The Path of the Forgiven

By Abbey M. Elliott

Path of the Forgiven focuses on the lives of Quinton Foster and Malory Rice as they work their way through lifes struggles to overcome the pains of their pasts. Follow along and see if Quinton can get his life straightened around and to see what happens when Malorys past catches up with her. Will they cling to God in their time of struggle or will they fall back into their old way of life? See also what surprises are in store for them along the way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512750621

Abbey M. Elliott

Abbey is a creative person who enjoys the world of fiction. She draws from her imagination and the world around her to formulate her work. Abbey is a married mother of three who lives in North Central Michigan

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Q uinton Foster awoke to the sound of his phone ringing. With a groan, he grappled for the device to see who was calling. To his displeasure, he found that it was his brother, Kendrick. He tapped the ignore button, buried his face into his pillow, and said something crude before he rolled over onto his back.

As he checked his phone for other messages, he became perplexed that his girlfriend, Karmen, hadn’t called. He dialed her number and let the phone ring. He grumbled something unintelligible when he received her voicemail.

With a sigh he said, Hey babe! Just checking to see if we’re still on for tonight. Well, gimmie a call back when you get this.

He rocked his head back and forth on his pillow at the thoughts that swirled about his head. He couldn’t get past the nagging feeling that she was avoiding him, and he was trying to figure out why.

Soon thereafter he checked to see what time it was, and he rolled his eyes: it was only ten in the morning. Why did Kenny have to call at ten in the morning, was his grumbled thought. Then his phone rang again.

I’m up! he groused to his brother upon answering the phone. Once he convinced his brother that he was going to show up for that afternoon’s meeting, he was off the phone and sitting on the edge of the bed.

After he shook the fog from the previous night’s drinking excursion from his head, he went into his bathroom and stood before the mirror. He stood there for a time, making faces and flexing his muscles. Once he was content with his physique, he hopped in the shower and then he finished getting ready for the day.

Heading down to the family dining room, Charlie, one of the family’s dogs, came up to him. He talked to the dog and scratched him behind the ear. Taking a seat at the table, he picked up the morning paper and started to read through it.

Quinton’s mother walked into the room and said, Don’t be too disappointed. Whatever you were up to last night didn’t make it to the front page.

I was at Parker’s bachelor party last night. So it’s probably best that it didn’t make any page. Especially because I think he took off with one of the strippers. The butler set a plate of food before him.

When will you boys learn to take life a bit more seriously? It’s not all fun and games, you know.

I know, Mom. So, you never gave me an answer about the ring. Can I have it or not? He shoved a bite of food into his mouth.

I’ve given your request a lot of thought, and I think that your great-grandmother’s ring is going to stay in the vault.

He almost choked on the sip of coffee he had just taken. He then sputtered, But Mom!

No! There is no reassurance that Mindy or Nancy or whoever she is this month is going to stick around long enough to marry you. If you want a ring, then you are going to be like every other man and buy one yourself.

He gave a dramatic rolling of the eyes. Her name is Karmen, mom, and you would really like her if you took the time to get to know her.

Quinton, sweetie, you are twenty-six years old. I think you can do better than a cocktail waitress from Newcastle! Now, did your brother get ahold of you this morning?

Yes, he did! Why did he have to call so early? he whined.

He wants to make sure that you will make it to the meeting this afternoon.

Why? he pleaded with his mother.

Your father, before he passed, made your brother promise to bring you into the folds of the family business. To help you find your niche.

He rolled his eyes once more. What if I don’t want to find my ‘niche’? What if I’m happy doing what I’m doing?

Quinton, you’re going to get your trust fund restricted if you don’t make an attempt, she warned.

But mo’om!

No. If you want to keep your downtown apartment and all the amenities that go with it, I suggest that you make it to the meeting. Before he could give a comeback, she walked out of the room.

He looked down at Charlie. Some days I just don’t get my family.

The dog looked at him with anticipation of something from the table. He gave a slight whine in hopes his master would drop something intentionally. Oh for a morsel from the master’s plate.

