Abide with Me

by Delia Parr

  Madge poked her head back into Andrea’s room. “Not funny,” she snapped, and hurried to the front door. She peered through the peephole, saw Jenny standing on the porch and let her in. “What brings you over?”

  Jenny held out one bag, then another with her other hand. “Treats. I was going to your house next. The girls fell asleep on the way home, and Michael wanted to spend a little time on the computer, so I thought I’d make a few special deliveries. Besides, I needed to check on Andrea and I wanted to see your plaque. How did it go tonight?”

  Madge could not have held back a grin if she tried and retrieved her tote bag. “It was so nice. Everyone applauded. I mentioned you and Andrea in my speech, and Russell, too. He called me on my cell phone right after I got the award. The banquet manager promised me a copy of the videotape so I could show Russell when he gets back next week. Then you can have it. I’ll have copies made to send to the boys.”

  “I can’t wait. Is Andrea still awake?”

  Madge led her sister to the bedroom. “Did you know she went to work today?”

  Jenny frowned. “I heard. She’s got to be tired. Maybe we can look at the plaque together, have a quick treat, and let her get some rest.” She yawned and covered her mouth with the back of her arm.

  “You look beat.”

  “Long day, like always, but the bride was radiant and the food at the reception was yummy. I brought some wedding cake home.”

  They found Andrea sitting up in bed and grinning when they entered her room. “Did I hear you say wedding cake? Let’s have a picnic right here.”

  Madge set down her tote bag. “I’ll get some forks and plates.”

  “Got ’em,” Jenny said. She climbed up on the far side of the bed, crossed her legs Indian-style and opened her bags of cake while Madge settled in on Andrea’s other side. Within moments, they were nibbling away.

  “This is great cake!” Madge took another bite, certain the cake was McAllister’s famous pound cake. “I was so excited at the banquet, and so many people came up to talk to me that I never did get to eat my dessert tonight.”

  “It’s been a great day, and this is a perfect way to celebrate all the blessings we’ve been given,” Andrea remarked.

  Jenny looked from Madge to Andrea and back again, wearing a puzzled expression. “I know why you’re celebrating, Madge. Come on, unveil your plaque.”

  Madge leaned over, pulled the plaque from her tote bag, and held up the wooden frame with her fingertips so both of her sisters could see it.

  Andrea traced the border of raised flowers on the ceramic inlay. “It’s lovely.”

  Jenny read the inscription aloud: “Madge Stevens. Forty-First Home Gardener of the Year. Tilton County Horticultural Society.” She sighed. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “Me, too,” Andrea murmured.

  Madge turned the plaque around, studied the face again and smiled as she stored the plaque back in her tote bag.

  “What about you?” Jenny asked Andrea. “What could you possibly be celebrating today?”

  “I’m actually celebrating two things,” Andrea told her. “First, I’ve hired my first employee. Temporarily, of course. Doris Blake will be helping me at the office until I can back on my feet. Thanks to Madge.”

  Jenny looked as relieved as Madge felt. She had not really been sure how Andrea would take her meddling, as good intentioned as it was to ask Doris to work for Andrea before she’d consulted with her.

  Jenny took another bite. “And the second?”

  “I agreed to let Jamie Martin work in the office this summer, too,” Andrea announced.

  Madge nearly choked. So did Jenny.

  Andrea quickly explained her decision. By the time she’d finished, Madge was so overwhelmed she had to blink back tears. Andrea’s capacity to forgive was a model of faith that she would have to spend the rest of her life emulating. “You’re an amazing woman,” she whispered.

  Jenny beamed. “I’m so proud of you.”

  Andrea actually blushed. “Enough. You both would have done the same thing. So…Madge and I both have a lot to celebrate tonight. What about you, Jenny? We shouldn’t leave you out. Have you got something to celebrate today?”

  When her baby sister grinned, she caught and held Madge’s attention. “As a matter of fact…I do. Michael and I do have something to celebrate.”

  Madge clapped her hands. “He finished his book, and now he can go back to teaching so you can stay home with your little ones!”

