He Already Knows

At the start of my Book of Mormon class today, we were all asked to think about something in the assigned reading that spoke to us.  In my case, 3 Nephi 13:8 was a verse that I really needed to hear.  It reads: “Be not ye therefore like unto them, for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him.”  I know that in my personal prayers, I will often get discouraged and probably not spend as much time communicating with my Heavenly Father as I should, and usually the reason for this lack is because I often do not know how exactly to express my feelings or my situation to Him.  However, this verse helped me to understand that He knows precisely what I am going through and understands the emotions that I am trying so desperately to convey.  In fact, I would venture to say that he knows my feeling and experiences and understands them far better than I do or ever could.  I am so grateful to have this knowledge and to know that prayer is implemented for my benefit, not my Father’s. He already knows – it’s me that requires this communication channel.  He wants to give me everything I need to succeed, and all I need to do is be righteous and to ask Him for these promised blessings.  I want to conclude with my testimony of the power of prayer as a tool to become closer to our Heavenly Father – through this sacred experience we can enable us to draw near unto Him.

Episode 28

They arrive at the concert that night.  Caitlin was ecstatic.  She hadn’t stopped smiling for the last couple hours – ever since Tom had announced that they had front row seats (aka standing space around the stage).  She had never really liked Tom overly much, to be completely honest, however, right now he was easily her second favourite person in the entire world (David Archuleta is the obvious first choice though).  They gathered at the front of the large screaming crowd just as David walked out onto the stage.  Kelsey and Aislinn later swore that they saw Caitlin begin to swoon, but she denies it (and her version is always correct).  David greeted the audience with, “Hello Disneyworld!  I’m David Archuleta and I’m so happy to be with you tonight!”  The screaming intensified, Kelsey, Aislinn, and especially Caitlin significantly adding to the noise.  He began to sing – the voice of an angel.  Everything was perfect.  Then he started to sing “My Kind of Perfect” (Caitlin’s absolute favourite of his songs, of course, since it was obviously written about her) and started scanning the audience.  His eyes met Caitlin’s in a moment which seemed to her to last forever.  Her breath caught in her throat.  He leaned down and extended a hand out – she started to reach for it, but stopped abruptly as he pulled the simpering dumb-blonde next to her on stage instead.  Her cheeks flushed bright red as David proceeded to finish the song, serenading the ditz on stage.  Aislinn and Kelsey just stared, mouths open.  They had been so sure that he was reaching for their friend…they didn’t know what to say.  The concert ended after one final song and Tom (oblivious to everything that had just occurred) suggested that they go backstage and meet the star of the evening.  Caitlin stared down at the lush grass, biting her lip.  Then she looked up and nodded.

“Let’s go meet the jerk! Then I’ll be over him forever.” Kelsey and Aislinn exchanged a look, which Caitlin interpreted as “my gosh she is overreacting, but she is still our friend and we should support her craziness.”  She sort of appreciated the sentiment behind it.  Sure, she was acting a little crazy, but that was allowed, right? Her dream had just been cruelly shattered into a million sharp little shards ready to hurt her at every step.  The world sucks. Kelsey snapped her out of her deteriorating circle of thoughts by grabbing her arm and propelling her after the clueless Tom.  Aislinn attached to her other side.

“…to meet you too!” The end of Tom and David’s introduction echoed through the hallway as the girls walked, Caitlin dragging her steps slightly.  They arrived and saw the two men shake hands.  David was even more attractive in person, Caitlin thought, but then stopped that train before it derailed her disappointment.  Tom introduced each of them in turn, Caitlin last as she was standing behind her roommates.  As David approached to shake her hand as he had everyone else’s, he paused and she could see the recognition in his eyes.  She blushed again.  He remembered her and his deliberate slight!  The nerve.  He smoothly shook her hand while avoiding eye contact and then turned to Tom who was standing next to Kelsey, very obviously standing closer to her than just a friend would, but not actually touching her.

“Oh, Tom, Kelsey,” David said, giving the couple a friendly smile, “congrats!  I just saw the news online.”  Tom and Kelsey glanced at each other in confusion.

