Garrett and Nancy’s story.
From Christian American author, Samantha C Sinclair. The God’s Silver Lining Book Series contains six books. Emergency Romance, One Step Toward Faith, Over and over again, THE KEEPER OF MY SOUL, GOD’S Shining Through, and Amazing God can be found on Amazon.
This short story is in observance of Demestic Violance month. Some of this is known from the series, some is added new in this short extension.
Written by Author Samantha C Sinclair
Nancy stood watching the sun fade. She had made a mistake. Living in the small appartment with her mother had not been so bad. Garrett had done it again last night. Well, actually it was the worst yet.
Nancy had met Garrett Primmer only a few months ago. She and her mother had moved to Greenup County Missouri for Nancy’s new job. She liked being an Officer of the law. She had seen a lot of situations that mirrored her own. She would have told those women to turn tale, and run far and hard. But as long as Garrett wasn’t drinking, he wasn’t a bad person. Right?
She pushed the front door open. At least he had cleaned up last night’s mess. He had been so drunk. He had thrown a punch at Nancy, and she swung a screw driver at him. He threw an empty bottle at her. Glass shattered all around her, but she ducked in time. The kitchen window wasn’t so fortunate. That would cost. Garrett had stumbled backward, and then rolled down the stairs case.
Now, the house was clean, and her boy friend was sober. He paled when he saw Nancy. Her hands at her side, she sat.
“I guess it’s over. You’ve come to get your things.”
It wasn’t a question. He knew what he had Donne. That was a start, right?
“Garrett, I do love you.”
His soft gaze was on her. Her Mother’s words running across her mind.
“Nancy, get out. You had better get while the gettin is good.”
She shuttered. What if her Mother was right?
“Nancy what if next time he kills you?”
She pushed away the thoughts. He wasn’t a monster. Not like other men. At that moment she saw the blond headed dispatcher she loved and wanted.
“Let’s just forget it. And, move on.”
She had slipped her gentle full of ideas tone into her voice.
“Really? You would let me off that easy?”
He came to her, and put his arms around her.”
She kissed him. He smelled good. It was hard to think.
“Garrett,” she pulled back, “I love you. I need you. But, the drinking has to get under control.”
“I know Honey. It will. It won’t happen again. I promise. I’m sorry I threw that bottle. I’ll have the kitchen window fixed in the morning.”
His words smoothed the wrinkles out of her mood.She let him pull her to him.
“I never want kids,” he whispered into her hair.
She relaxed against him.
“Life is easier this way,” she did like foot lose and fancy free.
Over the next two years, Garrett still drank, so did she. But he had reined it in a lot. He was still selfish, but had his good qualities.
He asked her to be his wife. To the disapproval of her mother, Nancy kissed the groom.
Their wedding night was calm. Garrett and she drunk some wine, but there was no fighting. It was one of the nicest times they had shared together in a long time.
A few weeks later, Nancy decided to reveal her change of heart to her husband. Maybe she did want kids.
She fixed a nice meal, his favorite. This was her first of several off in a ro. Garrett came home from his final week at the police academy. She had attended his graduation this morning, and was proud of her man. He walked into the house, and shut the door with a soft click.
“Honey, I’m home and ready to celebrate with my wife.”
Nancy smiled. This was going to be a good evening.
After dinner, she brought out his favorite Angel Food Cake. They shared a piece, with a large glass of milk. Good, no wine.
“I have something to talk to you about.”
She braced herself for his rejection.
“What is it.”
He turned his chair to face her, knee to knee.
“I actually think I might want kids.”
“Nancy, when we talked about this two years ago, we agreed.”
“People change Garrett. Don’t you want a family. Even a little bit?”
He moved his chair back so hard, he knocked off a fruit basket behind him.
“No Nancy. I certainly do not. I want you all to myself. You and I work a lot of crazy non babysitting hours.”
“We could work different shifts.”
Even as she said the words, she knew that wasn’t promised in their line of work.
“I’m not taking care of them by myself every night.”
