be in the waiting room down the hall. There shouldn’t be too many people in there at this time of day.” He took out a business card and wrote something on the back. “If you need me, call me on my cell phone. I can be back in the room in less than a minute.”
“Quit worrying. I’ll be able to handle Madi. If Gabe is doing his job, she won’t even notice you’re gone. Well, maybe a little, but nothing to worry about.”
He started toward the vending machines at the end of the hall, paused near her and clasped her upper arm. “Thanks. I’ll feel more settled if I know everything has been taken care of properly.”
“But didn’t you say you had a good person in charge right now in Houston? If that’s the case, let him do his job. You can’t do everything yourself all the time. I learned that the hard way.” When my husband left. But she couldn’t share that with him.
“I have little choice. I can’t be there while Madi is here. But when it’s important, it’s hard to let the control go.”
“I know. You’re talking to the former world’s most organized person.”
“Former?”
“When my life fell apart, so did the organization and schedule I thought I needed to function efficiently as a wife, mother and student. It didn’t matter in the long run. What I ended up learning is that I’m really not in control. God is.”
When his hand fell away from her, she missed his touch. In three years she hadn’t allowed herself to get close to anyone. As he headed toward the coffee machine, she opened the door to Madison’s room. The child’s wheelchair wasn’t visible from the entrance so she didn’t know Abbey had returned.
“Gabe, thanks for listening. Abbey was right. You’re a good listener, and I don’t have to worry about you telling anyone what happened in the plane.”
Abbey backed out and reentered the room, making a lot of noise as she did. When she came into Madison’s view, Abbey smiled. “I hope Gabe has entertained you with all his tricks.”
“We were just getting to that. What does he know?”
“The usual, but there are a few I’ll have to show you later. I don’t have the right equipment for him to do them here.”
“What are they?”
“A surprise. Something you can look forward to when you leave the hospital.”
“But that won’t be for days.” Madison pouted.
“Think of it like Christmas. The anticipation is half the fun.”
“Nope. I think unwrapping the presents is all the fun.”
Abbey sat on the couch and leaned toward Madison. “I’ll tell you a secret. Gabe feels the same way. I have to hide his Christmas gift, or he’d have it unwrapped the second I turn my back. In fact, all my dogs and cats are like that. I think they learned it from him.”
Madison rubbed his fur. “I knew it. You and I are a lot alike, Gabe.” The child scanned the room. “Where’s Dominic?”
“He’ll be right back. He has a couple of business calls to make, and I didn’t want him disrupting our visit with them. Okay?”
“Yeah, he sure likes to talk on his cell phone. I can’t image having that much to say to another person.”
Abbey pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. In a few years that would all change. “You don’t talk to your friends on the phone?”
“I used to but not much lately. I haven’t felt like it. All they wanted to talk about is what they’re doing at school, and now that it’s summer, they’re all playing and having fun.” Hurt mixed with jealousy laced Madison’s voice.
“You can play and have fun. You’re getting much better, and before you know it, you’ll be as good as new.”
“I guess.” A frown flirted with the corners of Madison’s mouth.
“Have they come to visit you?”
“A little but I can’t do much with them. They used to come over, and we’d go riding. But I haven’t ridden a horse since—” Madi swallowed hard “—since my accident.”
“Then that can be something you work toward. I have
“Quit worrying. I’ll be able to handle Madi. If Gabe is doing his job, she won’t even notice you’re gone. Well, maybe a little, but nothing to worry about.”
He started toward the vending machines at the end of the hall, paused near her and clasped her upper arm. “Thanks. I’ll feel more settled if I know everything has been taken care of properly.”
“But didn’t you say you had a good person in charge right now in Houston? If that’s the case, let him do his job. You can’t do everything yourself all the time. I learned that the hard way.” When my husband left. But she couldn’t share that with him.
“I have little choice. I can’t be there while Madi is here. But when it’s important, it’s hard to let the control go.”
“I know. You’re talking to the former world’s most organized person.”
“Former?”
“When my life fell apart, so did the organization and schedule I thought I needed to function efficiently as a wife, mother and student. It didn’t matter in the long run. What I ended up learning is that I’m really not in control. God is.”
When his hand fell away from her, she missed his touch. In three years she hadn’t allowed herself to get close to anyone. As he headed toward the coffee machine, she opened the door to Madison’s room. The child’s wheelchair wasn’t visible from the entrance so she didn’t know Abbey had returned.
“Gabe, thanks for listening. Abbey was right. You’re a good listener, and I don’t have to worry about you telling anyone what happened in the plane.”
Abbey backed out and reentered the room, making a lot of noise as she did. When she came into Madison’s view, Abbey smiled. “I hope Gabe has entertained you with all his tricks.”
“We were just getting to that. What does he know?”
“The usual, but there are a few I’ll have to show you later. I don’t have the right equipment for him to do them here.”
“What are they?”
“A surprise. Something you can look forward to when you leave the hospital.”
“But that won’t be for days.” Madison pouted.
“Think of it like Christmas. The anticipation is half the fun.”
“Nope. I think unwrapping the presents is all the fun.”
Abbey sat on the couch and leaned toward Madison. “I’ll tell you a secret. Gabe feels the same way. I have to hide his Christmas gift, or he’d have it unwrapped the second I turn my back. In fact, all my dogs and cats are like that. I think they learned it from him.”
Madison rubbed his fur. “I knew it. You and I are a lot alike, Gabe.” The child scanned the room. “Where’s Dominic?”
“He’ll be right back. He has a couple of business calls to make, and I didn’t want him disrupting our visit with them. Okay?”
“Yeah, he sure likes to talk on his cell phone. I can’t image having that much to say to another person.”
Abbey pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. In a few years that would all change. “You don’t talk to your friends on the phone?”
“I used to but not much lately. I haven’t felt like it. All they wanted to talk about is what they’re doing at school, and now that it’s summer, they’re all playing and having fun.” Hurt mixed with jealousy laced Madison’s voice.
“You can play and have fun. You’re getting much better, and before you know it, you’ll be as good as new.”
“I guess.” A frown flirted with the corners of Madison’s mouth.
“Have they come to visit you?”
“A little but I can’t do much with them. They used to come over, and we’d go riding. But I haven’t ridden a horse since—” Madi swallowed hard “—since my accident.”
“Then that can be something you work toward. I have
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