“What news?” They demanded, almost in unison.  David looked taken aback at their vehement response to his simple gesture. He pulled out his phone and responded,

“This, of course.  You two are dating, right?”  Kelsey almost snatched the phone from his hands and she and Tom both peered at the screen.  It showed a picture of Kelsey wrapped up in Tom’s arms with the heading saying, “Tom’s New Squeeze – Now it’s Official!” with a smaller line under reading “Read more on Tom’s new girlfriend and their first public appearance.”  Caitlin and Aislinn had joined their huddle and watched as Kelsey went very very pale (a pretty amazing feat, for her).

“Oh my gosh…” Kelsey said.  She looked at Tom, who looked like he had no idea what to make of this development.  “What exactly are we going to do about this?? We aren’t ready…we can’t… how DARE they do this…I’m going to KILL…how did they?” Tom stopped Kelsey and started talking rationally.

“Remember when you tripped and fell this morning off the Pirates ride and I caught you?” Kelsey nodded mutely and Tom continued, “that is where the photo is from.  There must have been a hidden paparazzi somewhere.  I guess they reached their own conclusions to sell the story.” David interjected,

“Word travels fast.  I’m sorry… I didn’t realize…”  They quickly reassured him that he was not at fault.  Then Kelsey looked up at Tom and asked,

“Can we go somewhere…else… and talk?”  He nodded and they left.  Aislinn, sensing the tension in the air between David and Caitlin, decided that it was best for them to talk by themselves and graciously excused herself to use the bathroom.

The Higher Law

Two scriptures really stood out to me in the reading for my Book of Mormon class this week – 3 Nephi 9:19-20.  It reads, “And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and burnt offerings. And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit….”  This is the voice of Christ speaking to the people in the Americas at the time of His ascension into the Spirit World.  He is establishing the higher law – His sacrifice is infinite and eternal, so He no longer requires the shedding of animal blood.  He has fulfilled every aspect of the lower law through His death, so this lesser law is now no longer needed.  The higher law now requires that we come to Christ with humility, faith, and repentance and beg for him to accept our offering and to redeem us from our fallen state.  I know that in my life, I am striving to develop this “broken heart and contrite spirit” so that I can come closer to my Savior and fully accept His teachings.  I know that if I do this, I will be blessed with greater faith and forgiveness of my many imperfections.  I am so grateful for this higher law that allows me to gain humility and become a better and more spiritually-aware person.  This scripture changed the entire structure of the church, and it can do the same for each of us in our own lives.

Episode 27

Tom had another surprise for Kelsey today, and he wouldn’t tell her what it was.  It was driving her crazy.  He came to pick them for their trip to Disneyworld early (like 7am early) that morning.  Kelsey was obviously excited, as this was literally her favourite place on the planet.  The short drive was endless anticipation.  Aislinn and Caitlin were only slightly more composed than Kelsey, but, she did have Tom to add to her excitement.  They arrived at the park and used Tom’s VIP pass to get them through without having to wait in line.  “Being a celebrity has its perks.” Tom winked at Kelsey as he pulled out their fast-pass tickets - they applied to every ride in the park so that they would never have to wait in line.  She grinned at him and pulled him straight to her favourite ride – Pirates of the Caribbean.  Aislinn and Caitlin elected to let the couple go their own way for a bit, so they headed off to Space Mountain.  (And by elected, what really happened is that Kelsey started giving them the eye that means “back off now or else we are going to have an issue, in the most loving way possible, of course” – they got the hint.)  Arriving at the front of the line (thanks to Tom) Kelsey boarded the ride with the attractive actor following her to the seat beside her.  He causally draped one arm around her shoulders and Kelsey felt her heart flutter at the touch.  She leaned into his strong chest as the ride began.  They stayed like that for the duration of the ride, enjoying being close to each other.  As the ride ended, Tom leapt gracefully out and grabbed Kelsey’s hands to help her out of the cart.  As she stepped out, her shoe caught on the edge of the sidewalk and she felt herself falling forward.  Tom immediately stepped forward to catch her, which he did successfully, of course, his muscles flexing slightly under his shirt as he pulled her to his body.  He held her for a second longer than courtesy dictated (which she didn’t mind in the slightest) as he muttered in her ear, “Are you alright, darling?”  She pulled away, her cheeks heating up.

