Chapter 10
By Anne’s seventh month, she definitely looked pregnant. As her body grew and changed, she tired more easily, but she still enjoyed working at the resort stores. Both Marco and Anne spent more time sitting and talking together in his suite. John spent more time working alone in Marco’s office. His training in finances enabled him to take over many of the day to day operating decisions. He made gradual changes, always with Marco’s approval, and the resort began making better legal profits. John gained the trust and respect of the employees, and he felt a sense of pride as his changes began bringing in new income.
One day, nearing the middle of her seventh month, Anne cornered and directly asked Marco about his health. She could see he was not looking as well as he had a few months before. At first, Marco tried to discount her observations.
Finally Anne asked him point blank, ”Papa, we promised to tell the truth to each other even if the other might not want to hear it. I can see that you are not the way you were when we first met. Please, tell me the truth. What is going on?”
“My Angel, I don’t want you worrying about me. This is your special time. You should concentrate on yourself and your babies,” Marco urged.
“I know too much to ignore the changes I see in you. I need to know the truth,” she said firmly.
“My dearest Anne, I love you more than I can express. I wanted to spare you this. Just before I met you, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 lymphatic cancer. I was told I only had about 8 months to live. I have already outlived their original prediction. I feel a little weaker each week, and I’m having more pain now. I think your being here with me has helped me live this long. I know I have been so much happier since I met and loved you. Your presence has made me so happy. I want so much to be able to see your babies, but I don’t know if I can hold on that much longer,” Marco explained sadly.
Anne cried and held him close. “Dear Papa, I’m so sorry! I’ve been so happy and you’ve been hurting. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“That’s why I didn’t tell you. I love you and I want you to be happy and not worry about me. I’ve lived a long life, and I am happy just being near you. You have brought me so much joy and peace. I remember you talking about taking care of your father. I didn’t want to spoil your joy with my illness,” Marco explained.
“I want to take care of you, Papa. You have done so much for John and me. You have made me so happy. I love you. I want to take care of you just like I did with my dad. It brought me much joy to help him. I want to help you in the same way, because I love you like my papa,” Anne explained. She sat down beside him on the sofa, put her arms around his neck and hugged him. She stayed with her arms around him and rested her face against his chest.
When Marco went to the doctor the next week, Anne went with him. Since she was a nurse, she wanted to get all the information she could directly from the doctor. She wanted to know how to best help him: what could he eat, what physical activities were all right, what medications he needed, and any special care he might need. Anne began planning and helping him with his meals. She tried to make sure he was getting proper nutrition, but she didn’t try to force him to change all his eating habits. She encouraged him to eat good foods, but she left it up to him. She realized his disease was so far advanced that nothing would prevent his death. She was more concerned that he live as normal and pain free life as possible in the time he had left.
Anne and Marco took short walks and sat outside together in the sun each day. They held hands and talked quietly. Marco talked often about his childhood and of Sophia and Angela. They looked through old boxes of photos. He found and showed Anne pictures of his wedding day and of his family. Angela’s and Sophia’s pictures affected him the most. They talked freely about everything. Knowing the end was near, they talked about his coming death.
”Marco, can I ask you a personal question?” Anne asked.
“Of course, Angel, you can ask me anything,” he answered.
“Are you ready to meet God when you die? Are you safe in Christ? I know I am, because I believe in Christ, have asked for forgiveness and have been accepted, and am saved by Christ. I love you and I want to be sure you will be in heaven with Sophia and Angela and with me. Have you accepted Christ as your Savior?” Anne asked.
“It’s too late for me, Anne. I have done too much evil in my life. I don’t deserve God’s forgiveness,” Marco admitted hopelessly.
