Nicki carefully did as she was told.
“What you’re looking at is Psalms,” Gil said. “It’s pretty much smack-dab in the middle of the Bible. The Psalms are wonderful songs. Sometimes, I paddle around in them for a few weeks until my fingers get all pruney. I love ’em. Thumb toward the back of the Bible until you get out of Psalms and see Proverbs. Find it?”
Nicki nodded.
“Proverbs is full of commonsense advice. Now, keeping your place in Proverbs, open the Bible wide. I want you to split the pages on the right in half again, and that’ll put you in Matthew. There are four books that tell you about Jesus’ life—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They’re probably my favorite books in the Bible. Nothing’s better than reading the actual words Jesus spoke and learning about the awesome things He did. Now, thumb toward the back of the Bible until you come to Acts. It’s an adventure book about the first Christians. After Acts, you’ll find tons of little books that are full of advice on how to live a good Christian life. They’re terrific books to study.”
“What about the rest of the Bible?”
“The rest is full of gold nuggets too, but those nuggets can be harder to find. Just because the Bible starts in Genesis, marches through Exodus, trudges through Leviticus, and slogs through Numbers doesn’t mean you have to.”
Nodding, Nicki leafed through Gil’s Bible with interest.
“I’ll tell you what,” Gil said, “we’ll have Sam buy you a Bible and some colored pencils. Then we’ll sit together and I’ll mark my favorite verses. If my family’s extra nice, we’ll let them mark their favorite verses too.”
“I’d like that!” Nicki said with a smile.
* * *
Crystal stepped on the gas and ran a red light, trying to keep the ambulance in sight. The mournful wail of the siren echoed in her ears. Remembering the bloody pulp that had once been Wade’s face, she shivered. She looked at the steering wheel—her hands were covered with blood.
The ambulance careened around a corner. Biting her lip, Crystal followed. She couldn’t believe she was driving Marc’s car. Truthfully, she’d never driven a sports car before. It was a beautiful machine, and it if wasn’t for the circumstances, she’d be enjoying the drive.
Pressing the accelerator, Crystal closed the distance between her and the ambulance. She supposed she could’ve driven her car to the hospital, but by the time Wade had been loaded into the ambulance, neither she nor Marc were thinking very clearly. Marc had climbed in beside the gurney and tossed her his keys. She wasn’t sure how she was going to get home, but that was the least of her worries. The paramedics weren’t optimistic about Wade’s chances, and Jill was going to be meeting them at the hospital. Crystal couldn’t imagine the agony Jill was going through, and she hated to think of the fear in little Kenny’s eyes.
* * *
“Is the Bible the only way you hear God’s voice?” Nicki asked, putting Gil’s Bible back on the nightstand.
“Not by a long shot,” Gil replied. “I realized that when I was praying, I’d spill out my problems and then go do something else. I never waited for God to speak to me. It revolutionized my prayer life when I realized that God wanted to talk too.”
“But how do you know God’s voice?” Nicki asked.
“There are usually three voices running around in your head. The first is your own. You can recognize it pretty easily, and it shouts pretty loudly. It’s usually distracted and flying off in a thousand directions. The second voice is the devil’s. He tries to confuse you, depress you, anger you, make you sin, and make you feel afraid. When you hear him, stop listening.”
“And the third voice is God’s?”
“It sure is. God’s voice will never tell you to sin, and it’ll never make you feel awful about yourself. Sometimes, God will point out a sin you’re committing, but when you confess it, He’ll forgive you. Hearing God’s voice brings me a wonderful sense of peace. Sometimes, His voice will give me specific instructions, and other times, it’ll just tell me how much He loves me. I feel His voice deep inside my heart. It’s gentle, quiet, and peaceful. God longs to spend time with you, but you have to let Him. You’ve asked Jesus to be your Savior, and that means you have the privilege and obligation to learn to recognize His voice.”
Nodding, Nicki ran her finger over the woodgrain pattern of the nightstand.
