“I was sewing, but I’m never too busy to visit.” Emma led the way to the living room and invited Noreen to take a seat.
“Thank you.” Noreen held something out for Emma. “I went to Lido Beach this morning, to do a little soul searching, and found this pretty seashell while I was there. I thought maybe you’d like to have it.”
“Oh, that’s a nice one.” Emma took the pretty salmon-colored shell. “They call these conch shells, right?”
“That’s correct. This one I believe is a horse conch, and it’s actually Florida’s state shell.”
“That’s interesting. I didn’t realize Florida had a state shell,” Emma said, walking over to the built-in shelf in the corner of the room. “Think I’ll put it right here.”
“Those are the types of seashells you’ll see kids holding up to their ears,” Noreen said. “In fact, I do it, too.”
Emma smiled and took a seat beside Noreen on the couch. “I have a hunch that many other adults do, as well.”
“When I was a girl, my family lived in Columbus, Ohio, and one summer our parents took Judy and me on vacation, here in Sarasota. We had so much fun that week, especially since it was the first time we’d seen the Gulf of Mexico.” Noreen stared off into space, as though reliving the past. “We loved jumping the waves, and every morning we’d head for the beach to look for seashells. One day Judy found a shell similar to the one I gave you, only bigger. Daddy told us if we held the shell to our ear we could hear the ocean inside.” Noreen looked back at Emma and said tearfully, “I still have Judy’s seashell sitting on the coffee table in my living room.”
“That’s a pleasant memory,” Emma said, feeling touched that Noreen had opened up to her like that. “I’m glad you shared it with me, and I can see that it’s still very special to you.”
“Yes, I guess it is,” Noreen answered, straightening her shoulders. “Talking about seashells isn’t why I came here today, though.”
“Why did you come?” Emma asked.
“I needed to talk to you about something quite serious.”
“Oh?”
“I did a lot of thinking over the weekend—about B.J.”
Emma sighed deeply. “I felt sad hearing about his cancer. It must have been difficult for him to take the quilting classes when he’d been feeling so poorly.”
Noreen gave a nod. “I feel the same way. He must have great inner strength to complete the wall hanging for his granddaughter. It sort of made me see B.J. in a different light.” Noreen paused, took a deep breath, and looked straight into Emma’s eyes. “I haven’t been completely honest with B.J. about his and my sister’s baby.”
“Oh?” Emma folded her hands and waited for Noreen to continue. She could tell by the woman’s pinched expression that this was a difficult subject to talk about.
“I do know where B.J.’s son is living, but I didn’t want B.J. to know because I was angry with him for breaking up with Judy. It devastated my sister, and I didn’t think B.J. deserved to know the truth because he’d hurt Judy so bad. I also blamed him for her death, because she died giving birth to his baby.” Noreen’s voice faltered, and she squeezed her eyes shut.
“And now?” Emma coaxed.
“After thinking things through, and realizing that B.J. doesn’t have long to live, I’m wondering if it would best to let B.J. meet his son.”
“Would that be possible?” Emma questioned. “Do you know where the young man lives, and have you spoken with him about this?”
Noreen drew in a long breath and released it in one quick puff. “B.J.’s son is named Todd. He’s my adopted son.”
“The son you said lives in Texas?” Emma asked in surprise.
“Yes, but Todd and his wife are coming to see me. They’ll arrive this Wednesday.” Noreen paused again and dabbed at the tears rolling down her cheeks. “Do you think I’d be doing the right thing if I told Todd about his biological father, and then let him decide whether or not he wants to meet B.J.?”
Emma mulled things over. Then she finally nodded and said, “Yes, I think that’s the wise thing to do.”
C
HAPTER 38
Goshen
When Jan approached Star’s house on Wednesday morning, he was relieved to see that both her motorcycle and car were parked in the driveway. That meant she must be here. When he’d arrived home late Monday night he’d called and left her a message, but she hadn’t responded. He’d called again on Tuesday, but still no reply. Could her voice mail be full? Was the battery dead on her cell phone? Or was his daughter ignoring his calls on purpose? He hoped that wasn’t the case.
