stranger’s hand. Shallow gasps escaped, she bit her lip, and shook her head. As a tear fell, she let go of Carley’s hand and wiped it away. “I’m so sorry. I’ve just had a very emotional day, and I just didn’t expect Robert to bring up the subject of Linda.”
Carley’s eyes were kind and sympathetic. “Yes, I could tell that it bothered you. You don’t even know us. Is that your daughter’s name? Linda?”
“Yes. I spent the day with her today for the first time since I gave her up for adoption seventeen years ago.”
“Oh my gosh. We shouldn’t even be here.” Carley shook her head. “I’m sure you want to spend time with your husband and tell him all about it.” She smiled. “Instead, Robert drags in dinner guests.”
“No, no. It’s fine, really.” Josie was starting to feel somewhat comfortable around this woman. “It’s just very—very personal.”
“Of course it is. We don’t have to talk about it at all. I just thought you might want to get away from the men for a few minutes. Men. They’re so insensitive sometimes.”
“Yes, they can be.” Josie appreciated Carley’s attempt at lighthearted humor.
“When we adopted Jenna, I worried about so many things. I know that I was on the other end of the spectrum, but if you ever want to talk, please call me. I know that tonight, Noah wants to talk with Robert and you about a specialist at Lancaster General who deals with the kind of tumor you have.” Carley took a deep breath. “Wow. You have a lot going on, huh?”
Josie smiled. “You could say that. But I know everything is going to work out fine.”
“I will pray for you, Josie. For you. For Linda. And for good news from this new doctor.”
Josie smiled and thanked her, even though she knew prayers would go unanswered. Why would God possibly help someone who’d turned away from Him a long time ago? Josie could recall a time when she had a closer relationship with God, before she married Robert. But Robert didn’t believe in God, and slowly over time, Josie’s own beliefs had veered to questioning whether or not such an entity existed.
But with little time on her side, she couldn’t help but speculate about God. And the possibility of heaven. Or hell.
After dinner, Josie served everyone coffee in the living room. Noah said Dr. Phillips had agreed to meet with Josie on the following Thursday at Lancaster General to evaluate the tumor growing inside her brain stem.
“Thank you for setting up this appointment.” Robert took a sip of his coffee. “We really appreciate it.”
“Yes, we do,” Josie echoed to be polite. She’d enjoyed meeting Noah and Carley. Dinner conversation had been light and engaging, but she was ready to spend some quiet time with Robert, fill him in about her day with Linda.
“We’d like to put you on our prayer list at church,” Noah said. “There’s nothing like the power of prayer.”
“That would be great.” Josie glanced at Robert, who merely smiled. “We’d appreciate that.”
“I don’t know if it’s ever come up, but I grew up Amish.” Noah pushed back dark wavy locks, and Josie tried to envision the doctor with a bobbed haircut and sporting suspenders and a straw hat.
“Really?” Josie’s eyes grew wide. “What happened?”
Noah set his coffee cup down on a coaster on the coffee table. “I had a strong calling to become a doctor.” He paused. “If I’d made that decision before I was baptized, things would have been a lot easier. Instead, I was baptized into the faith, then chose to leave, and I was shunned by my family.”
“Oh, no.” Josie said. “I remember when I was growing up here, I heard of a man getting shunned. I didn’t know him very well, but I just remember that he couldn’t have anything to do with his family, not even sit down and have a meal with them.”
“I had a terrible time understanding the whole shunning process,” Carley chimed in. “But, luckily for Noah, his family
Carley’s eyes were kind and sympathetic. “Yes, I could tell that it bothered you. You don’t even know us. Is that your daughter’s name? Linda?”
“Yes. I spent the day with her today for the first time since I gave her up for adoption seventeen years ago.”
“Oh my gosh. We shouldn’t even be here.” Carley shook her head. “I’m sure you want to spend time with your husband and tell him all about it.” She smiled. “Instead, Robert drags in dinner guests.”
“No, no. It’s fine, really.” Josie was starting to feel somewhat comfortable around this woman. “It’s just very—very personal.”
“Of course it is. We don’t have to talk about it at all. I just thought you might want to get away from the men for a few minutes. Men. They’re so insensitive sometimes.”
“Yes, they can be.” Josie appreciated Carley’s attempt at lighthearted humor.
“When we adopted Jenna, I worried about so many things. I know that I was on the other end of the spectrum, but if you ever want to talk, please call me. I know that tonight, Noah wants to talk with Robert and you about a specialist at Lancaster General who deals with the kind of tumor you have.” Carley took a deep breath. “Wow. You have a lot going on, huh?”
Josie smiled. “You could say that. But I know everything is going to work out fine.”
“I will pray for you, Josie. For you. For Linda. And for good news from this new doctor.”
Josie smiled and thanked her, even though she knew prayers would go unanswered. Why would God possibly help someone who’d turned away from Him a long time ago? Josie could recall a time when she had a closer relationship with God, before she married Robert. But Robert didn’t believe in God, and slowly over time, Josie’s own beliefs had veered to questioning whether or not such an entity existed.
But with little time on her side, she couldn’t help but speculate about God. And the possibility of heaven. Or hell.
After dinner, Josie served everyone coffee in the living room. Noah said Dr. Phillips had agreed to meet with Josie on the following Thursday at Lancaster General to evaluate the tumor growing inside her brain stem.
“Thank you for setting up this appointment.” Robert took a sip of his coffee. “We really appreciate it.”
“Yes, we do,” Josie echoed to be polite. She’d enjoyed meeting Noah and Carley. Dinner conversation had been light and engaging, but she was ready to spend some quiet time with Robert, fill him in about her day with Linda.
“We’d like to put you on our prayer list at church,” Noah said. “There’s nothing like the power of prayer.”
“That would be great.” Josie glanced at Robert, who merely smiled. “We’d appreciate that.”
“I don’t know if it’s ever come up, but I grew up Amish.” Noah pushed back dark wavy locks, and Josie tried to envision the doctor with a bobbed haircut and sporting suspenders and a straw hat.
“Really?” Josie’s eyes grew wide. “What happened?”
Noah set his coffee cup down on a coaster on the coffee table. “I had a strong calling to become a doctor.” He paused. “If I’d made that decision before I was baptized, things would have been a lot easier. Instead, I was baptized into the faith, then chose to leave, and I was shunned by my family.”
“Oh, no.” Josie said. “I remember when I was growing up here, I heard of a man getting shunned. I didn’t know him very well, but I just remember that he couldn’t have anything to do with his family, not even sit down and have a meal with them.”
“I had a terrible time understanding the whole shunning process,” Carley chimed in. “But, luckily for Noah, his family
Similar Books
