that had happened. When I finished, Jenny looked at me in shock.
“Oh my God,” she said. “I feel so bad.”
Afterward, Jenny told me about her time back east. Apparently, she met John shortly after starting school. He was a year ahead of her and helped tutor her through some of her early classes. From there, they began dating and the two fell in love.
His true personality began showing after they were engaged. According to Jenny, he was very demanding and the abuse began shortly thereafter. Jenny swore she never had sex with him and that seemed to irritate him.
“Why’d you put up with it?” I asked her.
“I didn’t know what else to do,” she cried. “I wrote you, telling you about it, hoping you’d come to help me, but you never responded.”
“I never saw any letter mentioning that,” I said. I began to wonder if Marissa had intercepted Jenny’s letters. “I would’ve dropped everything if I’d known. I’m sorry.”
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