Day 31/366

Pastor Ernie and Estrella lived in a small rural community in the foothills of California.  Silver Falls was large enough to have its own fire station and postal service, but small enough that if you didn't know what you were doing, someone in town always did.  So it was no secret that the beloved pastor and his wife struggled with infertility.

The small community also had a grocery store, a gas station and convenience store, a pizza parlor, a café and a handful of other local businesses.  Silver Falls wasn't far from the larger towns of Marysville and Yuba City, all in northern California.  If people needed something that couldn't be obtained locally, then would go "down the hill" to one of the larger towns.

The call came in on a night fraught with thunder and a heavy downpour.  All the captain of the firehouse said was it was urgent and Ernie needed to bring his wife.  They traveled the few minutes to the fire station, both silently praying for whatever was to come.

It seemed someone had taken advantage of the safe haven statute and abandoned a baby girl at the station.  One of the men on duty had noticed a bundle of clothing just outside the firehouse door and went to investigate.  He was startled when the bundle made noise, and found the baby wrapped snuggly with a note fastened to the blanket.

The couple took one look at the baby girl and fell in love, and since they'd been approved for foster care several years ago, it was not a stretch to place the infant in their home.  Before long, adoption papers were filed, and after a lifetime, Genevieve Nunoz became a part of their little family.

At least, that was the story she'd been told all her life.  Ernie and Estrella didn't keep the fact that Gen was adopted a secret.  Instead, they told the story often, praising God for his blessing of their little girl.  When Gen would ask why she didn't have any brothers or sisters, she was told that God filled their hearts with a little girl and they were content.

Gen never had a desire to find her birth mother.  She'd received ample love and support from the Nunoz family, and felt like she'd always belonged with them.  When her mother passed away, a huge hole was left in her heart, and life changed dramatically for her father.  Until recently.

Just over two months ago, Ernie had sparked back to life.  Something had taken hold of him, and he was working day and night on a secret project that he kept from Gen.  She didn't mind.  As long as her dad was back to his optimistic and active self, he could have his privacy.  It seemed a bit odd, but life had been odd for some time.

One night, after work, Ernie called Gen and told her he needed to share something with her, but he wanted to do it in person.  By this time she'd settled in her own apartment down the hill and was saving money for a return to college.  They agreed on a time and place to meet, and it was at the local pizza parlor near Ernie's house.

Unfortunately, someone didn't want that meeting to take place

All words are property of Deena Peterson and are not to be used without permission.