Until Tomorrow (27 page)

“It is pretty pathetic,” Christy said, “when the only souvenirs we've bought this whole trip are from a country we only stopped in so we could eat their French fries.”

All three of them laughed. The train pulled out of the station, and Todd challenged Christy to a game of chess. Katie announced she was going to find something to drink. “You guys want anything?”

“No, thanks.” Christy pulled out a brush from her pack. While Todd set up the pieces, she worked on her hair. Most of the trip she had worn it in a loose braid. This morning, because of the heat, she had twisted it up on the back of her head, but it had been falling out slowly over the last few hours. Now she let down her hair and brushed out the tangles.

“I like your hair long,” Todd said in one of his famous short statements.

Christy felt herself blush. Todd rarely made any comments about her appearance. Years ago he had said he liked her hair long after she had chopped it off. She had been growing it out since then, partly because she knew that's how Todd liked it, but mostly because she liked doing a lot of different things with it.

Todd made the first move on the chessboard. Christy playfully turned her back to Todd and then tilted her head all the way back. The ends of her straight hair almost reached to her waist.

“There,” she said, her chin tipped toward the ceiling. “Is that long enough?”

She turned to Todd. He had a smile on his face. It was the same happy, contented smile she had seen when he kissed her in Norway on their way to see the
Kon-Tiki
.

She made her move on the chessboard, then twisted her hair and was about to fasten it with a clip, when Todd took his move and then said, “No, braid it. I want to see how you do it.”

Christy divided her hair into three sections. “Like this,” she said, quickly passing the sections between each other and making a braid in a few seconds.

“Wait, that was too fast. Do it again.”

“Why? Do you want to learn how to braid or something?”

“Sure,” Todd said as if her words were the only invitation he needed. Leaning forward and taking the strands from her, he said, “Okay, which side do you start with?”

“Either one. Doesn't matter.” She sat patiently while Todd asked directions and slowly braided her hair. The first braid was too loose. On his second try, he pulled too hard, and Christy let out a yelp.

“This better?” Todd asked as he more gently tugged and twisted her hair.

“That's okay. It doesn't have to be really tight. Just tighter than the first time.”

“There,” Todd announced. “How's that?”

Christy took the braid from him and felt up and down with her fingers. “Not bad.”

“Not bad?” Todd said. “I'd say it's better than not bad. I'd say it's pretty good.”

“Okay,” Christy said, turning and smiling at him. “It's pretty good.”

Todd smiled back. “It's my move, right?”

“Very sneaky! You know it's my turn.” Christy stared at the pieces on the chessboard for a long while. She wasn't thinking about chess, though. She was thinking about the way Todd had braided her hair and the way she knew he was staring at her now.

That had to be one of the most tender, romantic gestures you've ever made toward me, Todd Spencer. You're in love with me, aren't you?

She could tell he was leaning closer. Christy pretended to concentrate on the game board, but she couldn't because she could feel Todd's warm breath on her neck. All she had to do was turn her head slightly and she would feel what she wanted to—Todd's lips brushing her cheek.

“You're beautiful,” he whispered after his lips touched her cheek. “In every way, Kilikina. You're beautiful.” Then his lips meet hers in a warm, tender kiss.

20

Never before had Christy felt so overwhelmed emotionally, spiritually, and physically. The intensity startled her and caused her to pull away. With her heart pounding, she looked at Todd, who was now a foot away instead of an inch away. His expression was the most tender, gentle, wholehearted look of love she had ever seen.

“Todd,” Christy said with a thin voice. “I . . . I . . .”

“I know.” Todd rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “I didn't mean to . . .”

“I know,” Christy said.

“But I meant what I said.”

Christy smiled. “Thank you.”

Todd rose and moved to the seat across from Christy. He leaned forward and reached for her hand, holding loosely on to only her first three fingers. The words didn't seem to be coming to him.

Christy had words she wanted to give Todd. Her mind was clear, and her heart was full. “Todd,” she said, leaning forward and speaking softly, “I thought about something while you were on your polar bear journey. I decided I like kissing you just a little too much.”

Todd's surprised expression made her quickly add, “What
I mean is that we've never talked about standards or limits or guidelines or anything.”

Todd nodded.

“Well, this may sound idealistic, but I thought about all this a lot, and I came up with some ideas.”

“Go on.”

Christy tried her best to explain to Todd her idea of saving her kisses and spending them sparingly. She told him about her imaginary piggy bank filling up with expressions of affection. “So you see, I wanted to spend one of my really big kisses on you just a minute ago, but I pulled back so I could save that one in my piggy bank. Then when . . .” Christy didn't want to say, “when we get married.” Instead, she paused. Feeling her cheeks reddening, she finished the thought with, “. . . then it will be saved until the time is right, and I'll be able to freely spend everything.”

Todd looked at Christy with what appeared to be deep admiration. He seemed to be moved by what she had said. But a minute passed before he finally spoke. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For caring. For thinking through that part of our relationship. I'd thought about it a long time ago and decided I was only going to kiss you on special occasions. One of my guidelines was to keep our kisses short and in public so we would have nothing to hide.”

Christy hadn't realized Todd had thought through this part of their relationship. But as she contemplated it, she saw that during the past five years his expressions of affection had fallen into those guidelines.

