The Healing Quilt (34 page)

Dad took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Now that’s the old Erika talking.”

Erika glanced down and noticed something in the sand below her footrest. She repositioned the wheelchair and reached down to pull a seashell out of the sand. It reminded Erika of a snail-like creature she’d seen on a cartoon years ago. The dull white on the outside of the shell couldn’t compare to its interior of smooth light pink. On one end were rows of little spikes that decreased to a smaller single point.

Erika ran her fingers over the surface, and then she held the shell up to her ear, just as the sightless children had done.

Dad looked at her and smiled.

She grinned back at him. “It’s a great day to be alive and here on the beach.”

“You look miserable, honey. Is there something I can do to make you more comfortable?” Randy asked as he and Jennifer sat on the couch watching TV.

“Not unless you can make the baby come early.” She placed both hands on her stomach and leaned slightly forward. “I feel top heavy, and it’s hard to find a comfortable position anymore. My back is just one big ache.”

Randy rubbed the small of Jennifer’s back. “Your due date’s still two weeks away, so it’s probably best if the baby doesn’t come early.”

She sighed deeply. “You’re right; I’m just anxious for her to get here.”

“So am I, Jen. And I’m thankful I have a job now, because I was beginning to think I would never find one.”

“I knew you would, but I’ll admit I was worried that we might go under financially. I was beginning to think we might have to move back home and live with one of our parents.”

Randy shook his head vigorously. “I would have borrowed the money from my brother, Fred, before even considering moving into my parents’ home. Dad’s health isn’t good, and the last thing they need are three more mouths to feed.”

She nodded slowly. “My folks aren’t much better off—not with having kids still living at home.”

Randy clasped her hand. “We don’t have to worry about that now. Thanks to an anonymous donor, our baby has everything she’ll need.” He realized now that his pride had gotten in the way when he’d first lost his job, but the evening they’d had the Millers for supper had made him see things in a different light. Talking with Lamar had helped Randy’s attitude improve, and now that he had a job, things looked more hopeful for him and Jennifer than they had in a long time.

“Yes, we have much to be grateful for. I just hope and pray that when our little girl is born she’ll be healthy and that the delivery will go smoothly.”

“Don’t be nervous,” Randy said, hoping to relieve her anxiety. “I’ll be with you through the whole process.”

“I’m thankful for that, because I don’t think I could do it without you.” Jennifer paused and tipped her head. “What was that?”

“What was what? I didn’t hear anything.”

“It sounded like someone stepped onto our front porch.”

Randy listened intently. Sure enough, there was a thump, followed by the sound of footsteps.

“Guess I’d better go see who it is,” he said, rising from the couch.

Randy opened the door just in time to see a young Amish woman running away from the house. He glanced down and noticed a box of food on the porch. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he hollered, “Hey, did you leave this box on our porch?”

The young woman kept going, until she climbed into the passenger’s side of a car parked down the street.

Randy squinted. She looked familiar—like one of the Amish waitresses he’d seen at work. But if it was her, why would she leave a box of food on their doorstep?

He bent down, picked up the box, and stepped back into the house. If he saw the Amish waitress at the restaurant when he went to work on Monday, he would ask if she was the one who’d left the food.

B
.J. yawned as he lay curled up on the couch. Today had been tiring, and he’d done nothing but rest since he got home from the quilting class this afternoon. Exhausted as he was, B.J. felt somewhat relieved that he’d let slip to the other quilters how cancer was slowly robbing his life. He hadn’t felt that way at first, but after thinking things through, he’d come to realize that keeping his illness to himself had done him no good. Telling the quilters about it had sort of prepared him for giving the news to Robyn and Jill.

B.J. had left the Millers’ today without saying anything more to Noreen and had given up asking her anything about his and Judy’s son. She either didn’t know the whereabouts of the boy or didn’t want to tell him. As difficult as it was, he had to accept her choice.

Guess it shouldn’t really matter
, he told himself.
With the way my health is failing, even if I did know my son’s whereabouts, I doubt I’d have the energy to go see him. It’ll take all my strength just to get on a plane and return to Chicago, where my daughters are waiting. Maybe I should ask one of them to come down here and accompany me home. It’d be easier than trying to make it on my own
.

B.J. rolled from his side onto his back and stared at the ceiling. He’d had a good life with Brenda, raising their two beautiful daughters, and he was grateful for that. He’d also been blessed with grandchildren. Why then, did he feel the need to meet the young man who might never have been told about his biological father?

“I need to let this go,” B.J. murmured. “Even if I did get to meet my son, I don’t have enough time left to really get to know him.”

B.J. squeezed his eyes tightly shut.
God, if You’re real, please give me a sense of peace about this
.

