Me too. She leaned up and kissed him the way shed wanted to earlier. Not sitting side by side, but like this, wrapped in his embrace. When they drew back, she smiled and it became a full-hearted laugh. I cant believe this.
He caught the back of her head and brought her close to him again. His lips touched hers once more and he breathed against her. Believe it. Im never letting you go. Not again.
Just then Cory came running out. I made a new friend from India and his names He came to a sudden stop and seemed to notice the way Megan and Aaron were standing, face-to-face, their arms around each other. He giggled. Whats going on out here?
Well Megan turned so they were both facing Cory. She kept her arm around Aarons waist, and he kept his around her. They exchanged a quick look, and then Megan showed her ring to the boy. Aaron asked me to marry him.
What! Cory hadnt ever looked so surprised. Really? He turned to Aaron. You did that?
I did. Aaron put his hand on Corys shoulder. I figured since Im already your dad, and since shes your mom, it seemed only right that we should get married. He winked at her. Because shes pretty terrific and because that way you can be with both of us at the same time.
Cory sucked in a fast breath, his eyes wide with excitement and thrill and shock. Like a family!
Yes, son. Aaron looked like he savored the chance to say the word. Like a family.
Thats when so much about the day and the night came together for Megan. Im not afraid anymore, God. Im here on a boat and Im not afraid.
Ah, my daughter, there is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear
This time she almost had to sit down, so she clung more tightly to Aaron. Because God had rarely spoken so clearly to her. His quiet whispers reminded her of a verse shed read after telling Aaron goodbye back in September. Perfect love drives out fear. She pressed in close to Aaron, and when the boat docked, the three of them walked off holding hands.
Megan wasnt afraid of boats anymore, at least not if she was with Aaron. And she wasnt afraid about how she would share Cory. She wasnt afraid to love, and she wasnt afraid to trust. As they headed for the Sea Lion Caf, the reason was as clear as the night sky above them. She wasnt afraid anymore because the unfamiliar feeling that had come over her when she was with Aaron on the back deck of the boat wasnt passion or nervousness or uncertainty.
It was love, a love strong enough to drive away any sort of fear. A love only God couldve given her.
Deep, profoundand perfect.
Derrick was watching a Bill Cosby rerun in the TV room, with Denae and the kids gathered around him. Theyd spent more time together than usual this week, catching up on the stories Derrick had from the Super Bowl.
Already he and Denae had planned a trip to Chicago, to the cemetery where Lee was buried. Derrick was on crutches, but he wanted to make the trip anyway. He and Denae would bring a photograph and tape it to the edge of the boys tombstone.
The photo wouldnt be of the ring hed just won, because that ring would take months to come in, so hed take a photo of one of his other Super Bowl rings. That way he didnt have to wait.
Lee wasnt really in the ground at that faraway Chicago cemetery. But the baby hed cradled and held, the one hed swung up onto his shouldersthat body was in the grave. And so if he had to go to a place to make good on his promise, he would go to the cemetery.
On the television, Cosby said something funny about chocolate cake, and the rest of the family burst out laughing.
Daddy, Libby whined at him. Youre not paying attention.
Sorry, baby. He let the images in his mind fade. I was drifting.
Derrick had his knee in a full brace, elevated. Surgery was coming at the end of the week, but the doctor had said the ligament tear was clean. A full recovery was possible. He wasnt too worried about it. As long as he could play catch with his kids and keep up with the boys when he coached. The episode was just ending at 8:30 when the phone rang. He picked it up from the arm table next to the sofa. Hello?
Andersonwhat are you doing? There was the sound of wind or waves in the background.
Hillis that you?
It is. Aaron laughed. What are you doing?
Watching Cosby. What else?
No youre not! The familiar teasing rang in Aarons tone. Without me?
Just this once. Derrick chuckled. That why you called? To ask me what I was doing?
No, something even more important. The noise in the background made it hard to hear. I asked Megan to marry me, and you wont believe it! She said yes!
Even with the noise, Derrick heard that. He leaned his head back against the couch and felt his friends happiness to the core of his being. Im proud of you, man. First you talk to God, and now to Megan. Well be talking to the president before you know it. Fixing things for those foster kids. You and me and Jay.
And Megan. Shes in too. He chuckled. Hey, Andersonbe my best man, will you?
I already am. Thats why you won the MVP, cause you finally started listening to me.
Derrick teased so he wouldnt let his emotions get the upper hand. There would be time for that later, when he pondered all the season had wrought. For now, he wanted to celebrate with his friend. But sure, Hill. Ill say yes and make it official.
They laughed some more and the call ended half a minute later. Aaron had to go. He was finishing up dinner with Megan and Cory, bonding with his new family.
Tell me that wasnt Aaron Hill? Denae sat beside him. She kept her voice low so the kids could hear the beginning of the next episode of Cosby.