Figuring that Wednesday was usually one of Star’s days off, he’d taken the chance and driven to Goshen to talk to her face-to-face. That would be better than a phone call anyhow.
Jan parked his truck, got out, and glanced up at the stately old house. Star had inherited the place when her grandma died and her mom got married and moved to Ft. Wayne. He was glad Star had ended up with the house. She’d had a rough childhood and deserved a cozy place to call her own. Even though Star had been fortunate enough to have a couple of her song lyrics published and had even been offered the chance to move to Nashville, she’d decided to stay here, to be close to Jan.
How could I even think of establishing a permanent relationship with Kim if Star’s not on board? Jan thought. My daughter comes first, no matter what.
He took the stairs two at a time and rapped on the door. Several minutes went by, then Star, holding her guitar, finally answered.
“Dad! I’m surprised to see you. Figured you’d still be in Sarasota.”
“Headed for home after I got your note.” Jan’s lips compressed. “In case you’ve forgotten, you were supposed to be with me on the trip home.”
“Yeah, that was the plan all right, but that was before I realized you’d rather be with Kim than me,” she said, frowning deeply.
“Didn’t you get my phone messages?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Turned the volume down when I went to see a movie the other night. Guess I forget to turn it back up.”
“I left you a message saying I’d broken things off with Kim, and that I didn’t want things to change between you and me.”
Star’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yeah, and I’m sorry for messin’ up our vacation, Star.” Jan turned his head to glance at the rain that had begun to fall. “Can I come in, before I get wet?”
“Yeah, sure.” Star opened the door wider and Jan stepped into the house.
As Jan wiped his feet on the doormat, Star propped her guitar in the corner of the living room. “Would you like some coffee?” she asked. “I don’t have any made right now, but it won’t take long to fix.”
“Sure, that would taste good,” he responded. “But none of that flavored kind.”
Star smirked and went to the kitchen, while Jan took a seat on the couch. She returned a short time later with two steaming cups of coffee.
“Boy that was quick! My coffeemaker takes forever to make a pot of brew. How’d you make this so fast?” Jan asked as he blew on his cup and took a tentative sip. “I know this isn’t instant coffee; it’s good and strong, just the way I like it.”
“I got a new coffee machine that uses the pods. You can make a single cup of coffee in seconds.” Star sipped some from her own mug. “Vanilla’s my favorite flavor, but I bought a box of the bold coffee, since I knew that’s what you like best.”
“Well now, don’t that beat all?” Jan said, shaking his head. “Never knew any coffeemaker could work that fast.”
“You can even get hot chocolate and tea in the pods. And apple cider,” Star added as she seated herself beside him.
Jan drank a little more coffee, then he turned to her and said, “You know how much I love you, don’t you, Star?”
“I love you, too, Dad, but I was afraid if you kept seeing Kim that you might end up moving to Florida.”
He shook his head. “Not a
chance. My business is here, and so are you.” Jan hoped his tone sounded upbeat so Star wouldn’t think he had any regrets. Truth was, he didn’t regret his decision to stay in Indiana; what he felt bad about was breaking things off with Kim.
Sarasota
“I know it’s none of my business, but I feel like calling Star and talking to her about Jan and Kim,” Emma said as she and Lamar sat in their backyard watching several wild parrots eat at the feeders Lamar had put up. They were such colorful birds and fun to observe. One was even hanging upside-down, as if showing off to the others.
Lamar touched Emma’s arm. “I’m not sure it would do any good to talk to Star about Kim. Besides, it’s up to Jan to work things out with his daughter, don’t you think?”
Emma sighed. “I suppose, but I feel sorry for Kim. When we were at the restaurant for supper last night and she waited on us, couldn’t you see how upset she was?”
“She got our order confused with someone else’s. Is that what you mean?”
