Promise of Forever

by Patt Marr

  “When Keith hired Noah, he was actually choosing the nurse who would be perfect for your first private practice.”

  She didn’t know what to say. She’d believed God had a plan for her life, but she hadn’t thought how far ahead God planned. How awesome, that He’d set things in motion that long ago!

  Sunday evening was Noah’s best night of the week. He and Kendi had their chores done, and he settled into his recliner with a big bowl of buttered popcorn.

  Usually, Kendi sat on his lap and shared the popcorn while they took turns watching kid shows and sports, but tonight Kendi wasn’t hungry, and she lay on the floor on her tummy, staring listlessly at the TV. It was a show she usually enjoyed.

  “How are you doing, Kendi?” he asked as he already had, twice in the last half hour.

  “’Kay,” she answered as before.

  Kids could get sick incredibly fast. He lay down beside her to check her over. She didn’t seem to have a fever, a rash or anything other than this lethargy. “Kendi, I think you may need to see the doctor tomorrow and have her take a look at you.”

  “Tomorrow?” She sat up, miraculously perky. “Yep, I’m kinda sick. I should see the doctor!”

  “You think so?”

  “I could have low sugar…or blood pressure…or bunions!”

  “Ooh, that would be bad,” he said, trying to keep a straight face. “Does Harlene have those problems?”

  “She does! And it might be catching. I’ll go to work with you so Beth can see what I got.” Her eyes sparkled with good health—and hope.

  “But we always take you to Dr. Marsha.” How far would his strong-willed daughter take this?

  “Yep, but I think Beth is the goodest doctor.”

  Automatically he corrected, “Beth is the better doctor.”

  “I think so, too.”

  Okay, he didn’t have the energy for a grammar lesson. He’d have to let that one slide.

  “I’ll take the yellow hot pad I made with Harlene, and I’ll wear my pink dress, the one with the flowers. Beth really likes it, and I L-O-V-E, love that dress. You got it for me, Daddy.”

  “Kendra, I think we’ll wait a few days and see if your bunions and blood pressure don’t improve.”

  “Nooo, Daddy!”

  His child’s disappointment hit him like a physical blow. It always did, and all too often, he gave in to whatever she wanted. But sometimes a dad knew best, even if the little love of his life didn’t think so.

  He stayed firm with Kendra on Monday.

  On Tuesday, he had to put his little girl in time-out for incessant begging to see Beth.

  On Wednesday she handed him a stack of pictures and sweetly asked him to take them to Beth. All of the pictures were of a lady with short blond hair wearing yellow shoes. He said he would take one.

  Of course, Beth loved it. On her lunch hour, she bought Kendi a new set of markers and drawing paper and sent them home with him, along with a note, requesting pictures of flowers and rainbows.

  That night, Kendi sat at the counter, using her new markers to draw what she wanted—another picture of Beth. “Daddy, I like having Beth for my friend.”

  “She’s a good person to have as a friend,” he answered parentally, but it was true. It was only their second week of working together, but he could see himself working with her a long time—providing he got over the distraction of working in such close quarters with a very cute doc.

  “Daddy, I’ve been thinking.”

  That was never good. Usually his child blurted out every thought. When she bothered with a setup, she had an agenda. “Whatcha thinkin’, Kendi?” he said, steeling himself to be firm.

  “I’ve been thinking I want to have pizza this Friday with my friend, Beth.”

  Man, she sounded so sweet. He hated what he had to do. “That’s not an option, Kendra. What did I tell you last week when you brought this up?”

  His daughter’s eyes clouded, and her lower lip quivered. “You said it was you and me having pizza, or you would cook those bad beans and rice.”

  “That’s right. And it’s the same deal this week.”

  Quietly, she packed up her markers, closed her drawing pad and slid off the counter stool.

  “The mac and cheese is almost ready.”

  “I don’t want any.”

  She’d never turned down mac and cheese. He watched her cross the living room and head toward her bedroom. He gave her a few minutes before going to see what she was up to.

  It broke his heart. She was packing her little suitcase.

