He didn’t look quite sure. “The books talk about that, don’t they? False contractions?”
“Yes, dear.” She giggled. “To quote my favorite guy, ‘Everything’s going to be fine.’”
They kissed again, and then they heard the sound of more cars pulling up in their driveway. “Yikes.” Katy drew back and opened her door. “Come on. We have a party to throw.”
Dayne hurried around to her side and lightly took hold of her elbow, guiding her up the three steps to the garage door. “You tell me if they stop being false, okay?” he whispered into her ear as they entered the kitchen. “I want to be the first to know.”
She smiled, and before she could wonder if things were under control, she saw her two friends working away in the kitchen. They looked calm and controlled. Katy exhaled, relief stopping her short. This was the nicest party they’d thrown since they’d moved into the lake house, and she wanted all the details to line up. She walked the rest of the way into the kitchen. “You two are great.”
Tim’s mom was at the sink, and she grinned at Katy. “How was the wedding?”
Katy felt a softness come into her eyes. “Beautiful. Everything the family thought it would be.” There was a knock at the front door, and Katy motioned in that direction. “I’ll get it.”
Dayne was already opening the door by the time she reached the entryway. Brooke’s and Kari’s families were on the porch, and Luke and Reagan and their kids were walking up the drive, with more cars arriving. Dayne held the door open wide. “Come on in!”
For a few seconds, Katy stood back and watched him. The picture he made welcoming his family into their home grabbed at Katy’s heart and drew her instantly back to a time she didn’t think about much anymore. Dayne’s car accident. And right there, with Brooke, Peter, Maddie, and Hayley all talking at once and the laughter of Kari and Ryan behind them, Katy was suddenly in Los Angeles at the rehab center. Back then, Dayne hadn’t thought any of this would happen. Not the return of his health, not his marriage to her, and certainly not his relationship with his family.
That had been a critical point for the two of them, a time when Dayne had needed God more than ever. But here they were . . . God’s promises evident at a single glance. Tears stung Katy’s eyes, and she shook her head. This wasn’t a time for sentimental reflection. It was a celebration. She took hold of Maddie’s hand. “Come on, girls.” She grinned at Hayley. “Let’s get some punch.”
“You’re pretty, Aunt Katy.” Hayley’s eyes shone with the sweet innocence that always marked her smile. “And you’re gonna have a baby!”
“I am.” Happiness filled Katy’s heart. It wouldn’t be long now. Just a couple more weeks. “The baby’s going to be your cousin.”
“Remember that, Hayley? I told you Aunt Katy and Uncle Dayne’s baby was going to be another cousin.” Maddie gave Katy a grin. “I hope it’s a girl cousin!”
The conversation continued on into the kitchen, and after the girls had their drinks, Jessie and RJ lined up for theirs and soon all the cousins had cups of punch.
Katy ushered them outside onto the back deck. The evening was warm, and a chorus of frogs provided the perfect background. After Katy flipped a switch near the back door, soft piano music added another layer of atmosphere.
“That’s the most balloons ever.” Erin’s daughter Chloe walked toward the railing. “How many, Aunt Katy? A million?”
Katy surveyed the white helium balloons she and Dayne had tied to their porch railing before the party. She covered up a laugh. “Maybe a little less than a million.”
Cole did a quick survey of the balloons. “It’s thirty-six. Exactly.”
Maddie rolled her eyes. “You’re such a know-it-all.”
“Only because I really do know it all.” Cole puffed out his chest. Then just as quickly he relaxed his posture and giggled. “Not really. My dad knows a lot more than me.”
Jessie, who was becoming as much a talker as Maddie, joined in with a story about a boy whose sister got married and everyone at the wedding released a helium balloon and how the bride didn’t want anyone to throw rice or even birdseed because she didn’t want birds “leaving their lunch” all around the wedding party. She was barely taking time to catch her breath, still wrapped up in the details of the story, when Dayne opened the patio slider.
Cole pointed to a tree halfway between the house and the lake. “An eagle’s nest! Seriously, guys, come look!”
