by Lois Richer
When he pulled into the yard, his spirits plummeted as he noticed a car in the driveway. “Company,” he muttered. “Why tonight?”
“Come on, you can tell them all. If they don’t already know.” She grabbed his hand and urged him on.
“Why would they know?” he demanded, unlocking the front door.
“Because they always know,” she whispered, standing on tiptoe to kiss him. “That’s the way they are.”
“Excuse me.”
A cleared voice, a faintly familiar voice drew Gabe from his contemplation of Blair’s luminous skin. He found his father watching him, an odd kind of smile twisting his lips.
“Gabriel. You said I was welcome anytime. I figured this was as good a time as any.”
Gabe swallowed, felt the snug embrace of Blair in his arms and knew he could afford to be generous. He held out a hand.
“You are welcome. Blair and I were just about to share some news with the family. Can you stay for that?”
Daniel Sloan nodded, his eyes widening at the unexpected invitation.
“Dad, this is my wife, Blair. Blair, this is my father.”
He watched as Blair engulfed the stiff, formal man in the traditional Rhodes family hug. Not long ago that had been him standing there, getting the same treatment from Willie. Gabe grinned at the memory.
“Welcome to our family. Let’s go to the kitchen.” She tossed her jacket on a nearby chair and led the way to the spacious, friendly kitchen. “Ah, you’re all in here.”
“It’s too cold to sit outside,” Mac joked, his eyes inquiring.
Gabe grinned, introduced his father and had the satisfaction of seeing Mac’s head nod in approval. “Blair and I have something we want to share with you,” he began, only to stutter to a stop when Willie yanked open the fridge door and pulled out a huge white cake with pink booties drawn on top. “How did you know?” he demanded.
Willie set the cake down, then wrapped her bony arms around him and hugged for all she was worth. “I always know,” she whispered. “It’s a gift. Just like this baby.”
Gabe hugged her back, wallowing in the love. “That’s true.”
“She didn’t know before I did. I told her a week ago that this family would be growing.” Mac’s smug smile swept around the room. “A patriarch knows things like that.”
Gabe ignored the scoffing laughter as he watched Daniel’s head peer around the door frame. “Hi, son. Did we wake you?” He scooped the boy into his arms and pressed a kiss against the tousled hair.
Daniel looped an arm around his dad’s neck, his eyes riveted to the cake. “Are we having a party?” he demanded. He caught sight of Gabe’s father and straightened. “Who is that?” he whispered.
Gabe held him tightly. “That’s your grandfather,” he whispered back. “He’s my father, and he’s come for the celebration.”
“What celebration?” The big green eyes so like his own sparkled with excitement.
“Mommy’s going to have a baby.” Gabe waited for the questions.
“Oh, that.” Daniel wiggled his way out of Gabe’s arms and walked across the room to study the newest family member. “I knew that already. A sister, maybe. Willie told me.” He studied his grandfather for a few minutes, then whirled around to grin at his dad.
“Yep, he’s ours,” the boy proclaimed. “He’s got our eyes and hair.” He stuck out his hand in manly fashion. “Welcome to our family. What do I call you?”
The older man glanced nervously around the room, then knelt in front of the boy. “My name is Daniel, too,” he murmured, tears pooling at the corners of his red-rimmed eyes. “Could I be part of your family, Daniel? You could call me Grandpa Dan.”
“Sure,” Daniel agreed, shaking his hand. Then he reached out and hugged the old man with all his might. “We got lots of room in our family. It’s gonna grow and grow. I prayed about it.”
“His answered prayers started this whole thing.” Blair’s arm crept around Gabe’s waist, her fingers warm on his cheek as she caressed his face. “We have a son to be proud of.”
He hugged her close. He was truly blessed. He’d gone from no family to all family, from hate to love.
What more could he ask for?
“Thank you,” Gabe murmured as Mac proposed an apple cider toast and Willie cut the cake. Albert pulled out a chair for the newest member of the family God had reunited. “Thank you very much, Lord.”
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed Daniel and his family. He’s like the child in all of us, constantly hoping. In this day of the fractured society and problems everywhere, a family is just about the last stronghold of love we have. Sometimes even that’s missing and we have to make our own families by loving those God places in our paths.
As you journey on through life, I wish you a wealth of love from those nearest and dearest to you. May I make a request? Will you show some gentle kindness to someone you meet along the way? Just a smile, a touch, a caring glance? Who knows, you may unknowingly be entertaining angels.
God bless.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-2437-7
HIS ANSWERED PRAYER
Copyright © 2000 by Lois Richer
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