Once he was content with what he had eaten, Quinton left the table and went back to his room. There he grabbed a few things before taking off. On his way out, his mother reminded him to be on time for the meeting. He rolled his eyes as he shook his head when she did.

Quinton soon found himself downtown at one of his mother’s favorite jewelry stores, which was one of Seattle’s finest. He was determined to prove his mother wrong about Karmen. He spent the next two hours trying to find just the right ring for his girl. The first series of rings that he was shown he claimed were too small; he wanted to give her a ring that made a statement. With the second set of rings, he couldn’t decide whether they were a bit much or not.

The salesperson kept asking him questions about the woman that he was buying the ring for. Most of them he gave a generic answer for, but the questions got him thinking. How well did he really know Karmen? As he questioned his knowledge of her, his mother’s disproving look crossed his mind, and his resolve was bolstered. Soon he had a ring in hand, and he had charged it to his mother’s account.

His stomach grumbled, and he walked up the street to a little bistro that he liked. As he received his check, the alarm on his phone went off. Quinton cursed under his breath for it was time for his meeting with his brother. After impatiently waiting for his waiter to pick up and bring back his credit card, he raced back to his car and was off to the offices of his family’s company.

As he entered the offices, Kendrick’s secretary tried to warn him about interrupting the meeting, but he assured her that his brother was waiting for him. Opening the door to the conference room, he quickly realized that she had had a point.

My apologies for being late. Please continue. He walked to an empty chair and flopped down.

A disappointed looking Kendrick continued with, That’s all right. We were just finishing up anyhow. He closed out the meeting and then gathered his things and walked out.

Quinton didn’t understand his brother’s attitude. He was acting like Quinton had just killed his pet fish or something. He scurried from his seat and followed after his brother.

Hey, I’m here! What was so important that I had to be here?

Kendrick walked into his office and slammed his files down onto his desk. You don’t get it do you? You have no idea what I’m trying to do for you!

No. I don’t! I’m perfectly fine without your butting into my life! Quinton snapped.

I’m trying to keep it that way, but you’re making it really hard!

Then please, elaborate for me what you think you’re doing for me! he spat at his brother.

Do you not know who those people were? Kendrick pointed back toward the conference room.

No!

Of course you don’t! Kendrick took his hand and dragged it down his face out of frustration. They are the oversight committee. They decide whether you keep your trust fund as it is or not! You’re lucky you didn’t come in stone drunk like I’ve seen you do before!

You didn’t tell me that’s what this meeting was about!

Yes, I did!

When?

Last week Monday was when I had originally told you about the meeting, and how about this past weekend when I brought it up at dinner on Sunday? He saw the light dawn on his brother’s face. Yeah, what did you think I was talking about?

Quinton went pale. So what are they going to do?

I don’t know yet. I assume that if you can keep your nose out of trouble long enough, they’ll just ignore some of your recent blunders. But you need to understand that they aren’t too happy with you.

He began to fret. What do you think they’re going to do?

Well, I suggested that they put you on some kind of probation. That if you can stay out of trouble for a certain period of time and meet some standards, they’ll reinstate to you full access to your trust.

You did what? he exclaimed.

It was either that or they completely cut you off and you would have to run every purchase past them! At least this way you still have access to your trust fund without a lot of red tape. You just have to show an attempt at responsibility to prove to them … Kendrick shook his head. He didn’t like being put in this position.

Prove to them what? That I’m not a total loser?

Your words, not mine! Kendrick defended.

Quinton cursed. That’s it! They think I’m a loser, and you do to! A hurt look crossed his face, and he walked out.

The look on Quinton’s face was like a knife being stabbed into his heart. He was loved by his older brother, but it was time for Quinton to face reality. It was time for him to grow up.

Quinton went to his downtown apartment. Upon entering, he paced his living room in agitation as he tried to work through what his brother had told him and what his mother was trying to tell him earlier. Not wanting to deal with the situation any further, he called Karmen. Once more, she didn’t answer. He left her another message.

