She refused the tears that rushed to her eyes. “I love you, too.”
He had to leave then, and she watched him go. Watched while he held her gaze until the last possible moment. When he was gone, she closed her eyes, ignoring the few tears that slid down her face. She could feel the bed moving as they wheeled her into the operating room.
“Mary Catherine, are you okay?” It was Dr. Cohen.
“Yes.” She didn’t open her eyes, didn’t want to see anything in her mind except the image of Marcus Dillinger.
“We’ve been over what’s about to happen. We’ll see you in ten hours or so.” He paused. “The medication is going into your IV now. I want you to count out loud, backward from ten, okay?”
Mary Catherine did as she was told. “Ten, nine . . .” How could I ever have walked away from Marcus? “Eight . . . seven . . .” God, I must’ve been crazy, letting fear of tomorrow keep me from falling in love. A heaviness settled over her. She couldn’t open her eyes if she wanted to. “Six . . .”
Noises began to blur around her and she could feel her body growing warm. It was time. Her failing heart was finished. She remembered Marcus once more, the look in his eyes, the way he told her he’d pray for her and how much he clearly loved her and . . .
Mary Catherine felt her beating human heart for the last time.
And then there was nothing but darkness.
EMBER, ASPYN, JAG, AND BECK—the entire invisible team was present in the surgical theater. All of them praying and moving, making their way between the team of surgeons and doctors and nurses. Every minute was critical here. The angels would make sure nothing was missed, no mistakes were made.
Jag and Beck took turns praying away the enemy—hovering outside the hospital walls. Aspyn prayed over the medical personnel. And Ember stood beside Mary Catherine’s bed. She was the one who had spent much of the last year praying for the girl, living with her. Helping her.
This surgery was a crucial part of their mission. And it was personal for Ember.
She watched as the lead surgeon opened Mary Catherine’s chest and began to work. Ember had come to care very much for Mary Catherine. Like a sister, maybe. As humans go, Mary Catherine was rare indeed. Filled with hope and grace, love and faith. Nothing was the same at the orphanage without her.
Ember put her hand on Mary Catherine’s shoulder. Father, You know how much this daughter of Eve means to me. Please let her live. Our efforts depend on her.
The surgeon connected Mary Catherine to a heart-lung machine—which would do the work of breathing and pumping her blood throughout the surgery. Her heart would remain attached to her body when the operation was finished. Blood would still flow through it. But it would not be required to do any of its normal work.
The mechanical piece would fit above it and take over the job of keeping Mary Catherine alive.
There was much to do.
Ember stared at Mary Catherine, at the way her skin looked gray at this point in the surgery. The doctors still had another nine hours of work. Father, I beg You, please breathe life into Mary Catherine. Only You can give her another chance.
Ember didn’t let up.
She prayed like that with every breath, every minute as the delicate and dangerous operation continued. They had made it this far. Now all of heaven was praying with them. That Mary Catherine would not only survive the surgery.
But that she would have a second chance at living life to the fullest.
THE HOURS FELT LIKE DAYS, and from a chair in the waiting room Marcus tried to grasp everything that had happened. A week ago he believed he’d never see Mary Catherine again. Back then, he had no idea how he’d forget her, he couldn’t imagine even trying.
Now he and Mary Catherine were engaged and his fiancé was fighting for her life in an operating room down the hall.
Marcus looked at Mary Catherine’s parents, sitting across from him, holding hands, praying quietly. Her mother smiled at him and nodded.
The moment was too intense for small talk.
Marcus buried his face in his hands and prayed again. Father, if You would put angels around Mary Catherine even this very minute. She needs Your help, Lord. Please . . .
He heard footsteps in the hallway. He held his breath. At any point he could get another update from Mary Catherine’s medical team. Instead Tyler, Sami, and Lexy walked into the room. Together with her parents and him, they were the only people in the waiting room.
He stood and hugged each of them. “Thanks, guys.”
Mr. Clark nodded. “Yes, thank you for coming.” Tears filled his eyes. He looked at his wife and then back at Marcus and the others. “You all mean so much to our daughter.”
