by Lois Richer
Maggie whooped with joy. Nick stood on the sidelines watching while they worked, his heart in his throat as his niece completed every exercise without any help or support. At first her steps seemed hesitant, but as she adjusted her balance and gained confidence she moved more easily. By the end of the session, she was triumphant and flushed with success.
“Now, wasn’t that worth all the hard work?” Shay asked with a grin.
“Yes! Thank you, Shay.” Maggie wrapped her arms around Shay’s legs.
“Don’t thank me. You’re the one who believed in yourself and hung on to that belief even when it hurt and you didn’t feel like doing it anymore.” She drew the little girl away so she could hunker down to her level. “I’m very proud of you, Maggie.”
“I’m proud of me, too.”
Shay laughed and hugged Maggie. As Nick watched the two embrace, he felt left out. This was what he’d miss when he left, this intimacy, this closeness, this sharing.
This love.
Shay’s love.
He didn’t want to go. He couldn’t stay.
“We can’t forget to thank Uncle Nick either,” Shay reminded. “All those amazing machines he made for you really helped your recovery.”
“Thank you, Uncle Nick.” Maggie walked slowly toward him, standing straight and tall, brown eyes shining with joy. She held up her arms as she had so often in the past months.
Nick swung her into his arms and hugged her close to his heart, his throat choked with thanksgiving and joy and love.
“You’re so welcome, Maggie-mine.”
Over Maggie’s head he caught Shay watching them. Her gaze locked with his, and after a long moment she nodded as if to say, This is the kind of faith I’m talking about.
He wanted to believe. He wanted to have that kind of faith.
But—
He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t give up his only means of security for a faint hope that somehow, someway, sometime, something would come along that he could depend on. He needed more than hope.
Maggie wiggled and he set her down. “I love you, Mags. You know that.”
“I know, Uncle Nick. I love you, too.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “I couldn’t have walked without you.”
“You would have,” he told her, tweaking her nose. “You would have found a way.”
“But I didn’t have to, ’cause God sent you.”
God sent him? Nick couldn’t wrap his mind around that.
“I want you to sit down, Maggie, because I have a few things I need to say to you.” Shay pulled forward a child-size chair and waited until Maggie was seated. Then she folded herself on the floor in the Lotus position. “You have done amazingly well. But I want you to remember that your body gets tired. When it does, you use this.” She held out one of the small canes.
“But—” Maggie’s face pinched tight “—I’m better.”
“You are. But your body is still healing. Some days it will be tired. That’s when you use the canes.”
“I won’t get tired.” Maggie’s stubborn tone made Shay shake her head.
“I know what I’m talking about, sweetheart. I helped you get this far, didn’t I?”
“Yes.”
“Then listen to me now and trust me,” she said with a sideways look at Nick. “You walk as much as you want, but take a rest when you get tired, just like you did with the exercises.”
“I won’t get tired.” She thrust out her determined chin. “I’m strong.”
“Maggie.” Shay took her hands and held them, her voice compelling. “God made your body and He did an excellent job. But He made it to work and to rest, to play and to sleep.”
From Nick’s viewpoint, Maggie remained unconvinced.
“You said God healed you,” Shay said.
“He did.” Maggie had no doubt.
“So are you going to undo all His work, ruin His gift, by trying to get your own way?” Shay leaned forward. “I’m not trying to punish you, Maggie. I’m trying to tell you what to expect and how to be prepared for it. You know I’m your friend.”
“Okay.” Maggie heaved a heavy sigh. “I’ll do what you say. I promise.”
“Good. And if you are still feeling strong and haven’t overdone it, I’ll have a surprise for you on Saturday afternoon.”
“Really?”
Shay grinned as Maggie plied her with a thousand questions, but she offered no further clues. “Saturday afternoon,” was all she would say.
As Nick watched Maggie leave the workout room, he couldn’t find the words with which to thank Shay. Anything he thought of seemed too small, too simple to express his gratitude. But he said it anyway.
“Thank you.”
