A Hope Unseen by Jamie Leigh (book recommendations website .txt) 📕

like a bad dream “oh, Jake” she said the tears coming back to her eyes “hey, it’s okay Josie. I'm here, tell me what happened. I'm here,” he said to her soothingly (but to be honest he was holding back tears of his own) “okay,” she said breathing deeply to clear her head “I was going out with Bobby. That night, I felt a little uneasy about going that night, but I just shrugged it off. When he came to pick me up, he sat me in the passenger seat and when he got in, he had a wild look in his eyes.”


“I have a surprise for you, but it will have to wait until after our date,” said Bobby with a grin on his face that made me a little scared but curious at the same time, so I just sat there and smiled. He took me to see a movie, and I loved every moment of it, there were parts that made me cry and parts that made me want to snuggle up next to Bobby. When we got out it was dark out but there was a full moon. I climbed back into his car expecting to go home, but at the same time I was a little confused “He usually takes me out to eat,” I thought to myself, but just as I thought that a horrible feeling came over me that I didn’t understand so I just shook it off. Bobby was driving then he stopped “what are you doing Bobby?” I asked him with a suspecting smile. “I'm showing you my surprise” he said with that same grin, he opened the door for me and let me out. I was hesitant at first, but he reassured me that it would be okay. “I thought we would have a moonlight picnic tonight just you and me” he said. I suddenly had a bad feeling, and I could almost swear I heard someone say don’t go, but I shook it off. He grabbed a basket from the back of the car, and he helped me down. Closer to under the bridge itself, he laid down the blanket and put his hand out as if to say, “Come on” so I grabbed it, and he led me to the blanket where we both sat down. He got out the food but there wasn’t much it seemed that he had brought me down there for something else, but his smile made me think otherwise. When we had eaten I asked if we could go now. “Let’s just stay here a while” he said, “I like it here with you,” as he said that to me, I could feel him moving closer, he had kissed me once before, but I asked him not to do it again, it just felt wrong. But as he moved closer that night the bigger, the feeling of panic came over me. I felt like he was a lion ready to pounce. Now he was so close I could feel his breath on my neck. I was about to jump up when he grabbed hold of my wrist and started kissing on my neck. I tried pulling away, but it was no use. “We should get going,” I said, “Bobby, please, Bobby, please stop!” I pleaded now shaking like a leaf “no I’m not going to stop” he muttered with a chuckle, he started to get rough. “Bobby, please don’t do this” I pleaded again “but he paid no attention as I tried to get away pulling myself and inching away. Trying to get up and run, but every time I got further away he was right there holding me kissing me. But the last time I got far enough away I jumped to my feet but right as I jumped up. He caught hold of my wrist once more and thrust me to the ground. He jumped on top of me yelling, “You’re staying right here with me until I say I’m done!” His eyes were now black as night. I was so scared she didn’t know what to do. I struggled as much as I could, but there comes a time when struggling is no longer enough and all your strength is gone, and you can’t fight the fight any more.
”I screamed and that’s the last I remember,” she cried “I thought he loved me” she looked into Jake’s eyes to see the love that had been the first thing she ever saw in him, it still gave her peace. “It’s okay Josie. We all make mistakes, and I know it’s probably not the best time to tell you this, but I am so proud that no matter what he said you fought against him, that you didn’t let him sweet talk you into doing it, he had to force you, and he probably left with cuts and bruises himself. It will be okay, Josie. God still loves you even if you don’t see it right now.” He said looking at her “do you think He is proud of me even though I didn’t listen those three times He tried to tell me?” she asked feeling guilty for what happened. “I do” answered Jake “Even though you could have avoided it, you didn’t go with the flow of how Bobby wanted it to go, and I think God is very proud of you and to show for it you are going to have a baby,” he said with a smile. She couldn’t help but smile at that for she was very excited for the baby she was soon to have in her arms.