“Marco, it is never too late, and if you truly believe Jesus is God’s Son and ask in faith to be saved, God will accept you and forgive you. It isn’t based on what we’ve done in our life. It is because of what Christ did on the cross. It is all about Him, the one we believe in, and if we repent and ask to be forgiven. All you have to do is believe and ask to be forgiven. I want to be with you in Heaven when it is my time to die so I can be with my family and yours. Please think about it, Marco. I know it seems too easy, but God has promised that he will never turn anyone away who believes in Jesus and asks to make Jesus his Lord and Savior. I want you to be with your family. I know you love them and have missed then. You can be with them again,” Anne urged him.
“I’ll think about it. I am feeling very tired tonight. Maybe later, you can explain it again. I want to be with Sophia and Angela again. It’s just hard for me to believe God could forgive someone like me,” Marco said.
“OK, later I’ll show you what it says in the Bible. This is the most important decision you will ever have to make. If you don’t accept God’s offer of forgiveness, you have already accepted Hell instead of Heaven as your final destination. Please keep your heart and mind open, Papa,” Anne urged.
As Anne’s due date approached, John hurried and copied all the written records and computer files. He had completed videoing Marco’s testimony explaining each fact and what each document meant. Marco named names of his associates and told what they had done together. John already had more than enough information to complete his assignment, but he stalled his boss for more time. He didn’t want the information to be released while Marco was still alive. He had come to care so much about Marco that he didn’t want him to be arrested. He also didn’t want Anne to see him be arrested and probably die in jail. Once Marco was dead, John had decided that he and and Anne would leave the resort and turn in all the evidence he had been given.
John’s boss, Bob Watson, by phone and through Joe’s visits, had been pressuring him to hurry and close the investigation. Finally John told him angrily, “Either wait until I finish or forget about getting any information from me. That’s my terms and it’s the only way I’ll give you anything.”
That night before going to bed, John showed Anne a letter he had received from Bryan. Anne took it and read what Brian had written. “Dear John and Anne, I think it’s cool that you are having twins. I loved my brother and sister and my mom and dad. They told me last night that my mom died last week. Now I don’t have anyone left in my family. I wish you were closer. I miss you and Anne. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me now. I feel scared and alone.Write when you have time. Love, Bryan”
“Oh no! That poor kid. We have to do something to help him, John. He’s so alone. I can’t imagine what he is feeling. He is such an awesome, intelligent, and nice boy! What will happen to him now?” Anne asked.
“It’s hard to tell. He doesn’t have any family, so he’ll become a ward of the court. At best, someone will adopt him and give him the love he deserves. At worst, he’ll go into a series of foster homes or an institutional setting until he is 18. That’s basically all the choices. Of course, he will have a hard time being adopted. Most people want to adopt babies. Not many people are willing to take on a ten year old boy with possible health and emotional problems. His future doesn’t look good, Anne, but what can we do?” John asked.
“You’ll probably think I’m crazy to even suggest this, but could we be
come his foster parents or adopt him? He’s so smart and such a great kid. What do you think about that?” Anne asked timidly.
“I don’t know what to say. I really care about him, too. I’d love to do it, but could we manage it with twin babies and a ten year old boy?” he asked.
“I think we should pray about it, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to help him. You know we both love him already. And who would know better how to help him than you? If we can handle twins, how much harder would it be to add one older boy?”
“Anne, I love you! I would have never suggested it with you so close to having our babies, but I’d be happy to have three kids, maybe even more later. Let’s think and pray about it. Should we talk to Marco about it?” he asked.
“That’s a good idea. He might have some ideas or input that would help us make a wise decision,” Anne agreed.
After telling Marco about Bryan and his situation, Anne said, “Marco, John and I really love this young boy. Like John, he lost his family in an auto accident. John’s father survived so he, at least, had one parent to take care of him. Bryan’s mother was paralyzed and in a coma after the accident, and his father and siblings were all killed. Now we learned his mother died as a result of complications from the accident. He doesn’t have any family left. We spent many days visiting and working with him and taking care of him. We came to love him and feel very sad about his losses. We were talking about trying to adopt him or become his long term foster parents. What do you think about that idea?” Anne asked.
