Love Is in the Air

By Brenda J. Scruggs

Love Is in the Air (Letter #79)

Dear Frederick,

Did you know that an act of generosity can move you, delight you, and shake up your world in the most wonderful way? Well, it can. Your generosity of time has moved me, delighted me, and has shaken up my world in a wonderful way. I appreciate you spending so much time with me on the telephone. I can't even begin to imagine how things would have been had we not been able to communicate in that way. Everybody's time is important to them, yet you have shared so much of yours with me. I love you, Frederick.

Yours forever and a day,

Lauren

This novel was written based on actual events. After having been in a great marriage for many years, Lauren was saddened by the death of her husband. She could not remain stagnant; she had to move on with her life. Once you are in a loving relationship and it ends, knowing what love is and how it feels, you want to be in another loving relationship. Lauren met several men along the way, but none of them was what she was looking for. Then along came Frederick.

Frederick attended the same high school as Lauren, but they did not really know each other during those years. They knew of each other, but they did not know each other. Who knew that years later they would meet and share in a relationship. Lauren was a devout Christian and Frederick was not.

A rocky road is ahead for Lauren and Frederick as they try to adjust to each other, as well as accommodate their families' desires for them to not be in a relationship. Much drama surrounds this couple as they try to plug her positive into his negative. Will they make it? Only time will tell. This is their story as told by Lauren.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098075484

Book preview

Chapter 1

Keep Hope Alive

The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. That’s what I hope to give you forever.

—The Notebook

There are Christians and there are Christians, but I am a genuine Christian. Does that sound confusing? Sure it does. Let me explain. My name is Lauren Hurt, and I am a Southern girl who grew up going to church often. No, not often, I went a lot. No, I didn’t go a lot. I went all the time and I paid attention. My dad was chairman of the deacon board at the church. This is a position that they usually have in most Black Baptist churches. My dad was a devout Christian and was literally at the church every time the doors opened. So as a child, my brother Jack and I would have to go with our parents to church every time they went. Going to church on Sunday was a dress-up affair. So we always wore our best clothes. During Sunday school, preprinted lessons about God; His son, Jesus; and the Bible were studied by all in attendance. Age-appropriate classes were available for all. The motto for Sunday school was 2 Timothy 2:15, Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. After the Sunday morning service, we would go home and then later return to church for what was called BTU, that’s Baptist Training Union. The BTU was a study session wherein again we would break up into classes and participate in lessons that were taught by a church leader. After BTU, we remained for the 7:00 p.m. evening service.

Oh, wait a minute!! I forgot to tell you that on some Sundays we had Communion at the end of the morning worship service. Also, there were some Sundays when we celebrated an anniversary or had a special program. Whatever it was that was happening at the church, we had to stay for it. I did not want to go to all of those services and programs, but if my parents said we had to go, then we had to go. We not only went on Sunday, but we went during the week as well. There was a mission meeting on Tuesday night, and choir rehearsal on Thursday night. There was no such thing as a babysitter. Children generally went wherever their parents went, or the parents didn’t go. So this is why we spent a lot of time—no. This is why we were always at church.

On Saturday evenings, around 6:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m., my family and I studied the Sunday school lesson in preparation for Sunday morning. Even if we did not want to participate, we had to participate. There was no option and we knew it. After the discussion of the Sunday school lesson, my mom or dad would say a prayer to close it out and then send my brother and me to prepare for bed. Week by week, month after month, this was my childhood. I was grounded in religious beliefs and practices. I took it all in. I am a true Christian.

As time went on, my brother Jack and I became a fine Christian man and woman. Jack married his high school sweetheart, and they had two children. I got married when I was about twenty-seven years old, but the marriage only lasted three years. The man I married got another woman pregnant. I just could not handle it, and so I let him go. I got married a second time. I thought for sure I had the perfect man. He was a minister. But this marriage also only lasted three years. This husband, like the previous one, had an affair and got someone pregnant. I don’t play that. I had to let him go too. This husband and I had one child.

A few years after the divorce, when my ex-husband was visiting his daughter, he had a friend with him. The man with him was very tall and had a light-brown complexion. He had dimples that would make you melt and wore a low haircut. He was neatly dressed in a brown suit. When I saw this man sitting on my mother’s living room sofa, I knew that I wanted to know more about him. Was he single or married? Was he from around here or from out of town? But I didn’t dare ask my former husband these questions. But believe it or not, the following Sunday, that same gentleman showed up at my church. He was a minister. He had no idea that he would be seeing any of us again at this church. I may have paid attention to him while he was at my mother’s house earlier that week, but I doubt if he really paid me any attention. I was anxious to know more about him. In discussing this with my mother, she told me to leave everything to her and that she would find out his status. After church, she went to this new man and inquired about his life.

