Remember by Karen Kingsbury Page A

escapades of Maddie, Hayley, and Cole to the frustrations shared by the doctors in the family that the blood bank was at an all-time low.
    When dinner was nearly finished, Erin looked at Sam and flashed him a brief smile. As if on cue, he cleared his throat and pushed back from the table. Taking Erin’s hand in his, he scanned the eyes of those around him. “Erin and I have an announcement to make.”
    Immediately Kari felt the excitement build within her. An announcement from Erin and Sam could mean only one thing: They were going to have a baby! That would explain the recent changes in Erin’s personality. She was probably suffering morn-
    ing sickness. Yes, that had to be it. Kari studied her youngest sister. Another baby in the family! How wonderful would that be?
    Sam was practically glowing, but . . . Kari shifted her attention to Erin. If she knew her sister at all, that wasn’t gladness in Erin’s eyes. It was pain and sorrow, the kind that could not possibly be associated with pregnancy. Kari held her breath.
    With everyone waiting, Sam continued. “I’ve been offered a job in Texas.” He could barely contain his enthusiasm. “It’s in Round Rock, just outside of Austin. I’ll be managing a division twice the size of the one where I work now. The money’s amazing, and we’ll be able to buy the house we’ve always wanted.” He grinned briefly at Erin. His smile faded some when she didn’t return his enthusiasm. “We . . . we wanted you to be the first to know.”
    For a moment no one said anything.
    Sam must wonder what’s wrong with us, Kari thought. A normal family would be bursting forth with congratulations. But Erin’s husband didn’t know the Baxter family very well if he thought moving Erin across the country would excite them.
    Tears filled Erin’s eyes and she shrugged. “Well?” A sound that  was more laugh than cry slipped from between her lips. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”
    Elizabeth was the first to recover. The corners of her mouth lifted halfway, and she set her napkin on her plate. “That’s wonderful, Sam. Texas is a fine place to live.”
    “Yes.” Their father rose to his feet and reached across the table to shake Sam’s hand. “You have a very bright future ahead of you,  Sam. We’ve always known that.”
    “Wow.” Ashley slipped her hand into little Cole’s. “When do you leave?”
    “Not for a while.” Sam was quick to answer. “Sometime this fall, probably.” He grinned, something Erin hadn’t done since the announcement. “We’ll visit the area over the summer to check out housing, but the move won’t happen until the end of October at least.”
    Kari glanced around discreetly at her siblings. Brooke was staring at her plate, pushing her fork at a piece of chicken. Luke leaned forward, his forearms anchored on the table as he studied Erin.
    But Ashley’s reaction was most telling.
    For years, Ashley had pretended to be a fringe member of their  family. She joked about being the black sheep, the Baxter child whose place among them was more tolerated than welcome. Every time Ashley talked that way, Kari corrected her. But Ashley seemed bent toward aloofness, determined to be less connected than the others.
    Now, though, her eyes bore a sadness that was unmistakable. Ashley cared more about the rest of them than she ever dared admit. She might not always fit in, but she belonged all the same.
    Kari imagined Erin and Sam’s packing their things and setting off for Texas. No wonder everyone was having trouble being excited. The Baxters had never been apart, not really. There’d been the six months Kari had spent modeling in New York City, and Ashley’s year in Paris. But none of them had actually relocated for good.
    The phone rang, and Luke jumped from the table to answer it. “Hello?” His eyes lit up, and he motioned to Kari. “Yeah, she’s here. . . . Uh-huh. . . . Lots better. He’s still in the hospital but out of