  “Whatcha doing, sweetheart?”

  “I’m gonna go live with Harlene,” his baby said, a catch in her voice.

  He knelt and pulled her into his arms. “But what would Daddy do without his little girl?”

  She laid her head on his shoulder, wrapped her arms around his neck and broke down, sobbing.

  He choked back tears of his own.

  A good parent didn’t give in to the pressure of his child, but a really good parent listened. Kendi said she wanted to see Beth. She’d said it and said it.

  Of all people, he should have understood. He knew what it was like to be around Beth. She lit up a room, just walking into it. His daughter needed that kind of joy, but he’d been so busy worrying about Kendi depending on Beth, that he’d missed the point. Kendi needed what Beth could offer, and she needed it now.

  Kendi fidgeted in her chair at Sluggers and checked the door every time it opened, which was often, with customers arriving for take-out orders.

  Tony and Barb—Friday night regulars like himself and Kendi—sat at the next table. “Why haven’t you ordered your pizza, Kendra?” Tony asked. “Aren’t you hungry tonight?”

  “We’re waiting for somebody very special,” Kendi said.

  Somebody special was very late. He’d already explained that doctors have emergencies, but if Beth didn’t show up, Kendi would be—

  “There she is!” Kendi cried, jumping out of her seat before he could stop her and rushing to meet Beth.

  Beth knelt down to hug her, putting herself on Kendi’s level the way she did with her patients. Kendi threw herself into Beth’s arms and held on tight.

  “You’ve got a beautiful wife, Noah,” Tony said. “You can sure tell those two are mother and daughter.”

  His wife, Barb, said, “We haven’t seen her before. Does your wife usually work late?”

  Barb and Tony were very nice people. He didn’t want to embarrass them or make them feel bad. “That’s my boss,” he answered. “She’s a pediatrician, and she’s really good with kids. Kendi’s crazy about her.”

  “I can see that!” Tony said.

  “My wife passed away a couple of years ago,” Noah added, though he dreaded the sympathy that was sure to come.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry!” Barb exclaimed.

  “Not a problem,” he assured them, pulling out a chair for Beth as Kendi pointed out the assigned seating.

  Beth touched his arm, a way to say hello while she listened intently to Kendi. Beth was a toucher, a hugger, a loving person who reached out to everyone. The little touch on his arm was just a friendly gesture, not anything that should set his heart racing or make him wonder what would happen if it were just the two of them here.

  On this warm October night, Beth wore shorts and a T-shirt. The shirt matched the color of her caramel eyes, and her shorts showed off a pair of truly great legs. Her yellow sneakers apparently had the night off. Tan flip-flops took their place.

  They placed their order, and Kendi presented Beth with the hot pad she’d made. Beth asked about Harlene, and Kendi gave a full report—bunions, blood pressure, sugar and all.

  In the noisy restaurant, Beth had to lean forward to hear Kendra. It put her in a brighter light, and he realized that Beth looked exhausted. She hadn’t seemed this tired when they left the office.

  He pulled a coin from his pocket. “Kendi, would you like to get your gum ball now?”

  “N
ow?” she said, astonished.

  He never allowed the treat until they were through eating, but a guy got creative when he wanted to speak to someone alone.

  Kendi took the money quickly and dashed away.

  “What happened, Beth?”

  “You can tell? I know you seem to read my mind at work, but I thought that was just you being the perfect nurse.”

  “What happened?” he repeated, wanting to know before Kendi got back.

  “I got a call from New York. A patient of mine was killed today.”

  “Killed?”

  “Just before I left there, I sutured a knife wound on the arm of an eleven-year-old boy. He said he got it ‘practicing fighting’ with his older brother. I don’t know if he was practicing again or fighting for real, but he got cut, and whoever did it left him to bleed out.”

  What could he say? He reached for her hand.

  Her fleeting glance said she appreciated the comforting gesture. “The boy, Stevie, asked me out on a date.” She smiled, but tears welled in her eyes. “I told him I’d go if he took me to church. He said he’d think about it. I hope he went anyway.”