“I’m fine…” she replied.  It was always his fault! Why did she look so clumsy around him all the time?  He laughed at her expression and quickly changed the subject back to what ride they wanted to try next.  The rest of the day consisted of a series of rides with Tom always there, glued to her side.  She felt on top of the world.  They met up with her roommates for dinner that evening at a little café still within the park boundaries.  The dinner conversation was light and casual, centered on everyone’s day, until Tom remarked,

“Oh, by the way Kelsey, I was wondering if you wanted to stay for the concert tonight.”  She turned to him and asked,

“Which concert was this?”  She tried to think, but she was positive that they hadn’t discussed this.  He smiled and replied,

“David Archuleta’s, of course. I thought you knew he was performing tonight at Disneyworld.”  He kept talking on, not realizing that all three girls had long since stopped listening to a word he was saying.  Kelsey and Aislinn were both staring at Caitlin, whose face had been reflecting emotion after emotion since Tom had mentioned David’s name.  Surprise. Excitement. Terror. And then a ton of excitement.

“David Archuleta?????”  She gasped. “Are you serious? I love him!”  Tom looked surprised at her fervor.

“Yeah.” He said cautiously, not quite sure how to deal with this situation.  Kelsey saved him by saying,

“Don’t worry, Caitlin. We are going, and you will meet David Archuleta tonight!”  Caitlin looked like the happiest girl in the entire world.

Episode 26

That night, long after Tom had dropped them back at the apartment, Kelsey was quietly reading through a new book she had recently bought on Lord Byron’s romantic poetry when she heard a firm, but soft, knock at the door.  She stood and answered it quickly – it was late and Aislinn and Caitlin were both in bed.  She pulled the door open and Tom was standing there, radiating suppressed urgency and intensity.  “Tom?” Kelsey asked, “is everything alright?  What are you doing here so late?”  He hesitated and took a deep breath before answering.

“I just…I just need to see you.  And talk to you.” Kelsey felt her heart drop down to her slippered feet.  This could not be good.

“Okaayy…” Kelsey said cautiously, “do you want to come in?”  He shook his head.

“How about we take a walk? It’s lovely out.”  She agreed, and they left the hotel, Kelsey still in her pajama pants.  They walked in silence for a little while, Kelsey’s heart slowly breaking.  She knew this was it.  Everything had been too good to be true, and now it was all going to end.  She fought to hold back the hot tears that threatened to escape her chocolate eyes.  They continued walking until they reached a small bench, where they both sat down. Tom didn’t seem to notice Kelsey’s distress as he turned to her and took both her hands in his.  He took a couple deep breaths.  “Kelsey.  I really like you.  I love to spend time with you.” Kelsey closed her eyes, refusing to fall into his stormy depths.  This was where the ‘but’ would come in, she knew. He continued, “And it’s crazy how much I care about you already!  I had to tell you how much you mean to me.  And I need to know if you feel the same way before I continue making a fool of myself.”  He fell silent and waited expectantly for Kelsey’s response to his declaration of like.  She had been listening intently, an inscrutable expression on her face, but now, her worst fears dying in the wake of her happiness, a smile burst onto her lips.  She pulled both her hands free and threw her arms around Tom’s neck.  He tensed at first, but then relaxed into the surprise embrace.

“What kind of a question is that?” she demanded, “you know that I am crazy about you as well!”  He let out the breath that he had been holding for what felt like forever.

“I am so relieved!” He said, sounding very sincere. “Thank you for putting my mind at rest.”  He walked her back to her room, both extremely happy with the night’s revelations.

