by T. K. Chapin
During our heartwarming family reunion, I completely forgot about everything else in my life, including the accident and the paralysis of my legs. My heart was bursting at the seams, and it was all because of the immense, overabundance of love that had driven out the fear from within me.
Chapter 51-Marie
LYING IN BED THAT NIGHT, I couldn’t stop smiling as the day’s events ran through my mind over and over like a car on a racetrack. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been worried about Winston’s reaction upon seeing Greg. After all the injustices and hurt our son had caused us over the years, I wasn’t too sure how quickly he’d get over it, but a part of me held onto hope.
I was happy I hadn’t listened to Winston when he told me not to invite Greg to Thanksgiving. I would’ve never found out that Greg had been thinking about us daily since I called to tell him about his father being in the hospital. He said he’d wanted to come visit at that time and felt bad about not being able to get time off from work. Our son was really growing. He’d even joined a Calvary Chapel down in Florida and had been going twice every week with his wife Molly. The Calvary Chapel wasn’t like Winston’s Baptist church he loved, but it was still Scripture-based, from what Greg told us over dinner.
“You still awake?” I asked, turning my head toward Winston, as he was on his side, facing opposite of me.
“Yeah.”
Through the dark, I said, “Today was fun.”
He flipped over and lay flat on his back. “It was. Erin has already stolen my heart, and I can’t believe how much Greg has changed.”
“I know. She has mine, too. It’s so odd Greg hasn’t told us about coming to Christ until now. You would think he’d call right away with that kind of news.”
“He probably needed the last few months to really process it all. Plus, it sounded like he was worried I’d be mad about the church not being Baptist.”
“I’m so happy about it, honey.” Smiling, I thought of our granddaughter again. “I love Molly, too. Greg picked out a wife with beauty inside and out.”
Winston laughed lightly. His smile was easy to hear in his voice. “Yeah, I guess he did.” His voice cracked as he continued. “Our boy came back to the faith after so many years. I’d stopped praying for it. Life is strange.”
“God heard your prayers, Winston. It just took Him some time to work it all out.”
He let out a sigh. “Yeah.” Turning his head to me, I could barely see his face in the dark, but I was able to faintly make out the outline of his features. “Marie, I’m happy you came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I’m sorry for the way I’ve treated you.”
Reaching out, I found his hand under the covers and gave it a squeeze. “I know, Winston.”
“I promise I’ll be a better man. I realized today when we were all hanging out who I am is in Christ alone. My heart was bursting with love and joy and goodness today … I don’t need my legs to experience that, I only need God.”
I had already seen the truth shining through him with every passing moment, but it was pleasant to hear him acknowledge the truth. “I’m happy for you, Winston. I knew you hadn’t been yourself lately and you’d come back around.”
“Yeah.” He paused for a moment, then said, “Unfortunately I’m flawed.”
I grazed his cheek with my finger. “Are you finally admitting you’re not perfect?”
We both laughed.
As our laughter settled moments later, Winston scooted closer to me beneath the covers and kissed me deeply. I finally got the opportunity to show him he would always be my man in every way that God intended him to be.
Chapter 52-Winston
RISING EARLY IN THE MORNING on Thanksgiving, I could smell my mother’s cooking all the way upstairs. My mother was a masterful cook. She could’ve gone on after culinary school to work at some prestigious gourmet restaurant in Seattle, but she didn’t. She chose to stay home and raise us kids. Stretching out my arms, I rose from the bed and got into my chair to head downstairs. I was about out the door when Marie called out to me.
“Winston?” Her voice was weak, her words strained.
“Yeah, Marie?”
“I don’t feel so well.”
Turning my wheelchair, I rolled back to her side of the bed and brushed her hair back. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“My stomach.”
“I’ll bring you some mint tea.”
She snuggled in closer to her pillow, the hint of a smile on her lips. “Thank you.”
Taking the lift downstairs, I found my mother right where she was every year on this day, her hands deep inside the backside of a turkey and a smile on her face. When I came into the kitchen, she stopped and released a satisfied sigh.
“Winston.”
“Good morning, Mom. It sure smells good in here.”
“Thank you, dear.”
“Where do you keep the tea?”
“Above the medicine in the cabinet.” It took her a moment to realize I’d need help. Stopping what she was doing, she came to my aid.
“Wanting some tea today?” she said, as she opened the cupboard.
“Not for me, it’s for Marie. Her stomach isn’t doing so good.”
Hearing that, she grabbed the peppermint tea box and pulled a bag from it.
“You two seem to be doing really well.” She filled a mug with water from the tap and placed it in the microwave.
“It’s been some adjustment, but we’re doing good.”
Setting the timer, she turned and crossed her arms as she peered up at the ceiling for a moment. Her gaze returned to mine as she said, “You’re a good man, Winston. Don’t ever forget it.”
The microwave dinged.
When she pulled the cup out, I blurted out, “I’m flawed.”
“We’re all flawed. The beauty of marriage isn’t in finding someone perfect.” She handed me the cup. “The true beauty of marriage is loving an imperfect person, perfectly.”