Yeah, baby. He grinned at his wife, at the woman who had stood by him and prayed with him not only for the season, but for Aaron as well. Talking about getting married and asking me to be the best man. Can you believe it?
Shed looked like she was listening to Derricks side of the conversation, and now her eyes shone. Now, dont that just beat all?
By then they both knew the story of the boy, and how he was the son of Aarons high school girlfriend. The miracles of the past season were so much more complex than either of them couldve dreamed. Theyd won the Super Bowl, yes, and Coach Cameron was offered a five-year extension on his contract. But more than any of that, Derrick had made a friend. One hed get the chance to tease and pick on and hang around with not just here in San Francisco, but for all eternity.
And that, by far, was the greatest miracle of all.
EPILOGUE
C ory looked at himself in the mirror and straightened his tie. It didnt look right, but that was okay. His dad would fix it for him before the wedding started. He lifted his chin and grinned at himself. He was the ring bearer, and that was a great job for a wedding. It wasnt too hard and there wasnt a lot of stuff to remember.
Mom! Should I put my shoes on now? He still smiled when he called her Mom. It sounded funny and good, but he was getting more used to it. Not that she would ever take the place of his first mom. But his first mom was in heaven, and Megan was here. He had a lot of years left to need a mom, so he was glad. Plus, he loved Megan.
Yes, Cory, she called to him from her room. We leave in five minutes. Definitely put your shoes on.
Megan was wearing regular clothes to Derricks church that morning. The place had something called a bridal room, so Megan was getting dressed nice there. Which was good, because Cory didnt think her big white dress would fit in the Town Car.
They met near the door and Megan was practically glowing. Cory lifted his eyebrows. Wowyou look beautiful.
Thanks. She smiled and adjusted her veil. Megan already had a girl over to the apartment that morning who curled her hair more perfect than ever before, and then she attached the veil. Now whenever Megan turned her head, the veil flew along behind her. It made her look like an angel.
Which Derrick said she was when the
y were together last Sunday at church. Megan had changed her mind about church, because she and Corys dad and Derrick had a talk, and now everyone understood. Church was someplace where they could all come together and figure things out.
Sort of like a team huddle.
Once they reached the Andersons church, everything happened fast. His dad found him and helped him straighten his tie. And they talked a little while about this being a day they would never forget. Cory knew that was true for him maybe most of all. Lots of people got married, but how many foster kids wound up with a mom and a dad all in one day?
The wedding started right on time, and the church was full of people. Lots of guys from the 49ers and people from the youth center too. When Cory reached the front, he stood next to his dad, and his dad put his arm around Corys shoulders. Then they waited and special music started.
And nice and slow-like, here came Megan. She definitely looked like an angel now, and the whole crowd of people stood up and watched her walk down the aisle. Derrick was beside her, cause Megan didnt have a dad, and no dad ever showed up in her life the way Corys dad did. So Derrick did the job.
Cory watched it allthe walking part and the part where Derrick let Megan go. He watched the part where his mom and dad said words to each other, promises about health and time and standing by each other forever.
Finally they said the I do part, which was the best part of all. Because his dad had said that after that, him and Megan were married for good. Sort of the happily ever after part. As that happened, as his mom and dad and him became an official family, Cory thought of something he hadnt before. It made his eyes sting, and he had to wipe away a little wetness on his cheeks.
Cause his first mom had prayed so hard for Cory to find his dad. But Cory wasnt sure if his mom wouldve wanted Megan to marry his dad. That was something his first mom had wanted to do, Cory was pretty sure. Thats why the tears were on his face. But all of a sudden he could see his mother again, see her the way shed looked before she got sick, the way she must look nowin heavensmiling and laughing and loving him with all her heart. And what he saw made him happier than hed been all day.
Because somewhere up in heaven, his first mom wasnt sad at all. She was smiling. The way he and his new family all were.
The gushy kiss came next, and a whole lot of pictures. On the ride to the reception, Cory thought about the next week. He was staying with Derricks family while his parents went on a honeymoon to Hawaii. A week wasnt very long, and it was good for his dad to have some time alone with Megan. Cory already had her for the last two years, so it was okay for his dad to have some time with her.
Plus, he liked Derricks family, and Derrick best of all. Cory and his mom and dad spent a lot of time visiting at Derricks house because it was the off-season. April. And that meant his dad had just short workouts each day until summer camp. Last week, Derrick talked some more with Corys dad and Megan about church. He told them church is just a bunch of people who know they messed up. Also, it was easy to feel close to God at church. Sometimes that feeling could carry over on the other days, which would help. And Corys dad said he understood, because life didnt happen only at church.
It happened between Sundays.
A NOTE FROM KAREN
D ear Reader Friends,
What an adventure, writing a book set in the NFL! All my experience as a former sports writer came rushing back as I tried my best to set this story in the very real world of professional football, while creating characters that were completely fictional. Lots of detailsyou may have noticedwere accurate: the names and locations of teams and stadiums, the schedule as it relates to this football season, and some of the rituals that go along with the game.
