She nodded, then spoke to Lucy and Sam. “Jake and I are going to leave the three of you alone, but before we go, I want to know my niece’s name.”
Lucy held the baby out to present her. “Mia, Jake, meet your brand-new niece—Merri Constance Waters. That’s ‘Merri’ spelled M-e-r-r-i, because it’s cute and it fits her.”
Mia caressed Merri’s pink cheek with her knuckle. “It’s perfect.”
Jake couldn’t have agreed more. There was no doubt in his mind—Connie was smiling in heaven.
Mia kissed Lucy on the cheek, patted Sam on the arm, blew a kiss to Merri, then headed for the door. Jake congratulated Sam again and followed her.
Lucy gazed at her daughter’s scrunched little face, then glanced up at her husband. “She has your nose.”
Sam craned his neck for a better look. “Sorry, Pudge, but if you ask me, she looks like a little old man.”
“Sam! You’re supposed to say she’s as beautiful as her mother.”
“She is. And right now, you’re the most beautiful woman in the world. And the bravest. I can’t believe this happened. I should have been here for you.”
“I missed you terribly,” Lucy admitted. “When my water broke, I didn’t think I could do this. But God saw me through it.”
“He helped us both.”
A weight floated off her shoulders. “I’ve been worried about being a good wife to you.”
“Are you serious? Lucy, you’re the best person I know. You’re funny and kind. Generous too. And so full of life. You’re sexy and—and you’re mine. I love you.”
“I love you too. But until now, that didn’t seem like enough.”
“Not enough? Lucy—”
“Wait. I need to finish.” She snuggled Merri even closer. “Someday you’ll deploy, and I hate the thought of being alone. I’m not strong like you are. But today, when I needed you and you weren’t here, I had to lean on God for myself. I might always be a little afraid, and not very good at folding your socks or remembering things, but I’m sure of this—God loves me and He won’t leave me.”
“No. He won’t.” Sam swallowed hard. “I will always try my best, Luce. But I’m human. In case you hadn’t noticed, I tend to bark orders now and then.”
Lucy laughed. “Just now and then?”
“Maybe a little more than that.” He kissed her tenderly on the lips. “I’m not perfect, Luce. But God is. He loves us even more than we love each other. And that’s a lot.”
“Yes.”
“I love you, Pudge.”
Lucy wrinkled her nose. “Give me a few months, and I won’t be pudgy anymore. You’ll have to find a new nickname.”
“Forget it. I’m sticking with Pudge.”
She rolled her eyes. “I love you, Soldier Boy.”
“I love you too,” he said again.
Cheek to cheek, they took in their daughter’s round face and the fringe of dark hair under her pink cap.
Naked and needy, Merri Constance gave a hungry cry—a need Lucy was uniquely equipped to meet as surely as God was able to meet the needs of her own human heart. With love for her family overflowing, she offered her breast to her baby the way Mia had showed her earlier. Merri searched blindly, her mouth opening and closing like a baby bird, until Lucy stroked her cheek to guide her and she latched on. Grateful and at peace, Lucy nursed her daughter for the first time.
The minute Mia was alone with Jake in the hall, she turned to him. She yearned to declare that she loved him, but the break he’d taken upstairs seemed to have hardened his emotions. The stony set of his jaw knocked her off balance, but she was utterly certain of her decision to come home.
“Did I surprise you?” she asked.
“Completely.” Instead of looping his arm around her waist, he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Let’s talk in the living room.”
She led the way to the sofa and sat. Pirate, snoozing on the far end, jumped down and went to Jake, nosing his leg until Jake gave him a scratch. Content, the dog returned to the couch and curled up next to Mia. The big room was chilly to the point of being cold, and gloomy because of the pewter sky. Jake lit the kindling already laid in the hearth. The newspaper erupted into flames, and the scrap lumber sizzled with it.
Mia watched his every move, stroking Pirate as Jake added a split of pine, then poked at the fire. Finally he stood tall and faced her. In spite of the magnet-like pull in her belly, she remained on the couch.