“It’s good to see you,” Noreen’s friend and fellow teacher Ruth Bates said when Noreen neared the entrance of the high school gymnasium.

“It’s good to see you, too.” Noreen gave her friend a hug. Still feeling a bit self-conscious about her hair, she said, “I almost didn’t come to this reunion, but I’m glad I did.”

Ruth looked at Noreen strangely. “Why wouldn’t you come?”

Noreen explained about the hair color she’d put on, then quickly added, “I guess that’s what I get for not looking at the color on the box closely enough.”

Ruth laughed. “Things like that have happened to the best of us. You look fine, Noreen, so I wouldn’t worry about it.”

Noreen relaxed a bit. “I appreciate the affirmation, because this has been kind of a trying week for me.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. If you’d like to talk about it, I have a listening ear.”

Noreen shook her head. “It’s a personal matter, and nothing I can discuss right now, but your prayers would be appreciated.”

“I can certainly do that.” Ruth gave Noreen’s arm a gentle squeeze.

As they made their way into the gym, which had been decorated with colored balloons and streamers, a young woman came up to Noreen. “So glad you could be here tonight, Mrs. Webber.”

Noreen thought the woman looked familiar, but she couldn’t quite place her.

“You don’t recognize me, do you?” the woman said, as a few other students joined her. “I’m Karen Rasmussen, the girl who spent more time in the principal’s office than she did in your class.”

Noreen recalled that Karen had been one of her most challenging students, always talking when she should have been listening, and making wisecracks about what some of the other girls in class wore. Back then, Karen ran with a rowdy group that thought nothing of skipping school or cutting up in class. To look at the young woman now, one would never know she’d been a wild child during her high school years.

“If it weren’t for your patience and persistence, I probably would have flunked English and might never have graduated high school and gone to college,” Karen said, resting her hand on Noreen’s arm.

Noreen smiled. “People change, and if I had even the slightest bit of influence on any of my students, then I’m grateful.”

“We are the ones who should be grateful,” a well-groomed, auburn-haired man spoke up. “You were one of the best teachers at this school, and you always treated everyone with fairness.”

Noreen swallowed hard, fighting the urge to give in to tears. Until this moment, she’d never realized that she had impacted any of her students’ lives. Hearing their praise and seeing how well these two young people had obviously turned out lifted Noreen’s spirits. For the first time since she’d found out who B.J. was, Noreen felt a sense of joy in her heart and maybe even hope for the future.

Jan whistled as he stepped onto the Millers’ front porch that evening. Kim had just dropped him off after they’d spent most of the day together, and he was in an exceptionally good mood. He knew for certain that Kim’s feelings about their relationship matched his.

Jan noticed his motorcycle parked in the driveway, so that meant Star must be here. Maybe the two of them could go out for a late bite to eat.

Stepping into the house, Jan spotted Emma and Lamar sitting in the living room with grim expressions.

“What’s up?” Jan asked. “You two look like you’ve lost your best friend.”

“Star’s gone,” Emma said, slowly shaking her head.

Jan’s forehead wrinkled. “What do you mean she’s gone? Where’d she go?”

“She left you a note,” Lamar said. “It’s on the kitchen table.”

Jan hesitated, then took off for the kitchen. He scooped up Star’s note from the table and read it silently.

Stunned by his daughter’s words, Jan rushed back to the living room. Waving Star’s note in the air, he stepped in front of Emma and Lamar. “Do either of you know anything about this?” he asked. “Did Star say anything to you before she left?”

“Star is upset about Kim,” Emma said. “We tried to talk her out of going, but she’s convinced that Kim is coming between you two.”

“How so?”

Emma sighed. “Think about it, Jan. Since Star got here, how much time have you actually spent with her?”

He shrugged. “Not a whole lot, I guess.”

“Remember, Jan,” Emma said, “for a good many years, Star was cheated out of having a father, and then just when you were developing a solid relationship with her, along comes Kim. Now, Star feels threatened.”

Jan sank into the chair across from them. “She oughta know I love her and that Kim’s not tryin’ to come between us.”

“I’m sure Kim isn’t doing it intentionally,” Lamar said, “but Star isn’t ready to share you with anyone. Not this soon anyway. And if you want my opinion, things are moving pretty fast with you and Kim.”

Jan rubbed his temples as he contemplated their words. He felt like he was being forced to choose between Star and Kim. “I can’t lose the relationship I’ve established with my daughter,” he said. “Guess the only thing I can do right now is break things off with Kim. If it’s meant to be, then maybe somewhere down the road things will work out for Kim and me. Right now, though, I need to think of what’s best for Star.”