On the journey to writing this novel, I enjoyed getting to know San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith. We first met, many of you know, when our family attended a game in San Francisco as Alexs guests. We visited with his parentsPam and Doug, and his fantastic sisters and brother. All of them, we learned, were excited not just about what Alex does on the field, but off the field. Between Sundays. His passion for helping foster kids sparked in me the idea to write Between Sundays, and he graciously agreed to help me have an inside look at the NFL and the positive things some players do with their time away from the game. Alex has an amazing family, a family full of love and hope and wisdom and guidance.
Thats where this story really hit me, the importance of having a family. It was something Megan Gunn understoodwhether it was just her and Cory forever or whether God helped her drop the walls around her heart so she could love someone like Aaron Hill. At our house, we see the benefit of family every single day. We laugh and love and listen to each other, and when disagreements come up, we talk about how right herearound the dinner tableare the best friends of all. The people who will love us no matter what. But the truth is, sometimes we cant love even our families until we let God clean out the garbage in our own hearts.
Ill let you in on a secret. At first I was going to have the test results show that Aaron wasnt really Corys biological father. He was going to shred the results and keep the truth a secret forever. But my editors and I agreed that the new Aaron wouldnt have wanted to keep something like that a secret. Just so you know, in the process of changing this part of the story, I decided something else. Aaron really was, in fact, Corys dad. There. Now you dont have to wonder.
I pray that as you read this book, you saw a little of what Megan saw about foster kids, a little of what Aaron saw about Gods grace. And a little of what Derrick understood about miracles and the importance of keeping a promisewhenever possible. Life really is about how we live it between Sundays. I know Ill remember that a little more carefully after writing this book.
As always, please stop by my website at www.KarenKingsbury.com and leave me a comment on my guestbook. I love to hear your thoughts, and Id especially like to know how this story touched your heart. At my website, you can also leave photos of your military loved ones so that people around the world can pray for them. In addition, you can leave a prayer request, or stop by and pray for the needs of others. Finally, pass this book on to someone you know, someone who hasnt read one of my books. As you do, enter my ongoing Share-A-Book contest. Winners are picked every spring. Details are on my website.
I pray that God holds you and yours close, and that youll feel His touch a little more in the days to come. Until next time
In His light and love,
Karen Kingsbury
READER STUDY GUIDE
How did fame and sudden wealth at a young age change Aaron Hill? Was it his fault or the fault of his agent, Bill Bond? Explain.
In what ways were Megan Gunn and Amy Briggs alike? Talk about their similarities and their differences.
Where did Megan find the strength to take on responsibility for Cory after Amys death? Discuss Megans faith through most of this novel.
Cory had a firm belief that Aaron was his father. Compare Corys adamant belief to something a child in your world believes.
Discuss what it means to have a childs faith.
What do you know about the foster care system? Talk about your experience with this system.
Did you learn anything about the plight of foster children? How can you be part of the solution for these kids?
Bill Bond was a manipulative man. What motivated him to control Aaron Hill? Discuss our nations fascination with celebrity.
Derrick was a strong presence of faith in Between Sundays. Talk about Derricks faith, and how it impacted the people around him.
What tragedy did Derrick carry with him? How did it affect his faith?
How has tragedy affected your faith? Is it possible to have difficult times and still believe in God? Talk about this.
Talk about Derricks marriage to Denae. Wh
at were signs that their marriage was a deep and wonderful one?
How important is humor to a successful relationshipfriendship or marriage?
One of the people Derrick affected was young quarterback Jay Ryder. How important is it that people of faith also act as mentors for those around them? Give an example from your life.
Megan Gunn had a difficult time trusting people. Why do you think that was?
Have you ever had a hard time trusting someone? How did you resolve that situation?
Aaron wished for a chance to apologize to Amy. When he learned of her death, he knew it was too late. Are there people you need to apologize to? What is stopping you?
How would you define wealth? During most of the story, who was richerMegan or Aaron? Explain your answer.
What did you think of Aarons decision to shred the DNA test results? Explain why the role of mom or dad cant always be defined through a biological connection. Give examples.
Aaron Hill asked God to clear his heart of the garbage that had piled up. Talk about a time when you or someone you know reached that point with God.
Even Now
Karen Kingsbury
Sometimes hope for the future is found in the ashes of yesterday.
A young woman seeking answers to her hearts deepest questions. A man and woman separated by lies and years of separationwho have never forgotten each other.
With hallmark tenderness and power, Karen Kingsbury weaves a tapestry of lives, losses, love, and faithand the miracle of resurrection.
Unabridged Audio CD: 0-310-25404-3
Softcover: 0-310-24753-5
Ever After
Karen Kingsbury 2007 Christian Book of the Year
Two couples torn apartone by war between countries, and one by a war within.
Between Sundays Page 31