This Very Moment by Rachel Ann Nunes Page B

it’s getting serious.”
    Suzy grabbed her hands excitedly. “I hope so. I hope and pray. He’s great! I can’t wait for you to meet him. But I really have to go now. Don’t worry about Bill. Things have a way of working out. Remember, only the Lord sees the big picture. Bye now.” She kissed Kylee’s cheek and was gone.
    By Wednesday of the following week, the day before Thanksgiving, another nine million dollars had filtered in, less expenses. Kylee was more than pleased. She made a trip to the bank, and then stopped in at the Children’s Hope offices in downtown Los Angeles.
    Elaina accepted the deposit slip and shook her head. “It’s so much money,” she said, tucking a strand of her short dark hair behind her ears. “Much more than I ever imagined raising in so few months.”
    “This is only the beginning, Elaina. I can feel it. As the ball gets rolling we’ll bring in much, much more.”
    Elaina let the bank slip drop to her desk. “There is another side to this, Kylee.”
    The seriousness in her voice brought a cold feeling to the pit of Kylee’s stomach. “What?”
    “Do you know we’ve had another hundred children referred to Children’s Hope in just the past few days? I can’t keep up with the submissions. Many are from poor countries; they’re simply grasping at any chance for a better life. I never dreamed there could be so many children out there with so many needs.” Tears glistened in Elaina’s blue eyes. Her hands curled into fists and then uncurled again. “I thought I could make a difference, really change something. But there is always one more child to help, one more person in pain. Sometimes I don’t know if I have the strength to face it. That’s when I think about quitting and going back to a normal life. It’s so much work, and I’m tired.”
    “I know it seems pretty hopeless when you look at all the children left to help,” Kylee answered. “That used to bother me, too. And some days are just plain overwhelming. But I find if I take one or two steps—in your case one or two children—and see their joy and how you’ve made a difference in their lives, you’ll find the strength to go on. You know that. You’ve done it before. Elaina, this is big. I can feel it. You’re making the difference. And like I said, this is only the beginning.”
    Elaina looked at her wearily. “You’re the one who makes the difference. You’re the one who has changed my life. And Troy’s. We’ll never be able to thank you enough.”
    “You don’t need to,” Kylee impulsively touched Elaina’s arm. “Well, I’ve got a meeting with 60 Minutes in a few minutes, so I have to be going.”
    “Break a leg.” Elaina glanced again at the bank deposit slip in front of her. “Oh Kylee, wait. Tell me, are these funds up to date?”
    “Yes. There’ll be more in a few days. When it starts to peter out, we’ll cut back on the commercials. As long as they’re generating profit, I think we need to keep them on.”
    “I’ll leave that in your hands.”
    Kylee smiled. “I won’t let you down.” She took a few steps toward the door. “That reminds me. Do you have a final time on Anna’s surgery? The people at 60 Minutes want to know what time to have the camera crew there on Wednesday.”
    “Then you haven’t heard,” Elaina said.
    Kylee didn’t like the sound of that. She walked back to Elaina’s desk. “Heard what?”
    “Dr. Nelson had to reschedule again. But this time, for sure, the surgery will be two weeks from today, December eighth. He had only one other appointment that day to work around, so I’m assuming it’ll be sometime before noon. I’ll let you know the minute he confirms the exact time.”
    “How do we know he’s not going to delay things again?”
    “He won’t. Not with 60 Minutes involved. He’ll get too much publicity out of this. His business will probably double. I told him that if he delayed one more time we’d get someone else, even if we have