Feeling overly stressed, he changed into his workout clothes and went for a jog. Even though he had just as many questions as before he started his jog, he did feel less stressed over all of it. Before getting into the shower, he checked his phone to see if Karmen had called him back. A twinge of disappointment filled him when he found no messages at all.

CHAPTER TWO

F our a.m. and Chelsey’s alarm went off. Sleepily, she shut it off then sat up. Kneeling beside her bed, she said a heartfelt prayer before getting around for the day. It didn’t take long and she was turning the light on in the mission’s kitchen. As she looked about, she gave a slight shriek at finding a mouse in the mouse trap.

I don’t know why Brody has to set them so far out into the room! Well, he set the thing then he’ll have to clean it up! she said aloud to herself.

Chelsey pulled out a dish cloth and started filling the sink with hot soapy water. Then she washed down the cooking surfaces. She didn’t want an incident like the one that had happened over a year ago when food had been made on an unclean surface. The health department almost closed down the mission then. She wasn’t about to let that happen again.

Soon she was turning the oven on so to warm it for the morning’s biscuits. As usual it didn’t light and she had to pull out the grates and the bottom plate so she could light it.

Had to light it again?

Morning Tess. Yep, as usual. Never fails on biscuit and gravy morning.

I keep getting after the Father to get a new one! Tess said cheerfully.

Chelsey rolled her eyes. The mission can’t afford a new one and you know it. Besides this one is better than the one we had six months ago!

This is true. Only one of the burners worked and the oven barely got above 250° anyhow. And that one was better than the one we had a few months before that!

The two women chuckled over the shared memories. They continued to chat pleasantly as they prepared the morning’s meal for that morning’s recipients. Soon Tess was propping open the back door as Chelsey stirred the last of the oatmeal.

Lordy, Lordy! It is a hot one today! Tess fanned herself with her apron.

Wait until June arrives! Chelsey chuckled.

Don’t remind me! Tess answered dramatically.

They laughed again before they started serving up the food. As the eight o’clock hour approached, Brody walked into the kitchen.

So, did you ladies save me anything good?

Chelsey grinned mischievously, I sure did! He’s right there on the floor waiting for you to take care of him!

Brody’s shoulders slumped. Really? I was talking about food!

Do your job first young man then you can see if there are any tid-bits left, chided Tess.

Yah, yah! He quickly snatched a biscuit and shoved it in his mouth before dropping his tool belt in the corner. He set the remainder of the biscuit down on a napkin before disposing of the mouse. He teased the ladies with the dead mouse for a moment so to get a rise out of them and it worked.

This is a working kitchen! Are you trying to get the health department to shut us down? chided Chelsey.

Brody chuckled as he went out the kitchen’s door to the alley. There, he dumped the mouse into a dumpster. Once back into the kitchen, he reset the trap and put it back where he had it before. They continued to chat as the women started to clean up from breakfast.

Brushing the crumbs from the front of his shirt, he said, Well, I guess I should get to that leaky faucet in the second floor bathroom.

Tess smiled as she teased, I thought you fixed that a week ago!

I didn’t have the part a week ago and I had to wait until this week’s budget before I could get it.

The real reason is because he’s been busy gabbing with people instead of doing his job! teased Chelsey.

Hey! The good Lord has placed me here for a purpose above fixing faucets. So forgive me if I follow through with what He wants instead of what you want, he defended.

Well, what I want is for you to fix that faucet, came a gruff voice from the doorway to the dining room.

Brody blushed with embarrassment. Sure thing. Right away Father Tormey! He picked up his tool belt and quickly slipped past the deadly gangbanger turned priest.

You shouldn’t scare that boy like that! Tess scolded.

He should know by now that I wouldn’t hurt him. So how are my girls this morning?

The three of them continued to chat over cups of leftover coffee. Then the three of them were off to strip the linens off the beds so they could be washed and back on the beds before that evening’s visitors arrived.

In between loads of linens, they went over to the church and had their daily Bible study. The study was open to all who wanted to join them. All in all, the group averaged ten people. Father Tormey, Chelsey, Tess, Brody and the others were made up of the parish’s parishioners and some of the people who frequented the mission.