As time went on Josie was let out of the hospital and then went back to school she had a little belly now, but the elders of the school agreed that she could come back knowing all that she went through. She went back grateful to the school but when she stepped foot in the place for the first time after what happened memories came flooding to her head of how head over heels she was for Bobby, (who was now in jail for countless rape accounts) how gullible she was the first time he asked her out, and most of all she remembered how she ignored Jake for those three months. The pain was so great it was almost more than she could bear it felt like everyone knew and were always watching her every move. But Jake was always right behind her. She soon got over it and any time someone would criticize her for her pregnancy, she would just rub her stomach and thank God for the joy he had given her. Jake went with her everywhere and was always taking care of her. Nine months went by faster than anyone expected Josie knew that when her baby was born, she would have to give it up to the adopted parents whom she had chosen they were lovely people that loved God with all their hearts and went by the name of Tillman. Josie and Jake had gotten to know them really well, but she still couldn’t fight the overwhelming feeling of losing her child before she had even held him in her arms. When she would find time alone she would often just start crying without being able to hold it in for everything that she went through just put so much weight on her, she didn’t know what to do she would hold her stomach and weep in knowing her child would grow up calling someone else mother, in knowing she would only hold her child for a few days then he would be a Tillman. Jake came in one day and found her crying. He ran over to her to find what happened right when he got over to her, she grabbed him and just held on with her face in his shoulder. He was going to ask what happened but when she just held him; he knew that she was just hurting from the pain of not being her own baby’s mother. He just sat down with her and cradled her in his strong arms “Josie, you have to give this to God you can’t carry this weight by yourself the Bible says that His burden is easy and His yoke is light. Give this to Him. He has a plan for you, me and this baby, just give it to Him. He knows what He's doing” said Jake soothingly. They just sat there together holding each other thanking God that they had one another.


It was night, and Jake couldn’t sleep he had a feeling something was happening. He kept getting up and pacing his room he knew tonight was the night he was just waiting for the call that would bring him to jump to her aid because he insisted on being the driver to get her to the hospital. He was deep in thought when he heard the phone ring. He jumped up and answered it in an instant “Hello, is it time?” he asked anxiously “Calm down Jake,” answered a voice on the other end of the phone “I just called to tell you that labor has started it will probably be a few more hours, but she wants you here she won’t stop saying your name.” He was a little worried “I’ll be right there” he replied. He got over as fast as he could he got out his key and walked right in the door Tommy was standing there, “Hi, Jake” he said with a worried look on his face. “Are you here to take Josie away?” he asked very scared now. “Not yet Tommy, your sister is going to have a baby aren’t you excited?” he inquired trying to cheer him up “I don’t like the sound of it. She keeps making noises” Tommy said “well Tommy, this isn’t easy for Josie, but she will come home. I promise God is keeping her safe.” He told Tommy reassuring, “God knows what he's doing he’ll help us through this” he said as he put Tommy back in bed, just then Tommy’s mother came and got Jake. “She needs you now she only wants you with her and no one else, comfort her Jake, keep her thinking about God. It will always help because He is the one who will take the pain away.” She told him as he walked up the stairs, and he felt like time had gone back, and he was going up the stairs quietly, and he turned to her room it was in the very same place he opened the door to see her laying there he couldn’t get over how beautiful she was and she turned her head just slightly to see him walk in she gave a faint smile that beckoned him to her side. He went over to her side and sat he almost couldn’t believe his eyes. She was like a dream come true and the closer he got the more beautiful she became. He sat at her bedside, they just looked at each other for about two hours, but it seemed like only minutes, and no words were even needed he took hold of her hand, and both knew it was time but neither wanted to leave. He picked her up, and she put her arms around his neck and just looked into his eyes and couldn’t remove them for there was something she hadn’t seen before in them. His strong arms wrapped around her and held her as if she were only five pounds. How thankful she was to God for him. She didn’t know where she would be without him. They got to the car. Her mother wasn’t there because she was taking Tommy over to Jake’s mother’s house for them to watch him, and she would be there only about a half-hour after.