Let Me Call You Sweetheart Chapter 6, Page 61
Pastor Joseph was ready for the parents of Christy and Rick after personally visiting with them. However, Christy hadn't seen her family in over 6 months and was very nervous, especially to see her father. So, Joseph had wisely asked Mr. and Mrs. Lipinski to come earlier so they could talk face to face with her first. Fiona walked with Christy and Timi Anne to the church and waited for her parents to arrive. When they did, she assured Christy she could come back to walk her home whatever time it was.
Pastor Joseph greeted them, and Christy was waiting with Timi Anne. As they walked in, Mrs. Lipinski immediately ran over to Christy and was overwhelmed to see her and her baby.
"Christy, thank God you are all right! I've been worried sick about you. And, look at your baby, how beautiful she is!" Christy and her mother were crying with relief.
"Mama, mama," was all Christy could reply. Anne Lipinski held her daughter who was holding her daughter and all three generations became one big hug.
Mr. Lipinski stood by the door watching his wife and daughter's happiness in their reunion and saw the tiny baby cradled in Christy's arms. He realized what he had said to Christy when he first found out she was pregnant, were not words from a loving father. Anne had scolded him for it and had persisted in prayer hoping for a hardened heart to soften. David Lipinski was quite the stubborn man, with a gruff persona, but Anne knew he was a good man with a wonderful heart. She was right. As he watched his wife and daughter tears welled up in his eyes and from a distance he saw his granddaughter for the first time.
"Christy?" he asked quietly. "Christy, I, I" he looked away and then started to walk towards her again. "I am so very, very sorry that I made you leave." As he slowly came closer she could see in his eyes his remorse. She knew her father was ridding himself of his prideful anger and allowing his true love for her to take over. Apologizing as he approached, Christy stood up and watched as he came to stand right in front of her.
"God forgive me. I thought about you every day and prayed you were safe and all right. I should have done more, I know. I just hope that some day you can forgive me." Christy's father spoke with tears trailing down his cheeks.
Christy saw her father sobbing and begging forgiveness. She wanted
to be part of the family again. She wanted her folks to accept her baby into the family too and she saw that was happening. Slowly she handed a sleeping Timi Anne to her mother, "Mama, this is Timi Anne, your granddaughter. Why don't you and daddy hold her right now."
Anne and David Lipinski both crying, embraced their granddaughter and as the corners of their lips curved into huge smiles they both could taste the saltiness of tears falling over their lips and drop on Timi Anne's cheeks. Timi Anne stirred and opened her eyes to see her grandparents for the very first time.
Pastor Joseph came over to Christy and put his arm around her as she too was a puddle of tears. As Timi Anne opened her big brown eyes she cooed and was content watching the two grandparents smiling and laughing at her. Christy walked over to them and her father watched her hopefully. "Dad, I really struggled out alone by myself. I look at Timi Anne and wonder as a parent now, how could I ever tell her to leave me?"
"Christy, I just..." David started.
"Hear me out dad, please." Christy began, "I was in love with Timothy and we were planning on getting married when he came home from the war. When we found out he had died of the Spanish flu, Rick and I were both beside ourselves with grief. We weren't thinking and I allowed myself to go with my emotions. What I did was wrong and I knew better. So, because of that, I'm trying to put myself in your place. You weren't thinking either, you allowed your hurt to take over. As Pastor Joseph explained, we both were wrong, but we can either stay stuck in the past or we can choose to forgive and move forward."
David Lipinski stepped forward and gave his daughter a big 'papa bear' hug. Christy buried her face in her father's chest as he cradled her head in his arms. Anne Lipinski closed her eyes and just held on to her granddaughter and thanked the Lord.
"Praise God!" Pastor Joseph grinned. "All right folks, see this is what happens when you pray. Christy and Timi Anne are getting healthier as I told you earlier today, and will need a place to go to. Are you willing to open your home to the both of them?"
"Of course!" Anne said emphatically. "With eight of our own children, including Christy, we will make room. Timi Anne is family and we will see that she has a place in our home, absolutely!"
"Now, Rick and Christy have been talking and he and his folks are coming here tonight too. We have to remember that he is the father and has rights to Timi Anne. His parents are also her grandparents, so we'll need to work things out between the two families." Joseph cautioned them.
"Mom, Dad," Christy looked at her folks, "Rick is a good man, and has a job offered to him by Mr. Coulter from Coulter Lumber in the spring. He's been working at Billees in the meantime, helping Sam the manager with events. He is really in love with Timi Anne, I can tell. The way he holds her, talks with her, and even asked me to show how to change her. We are both very good friends and I want you to give him a chance and get to know him. Please."
"I can vouch for everything she just said." Joseph nodded. "He's a fine young man and didn't try to dodge his responsibility or avoid Christy or Timi Anne. Please take all this into consideration when the O'Neills arrive any time now."
The Lipinskis understood. "Don't forget they just lost their son, Timothy. They were expecting him home from the war alive. I'm assuming by how my visit went with them today, that they will be very anxious to meet their granddaughter. Whatever happens, we can and we will work it out with the grace of God." Pastor Joseph concluded.