Chapter 53-Marie
MY STOMACH WAS QUEASY AND the smells venturing up from the kitchen only made it worse. Hearing Winston arrive at the top of the stairs, I was relieved to know I would hopefully find some relief in my tea. Opening my eyes, I turned my head and watched as he worked his way over to me carefully, trying to avoid spilling the tea as he moved across the room to the bed with my tea in his lap.
“Thank you,” I said, as I sat up in bed and leaned against the backboard.
“You’re welcome.”
Winston noticed my book, Redeeming Love, that I had brought with me to read off and on during the day. Raising an eyebrow, he said, “Mind if I read to you?”
My heart warmed. “Go ahead.”
As I sipped my tea, I listened to my husband pick up where I had left off the previous night. Winston wasn’t the man he’d been before the accident; it seemed he was emerging as someone entirely different. Before, he was sweet, compassionate and caring towards me, but there was something more to it now. Something deeper. It was as if our love had been sent through a fiery furnace as coal and we came out the other end refined as diamonds.
After reading for a while, he placed the book mark in its spot and set it on the end table. Then, he set his hand on mine. Looking into my eyes, he smoothed his thumb over the top of my hand and asked, “Is that tea helping at all?”
“Some, thank you.” I smiled. My heart radiated the warmth of Winston’s love. He made me feel cared for like I hadn’t felt in quite some time.
“Good. Rest up. I’m going to go find my dad. Nobody else is up yet, except Mom.”
“Okay.” He was about to pull away when I reached out and touched his hand. “I really hope I’m not sick with something contagious. I was kissing on Erin so much yesterday.”
“You can’t help being sick. Let’s pray for you.” Leaning over, he grabbed my hand and led me in a prayer.
Chapter 54-Winston
VENTURING TO MY FATHER’S MASSIVE study that contained as many books as a librar
y, I rolled inside and called out for him.
“Pops?”
“Over here, son.”
Hearing his voice around a corner, I discovered him reading his Bible. Closing it, he stood and set it on the plush blue chair where he’d been sitting.
“Good morning, Winston. Did you sleep well?”
“I did. Thank you.”
When he walked to a shelf nearby, he stood on tip toes to reach for a particular book. Pulling it down, I saw it was an old Bible. He sat down in his chair again and opened the cover. “Do you know what this is?”
“A Bible.”
“Yes, but it’s not just any Bible, it was my great-grandmother’s Bible. A very special Bible indeed. Whenever I want to have a conversation with her, I just flip open the pages. She took so many notes up and down the sides of each page in here, I’ve always been able to find something new if I take the time to look. It’s a neat treasure that I’ve had for years. If you remember, I lost my grandma years ago to a sudden heart attack. Do you remember Great-Great-Grandma Resi?”
I nodded.
“When she passed I couldn’t get there right away because of work, but when I did arrive, the rest of my family had already ransacked her house, but guess what? Nobody cared about the Bible, so I got it.”
“Nice, but that’s kind of sad no one cared about it.”
“It was a big family controversy once they realized I had the Bible, but anyway, all that doesn’t matter. Here, take a look at this.” He handed me the Bible, opened to second Corinthians chapter twelve, and laid his pointer finger on verse ten.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
2 Corinthians 12:10
Following a pen mark from the highlighted copy, I traced it to a note on the side of the page. I read:
My strength is in you alone, Lord. I pray that you help me walk carefully through life remembering this always.
“What was she going through?”
My father bit his lip for a moment, then it trembled slightly as he tried to keep his composure. “I never told you kids this, but your great-great-grandmother suffered horribly from Parkinson’s disease. She couldn’t sleep for years and suffered extreme pain in her body. She even had to give up her garden near the end.”
I recalled the beautifully manicured garden she had for years and years. I had always been curious why it had not been cared for after Great-Great-Grandpa died. It was becoming clear that she had suffered losing a part of her life, just like I had. Leaning closer to the Bible, I committed the Scripture to my mind and wrote it on my heart.
“Thanks for sharing this with me.”
He rested a hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes. “I love you son, and I want you to know that you’re not alone in your pain. God is the only way we can make it through with life still in us at the end.”
Chapter 55-Marie
MY STOMACH SETTLED DOWN NOT long after a short early morning nap, so I got up and prepared for the day. I had plans to go find my cute grandbaby and smother her in more of Grandma’s love. Surely she was up by now. We only had one more day together before Greg and Molly would be leaving to return to Florida in the morning. Greg had to be back to work by Friday night for a big software launch with his company.
Making my way downstairs, I waved to Greg as he talked to my mother-in-law in the kitchen. Molly was at the sink and didn’t see me. Veering to the left, I entered the living room where Erin was lying on a blanket with a few toys.
“How’d you sleep, Miss Erin Elizabeth? Did you miss Grandma? Yes, you did!” As I crawled across the blanket like an animal towards her, she giggled. My heart was happy, and I was right where I wanted to be. Molly walked in with a bottle as I picked up Erin and snuggled her to my chest.
“Would you like to feed her? I have to use the restroom.” Molly hesitated, perhaps unsure as to whether she was overstepping her bounds.
