She whispered, “Dear heavenly Father, please help Gabriel to see the way and to accept George McCall into his life. Please give him the strength to forgive himself and George. And thank you, Lord, for leading me back to You.”
For the first time in a long while she felt a complete peace. She went out into the sunshine with her head lifted toward the light.
* * *
“Three more weeks, and summer vacation will be upon us. Have you figured out what you’re gonna do this summer to keep yourself busy?” Rebecca poured Peter a glass of milk and slid the plate of home-baked cookies toward him.
“I want to work with Mrs. Wiggles and teach her some tricks.”
“How about some manners, too?”
Peter took a bite of his sugar cookie. “I’m sorry about the shoe.”
Rebecca remembered the hole the puppy had chewed in one of her favorite navy pumps. She learned quickly to make sure closet doors were kept shut and everything of importance was off the floor. “What else do you want to do?”
“I’m gonna help Miss Bess train Peepers. I’ll have more time this summer to help her. Her eyesight isn’t so good, so I told her I’d read more to her. There’s a baseball camp Coach told me about and there’s a church camp, too.” Peter gulped half his milk, and when he put the glass on the table, he had a milk mustache.
Rebecca handed him a napkin. “It looks like you’ve got things figured out. You do need to save some time for Josh and chores around here.”
“Sure. I already told Granny I would help with Josh while you’re at work. Josh and me have been practicing real hard on his exercises. He’ll walk in no time.”
Rebecca wished that were true. She remained quiet. She didn’t want Peter to lose hope. And anything was possible where God was concerned.
When the phone rang, she said, “See if Josh is up from his afternoon nap. We need to go to Miss Bess’s soon.”
As Peter raced from the kitchen, Rebecca lifted the receiver, hoping it was Gabriel. He had been at church this morning but hadn’t said more than two words to her. She wanted to talk to him about George’s appearance at the worship service.
“Hello.”
“Rebecca?”
“Yes, Craig,” she said, her hands tightening on the phone.
“I’m glad I caught you. I have something I want to tell you and Peter.”
Rebecca sat. “What is it?”
“I got married yesterday. Can you tell Peter for me?”
Numb, she loosened her grip on the receiver and shifted it to the other ear. “Yes, I will. Congratulations. I hope you’re happy.” As she said the words, she suddenly realized she meant them, and that surprised her. When had she forgiven Craig for leaving her and the boys? She knew the answer—when she had reconnected with the Lord.
“You mean it, Rebecca?”
“Yes, I do, Craig. Good luck.” She hung up the phone, her hand lingering on the receiver for a few seconds while she thought about her newfound and exhilarating state of harmony.
“Mom, Josh is still asleep. Do you want me to wake him?” Peter came to a halt inside the doorway.
“Heavens, no. Never wake a sleeping child unless absolutely necessary. I suspect he didn’t sleep much at the church nursery this morning. When he’s around Mabel, he likes to stay up. She’s so entertaining, I don’t think he wants to miss anything.” She removed her hand from the receiver.
“Who was that on the phone?”
“Your father.”
Frowning, Peter tensed. “What did he want?”
“He got married yesterday and wanted us to know.”
“I’m sorry, Mom.” Peter threw his arms around Rebecca’s neck and gave her a hug.
“Why are you sorry?”
Peter stepped back. “Doesn’t it make you sad he’s remarrying?”
Cocking her head, Rebecca replied, “You know, Peter, it doesn’t. I’m glad he’s found someone to make him happy.” As she spoke, there was a part of her that was amazed by her words. But she meant them, and that surprised her even more. “How do you feel about it?”
Peter shrugged. “Kinda the same way. I wish Dad was around more, but even when we lived in Dallas, he wasn’t, very much. I’m just not the kind of son he wants.”
“That’s not true,” she said automatically, not wanting her son to feel that way.
“I never could please him. I tried. I just couldn’t.”