I didn’t know that I would see you here today, she said.

Well, I didn’t know either, he replied. You and your family are members here? How long have you all been going to this church? he asked.

Oh, my husband and I have been members here for over thirty-plus years, she said. Is your family with you?

No, I don’t really have a family. I live alone.

Oh, you are not married? she asked.

I am getting a divorce and will be a free man soon, he said.

I see, she said as she looked over toward her daughter. Well, you enjoy the rest of your day. We are so glad that you came to our church today.

He turned and his eyes followed her as she walked away.

Thanks.

My mother could hardly wait to get back to me to let me know that this good reverend was soon to be a single man. Once I found out that he was available, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. One day, as I was sitting on my mom’s porch relaxing, my thoughts drifted to him once more.

Timothy Hurt, Timothy Hurt…I think I’ve heard that name before… Wait, I have heard that name before!

I jumped up to go and retrieve my cell phone and then I called an old friend of mine, Tom. After greeting him on the phone I went back on my mom’s porch and confirmed with Tom on the phone that he knew Timothy Hurt, and that Timothy would indeed be a single man soon.

I’m really interested in meeting him. I said.

Tom told me that he would set something up. So he did. He arranged with Timothy a time and place for him to meet me and then called me with the details. We met, dated for many years, and then finally Timothy popped the question. I said yes, we got married, and had one child together. We raised that child and my daughter from my previous marriage.

The love we shared was unlike any I had ever had. He was quiet and shy and exceptionally great in bed. I was very happy in this marriage, but Timothy, who was nine years older than me, had several health issues in his older years. We were married for thirty years before he got sick and had to have surgery. He never made it home from the hospital. I was devastated. I didn’t know what to do. I had no idea how I was going to be able to move on with my life. I loved my husband, and I knew that I was going to miss him very much.

The next few years I traveled a lot, and in doing so, I renewed my relationship with God; and with His help, I was able to get on with my life. I continued to travel, but this time I did so hoping to meet someone that I could become friends with, do things together with, and just see where it goes.

Being the Christian that I am, I wanted to be married again and not just date around having sex with every Tom, Dick, and Harry. A few years after my husband’s death, one of his preacher friends, who was single, expressed an interest in me. We started dating and I fell in love with him. He was really a wonderful man, and he knew how to treat a lady. He was very generous too. I just knew that he was the one. Not. We had a terrible argument, which led to our breakup. After a few weeks, even though the breakup was not entirely my fault, I apologized and asked if he was willing to give the relationship a second chance. He did not want to do that. He wanted to move on. Once I knew that he really was moving on, I realized that I too had to move on. A couple of years after that I met another man, but I had no immediate feelings for him. We just could not connect. I knew it was not going to work. So after three dates with him, I told him not to come back to my house again. I met other guys, but none of them came close to what I am looking for. I want a man who is God-fearing, handsome, sweet, compassionate, trustworthy, independent, healthy, and who loves to travel, who knows how to enjoy life, and have fun. I am not willing to lower my standards, so I have to move on and keep hope alive.

I saw that you were perfect and so I loved you. Then I saw that you were not perfect and I loved you even more.

—Angelita Lim

CHAPTER 2

Social Media Saves the Day

If your heart is open, love will always find its way in.

—Author Unknown

The New Year is approaching and I am still alone. I drove to my daughter’s house so that I would at least be around family during the holidays. I really want a good male friend to love and to enjoy life with. But you know what? Looking back over last year, I realize that I have come a long way since my husband’s death some years ago, and to be honest, I really had a good year. But of course, it would have been better had I had a good male companion.

For a long time, I had planned to clean out the drawers in a chest in my office. Well, today is the day. I am going to clean it out. I got the trash can, opened the first drawer, and started looking through the many papers and other items in the drawer. Oh wow, I said to myself. Here is an old address book. Let me see who among my friends is still kicking. After flipping through the book, I see Jean Smith. Oh yes, Jean Smith. I remember her. I think we went to elementary, junior high, and high school together. I think I will call her. I dialed her number and a lady answered the