Above All Else (Sandy Cove Series Book 7)

by Rosemary Hines

  “He’s stable. They’ve admitted him and gotten him into a room. There are a bunch of tests they want to run, and I think I’ll hang out here with Mom if everything is okay over there.”

  “Sure. That’s a good idea. I’ll pass along the news. Logan’s up and my parents and Caleb are here. We were just praying for your dad,” she said.

  “Thanks, babe. I’ll keep you posted.”

  Madison turned her attention back to the loved ones around her and shared the update.

  “Sounds like he’s going to be okay,” Steve said.

  “That’s what I was thinking, too,” she replied. “Luke sounded pretty upbeat.”

  Glancing at the Christmas tree in the corner of the room, she wondered to herself how this upcoming holiday would unfold.

  When it was clear that Ben was out of the woods for now, and that he had indeed had a heart attack, but they’d caught it in time, Kelly and Luke returned home. By this time everyone was awake and Michelle and Madison were fixing breakfast for all of them.

  Madison could feel fatigue settling on her like a heavy blanket. She’d noticed she was more tired than usual lately. Probably a combination of jetlag, recovering from her grief over Lily’s death, and all the hubbub of the holidays. When they got back to her parents’ house, she decided to go up and lie down for a while.

  Awakening an hour later to cramps, she said softly to herself, “Great. Now my period, too.” Pulling her phone off the nightstand, she flipped to her calendar. Wait a second. This can’t be right. Her period was overdue by two weeks. How had she lost track of it?

  Over the next few hours, her cramps subsided, but her period did not start. “It’s just stress,” she told herself. But by the end of the day, she’d made a decision. She’d go and pick up a pregnancy test to make sure.

  When she saw the positive results the next morning, she was stunned. Although she wanted a family with Luke, and they’d talked about having kids, this was not a good time. With Luke’s father in the hospital, and the orphanage expecting them back in a few weeks, their plates were full. She didn’t know how she could spring this on Luke right now. I won’t tell anyone yet.

  Sitting on the edge of her bed, she prayed for wisdom and God’s timing. Her tears began to flow freely as she opened her heart to Jesus, pouring out her sorrow about Lily, her concerns for Luke’s dad, her worries about her great grandmother, and her qualms about Caleb and Adam. Burden after burden slipped off her shoulders and into the Lord’s able hands, and by the time she was finished praying she had a word from God.

  This child is My gift. Do not fear. All is well.

  “Babe? Are you okay?” Luke stood in the doorway looking at her. She hadn’t even heard him come up.

  Nodding, she patted the bed beside her, and he came over and sat down. “Any news on your dad?” she asked.

  “No,” he replied, draping his arm over her shoulders and pulling her close to kiss the top of her head. “But I believe he’s going to be fine. Really.” He paused and then pulled back and looked her in the eye. “What about you? Are you feeling okay?”

  She smiled. “I’ve got some news for you.”

  Luke cocked his head with a curious expression. “Okay. Fire away. Is it something big?”

  “Well, it’s actually something small right now. But it’ll be getting bigger,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

  “You’ve got me. Spit it out,” he said.

  “So, it turns out I’m pregnant,” she said, laughing.

  He laughed back. “Funny.”

  “I’m serious. I really am,” she replied, taking his hand in hers and placing it on her abdomen. “You’ve got a baby cooking in there.”

  “Are you sure? I mean we’ve been pretty busy these past few weeks…”

  “Apparently not too busy for this,” she said with a wink.

  “Wow. I mean, wow.” His expression was a combination of confusion and elation.

  “Sorry to spring it on you like this, with everything else that’s going on with your dad and everything,” she said.

  “You’re kidding, right? This is the best news ever. My parents will be thrilled, and so will yours,” he replied, pulling her to her feet and hugging her close. Then he bent down and kissed her tenderly. “I love you, Mrs. Johnson.”

  “Feeling’s mutual,” she replied, kissing him back more passionately.

  “There you go again,” he warned with a wink. “But I’d better get going. I’m meeting my mom at the hospital. Save that kiss for tonight.”