  Jenny’s smile faded. “No. But it won’t be long now. He’s hoping to have it done by the end of the summer. Then he’ll be sending it out in the hope of finding a literary agent, but there’s no guarantee this book will ever find an agent or get published. In the meantime,” she added defensively, “I plan to keep working and supporting him while he pursues his dream.”

  Andrea jumped into the conversation and changed the focus from Michael and his book to her sister. “I know! You got promoted to nursing supervisor, and with your raise, you’re putting in a pool for the girls,” she suggested.

  Jenny shook her head. “No promotion for me, thank you. I like it right where I am. And no pool! The umbrella sprinkler is quite enough for now,” she added with a chuckle.

  “So you can forget any ideas you have about swimming fully clothed,” Madge teased. “Let’s see…something to celebrate. You’re getting a new car?”

  Jenny grinned. “Wrong.”

  Andrea tried again. “You’ve decided to move and you need me to help you find another house?”

  “Wrong again. You two must be getting old. Here. I’ll give you a hint.” Jenny rested both of her palms on top of her stomach and smiled. “Ready to guess again now?”

  “A baby! You’re having a baby!” Madge squealed, and Andrea’s voice joined in unison.

  “Finally!” Jenny beamed. “Katy and Hannah are going to have a baby brother or a baby sister in February.”

  After hugs and kisses all around, a bit restrained to accommodate Andrea’s injury, Madge and Jenny left for home. Jenny waited until Madge drove away in her purple convertible before starting her own car. Instead of pulling out, however, she gripped the steering wheel and took several long, deep gulps of air to clear her mind and to try to understand why she was feeling so emotional after being with her sisters tonight. She was thrilled for Madge and her award. She was worried for Andrea and concerned about her accident, while cautiously optimistic about her chances for beating cancer. She was ecstatic about having another baby, but she was…jealous. She wanted to have the free time Madge had. She wanted to be home with her girls and with this new baby. She wanted to support Michael’s dream of becoming a writer, but what about her own dreams? Her own needs?

  The moment Andrea’s image flashed through her mind, guilt grabbed hold of her heart and nipped at the self-pity that seemed to consume her right now. Andrea was in a virtual battle for her life, a reality that was more than sobering.

  Humbled, Jenny brushed away her tears. She pulled away and drove toward home. All she needed was a good night’s sleep. She’d feel better in the morning, wouldn’t she?

  Chapter Eleven

  When the Sunday service ended, Andrea did not argue about staying with Michael and Jenny and the girls for the Summer Sunday Social. The church youth group was sponsoring the event as a service project that was planned for every Sunday in July and August.

  While Katy and Hannah were in another room playing games with the other children under the supervision of youth group volunteers, Jenny and Michael offered to serve some of the light refreshments to Andrea while she sat at their table with her back to the wall. The long white tablecloth concealed her foot elevated on a box beneath the table, thanks to Michael’s thoughtfulness. She was rather comfortable now, although her arms ached from using crutches. Using little stuffed squirrels as protective pads on the crutches was no help, and she made a mental note to try to replace the squirrels as soon as she could.

  Across
the room, Madge was holding court, receiving congratulations on her award. She looked stunning, as always. Her pale blond hair was perfect, not a hair out of place. She wore a long aqua dress, printed with sprigs of violets, that looked cool and was very becoming. As Madge chatted, however, Andrea noted just a touch of sadness in her eyes—a sadness Andrea suspected lay in the fact that Russell had not been able to come home to share in his wife’s joy at receiving her award.

  Not that Madge ever complained. She never protested about how much time Russell had to spend on the road. Ever. Not about missed birthdays or anniversaries. Not about spending so much time apart. Not now and not when their boys had been growing up.

  Madge was too loyal, too committed to her marriage and too much in love with her husband to utter a word against him.

  Andrea let out a sigh. Whether it was inspired by a little jealousy or a sister’s protective instinct, she was not sure. All she knew was that if Russell Stevens loved his wife as much as Madge loved him, he would have come home by plane, train, car or on horseback, if necessary, and shared Madge’s special moment last night and attended services with her today, too.