Episode 25

Kelsey woke up the next morning, thoughts of Tom constantly running through her head.  Caitlin and Aislinn were already up (as they had gone to bed at a reasonable hour) and were making what smelled like blueberry pancakes in their little kitchen.  “Morning!” Aislinn and Caitlin chorused as Kelsey dragged her tired self into the swirl of delicious smells.  They were answered with an extremely attractive grunt from the sleepy redhead.  That was to be expected, however.  This was Kelsey, after all.  She is not a morning person.  Caitlin tried a different tactic.

“Kelsey,” she said in a teasing tone of voice, “guess where Tom is taking all of us today.”  That immediately got Kelsey’s attention.

“Where?” The single word was actually fairly audible.

“The beach!!” Aislinn replied, excited for their upcoming adventure.  “You have about half an hour to get ready.”

“What now??” Kelsey scrambled to her feet from her lazy flop on the couch, adrenaline warring with exhaustion.  The next thirty minutes passed in a hectic blur as Kelsey practically swallowed a pancake whole, shaved her legs, and finished getting ready.  By the time Tom arrived to pick them up, she looked stunning, of course.  And calm even.

“Good morning, beautiful!” He greeted her with a smile that included both her roommates.

“Good morning!” Kelsey replied, batting her eyes.  She immediately felt ridiculous and resolved to never ever do that again.  She just hoped that either Tom hadn’t noticed the awkward gesture or that he thought she was just cute.  She averted her eyes, just in case, and grabbed her beach bag from beside her. “You all ready?”  At their agreement, he held the door open for them (like a true gentleman) and followed them to his car.

The beach was stunning – white sands and turquoise water stretching as far as the eye could see.  Tom, as he was smart enough to always think in advance, had brought a large beach umbrella to protect those with fairer skin (Aislinn and Kelsey) from burning under the hot Florida sun.  They set up a little ways off from the water.  “Anyone for a swim?” Tom asked, looking directly at Kelsey.

“Hmm,” Kelsey said playfully, “I don’t know…”  Tom looked confused at her apparent hesitation.   She elaborated slightly and said, “lift,” and raised her hand upward.  Tom was now absolutely bewildered.  Seeing his confusion and feeling the blood rush to her cheeks at her audacity, Kelsey clarified. “Your shirt.  Lift your…” the words died in her throat.  This was so embarrassing!!!  What had she been thinking??  Caitlin and Aislinn were very studiously examining every grain of sand they could find (which, on a beach, were quite a few).  They wanted no part in the awkwardness pervading the air.

“Alright,” Tom broke the silence, and, in once magnificent move, lifted his bright blue shirt over his head.  His abs were stunning – a real 8-pack, Kelsey thought admiringly, despite her embarrassment.  But even they paled in comparison to the magnificence of his sculpted, manly (aka hairy) chest. “Are you satisfied now, dear?” Tom’s voice broke into Kelsey’s thought and she realized that she had been staring.  For a long time. Again, she blushed before answering,

“Yep.  You look fantastic.”  He laughed, which reassured her that her was not upset.

“Oh Kelsey…it’s so ironic that the most stunning person on the entire beach is telling me that I look fantastic.”  He shook his head ruefully.  “I am but a candle to your bright flame.”  Speechless, Kelsey silently removed her beach cover-up and took Tom’s proffered hand.  They walked like that, her hand securely in his, towards the water, his tall frame towering over her slim figure.

His Merits

My Book of Mormon class discussed a scripture in Helaman 14:13 this week.  It reads, “And if ye believe on his name ye will repent of all your sins, that thereby ye may have a remission of them through his merits.”  Every part of this scripture is extremely important to me.  The first section talks about faith, which is the first principle of the gospel.  Without faith in Christ, you cannot move forward - all the other steps to eventual exaltation depend completely on this initial faith.  The next section talks about repentance, an ordinance that follows after faith.  Once we have developed faith in and a love for our Savior, we will truly desire to repent of all of our sins and be clean in His eyes.  However, as the last part of this scripture addresses, repentance is not something that we can complete by ourselves.  It is not a checklist.  We do not have the power to grant ourselves a remission of our sins – only Christ can do that through His sacred and infinite atonement.  It is entirely through His merits (as the scripture teaches) that we can be cleansed from iniquity.  While we still do have an obligation to do all we can to strive for forgiveness, ultimately we just have to place our burden at the Savior’s feet and humbly beg Him to help us.  I know that if we always remember that it is through Christ alone that we can receive a remission of our sins, we will be humble and penitent and will be able to accept His saving grace.