“I didn’t expect you too. I want to be a mother.”
“You should have thought about that before you married me.”
She swallowed the hurt.
“What if it happens Garrett?”
He waved his hand as though shewing a fly.
“There is always adoption. Families want baby all the time. Or, I could give you fairly nice child support.”
That did it. Nancy jumped to her feet. She thrust on her coat, and grabbed a can from the fridge. No she would take two. She snatched her smokes from the end table, and took out the front door with a bang.
The cool air burned her lungs as she ran. But she found the park bench, and let her tears come in the empty park. She couldn’t go to her mother’s, and she hoped Michael wasn’t patrolling tonight. She wasn’t in the mood for her Mother’s I told you so, and Michael’s preaching. She downed the beers, and smoked for an hour. She didn’t typically train smoke. But tonight she didn’t care. Feeling in her pocket for another lighter, her hand hit another pack of smokes she had forgotten about. She lit one up, and started walking home. By the time she got there she was feeling pretty rough. She sat on the front porch and finished the pack. She threw up several times before making it into the house.
“How could you do this to me Garrett,” she mumbled. She made it to the bathroom.
Several days passed with Nancy being sick all night long. The days were fine. She was ready to go to the ER the previous night. She had been tired lately, but thought it was stress. Living with Garrett made her tired. The tension between them was thick as mud after a weeks rain. She had to go back to work in the morning, so she hoped for a good nights rest.
When her husband came home from Dispatch around seven, she expected nothing different.
“Nanc, can we talk? I can’t stand this anymore.”
She couldn’t either. She put down the tv remote, and smiled.
“Come, sit.”
They enjoyed each others company that night, and talked with out fighting. Maybe things were looking up. At breakfast the next morning, he poured her coffee, and she made his eggs. There was no complaining, and he kissed her softly before they went there separate ways.
Later that morning, while in a foot chase, Nancy had a medical emergency. She passed out and went by ambulance to the hospital. Though all her labs came back good, Nancw something was going on. She half expected Garrett to run screaming at her from the room. But when she finally told him her diagnosis, he only encouraged her to see their family doctor.
They grew closer, it seemed, as the months flew by. They were expecting twins. Nancy was going to have to go on desk duty soon. But on her last night out, she was shot during a stand off. She and the twins lived, and she was kept in the hospital for two weeks.
When Garrett rolled her wheel chair through their front door, she groaned.
“Did I hurt you?” He asked with concern.
“No. But, this house hasn’t been cleaned since I cleaned it. Help me on the couch, get me some iced tea, and call my mother to come clean this house.”
He held up his hands in mock surrender, and danced around the room.
“Your wish is my command. Please don’t tase me Mrs. Cop.”
Nancy laughed.
“You amaze me woman. You are pregnant with twins, been shot twice, and you are worried about a clean house.”
The bullets had struck her in the shoulder and the stomach. By the Grace of Almighty God, they had missed her girls. While lying shot on the ground, Nancy knew it was true. Everything Michael had ever tried to tell her. She gave her life to Christ that night. Her mother did early that next morning in the waiting room. But, Garrett only seemed to get angrier at God.
It was five days until her due date. The doctor was pleased and surprised she had healthily carried the twins this long. Nancy was miserable. She had become close friends with Michael, Emma, and their family. Lilly Mae, Michael and Emma’s adopted daughter, had clung to Nancy. Nancy had been part of her and her big brother’s rescue two years earlier.
Tonight, Lilly was staying over. For the last month, she had just about spent more time with Garrett and Nancy than with her parents. Michael and Emma had their hands full with a teenage son, a special needs four year old, and a new born. Nancy was eager to help. Garrett did well with Lilly and MJ. She thought he would do fine with his own. He sometimes did get angry when she kept them on his nights off.
“This is our time Nancy. At least one of my nights off, you could let her stay home. Sometimes we should have your mom or someone keep the twins when they are born. We still need our time too.”
She clamped her jaw shut.
This evening, he had returned from the store with the news he had to go into work.
