by Kat Oliver

Created on: June 12, 2009

Martha desperately fought the violent wind snapping at the cheap wool of her second-hand coat as she stood waiting at the bus stop. Clutching together the open front where buttons were missing, she watched hungrily as the door of the bus slowly opened to allow a teasing glimpse of the luxurious warm world waiting inside. She stepped blindly forward without regard to the strangers who were hesitantly leaving their comfortable silver and red cocoon. Martha waited patiently each day in the freezing cold aching for the comfort she would find inside the rattling old bus on the long ride to her lonely little apartment.

After the divorce she had not been able to bare the whispers and stares of those around her. Well-meaning as they were, they would never understand how the loss of a child had destroyed her marriage so she moved away. She just disappeared to another world.

Martha lost everything when she lost her child - their child. She and Jacob had been so much in love. Their life was a fairy tale and friends teased them, often called them the golden couple. They both loved their jobs and were paid well. They had purchased their dream home and were making plans for the future. The obvious depth of their love was visible to everyone who met them. And when their eyes met across a room, they literally glowed.

Martha could still remember the precise moment she told Jacob she was pregnant. He was ecstatic! He pulled her close, wrapped his strong arms around her, and kissed her with such passion and tenderness that she nearly fainted. Jacob told everyone he met that he was going to be a father. A baby, a beautiful baby; their life couldn't be any richer!

But then disaster struck. It was really no one's fault. It was simply God's decision. Their beautiful baby boy was only three weeks old when he died. The doctors told them nothing could have been done; it was inevitable. She was shattered and her beloved Jacob blamed her; she must have done something wrong during the pregnancy. He turned away from her. He left their bed, and then he left her.

People began to whisper and talk and Martha imagined they all blamed her. She fell into a dark depression and believed that even God blamed her. Then, one Friday afternoon she left work early and just left town without telling anyone. She didn't take anything with her other than some of her clothes. She knew Jacob would return to the house when he learned she was gone so she left everything for him. Before leaving she gathered all the strength and courage she could summon and entered the nursery. Through blinding tears, with shaking hands Martha wrote, "My dearest, blessed child, please forgive me. I love you, Mommy." She gently laid the tear-stained note on the blanket in the crib, gathered her things and left. Her journey would take her across six states before she finally stopped running.

The first passenger off the bus was wearing a dark blue coat with the collar turned up. His hat was pulled down to shade his face from the storm but she immediately knew who he was. She felt his presence. Her heart stopped and her mind raced. She wanted to run away from the anger and blame she knew lay waiting for her in his eyes and she willed her feet to step back out of his path but she was too late. He reached out and grabbed her arm. Before she could respond he quickly pulled her to him, his warm mouth covering hers in a tender kiss both forgiving and begging for forgiveness. Martha nearly fainted as his arms encircled her while tears flowed uncontrollably, eagerly erasing the devastating pain of their separation.

"I'm so sorry. I love you," he whispered. "I thought I'd never find you. Please come home."

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