“When you don’t spend time with God,” Gil said gently, “you’re treating Him just like your parents have been treating you. They say they love you, but they run off and leave you behind. Their actions are speaking louder than their words, and their actions are hurtful. Some people say God isn’t hurt when we ignore Him, but I don’t believe that. God invested everything in our creation and redemption from sin. He wouldn’t have done that if we weren’t important to Him, and when someone’s important to you, it hurts when they ignore you. I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings—especially God’s.”
* * *
Marc swung around as he heard Jill’s frantic footsteps rushing into the waiting room.
“Where’s Wade?” she cried hysterically, collapsing into his arms. “I’ve gotta see him!”
“I know, but you can’t right now,” Marc said gently. “He’s being prepped for air evacuation. Once he’s stabilized, he’ll be flown to the new trauma center in Phoenix—the one that specializes in spinal injuries. The damage to his head and spine requires immediate surgery.”
“This can’t be happening!” Jill whimpered. “I’ve been so mad at him. I didn’t think he was hurt.”
Marc watched as Crystal put her hand on Jill’s shoulder. “You couldn’t have known,” she whispered.
“But you knew!” Jill spat, shoving Crystal away. “You didn’t think he was drinking. Why couldn’t I have believed in him too?”
“I don’t know. I don’t…” Biting her lip, Crystal stumbled back toward the coffee machine.
Marc quickly pulled Jill into a tight hug to keep her away from Crystal. As Jill sobbed, he said softly, “Crystal didn’t know Wade like we did. She never had to bail him out of jail or clean him up after he vomited in an alley.” He gave Crystal a swift smile. “But you’re right, she never lost faith. It’s because of her that Wade has a chance. We owe her a lot.”
Marc watched as Crystal blushed. She stood awkwardly for a moment, and then she looked at Kenny. The little boy was standing like a granite statue in the corner. “Jill,” she said hesitantly, “would you like me to take Kenny for a tour of the hospital? I have my cell phone. Marc can call me if you need us back in the waiting room.”
Jill nodded on Marc’s shoulder and continued to sob.
* * *
“Is there any other way you hear from God?” Nicki asked, leaning her elbows on the bed.
Gil nodded. “Dan and I attend a church that preaches straight out of the Bible. I feel the presence of God during services, and sometimes, God speaks to me through the sermons and songs. When you go home, look for a church that keeps Jesus in the center of everything they do. Remember, your relationship with God is like a marriage. It doesn’t always feel like fireworks and rainbows—sometimes it’s work—but if you keep at it, it’s unbelievably fulfilling.”
“When you were my age, was there anyone besides God who thought you were important?”
Gil ran a gentle hand over Nicki’s dark hair. “Not really, but I realized my self-worth wasn’t dependent on how others treated me.” She sighed. “Life goes so fast, Nicki. It can be over in an instant. You need to decide what you want and go out and get it!”
* * *
Crystal tried to tell a few knock-knock jokes as she showed Kenny the benches on the hospital’s roof, but the little boy wasn’t distracted.
“Is my daddy gonna die?” Kenny asked with a tremor in his voice.
Squeezing his hand, Crystal said softly, “I don’t know, sweetheart. But I know he loves you. I talked to him last Sunday, and he told me he had the best son in the world.”
“He did?
”
Crystal nodded. “He said you were helping him build bookshelves for your mom’s cookbooks. Is that true?”
Kenny nodded and sniffed. “I don’t want him to die.”
“I know things are scary right now,” Crystal whispered, “but I want you to remember that your daddy loves you very much, and so does your mom, and so does God.”
“If God loves me, why’d He hurt Daddy?”
Kneeling down, Crystal gave Kenny a hug. “Oh, honey, God didn’t hurt your daddy. God loves you. He’s going to help you get through this, I promise.”
As Kenny gave a watery sniff, Crystal said gently, “Now, do you want to ride the elevators again, or would you rather have a footrace down that empty hallway by the conference rooms?”
Before the boy could answer, Crystal’s phone rang. It was Marc telling her that she was needed in the waiting room.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Sue entered Gil’s hospital room with a sandwich for Nicki. She found the teenager curled up on the bed next to Gil. Gil was making suggestions, and Nicki was writing them down in a notebook.
