Chapter 19: The Stirring

Charles quietly excused himself, leaving Richard and Susan alone in the room. The silence that followed was thick with emotion. Susan sat on the edge of the couch, her fingers nervously twisting together.

“I’m sorry, Richard,” she began quickly, her words tumbling over each other. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I didn’t plan for things to go that far, I just wanted to make things right. I—”

Richard smiled gently and raised his hand. “Calm down, Susan,” he said softly. “It’s okay. I understand, and I appreciate what you did. It took courage.”

She blinked in surprise, her lips parting slightly, but before she could speak again, Richard asked, “Did you see the message I sent you earlier?”

Susan shook her head. “No, my phone wasn’t with me. I left it charging at home before I came to church.”

Richard nodded slowly, taking a small breath before saying, “Alright. Susan, can I pray for you?”

She hesitated, glancing away. “I don’t think that’s necessary,” she muttered.

“Please,” he said quietly, his tone patient and kind. “Just a short prayer.”

After a moment of silence, she gave a faint nod. Richard stretched out his hand, and after a slight pause, she reached for it.

The moment their hands touched, Richard felt a sudden rush of cold air sweep through the room. His body stiffened, and his eyes grew distant.

In that instant, a vision flashed before him, Susan, standing in a radiant white wedding dress, smiling at him with a glow so pure it took his breath away.

Her smile lingered in his mind even as the trance faded, leaving him still holding her hand, dazed by what he had just seen.

As Richard came out of the trance, he remained still for a while, his hand still clasped in Susan’s. The air in the room felt heavy, charged with something neither of them could explain. His heart pounded as quiet words of prayer slipped from his lips, soft but full of power.

He began to pray in tongues, slowly at first, then stronger, his voice trembling with the weight of the Spirit. Susan sat frozen, her fingers tightening around his hand. She didn’t understand what was happening, but something inside her began to stir.

A warmth spread through her chest, rising to her throat until she couldn’t hold it anymore. Tears slipped down her face, hot, uninvited, but strangely peaceful.

Richard opened his eyes and looked at her, his own vision still faintly echoing in his mind, Susan in a white wedding dress, radiant and smiling. He swallowed hard and forced himself to stay silent about it. This wasn’t the time.

“Susan,” he said quietly, “God is working on you. You may not understand it yet, but something has started tonight.”

She nodded slowly, wiping her tears. “I don’t even know why I’m crying,” she whispered. “It feels like something left me... but I can’t explain it.”

“You don’t have to,” Richard replied softly. “Just let God do what He wants to do.”

He helped her stand, his hand lingering a second longer than it should have. As she turned to leave, he watched her go with a look that mixed awe, fear, and something he couldn’t name.

He didn’t tell her what he had seen, the vision of her smiling in a wedding dress. But deep inside, he knew this was no ordinary encounter.