Marco looked at them and thought for a moment. “Do you think you have the energy, love, and desire to make that kind of a long term commitment? In a few weeks, you will have twin babies to take care of. That will be a lot of work. Are you willing to do the extra things raising another boy will bring in your life? I have no doubt that you have enough love and that you will be good parents to any children you take care of. If you understand what it will take to be his parents and are willing and want to adopt him, I’d check it out. The worst thing they could tell you is ‘No,’” Marco said.
After praying about it, they decided they had to try to help Bryan. Early the next morning, John placed a phone call to the hospital to ask who they could talk to about Bryan’s future. They were referred to the County Social Services’ Agency. John called and spoke to an adoption counselor about Bryan. The counselor took information about them and checked with his supervisor. The agency checked with the children’s hospital and verified the information they had provided. He faxed them the application papers to fill out. When he heard how close it was to Anne’s due date, he came up and interviewed them at Marco’s resort. Bryan was nearly ready to be released from the hospital, so finding him a place to go was a top priority for the agency.
When they checked with John’s employer, they verified his information and gave glowing reference about his character and reliability. Anne’s references also gave her an excellent recommendation. The interview with the adoption counselor also went very well. Because of Bryan’s special circumstances and imminent release from the hospital, the agency was eager to process his application as quickly as possible. At the first court hearing, the judge reviewed the application, talked to Anne and John on a telephone conference call, and listened to the testimony and recommendations of the adoption agency. The court reserved decision on final placement, but they agreed that Bryan would be allowed to be released from the hospital into John and Anne’s care. If all went well during the trial period, the court would then make the adoption placement permanent.
Things happened unbelievably fast. When Anne was beginning her eighth month, the word came through that Bryan would be allowed to come and live with them pending final court action. Marco moved them to a larger three room suite. They decided, even though it was a long ride, Anne and John would both go down and see Bryan and talk to him about coming to stay with them. They left late on Monday afternoon to be there at the hospital early Tuesday morning.
Bryan was shocked to see them come walking into his room on Tuesday morning. John and Anne walked over and hugged him. No one had talked to him about their plan. Anne and John asked him how he was feeling. “What are you going to do when they say you can leave the hospital?” Anne asked him gently.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t have any family left. I’m not sure where I’ll go,” he said. “I’m scared and worried.”
John took his hand and said, “Bryan, Anne and I would like you to come and live with us. I know how hard it is losing your family like you did. We love you and have permission from the court to take you home with us, but only if you want to come with us. We are living temporarily at a large resort until after our twins are born. You would be their big brother, and Anne and I would be your parents. Would you like to come and see if we could become a family? I promise we will do everything we can to be good parents to you. After the babies are born, we will be moving to a new place to live. I’m not sure exactly where it will be, but we would all be together. What do you think?”
“Do you mean I could come and visit with you or come and stay forever?” he asked hesitantly.
“We would like you to be our son permanently, but that will be up to you. I know it is a lot to think about, but are you willing to try and see if it works out for you? We both love you already and hope it becomes permanent,” Anne added.
“Would you help me do puzzles and take care of me?” Bryan asked.
“Of course, we want you to be part of our family. We’ll have to learn together. I’ve never had a ten year old son before, but I am looking forward to having you with us. If you say you want to go with us, we can take you home with us today. Well, Bryan, think about it. What do you want to do?” John asked.
“Will you help me pack my things? I want to go home with you. I want to be part of your family, if you are really sure you want me,” he added anxiously.
“We are both sure! We want you to be our son!” they both said and hugged him.
Bryan began crying and Anne held him close and kissed him. “You don’t have to be scared or unhappy. You aren’t alone anymore. We’ll be your family, and we will take care of you.”
