A Glimpse of Mercy

Propped up on two pillows, Gavin Hamilton lay in bed and pretended to read a legal brief while Brianne prepared for bed. Actually, he was following the basketball scores scrolling along the bottom of the televised game on the screen. With the sound muted, Brianne had forgotten the set was on.
“Holly seems to be in a good space, don’t you think?”
Gavin watched the replay of a jump shot hitting its target. “Yeah.”
Brianne peeked around the corner of the bathroom to face him. “What was my question?”
He returned her gaze. “Something about Holly. She’s a great kid.” Most thoughts of his daughter brought a smile to his face. From the moment Holly first peeked at her excited new father, the two had enjoyed a special bond. Gavin insisted that her middle name be Brianne. Although Holly had his coloring, she had turned out to be so like his beautiful bride.
“Did you think Ty was unusually quiet tonight?” She brushed her strawberry curls circling her shoulders.
Gavin glanced at the screen, then back to his wife. “No more than usual, I suppose. Why are you asking?”
“He didn’t have much to eat for dinner. Wonder if he’s coming down with something?”
“Why don’t you go take his temperature?” Gavin teased. “I’m sure a seventeen-year-old male would appreciate that attention from his mom.”
“Oh, cut it out!” she teased back. “I know I worry about him too much. I just wish I could get through that dark cloud that seems to surround him.”
“I know. So do I.”
*
Holly yawned and stretched. She looked at her stack of thank-you notes. Her mom always insisted she send handwritten notes before she used any of her birthday haul, including new clothes. Since Holly already knew who would give her presents, why not have the envelopes addressed?
Maybe a late-night run would revive her motivation. She ambled to the hallway. The light in her parent’s bedroom was off, but Ty’s burned brightly. She rapped softly on the door. When no one answered, she tried again. Slowly, she opened it, only to find the cluttered space empty.
Bet he’s already out running, she thought. Probably the trail through the woods. Quickly, she returned to her room, donned her running shoes and a light jacket, grabbed her phone and keys, and headed out the back door.
She’d never have ventured out this late at night in her DC neighborhood. But this was a gated community with a walking trail that maneuvered through the woods and across little rivulets of the Harpeth River behind the houses. Holly knew the path well.
As she rounded a turn, she saw a dim figure on a park bench some fifty yards ahead. Instinctively, she stopped, not sure who it might be and aware of her dark surroundings. Just as quickly, another figure approached the bench from the opposite direction. After a brief conversation, the two exchanged something. The second person headed back the way he had come. The person who had been sitting on the bench ran toward her. Holly ducked behind a tree.
When he passed her, Holly sucked in her breath. “Ty,” she called. “Ty, wait for me.”
Instead, the figure picked up speed. Determined to catch him, Holly sprang onto a footpath that cut the distance between them. “Ty, it’s me, Holly,” she panted.
Slowing down to a jog, Ty let her catch up to him. “What are you doing out here this late?” he grumbled.
“I could ask you the same question. Who were you meeting?”
“None of your business.”
“Why so secretive? What’s going on?”
Ty stopped and put his hands on his knees. His breathing slowed. “Why do you have to know everything?” he snapped. “I’m not your little brother anymore.”
Holly tried to lighten the moment. She batted her eyelashes, “But I love you just as much.”
Ty straightened himself. “Well … if you must know, he’s a friend. You don’t know him. We were … exchanging Christmas presents. He works late at a coffee shop, and we couldn’t find any other time to meet.”
Holly surveyed his slender frame. “So, where’d you put your present?”
“Knock it off, Holly. He gave me a gift card to buy a new video game. He didn’t know what I liked.” With that, Ty took off running at a speed Holly simply couldn’t match.
By the time she reached the house, Ty’s light was off. His ceiling fan purred through the closed door.
Strange. Very strange. Holly undressed and climbed into the shower, hoping the warm splashing water would wash away her concern. What she needed right now was the presence of the Living Water. Holly prayed for Ty and his friend. At least she hoped he was a friend.