Easter Story Part 11 by Merrillee Whren

Holding Greta's hand, Sam followed Dan's parents out of the little white clapboard church located near the center of Sunrise. Jeff walked beside her, his expression somber. Was he thinking about the solemn message of the Good Friday service, or was he wondering about the results of the paternity test he had taken? Any day, he would find out the results of the test. She understood his need to know for sure whether he was Greta's father, but she wondered how the knowledge would affect all of them, one way or the other.

"Mommy, are we having tuna casserole when we get home?"

"We are. I made it just for you."

"It's my favorite."

"Good thing. Since that's what we're having. " Sam hoped Jeff didn't mind eating tuna casserole, but she had invited him to supper because she wanted to show him the finishing touches she had added to his wonderful renovations. Even though he had completed the renovations in record time and had seen the final results of his own work, he hadn't seen the kitchen since she'd put up the curtains and brought in the dinette set that she had refinished.

Jeff held up his hand for Greta to give him a high five. "That's my favorite, too. My mom always made tuna casserole on Good Friday. This will be like a little taste of home."

Jeff's comment brightened Sam's thoughts, but the ride home in Dan, Sr.'s car, while Greta peppered Jeff with dozens of "why" questions, gave Sam too much time to think of questions of her own. They buzzed in her mind like the honey bees flitting from blossom to blossom on the pink Dogwood trees that lined the road. How would they tell Greta? How would she respond to the news? And Sam grappled with the same old question that had haunted her since learning that Greta might be Jeff's daughter. Would he want custody of his child? He had every right. After all, he had never signed away his parental rights when Carla had.

The thought of losing Greta, even to a wonderful man like Jeff, curdled Sam's stomach. How could she cope with losing her husband and her daughter all within a year's time? She had to remember the message of the Good Friday service. The celebration of Jesus's resurrection was only days away, and she recalled how desolate Jesus's followers felt. Everything seemed lost when Jesus died, but they had forgotten the words He had spoken to them that the minister had read from the gospel of Mark during the service.

"'We are going up to Jerusalem,' he said, 'and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.'"

Now Sam had to remember that God loved her and wanted the best for her and Greta.

"Mommy, are we going to show Mr. Jeff the resurrection eggs we're opening?" Her daughter's sweet little voice changed the direction of Sam's thoughts.

Leave it to Greta to set her mother's mind on the right path. "Yes, you can show him all the ones you've opened so far."

"Mr. Jeff, would you like that?"

"I'd like that very much." Jeff glanced at Sam over the top of Greta's head and smiled.

Sam's heart fluttered. Jeff was a good man, and no matter what happened in the days to come, she had to believe that he wouldn't do anything to hurt her or Greta.