It took a couple of hours to get all the paperwork from the court, the welfare department, and the hospital completed. After eating a late get lunch, they got into Anne’s car and began the long drive home. It was very late when they arrived at the resort. Bryan was sound asleep. John parked the car and helped Anne out of the car. He picked up Bryan, and carried him up to the elevator. Anne walked along beside them. The desk clerk called Marco’s suite to tell him they had arrived. Marco put on his robe and slippers and walked down the hall to meet the new member of ‘his’ family. Anne smiled when she saw him and hugged him. He looked at the sleeping boy in John’s arms and smiled.
“We fixed up his room a little. Luigi and Lori arranged a few things to help him feel more at home. I’ll let you go and take care of him. How are you feeling, Anne? I hope the trip wasn’t too hard on you,” he said quietly.
“I’m tired from the riding, but very happy to be bringing Bryan home with us. I know you will like Bryan. He is a very smart and brave young man. We’d both better get to bed. I love you, Papa. Get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning,” she said with a tired smile.
When they went into their new suite. John carried Bryan over to his new room. Anne turned back the covers on the bed. John sat Bryan down on the edge of the bed. He quickly undressed Bryan. He took off his outer clothes, removed his socks and shoes, and put him down in the bed. Anne bent over and kissed him. He stirred in his sleep. They tiptoed out of the room and walked over to their room. They left both doors open so they could hear Bryan if he woke up in the night. Anne was afraid he might wake up and be scared in a new place, so she left a light on in the connecting room.
John and Anne walked into their bedroom and quickly
undressed and climbed into bed. Because of her size, it was hard for Anne to find a comfortable position to sleep, but she fell asleep in just a few minutes. About 4 am, John heard Bryan crying. He hurried over and turned on the light. Bryan was sitting up in his bed. John hurried over and sat down beside him. “It’s all right, Bryan. This is your new room. You were so soundly asleep, we decided not to wake you up last night. Do you need anything? The bathroom is over here,” he said.
“I’m sorry. I wet the bed. I woke up and didn’t know where I was. I’m sorry. I don’t usually do that. Please, don’t be mad at me,” he sobbed.
“Bryan, we aren’t mad. It was an accident. It is my fault, not yours. I should have waked you up last night so you could go to the bathroom. Don’t cry, I’m just so happy you are here and safe with us. You don’t have to be scared or worry anymore. Let me get this bed changed. Your clothes are in the bag on the chair. Change your clothes , and then I’ll put you back in bed. Let me show you something else,” he led Bryan across the connecting room. He whispered, “This is our bedroom. Anne is still asleep. She needs to get some extra rest. The babies are about ready to be born, so we shouldn’t wake her up right now, but no matter what or when, if you get scared or need anything, this is where we sleep. Come and wake me up. I promise we won’t get mad at you! Come on, let’s get you back to bed.”
“Can you stay with me for a few minutes while I go to sleep?” Bryan asked timidly.
“Sure, it’s hard going to new places. You’ve had so many big changes in your short life. Now, you are home. It’s time to relax and get some sleep. I’m here and I’ll protect you. You don’t need to worry anymore,” John comforted him.
In a few minutes, Bryan was sound asleep. John went back and climbed in beside Anne. She stirred and asked if he was OK. John said, “Yes. He’ll be fine. Go back to sleep. I love you.” He kissed her and snuggled up against her with his arm protectively over her shoulder.
The next morning, Bryan woke up and quietly dressed himself. He walked around his room. He noticed a jigsaw puzzle box on the table in his room. He was just opening the box when he heard John walking into his room. “I’m sorry. I saw the puzzle. I didn’t mean to snoop,” Bryan apologized.
“Bryan, relax! The puzzles and books, all of these things, are for you. They are here for you to enjoy. You are not ‘company’ here; you’re family. What do you want us to call you? If I call you son, would it help you realize you belong here? Or do you want me to call you Bryan? Later, maybe we can work on the puzzle together, if you want company. I also want you to meet our host. Marco owns this resort. He and Anne are like family, and he has been very kind to us. He is very ill now, but he stayed up late last night to see you. I know he is anxious to meet you. He encouraged us to try to adopt you. There are many people here at the resort who are happy to have you here, too. Anne has a doctor’s appointment later today, so Anne and I will be going to town for a while this morning. You can stay here by yourself in your room, or you could go visit with Marco, or you could go with us and wait in the waiting room. We’ll talk about it at breakfast. I’m going to go check on Anne. Feel free to check out everything,” John said as he walked out of the room.