  “He probably did,” Noah said, mostly to make her to feel better.

  “I’d like to believe that.”

  Her wistful look went straight to his heart.

  “I feel so responsible. I turned him over to social services, but if I’d stayed in New York, this might not have happened.”

  She was smarter than that. She was just hurting. “Knowing you, I expect you prayed about leaving.”

  She nodded.

  “Did you feel it was the right thing to do?”

  “Very much so.”

  “Then why second-guess yourself now?”

  The question seemed to catch Beth by surprise. “Good point. I’m glad one of us remembered that God has a plan for our lives,” she said, withdrawing her hand.

  Kendra was on her way back. “I didn’t get a yellow one,” she said sorrowfully, slumping into her chair.

  “But any color is better than no gum ball at all, right?” he said, with a warning look.

  “Right!” She sat up straight and put on a happy face even if it wasn’t genuine.

  He leaned toward her and murmured, “Good job.”

  That made her smile for real.

  Kendi introduced Beth to Tony and Barb, and they all chatted until their pizza was served.

  “Is it your turn to pray or mine?” Kendi asked Beth.

  “Yours,” Beth said, bowing her head.

  It was so noisy in the restaurant, and Kendi prayed so softly, that he couldn’t hear what she said, but he heard her at every other meal and knew she would be praying for a long list of people plus current events. Somewhere, she’d gotten the idea that long prayers were best, despite the fact that the food could get cold before she finished.

  He felt like a hypocrite, encouraging Kendi to believe in her mother’s faith when he didn’t anymore, but it had been important to Merrilee, and she would have wanted this.

  He sneaked a peak at Beth. Her smile tilted the corners of her mouth. Man, he loved that smile.

  When Kendi was through, Beth said, “That was a wonderful prayer, Kendra.”

  Kendi nodded, not taking the comment as a compliment, but a statement of truth. “That’s ’cause I get so much practice.”

  “That’s right,” Beth said knowingly. “You’re the official pray-er at your house.”

  “Yep. Praying is my job. Cutting things, like my pizza, is Daddy’s job.”

  He slid pieces onto her plate. “Careful, Kendi. It’s still hot.”

  “He’s a really good dad, isn’t he?” Beth said.

  Kendi nodded so emphatically, he hoped she wouldn’t hurt herself. His baby didn’t do anything halfway.

  “And Daddy’s a really good boyfriend,” she said.

  “Kendra!” He choked on his diet cola.

  “What makes him a good boyfriend?” Beth asked, egging his daughter on.

  There would be payback for that.

  “If you want to go to the park, he’ll take you. He’ll push you if you want to swing, and he fixes really good food, like hot dogs and macaroni and cheese. He can make brownies out of a box and dee-licious popcorn.”

  “With butter?”

  “Oh, yeah! Lots of butter!”

  “Wow!” Beth exclaimed. “Your dad is a good boyfriend.”

  “I know,” Kendi agreed, beaming at him.

  That smile was what he lived for.

  “Kendi, remember that we take turns talking,” he said parentally. “Ask Beth something about herself.”

  “Okay, but I have to think of something.” She nibbled on her pizza, working around a loose tooth. “I know!”

  Anything was better than his merit as a boyfriend.

  “Beth, do you have a boyfriend?”

  He choked again.

  “Are you all right, Noah?” Beth asked, her eyes laughing at him. “Need any help from the doctor?”

  He waved off the help and looked around for a hole to crawl in.

  “Do you have a boyfriend, Beth?” his daughter asked again, relentless as only she could be.

  “Ask her something else, Kendra,” he said firmly.

  “Kendra, I have a question for you,” Beth said. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

  By the time Kendi finished comparing William and Justin to the other male prospects at Loma Verde Elementary, she was totally distracted. Beth kept her talking—about the kids’ program at church, about her toy animals and the names of her dolls—and soon the meal was over.

  He was impressed. Beth had made this a wonderful time for Kendi, and he’d been enjoying himself so much he hadn’t noticed when Barb and Tony left.