  “Oh, I will, Mr. Johnson. I most definitely will.”

  “Do you want to come with me? We could tell my folks,” he suggested. “Or do you want to tell yours first?”

  “Let’s wait and tell everyone at Christmas. Hopefully your dad will be home by then, too,” she said, giving him one more kiss before he left.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  Turning from his patient to Kelly, Ben’s doctor reiterated his warning. “I’m really serious about this, Mrs. Johnson. If your husband continues to push himself, his heart will not hold out. You’re both very fortunate that he had this warning. Although no heart attack is a good one, his was very mild, and we were able to treat it in time to prevent any serious permanent damage. Next time, he won’t be so lucky. Of that I can almost guarantee.”

  She nodded and thanked him. “I’ll be sure to keep tabs on him. And we’ll be modifying our diet and getting more exercise. Right, honey?” she asked, glancing at her husband.

  “Right.”

  “I also recommend a modified work schedule, as we discussed earlier,” the doctor added. “You’ll be no good to your parishioners if you’re dead.”

  Ben winced and tried to smile. “Got it.”

  As the nurse wheeled him out to the parking lot in a wheelchair—“hospital procedure,” she explained above his protests, Ben thought about what the doctor had said. How do I cut back my hours? Especially now with the holidays upon us? How he wished the life of a pastor was as simple and free as many believed. More than once, he’d heard the comment, “Must be nice to only have to work on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings.”

  If only they knew the countless hours of counseling, the late night hospital visits, the grieving spouses and parents, as well as the demands of running the practical business side of keeping a church going. Now he’d have to figure out some way to cut back. Give me wisdom, Lord. Show me the way.

  As they left the hospital building and the sun peeked out from the cloudy sky, they spotted Luke pulling the car up to the curb. And almost as if Ben could audibly hear God’s voice, a whisper in his spirit told him Luke is your way.

  Trying to shake it off, Ben immediately thought about Luke’s commitment to the Children’s Garden. There was no way he could ask his son to stay here and help with the church.

  No, he must have heard God wrong.

  “So, Dad,” Luke began, later that evening. “I’ve been thinking about the Christmas Eve service, and I was wondering how you’d feel about me speaking that night. God’s been putting a message on my heart to share. Besides, it would do you good to rest and recuperate.”

  Ben studied his face. Had Kelly prompted their son to do this?

  “What? You don’t think I’m ready?” Luke asked teasingly. “I think I can handle a forty-five minute message,” he added.

  Ben smiled. “Okay, buddy. You’re on.” As soon as the words were out, relief swept over him. His heart attack seemed to have muddled his mind a bit, and he’d been really struggling to come up with a message of his own.

  Maybe God was right. Maybe Luke could help him out. At least until it was time for him to return to China.

  Christmas Eve was upon them so quickly that Kelly barely had time to wrap the gifts and get them under the tree. As the church service began, and the worship team asked the congregation to stand and sing “Oh Come All Ye Faithful”, a wave of thankfulness washed over her. This Christmas could have been very different. Reaching for
her husband’s hand as they stood together and sang, she pushed away images of widowhood and single parenting, and praised God for preserving Ben’s life.

  Each Christmas song held even more depth of meaning to her as she pondered the words and the amazing gift of God’s only son. She glanced down over their children standing and singing along, too, and she knew that her heart would never be the same if she lost any one of them. Yet God had willingly allowed Himself to be separated from His one and only begotten Son and had allowed Him to die on the cross to redeem the lost.

  Tears clouded her eyes. Such amazing love. It was unfathomable.

  And then it was time for the sermon. Kelly’s heart swelled with pride as Luke took to the pulpit, standing tall and steady as he greeted the congregation. “Let’s pray,” he said, and a hush fell over the room.