“Would you call me Son? I like the way it sounds,” Bryan said timidly.
“I’d love to call you son. I’m so happy you are with us,” John answered and gave him a happy hug.
After Anne was up and dressed, they all walked to Marco’s suite. He was waiting for them anxiously. John walked over with Bryan and introduced him. “Marco, this is Bryan, my son. It feels good to say those words. I’ve never said them before,” he grinned as he tousled Bryan’s hair.
Marco extended his hand and said, “Bryan, I’m very happy to welcome you to our resort. I hope you enjoy your time here. There are lots of things for you to do and see here. John or Luigi will show you around. We have a pool, a health club, and lots of other fun things.”
Anne walked over and hugged Marco and Bryan. “How are all my guys today? Did you sleep well last night, Bryan? How are you feeling today, Marco? Did you take your medicine yesterday and this morning?” she asked.
Bryan said, “I feel good today, but I’m sorry about last night.”
John interrupted him, “Bryan, you don’t have anything to apologize for. He woke up in the night and was scared. There was no problem. It gave me a chance to spend some special alone time with you.”
Marco explained, “I took all my medicine. I had to. You left Luigi and Lori in charge of checking up on me. I had to behave,” he laughed. “How are you feeling today, Anne?”
“John let me sleep a little longer this morning. I feel good, but I’m hungry. How about some breakfast before I go to the doctor? Can we order in today? I feel too big and lazy to walk all the way down to The Cafe and back,” Anne admitted.
Marco laughed and called room service. He began ordering the usual things, then he turned and asked Bryan. “What do you like to eat for breakfast?” He listened and then placed the rest of the order.
In a few minutes, the waiter brought up the food and placed it on the table. When they sat down to eat, John waited until all were seated, then he said, “I think we need to say special prayer this morning. Let’s all join hands. Dear God, we thank you so much for the blessings you have given to us. We especially thank you for letting Bryan come and join our family. I pray you will help him to find all the love and joy that he deserves. Help us to become a loving family and enjoy each day that we have to share. Thank you for Marco and we ask a special prayer that he will have many good days and that our babies will be born healthy and that we may all see and enjoy them. Protect Anne and help her safely deliver them soon. Bless this food to nourish our bodies and bless the hands of all who prepared and served it. We praise you and pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
By the time breakfast was over, Bryan had begun to relax and talked more freely. He smiled and thanked Marco for the breakfast. He started to stack the dishes. Marco began to stop him, but Anne said, “Thank you, Bryan, that was nice. When we stay at a resort or hotel, they have people who do that for us, but I am so proud of you helping. What a wonderful boy you are!”
Bryan smiled happily at her words of praise. She walked over and hugged him. When it was time for Anne and John to leave for the doctor’s appointment, she asked Bryan, “What do you want to do today? I hate leaving you the first day, but I need the doctor to check on the twins. If you go with us, you will probably have to wait by yourself in the waiting room. If you stay here, you can visit with Marco or Luigi or Lori can show you around. What do you want to do?”
“I guess I’d like to stay here and visit with Marco, if it is all right with him, or I can work on the jigsaw puzzle in my room,” he answered.
“I would love the company. It will give us time to get acquainted. We’ll be fine here. He can stay for a while. If he gets tired of my company, Luigi can take him swimming or go to the gym. Don’t worry about us. You go on and see how the babies are doing,” Marco said with a welcoming smile at Bryan.
When they got to the doctor’s office, Anne and John went into the examining room. Anne’s pregnancy was progressing nicely, but because she was carrying twins, the doctor told her she would probably not go full term. They were thrilled that she had carried them almost eight months.