He cleared his throat. “You’re back early.”
“I am.”
He didn’t move a muscle, not even a twitch. “Why? What happened?”
You . . . Us . . . The explanation she had prepared on the flight home fizzled on her tongue. “I don’t know where to start, except to say I was an idiot for leaving in the first place.” Tell me I’m not an idiot for coming back.
Jake rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, that coin toss was kind of brutal.”
“And stupid. But it worked in a backwards sort of way.”
“How?”
She told him about Dr. Benton and the phone game. “When I tried to explain the picture of the quarter, I couldn’t stop talking about you. Every person in that room saw how I felt—and knew where I belonged. But I have to be honest, Jake. Even then, I hesitated.”
“I’m not surprised. You were pretty ambivalent about the whole decision—about us.”
“Not exactly.”
His eyes narrowed, maybe with suspicion or doubt. “I don’t understand.”
“I’ve never been confused about my feelings for you. But I was terribly confused about what it means to trust God. Somehow I got it in my head that if I did everything right, bad things wouldn’t happen. But that’s not trusting Him, is it?”
“No.” His voice whispered over the crackle of the fire.
“Life will always have good times and hard ones. Birth and death. Laughter and tears. Trust means something different to me now. It’s not about avoiding the hard times. It’s about going through them with God’s grace and the help of other people.” With a husband like you.
He merely nodded. “I understand what you’re saying. Life takes some sharp turns.”
“Camp Connie?”
“And the death of it.”
Mia’s brows shot up. She had forgotten about Bill Hatcher and the backhoe. “Something happened, didn’t it?”
His face softened into an ironic smile. “When Lucy went into labor, Plan A was to get her to the hospital. But I couldn’t—not without help. So I made a deal with Bill. If he’d clear the road, I’d pull the plug on Camp Connie.”
Mia searched his face, her heart breaking for him. “You worked so hard. The camp was your dream.”
“Not anymore.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other but stayed by the fire, either to warm himself or to avoid her. “Frankly, I’m more relieved than disappointed. Being the bad guy didn’t sit well with me.”
“No. It wouldn’t.” Not at all. Jake had the heart of a hero. He loved her with that same unselfish courage, and she had treated him badly. “I’m so sorry for leaving like I did. I shouldn’t have—”
“Mia, wait.” He held up one hand, either pushing her away or absolving her of guilt. “Camp Connie wasn’t meant to be. I can see that now, and I’m at peace. You’re not the only person who chased a good dream and gave it up for something better. We’re a lot alike in that way.”
“Yes, we are.”
She had made this mess, and it was up to her to scale the last few feet of the wall between them. Determined to go forward and not back—to look up to God and not down at her fears—she crossed the room in confident strides. Jake turned to face her, putting the heat of the fire on one side of their bodies and the cool air on the other. Mia rested her hands on his chest. The fire burned hot and bright, filling the room with air as warm as breath.
When she spoke, the words came out with utter certainty. “You asked earlier what changed my mind. It wasn’t just what happene
d in Dallas.”
“No?”
“You changed my mind—the strong, good man that you are. I love you, Jake. And I don’t need to toss a coin to know that I belong here—with you.”
His pupils flared, but he didn’t say a thing.
Her fingers, still resting on his chest, curled into her palms so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh. Doubts assailed her, but she raised her chin. “I’m yours, Jake. Only yours. That is, if you still want me.”
At last he cupped her face, his palms warm against her cheeks, then stared into her eyes so long that time seemed to stop. “I want you, Mia. Don’t doubt it for an instant. I want every part of you—the bossy part and the funny part. The woman who’s always prepared, and the one who’s afraid to be late. I want the woman God made you to be.”
“Oh, Jake. I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” he murmured. “But I have one more question to ask.”
“Anything . . . Anything at all.”
“Don’t say yes unless you’re certain, because this is the most important question a man can ask a woman.”
He paused, giving her time to think.
When she realized—hoped—what the question would be, she didn’t need even a second to know her mind. “Ask me,” she whispered, trembling now. “Please.”
