The Secret, The Letter & The Writer : romantic short stories for married couples

 Juliana Green was a world famous Christian fiction writer who lived in a wealthy neighborhood. She was still in her twenties and was pregnant with her 1st baby. Words cannot explain the joy that filled her heart about her transition to motherhood but she still didn’t let it pull her away from her writing. There were millions of hungry readers waiting for the follow up of her last best selling Christian Romance Novel.

She didn’t necessary kept writing during her pregnancy just for them. She did it for the same reason she did it when she was a little girl. She did it because writing was her place of rest – her beautiful paradise – her unchanging friend.

Juliana knew she was truly blessed by God. Her career, her baby and her ever loving husband. No one every loved Juliana the way that her husband, Michael loved her. In fact as far as Juliana was concerned, no man ever loved a woman more than her husband loved her.

Right now, all that was on her mind for the last few months apart from her darling husband and her writing was the coming baby.

To say her husband was nervous was an understatement. He was very proud that he was going to be a father, and he was very scared he was going to be a father also. He didn’t want anything to go wrong (like if he even knew what that meant in this case).

He was one of the co-founders of a large pharmaceutical firm. He was the kind of man that didn’t need to go to work everyday because of his position in the company but still showed up at work everyday.

For the first time ever, he had instructed his senior executives that he would be taking a break throughout the period of his wife’s pregnancy to be at his wife’s side. They all taught he was crazy, even his wife taught he was crazy. No one took so long a leave from work just because their wife was pregnant. He had to be the most nervous father in the world.

Anyway, considering that he was a co-founder in the company and he didn’t even need to go to work at all, he actually could afford to do something that crazy. Besides, the other co-founder of the company never even came to work at all after the business grew to a certain point. His percentage of the profits just flows to his bank account every month.

Michael was at his wife’s beck and call. Even though they had a maid, he did everything for her. He wouldn’t even let her stand up without him rushing to help her. Juliana kept saying that she’s alright and that there are some things that she can still do by herself without any help but her husband wouldn’t even let her get up to get a cup of water.

Juliana had a secret. A secret that deeply bothered her – a secret that she hoped would go away but deeply feared it wouldn’t. All questions as to whether it would go away or stay was put away when she received a letter in the mail. Her fail mail. It was the 10th disturbing letter from an anonymous fan. She had secretly tried to get the post office man to figure out where the letter was from but in-spite of all he did to find out, he couldn’t find out the source of the letters. She didn’t tell him the contents of the letter. She didn’t let him the letters made her heart beat faster. She didn’t tell him each letter was proof she was in danger. It was her little secret. But judging by the contents of the letter it seemed it was time she shared her secret with someone.

Her husband walking into the room, “Still writing?”

“Yes”, Juliana answered putting the letter away; in-between some books on her desk.

“Fan mail?”

“Er … Yeah ..”

“You know, you really should cut down your writing time”, her husband interrupted her “you don’t have to write too much…”

“Oh! for crying out loud Michael, it’s only writing”

“Ok! Ok!” Michael said, putting his hands up in the air and backing away, “I’m laying off.”

He turned to leave the room, then he stopped at the door way. He looked over his shoulder and said, “If you need anything just call.”

“Go !!!”, Juliana said playfully motioning with her hand.

“Ok !, I’m leaving”, he laughed as he left the room.

Juliana felt guilty in her heart. She hated lying to him. It felt like a scorpion string to her heart. She loved her husband. She was afraid he would worry. Perhaps, worry like she was doing right now.

The 10th letter from that particular anonymous person was unlike the other nine. This one threatened to kill her husband so the anonymous person can truly be her number one according to him.

This anonymous person – this fan – this secret admirer – No, EVIL secret admirer; was threatening to take her husband, her prince charming, her best friend away from her. All because of some fantasy that he and her can be together.

Does he even know her. She couldn’t wrap her mind around how crazy it was that someone who read a novel or a series of novels by an author can assume they know the author. And know enough to actually fall in love with that author?

Who knows. She may be dealing with a lunatic or a serial killer or an escaped mental patient or all of the above.

She couldn’t keep this secret, secret anymore. Maybe if she can’t tell her husband so he wouldn’t worry, she can at least tell the cops.

Juliana prayed to God that she should keep her husband safe. She didn’t know if she could survive without him.

The next day, after her husband left the house for his morning jug, Juliana called a cop in their neighborhood that she knew from church house fellowship meetings. She tells the cop everything and tells him that he can’t let her husband because she doesn’t want him to worry.

The cop tells her that he’s sorry, that he has to tell her husband and that he is sorry to say it but based on his experience, this case is a lot more serious than she thinks it is. Her husband’s life is in serious danger and he should have around the clock police protection.

Suddenly, they heard her husband scream. They turn to see that he was lying on the floor by the side of the room growling in pain. They run up to him, Juliana’s heart beating faster than an accelerated drum loop as she watched the thing she feared the most unfold before her eyes. A pregnant woman has never run so fast. Juliana forgot she was pregnant. She would never forgive herself if her husband dies from a gun shot.

As Juliana and the cop leaned over Michael, they couldn’t see a bullet wound. Michael wasn’t shot. He only accidentally hit his toe against a rock underneath a patch of un-mowed lawn as he jogged back home.

Juliana put her hand over her chest as she sighed in relief. Whew! She thanked God he was alright. She grabbed her husband into her arms and buried her face in his shoulder. The atmosphere was charged with passion. She was afraid she had lost him there. Discovering he was Ok ! was like pouring a bucket of hope upon a soul that had been crushed.

10 minutes later, they all sat in their living room with coffee cups in their hands. His wife and the cop had filled him in on everything about the secret admirer.

The cop said that they would keep guard over their house and give Michael 24 hours protection for the mean time.

However, the threats kept coming and they kept getting worse each time. Michael and Juliana grew even closer together because of this. They needed to draw strength from each other. They needed to be there for each other.

The studied the bible a lot and there were days that they might have had a heart attack out of fear if they didn’t encourage themselves with the scriptures.

Juliana’s Aunt flew down to their city to support them during these crucial times. Juliana’s Mum had passed away when Juliana was a teenager. Ever since then her Mum’s younger sister had stepped in and had been there to do everything that a mother should do. She had a special bond with Juliana.

Weeks later the cop tells them that a thing like this can go on forever. He says that he has a plan to catch the culprit but it is going to be risky – very risky.

Juliana said No to the plan. She would not condone any plan that would put her prince and best friend at risk.

Her husband pleaded with her that if it would help them catch the secret admirer quicker; it would be better.

Juliana still refused. The next day, in the evening, Michael returned from the grocery store. Juliana and her Aunt where at the home of a female pastor that was a friend of theirs. The maid had been given the week off to spend the time with her own family. He was home alone.

A few minutes after he put down the grocery bag on the kitchen counter. He was attacked – jumped from behind. It was the secret admirer, it had to be. And he was here for one purpose and one purpose only. He was here to kill Michael. “FREEZE !!!”, the shout echoed through the house and the front door was busted through. A bunch of cops ran into the house and apprehended the culprit.

Apparently, Michael and Juliana had called the cop later the previous day and had said they would go with the plan.

The cops had created a scenario which looked like the perfect opportunity to kill Michael.

The secret admirer had taken the bait. He had fallen for their trap.

Now that he had been caught, all was now well again. Everyone was safe again. Michael and Juliana were completely overjoyed. They were thankful to God and they were grateful that they had each other. Without God and without their love for each other, who knows where they would have ended up.

Juliana gave birth to a bouncing baby girl and the couple knew it was just the first of better days ahead. What the enemy had tried to do to steal them from each other had brought them even more closer together.

The End.