“What’s this?” Sue asked, handing Nicki the sandwich.
Nicki giggled. “Nothing much, we’re just mapping out my whole entire life.”
“Can I help?”
“You bet,” Nicki replied, scooting off the bed and unwrapping the sandwich. “But where are the guys?”
“Taking Jay for a drive. Sometimes, a car ride will put a baby to sleep—it used to work wonders for our youngest, Alexander. Sam talked Dan into trying it with Jay. It sounds like the baby had a rough night.”
Groaning, Gil fell back on her pillows. “You can say that again! My ears are still ringing.”
Sue smiled and drew up a chair. “Now, what exactly are you two mapping out?”
“What I want outta life and how to get it,” Nicki replied, flourishing the notebook. “I wanna be an artist, and we’ve figured out how to get me there. But that’s about as far as we’ve gotten.”
“So what’s next?” Sue asked.
Nicki nibbled her pencil. “I’m tired of being so lonely. I want friends, but it’s gonna be hard to make them. I’m really shy.”
“You may not believe it”—Gil laughed, struggling up on one elbow—“but so was I at your age. But one day, I realized that being self-conscious was a pretty self-ish way to live. So I stopped focusing on me and started focusing on other people. I made myself walk up to a new person every day and start a conversation.”
“But wasn’t that scary?” Nicki asked, opening her milk carton.
“Sure, at first. But remember, in order to have friends, you must show yourself friendly. Talking to people gets easier the more you do it—just like anything else.”
Sue tapped Nicki’s notebook. “Write the names of four girls in your school who seem kind.”
Nicki nodded and wrote down four names.
“When you go home, talk to them. Now, write the name of a girl who seems lonely.”
Nicki wrote down another name.
“Talk to her too,” Sue said. “Sometimes, if you reach out to someone shy, you’ll find a wonderful friend.”
Gil leaned forward. “And remember, sometimes the friendships that are the hardest to make are the ones that last the longest. Dan’s best friend is Peter—the boy who used to bully him in middle school. And Thomas used to really rub me the wrong way, but now I love him dearly.”
“You didn’t like Uncle Thomas at first?” Nicki took a bite of sandwich. “I can’t believe that. He’s such a teddy bear.”
“A teddy with teeth,” Gil replied. “He thought I was too lighthearted, and I thought he was too stuffy. But the more we knew each other, the more we liked each other.”
Sue passed Nicki a napkin. “Finding friends is a fun adventure. Just don’t mistake charisma for friendship. I made that mistake once, and it cost me dearly.”
* * *
Marc watched as Crystal entered the waiting room holding little Kenny’s hand. She blinked when she saw the active temporal portal behind him. After giving Kenny to his mother, she edged over to Marc and whispered, “What’s going on?”
“Twinkles just arrived,” Marc whispered back. “She says Wade won’t survive the trip to Phoenix, so Poppa’s transporting him to the trauma center using a Wave Trapper.”
“I thought Wave Trappers were supposed to be kept secret.”
“They are,” Marc replied. “Dr. Ember, one of Poppa’s old case subjects, is facilitating the move and revamping the paperwork. As far as anyone’s concerned, Wade’s being evacuated by air.”
“Is Twinkles taking Jill and Kenny through another portal?”
Marc nodded. “They’ll be leaving any minute. Wade’s parents and siblings are gathered on the other side. Twinkles says the waiting room in Phoenix is full.”
Marc watched as Crystal went to Kenny and knelt beside him. “You’re gonna walk through the blue light, and on the other side, you’ll see your grandparents.”
“Are you coming too?” the little boy asked, throwing his arms around Crystal’s neck.
“I’m afraid I can’t,” she murmured, setting her cell phone on a chair and giving him a hug.
“But I want you to!”
“I’m sorry, honey.” Crystal rummaged through her purse. “But here’s the candy we bought, and here’s a whole stash of coins so you can visit the vending machines, and—”
“It’s time, dear,” Twinkles said, tapping Crystal’s shoulder.
