Eli shrugged. “The only private spot around here, unless you want to talk to the tune of a washboard. Or be ogled by a pack of Landrys.”
“I can think of worse things. Like a man in steel-toed boots staring down at us from a hole in the roof.”
Lauren noticed how the sun, dipping behind the trees, warmed the color of Eli’s skin. It wasn’t nearly as warm as his generous heart. Six months after the storm and she couldn’t imagine life without loving this man.
“Besides . . .” Eli touched the mistletoe in her hair, kissed her forehead lightly. “I don’t think of this spot as the ‘chicken coop place.’ I think of it as the place I first got the nerve to tell you that I wanted there to be an ‘us.’ And I think of it as the site where the helicopter landed after the storm, to carry Drew and me to the hospital. The morning I took a chance on hope.”
Lauren reached up to stroke his face. “I’m so grateful that you did.”
“It started with you, Lauren.” Eli grasped her hand and kissed her fingertips. “You are more than my music. You’re the woman who pointed the way out of the storm. Back to my faith. My family. You’re part of my heart now. My life . . .”
Lauren nodded, happy tears welling. “I love you, Eli.”
“I love you. More than I can say . . . in the company of chickens.” He smiled. “I made a reservation for dinner tonight. The Rainbow Lodge—I’m finally getting us there. It’s supposed to be one of the most romantic restaurants in Houston.”
Lauren smiled. “I’ve heard that.”
“But I wanted to tell you how I feel right here first. And I want to . . .” He leaned away, reached into his jacket pocket. “Okay, imagine yourself at the Rainbow Lodge.”
Lauren’s heart stalled as he pulled out a small blue box. When he opened the lid, the setting sun caught the facets on the diamonds like . . . a rainbow.
“Oh, Eli, it’s beautiful.”
“I love you, Lauren. I want us to be married.” Eli’s eyes held hers. “It’s a little complicated, I know. I come with a ready-made family. There’s Emma. And Shrek. I have a brother who—”
“I know.” Lauren pressed her finger to his lips. “I know all of that. It’s a big part of why I love you, Eli. And yes . . . I want to marry you. I want to be a mother to Emma—and Shrek. A sister to Drew. I love that you’ll be a big brother to Jess. And—”
Eli didn’t let her finish. His arms were around her, his lips finding hers, sealing their promise, their future.
To the soft cluck of Mimaw’s chickens.
As Jess said . . . why not?
Life, after all, was messy, filled with unexpected complications. Quirky. But hopeful, too. Oh, so very hopeful.
Lauren loved that.
About the Author
CANDACE CALVERT is a former ER nurse and author of the Mercy Hospital series—Critical Care, Disaster Status, and Code Triage—and the Grace Medical series—Trauma Plan, Rescue Team, and Life Support. Her medical dramas offer readers a chance to “scrub in” on the exciting world of emergency medicine. Wife, mother, and very proud grandmother, Candace makes her home in northern California. Visit her website at www.candacecalvert.com.
Discussion Guide
USE THESE QUESTIONS for individual reflection or for discussion within your book club or small group.
Note: If you would like me to “attend” your book club’s gathering, please e-mail me at [email protected]. I’ll try to arrange a speakerphone or Skype visit to join your discussion.
In the opening chapter of Life Support, we meet Lauren Barclay and Eli Landry. Both have a deep sense of responsibility toward their siblings, but each acts quite differently on that feeling. Eli takes a strong stance, isn’t afraid of conflict or controversy when protecting his brother. Lauren is more prone to worry, hover, and even accept the blame when her sister is late for work. Which approach were you more comfortable with? Why?
Eli is a single father, and his daughter, Emma, impacts the story in important ways from beginning to end. Did the father-child relationship shape how you felt about Eli? How so?
Darcee Grafton is a dramatic example of someone struggling with a mental health disorder. As the story evolves, we learn that Lauren’s sister, Jessica, may have a similar problem. When the hospital chaplain broaches the subject of help—a medical workup, counseling, possibly medication—Lauren is uncomfortable. She insists her parents would consider treatment a failure on their part—proof their daughter is flawed, that perhaps their faith isn’t strong enough. In your own experience, have you seen people hesitate to seek help because of the stigma of mental health treatment? Discuss.
The Barclay family’s feisty shih tzu, Hannah Leigh, sashays into the story and makes her presence known throughout. What similarities do you see in the way Lauren and her family deal with their “capricious” dog and their troubled younger daughter?
Though Eli’s brain-injured brother, Drew, is mostly silent, we see the other characters through his eyes and even have a chance to witness his deep faith. Did Drew’s point of view enhance the story for you? Look back at the storm scene in chapter 39. How did experiencing Drew’s health crisis from his perspective make you feel?
After surviving the horrors of Hurricane Katrina, the Viette family trusts God in all things, yet their experiences have taught them to “step up” and take action when necessary. As Cyril tells Lauren when he’s preparing for the coming storm, “I believe God listens to every prayer, but I don’t expect him to fill the sandbags.” In contrast, Lauren believes that her faith requires her to leave her sister’s problems entirely in God’s hands. Have you ever struggled with that conflict? What guides you in deciding when to step up and take action?
Life Support depicts storms on many levels—emotional, relational, medical, and spiritual, all against the background of an impending hurricane. Have you experienced a severe weather event? Does your family have a plan, a disaster kit? What significance is there in the fact that the Barclays have an elaborate storm plan yet live under a roof that is leaky and unsafe?
At one point, a frustrated Eli compares storm preparation to his brother’s medical situation, saying, “We stock up on batteries and candles. But an advance medical directive that offers mercy and dignity and peace? That’s too much planning, too uncomfortable to talk about.” Do you agree with him? Why or why not? Have you had family members or friends struggle with similar medical or end-of-life decisions?
Early in the story, we see Emma Landry with a rainbow painted on her cheek. Later, rainbows appear in Emma’s drawing, in Drew’s music, and finally Lauren sees a pale “watercolor” rainbow from her apartment balcony the morning after the storm. What do you think these rainbows symbolize?
The actions of ER manager Gayle Garner serve to heighten Lauren’s confusing doubts about her sister. Especially about the missing drugs. Lauren finds herself torn, uncertain of whom to believe. Which of them did you believe? Why? Were you surprised by the outcome of this subplot?
Despite some decidedly serious themes in this story, humor plays a part as well. Was there a favorite scene, character, conversation, or image in Life Support that brought a chuckle or two? Share.
In Life Support’s epilogue, we see the key characters moving forward with their lives, but some of the secondary characters’ futures are left to readers’ imaginations. What do you envision for Gayle Garner? Darcee? Fletcher Holt? Does the ending tie up enough story threads to satisfy?
Thank you for reading Life Support. Please visit my website at www.candacecalvert.com for information on upcoming books. And do drop me a note; I’d love to hear from you.
Warmly,
Candace Calvert
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