She squared her shoulders and opened the door. “Hello, Mr. Echeverría. Come on in.” She kept her voice low so as not to wake up Stevie.
The older man stepped inside. “I didn’t come here because my son asked me to.” He seemed to read her mind. Thankfully, he took one glance at the sleeping boy and kept his voice low, too.
“Really?” She gestured for Ethan’s dad to take one of the two chairs in the room.
He sat down. “Really. When I first heard about what happened, I thought my boy made the same mistake I did. But after talking to him, I have a different conclusion. I know my son well, and I know he didn’t lie to me.”
Mercy sat down and folded her arms on her chest, a bit skeptical.
Ethan’s father continued, “I did some investigating. You received an anonymous text telling you your husband was cheating on you in his office, didn’t you?”
Mercy stared at him, startled. “How do you know?” She managed to keep her voice hushed, despite the shock.
“I talked to Leah. It took some time to find out the truth, but I can be pretty persuasive. She was so angry that Ethan didn’t come to her even after you left that she blurted it all out. She sent that text to you. She set up a trap.”
“I... don’t know what to say.” It was a good thing Mercy was sitting because her knees turned weak.
Ethan’s father was a highly respectable man, and she didn’t think he’d make up something like that just to help his son.
Mr. Echeverría’s dark eyes were kind and wise. “Don’t say anything. Just consider returning. I’ve never seen my older son as heartbroken as after you left.”
Her mind whirling, Mercy stared into space.
She’d always thought her faith was strong. Her faith had saved her during her disastrous marriage and during her widowhood. She’d surrendered her guilt at not making her first marriage work to the Lord. She’d surrendered her resentment, too.
But had she surrendered her trust issue?
No.
Instead, she’d brought it with her into her new marriage, let it affect her judgment. She’d believed easily that Ethan had cheated on her because deep inside she’d expected it to happen sooner or later. Yes, Ethan used to be a womanizer, but he hadn’t been married then. In all the years she’d known him, he’d never once lied to her.
The problem wasn’t that Ethan wasn’t trustworthy. The problem was that, after Cole, she couldn’t trust a man, even her husband. Especially not her husband.
Lord, I’m asking for forgiveness. I’m surrendering my fears and my trust issues to You. Thank You, Lord, for opening my eyes. Please help me repair my marriage. Please bring Ethan back to me. Amen.
There was another knock on the door.
Hope stirred inside Mercy. “It’s open,” she said.
Ethan stepped inside. “Mercy, I...” His eyes widened at the sight of his father. “Dad?”
Mercy pressed her finger to her lips, silently asking Ethan to keep his voice down.
Mr. Echeverría rose to his feet. “I was about to leave, anyway.”
Ethan shook his head. “No, please stay.” He turned to Mercy.
Relief and joy swept over her, tarnished a little by guilt.
“I know it’s going to take a lot of time to persuade you to change your mind, to make you believe me, but—” Ethan started.
“No,” Mercy interrupted him.
Ethan visibly swallowed. “Please don’t say no yet. Hear me out.”
“I mean, no, it’s not going to take a lot of time for me to change my mind or believe you. Thank God, I already did. Your father explained to me what really happened between you and Leah.”
Ethan looked at his dad. “What am I missing here?”