Usually, Chelsey spent the afternoons cleaning something or working on paperwork of some sort. She hated the days that Father Tormey would send her out to have some time to herself. She hated having time to reflect upon her past and all the mistakes she had made, but faithfully she would go. One time, she had asked what she was supposed to do with her time and she was told to work on forgiving herself. This was a task she found difficult.

In the evenings, she and Father Tormey would register that night’s tenants and serve them a simple dinner. During the winters it was usually something hot, or at least warm depending on how well the stove was working that day. In the summer months it was usually some form of sandwich.

Chelsey’s life was quiet and for the most part uneventful. She enjoyed the anonymity that the mission gave her. It was her shelter in her tumultuous life; a life that she still was running from.

Her past ate at her and caused her sleepless nights. There was a great amount of guilt and anger within her. The guilt of the terrible things that she had done and anger towards herself for doing those thing. This was why she worked hard at the mission. She hoped to work away her guilt.

Father Tormey had repeatedly told her that that wasn’t how God worked. He told her that Christianity wasn’t works based but faith based; that because of her faith her life would show the fruit of her faith by how she lived her life. That concept made no sense to her. She was out to prove her new found faith by working hard, even if it meant her own demise.

Father Tormey would chide her about how hard she would work. That was when he had started telling her to take time off for herself. So she devised a plan to stay busy enough to keep herself distracted but not so busy that he would send her out. Her plan worked up to a point. He still randomly picked a day or two during each week to send her off on her own so to reflect upon God and how he was working in her life.

Though it was uncomfortable for her, she went. On many of those days, she returned to the jogging path that followed the Duwamish River. In various different spots there were park like places to rest and take in the river and all the structures about it. From time to time, she enjoyed sitting on one of the path’s benches and watching the Spokane Street Bridge as it would rotate out of the way to let river traffic pass.

The bridge was lower to the river than the Jeanette Williams Memorial Bridge that towered behind it, but it was for side street traffic not the hustle and bustle of the heavily occupied Seattle fairways. There were days she felt for the smaller bridge and how it always bent to the will of others instead of being able to stand tall like the larger bridge whose shadow it lived in. Then again, she found comfort in living in the shadows and not having anyone really take notice of her.

There had been times that she even ventured out upon her own volition. They were usually rainy days. Rainy days meant that only the hard core joggers would be out and no real creeps. On those days she would pack her worn old bag with copies of pocket New Testaments. She would slide them into a closeable sandwich bag along with a tract or two so to keep them dry.

Brody found it odd that she found comfort in the rain. He thought that she was crazy for going out without an umbrella. He would watch her go though, with just the hood of her worn jacket to protect her head. He never knew what she did while she was out. There was only one person who knew besides her.

Father Tormey was surprised by the first two or three people who had come in to the mission with New Testaments in their hands, wondering more about God and what He could do for them. Then he quickly realized that this uptick in people was due to someone leaving Bibles and tracts in random places that were within walking distance of his church and mission. That someone usually wandered in within a few days after Chelsey had been out and about. He never said a word to her about it because he didn’t want to make her feel weird or for her to stop.

CHAPTER THREE

M aster Chief Rocco Carbone sat on the edge of his bed and looked about the room. He took in how the room had been lovingly decorated by his wife of fifteen years. He heard the old oak door creak as his wife slipped into the room. She climbed on the bed and wrapped her arms about his shoulders.

It’s going to seem weird at first living someplace else, she said.

That it is but it’s not like we haven’t moved before.

Yes. I’m not quite sure how you convinced this SoCal girl to move to Pensacola with you. I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about moving here to King’s Bay either. She shook her head at the thought of their previous moves.

He looked back at her and asked, What about now? We’re going to be land locked when we get back to Cheyenne.

She gave him a teasing smile. You’re worried about me? I’m ecstatic because I’m only going to be a twelve-hour drive from my parents. It’s you that I’m worried about! You have salt water coursing through those veins not blood!