The kids scampered after him, and Katy turned her attention to Dayne.
“There you are.” He walked outside, and behind him was Bob Asher, Dayne’s missionary friend who had been there through the crisis moments in Dayne’s journey. In the rush of the wedding she’d almost forgotten that the Ashers were coming into town today too. “Bob . . .” She closed the distance between them and threw her arms around his neck. As she pulled back her voice broke. “It’s been too long.”
“Way too long.” He put his hand on Katy’s shoulder and smiled. “I believed Dayne’s story would end up this way. And that you would be the reason.”
Katy took hold of both his hands and studied him, this man whom God had used to intervene for Dayne so many times. She remembered the flowers Dayne had sent her when he returned from his first visit to see Bob in Mexico. The card had read “I once was lost but now am found”—Dayne’s way of telling her he’d given his heart to God, that he no longer wanted to handle life alone. Now Katy looked deep into the faithful soul of Dayne’s friend. “How can I ever thank you?”
Bob shook his head and tried to say something, but instead he hugged Katy again. “God did it,” he whispered. “What can I say? Dayne’s my best friend.”
A shy-looking woman came through the open doorway. She was dark-skinned with kind brown eyes, and there were two young girls standing close behind her. The woman gave a slight nod. “Hello, Katy.” Her Spanish accent was heavy. “I’m Rosa, Bob’s wife.”
The tears Katy had held off earlier stung at her eyes once more. She’d met Bob in Cancún when he officiated her wedding, but this was the first time she’d seen his wife and children.
“The girls are so tall.” Dayne stepped up and introduced Bob and Rosa’s daughters, both of whom seemed as shy as their mother.
For several minutes the four adults talked about the family’s furlough from their missionary work in Mexico and how they hoped to be in town for Katy’s due date.
“You’re staying with us the whole time.” Katy looked at Dayne. “Right? You told them?”
Bob laughed and put his arm around Rosa’s shoulders. “I remember what it was like getting ready for our first baby. We’ll give you your space.” He turned to Dayne. “I got in touch with Pastor Atteberry. You were right. He’s thinking about taking a mission trip to Mexico next summer, so we’ll stay here a few days and then move in with him.” He gave Katy a kind look. “But thanks for your offer. We have only three weeks; then we need to head to our home church in Los Angeles for the last month before going back to Mexico. We just hope we don’t miss the baby.”
Katy put her arm around Dayne’s waist. They still hadn’t decided on a name, but they had time for that. The important thing was that so far the baby was healthy and Katy was too.
She had talked to her parents, and though they were too ill to make the trip, as soon as the baby was a few weeks old, Katy and Dayne were planning a trip to Chicago. So everyone who loved them could see the miracle of life God had brought out of all the years of uncertainty and heartache.
“Look, Uncle Dayne!” Cole was standing against the deck railing pointing to what appeared to be an enormous nest. “He’s getting ready to fly!”
The group turned in the direction of Cole’s voice just as a bald eagle lifted gracefully from the nest, flapped its powerful wings a few times, and took off over the lake. For a moment, the laughter and conversation on the back deck fell completely silent and all eyes watched the stately bird, each adult and child in awe of the beauty before them.
Katy smiled at the majestic picture the eagle made against the blue sky, and she held on a little tighter to Dayne. Because the miracle of God’s presence wasn’t only in the eagle but in every person gathered here this evening.
And in the struggles and victories, in the life stories that had brought all of them this far.
The reception was exactly how John had wanted it, simple and casual and marked by the deep family love that the Baxters expected from one another. Dayne and Katy’s house was filled with close friends and family, the rooms ringing with the sounds of the children’s laughter and the conversations that marked the friendships his grown children shared. Elaine’s adult kids had found their place among the mix, and as John went back for another cup of coffee, he saw them and their spouses talking with Ashley and Landon in the living room.
Ashley spotted him, and she broke away from the group. “Dad, can you get Elaine? I have something for her. A wedding gift.”