“You’re the one who inspired her to keep going.” Shay walked to the door with him, both of them watching Maggie navigating the hall.
Near the far end the little girl paused. Several moments passed before she transferred her cane to her other hand and leaned on it. Then she glanced back over one shoulder.
“Good girl,” Shay murmured.
“Will she need to come back?” he asked.
“I’d like to see her twice more this week, just to make sure everything is fine.” Shay held his gaze. “Then once a week for a month after that, barring anything unforeseen. I’ll call your mother with the appointment times.”
Because he wouldn’t be here. Anger made him say, “It’s not as if I’m choosing to go, Shay.”
“Aren’t you?” She touched his arm so he would look at her. “I love you, Nick,” she said in a very soft but clear voice. “I think you have feelings for me, too. You couldn’t kiss me the way you have unless you did.” She touched his cheek with her fingertips. “I believe that together, with God’s help, we could do something wonderful here in Hope. But you’re afraid to take a chance on me and on God’s ability to provide for you.”
“I’m not afraid,” he denied.
Shay let her hand drop to her side. “What do you call it?”
“Duty to my family. Obligation. Sense.”
“All excuses,” she said. “Faith doesn’t have excuses. It simply says ‘I believe.’”
“And we’re back to where we started, Shay—where this conversation always starts. How will I provide for my family if I don’t have work?” he demanded, irritated that she wouldn’t see this from his perspective, as if he wanted to leave.
“The same way you’ve always provided for them.” Her voice dropped to a whisper when Maggie looked back at them. “You’ll ask God to help them and you, and then you’ll get on with doing what you can with whatever God gives you.”
“It’s not that simple, Shay.”
“But you see,” she said with a smile, “it is. You either trust, or you don’t. That’s what your mother taught me. It all starts with a choice.” She lifted her hand and waved as Ted passed Maggie at the end of the hall. “Hi, Ted. Come on in. I’ve been waiting for you.”
“It’s all very clear for you, isn’t it, Shay?”
“I’m a work in progress,” Shay replied, angling her head toward Maggie, who waited at the end of the hall. “Like her. Like all of us. But I will get there. God will get me there if I continue to put my faith in Him. He has plans for me.”
Shay ushered Ted into her workroom and gently closed the door, leaving Nick standing there. Feeling bereft and more alone than he had ever been, Nick walked toward Maggie as he struggled to assimilate Shay’s words with what he knew in his heart.
He had to leave, to take that job, to build security for his family.
But oh, how he longed to stay and accomplish all the things Shay spoke of.
She loved him. How could that be? The wonder of it simply didn’t compute.
Did he dare imagine that God had used Maggie’s horrible accident to draw the two of them together because He meant for them to share a future? Maybe even a family?
Finally he dared imagine it. A family with Shay, sharing each day, each trial, each joy. Impromptu
picnics with Maggie, face-to-face chats with his mom and Shay, by his side. Always.
Are all things really possible, God?
Chapter Thirteen
“What’s the surprise, Shay?” Maggie’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she almost danced across her grandmother’s front porch late Saturday morning.
Overly conscious of Nick sprawled on a chaise longue behind her and swamped by a rush of love that threatened to swamp her, Shay hid her emotions by hugging his mother. It hurt so much to be so near him and not go to him, not wrap her arms around him and tell him that she loved him. But nothing had changed. She whispered a prayer for help.
“How are you, Mrs. Green?” she asked.
“Never better, my dear. I don’t know how to thank you for your hard work with Maggie.” She dabbed at the tear forming in the corner of her eye. “To see her walking again is a total answer to prayer.”
“Yes, it is. A special answer to a little girl’s faith.” Shay squeezed her hand then turned toward Maggie. “Sneakers, jeans, jacket—check?”
“Check. And cane.” Maggie held it up. A burst of barking from Shay’s car made her eyes widen. “Are we taking Hugs?”