  “Heavenly Father, we’ve come tonight to celebrate the greatest gift of all—the gift of Your love and mercy, poured upon us through the touch of your Son. In the midst of the holiday feasts and family gatherings, may we not forget the purpose of Jesus’ incarnation, His brief life on earth, and His crucifixion and resurrection. Without Him, we would have no Christmas. But worse yet, we would have no hope. So lift our eyes tonight and always, to the Giver of the Greatest Gift ever. In the precious name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.”

  “Amen,” echoed the congregation.

  “Tonight I’ve chosen to focus on the wonder of new life. Those of you who are parents know the overwhelming emotions that stir your heart when you first see and hold your new baby. It is an experience that reminds us of the very real presence of God in our lives.

  “Many of you know about little Lily, the infant at the Children’s Garden Orphanage who needed heart surgery. She had found her way into our hearts and lives, and we were so thankful that you, in this body of believers, rallied to provide funds for her surgery.

  “We loved that precious baby and were so eager to share a successful surgery and a healthy outcome with you.” He paused and took a deep breath, momentarily making eye contact with Madison. Kelly could see the pain in his expression, and she prayed for him to have strength and peace as he shared.

  Clearing his throat and looking around the sanctuary again, he smiled sadly and said, “But God had other plans for Lily. He took her home to spend this Christmas with Jesus.”

  He looked back at Madison and said, “When I think of Mary, a young mother with a newborn baby, I picture the same love in her eyes that I saw in my wife’s eyes whenever she held Lily. There’s something about the bond between a woman and the child she holds dear that can give us a new layer of understanding to the nativity narrative.

  “God chose Mary to be that woman for His Son.” Glancing around the sanctuary, he smiled and added, “And He’s chosen many of you to fulfill that role in the lives of other children—some through birth and some through adoption. He’s crafted a woman’s heart to have such tenderness and love, that even the youngest, most helpless babe can find security and rest.” This time his eyes lit on Kelly and he gave her a smile that warmed her heart and even made her blush a little.

  How often she’d taken her role as a mother for granted. Yet, here was her oldest son communicating with his eyes and a loving smile just how much she meant to him. Again the tears welled in her eyes.

  As Luke continued his message about Mary and the special bond she had with Jesus, Kelly glanced over at Madison. She was wiping tears from her own eyes. She must still be so tender over the loss of Lily. Dear Lord, please comfort her and give her peace.

  The service ended with one of the high school girls singing a solo of the song, “Mary, Did You Know?” As the words spoke of all the awe and heartache that Mary would experience through the life of her Son, Kelly could hear sniffling and see that there wasn’t a dry eye in the sanctuary. She squeezed Ben’s hand, and he looked over at her, nodded and smiled through tears of his own.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  Caleb arose Christmas morning with an empty feeling in the pit of his stomach. Amber and Will had cancelled their annual holiday trip to Sandy Cove, and Adam made it clear he was not interested in participating in any of Caleb’s family’s celebrations. “It’s just not my thing,” he’d explained. “I’ve never been much for holidays. But I’m making a New Year’s resolution to get to your church,” he’d added, giving Caleb a playful shove.

  Everyone was so happy to have Madison and Luke home, and now with Luke’s dad out of the hospital, Caleb knew there’d be a huge family dinner together that night. He knew he should be in the spirit of things. But ever since he’d started looking for his biological father, he felt a wedge of sorts between himself and his family.

  Sighing deeply, he pushed out of bed, half-heartedly pulled up the comforter, and grabbed his jeans from the floor. After he was dressed, he glanced in the mirror to find his hair was shooting out in all directions and his face was looking a little scruffy. “Better shave,” he muttered to himself, wanting to avoid the usual comments from Steve. No need to ruffle any feathers today. He’d just force a smile and do his best to get through the day.

  As he walked past Maddie’s bedroom door, he could hear them getting ready. Picturing Madison married was still a bit of a stretch, but at least she’d chosen well.

  Heading down the stairs, he could smell the fragrance of their traditional Christmas coffee cake. In spite of his mood, his stomach responded with a hearty appetite. “Morning, Mom,” he said as he walked into the kitchen.

  She turned and smiled. “Merry Christmas, honey.”