Crystal blinked away tears and stuffed a handful of quarters into Kenny’s sweater pocket.
As Kenny gave Crystal another hug, Jill said slowly, “I’m sorry I yelled at you, Cris.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Crystal replied as she awkwardly rose to her feet. “I understand.”
A plump, redheaded woman walked through the portal and entered the waiting room. “Twinkles, Cavan just arrived. He says Dr. Ember and Poppa will be transporting Wade in five minutes. We need Jill and Kenny.”
Twinkles nudged Jill forward. “Go along with Lorelei. She’s part of Poppa’s NewGen Crew. I’ll catch up in a second.”
Jill took Kenny’s hand, and they walked through the temporal portal.
“Wait a sec, Lorelei,” Twinkles called as the redhead started to follow. “Can you send Cavan through for a moment?”
Lorelei nodded. “Do you need him?”
“You bet!” Twinkles shot Marc a laughing look. “This is too good of an opportunity to miss.”
Lorelei chuckled and stepped through the portal.
Out of the corner of his eye, Marc saw Crystal leaving the waiting room. He started to go after her, but Twinkles caught his arm. “Don’t go yet! I have someone for you to meet.”
Marc nodded and cracked his knuckles. “Are you sure Wade’s going to be okay?”
“He will be now that Poppa and I have taken things in hand.” Twinkles sighed. “Wade’s road to recovery will be a long one, but he’ll eventually walk again.”
“If you knew he was going to be attacked, why didn’t you stop it?”
Twinkles gave his arm a pat. “Wade’s injuries were part of the natural timeline. To stop the attack would’ve lead to a Time Tsunami. Besides, although it doesn’t seem like it now, this is a blessing in disguise for the Kingston family. Wade and Jill are going to become inseparable, and Kenny will grow up helping his dad run a clinic for recovering alcoholics in the Phoenix area. In my day and age, Kingston Gardens is the premier recovery center in the United States.”
“I’m glad,” Marc replied, “but I’ll admit I’m going to miss Wade and his family.”
“Don’t worry, your two families stay in touch. In fact, you and your wife will house Kenny’s son when he interns at TEMCO.”
Marc blinked. “My wife?”
Twinkles rolled her eyes. “You didn’t think you were going to stay a bachelor for the next forty-five years, did you? Of course you have a wife.”
Before Mar
c could reply, a handsome man with blond hair and brown eyes stepped through the portal.
“Cavan,” Twinkles exclaimed, “come over here! I have someone for you to meet.”
Marc watched with narrowed eyes as Cavan approached. The man was roughly his height and build, and he was smiling widely.
“Oh”—Twinkles moaned—“why didn’t I bring my camera?”
Chuckling, Cavan shook Marc’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Do we know each other?” Marc asked. “Something about you seems familiar.”
At his words, Twinkles began to laugh uncontrollably. Slapping her knee, she clutched Cavan’s arm and squealed. “Did you hear that? He thinks you look familiar! You’ve gotta tell your mother. This is hysterical! Why didn’t I bring my camera?”
“I’m not sure what’s going on,” Marc said in puzzled voice.
“I know, dear,” Twinkles gasped out, trying to control her laughter. “Your wife always says you’re not the brightest bulb in the box when it comes to figuring things out, but that you make up for it with your squishy-soft, marshmallow heart. She says you’re so sweet inside that she has a hard time not gobbling you up.”
“Excuse me?” Marc said, not sure whether to feel affronted or whether to laugh.
“You should let more people know you’re a softie—especially Crystal. You go around acting like a tough guy, but we both know it’s just an act. You’re about as gooey as they come.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Of course you do,” Twinkles replied. “You’re afraid to get hurt, so you put up an abrasive front. But you feel things deeply—you always have. Take Wade Kingston, for instance. You let Crystal believe that you didn’t care he was missing, but you’ve spent the last several nights combing alleys trying to find him. You would’ve kept searching, but Jill told you to stop.”
Marc blinked and remained silent.
“You need to let people see that you aren’t as gruff as you pretend—especially Crystal. Once she learns about your marshmallow heart, it’ll change everything.”
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