CHAPTER 15-1
429 Words
CHAPTER 15
Roger walked into his bedroom in time to see his wife shove a cream-colored wrapper under the pillow. “That kind of night, huh?” Roger winked.
“You don’t even want to know.” Juliette smiled and scooted herself over in the bed. “How did everything go at the office?”
Roger slid into his pajamas, his limbs heavy from the day’s work. “Looks like we’ll probably get things out on time.” He slipped in bed next to Juliette and put his arm around her robust frame, softened and rounded by decades of late-night snacking. He could tell by the way she positioned herself something was wrong. “You worried about the graduates?”
Juliette shifted her weight. “I should be.”
“What’s keeping you up then? I mean, besides Mr. Godiva?”
She paused but didn’t smile. “Just thinking of Kennedy.”
Roger rolled his eyes, careful she wouldn’t notice. North Korea could cross the Demilitarized Zone, World War Three could break out next door, and his wife would worry herself sick about whether or not Kennedy was brushing her teeth every night before bed. He massaged Juliette’s shoulder. “So did anything exciting happen while I was out?”
Even after he tried to curl himself around her like a spoon, she wouldn’t relax. “What kind of excitement are you talking about?”
Roger let out a mix between a humorous snort and a sigh. “The typical, I guess. Ragged refugees hunted down by the Chinese police, banging on the door, seeking asylum. You know ... the usual.”
Juliette’s laugh would have been more convincing if she weren’t so tense. Roger closed his eyes and breathed in heavily. It was nice to finally lie down, even though he’d have to get up in just a few hours to check on the printing order. He thought about the Secret Seminary graduates and wondered how they were managing their first night out on their own. When Roger and Juliette started the training program for North Korean refugees, they prayed together nearly every night, begging God to anoint and protect their students. A year ago, they started classes with eleven trainees. Today they sent out the six that completed the entire program. With their daughter away at college and the Secret Seminary students gone to whatever fate awaited them, Roger figured the house would feel pretty empty in the days to come. He wouldn’t be surprised to see his wife gain a few more pounds, either. Boredom and loneliness were not friends to her figure, as Juliette herself liked to joke. Roger kissed her and rolled over, remembering to say a silent prayer for the graduates before he fell asleep.
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- Writer
