by Kay Edwards
Chapter Fifteen
Dalton and Misty sat in the living room and waited for Brent's parents. They had flown in from Florida and Wyatt was picking them up. Misty trembled just a little. "I haven't seen them since the funeral. They were beside themselves with grief. Dalton, are you sure about this?"
Dalton held her hand. "As a child, I didn't understand the dynamics of my family. My biological dad's parents loved all of us kids. It wasn't until I was much older that I realized how special my dad was for being willing to share. I want them to know I will give them that. They need to be normal with Rachel. They need to show her the Brent they knew."
"What if they don't like what you have to say?" Misty started to shake as her nerves took over.
Dalton smiled at her. "It will be up to them, but I'm hoping that they will see me and understand it does work. I am proof that death does not mean it has to be the end."
The door opened, and Wyatt walked in followed by Liz and Vince. Misty hesitated until Dalton gave her a little shove in their direction. The action didn't go unnoticed by Brent’s parents. They looked at him curiously. Misty hugged Brent's parents. "I've missed you both." She whispered.
Vince looked at Dalton. He realized who this man could be. His heart broke that it was this man, not his son that was standing there. He looked down at Misty and was surprised to hear her refer to them as she had when Brent was alive.
Misty led Brent's parents over to Dalton. "Mom and Dad Adams, I would like to introduce you to Dalton Nelson."
Dalton stretched out his hand and shook Vince’s hand. “It is very nice to meet you both.”
Wyatt watched as they shook hands. He cleared his throat. "Misty come help me in the kitchen."
Dalton watched the surprised looks on Vince and Liz's faces. He spoke softly. "I asked them to do that."
Vince gauged the man in front of him. "Why?"
Dalton took a deep breath. "If my father walked down the street today I would recognize him. The reason I would is because my dad made him a part of our family even though he had died before I was born. My dad is the man that chose me to be his son. My father is the one who loved me and never got to hold me. He is the one my dad wanted to make sure I knew of and loved. He told me everything he could about my dad. When I had questions, he didn’t have the answer for he would call my grandparents and ask."
Liz felt tears sting her eyes. She needed to know how it worked. "How did that work? How did your dad share you and your mom?"
Dalton shrugged his shoulders. "The main reason it worked would be that God was the center of our home. My dad obeyed His leading. We never knew it was different. My father's parents Granny and Poppy treated all of us kids the same. To them even the children my mom and dad had together were theirs to spoil. I don't think my siblings had a clue until we were older that they were not their grandparents by blood but grandparents to them by choice. My father was a police officer killed in the line of duty. I was taught that he was brave and a hero. I had a picture of him on my nightstand. My mom and dad both encouraged me to love him. They showed me how to mourn the fact that I never got to know him. They showed me it was ok to want to know everything I could about him."
Vince asked softly. "Why are you telling us this?"
Dalton didn't hesitate. "If Misty and I are ever more than friends and I believe we will be, Brent will always be a part of our family. Rachel will always know who her father is. She will be so familiar with his face she could pick his face out in a crowd. I don't have a problem sitting down with a photo album and talking to her about her father. You are her grandparents, and you would have the same privileges at our home that you would have had at Brent's. You can show up and spoil her anytime you want no strings attached. She is a part of Brent, and that means she is a part of you two."
Liz wept softly into her hands. Vince pulled her into his arms. Dalton stood and walked over to them. He knelt in front of them. The look on his face was earnest as he said with conviction. "It will be ok. I don’t understand why it happened. I have never understood that about my own father. I do not even know now why God has put me here and not Brent. I trust that He sees a picture we do not, and that is enough."
For the first time since they had found out Rachel had been born this couple believed those words. Vince embraced Dalton and whispered. "Thank you, Dalton. You have no idea our worry. When we found out you existed, we were so afraid we were losing our grandbaby too. It never occurred to us that God had a special man other than Brent for Misty. Wyatt is right Brent would have approved. Can you ever forgive us for judging you before we even met you?"
Dalton looked at the couple. “There is nothing to forgive.”
Misty stood in the doorway with Rachel in her arms. Tears streamed down her cheeks at the scene. She walked in and knelt beside Dalton on the floor. Liz's hand came to her mouth as she looked into Brent's eyes. "She is beautiful."
Misty nodded. "She looks like her father."
Dalton smiled down at Rachel. He lightened the mood a bit when he said. "If we are lucky she will act like him too. Her mom is crazy."
Vince laughed through the tears. "Brent would agree on that one. Keeping Misty from hurting herself was a full-time job." He caught a glimpse of her bandaged arm and grinned. "I can see you already see that."
Dalton gave Misty a playful shove as he said. "I'm hoping to stop any more accidents from happening."
Liz frowned at the men. She looked back down at the baby in Misty's arms. "You two need to behave. Misty did a great job with this little person. Rachel is perfect."
Misty gently placed her daughter in her grandmother's arms. Dalton rose and helped her to her feet. The couple sat on the sofa and watched as the new grandparents loved on their grandbaby. Vince looked over at Dalton and Misty you could see the pain in his eyes as he asked. "How did you two meet?"
Misty was surprised by the question. She looked at Dalton and then back at them. "Didn't my parents or Wyatt tell you?"
Terry stood in the doorway. Liz and Vince watched as she came in with the rest of the family. "We didn't tell them you were missing. We needed to know more before we did something like that to them. After losing Brent, we just couldn't tell them you never made it here."
Liz looked at Vince. She looked at Misty and asked. "What happened?"
Misty looked up into Dalton's eyes. "It's ok." He whispered softly. He knew she hated remembering the cold, but it was up to her to tell them the story. He watched her frame shudder as she told them the near-death experience she had in the Colorado wilderness.
Liz looked at Dalton. "How did you manage to deliver a baby?"
Misty finished the story. "Dalton is a doctor. He knew exactly what to do. I didn't even know his name until after Rachel was safe in my arms."
Vince and Liz looked at Dalton. Liz spoke softly as she pulled Rachel closer. "You saved our Misty and Brent's, baby."
Dalton would not take credit for that. "I almost didn't go on my trip. I felt God telling me to go and went, it was He who saved Rachel. I was just the human He used."
Vince smiled at the man's humble response. "You obeyed God. Don't forget that Dalton. If you had not been there, this could have been a different story."
The group talked for hours. Misty showed her in-laws the notes she had from counseling. Vince had to agree with what she had written for Brent's side of the conversation. The fact was that Brent had loved his wife with a passion, but his love was also unselfish. He would want her to deal with the loss of his love and find a new love. As Liz and Vince sat and talked, they realized that Brent's love for Misty would be welcomed by Dalton. He would not expect her to forget their son but only make room for the love he wanted to show her. They also understood that they wanted to make room for Dalton as well. He had embraced them as more than just Rachel's grandparents but as a part of his new family. The grief and fear that had embraced
them were losing their grip. They realized that even during this season of mourning God had made a way for His light to shine.
