Christian romance, Religious romance
Date Published: February 8, 2022
Publisher: Clay Bridges Press
Victory can only come by letting go
It is with a life centered on our Lord that we can be Healed through the
Power of Love. Amidst the trials, tribulations, and storms we experience
with family, relationships, and friends, the Lord guides us if we surrender
to His will, His purpose, and His plan for our lives.
Yasmin is estranged from her family and has a secret she has vowed to never
reveal. With her heart scarred and filled with remorse and fear, she finds
trusting, letting go, forgiving, and accepting the Lord’s will a challenge.
Orlando’s life is mundane until Yasmin returns. His goal becomes helping
Yasmin, convincing her to love and be loved, showing her how to be happy,
and persuading her to overlook her past. Neither Yasmin nor Orlando can
obtain victory without letting the Lord take control of their lives.
Excerpt
Orlando slept soundly for several hours before waking abruptly. When he gazed at the clock, he got up, took a quick shower, donned the suit he chose to wear to the burial, and rushed out of the apartment. Mass was at 8:00 a.m., and afterward they would head to the cemetery.
It was drizzling when Orlando stepped outside the building, but it began to pour as he got in his car. After several attempts to start the car, Orlando leaned back against the driver’s seat and watched the water splatter on the windshield. He’d planned to take the car to Raul’s shop but got caught up helping Raul plan Roberto’s wake and funeral and overlooked it.
Taking the umbrella from under the driver’s seat, he walked to the corner and hailed a cab. He gazed out the window of the taxi as it sped down the street.
It was dreary weather to attend a burial. Orlando was exhausted. He’d been going to bed late, sleeping only a few hours, and then getting up early. He needed to rest before returning to work the next day, which might prove challenging. After going to the cemetery, he might be able to lie down for a while before heading to Clara’s anniversary party. That seemed unlikely, though, given the weather and the long drive to the cemetery and back.
As his mother requested, he’d dropped off the beverages he’d purchased the night before. He left shortly after arriving and was glad Clara wasn’t there. He wanted to avoid another quarrel. Clara was argumentative and constantly meddled in his affairs.
It was true that opposites attract. Clara’s husband, Mario, was a thin, quiet man. Nothing swayed him one way or another. He kept his comments and opinions to himself, something Orlando appreciated, more so when Roberto’s illness and passing revived the gossip about Yasmin’s estrangement. Maria, Luisa, and even Isabel took unwarranted delight in soiling Yasmin’s reputation more than it already was.
It was spiteful. None of them had any idea what happened, yet all of them spoke with absolute authority. Orlando was convinced that Yasmin was unaware Roberto was sick. She had not purposely stayed away and wasn’t being vindictive, coldhearted, or indifferent as rumored. Her grief and pain were genuine, not that Raul or Isabel cared about that. The unnecessary scenes they provoked were hideous, and neither considered the misery it would cause Carmen.
As he’d anticipated, Yasmin attended the wake, and Carmen’s prayers were answered. It was the work of the Lord. Josefa had shown up at the precise moment and intervened, and Yasmin was able to pay her last respects to her father. Orlando wished it hadn’t been so brief and that Isabel and Raul could have been civil. Regardless of past events, Yasmin didn’t deserve to be treated with such contempt.
He was convinced a lecture from Raul was forthcoming. Regardless of how Raul felt, Orlando had provided Yasmin with the itinerary for the burial, agreeing with Carmen that grieving required unity. Family problems could be addressed after the rituals ended. Both Raul and Isabel seemed oblivious to that. There was another critical issue they both ignored, or at least it appeared that way to him. That issue was Carmen’s health.
Getting out of the taxi, Orlando saw Raul standing in front of the entrance to the church. The rain had dwindled to a drizzle. Looking up, he noted the dark clouds. His hopes of getting home early were unlikely, and the trip to the cemetery would be prolonged by the weather. He decided not to worry. If the burial didn’t interfere with his plans for the evening, it didn’t matter. Resting could be postponed.
He skipped several steps to join Raul.
“What’s wrong with your cell? I called you several times last night and this morning.”
“Uncharged.” Orlando had put it on mute after the incident with Isabel and had forgotten to change it.
“Okay.” Raul was skeptical. “When can we talk?”
“Anytime.” Orlando anticipated having that conversation the night before when he returned to the funeral parlor after Yasmin left. Josefa was waiting for a taxi with her family and told him Raul had just driven away with Isabel.
“Where did you take Yasmin?” Raul asked.
“To her car,” Orlando replied.
“Whatever she’s doing must be profitable,” Raul bantered with animosity. “She’s your sister,” he reminded Raul, annoyed by the double meaning in his words.
“Finish your degree. Become an attorney,” Raul mocked.
“I might,” Orlando responded. His mother and Clara reverberated the same advice. He had completed his bachelor’s degree and was enjoying his position as a paralegal. Researching cases, interviewing witnesses, gathering sufficient data to substantiate the innocence of their clients, and doing clerical work were challenging and time-consuming. Some cases required long hours and days of preparation before they went to trial, which forced him to work overtime and weekends when necessary. He reconsidered his goal of going to law school but had postponed it for the time being.
“You’re defending the wrong client,” Raul humored, smirking.
“Her case was never on trial,” Orlando pointed out.
About the Author
Rosanna Almonte worked more than than 30 years in education, teaching in
early childhood and elementary schools and serving as a staff developer and
coach. She is now retired and loves writing, music, and travel. She is a
member of a Christian church where she is actively involved in a women’s
network, the Intercession team, and as a co-leader of a women’s life group.
she was born in the Dominican Republic and lives with her family in New York
City.
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