Episode 24

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was even better than Kelsey had expected, and that was saying something!  Tom took her to Ollivander’s and bought her a wand – 12 and ½ inches, yew, reasonably supple, with a dragon heartstring (according to the shopkeeper).  Then they rode a simulator which recreated the experience of flying a broomstick in a Quidditch match, complete with 3-D images.  “This is amazing!!!” Kelsey said gratefully to Tom as they wandered around the Hogwarts castle set.  He squeezed her hand and said,

“I’m so glad you are enjoying yourself!  I have just one more surprise…”  Kelsey shook her head in disbelief.  Tom was just so wonderful.

“What else could you possibly have in store?” He just pursed his lips and shook his head ruefully.

“You really need to look up the definition of the word surprise, Kelsey.”  She glared at him, but he just laughed at her indignation and continued walking her towards their surprise, whatever it was.  They reached a part of the castle that was marked “Employees and Authorized Personnel Only.”   Tom went up to the guard stationed at the entrance to the corridor and showed him some piece of paper – a VIP pass, Kelsey assumed.  The guard nodded and let them through.   Kelsey was ready to die of suspense by this point.  Tom was always fond of surprises, but he usually wasn’t quite this secretive.  They entered a small room.  As Tom held the door for her, she noticed that the room was occupied already by a man.  His back was to them.  She hesitated and turned to Tom, uncertain as to if they should disturb him.  He smiled and strode confidently into the room, one strong hand firmly placed on Kelsey’s shoulder blade.   Then the stranger turned around and Kelsey nearly fainted.  Seriously.  Her knees went weak and she had to lean on Tom for support to prevent accidental collapse.  Matthew Lewis smiled sexily at her and Kelsey felt her heart flutter as he spoke,

“Hello! You must be Kelsey.  I have heard so much about you from Tom here.”  He clapped Tom familiarly on the back.  Kelsey stood there, gaping.  Matthew Lewis. Matthew Lewis!!!  He came over and shook her limp hand while she stared at him.  Tom covered the awkward silence, telling Kelsey that he had met Matthew years ago and that they were very good friends.  They hung out for a while – Kelsey (as a typical fan) posed with him with her wand for a picture. 

Later that night, Tom took Kelsey home after their amazing date.  They hugged in front of Kelsey’s door – his arms wrapped around her made her feel so cherished.  She realized that she truly might be falling for him.

Episode 23

They stepped off the plane into the Florida heat.  Kelsey basked in the warmth of the sun.  Tom loved to look at her hair in the sun – it illuminated the fiery strands and caused them to glow.  She was breathtaking.  She caught him staring at her and smiled self-consciously (well, as self-consciously as Kelsey could).  He returned her smile, his grin infectious.  “Welcome to Florida, darling!” Tom enthused.  The four of them collected their luggage and drove to their hotel in the car that Tom had rented for them.  He helped them bring all their stuff up to their rooms (which were conveniently located just down the hall from his penthouse suite).  Kelsey had barely even let her bag touch the ground before Tom grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room, leaving Caitlin and Aislinn with only “sorry, I’m stealing your roommate for a little while!”  They just grinned and set out to explore and unpack.

“Where are we going?” Kelsey asked, laughing at his enthusiasm. He rolled his eyes at her and replied,

“It’s a surprise, silly!”  They jumped back into Tom’s rental car and he pulled smoothly into the busy Orlando traffic.  The drive was pretty short before they arrived at Kelsey’s second favourite place in the world – The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  She had never been before, but it had always been a dream of hers.

“I can’t believe this!!!”  Kelsey exclaimed, gripping Tom’s arm in her excessive excitement.  “This…this is unbelievable!”  Tom grinned and gently rearranged her grip so that he was holding her hand instead of losing circulation.

