Harvest of Friends
Leslie Harper
Leslie carefully closed the door behind her as she exited the room her guest was staying in. Her arms and legs felt heavy as she began to walk down the hallway to her own bedroom, even though she knew she would not be able to sleep well tonight. So many thoughts were racing around in her mind. Where would she and her children sleep tomorrow? Would Bret try and stop them from leaving? Why hasn't her decision to leave her neglectful husband made her feel better yet? Did Bret still believe Charles was the reason why she decided to leave?
Even though Leslie had said that was not true and that she was leaving Bret because she had to, it was a lie. The whole reason she finally found the strength to say that she had enough of their empty marriage was because of Charles. Her heart had skipped a beat when he told her that she had pretty hands and a comforting warmth fell over her when he touched them for a quick moment. When she was dressing up in her Sunday best for Bret, it was Charles she was thinking about.
It was all his fault, you know.
Leslie had kept her hand on the bedroom doorknob when she asked Charles for a ride to town in the morning. If she did not have the door anchoring her to reality, she would have ran to him, thrown herself into his arms and begged for more affection. Leslie and her children had been so starved of love for years because of Bret. It was not surprising that the smallest amount of kindness from a stranger lit up their lives.
She envied his wife.
Leslie paused before she was able to reach her room and turned back down the hallway to face the guest room. She glided her feet across the carpet, not breaking eye contact with the door Charles was hiding behind. She came so close to opening that door again and admitting it was all because of him. But Charles was a good man. Even if Leslie had thrown herself to him, she knew that he would let her down gently in order to preserve the sanctity of his own marriage. That was why Leslie envied his wife so much, without even knowing her name.
She stopped herself, took a deep breath and sighed. In her mind, she prayed to God so that her children would have one last good dream before their lives would dramatically change once again.
And it was all because of Charles Ingalls.