“Things are changing for us, and I'm glad they are.” He gave her fingers a squeeze. “We're getting closer to each other. I think that means we're going to have a lot more decisions to make, separately and together. You've made a really wise decision ahead of me in this area. But your choice helps me,
and I appreciate that. I'll be saving kisses in my bank, as well.”

Christy glanced over Todd's head and saw Katie was returning.

Todd read her expression and said, “We can talk about this some more later.”

Christy gave Todd a pesky little grin. In imitation of the teenager Todd used to be, with a chin-up nod, Christy pulled her hand from his and said, “Later.”

Whether Todd caught the connection, Christy didn't know. Katie plopped down next to Christy, examined the chessboard, and said, “Who's winning?”

Christy glanced at Todd. He grinned back. In unison they said, “We both are.”

“Whoa!” Katie said. “Did you two practice that while I was gone?”

What we almost practiced while you were gone was our kissing technique! If you hadn't gotten me thinking about setting my own limits, Katie, I think that's exactly what you would have found us doing
.

“Christy was teaching me how to come out ahead,” Todd said, his eyes fixed on the chessboard.

“Christy was?”

“Yep,” Todd said. “And it's my turn, right?”

“Not exactly, pal,” Christy teased. “It's my turn, remember?”

“This I have to see,” Katie said.

All the way to Amsterdam they played a round of “group” chess in which Katie advised each of them on their moves. Once they arrived in Amsterdam, Christy grabbed her pack, and Seth's postcards spilled out on the floor. Katie accidentally stepped on one of the cards, and Christy picked them up, trying to brush off the dirt.

“I have to mail these before I lose them,” she said, immediately
realizing how crazy that sounded. These weren't even her cards. Yet someone on the other side of the globe in some place called Glenbrooke, Oregon, needed to receive those postcards from Seth. She wondered if she was taking this responsibility too seriously.

The three of them filed their way through the crowded train station, and Christy thought about how she took most of her responsibilities and commitments seriously. In some instances, such as in her relationship with Todd, that was a very good thing. But did she have to be so determined and responsible with everything—like postcards?

Their time to explore Amsterdam was shorter than they thought it would be. Todd's friend from Spain, Mike, showed up at 6:30 and drove them in his small car across town to the youth hostel he and his wife ran. At first Christy thought she might have met Mike and Megan during the short week she was in Spain more than a year ago. But they had come to Amsterdam and had been running the ministry at The Rock for almost two years now.

Christy liked Megan at once and asked Megan how she could help her get ready for the evening's event. Slim, energetic, blond Megan told Christy and Katie to relax. Every night they held a casual worship and praise service. She said sometimes half a dozen people came, sometimes it was just the two of them.

Mike handed Todd his guitar. Christy could hear him plucking out some of his old favorites, like one he wrote, “The Dust of His Feet.” Katie and Christy settled themselves on a beat-up old couch toward the front of the small meeting room. Todd went on to play a song Doug had written, and Katie started to sing. Christy joined her, and a few people, hearing the music, shuffled into the meeting room.

Todd closed his eyes, and tilting his head toward the heavens, he sang out the lyrics, “Sing to the One who rides across
the ancient heavens, His mighty voice thundering from the sky. For God is awesome in His sanctuary.' ”

This is what Todd is gifted to do
, Christy thought.
He told me God has uniquely gifted each of us. I believe that. And I believe Todd is gifted to lead people in worship. He has a shepherd's heart
.

The hour-long service turned into two hours. At first, only three students who were staying at the hostel entered. More began to come. Christy counted fifteen and then twenty. The worship time was awesome. About ten people stayed around to talk to Mike. Christy, Katie, and Todd had a discussion with a guy from Argentina. At nearly 11:00, Christy noticed that Mike was praying with two of the guys he had been talking with.

After everyone else left, Christy, Todd, and Katie gathered in the small kitchen with Mike and Megan. Megan had just found out that they hadn't eaten since their frites in Belgium that afternoon and was making grilled cheese sandwiches for them.

“And I'm even using white bread,” Megan said with a smile. “This is my one comfort food around here. It's not exactly Velveeta and Wonder Bread like my mom used to make, but it's as close to Americana as you'll find in this part of the city.”

“God really did something tonight,” Mike said. “Did you see me praying with those two guys? They're from Scotland, and both of them said they wanted to give their lives to the Lord. It was incredible. God really used you, Todd.”

“It wasn't me,” Todd said. “It was God's timing.”

“Yes, it was God's timing that you were here to play and lead worship on a night when those two guys happened to stay here. But I also think God used you, Todd, because you were available and open to Him.”

Christy devoured two of Megan's sandwiches and thought about how she wanted her life to be like that—open and
available to the Lord so He could use the gifts He had given her to further His kingdom.

Now, if only I could figure out exactly what those gifts are
.

The next morning, in the same close kitchen, Christy and Todd sat eating bowls of oatmeal and talking with Megan and Mike. Katie was still asleep. As Christy listened, Mike asked Todd questions she had wanted to ask Todd for a long time.

“What are your plans for the future?” Mike asked.

“I'm working the rest of the summer at home to save some money. In September I'll start at Rancho Corona. I have about a year left. Maybe less.”

“And then what?” Megan asked.

Todd was looking down into his oatmeal. He turned his head slightly and gave Christy a sideways glance. “Not sure yet,” he said.

“Have you thought about going into missions work full time?” Mike asked. “You know, raise support and make the long-term commitment?”

“I've thought about it.”