“Oh, I would love to! Thank you!”
She handed me the bottle and left. Seconds later Greg walked in.
“It warms my heart to see you with her, Mom.”
“She is precious!”
“Where’s Dad?”
Shrugging, I said, “He went to find Grandpa I think.”
I stuck the bottle between Erin’s lips and she greedily began to drink. “Greg, you have to come visit us. You, Molly, and Erin.”
“I will, Mom. I promise.”
Something hot and strong expanded my heart until I thought my chest wouldn’t hold it. “Thank you.”
Greg sat beside me and gave Erin a tickle on the belly.
Hearing Winston’s mom busily working in the kitchen, I thought about her and also about Molly. They both were stay-at-home moms. “I wonder how much I truly lost by not being home with you more when you were a kid.”
“Don’t beat yourself up, Mom.” Greg rubbed my back in a circular motion. “You did what you thought was best at the time.”
Nodding, I said, “I know, but I could’ve done more, Greg.”
When Molly walked back into the room, I said, “You two have such a wonderful family. I’m very proud of you both.”
Erin wiggled at the sight of her mom, so I handed her over since she was done eating. As I watched Molly place Erin over her shoulder and burp her, tears of joy gathered in my eyes. That baby would be raised by a Godly family and raised on the principals and truths that my husband had instilled in Greg from a young age. There was security in knowing that the future generations would continue to know God. God’s promises of love were not only reliable, they were crucial to a heart at peace.
Chapter 56-Winston
THE TURKEY WAS CARVED AND THE sides were all ready. It was time to finally partake of the food that had taken Mom most of the day to cook. My brothers, Michael and Kent, made an appearance thirty minutes before dinner. Along with them were their wives and children. Michael lived close enough he could make a day trip. The other brother, Kent, flew in from Buffalo for the day.
“You still working?” Kent asked me, as we passed the mashed potatoes around the table.
“Kind of. I look over things from afar.”
“That reminds me, Bruce is sorry he couldn’t be here,” Michael said, directing his words to our mother and father.
“Oh, yeah, that’s right,” Kent interjected. “You have Mike’s little kid running your business.”
“Leave your brother alone,” my mother said, sticking up for me as she scooped a good sized helping of stuffing onto her plate.
Peering across the table at Kent I said, “I could still whoop you any day of the week arm wrestling.”
He jumped up from his chair.
“Let’s go!” he said in all seriousness as he pulled up his sleeve.
His wife pulled at his arm to stop him and have him sit back down.
Our mother’s fist slammed against the dinner table, shaking our cups of ice water and pulling each of our gazes. “We’re a family and we’re going to be happy!”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Kent and I said in unison.
Kent was the bigger jerk of my two brothers. He had tormented me when I was younger, and he was a big reason I went off to become a Navy Seal. I always wanted to beat him up and I finally did, the first day I came home on leave. He never forgave me for giving him a broken nose that day, but in my own defense, he deserved it after the life he gave me when we were kids.
“So, you’re writing a new book, Kent, isn’t that right?” Marie asked, trying to cut the tension looming over the table.
“Yes.” He took a bite of his turkey.
“What’s it about again?” she asked, fishing for more information.
He finished his bite, then wiped his mouth with a napkin. “It’s about the evidence of Jesus. Did you know there is about five thousand six hundred original transcripts of the New Testament and only seven of Plato’s? But does anyone ever question Pl
ato? Nope.”
My jaw dropped at that gem of information. “Really? Why is this not well-known?”
He laughed. “Why do you think? This world is run by crazy liberals who insist we don’t know this kind of thing.”
“Hey, now.” My mother’s eyebrows furrowed. “Your aunt is a very good person and she’s a liberal.”
Snickering, Kent picked up his fork.
“What’s so funny, Kent?” My mother’s tone sharpened.
“It just confuses me as to how someone can be Christian and a liberal. It’s illogical. They cry about gun control and worry about mass shootings of upwards of fifty or so dead people, but don’t bat an eyelash when over three hundred thousand abortions, aka killings of innocents, are done every year by Planned Parenthood. That’s nine hundred babies a day being killed! That’s huge!”
Whispering into my son’s ear beside me, I said quietly, “Regretting your decision to come yet?”
“No, no. It’s all good. In fact, I’ve missed these family get-togethers.” Glancing at Molly beside him, he looked back at me a second later with a grin. “Now she gets to see how our family really is.”
Suddenly the argument was interrupted by my father’s stern voice.
“That’s enough,” he said, ending the bantering between my brother and mother. They had hit heads numerous times over the years. My mother wasn’t a staunch liberal, but she was a person who liked to argue opposite of whatever the person in front of her was saying. Some people found it a little upsetting, but it always made for great entertainment whenever we’d all get together as a family.
The rest of the evening was enjoyable and ran by rather quickly. Before I knew it, the stars had come out and everybody had gone home. I went to find Marie as I hadn’t seen her since right after dessert about thirty minutes prior. To my surprise, she was in the bathroom down the hall from our bedroom. Seeing the door was open a fraction, I pushed it and saw her head hung over the toilet. My heart began to pound at realizing she must be very sick.