“I thought you might be impressed, darling!”  Kelsey nodded, still sort of stunned and amazed that this was actually happening.  Harry Potter and Tom Hiddleston.  Her life was a fairytale. “Let’s go!” Tom helped her out of the passenger seat and they strolled, hand-in-hand, towards the magnificence awaiting them.

The Spread of Iniquity

I want to focus my weekly reflection for my Book of Mormon class on a scripture in Helaman 6:38.  It reads: “And it came to pass on the other hand, that the Nephites did build them [the Gadianton robbers] up and support them, beginning at the more wicked part of them, until they had overspread all the land of the Nephites, and had seduced the more part of the righteous until they had come down to believe in their works and partake of their spoils, and to join with them in their secret murders and combinations.”  This passage is a little sad, as the Nephites are embracing the works of the devil.  However, I found many parts very interesting.  It says that it began with the most wicked part of the people – the part that had already succumbed to Satan.  These wicked began to spread and take over the entire land until they were dominant.  Finally, they ‘seduced’ most of the righteous to join them in their sinful ways.  I found this process applicable to sin.  Sin begins with something that lets Satan into your mind or your heart, and that becomes the most wicked part of your life.  If not dealt with, that sin can spread into other areas of your life, corrupting as it goes.  This could be guilt or more sins.  Finally, sin will attack your testimony – the most righteous part of you.  If you do not repent, eventually the sin will destroy your testimony.  I like this passage because it increases my testimony of the repentance process – this process keeps me clean and pure and can wipe away the errors I make before they spread.

Episode 22

The next day dawned bright and sunny.  Kelsey woke up (if you could call it that as she barely slept due to the anticipation of seeing Tom today) early in the morning and quickly dressed in a bright blue T-shirt (both comfortable and attractive) and jeans.  Today was a ponytail day, she decided, looking at her wild waves in the mirror.  Completing the ensemble with silver hoop earrings, she waited for Tom’s arrival.  She had no clue what they were doing today – he really seemed to like surprising her.  That was fine with her, however, as she really did love surprises (with a couple exceptions).  His arrival took her breath away.  He drove up on a Harley.  A massive Harley.  And man, did he look sexy in his black leather jacket sitting astride that manly motorcycle.  He swung his leg over and gracefully dismounted.  Kelsey realized that she was standing in the doorway, staring.  Averting her eyes, she ducked out of the doorway and came to meet him.  “Kelsey!” he called, excitedly.  She smiled in response as he approached.  “Your roommates convinced me that I need to ask you instead of springing this on you, so…” he took a deep breath and held both her hands in his.  Kelsey began to freak out – he was going to propose!  Her eyes widened and suddenly she was unable to breathe.  All her instincts urged her to run.  Run far away.  Tom looked uncomfortable, but he didn’t seem to notice Kelsey’s silent panic-attack.  Before she could act, he continued, “Will you come to Florida with me?” Kelsey didn’t register the words, and yelled,

“NO! I’m too young!” in a nearly hysterical voice, pulling her hands out of his finely muscled grip.  Tom’s concerned gaze rested on her, taking in her sudden pallor.

“Are you feeling alright?” he asked, his worry for her overshadowing the disappointment he felt at her refusal.  Kelsey snapped back to reality and suddenly felt horrified at her response.

“Wha…what did you say?” she stammered, completely embarrassed.

“I asked if you were alright?” Tom looked worried.

“No, before that.” Kelsey replied, mortification turning her face red.

“Ohh,” Tom recalled. “I asked if you wanted to come to Florida with me for the summer while I’m there filming.” He caught her hands again and looked earnestly into her eyes in an almost frantic effort to get her to change her answer. “Please, Kelsey. I don’t want to leave you again.”  She still just stood there, staring at him, a blank look on her face. He continued with his attempt to persuade her, saying, “the preparations are all made if you want to come.  Your roommates packed for you – I even invited them to come with so you will have people to hang out with when I’m filming.”  Kelsey stayed silent.  “Say something, please!” Tom almost begged.  Finally, Kelsey met his eyes, her chocolate eyes sparkling.