The sadness in her son’s voice tore at her. She pulled him to her and held him close, fighting the tears threatening to flow. “You know, son, that’s your father’s problem, not yours. He expects people to be perfect, and we aren’t.”
“Coach has told me the only way we really learn is by our mistakes.”
“Well, I know one thing, young man. You’re the son I want. I’m lucky to have you and Josh.” Her arms tightened about him.
“Mom! I can’t breathe.”
Chuckling, she released her hold on Peter, and he quickly backed away. “Sorry. I got carried away. Moms do that from time to time.”
“Just don’t let the guys see you. I’d never live it down.”
“I’ll remember that. Seriously, Peter, are you okay?”
“Sure. Look at all the people who care about me. There’s Granny, Miss Bess and Coach. And I have lots of friends now at school and church. I’m lucky.”
Even though her son’s words were said in a cheerful tone, she knew underlying them the sadness still lingered. His eyes lacked a bright sparkle, and there was a slight slump to his posture. His sorrow wouldn’t go away overnight, if ever, but she realized living in Oakview would help Peter forget his father’s indifference. The good people of Oakview weren’t indifferent to anything, and she was beginning to appreciate the small town, where everybody knew everything about everybody else.
Glancing at her watch, Rebecca frowned. “You know, Peter, Josh has been down longer than usual. He’s been fighting a cold for the past few days. I’d better check on him.”
“Remember not to wake him,” Peter called as she made her way up the stairs to her bedroom.
Peering into the crib, she half expected to see Josh with his eyes open, amusing himself by watching his brightly colored fish mobile. She saw neither. He was still asleep. Something was wrong. His breathing was wrong. His color was pale. She shook him.
Alarm bolted through her. She couldn’t wake him up. Snatching him, she held his limp form in her arms. Panic took hold.
“Peter,” she shouted, placing Josh on the floor and tilting his head back to open his airway. “Call nine-one-one.”
Peter came running. “Mom, what’s wrong?”
She checked Josh’s pulse in his neck. “Call nine-one-one,” she repeated as the steps of the lifesaving procedure clicked through her mind.
When Rebecca breathed into Josh’s mouth, she noticed his chest didn’t rise. Her hot air blasted her face. Blocked airway. Quickly she pressed with one hand on his stomach several times, then she began breathing for him, praying as she had never prayed before. Please, dear God, don’t take Josh. Please, please save my son.
After several breaths Josh started screaming, and relief trembled through Rebecca. Thank you, heavenly Father.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Rebecca paced from one end of the waiting room to the other, every few seconds checking the doorway for the emergency room nurse. Her heartbeat pulsated in her ears with each quick step she took. The antiseptic smells she associated with hospitals made her stomach churn. The sound of upbeat music over the intercom system grated on her nerves. The glare of the bright fluorescent lights gave her a headache.
Memories of other times she had spent in an emergency room waiting for a report on her youngest son flooded her mind, heightening her sense of aloneness. She glanced toward the doorway and stopped in her tracks. Gabriel stood there, his expression filled with anguish. She took one look at his face and rushed into his embrace.
“What’s wrong with Josh, Rebecca?” Gabriel’s
hand stroked her back, his touch soothing, his voice caressing her soul.
“He wasn’t breathing. I did CPR and he started breathing again, but I was so scared. The doctor is checking him over right now.” She leaned back to look into his face. “How did you find out so fast?”
“Mabel heard Peter’s call. She radioed me. What can I do to help you?”
Those words, never spoken by her ex-husband, underscored how different everything was in Oakview. You can help me by never letting me go, she thought.
She drew in a deep, fortifying breath, refusing to waste another second dreaming of what would never be. “Granny doesn’t drive after dark. Could you bring her and Peter to the hospital? I imagine by now they are beside themselves. I told them as I was leaving with the ambulance that I would call when I talked with the doctor, but I know Granny. She would rather be here waiting than at home.”
“Of course, I’ll get them. Anything else?”
