Reunion by Karen Kingsbury Page B

smile. “It’s the real reason we asked you to come tonight.”
    One at a time, the adult kidsmade their way toward John and Elizabeth. He led them into the family room, grateful the grandchildren were upstairs playing. Peter wheeled Hayley into the room and positioned her near the chair Brooke had taken. When they were all seated, John led Elizabeth to the front of the room, they remained standing.
    “Dad, what is it?” Ashley couldn’t wait. Her face looked “Tell us.” John tightened his hold on Elizabeth and felt her lean against “Your mother found a lump in her breast a couple weeks . She… uh.,. she had some tests done and we found out the Friday.” His voice broke. “I’m sorry.” He sucked in a breath and looked at the faces around him. “The cancer’s back. Your mother has to have surgery tomorrow morning.”
    Peter, Kari, Ryan, Ashley, Landon—the news worked its way across each face, until finally Brooke found her voice. “Are you having a mastectomy, Mom?” The words were calm, but the terror in her eyes was an expression of how they were all
    ohn could feel their fear like a.physical assault.
    Quiet tears were streaming down Elizabeth’s face. She ohn’s hand, her signal that she couldn’t talk, couldn’t lift her eyes to look at them. Not yet.
    John tried to think like a doctor, tried to remember his training and the way he’d been forced to give bad news
    of patients over the years. “A double mastectomy. . Steinman is hopeful that he’ll get it all if they operate
    had expected a dozen questions, but the shock was simtoo great. They couldn’t ask a single question that would
    the facts. Their mother had cancer. Serious cancer. And morning she would have a double mastectomy in a attempt to save her life.
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    What could they say?
    Their father’s announcement had said it all.
    One at a time they stood and found their way across the room. Some with tears, some with quiet whispers, they circled their arms around Elizabeth and John until they were one—one group of people who would stand together, stay by each other
    and see Elizabeth through, no matter what happened after to ” morrow.
    They would survive whatever came because they were Baxters, and that’s what Baxters did. They stuck together—believing, praying, supporting each other whether the news was glorious enough to sing about.
    Or the worst news of their entire lives.
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CHAPTER EIGHT
    Before everyone left, Elizabeth found the strength to make a three-way call to Erin and Sam, and Luke and Reagan. 3iness, Ashley and Kari shared first. The response was of course, positive, Luke especially finding reason to shout out loud when he heard that Ashley didn’t have HIV.
    Then John finished the call by telling them about Elizabeth’s surgery. Elizabeth closed her eyes for that part, certain she could hear Erin crying in the background. Sam had to finish for her, and both he and Luke promised to call the next day for a report.
    Finally, when the kids and grandkids had gone home, Elizabeth got ready for bed and climbed in beside John. “You were
    . He rolled onto his side, and with his fingers he brushed her hair back from her eyes. “About telling them?”
    “Yes.” She sighed. “John, tell me this isn’t the end.” She looked at him, searching for a glimmer of hope.
    ‘ “We’ve talked about this.” He looked tired, the strength he’d 84
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    shown earlier long gone. “We beg Jesus for a miracle and we believe it’ll happen. Look what God’s doing with Hayley.” John’s voice gathered some of his earlier strength. “We have to believe, Elizabeth. Otherwise we’re doomed from the beginning.”
    She nodded and sank deeper into the sheets. “I keep thinking about him, wondering where he is now.”
    John leaned up on his elbow. “Thinking about who?”
    “You know who.” Her eyes found his and a knowing was there, a knowing even John couldn’t deny. “Come on, John. Don’t tell me you