“It was either I go, or send you. You should nap while Lily is. You should of let her go home.”
“I didn’t have the heart to say no.”
“I know. But rest is what you need right now.”
At least he cared, she told herself.
That night at 11:30, her phone rang. Garrett said his help had to leave, and he needed her to come in. He was swamped. Michael picked up Lilly, and she helped her husband at Dispatch. She had been hired recently.
“Thanks for coming. I’m sorry I got you out of bed.”
He kissed her. She leaned her head on his shoulder. She readjusted her position in her office chair. It didn’t relieve the contractions.
Garrett rolled over to his side of the room, and took some radio traffic.
“I really want to go home,” he said.
“You have no idea,” Nancy thought resting her head on her arm.
She winced.
“Do I need to call in one of the day shifters, and take you somewhere?”
“No. We have time.”
Thirty minutes before she was supposed to head to her bed, the Chief called. She had taken a 911 call a half hour earlier. No one, not even the child’s mother, could talk her down from the ten story building roof top. He wanted Nancy to try.
“I don’t know Chief, she is worn out.”
“What do they need?” She lifted her head from the desk.
“He wants know if you will try to talk her down?”
“Tell him I’m on my way.”
“Woman you amaze me.”
He kissed her as they embraced in the middle of the radio room.
“Amazing God, you are still amazing me.”
She saw his look, but only smiled.
She had been sitting at the bottom of the steps about as long as she could. The Chief had told her the truth. That was more than her husband had been capable of. Why did he think that was best for her? How did he know what was best for her anyway? The little girl on this roof had lost her daddy because he was protecting Nancy and the twins. He took the fatal bullet that had been ment for her. She closed her eyes, and thanked God for HIS strength.
She saw Garrett walk up, and stand next to the Chief. Could she even look at his face right now. She was so broken. This was something she needed to know. He thought she didn’t. Maybe he was just trying to help. Her anger faded for moment. But, then it was back. He had no right keeping that from her. No wonder he had made sure they avoided the evening news lately.
Once the child was safely on the ground, and Nancy had promised to drive her to the ER, she headed for her car. The little girl only aggreed to talk to her mother if she could see Nancy. She was almost to her car when she heard a voice behind her.
“Nancy, can I talk to you for a minute?” Garrett asked confidently.
“How could you do this to me Garrett? Did it occur to you that I would like to thank his family?”
“Nancy, you didn’t need that guilt.”
She shot him a look. She bit back her response, here wasn’t the place. Besides her contractions were only getting worse.
Once in the hospital bed, she learned more. Her mother had not known until that day. She didn’t watch the news. Emma, her best friend had known, and was kicking herself for not telling her behind Garrett’s back. The babies were born, and they were all three healthy. It was learned at birth, their daughter Mackenzie, had Downs Syndrome. This only pushed Garrett deeper into his anger.
Nancy requested the girl’s mother be asked to come to her. She asked everyone to leave the room. The ladies formed a friend ship that day that would last.
The following three months, Garrett really seemed to be trying. He waited on her hand and foot, he was sweet to her, like when they first started dating, and their daughters had him wrapped around their tiny fingers. Everything seemed to be going in the right direction. But, that all changed when they learned their other twin daughter, Elizabeth, was visually impaired.
Garrett began pushing Nancy away that instant. They needed each other, but he wouldn’t even speak to her. She had no idea what she was going to do. Both her daughters had disabilities, she was pregnant again, and her husband didn’t even know if he wanted to be with her anymore. The following nine months would only get worse before it got better. He took the check book, forced her to give him the debit card on a day she could have lost their child, and had a full blown afair with a coworker.
Pick up One Step Toward Faith today to find out if Garrett ever lets God change him, and learn all the abuse Nancy must face. Remember, abuse is not only outward. Verbal abuse, and covert abuse can be just as deadly. Covert abuse is also known as hidden abuse. If you or someone you known is in an abusive relationship, seak help. Learn how this impacts Nancy future in the remaining books of this heart touching series.
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