“We wouldn’t be anywhere else today.” Tyler shook hands with Mary Catherine’s father.
They all sat down, Marcus next to Mary Catherine’s parents, with Tyler on his other side, and Sami and Lexy across from them. Marcus leaned over his knees and folded his hands. “It’ll still be a long time.”
“What have you heard?” Sami looked nervous.
“She went into surgery around seven this morning. About three hours later a nurse came in. Apparently everything was going as planned.”
“That’s good, right?” Lexy still sounded nervous.
“It is.” Marcus smiled. “It’ll be okay.”
The girl nodded, clearly troubled. Even so, Marcus could see that the changes in her were remarkable. She spoke with less of the gang dialect and her clothes were more modest. She even walked straighter, like she believed in herself more than before. Getting her out of the inner city and into a daily friendship with Sami seemed to have changed her life. Sami had told him that Lexy was praying constantly about Mary Catherine, terrified about losing her. She almost didn’t come today.
The air in the waiting room fell silent. Marcus pictured his conversation with Mary Catherine yesterday, when he’d asked her to marry him. It was a moment he would remember forever.
Suddenly he realized he hadn’t told anyone about his proposal. He took a long breath. Nothing about the past week seemed real. This least of all. But he couldn’t hold the news in any longer.
“So . . . Mary Catherine and I have an announcement.” Marcus grinned at her parents. Mr. Clark winked at him.
Sami’s eyes flew open. “No you didn’t!”
Lexy waited, confused. “Didn’t what?”
Mary Catherine’s mother linked arms with her husband. “Let’s just say there’s going to be two weddings in the near future.”
“Yep.” Marcus chuckled. “It’s true. I asked her to marry me and . . . she said yes!”
“Really!” Tyler just grinned. “I wondered.”
“What?!” Lexy stood and danced around in a tight circle. “She loved you all this time! I knew it!”
Across from him, Sami put her fingers to her lips, her eyes shining with tears. “Marcus . . . I’m so happy for you. Both of you.”
Tyler stood and gave him a hearty pat on his back. “No wasted time there.”
“That’s what I said!” Mr. Clark grinned, his eyes twinkling. “The two of us are thrilled for you, Marcus.”
“Thank you.” He’d only known Mary Catherine’s parents for a few days. But already he loved them. “I told her I wished we could’ve been at the beach or at a nice dinner. Something more romantic. But I had to ask her.”
Marcus told them how the doctor had asked Mary Catherine if she wanted to live and how she had been shocked. “Of course she wanted to live, that’s what she told the doctor.” His throat felt tight as he remembered the moment. “I asked her as soon as he left the room.”
Lexy was still beaming, but she settled down next to Sami. “This is like a movie. I can’t believe it!”
Sami shook her head. “She finally admitted what the rest of us have known from the beginning.”
“The rest of us?” Tyler looked lost.
“Yes!” Sami allowed a slight laugh. “She’s been in love with Marcus since th
e day they met.”
Tyler grinned and elbowed Marcus. “Well . . . let’s be honest. Mary Catherine wasn’t the only one, huh?”
“Yeah. You could say that.” Marcus laughed again. The relief felt wonderful amid all the unbearable waiting.
Gradually the laughter died down. Sami leaned on her knees. “Why did it take her so long to admit it?”
“She kept all this to herself.” Mary Catherine’s mother shook her head. “Her health. Even you, Marcus.”
“One reason.” Marcus hated this part. “She thought she was dying. She didn’t want to put me—or any of us—through that.”
Lexy gasped. “She thought she was dying?” She looked at the others. “I didn’t even know she was sick.”
“No wonder I was so worried about her.” Mrs. Clark leaned against her husband. “We both were.”
“None of us knew how sick she was.” Sami sat back, her eyes soft. “I knew about her heart condition, but nothing like this.” She paused. “She never should have gone to Africa.”
“I thought that, too. At first.” Marcus felt Mary Catherine’s convictions in his own soul. “But going to Africa—for Mary Catherine—was like choosing to live.” He cast a sad smile toward Sami and then Mary Catherine’s parents. “When have you ever known her to give up?”
