respected by his patients and peers, but sitting there with Jessie, he looked like a little boy begging quarters for the candy store.
“Yes, Dad.” Kari handed him the bottle. “Her tummy’s a little upset, though.” Kari grinned. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
He held Jessie up and wiggled his nose against hers. “Papa’s not scared of crummies in the tummy, is he?” He shot Kari a look. “Besides, if I could feed you, I can feed her. You still hold the record for baby mess-ups.”
“Ah yes, the good old days.” Her mother entered the room, holding a sleepy-eyed Cole by the hand. Cole pressed against his grandmother’s side, clearly not up to conversation yet. Kari ruffled his hair, and he treated her to a little smile.
“Could you do the salad, Kari?” Her mother grinned as she sat down and pulled Cole onto her lap. “Since Grandma and Papa are busy with more important matters?”
A ripple of laughter tickled Kari’s throat, and she reveled in how good it felt. Very gradually, in fits and starts, her sense of life and love and laughter was returning. She remembered a verse Pastor Mark had quoted in a sermon recently: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
It was true; she was living proof. The greater the joy that stirred in her heart, the stronger she felt. And the more she was able to believe she would somehow survive despite everything that had happened. And despite the confusion and emotional numbness that still seemed to darken most of her days.
In a matter of minutes dinner was ready, and the entire Baxter family gathered around the old oak table. Over the years her parents had added two leaves so that it was long enough to accommodate their growing family. Brooke and her husband, Peter, sat at one end with their young daughters, four-year-old Maddie and two-year-old Hayley. Across the table were Luke and Reagan and, next to them, Erin and Sam. Ashley and Cole sat at the other end with Kari. And in the middle—together as always—were their parents.
When their father had finished praying, he turned to Ashley. “Landon’s doing remarkably well. One of the nurses tells me you’ve been in to see him every day.”
Ashley stared at the mound of squash on her plate and nodded.
John gave the others a quick update on Landon’s condition. “Truthfully, I didn’t think he’d survive that first night. I’ve never seen anyone pull through that kind of lung damage.”
Kari watched Ashley and felt her sister’s pain. Earlier that morning they’d talked about her feelings for Landon. Somehow in the mix of wanting him to survive, Ashley feared she might have unintentionally given him the impression she was in love with him.
“You poor girl,” Kari had told her.
“What? It’s not me I’m worried about; it’s Landon. He needs to focus on getting better, not worrying about someone who’s been hurting him since junior high.”
“That’s not what I mean.” Kari had given her a gentle smile.
Ashley had blinked. “I don’t understand.”
“You don’t see it.”
“See what?” The conversation had taken place at Kari’s house. Ashley had been sitting on the floor, her knees hugged close to her body.
“You gave Landon the impression you’re in love with him because you are.”
Ashley had denied every bit of it. But Kari was convinced otherwise.
The timing was wrong—that much was certain. Ashley was still trying to figure out who she was. But Kari had no doubts that when Ashley was finished fighting her feelings, the truth would be obvious. And that one day Landon Blake would occupy another chair around the Baxter dinner table.
But now, with the others watching Ashley’s reaction, waiting for her to share something about Landon, Kari felt sorry for her. She slipped an arm around her sister’s shoulders and grinned. “Ashley has a new job. Does everyone know that?”
The conversation hopscotched from the old folks at Sunset Hills Adult Care Home to the
“Yes, Dad.” Kari handed him the bottle. “Her tummy’s a little upset, though.” Kari grinned. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
He held Jessie up and wiggled his nose against hers. “Papa’s not scared of crummies in the tummy, is he?” He shot Kari a look. “Besides, if I could feed you, I can feed her. You still hold the record for baby mess-ups.”
“Ah yes, the good old days.” Her mother entered the room, holding a sleepy-eyed Cole by the hand. Cole pressed against his grandmother’s side, clearly not up to conversation yet. Kari ruffled his hair, and he treated her to a little smile.
“Could you do the salad, Kari?” Her mother grinned as she sat down and pulled Cole onto her lap. “Since Grandma and Papa are busy with more important matters?”
A ripple of laughter tickled Kari’s throat, and she reveled in how good it felt. Very gradually, in fits and starts, her sense of life and love and laughter was returning. She remembered a verse Pastor Mark had quoted in a sermon recently: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
It was true; she was living proof. The greater the joy that stirred in her heart, the stronger she felt. And the more she was able to believe she would somehow survive despite everything that had happened. And despite the confusion and emotional numbness that still seemed to darken most of her days.
In a matter of minutes dinner was ready, and the entire Baxter family gathered around the old oak table. Over the years her parents had added two leaves so that it was long enough to accommodate their growing family. Brooke and her husband, Peter, sat at one end with their young daughters, four-year-old Maddie and two-year-old Hayley. Across the table were Luke and Reagan and, next to them, Erin and Sam. Ashley and Cole sat at the other end with Kari. And in the middle—together as always—were their parents.
When their father had finished praying, he turned to Ashley. “Landon’s doing remarkably well. One of the nurses tells me you’ve been in to see him every day.”
Ashley stared at the mound of squash on her plate and nodded.
John gave the others a quick update on Landon’s condition. “Truthfully, I didn’t think he’d survive that first night. I’ve never seen anyone pull through that kind of lung damage.”
Kari watched Ashley and felt her sister’s pain. Earlier that morning they’d talked about her feelings for Landon. Somehow in the mix of wanting him to survive, Ashley feared she might have unintentionally given him the impression she was in love with him.
“You poor girl,” Kari had told her.
“What? It’s not me I’m worried about; it’s Landon. He needs to focus on getting better, not worrying about someone who’s been hurting him since junior high.”
“That’s not what I mean.” Kari had given her a gentle smile.
Ashley had blinked. “I don’t understand.”
“You don’t see it.”
“See what?” The conversation had taken place at Kari’s house. Ashley had been sitting on the floor, her knees hugged close to her body.
“You gave Landon the impression you’re in love with him because you are.”
Ashley had denied every bit of it. But Kari was convinced otherwise.
The timing was wrong—that much was certain. Ashley was still trying to figure out who she was. But Kari had no doubts that when Ashley was finished fighting her feelings, the truth would be obvious. And that one day Landon Blake would occupy another chair around the Baxter dinner table.
But now, with the others watching Ashley’s reaction, waiting for her to share something about Landon, Kari felt sorry for her. She slipped an arm around her sister’s shoulders and grinned. “Ashley has a new job. Does everyone know that?”
The conversation hopscotched from the old folks at Sunset Hills Adult Care Home to the
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