Stepping back, he lowered his hands to his sides. The fire crackled and snapped. A log hissed in a languid sigh. Snow fluttered against the tall windows, painting a lace curtain as private and exquisite as their love. Jake took her hand in his and waited just long enough for Mia to etch his face in her mind—the glint in his green eyes, his lean cheeks and straight nose, the set of his jaw as he dropped to one knee.
“I love you, Mia. To the best of my ability, I promise to honor, respect, and treasure you forever. Will you marry me?”
“Yes!” She had never been more sure of anything in her life. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” She couldn’t say it enough. “Yes!”
Some surprises were good, and some were spectacular. Others were blessed, even sacred. With tears of joy spilling down her cheeks, Mia swayed fully into Jake’s arms and raised her face to his. Slowly, with his eyes burning bright, he brought his mouth down to hers. Time stopped. All her questions ceased to matter. She couldn’t think at all as Jake’s kiss smoldered and burned, crackled and popped, and melted her into a very happy puddle.
Epilogue
NINE YEARS LATER . . .
In keeping with the tradition started by Lucy, the Tanner family celebrated milestone birthdays with an upside-down party and a surprise of some kind. Frank was turning eighty, and Jake and Mia were determined to give him the best party ever. Streamers, piñatas, and party games filled the old pinball barn, along with family and friends, including Jake’s siblings and their kids.
Best of all, in Jake’s opinion, he and Mia had a big surprise for Grandpa Frank. Mia was pregnant again. No one else knew, not even Lucy.
The party had been going strong for a couple hours. The games had been played and prizes awarded to the winners; the food was eaten; and now it was time for Frank to open the gifts stacked on a table.
Jake and Mia approached the pile of bags and boxes with Gracie, his new hearing dog, trotting at his side. Pirate had crossed the rainbow bridge a few years ago, with Jake holding his friend’s head in his lap. No dog could ever replace Pirate, but Gracie was sweet and terrific with the kids.
Frank, seated in the recliner Jake and Sam had carried out from the house, was telling knock-knock jokes to his grandkids while he stroked Peggy McFuzz. At the age of fourteen, she was an old lady and Frank’s best friend.
Everyone missed Claire, of course. Three years after moving to Westridge, she had passed away peacefully in her sleep. In spite of Jake and Mia begging Frank to live with them, he had decided to stay at Westridge in the independent living section. He liked being close to restaurants and doctors, and he had made friends there, older folks who shared his interests.
Jake admired his dad tremendously. As a father himself now, he had a new perspective on balancing family and career. When Frank sold the vending business, Jake had gone back to college for a teaching credential. Now he taught history and government at the Echo Falls high school, and he often told the story of Camp Connie. It always made for a good debate. He loved his work, mostly because teaching gave him a chance to encourage hundreds of kids instead of just a few.
He and Mia also owned Echo Falls Primary Care, where she worked part-time. Another nurse practitioner shared the load, and Kelsey—now married—still managed the front office.
Life was good, and it was about to get even better.
Jake slipped an arm around Mia’s waist. “Are you ready for this?” She was only ten weeks along, but her middle already felt thicker to him.
“More than ready.” She squeezed him back. “Though I have to wonder if Dad will be as surprised as you were.”
“Not even close.” The memory of Mia coming out of the bathroom, her mouth hanging open and the pregnancy test stick in hand, still made him grin. “You shocked the daylights out of me that morning.”
She gave him that sexy smile he loved, then stole a kiss. They’d been perfectly happy with their two sons. Caleb was eight and the spitting image of Jake. Justin was six, and so named because Jake had gotten Mia to the hospital “just in time” for the birth.
Grinning, he skimmed the crowd. His brother and sister and their spouses were enjoying a stack of photo albums. Next Jake spotted Merri Constance bossing around her three siblings. Merri, Sam Jr., Poppi, and Elsa were stair-step kids, each one a little smaller than the older sibling. The family had just returned from the US Army base in Wiesbaden, Germany, and were enjoying six weeks’ leave.