  “Judge not,” she murmured, hoping to retrieve some of the grace she had lost by letting her love for her sister lead her to selfish thoughts. She opened the church bulletin to distract herself and saw the advertisement for the new Shawl Ministry that Madge had mentioned the other day.

  The advertisement filled a quarter-page box inside a border decorated with small crosses formed from pairs of knitting needles. It read:

  Announcing the newly formed

  Church of Holy Faith

  Shawl Ministry

  Wanted: Volunteers committed to prayer, fellowship

  and the desire to serve Him by ministering

  to others

  Required: Willing hands and loving hearts

  Knitting skills desirable, but not necessary

  Come two afternoons a month to knit or teach

  others to knit!

  New Members Meeting: August 14, 7 p.m.

  Welleswood Community Center

  Donations of materials also appreciated

  Memories began to surface, but before they came into focus, Andrea heard someone approaching. When she looked up, Peggy Fallon greeted her with a smile. “I heard about what happened. You look great, considering.” She sat down next to Andrea. “Do you feel as good as you look?”

  Andrea groaned. “You’re a sweetheart. I certainly hope I look a lot better than I feel. Mostly, I just tire out a whole lot faster than I like these days.”

  “Who doesn’t?” She tapped the advertisement Andrea had been reading. “I think the Shawl Ministry is a great idea. Tim’s going to print some signs to put up around town to see how many people we can get involved.”

  “He’s got a good heart,” Andrea murmured.

  Peggy laughed. “And you’ve got a very persuasive sister.”

  “Madge?” Andrea asked, although she knew only too well how persuasive Madge could be. Who else could have convinced Andrea to attend the meeting for the Shawl Ministry?

  “None other. But the printing won’t take too much time. Since Tim runs the church bulletin, he already has the ad in the computer. Touch a few buttons and keys, and he’s got the size he needs for the signs. They should be ready by noon tomorrow. He’s got a lot of work to do, and we were wondering if maybe you could let Jamie Martin take some time off tomorrow to pick up the signs and distribute them to the businesses in town? We need to get the signs into shop windows as quickly as we can. Otherwise, Jamie can stop in as soon as he finishes up work.”

  Andrea toyed with the corner of the bulletin. “I didn’t realize you knew Jamie was going to be helping out at the agency. Word sure does spread fast.”

  Peggy patted Andrea’s hand. “Good news, bad news and all the news in-between. That means, fortunately, for Jamie’s sake, that yesterday’s news gets forgotten rather quickly. He really impressed a lot of people by volunteering to help you while you recuperate. You’ve impressed them even more by letting him.”

  Andrea waved away the compliment. “He’s a good kid. It was just an accident.” She paused. “I’m not sure I would ask him to distribute the signs, though. Talking to the different business owners, some of whom might want to take him to task for—”

  “He knows that. He said he would do it, but only if you gave your permission.”

  “Jamie already agreed? Are you sure?”

  “He’s right next door helping with the little ones. You could ask him yourself.”

  “No. It’s fine. If Jamie wants to do it, then sure. He can see Tim at noon.”

  Peggy stood up. “Thanks. I’ll tell Tim. Oh, I almost forgot. Tim said to tell you to send Doris Blake over early. Say nine-thirty? He’ll try to get those business cards finished by the end of the day. And if you need anything, anything at all…”

  “I will. Thank you.”

  As Peggy made her way back to her husband, a clamor of voices drew Andrea’s attention. When she looked in the direction of the disturbance, which had evolved into a round of applause, she clapped her hand to her heart.

  Russell Stevens, her brother-in-law, had entered the room and was approaching his wife with a bouquet of purple daisies in one hand and a dazzling smile on his face. At two inches over six feet, he was still as trim and good-looking as he had been in college when Madge first met him and brought him home to meet the family. True, he now sported a few gray hairs at his temples, and the years had etched character into his face, but he still commanded attention in any gathering.