“It did show that she had her mind somewhere else,” Emma said, “but there was a look of sadness in Kim’s eyes that wasn’t there before. I think she misses Jan a lot and is disappointed that he went home a week earlier than he’d planned.”
Lamar reached for the glass of lemonade Emma had placed on the table between them and took a drink. When he finished, he turned to Emma and said, “Why don’t we pray about it for now? Then in a week or so, if you feel the Lord is telling you to talk to Star, you can give her a call.”
Emma smiled as she gave a nod. “As usual, you’re full of gscheidheit.”
“My wisdom comes from God,” Lamar said, after taking another drink from his glass. “And I’m not the only wise person in this house. You have given godly counsel to many of your students since you began teaching quilting.”
Emma pursed her lips. “That may be true for some in this group of quilters, but I don’t feel like I’ve helped them resolve any of their problems. Some, at least, seem to be solving them on their own.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing, Emma,” Lamar said. “I like seeing people realize they might be wrong about something or working to change their ways. People influence people all the time, not just by what they say, but by example.” He patted her arm. “You know what, Emma?”
“What’s that?”
“I’m thinking our students have been influenced in many ways by your example and how you get along with everyone.”
She smiled and clasped his hand. “I am trying to be a Christian example in all that I do and say, but I admit that sometimes I fall short.”
“We all do, Emma. That’s because we’re human. Guess the main thing to remember is to commit our life to Christ and ask Him to guide us in all we say and do.”
Emma pinched the bridge of her nose. “Oh Lamar, there are so many people in our world, and those He’s brought to our class are but a few. How I hope He will heal their hurts and touch their lives in some special way.”
“He will, Emma, if they’re open to it.” Lamar took Emma’s hand. “Now, let’s pray.”
“It sure is good to be home,” Phyllis told Mike as they sat together on the deck, watching the boats in the bay. “I’m not used to that bitter North Dakota winter weather. I thought I was going to freeze to death when I took Penny’s dog out to do his business during the blizzard. Thank goodness the dog didn’t waste any time.”
“When you told me about it, I worried about you and felt guilty for being here where I could enjoy the sun,” Mike replied. “More than once I thought I should have gone with you.”
Phyllis shook her head. “I managed fine helping my sister, and she’s well-equipped for handling weather-related emergencies. I was glad you were here so you could take the quilt class in my place.” She reached for his hand. “I’m looking forward to going to the last class with you this Saturday and can’t wait to see how your wall hanging turned out.”
“Well, don’t expect too much,” Mike said. “I’m all thumbs when it comes to a needle and thread. Even with Emma’s help, my quilted project doesn’t look nearly as good as it would if you had made it.”
“That doesn’t matter.” Phyllis squeezed his fingers. “The important thing is that you were willing to take the class in my place and did your best.”
Mike’s cell phone rang, interrupting their conversation. “I’d better get this, honey. It could be a work-related call.”
“That’s fine,” she said. “And while you’re doing that, I’ll go inside and fix our lunch.”
When Mike answered the phone, a man came on, asking if Mike could take him and two other men fishing on Saturday. Mike was on the urge of saying yes when he remembered his promise to go to the quilt class with Phyllis. “Sorry,” he said, “but I can’t take you out on Saturday. If you can wait till Monday morning, I’ll be free then.”
“That won’t work,” the man said. “Saturday’s the only day the three of us can all go. If you can’t do it then, we’ll call another charter boat service.”
“I understand.” Mike hung up the phone, struggling with mixed emotions. It had been hard saying no—especially when he really wanted to go out on his boat—but he knew it wouldn’t be right to let Phyllis down. Besides, he’d promised himself that he would spend more time with her and less time on the boat and that he’d limit his work to just five days a week.
Guess learning not to be such a workaholic is gonna take some time, Mike thought as he leaned back in his chair. But if spending more time with Phyllis will strengthen my marriage, then it’ll be worth every minute.