  “Yeah. Merry Christmas,” he replied, trying to sound upbeat. “Where’s Dad?”

  “In the study wrapping something,” she said.

  Caleb smiled and shook his head. “True to form. The Christmas Eve shopper lives on.”

  Soon the five of them were settled around the breakfast table feasting on egg casserole and coffee cake. It seemed a little weird to have Luke there. Usually it was the four of them. But hey, Luke was a welcome addition as far as Caleb was concerned. Now there were two of them at the table who were ‘added’ into the family, so to speak.

  After eating and opening gifts, Madison and Luke headed over to Luke’s family’s house for their Christmas gift exchange and lunch. Then they’d all congregate together again here for dinner, along with Grandma Sheila and Rick as well as Great Grandma Joan. Caleb knew his mom would be swamped throughout the afternoon preparing food for all those people, and she’d likely recruit his dad to help out.

  Perfect opportunity for Caleb to disappear for a while and get a break from his happy façade. He ended up in his room playing video games and taking a snooze.

  At five o’clock, the families came together for supper. As they sat down around the enlarged dining room table together, Ben asked to speak for a moment.

  “I just want all of you to know how very thankful I am for each and every one of you. This past month has been a real wakeup call for me and a reminder to never take family for granted.”

  “Amen,” Steve replied. “And we’re all more than thankful for you and that God has given us more time together.” Then he turned to Luke, “Would you do the honors?”

  Luke glanced at Madison, sitting beside him, and they exchanged smiles. “I’d be happy, to. But first, Maddie and I have an announcement.” He stood up and pulled her to her feet, amidst her protests. She was blushing, and Caleb could tell that she was happy but also embarrassed to be the object of everyone’s focus.

  “We’d like to share with all of you that there’ll be an extra place at the table next Christmas,” he said, draping his arm over Madison’s shoulder and giving her a squeeze.

  Everyone’s eyes were riveted on Maddie. “So, it turns out I’m pregnant,” she said with a grin.

  “That’s wonderful!” Michelle blurted, jumping to her feet and rushing over to hug Madison.

  Soon everyone was surrounding them, hugging and kissing them and sharing their excitement.

  The empty feel
ing from the morning hit Caleb again and pierced his heart. Madison truly belonged to this family, and now so did Luke. And their baby would never know the hollow feeling Caleb was experiencing. He or she would belong to Luke and Maddie in every way.

  As Madison turned to face him, Caleb wanted to be happy for her. He forced a smile and fought back his tears. “So what do you think, little brother?” she asked.

  “Uh, it’s great. Really. I’m totally happy for you,” he replied. Reaching over, he gave her a hug. “Be right back,” he added as he walked out of the room, leaving behind all the chatter and celebration.

  Erick called Luke the next morning. “Chen is really struggling. He’s refusing food and keeps asking for you. Do you think you could cut your vacation short and head back? I’m really concerned about him.”

  “How long’s this been going on?” Luke asked.

  “For the past week. I didn’t want to upset your Christmas, so I held off calling. But I think you’d better try to get back.”

  “Let me talk it over with Madison, and I’ll let you know,” Luke promised. “It’s probably not the best way to tell you this, but we just discovered we’re going to have a baby.”

  “Really? Wow, that’s great, Luke. So hey, you guys do what you need to do. Your own family has to come first,” he said. “How’s your dad doing?”

  “Great. He’s been home for a few days, and he’s starting to get his strength back.”

  “Well, that’s good news,” Erick replied.

  After they hung up, Luke sat on the bed and thought about Chen. An image of the little guy was seared on Luke’s heart, and he felt compelled to go back. But he knew because of Madison’s Von Willebrand’s condition, her pregnancy would be a higher risk one. Plus he felt pressed to help his father with all his responsibilities at church.

  Take Caleb and go a voice spoke into his spirit. Caleb? Really? Luke dropped to his knees beside the bed and prayed fervently for wisdom. By the time he arose, his marching orders were clear. He was to return to Children’s Garden for a short stay and see what he could do about Chen. And he was to take Caleb along.