  Attentive and handsome, he was the husband every woman dreamed of claiming for their own. Generous and outgoing, he was the neighbor everyone wanted living next door. In short, he was the town’s favorite adopted son, active in community affairs and local politics whenever he was home from his travels.

  Andrea’s eyes filled with tears of joy as Madge hurried into her husband’s embrace. He hugged her to him and swung her off her feet, much to the delight of the crowd. As charming as ever, Russell Stevens conquered every heart in the room, including Andrea’s, and guilt tugged at her conscience. “Judge not,” she repeated, and offered a quick prayer as penance for her earlier negative thoughts.

  Madge beamed as she led Russell over to the table. Surprise and joy had erased all signs of sadness in her eyes. “You’re here. I can’t believe you’re actually here,” she gushed. “Look, Andrea. Russell’s here!”

  Andrea laughed. “As you can see, you’ve made my sister very happy. Thanks, Russell. The award means so much more, now that you’re here to share it with her.”

  He put his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “I wanted to get back in time for the banquet last night. Unfortunately, I had some car trouble on the way. I couldn’t get my hands on a rental until late last night.” He paused, and his expression grew troubled. “I’m sorry to hear about…about everything. Then to have such an avoidable accident with that boy. I’m terribly sorry,” he murmured.

  Grateful that he did not mention the word cancer with so many people around who might overhear, Andrea swallowed hard. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m doing pretty well. Madge is taking good care of me. Jenny, too.”

  He squeezed Madge to his side. “That’s my girl.” He looked down at her. “What kind of plans have you made for the afternoon?”

  Madge blushed. “I—I promised Andrea I would come by and work on her garden.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Andrea countered. “The flower beds can survive another day or two. Go. Spend some time with your husband,” she urged.

  Russell grinned. “I’ve made reservations at La Casita for four o’clock. Think you’re up to celebrating with us, Andrea? I called Michael early this morning. He and Jenny are coming.”

  Madge elbowed him. “Michael knew you were coming home today?”

  He feigned injury. “Not until this morning. What do you say, Andrea? Are you feeling up to coming? It would mean a lo
t if you could.”

  Andrea hesitated. Her shoulder was still very sore, and her ankle was throbbing. She was also a little tired. But the mere mention of La Casita, the new Mexican restaurant on the avenue, had her mouth watering and eased every ache and pain in her body. “I’d walk a mile on these ridiculous crutches to have one of their tortilla samplers. All I need is a nap first,” she replied.

  “We’ll pick you up,” Madge offered.

  “And we’ll take you home whenever you’ve decided you’ve had enough,” Russell added, just as Jenny and Michael arrived with plates of cookies and glasses of punch. After a hug from Jenny and a handshake from Michael, Russell took Madge’s hand. “If you folks don’t mind, we’re going to start making our way out of here. Michael, we’ll see you and Jenny at the restaurant. Andrea, we’ll pick you up at quarter to four.” Without waiting for any of them to respond, Russell guided Madge back through a maze of well-wishers.

  Michael excused himself to check on the girls, but Jenny sat down next to Andrea and sighed. “I’d love a nap. How about you?”

  “Already have one planned.”

  Jenny smiled. “I’m sure Russell and Madge will ‘take a nap,’ too. Sometimes I wish…I wish you had someone, too, like me and Madge.”

  Andrea moistened her lips. “It’s okay. I don’t mind so much anymore. Once in a while, though, I wonder what it would be like if Peter had lived.” She shook away the sadness that nearly enveloped her. “But it’s okay. I have you and Madge. I have my business and my clients. And the kids. I call them a lot.”

  “I know, but it’s not the same as having a husband.”

  Andrea lowered her eyes. Jenny was right. It was not the same. Even with all the blessings she had received, it just was not the same.

  It was different, this being alone. She was not lonely. She was just…alone. Always alone. She nearly fell into the trap of self-pity before she brightened. “I have the ‘girls’ now.”

  Jenny nibbled on a coconut bar. “They’re cats. They don’t count.”

  “They snuggle. They purr. And they never complain,” Andrea argued. She took a brownie and broke it in half.