“Hold me.” The words came out without her thinking about what they might imply. She desperately needed to feel a spiritual and physical connection to someone at the moment. That feeling of being alone that she had gotten often in Dallas had inundated her while she had fought to give Josh his next breath and on the short ride to the hospital. She needed to wipe it away before it consumed her again.
His arms about her tightened, and she laid her head on his chest, listening to the strong beat of his heart, its steady rhythm a balm. When she was in his embrace, she felt anchored. She cherished the feeling for a few precious moments before she pulled away.
“Thank you.” She viewed him through a shimmer of tears.
He framed her face. “You aren’t alone, Rebecca. I’m here for you. God’s here for you. I won’t be gone long. I’ll bring Peter and Rose back.”
She watched him leave, and a feeling of bereavement descended as though a part of her had left. The tears pooling in her eyes spilled down her cheeks, and she wiped them away. When she finally did get to see him, Josh mustn’t sense her distress. She had to be strong for him and Peter.
She walked to the picture window and followed Gabriel’s progress across the parking lot to his Jeep. She had a few minutes before her family would be here. She made a decision.
She hurried into the hall, then asked the lady at the reception desk, “Where’s the chapel?”
The woman gestured with her right hand. “Down that way, third door on the left.”
“If anyone is looking for Rebecca Michaels, that’s where I’ll be.”
Rebecca followed the receptionist’s directions and went inside. The small room had two rows of pews and an altar bearing a simple wooden cross. The grating canned music in the waiting room was refreshingly absent. The bright lights were gone, replaced with soft illumination that offered a tranquil dimness. Here, in the Lord’s house, peace prevailed over chaos, filling Rebecca with a quiet strength. She’d come to the right place. The Lord would know what to do.
Sitting on the first row, she clasped her hands in front of her and bowed her head. “Please, Lord, forgive me for turning away from you. I now know I was wrong. Please help me to find the strength to weather this latest crisis and show me the way back into Your arms. You have given me so much, and for a time I had forgotten that. Josh is just a baby. Please don’t make him suffer for my mistakes.”
Rebecca stayed for a few minutes, letting her mind go blank while she absorbed the serenity of her surroundings. When she stood, she felt whole and no longer alone. God was with her as she walked from the chapel to find her family. He would be with her through this crisis.
Gabriel escorted Granny and Peter through the double doors. Rebecca’s son spotted her and ran to her, throwing his arms around her waist. He buried his face against her body and squeezed tightly.
“Josh will be fine, Peter. God will take care of him.” She caressed her eldest son’s hair.
Granny leaned heavily on her cane with each weary step, concern in her expression. “Have they told you anything yet?”
“No, but it shouldn’t be too much longer.”
As they started for the waiting room, a doctor came toward Rebecca. She paused, clasping Peter’s shoulder.
“Mrs. Michaels, Josh will be all right. I want to keep him overnight, and if he’s okay tomorrow, he can go home then. He has bronchitis. I’ll give you some medicine for him. You can go in now and see him before we transfer him to a regular room.”
“Can I see Josh, too?” Peter asked.
“Sure. Don’t stay long. I want to get him settled into a room soon,” the doctor answered, indicating the way.
When Rebecca entered the room, followed by her family and Gabriel, a woman turned from the bed and said, “I’m the respiratory therapist. I just gave him a breathing treatment. He’s hooked up to a pulse ox machine to measure the oxygen saturation of his body. That’s what this is.” She showed them Josh’s finger, which looked like it had a Band-Aid on it. “And he has an IV.”
Rebecca thanked the therapist, glad for the explanation. Josh looked so small in the hospital bed with tubes in him and a mask on his face. His eyes were closed.
“He’s sleeping now. He’s had quite a night, as I’m sure you all have,” the therapist said.