John wanted to ask, but he held back. “Okay. We’ll be here waiting.” He found Elaine outside, and together they returned to the living room just as Ashley came through the door. She was carrying an oversize flat box wrapped in gold and silver wedding paper.
“Here.” Ashley handed the gift to Elaine. “It’s for both of you.” She gave Elaine a hug. “But you most of all.”
Elaine’s eyes glistened as she smiled at Ashley. Then she sat down on the arm of the nearest chair and balanced the gift on her lap so she could open it. Inside was one of Ashley’s gorgeous paintings, a picture of two women walking along a curved path through a beautiful parklike setting. One woman was older, the other younger, and their arms were linked.
Ashley looked at Elaine through teary eyes. “It’s you and me. Getting to know each other. Going through life as friends.”
Elaine studied the painting for a long time. “It’s lovely. I’ll treasure it.” She returned the cover of the box and set the gift on the fireplace hearth. This time the hug came from her. “And I’ll treasure you even more.”
John watched the two women caught in an embrace. Ashley’s love and acceptance of Elaine was the greatest gift she could’ve given either of them. Greater even than the precious painting.
He would thank Ashley later. For now, he left them quietly talking, and he went to the kitchen to fill his coffee cup. As he did, he stared out the window at the group of kids on the back deck. They were looking at something, a bird in the sky, maybe. John watched them, how they stared motionless for a few seconds and then returned to batting at the balloons and giggling and talking all at once the way kids did. For an instant, he thought about Elizabeth, how she would’ve loved a party like this, a time when everyone was happy and healthy and together.
Then just as quickly, the thought passed and he glanced over his shoulder to where he could still see Elaine. She and Ashley were laughing, and even from the kitchen he could see the sparkle in her eyes. Her soft blonde hair was streaked with gray, but she looked a decade younger than her sixty years and very beautiful. Funny, he thought. Her appearance had nothing to do with his decision to spend the rest of his life with her. At this point in life, companionship and a shared faith were so much more important.
John was anxious for their honeymoon, glad that in an hour they’d set off not only to their bed-and-breakfast road trip but to a new life together. He let the thought roll around his heart for a minute, and he smiled. Gone was the sense of betrayal and sadness he’d felt earlier today. Elaine was his wife, and he didn’t only enjoy her presence and company. He wasn’t only glad for her friendship and camaraderie; he felt something much stronger, something he’d fully acknowledged to Elaine long before this day.
He loved her.
A breeze made the humidity bearable as Kari stood outside the church with Annie on her hip.
“Mama!” Annie put her chubby hands against Kari’s face and grinned. “Hi, Mama!”
“Hi, Annie girl!” Kari kissed her daughter’s cheeks. “This is the big day. Everyone’ll be here.” She bounced Annie up a little higher and scanned the parking lot. “Any minute now.”
Sam and Erin had flown back to Texas a week ago after their dad’s wedding, then spent the next few days packing their belongings in a U-Haul truck. The plan was for them to get into town today and for as many family members as possible to go home after church, change clothes, and meet at Erin and Sam’s new house to help them move in.
Erin had called last night with the update. “We should be there right about nine in the morning. Sam and I figured we’d meet everyone at church.”
Kari had passed the good news on to the rest of her siblings, and later that night she’d heard from her dad. “Elaine and I will be home tomorrow afternoon.” He sounded happy and rested. “We’ll meet everyone at Sam and Erin’s.”
Kari loved days like this, when everyone came together for a common goal.
She brushed her hair back from her face and squinted at the far entrance to the lot. Just as she was about to grab her cell phone from her purse and call Erin, she spotted a long U-Haul. The truck pulled in, and behind it was a white van, clearly the one Erin was driving.
“They’re here!” Kari kept her squeal low since behind her the church doors were open.
“Here!” Annie raised her hand.
Again Kari kissed her cheek. She was such a happy baby, such a blessing in their lives. Kari was watching her sister’s family find parking places near the back of the lot when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around, and there, with a stricken look on her face, was Angela Manning.
“Kari . . .”
