Page 32 of Love Unscripted
He was reminded of the Bible verse that told him that he should not be anxious about anything but instead, with prayer and supplication and thanksgiving make his requests known to God and the peace of God which passed all understanding would guard his heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
So he prayed now asking God to help him in the days ahead to be able to make up lost time without him stressing everyone and himself in the process. Rounding the corner to the family room, he welcomed the peace that God brought to him as he surrendered the situation into His capable hands.
“Daddy!” Madison’s voice rang out as she bounded up from the couch where she and her nanny, Maria, sat watching a cartoon.
Normally Madison would have been tucked away in bed since 8:00 p.m. but he had given permission for her to stay up as he would be returning home late. She looked forward to his bedtime stories.
“Hey, sweet pea.” Aaron knelt, catching Madison in his arms and inhaling the strawberry scent of her hair. Her blue eyes sparkled with stories waiting to burst free.
“Guess what! We made a dinosaur today!” she exclaimed. “And it is yellow! Can you believe that? Yellow!”
“That sounds amazing!” Aaron chuckled, pride softening his features. Yes, he could believe it given that Madison’s favorite color was yellow in any shade. “Can I see him?”
“Yes, but” she said eyes wide, hands splayed before him. “Auntie Maria says we have to let him dry so you can’t touch him.”
Aaron met Maria’s indulgent smile with one of his one. Maria was a godsend. She was the same woman who had taken care of him and his siblings when they were children. When the opportunity arose to baby sit his daughter whenever his mother wasn’t available she didn’t have to give it a second thought.
“We even gave it a name, Mr. Dino!”
“Mr. Dino, huh? I like it.” He ruffled her hair.
She looked so much like Scarlette—his Sweet Caroline as he nicknamed her since her middle name was Caroline. The memories came once again unbidden: her cheerleader smile, her easy laughter, her radiant presence.
And then his mind drifted to Camille. Camille was so different, exotic and enigmatic, worlds apart from Scarlette’s all-American glow. Yet, he found her so… appealing.
“Daddy, are you listening?” Madison’s voice tugged him from his reverie as she led him to the play room to see her creation.
“Of course, sweetheart. Tell me more about Mr. Dino.”
As she continued, Aaron held her little hand in his, savoring the simple purity of her joy. These moments were his anchor, his reminder that love lived in this house.
Selling the Holmby house had been the first step. This new home, just down the road from his parents, was another. His mother, Dana had been determined her granddaughter would not grow up in a cold bachelor pad. With her guidance, decorators transformed the place. The clean lines of modular furniture, the brown, blue and muted yellow décor, suited him.
And the views—man, the views. Patios on both levels overlooked the Pacific, the manicured grounds, and a thirty-foot pool that shimmered like glass. It was his haven. His retreat. His safe place with Madison, far from the chaos of sets and paparazzi.
It was also here that he’d chosen to walk away from secular filmmaking and pour his talents into what aligned with his faith.
Maybe that was why Camille intrigued him so deeply. People, even he at times, doubted her faith, dismissing her as a pop-culture princess chasing relevance. But Aaron remembered his own brokenness, how God had restored him. Who was he to withhold grace?
As Madison chattered on about Mr. Dino when they reached the play room, Aaron thought of the Bible study with Camille that lay ahead. Bearing that in mind, he decided that he would enlist the help of his learned brother to help him understand any areas that were not clear. After all, the guy hadn’t attended three years of seminary after completing his psychology degree for nothing. If that and his work as a pastor at the Hill Point Baptist church did not mean something well it was all over.
As soon as he was finished reading Madison her bedtime story and tucking her off to bed, he reached for his phone and dialed Adam.
“Hey. What’s up?” Adam answered.
“I need a crash course in the Book of Esther.”
“What do you mean? Didn’t you study the text in preparation for the movie?”
“I did. But I’m aiming to go a little deeper with a member of the crew.”
“Which member?”
Aaron paused. “Camille.”
“Ahh…”
“What does that mean?”