“True.” Sami nodded.
Lexy folded her arms. “I knew she wouldn’t leave me unless it was really important.”
They talked a while longer, about the Youth Center and the mentor program and finally about Sami and Tyler’s wedding. Marcus wasn’t sure this was the time to bring it up, but he wanted to see if it was at least possible.
He looked at Tyler. “You’re getting married December third, right?”
“Yes.” He smiled at Sami. “I wish it was this Saturday.”
“We found a place!” Sami looked giddy about the news. “The Ritz-Carlton at Laguna Niguel.”
Tyler raised his brow. “Thankfully the owner’s a Dodgers fan.”
“I went to a wedding there a few years ago.” Marcus was impressed. “The place is stunning.”
Tyler locked eyes with Sami. “The beach has always been important to us.”
There would be no better time than now. Marcus sat up a little straighter. “So here’s my question. And be honest. Mary Catherine doesn’t know I’m asking you this. It’s just an idea.” He hesitated, holding his breath. “What would you think of a double wedding? If Mary Catherine is well enough by then?”
As soon as he said the words, he watched Sami and Tyler’s eyes light up. Sami was the first to speak. “We’d have practically the same guests.” She looked at Tyler. “Should we talk about it later?”
“I love it.” Tyler smiled. “Sounds perfect.”
Marcus felt the warmth of their friendship come over him like July sunshine. He had never felt more loved. And Sami was right. They really would have a lot of the same guests. And the beach was as special to him and Mary Catherine as it was to Tyler and Sami. “Well, then . . . if Mary Catherine is well enough . . . it would be very special for both of us.”
Lexy squealed. “This makes me so happy.”
“A double wedding!” Mary Catherine’s mother looked at her husband, then back to Marcus. “How beautiful.”
“Definitely.” Mr. Clark nodded. “Unforgettable!”
They talked about the idea for a while longer and sometime around six o’clock Sami, Tyler, and Lexy went for dinner. Marcus and Mary Catherine’s parents stayed. They could hear news about the surgery any minute, and the three of them didn’t want to miss it. But as it turned out, there were no updates, even after the others returned with sandwiches for Marcus and Mary Catherine’s parents.
Marcus couldn’t eat. The longer the time, the more he struggled. What if something had gone wrong? He stood and paced to the far end of the waiting room. God, please, don’t let anything go wrong. Please let this new heart work and let the doctors be amazed at how well things go today.
Finally, nearly thirteen hours after Marcus had said goodbye to Mary Catherine, Dr. Cohen joined them in the waiting room. His smile was the first thing Marcus saw. Marcus was on his feet immediately. The others, too.
“She came through very well.” Dr. Cohen’s expression was bright, but the bags under his eyes were proof that the man was drained. “Her heart was very sick. It took longer than we thought.” He gave a single shake of his head. “Just when things seemed touch-and-go, we’d make the exact right decision or someone would provide the perfect assistance.” He looked one at a time at the faces in the room. “There were times I’d swear we were getting a little divine help in there.”
Chills ran along Marcus’s arms. “I asked God to send His angels.”
“Apparently He did!” Dr. Cohen took a step back toward the door. “I need to get in there. She’s got a long road ahead. At least two weeks in the hospital before she can start rehabbing at home.”
“Thank you, Doctor.” Mr. Clark was on his feet. He shook the man’s hand.
Marcus did the same. “Yes. Thank you so much.” He barely paused. “When can I see her?” Marcus was ready to follow the doctor back to the recovery room.
“Give us a few hours.” Dr. Cohen smiled. “I’ll have someone come get you when she’s ready.”
After the doctor left, Marcus prayed with the group. Sami, Tyler, and Lexy said goodbye and promised to visit tomorrow—as long as Mary Catherine was doing well. Another two hours passed before Marcus was allowed back. He had to wear a mask and a gown before entering her room.
Mary Catherine was so buried in wires and tubes and wrappings, he was afraid to come too close. Her nurse encouraged him. “It’s okay. Pull up a chair and sit beside her.”
