Men Found And Loved (A Pair of Christian Romance Novellas)

By Vanessa Carvo

A Man From Her Past, is about two people who are brought together by fate and their love of God and helping others. One is a governess and one a teacher, and both help children who face bullying or self-esteem issues, for whatever reason. The man and woman are above average in weight, as well as what’s most important; love and the strength of their faith.

Anna Loves Robert With The Green Eyes: When Anna found a wounded soldier under the big cottonwood tree, she could never have imagined how it would change her life forever; once she convinced her family to let her keep him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan Hart
• Release date: Feb 26, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310521928

Book preview

Men Found And Loved (A Pair of Christian Romance Novellas)

By

Vanessa Carvo

Copyright 2015 Vanessa Carvo

A Man From Her Past

Anna Loves Robert With The Green Eyes

A Man From Her Past

Synopsis: A Man From Her Past, is about two people who are brought together by fate and their love of God and helping others. One is a governess and one a teacher, and both help children who face bullying or self-esteem issues, for whatever reason. The man and woman are above average in weight, as well as what’s most important; love and the strength of their faith.

It all started with a single letter, a single sheet of paper folded into a nondescript envelope that she hadn’t expected.

The words that had been printed there on that piece of paper had changed everything. It had opened a door and closed so many other ones. It had provided a path out of darkness, a path forward, a way toward hope.

Evan had changed everything.

However, truth be told, it had all started long before the letter that had changed her life.

If Irene was being perfectly honest, it had started at birth.

You were so big as a baby you nearly ripped me apart, her mother was fond of saying. It did nothing for Irene’s fragile self-esteem, but her mother told the story often and loudly.

You were so big afterward — always hungry, always crying for more — that I couldn’t even carry you, her mother would continue, ignoring Irene’s lowered eyes, the flush on her cheeks.

You learned how to walk just so you could get yourself more food, the woman said. And look at you now. Living up to your potential.

The story rarely veered from canon — that Irene had started life too big to be believed and that she’d continued down the path of greatness — physical largeness, that is.

It did things to Irene, listening to that story again and again, having to endure its telling to relatives and acquaintances and strangers.

She tried not to cry. She used to cry at every telling, and it seemed to sour her mother’s fun at reveling in Irene’s shame.

If you’re so upset about it, the woman said, do something about it.

Irene just wasn’t sure what that something was. She thought she ate just as much — or as little — as the next person, but none of her classmates were as big as her. It was as if something was wrong with her and she couldn’t name it, let alone fix it.

Irene even tried going on a special diet. The only thing special about it was that she just wouldn’t eat, but that seemed to backfire horribly. She started doing poorly in her studies, so distracted and exhausted by her own self-deprivation that everyone started bullying her even more.

Fat as well as stupid, her teacher pronounced, making everyone around her titter.

Her classmates were no better, taunting her with their delicious lunches.

Does the piggy want a taste? they would squeal, giggling as they danced around her with cakes and muffins and sandwiches stuffed with fillings.

Of course, she wanted a taste. Irene chewed miserably on lettuce, the only part of her losing weight her hope and sense of well-being.

When she finally turned her back on her diet, deciding that she could perhaps bear the burden of her bullying better if she at least had a little food on her stomach, it was as if her mother had won some contest.

I knew you couldn’t stick with it, the woman said, looming over her as Irene shoveled forkfuls of mashed potatoes and gravy and chicken into her hungry mouth. How could you? You were born hungry and you’ll spend the rest of your life that way. Better find yourself a big house, girl. You’ll soon grow too large to even make it out of a door.

At that point, Irene didn’t care what her mother said. She’d been starving herself for so long and so thoroughly that she would put up with anything.

However, when Irene brought her first full lunch to school, the bullying reached a fever pitch.

I never gave up on you, one classmate told her. I knew you’d live up to your potential.

It was awful that Irene’s own mother gave her peers most of their ammunition to hurt her.

Putting on more weight for the winter, I see, another classmate told her, poking her painfully in the ribs. Here, have my dessert. You’ll want to make it through hibernation all right, won’t you?

Well, what do you expect? her mother demanded after Irene came home in tears for a solid week of school. You’re being ridiculed for something you refuse to change. You deserve all of this. You think dieting for a couple of weeks will undo a whole lifetime of damage you’ve done to yourself? Think again.

Irene wished there was some way to make everything go away. She wished that everyone would just leave her alone — her mother included — and that she could just be by herself. However, where would she go? London was an enormous place, and she didn’t know what she’d do to support herself. As much as she loathed her own weight, Irene dreaded the thought of being hungry again. That stringent diet had been miserable, and there was no way she wanted to repeat that again.

Whenever Irene would read the bible, however, brushing the brown hair away that fell down into her eyes when she bent forward to read the good word spread open on her lap, everything sort of did go away.

All of the insults and bullying melted out of her consciousness, and Irene knew peace as she read the words of Christ and all his followers. She read about God being good and righteous and protecting his flock, and that was what she wanted for herself. She wanted to be protected,