By cindy
Cindy Bradford
In October, Patrick flew to Rome where he walked many of the same streets he had strolled more than twelve years before. He went by the old apartment where he had lived and found Ricardo, looking much older, his back bent further, his step awkward and unsteady, but the same sweet smile came to his face when he looked up and saw Patrick. Tears bathed both men’s eyes. [Read more…] about Keeping Faith Chapter 26
By cindy
Cindy Bradford
Patrick looked at the clock. It was 4:10 p.m. on Sunday and he was expecting Carol to call any minute to let him know she and Olivia were home. Thinking she would be back by now, he was worried about them driving, especially today when it was drizzling rain. He heard a knock at his office door and looked up. [Read more…] about Keeping Faith Chapter 25
By cindy
Cindy Bradford
The weekend before school was to start seemed an unlikely time for a teacher and her lobsterman boyfriend to choose for marrying, but the young educator was three months pregnant and showing, a fact that the Board of Education did not look upon favorably. So they had come to Patrick asking for his blessings and a rushed up ceremony. The honeymoon would definitely have to be cut short. At first Patrick was hesitant because of the circumstances of the union and of his promise to Carol that he would go with her and Olivia to see her parents in Connecticut. The choices were actually a coin toss of which he preferred less. Weekends with Carol’s father were anything but pleasant, but not going was generally not an option. Only once in their marriage had he stayed behind which hadn’t set well with Carol, and she had let him know exactly how she had felt. [Read more…] about Keeping Faith Chapter 24
By cindy
Cindy Bradford
Carol was weeding the flower beds that framed the front of the house when Patrick drove up, two kayaks perched on the top of his car.
“Hi,” he said, smiling as Olivia ran to the car.
“Daddy, Daddy, why do you have those on your car?”
“Because I’m taking you and Mommy on a trip.”
“Hip, Hip, Hooray! Did you hear that Mommy?” [Read more…] about Keeping Faith Chapter 23
By cindy
Cindy Bradford
Patrick was the same pushover with Olivia that he had been with Rocky. If she cried, he picked her up, if she refused to open her mouth for spinach, he tried tapioca pudding. When she slept he stood over her crib, watching.
“Patrick, you are going to spoil her,” Carol warned.
“So?” he grinned mischievously.
When she took her first steps and fell, he almost cried, but when her first complete sentence was “I wove Da-Da,” he did. He was doting as a father could be. [Read more…] about Keeping Faith Chapter 22
By cindy
Cindy Bradford
This was one time, however, that Carol was not going to have her way, not if Mother Nature had hers. The seed had already been planted, literally, and Dr Taylor delivered the news to Carol on the first day of spring. The heated conversation in February had been for naught. She was already pregnant then.
On her way to Patrick’s office Carol felt a sense of relief. In some ways she wanted to be pregnant now and she knew how much it meant to him. Arriving at his office her mind was on a million things and she didn’t think to knock.
Startled, Patrick looked up, “Carol, what’s wrong?” [Read more…] about Keeping Faith Chapter 21 Part II