“Hi.” Kari wasn’t sure what to say. Two things were obvious. Angela was upset about something, and clearly now that she was out of the psychiatric hospital she’d taken Kari’s advice and was attending church. But of all the churches in Bloomington, Kari hadn’t expected her to visit Clear Creek Community. During their Bible study time, Kari had never mentioned where she attended, because she didn’t want things to get awkward for either of them. She gently touched Angela’s elbow. “Something’s wrong?”
Angela’s mouth opened and stayed that way for a few seconds while she searched Kari’s eyes. “Why?” Her voice was barely loud enough to hear and full of pain. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Kari’s heart skipped a beat, and she racked her brain. Did Angela know who she was? And if so, how had she found out? Kari’s mouth felt dry. “I’m . . . not sure what you mean.”
“I wanted to send you a card, to thank you for talking to me.” She covered her mouth with her hand, and tears slid down her cheeks. She shook her head and fought for control. “I’m sorry. I just . . . I can’t believe this. Your name kept sounding familiar, and finally I googled it and . . .” A sob came over her, and the sorrow contorted her face. “I know the truth. I . . . I know who you are.”
Dear God, what am I supposed to do now? Kari held tight to Annie and tried to steady herself. She should’ve said something from the beginning, but now what? Annie seemed to sense something was wrong, and she laid her head on Kari’s shoulder and stuck her thumb in her mouth. In the distance, Kari could see Erin and Sam and their kids walking from the van and the moving truck, starting out across the parking lot. She only had a minute or so to resolve the situation. She looked intently at Angela. “I’m sorry. I guess I didn’t know how to—”
“No.” Angela looked practically frantic. “No, you can’t apologize to me! None of this . . .” Another sob caught in her throat, and she pressed her brow with her thumb and forefinger. “It’s not your fault. When I figured it out, I wanted to run, forget about God and having a new life, because what sort of person—” her voice fell to a strained whisper—“does what I did?”
Compassion filled Kari’s heart. “That was in the past. I knew it, and I knew God wanted me to tell you about Him.” She shrugged and smiled. “It’s okay. Really.”
“It’s not. It’ll never be okay. But I realized something.” Angela looked intently into Ka
ri’s eyes. “If God’s love could convince you to study the Bible with me . . . me of all people . . . then God’s love was big enough to give me a new life. Even big enough to forgive me. It’s a love I can’t begin to understand.”
Kari was overwhelmed by the significance of the moment, the miracle of it. Her body began to tremble. She thought about how far God had brought all of them since Tim’s affair, his murder, and she reached out and hugged Angela. “Yes . . . the love of God really is all that.” She eased back. “Our pastor likes to say that if we could completely understand God, then He wouldn’t be God. But the fact is, He’s beyond our understanding. His love’s that way too.”
Angela seemed to notice Erin and Sam and their girls, smiling and laughing and coming their way. She sniffed and took a step back. “I’m not sure this will be my church, but I had to tell you that I knew the truth.” She smiled, and through her tearstained face a deep regret filled her expression. “I’m sorry, Kari. You’ll never know how much.”
Then Kari said the words her parents had taught her to say, words that were crucial for healing to begin. “I forgive you.”
Angela’s expression changed, and the regret faded. In its place were gratitude and peace that Kari had never seen there before. “Thank you.” Without another word, Angela nodded and then turned and walked back into the church.
At the same time, from ten yards away Kari heard Erin’s joyful cry. “We’re here!”
Sam looked happier than he had in a long time. He grinned at Kari as they walked up. “Even on time for church.”
“Yeah.” Chloe’s eyes were wide. “Daddy hates being late for church.”
They all laughed, and Clarisse reached up and took hold of Kari’s free hand. “I wanna sit by you.”
“Me too.” Heidi Jo and Amy spoke at the same time, and they both scampered to Kari’s other side. The girls wore sundresses, their hair in matching ponytails.
Erin gave Kari a hug. “I can’t believe we’re really here. It’s like a dream.” Her face glowed, and her happiness was contagious. “Is everyone inside?”