Free Wings of Refuge by Lynn Austin

You’ll probably hear several other points of view, too, while you’re here. Once again, Jesus offers us the only real solution. And once again, no one is listening.”
    Ari mumbled something to Hannah in Hebrew, then they both rode in silence, staring straight ahead.
    Abby tried to enjoy the lush scenery as they drove around the lake, passing groves of avocados and bananas, seeing date palm trees for the first time in her life, but she was too upset by Hannah’s answer to appreciate any of it. “I’m wondering if I should go home,” Abby finally said. “The idea of common thieves invading my home is bad enough—but not nearly as alarming as terrorists. My maternal instincts are urging me to get on the next flight to Indianapolis and protect my children.”
    “I understand,” Hannah said quietly. “How many children do you have, Abby?”
    “Two. Gregory is twenty, a college student, and Emily is eighteen. She’ll be starting college this fall.”
    “You don’t look nearly old enough to have a grown son!” Hannah said. “You must have been a child bride!”
    “Thanks, but at forty-two, I’m certainly old enough. We . . . that is, my hus . . .” Abby drew a breath and started again. “The children were born right after I was married. I wanted it that way. I loved staying home and being a mother. Eleven years ago, after Emily started first grade, I hardly knew what to do with myself. Both of my kids have always been quite independent and self-sufficient. So I applied for a teaching position and I’ve been mothering entire rooms full of children ever since. I love teaching.”
    “Is this the first time you’ve been so far away from your children?” Hannah asked.
    “Well, they’ve been gone from home for summer camp and school trips and things like that—and, of course, Greg has lived on campus for the past two years—but I’ve never left them for so long before now. We’ve always traveled together, as a family.”
    “Are there other family members living close by who could look in on your children?”
    “Both sets of grandparents are within driving distance, and their father is nearby, of course. . . .”
    Hannah nodded. “Then if I were you, I would talk to your children again and see how things look today before making any hasty decisions. You did say they were independent and self-sufficient, didn’t you?”
    “Yes. And in spite of everything, Mark was . . . is a good father.” She had a sudden memory of Mark sprawled on the farmhouse floor with Emily and Greg, building Lego creations and drinking imaginary cups of tea, reading storybooks and playing checkers. She shook her head. How could she reconcile that image with the man who had walked out of their life?
    “Next time you talk to your children,” Hannah said, bringing Abby back, “tell them that if they lived in Israel they would have to serve in the military right after high school—your daughter for two years and your son for three.”
    “Really? That must be tough on them.”
    “It grows them up in a hurry.”
    As they pulled into the hotel parking lot, Ari’s eyes met Abby’s in the rearview mirror. “I have a laptop computer,” he said quietly. “You are welcome to use it while you are here if you want to contact your family by email. Telephone calls can be very expensive.”
    She felt a small measure of relief. “Thank you. That’s a wonderful idea. We do have email.”
    Abby was pleasantly surprised to discover that the Golani Hotel, where they would be staying during the dig, was a plush resort. It perched on a hillside on the eastern shore of the lake, with a view of rolling green farmland and the Sea of Galilee in the distance. The expedition members would be housed in private bungalows that had a pair of rooms in each one. A separate building housed the sprawling hotel, dining room, and gift shop. Signs directed guests to the swimming pool and tennis courts.
    “Wow, I had no idea it would be this luxurious,”