Marcus doubted Mary Catherine would actually wake up. She looked completely drugged. Still, he pulled up a chair and again glanced at the nurse—just to make sure he wasn’t sitting too close.
“You’re fine.” The nurse came up beside him. She took Mary Catherine’s temperature and wrote down a few of the numbers from her monitors. “I’d expect her to wake up soon.”
The nurse stepped out and Marcus leaned closer. She looked so small, her face beautiful even with her breathing tube and heart monitors attached to every visible part of her body. “Mary Catherine. I’m here.” He spoke through the mask and waited, watching her. She showed no signs of life. He hung his head, his hands trembling. God, she looks awful. Please . . . give me a sign that she’s getting better. If only he could fast-forward the days until she could sit up and look into his eyes again.
He looked up and tried again. “Your new heart is working great.” He didn’t touch her. “God is healing you.”
At first she didn’t seem to hear him. But then, gradually, she began to move her eyes. And finally she blinked them open.
She was clearly medicated, her movements slow. But she looked right at him. The breathing tube prevented her from talking, but that didn’t matter. She didn’t need to speak. Marcus could read her eyes without a single word.
She was alive and she loved him.
Nothing else mattered.
23
SAMI LOOKED OVER THE DISPLAY of fresh-sliced meat and cheese and the berries she and Tyler had washed and arranged on Marcus’s kitchen counter. The whipped cream was freshly beaten and the slivered cinnamon almonds were roasting in the oven.
Everything was just the way Mary Catherine would like it.
After twelve days in the hospital, she’d come home earlier than anyone expected. Her doctor was thrilled at her progress. A week recuperating at home and now she was already able to leave the house.
Today was her first outing.
Marcus was picking up Mary Catherine and her parents at the apartment and taking her out for a surprise. The surprise, of course, was right here at his house. Mary Catherine was going to be shocked to see everyone who was here. Sami and Tyler, Ollie and Rhonda Wayne, and even Lexy. The girl had been staying with the Wayne family since Mary Ca
therine came home from the hospital. Just to make room for Mr. and Mrs. Clark.
And seeing all of them wasn’t the only surprise ahead.
There was another surprise coming tonight at dinner—one Mary Catherine knew nothing about.
Sami could hardly wait.
The whipped cream—organic and grass-fed—had just a pinch of real vanilla and no sugar whatsoever. Sami scooped the fluffy cream into a pretty bowl and set a spoon beside it. She caught a quick lick from the mixing bowl. Like most of God’s foods, it didn’t need sugar. It was sweet all by itself.
Dr. Cohen agreed with Mary Catherine’s high-fat, low-carb diet. New research showed that transplant patients—like most people—were better off avoiding most carbohydrates. Fuel the body with healthy fat, the doctor had told Mary Catherine. Ketosis would provide a better environment for healing.
Sami was proud of her friend. Mary Catherine had been following Dr. Cohen’s orders perfectly, and her body had developed no infections. Of course, Mary Catherine already ate a low-carb diet to control type 2 diabetes, but now she was more intentional. Refined and empty carbohydrates caused inflammation, illness, and disease.
Since she wanted to live, Mary Catherine needed to stay away from all of that.
“Rhonda, can you please get the almonds out of the oven?”
Across the room, Rhonda had been working with Lexy, arranging fresh flowers in a pretty vase at the middle of Marcus’s kitchen table. “I’m on it.” Rhonda ran to the oven and used the mitts to take out the tray of almonds. “They smell great!”
Tyler and Coach Wayne were outside washing down the table and chairs on Marcus’s deck. The two of them walked in and grinned at the spread. Tyler gave them a thumbs-up. “Looks like we’re ready for an engagement party!”
Marcus had built-in ceiling speakers in most of the main rooms, so Coach Wayne logged on to his kitchen computer and created a playlist with Francesca Battistelli, Matthew West, Colton Dixon, Newsboys, and Kyle Kupecky. All favorites of Mary Catherine’s.
Tyler grabbed a broom from the pantry and swept the kitchen. Marcus’s housekeeper came once a week, but she’d been on vacation and the house needed sprucing up. Especially because Marcus was spending all his days with Mary Catherine and her parents.