Jake and Mia took turns handing gifts to Frank, saving theirs for last. He opened all sorts of fun things before Jake picked up the box from Mia, the boys, and himself. “It’s the last one, Dad. Any guesses?”
Playing to the crowd, Frank tapped a finger on his chin. “Hmmm. Is it bowling ball?”
Three-year-old Elsa laughed and clapped her hands.
“I know,” Caleb called out. “It’s a basketball!”
“It is not!” Justin argued. “It’s a—a truck!”
Jake and Mia traded an eye-roll. Sibling rivalry ran strong between the boys.
When Frank gave Jake a wise smile, Jake handed him the box. Showing off again, Frank shook it, raised it to his ear and listened, weighed it in both hands, and hemmed and hawed until Merri bounced to her feet like her mother. “Open it, Grandpa!”
Mia stepped to Jake’s side and looped an arm around his waist. Frank popped the ribbons with his pocketknife, reached inside, and lifted out a stuffed hen like the one Jake had given Mia in Las Vegas.
“It’s a chicken.” Frank held it high, then examined the hand-lettered tag around the hen’s neck. “It’s named Mia. We used to put these in those claw machine games. But wait—there’s more.”
He pulled out a rooster with a tag that said Jake, then two smaller roosters named Caleb and Justin, and finally a tiny yellow chick sporting a frilly tag with the words Baby No. 3.
A wide grin stretched across Frank’s wrinkled face. “I’m going to be a grandpa again!”
Applause and shouts erupted from the crowd, and Frank, Jake, and Mia all hugged. Mia whispered to Frank that if the baby was a girl, they wanted to name her Claire.
Jake broke away to trade high fives with his sons, who for once agreed they wanted a brother and not a bratty little sister. When Caleb and Justin scrambled away, Sam shook Jake’s hand and razzed him about having a daughter for a change. While friends and family clapped him on the back, he sought Mia’s gaze and found her hugging Lucy hard, the way they always did.
When the women eased back, Jake walked over to Mia. She stepped into his arms and hugged him even harder than she had hugged her sister. “Do you know how much I love you?”
“A lot?” he said, teasing her.
“Good work
, detective.”
He kissed her then, lightly but with the promise of all the years to come. Thankfulness flooded through him. Lord, who am I to deserve this joy? Jake was no one special—an average man who worked hard to make the world a better place. A father who tried his best. A husband with a wife far better than he deserved. And yet here he was—blessed beyond all human logic.
With Mia in his arms and their sons doing battle at the Clown Car game, he rejoiced in the greatest blessings in his life—the love of God, the promise of heaven, and the family he would always call his own.
Dear Readers
Dear Readers,
As I write this letter, my father-in-law is in the end stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Al Scheibel has been in my life for thirty-six years now. I remember him before the ravages of Alzheimer’s, when he loved to sail to Catalina Island, smoke cigars, and tell stories like the “Foot-Foot” joke. When I see him now, I almost don’t recognize him. And yet he’s still Grandpa Al to my kids; Dad to my husband, me, and his daughters; and simply Al to his wife of many years.
Alzheimer’s is a wretched disease. There’s no cure. No letup from the pressure of it. No escaping the inevitable. At the same time, it has brought out a depth of love in our family that is remarkable. That great love inspired the character of Claire in The Two of Us.
My sisters-in-law are both inspirations. Peggy, a former preschool administrator, went back to school to become an RN specializing in dementia and geriatric care. When Dad was in the middle stages of the disease, she pulled on her preschool experience to create activities for him. The birdhouses Lucy and Mia make with Claire were inspired by one of Peggy’s crafts for Dad. Coloring, photo albums, and labeling things were all based on real experience.
My sister-in-law Patti gets a gold medal for taking Dad on outings, bringing him treats, hugging him, protecting him, and loving him no matter what. Her patience is epic. So is her good humor. Embarrassing things happen when a person has Alzheimer’s. Some people would pull away, but Patti just moves closer and loves him more.
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