  He boxed their leftovers in two containers—one for Beth, one for himself and Kendi. They had plenty. He’d been so nervous, wondering what his little girl would say next, he hadn’t eaten much. Beth had eaten almost nothing, though she’d professed to love pizza, and he wondered if she was too upset about that poor kid in New York.

  “What are you two doing tomorrow?” Beth asked as they stood and he left tip money on the table.

  “Me and daddy go bike-riding every Saturday morning,” Kendi answered. “Only just me rides. Daddy runs.”

  “Only just I ride,” he corrected automatically.

  “Daddy, you never ride. You always run.”

  “I wondered what Daddy did to work out,” Beth said, giving him an approving nod.

  “Mostly Daddy cleans and does laundry,” he said dryly, pretending he didn’t notice she was checking him out.

  “The black T-shirt and tan shorts—it’s a good look for you,” she said, checking him out, head to toe. “But I don’t think you get those particular muscles doing laundry. You lift weights, right?”

  “If you call lifting Kendra, weights.”

  “Daddy whirls me around,” Kendi said. “And I’m the only-est kid as big as me who rides on Daddy’s shoulders.”

  “That must have been when you were little. Your daddy looks strong, but he couldn’t carry a second-grader who’s just turned seven around on his shoulders,” she said, a challenge in her eyes.

  “Yes, he can.” Kendi lifted her arms up to him, ready to be lifted so she could prove her claim.

  He took her hands, but just to hold them. “The shoulder ride is a move reserved for crowded places, Kendi, so you can get a better view or so you won’t get lost.”

  “Right. I didn’t think you could do it,” Beth teased.

  For a half a second, he considered proving her wrong, but that was the kind of thing a kid did to show off for a very cute girl. He was a man with a boatload of responsibility.

  Outside, they walked to her car and talked a bit. None of them seemed eager to go home, particularly Kendi who held Beth’s hand as if she might never have the chance again.

  “Beth, would you like to go bike-riding with us tomorrow?” Kendi asked, dodging his eyes. She knew bet
ter than to issue an invitation without checking with him first.

  “Really?” Beth seemed pleased. “If it’s okay with your daddy….” She looked at him hopefully.

  How would Kendi ever learn if he gave in all the time? But how could he say no, with both of them looking at him so hopefully?

  “We leave early,” he said, “about eight, from our house.” Having Beth along would start the day with an extra punch of joy.

  Beth grimaced and said, “Could we go a little later. I promised to have breakfast with my grandfather tomorrow.”

  He thought of their Saturday schedule and braced himself for his daughter’s reaction. “Another time we could go later, but not tomorrow.”

  “Daddy!” Kendi was horrified, as expected.

  “I’m sorry, puddin’, but tomorrow is Harlene’s day.”

  “But, Daddy….”

  “She needs to have her hair done. We’re going to help her buy groceries, get her medicine, lots of things—and we’re taking her out to eat. Remember?”

  “But that was before….” She stopped on his silencing look. Turning to Beth, she said, “We gotta take care of Harlene, ’cause we’re her fam’ly.”

  Beth looked at him as if to say, “What a kid!”

  He appreciated her opinion more than she would imagine.

  Chapter Eleven

  Beth produced a coin and said, “Kendra, why don’t you go try for a yellow gum ball again?”

  His daughter hesitated, torn between staying another minute with Beth and going for the prize.

  “Go for it, Kendi,” he said.

  That was the boost she needed. Did Beth have something she wanted to say privately?

  “Noah, I know Kendra put you on the spot again. I had a genuine reason I couldn’t go with you two in the morning, but what do we do when she includes me in your plans another time? You shouldn’t have to be the bad dad, and I can’t be less than truthful with her.”

  “You’re right, but it feels wrong, letting Kendi take over your life. I want her to have what you can give, but give her an inch, and she’ll take a mile. She’ll want to hang out with you all the time.”

  “She will, won’t she?”

  Their shared smile made him feel as if they were a couple.