“Tell me one,” he said.
I sorted through the most pressing of the thoughts dancing in my head. “I’m afraid my mother won’t live much longer,” I said and felt an immediate sense of pain. It was the first time I’d admitted this to Brad and the knowledge that I’d soon be without my mother left me feeling bereft and alone.
“That frightens you, doesn’t it?”
“It does, more than I realized it would,” I told him, but found myself unable to describe my feelings beyond this awareness of impending loss. Life without Mom—I could hardly imagine it. She was no longer the person she’d been, and yet she would always be my mom.
“Then treasure the time you still have with her,” Brad suggested gently.
I nodded.
“Margaret phoned,” he told me. “She wanted me to pass along the news.”
“What news?”
“Danny Chesterfield’s been sentenced.”
Margaret had followed the case closely; according to her, Danny had reached a plea agreement with the prosecuting attorney’s office. He would be serving a ten-year prison term. To my way of thinking, he was already serving his sentence, and it had nothing to do with his time behind bars.
“Mom, Dad!” Cody shouted frantically as Chase ran toward us, dragging his leash. “Catch him for me.”
Brad reached out and grabbed the dog’s leash. Laughing, Cody caught up with us and hugged his father. “Thanks, Dad,” he said, breathless with exhilaration and joy.
Joy.
I felt it, too, in every cancer-free cell of my body. I was at peace with my life and with the future, whatever it held.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-5474-3
BACK ON BLOSSOM STREET
Copyright © 2007 by Debbie Macomber.
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, MIRA Books, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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1To see pictures of a number of shawls knit with these instructions, and for more detailed line-by-line instructions, go to www.DebbieMacomber.com.
2Myrna is the author, publisher and distributor of Stahman’s Shawls and Scarves—Lace Faroese-Shaped Shawls from the Neck Down and Seamen’s Scarves (Rocking Chair Press, Boise, ID, 2000). She is currently working on a second book, The Versatility of Lace Knitting—Variations on a Theme. She may be contacted at [email protected].
3Go to www.bluemoonfiberarts.com for information on yarns available from Blue Moon Fiber Arts.
4Alix used a provisional cast-on. When she completed her shawl Alix took out the provisional cast-on and, using the tail of yarn, wove the live stitches together using the Kitchener stitch. You may use your favorite cast-on and then sew the cast-on stitches together using the tail of yarn after you complete your shawl. For instructions on the provisional cast-on see Stahman’s Shawls and Scarves or another good knitting reference book.
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