“Your uncle said he’d look after him while we’re gone.” Shay’s face burned. She explained that Hugs had escaped his pen and found his way into her closet, where he’d chosen an expensive pair of silver Versace shoes—her favorite—to chew on. For peace of mind and the safety of her wardrobe, she’d asked Nick to watch him while she was away with Maggie today.
Nick made several jokes at her expense and then suggested she’d have to figure out another solution for the dog while she was at work, but she sensed he was keeping things light as a way of withdrawing from her, because he didn’t like what she’d said the other day.
Shay couldn’t help that. All she could do was pray he’d see the truth and put his trust and faith in God to supply his needs.
“Major and I have several events planned for today,” Nick said.
“Major?” Shay lifted one eyebrow. “Who or what is Major?”
“That’s my name for your distinguished animal.”
“Uh-huh.” She watched him balance his coffee cup on his flat midriff and asked, “Events such as—?”
“A nap is first on the list.”
“Good luck with that.” She returned to the car, put her dog on a leash and led him to the house. “Under any circumstance, do not let this animal into your house,” she said to Mrs. Green as she handed the lead to Nick. “He is death to expensive clothing.”
“Well, I don’t have any, so we should get along fine. Bye, Maggie. Be good.” She wrapped her granddaughter in a hug.
“I will, Grandma. Bye, Uncle Nick.” She hugged him, too, then presented herself to Shay. “I’m ready.”
“Call me when you need me, Shay. And you will need me—argh!” Nick’s parting shot was cut off as Hugs knocked over his coffee cup and stained his shirt.
“You’ll probably be the one to call me,” Shay shot back and laughed at his grumbled comment. “We’ll be back before dark,” she told Mrs. Green. She allowed herself one last glance at Nick before making sure Maggie was belted in. Her car started on the first turn and she drove away without looking back.
“Where are we going?” Maggie asked.
“I thought we’d head to the lake for a swim and a picnic at a special place I used to go years ago with my dad.” Shay felt an inward tickle of delight. Maggie couldn’t possibly know that Shay had chosen this isolated location as a test to herself, to prove she hadn’t just spouted words to Nick but had truly found the trust in God she’d touted. “I love swimming.”
“So do I.” Maggie grinned. “And diving.”
“We’ll do both, I promise.” She pressed the button so the roof would retract. The feel of the warm breeze against her skin made everything better. “You’ll be so tired when we get home that you’ll sleep for a week.”
The sparkle in Maggie’s eyes told Shay she intended to make those words come true.
The previous evening Shay had scouted out the road to the place her dad had called Mooney’s in memory of an old silver prospector. Confident in her route, she drove to the site of their picnic, a small tree-enclosed glade that required a short hike from where they parked. Once Maggie was out of the car, Shay handed her the cane.
“Take this just in case,” she said. “You can use it like a walking stick up the hill.” She spared a thought to wonder if she should have chosen such a remote spot, but Maggie loved to fish and the best spot was at this secluded part of the lake. Maggie would love it when she saw the rod Shay had tucked into her rucksack.
Breathless from lugging the picnic basket uphill, Shay felt her efforts were well worth it when they arrived at the small lake. Once immersed in the water they’d have a fantastic view for miles in any direction of the desert floor below them. When the sun grew too warm, they’d have plenty of shade under the cottonwoods that clung to the hilltop.
“I have to sit down.” Maggie puffed out the words, her voice trembling.
“Okay. Sit here and rest a moment.” Shay worried she’d tired the child too much. She knew better than anyone that Maggie’s mobility wasn’t yet back to normal. But once she’d tucked their picnic in a nearby shady spot, Maggie had found new energy. She peeled off her clothes to reveal her pretty red swimsuit beneath.
“Let’s swim,” she said with a giggle.
“Go slowly,” Shay directed. “It’s slippery in spots.” Glowing with perspiration, she dragged off her own jeans and T-shirt, glad she’d put on her suit in the cool of her house. She helped Maggie over the stones and into the water. “Oh, this feels good,” she breathed as she glided into the water.
