He liked to believe that he was called for a special purpose. And that special purpose didn’t have to be twenty years in the future. It might be twenty minutes away. One never knew.

Thomas believed that if he asked, the door would open. If he prayed for something, God would show him if He wanted to answer. It didn’t mean He would always answer it, but He might.

One would never know if he didn’t ask.

So Thomas dared to ask.

Part of the Plan

“Do you want the ‘Cookie Doughn’t You Want Some’ or the ‘Ain’t Lovin’ No Oven’?”

Kevin stood next to the kitchen table where Jenny sat, a stack of mail in front of her, an assortment of bills scattered and organized with the checkbook waiting to get to work. Jenny looked up and appeared surprised by the question and the keys in Kevin’s hand. It was eight-thirty at night and they’d just gotten Gregory to sleep.

“Cold Stone Creamery? Now?”

Kevin nodded. “You just said how badly you wanted ice cream.”

“That’s a bit of a hike.”

“I’ll get both,” he said, smiling.

“Is the game over?”

He shot a glance at the television in the family room, then shook his head.

“The Gamecocks are losing. I’ve given up on them.”

“Or is it because I’m paying bills?”

“Hey. I’m being a good husband and answering my wife’s cravings.”

“Really? And I just bet you’re not going to get anything.”

Kevin patted his stomach and noticed that yep, it was still there. It was still a little soft and round for his taste since he hadn’t managed to get to the gym for a while. The gym could wait.

And maybe our checkbook could afford to lose the hundred bucks we pay every month to be members.

“I might have to try something out.”

Jenny laughed. “I saw you checking out the Coldstone Web site earlier.”

“‘That’s How I Roll.’”

“What?”

“That’s what I’m going to get. ‘That’s How I Roll.’ It’s got—let’s see—cake-batter ice cream, cinnamon, yellow cake, and pecans.”

“You and your nuts,” Jenny said, taking out a bill and unfolding it.

“You callin’ me nuts?”

“Hey—do you know if we paid the four hundred and fifty dollars to Greenville Memorial Hospital?”

“I doubt it.”

Jenny had managed the bills for the last few years but recently Kevin had started taking over. And by “taking over,” he was really seeing which bills were absolutely necessary to pay and which ones could wait.

Which ones could wait until re-signing the retainer with Silverschone Investments. Which now wasn’t going to happen.

“Aren’t you paying the medical bills?” Jenny asked, that look of concern clouding her face. “We get a couple a day, it seems.”

“I’m just wanting to see which ones our insurance covers.”

“You know we don’t have maternity coverage.”

Kevin opened his mouth and widened his eyes in a mock expression of shock. If someone didn’t know him, they might actually buy the look.