“Yes. Yes!” she cried, “I would love to!”  At her answer, Tom swept her off her feet in an uncharacteristic hug.  Kelsey savoured the moment – the feel of his arms tight around her waist, her head resting on his broad shoulder.

“Thank you.” He whispered fervently into her hair, then set her back on her feet and took her hand.  Pulling her towards the beast of a motorcycle, he smiled reassuringly at her expression of fear.  “This will be fun!” he tried to convince her, still thinking that she was worried about the trip.

“It’s not that,” Kelsey shook her head. “It’s that – that hunk of metal.”  Tom laughed and plopped a helmet on her head.

“That, darling, is nothing to worry about. Hang on to me and you will be just fine.  Caitlin and Aislinn are meeting us at the airport with the luggage. Shall we?” He jumped on the Harley, and, blue eyes dancing, held out a hand for Kelsey.  Resignedly, she took his proffered hand and swung herself up. He pulled her arms around his defined masculine abs of steel and squeezed her hand reassuringly.  Kelsey closed her eyes.  The engine roared to life and they took off.  Kelsey felt a huge adrenaline rush.  Tom would keep her safe.  Always.

Episode 21

Kelsey arrived back at the apartment, ecstatic.  She would still be with Tom if she had a choice, however, he had a flight scheduled to Florida the next day for the start of filming for Avengers 2.  He really needed to pack for the trip.  She knew that this happiness would be very short-lived because of his imminent departure, however she refused to entertain that thought for long and instead just enjoyed the happiness of the moment.  He had asked her out on a date for tomorrow morning before his flight left – she couldn’t wait.  She had had her last exam this morning, so she was all his for their short little piece of happiness. Aislinn and Caitlin saw the look on Kelsey’s face and knew that she had good news even before she began to detail every moment of their reconciliation. “I’m so happy for you guys!” Aislinn gushed.  Caitlin added,

 “Kelsey, I’m so glad you and Tom worked everything out.  Are you going to see him before he leaves?”  Kelsey lost a little bit of her enthusiasm at the reminder that Tom was leaving for four months in just over twenty-four hours.

“Yeah, we have a date tomorrow.” Aislinn and Caitlin exchanged conspiring grins (however, their subtlety left much to be desired as Kelsey easily caught on).  “What are you two up to?” she demanded and was rewarded by a guilty but excited look from both of them.

“Nothing.  Absolutely nothing,” Aislinn said, trying to keep a serious face but failing.

“We’re just really excited for you, that’s all!” Caitlin supported Aislinn’s claim. “Why are you always so suspicious?”  Kelsey rolled her eyes.  They were obviously hiding something from her.  While they may be terrible liars, they were both stubborn enough that she would never get anything out of them.

“Fine.  Don’t tell me then.” Kelsey huffed melodramatically.

“We won’t!” Caitlin and Aislinn chorused.

Episode 20

She texted Tom that very evening.  Not really knowing how to express her feelings over such an impersonal message, she instead asked him to meet her at a nearby park – she figured that was nice neutral ground to carry on a serious conversation.  His text came back almost instantly, readily agreeing to the meeting tomorrow morning.

Kelsey arrived in the park right on time.  Despite the spring thaw, the weather was still very chilly and Kelsey shivered in her light sweater as a breeze blew her hair back in the wind.  She saw Tom sitting patiently on a bench – he looked as if he had already been here some time.  When he saw her he jumped to his feet and loped casually towards her, a grin plastered on his face (possibly to hide nerves). “Kelsey!” He greeted her hopefully, “how have you been?”  Kelsey smiled up at him – she had missed seeing those stormy-blue eyes light up at the sight of her. However, she replied cautiously.

“Um, alright. And how are you?”  He led her to the bench and they both sat down, their bodies angled slightly to face each other.

“Better now that you and I have a chance to talk, rationally.” Kelsey nodded.  Their last attempt to talk had ended pretty badly, to say the least. “Anyway,” Tom continued, “you called me here for a reason.” He then looked at her, waiting for her to start the conversation where she felt comfortable.  Kelsey paused for a second to process her tumult of thoughts.