He lovingly pulled her into his arms. I am so thankful that the good Lord saw fit to put you in my life.

She gave her husband a shy smile. You’re not the only one!

Before they could finish their conversation, they heard, Mo’om! Sarah won’t give me my book back!

With a kiss Corrine Carbone was off to settle the dispute between their children. Rocco watched her leave before pulling out his garment bag and duffle. Soon, he had his dress whites and his uniforms in the garment bag and his duffle was stuffed with the remainder of his items.

As he went to close up his duffle bag, his wife had tossed him a stack of unopened letters. He stared at them for a moment then he gave her a questioning look.

What are theses for? he asked though he already knew the answer.

You’ve been avoiding them. You need to sit down and read them.

It was apparent that Corrine was not going to back down. Rocco knew that this had always been an uphill fight between them. Usually the argument ended with him becoming red in the face and him slamming his fist down on something.

He handed the packet back to her. Since you’re so interested in them why don’t you read them and tell me what she wants.

Waving her hands in front of herself she said, She’s your ex. There may be something in there you might not want me to see.

Rocco gave a reluctant sigh as he tossed the stack of envelopes on the bed. I admit that I was a bit of a bad boy before you got your hands on me. But you know all of that. Besides, that part of my life is behind me.

Corrine gently placed her hand on her husband’s arm. There is a reason that they showed up when they did five years ago. Don’t you think you should at least look at them?

Why does it mean so much to you?

Because, maybe you are her only link to Christ! Maybe it’s a twelve step program thing or maybe … She gave a sigh, Maybe you have another child out there and it’s in need of your help?

There it was! She finally had the nerve to say what he had feared was true. She had never uttered the words before because he had always shut the topic down before she could. Because of this, Rocco now faced the dresser and braced his large frame against it. He felt weak in the knees in hearing what he too had suspected.

His voice trembled when he asked, What if I’m too late?

You will never know until you see for yourself.

What if I don’t like what I find? He shook his head at the thought. He knew he was trying to cop out of his responsibility to a child that he may or may not have.

Your mind won’t be at ease until you know the truth. I know you lay awake at night over this. I’ve seen you plenty of times shoving the packet back into a drawer. Don’t you think torturing yourself over what might be, for the last five years is a little much?

He knew she was right. She had always been right when it came to these things. How do you do it? he questioned.

Do what?

Have perspective on all of this?

Because I’ve been praying about this nonstop for the last five years. Because I’ve feared the worst when it comes to what might be in those letters. Because when they first came I thought for sure that you would open them and then you’d be gone and I would be stuck here, alone with a six-year-old and a two-year-old to raise all on my own. I have just as much cause for concern over this as you do!

With a sigh, he pulled his wife into his arms and looked lovingly into her eyes. I love you. I could never do any of this without you. You and the kids are my main priority. You are all I have! He had a hard time expressing exactly what he felt and it frustrated him.

I know. I love you too and I think you need to read those letters.

Without another word, he picked up the bound pile of letters and laid them next to his Bible inside his duffle bag. After double checking his things, he zipped up both bags. He knew that his actions told Corrine that it was a done deal and that he would look at them. He knew that his wife knew the battle that raged within him and he knew that she knew that he needed to do this.

After carrying his things to the car, Rocco helped his wife load their three kids into their minivan. His family had made a tradition of sending him off with dinner at a restaurant and then they would say good bye to him at the gate to the docks. As they stood there, lined up, he saluted them and the kids saluted him back. With garment bag over his shoulder and duffle in his hand, he was off.

Even though he had done this many times before, a strange sensation overcame him as he walked down the gangway for his last time. He handed his things to the top side watch before he headed down inside the boat. The seaman handed him his bags after he had reached the bottom of the ladder.

How’s it looking Grover? was his first question. He took up his bags as he awaited an answer.

Everything is ship shape and she’s ready to set out to sea Master Chief! Grover had snapped his answer almost as if he had been a robot.

So has all the topside gear been stowed? He started heading to the