When Dr. Perkins came in, he checked her over carefully. He checked her weight, listened to her heart, and put a monitor around her abdomen to measure the twin’s heart beats. When he did the sonogram, he said, “It looks likes the babies have changed position in the womb. “It looks like these little ones are trying to decide who will be born first. They have moved down and are getting ready to enter the outside world. So far their heart beats and vital signs are fine. I can’t predict exactly, but I think they will probably be born in less than a week. That would make them slightly premature, but
they are definitely healthy and would do well outside. It is just a matter of when your body is ready to move them out. Get your suitcase packed so you can leave for the hospital when the time comes. Call me when you begin having labor pains.”
“Did we tell you that we already have a very large baby at home?” Anne asked with a smile. “It is a long story, but we adopted (or rather, we are in the process of adopting) a ten year old boy whose entire family was killed in a car crash. I was his nurse at the children’s hospital while he was recovering from his injuries. We brought him home with us yesterday. Our family will soon include three, not two, children.”
Dr. Jenkins shook his head, “That’s wonderful, I guess. You are going to be very busy, but I admire your wanting to take on another child. Let me know how he is doing.”
“He seems to be doing all right. After the babies are born, we’ll bring him in so you can take care of him, too. Next time I see you, hopefully we will all get to meet the twins,” Anne said.
Each day, Marco was spending more time in bed or resting in his suite. Bryan went to visit him each day. They began working on a jigsaw puzzle together. Bryan found most of the pieces, but Marco helped him put the pieces in place. He praised Bryan when he was able to find some very quickly. When Marco got tired, Bryan helped him back to his bed. Anne walked in quietly and stood by the door and heard Bryan reading the pamphlet about salvation she had given Marco to read. Bryan’s parents had apparently been Christians, because he explained it so clearly and simply that Marco said, “Is it really that simple? How do you know this?” he asked.
“My mom and dad told me, and I asked to be saved, and God saved me. I can feel him with me when I feel scared or alone. I know my family is in Heaven with Jesus now, and when I die I am going to see them again. The secret is God loves everyone and wants everyone to be saved. In Sunday school, I learned John 3:16. ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.’ That’s why Jesus came and died in our place, so we can go to Heaven. Do you understand now, Marco?” he asked simply.
Marco looked at him and smiled. “Yes, Bryan. Now I understand. How can I be saved and go to Heaven?” he asked simply.
“It’s really easy. Just say ‘God, I am sorry for the bad things I have done. I know you love me and Jesus died in my place. Please forgive me and save me. Thank you for loving me and letting me go to heaven when I die.’ Can you say that and mean it?” Bryan asked.
Tears flowed down Anne’s face while she listened to Marco pray the simple prayer after Bryan. When they were finished praying, Anne walked over and hugged and kissed Bryan. Then she sat down with Marco and hugged him and kissed him, too. “The Bible says ‘A little child shall lead them.’ Bryan, you explained it so perfectly. Marco, I am so happy you are safe in God’s hands now. When you die, you will be in Heaven with Angela and Sophia. Thank you, Bryan. You did a wonderful thing for Marco and me,” Anne said happily.
After Bryan left, Anne sat by Marco’s bedside and told him all the doctor had said. “Try to hold on a little longer, my dear papa. The twins will be here soon. Then all my wishes and prayers will come true. I love you so much, Marco. Rest now and I’ll see you tomorrow,” Anne whispered.
When Anne got back to her suite, she walked into Bryan’s room. He and John were working on a puzzle. She walked over and kissed Bryan on the forehead. “John, do you remember, when we stopped by to say goodbye to Bryan at the children’s hospital, telling Bryan someday he would do something great? Tonight, he did the greatest thing he could do for anyone. He led Marco to the Lord. Marco prayed and is saved now. I will never forget what you did for him and for me. You do understand that Marco is dying, don’t you? He has just a few days or weeks to live. I am going to miss him so much, but now I know he is going to be all right. Thank you, my son.” She said hugging him close.