“I wanted to talk. About you and me,” she said, slowly, her chocolate eyes watching his, trying to read his reaction.

“I had assumed as much,” he admitted.  “I take it that you saw the interview last night?”  Kelsey decided that now was not the time to divulge the nature of her plan to test his sincerity, so she merely smiled slightly in agreement.  “And?” he asked, curiosity eating at him, hardly daring to hope.

“And I want us to try again?. Please.”  Tom beamed at her in absolute delight.

“Of course!  Kelsey, I promise to never ever be stupid again.  Who cares about image?  It’s only you that matters to me.”  Another chilly gust of wind attacked the couple and Tom noticed Kelsey’s involuntary shiver.  “Here,” he said, still grinning idiotically, “take my jacket.” He ignored her half-hearted protests and took off his black leather jacket.  Draping it over her shoulders, he took her hand and pulled her to her feet.  They walked and talked for hours.

Episode 19

“So Tom,” the female newscaster asked flirtatiously, “I have recently heard a rumour, and I would like to hear your response.”  He grinned and looked away.

“Alright, then,” he replied. “Let’s hear your accusation.”  The sound of his voice still sent butterflies flying in Kelsey’s stomach – it was all sexiness and masculinity.  The newscaster leaned towards him. Kelsey’s eyes narrowed.  The newscaster asked,

“I have heard that you are seeing a young lady by the name of Kelsey Crawdad, a student at a local university.  As of yet, this is an unconfirmed relationship, however I think you can clear this obvious fallacy up, right now Tom.” She placed one hand on his knee as she purred his name.  Kelsey’s hand tightened into a fist, her knuckles turning white.  Tom looked shocked – he turned pale as a ghost (which is quite a feat as he already is impressively pale).

“Erm…” Tom struggled to react to the surprise accusation.  “I, erm, don’t know how to respond to this.”  Disappointed by the fact that he had not yet refuted the possibility of a romantic attachment, the newscaster pressed for more information.

“So, then, is it true? Are you seeing this girl?”  Tom swallowed visibly, then replied,

“No.  I am not in a relationship with Kelsey Crawdad.”  The newscaster beamed at the desired answer, however, Tom continued before she had a chance to gloat.  He quietly said, “but I wish I was.  I was seeing her, briefly, until I did something so incredibly stupid that messed everything up.  Now I have no clue what to do or say.”  Dumbfounded, the newscaster remained silent, her mouth gaping open at the confession.  Tom continued, “I know how incredibly cheesy this sounds, but if you are watching this Kelsey, I’m sorry.” He faced the camera head on. “I’m so sorry and I know that I can never ever apologize enough.” He turned back to the angry newscaster and said, “this interview is over, I’m afraid. Thanks for inviting me to the show.”  The show cut to the commercial as Tom walked off set. All three girls stared at the television disbelievingly.

“That went better than we expected,” Caitlin commented, amazed.

“No kidding,” Aislinn agreed, also shocked.  Both girls then turned to Kelsey.  The redhead finally spoke in hysterical teary voice.

“I forgive him.”

Use What God Gives You

A scripture in Helaman 2:7 caught my eye today as we were discussing the first four chapters of Helaman in my Book of Mormon class. It reads, “And there being but little timber upon the face of the land, nevertheless the people who went forth became exceedingly expert in the workings of cement, in the which they did dwell.” I know that this passage seems unimportant, especially compared to the obvious spiritual principles later in the same chapter, however I learned something interesting from it. God expects us to work with what he gives us. In this case, he gave the people the means to use cement to create their dwellings as timber was scarce in the land. What I noticed especially was that there was no mention of complaint from the people despite this hardship. That in itself is a testimony to me that God will always give us exactly what we need, even if it is not what we think we need, and we should move forward with faith and without complaint. I know in my life it is much easier to complain and be angry when I feel like God is not providing me with the job I want, or the understanding I think I deserve. However, He has a perfect plan for me and I need to be able to accept that plan and work with Him to achieve his eternal ends. I truly believe in this principle and am going to work to incorporate it into my life.