Noreen had just checked the roast warming in the oven, knowing Todd and Kara would arrive soon, when she heard a car pull up. Peeking out the window, her heartbeat picked up speed when she saw that it was them. Any other time, Noreen would have been full of excitement having her son and his wife come for a visit. But today she felt a bit rattled and full of apprehension. Please let this all work out, she prayed as she removed her apron and stopped by the hallway mirror to take a quick look at her reflection.
“It’s sure good to see you, Mom,” Todd said when he and Kara entered the house a few minutes later.
Noreen hugged them both. “It’s good to see you, too. How are the children?”
“Doing well,” Kara replied. “Since the boys are in school right now, they’re staying with friends while we’re gone.”
“I’ll look forward to seeing them the next time,” Noreen said.
Todd, looking more handsome than ever with his dark hair and brown eyes, looked at Noreen and blinked. “What’d you do to your hair? It’s darker than I’ve ever seen it before.”
Noreen’s face heated. “It’s a long story, and I’ll explain later. Right now, let’s get your things brought into the house, and we can visit while we eat supper. You haven’t eaten yet, I hope.”
“We knew it was getting close to supper, and Todd said he was sure you’d have something waiting for us.” Kara pushed a strand of her shoulder-length blond hair behind her ear and smiled.
“From what I can smell, I’m sure it’s gonna be good,” Todd said, sniffing toward the kitchen. “My mouth’s watering already, Mom.”
While Todd brought in their suitcases, Kara and Noreen set the table. When Todd returned, and they were all seated around the dining-room table, Noreen offered thanks for their meal, and for Todd and Kara’s safe travels. Then she passed the food.
“If this roast is half as good as it smells, I’m definitely having seconds.” Todd winked at Noreen.
“The potatoes and carrots look yummy, too,” Kara commented. “You shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble, Noreen.”
“It was nothing, really,” Noreen said, almost dropping the basket of rolls as she handed it to Kara. “Cooking a roast in the oven with potatoes and carrots doesn’t take much effort, but it’s one of my favorite supper dishes. Of course, I don’t have it much anymore,” she added. “Cooking for one isn’t much fun, so I either eat something simple lik
e salad, soup, or a sandwich, or I sometimes go out for a meal.”
“It has to be lonely for you living here by yourself,” Todd said. “Why don’t you reconsider and move to Texas so you can be closer to us?”
Noreen shook her head. “We’ve had this discussion before, Son. Sarasota is my home, and I’m not ready to leave it right now. Maybe someday. We’ll see.”
“Okay, Mom, I understand.” Todd reached for the salt shaker. “Just remember, you’re welcome to come visit us anytime.”
“Yes, and I will.”
As they continued their meal, they talked about other things—the weather, politics, and what Todd and Kara wanted to do while they were visiting Sarasota.
When everyone was done, Noreen got up from the table to clear the dishes, but Kara said she would take care of that so Noreen could visit with Todd while they enjoyed some coffee.
“What’s new in your life these days, Mom?” Todd asked, before taking a sip of his coffee.
Noreen shifted uneasily in her chair. Was this a good time to tell Todd about B.J., or should she wait a few days?
“Is something wrong? You’re squirming around like you’re nervous, Mom.”
Noreen drew in a deep breath, unsure of how to begin. “There’s something I need to tell you, Todd.”
“What’s that?”
She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. “You’ve known you were adopted ever since you were a boy. Your dad and I never kept that from you.”
“Right. You both said you thought I ought to know.”
Noreen grabbed a napkin and balled it up in her hands, damp with perspiration. This was much harder than she’d thought it would be. “There’s…um…something else that you don’t know.”
He leaned slightly forward. “What’s that?”
“Your birth mother, whose name was Judy, died giving birth to you, and…well…Judy was my sister.”
Todd’s forehead wrinkled. “My birth mother was your sister?”
Noreen nodded slowly.
The room became deathly quiet. Kara stopped doing the dishes and moved closer to the table. “So you’re actually Todd’s aunt?” she asked Noreen.
The Healing Quilt Page 24