goodness and love… will follow me…” Never had she kicked so hard in all her life. But she had to finish. Had to get to the end. “… all the days of my life.” Another wave. Eliza made one last try to breathe. “And… I will dwell… in the house of the Lord. Forever.”
She smiled and a beautiful peace came over her. And there was Mama again in the distance, waving at her, calling her close. Lizzie James, dinner! Bring your brother!
“Yes, Mama!”
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The house of the Lord.
It would be a small house with a thatched roof. The place where Lizzie’s mother and brother still lived. The only people who had ever loved her. And now they would be all together. There at the edge of the ocean where they would live in the house of the Lord.
Forever and ever and ever.
CHAPTER TWO
The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands.
—Isaiah 57:1
Jack Ryder snagged the football from the warm sand and threw it to his brother, a dozen yards down the beach. “Shane! Keep it low,” Jack shouted as he pointed to the stormy sky. “Too much wind!”
Up the sand a ways the boys’ parents sat side by side in identical resort beach chairs. Both of them on their cell phones. Thunder rumbled in the distance and their dad looked at Jack. “Okay. Let’s wrap it up.”
“Yes, sir.” Jack caught the football and glanced at his father. Let’s wrap it up meant they had another five minutes. Maybe ten. Jack threw the ball to Shane. Their dad was too busy to notice their disregard of his order.
Work trumped everything, even his teenage sons. Even here, on their annual vacation to Belize. The beach was just a different sort of office for their parents. Dad was an ambassador, and Mom ran a handful of charities.
They were good people, kind. But Jack and Shane couldn’t compete with all that. Which was okay.
Jack caught a spiral pass from Shane and jogged a few steps back. He glanced at his parents again, at his father. I love you, Dad, he wanted to call out. But it wasn’t the time.
Anyway, the brothers had all they could’ve wanted. Their parents loved them. They were supportive and kind and their home was happy. The successes ahead for Jack and Shane were lined up like the palm trees along Albert Street here in Belize City.
Jack was sixteen, and Shane was fourteen. They attended the best school. Their father employed the best trainers for their baseball and football seasons. Yes, the two of them had all they needed for the best possible futures.
And they had each other. That most of all.
Down the beach Shane caught the football and shrugged, as if to say maybe they had longer than they thought. Their father was on another phone call and the storm wasn’t getting worse. Shane flung the ball and Jack caught it again.
Rain was crossing over the water a ways out, staying out to sea, so there was no rush to get inside. Not until their parents insisted. Shane jogged closer and the two brothers sat on the sand and watched the storm.
“Could you live here?” Shane raked his fingers through his short dark hair. He turned his gaze to the ocean. “I mean, like get a house here and never leave?”
Jack considered that. “No.” He chuckled. “Then it wouldn’t be vacation.”
“True.” Shane looked over his shoulder at his parents. “Someone should tell Mom and Dad that.”
“You still wanna do politics? Like them?” Jack grinned at his brother. “And don’t tell me you’d be good at it. We already know that.”
“Well.” Shane’s eyes lit up. “I am the outgoing brother. Like everyone says.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Jack elbowed him. “You can be whatever you want. I’ve heard it all.”
“You, too.” Shane flicked sand at Jack. “Don’t pretend you can’t do it all. Because you can. Star quarterback of Georgetown Prep.” He changed his voice to sound like their father. “Presidents have that kind of résumé, my boy. President Jack Ryder.”
Again Jack laughed. “You be president. I’ll be a Navy SEAL.”
“I’ll be one with you.” Shane stood and stretched his hands to the sky. He was tall and strong like Jack. “Best two Navy SEALs they ever had.”
“Stick to politics, Brother. Navy SEALs have to swim.” Jack flicked him the football and Shane jumped up and ran down the beach.
They had waited all