Rebecca took Josh’s free hand and held it for a moment while Peter stood next to her. Granny and Gabriel moved to the other side of the bed. Rebecca said a prayer of thanks, then released Josh. She motioned for everyone to leave. Granny bent and kissed Josh’s forehead, then she walked to the door. Gabriel whispered something into Josh’s ear and followed Granny out of the room.
Peter remained by the bed. “Josh, wait until you get home. You won’t believe how much Mrs. Wiggles is getting into everything. She ate one of your favorite toys, which I promise to replace.” His voice grew thick. “It fell out of your bed—she found it on the floor.”
Standing behind him, Rebecca placed both hands on Peter’s shoulders. “This looks worse than it is. You heard what the therapist and the doctor said. He will be fine.”
“It isn’t fair that bad things keep happening to him.” Peter whirled and pressed himself against Rebecca, his arms clinging to her. The sound of her son crying ripped through her, momentarily making her feel helpless. Then she remembered how much the Lord loved them all, and she found the strength to deal with her son’s anguish.
She sat in the chair next to the bed and clasped her son’s upper arms. “Honey, bad things happen to everyone. Just as good things do, too. What’s important is how we handle those things. Josh is a trooper. That makes him even more special than he already is. I think he’s pretty lucky. He has you as a brother.”
Peter sniffed. “You think?”
“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t. I told you once I wouldn’t lie to you, and that won’t change.”
“Are you still mad at God?”
“No, honey. I was wrong to be angry at God for what happened to me. I didn’t handle things very well, but that will change. I have learned from my mistake.”
Peter hugged her. “Mom, I love you.”
“I love you, honey. Now let’s get out of here so they can move Josh to a regular room and we all can get some sleep tonight.”
“Are you gonna stay with Josh?”
“Yeah. I’m going to have them set up a cot in his room so I can be there when he wakes up.”
“Can I stay the night with you two?” Peter asked while they walked into the hall, where Granny and Gabriel were standing.
“You’ve got school tomorrow. I’ll call you in the morning and let you know how the night went with Josh before you go to school.” Rebecca caught Gabriel’s intense gaze on her. “Would you please take them home?”
He nodded.
Gabriel hung back while Peter and Granny headed for the double doors that led outside. “Are you okay?” His touch whisper soft, he grazed her cheek with the pad of his thumb.
She smiled, warmed by his presence more than she cared to acknowledge. “Yes.” S
he clasped his hand. “Thank you for taking care of Granny and Peter for me.”
“I told you you weren’t alone.”
“I know that now.”
He bent and gave her a quick kiss that left her stunned. Sunlight flooded her system. Angels sang. It had only been a peck, but sensations deep inside made her toes curl. She couldn’t imagine what would happen if he really kissed her.
* * *
Rebecca rested her head on the back of the cushioned chair and stared unseeingly at the ceiling in Josh’s hospital room. She listened to the quiet reigning on the floor and relaxed.
The sound of the door opening brought her up in her chair, and she twisted to see who was coming into the room. Gabriel entered, and her heart soared. He offered her a tender smile that had the ability to dissolve her apprehension. She remained where she was. She was afraid if she tried to stand she would collapse from exhaustion.
“You didn’t have to come back.”
“I know, but I wanted to see how Josh was doing—and how you were doing.”
“We’re both fine.”
Gabriel covered the distance to the bed and stared at Josh, who was lost-looking in the white sheets. Myriad emotions—from worry to relief to joy—flittered across Gabriel’s face, each one making Rebecca’s pulse race. There were few people who cared and loved her son as the man before her was showing in the tender glow of his eyes.
“When Mabel called to tell me that Josh was being rushed to the hospital, I thought—” He shook his head. “I thought I might lose him.”
Rebecca rose and placed her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. “As you can see, he will be all right.”
He pivoted toward her, clasping her hands. “Rebecca, I want to take care of you and your sons.”
Her heart stopped beating for a second, then began to pound a mad staccato against her chest. Her palms became sweaty, and her throat went dry.
“I would be a good father and husband to you, Josh and Peter.”
The Power of Love Page 16