Time stood still as they paddled lazily for a while. The screech of a hawk disturbed Shay’s calm once and she glanced around nervously, wondering if she should have asked Nick to come. Immediately the bubble of anxiety began building.
God has not given us a spirit of fear.
Shay let the words swell and fill her mind as she reminded herself who was in charge. The fear ebbed. She whispered a prayer of thanksgiving just before Maggie swamped her with a cannonball splash. The little girl’s squeals and giggles drove away whatever fragments remained as they played in their paradise.
When they climbed out of the water and dried off, Maggie sat on her towel while Shay laid out the feast she’d prepared. Shay was delighted as the little girl devoured her favorite foods.
“This is so fun.” Maggie leaned against a tree trunk and drank her lemonade.
Shay leaned over and hugged the child who’d grown into her heart. “You’re a very special girl, Maggie.” She swallowed past the lump in her throat, refusing to dwell on the thought that she might never have a daughter like Maggie, someone to hold and hold on to. Someone to love.
There were those doubts again. As if God didn’t know her heart’s desire.
Trust, she reminded herself.
For God has said, “I will never, never fail you nor forsake you.”
“I have a surprise.” Shay reached back to grab her pack and swung it in front of Maggie. “Dig in here and see if you find something.”
“A surprise?” Maggie hunched over the bag. She gave a squeal as she pulled out the rod and reel. “I love fishing!” she said as she popped open the small tackle box and took out a hook.
“I think I’ve heard you say that once or twice.” Shay grinned at the studiously bent head. A movie played in her head of fifteen years ago when Nick had insisted she learn how to fish. He’d been as intent as Maggie on setting the hook just right.
Dear Nick. Her heart pinched with longing.
Trust.
They spent the next hour fishing. Shay had been half hoping that nothing would bite because she hated taking fish off the line, but Maggie caught four. As deftly as any expert, she slid the squirming creatures off the hook and set them back into the water to live another day.
When it was ti
me to pack up and go, Maggie said, “We should come again and bring Uncle Nick. He likes doing things with you.”
Shay’s breath hitched. If only—
“I wish he didn’t have to go away next week,” Maggie said with a mournful face.
“Well, maybe he’ll come back for a visit soon,” was the only thing Shay could think of to say. She wanted Nick here, too, but maybe that was just her own selfish desire. Maybe God’s plan for him did lie in Seattle.
Maybe she was supposed to live alone.
“Ready to go back?” Shay asked.
“Yes.” Maggie glanced around one last time. “Thank you, Shay.”
“You’re welcome, darling.”
Shay went ahead of Maggie so she could help when needed. And help was needed because a very hard wind starting whipping across the desert floor, raising sand as it moved in gusts and whorls. The grit bit into their skin with a ferocity that surprised Shay until she saw a voluminous yellow cloud forming in the distance.
“A sandstorm is coming,” she told Maggie as panic wrapped its tentacles around her heart. She threw her gear in the back of the car. “You get inside while I put the top up.”
But the top wouldn’t move because Shay’s engine wouldn’t start.
We’re stuck out here, alone, and no one knows where we are.
For a moment panic rendered Shay immobile, until the slash of sand in her face jerked her back to awareness.
Shelter. They needed shelter.
She struggled to manually lift the top into place but the wind was fierce and almost ripped it out of her hand. In the midst of struggling with it, she caught sight of Maggie’s face and knew she had to get the scared little girl to safety. But first she would call Nick for help. He would find them—Shay knew that as certainly as she knew her own name.
Only her cell phone had no reception.
As another blast of grit pelted her bare arms and face, Shay knew she could not delay. They had to move.
“Come on, sweetie. We’ll hide in one of these caves until this passes. I’ll help you.” She half boosted Maggie up the first step of the incline they’d just descended. It was too rocky to carry her and risk a fall that would undo all Maggie’s hard work to walk again. “There’s a place here where I used to stay when Dad and I played hide-and-seek. We’ll wait in there. We’re going to be fine, Maggie. Don’t worry.”