“Not exactly,” Michelle replied. “Let’s sit down like your father suggested.” She glanced over at Steve and tipped her head in the direction of the barking.
“I’ll be right back,” he told them as he headed for the back door. In the background, they could hear him say, “Calm down, boy. Go fetch.” A moment later he was back in the room with them, and the barking had stopped.
“Whose dog is that?” Maddie asked.
“It’s Grandpa Phil’s dog, Thumper,” Michelle replied.
“Is Grandpa here?” Caleb asked, jumping up from his spot on the couch next to her.
Michelle reached out and took his hand. “No, honey. Sit down.”
“What’s going on?” Maddie asked, a realization apparently beginning to dawn on her. “Is Grandpa okay?”
Steve pulled her close. “Grandpa Phil is fine, sweetheart. But he’s not with us anymore. He’s gone ahead to heaven.”
“He’s with Grandpa John?” Caleb asked, his brow furrowed.
Steve nodded. “Yep.”
“This sucks,” Maddie said, pushing away and starting up the stairs. Turning, she added, “Why does God keep taking people we love? It’s not fair.” She stormed away to her room, Michelle calling after her.
“Let her go, honey,” Steve said. “Give her some time alone, and then I’ll go talk to her.”
Caleb leaned against Michelle. “So he’s never coming back, right? Just like Grandpa John.”
“That’s right,” she replied, giving him a squeeze.
“So we’ll never see him again,” he added.
“Not until we get to heaven,” she replied.
“Is Thumper going to live with us?” Caleb wanted to know.
“For a while. Grandma Joan is staying with grandmother at her house, and we have a bigger yard for Thumper to run around in.”
“Can I go play with him?” he asked.
“Sure, sport,” Steve replied, reaching over and ruffling his hair. “Come on, I’ll go with you. We can throw the ball for him.”
They stood up and walked out, Steve’s hand resting on their son’s shoulder.
Michelle sank back in the couch and prayed for all of them. Especially for Maddie, who was trying to understand God and His ways as she navigated the new waters of adolescence.
She could hear her guys in the backyard with the dog.
Maybe Thumper will perk up now that he has Caleb to play with, she thought, as the image of her grandfather’s dog patiently waiting for his master’s return filled the screen of her mind.
Later that day, Steve went up to find Madison and talk to her. She was sitting on her bed, propped against the pillows, and listening to her iPod. “May I come in?” he asked, knocking and cracking open the door, before peering inside.
“Sure.”
“Can we talk, honey?”
She nodded, setting the iPod aside and pulling her knees up to make room for him on the foot of the bed.
“I thought maybe we could talk about Grandpa Phil for a few minutes,” he said.
Maddie sighed and crossed her arms. “What’s the point, Dad? He’s gone and there’s nothing we can do about it.”
Steve reached over and squeezed her knee. “It’s the pits,” he agreed.
“The what?” she asked, her eyebrows lifted.
“The pits. That’s what we used to say when we didn’t like something.”
She shrugged. “Okay.”
“Honey, I know you’re really sad about Grandpa Phil. We’re all going to miss him.”
“That’s only part of why I’m upset,” she replied.
“So tell me the other part,” he said, brushing a stray lock of hair from her downturned face.
She looked him in the eye. “Where was God, Dad? We prayed for Grandpa—all of us. God could have easily healed him.”
Steve pulled her into his arms as her tears began to fall.
“Where was He?” she repeated between sobs.
His heart broke as he rocked their daughter and prayed for answers. When she’d calmed down a bit, he reached over to the nightstand and handed her a tissue.
Then he began to answer her question to the best of his ability. “Here’s what I believe, Madison. I believe God was right there with Grandpa Phil every moment. And for whatever reason, He knew it was time to bring Grandpa home to heaven.” He paused for a moment, searching her face for a spark of openness.
“Your great grandpa loved all of us very much, sweetheart,” he continued. “And I know a part of him wanted to stay here for many more years. To see you and Caleb grow up, get married, and even have kids of your own.” He paused, searching again for the right words. “But there was something Grandpa Phil loved even more than all of us.”
She nodded. “God, right?”
“That’s right, honey. He had a passion for God like no other man I’ve ever met. And he served Him for a very long time, eagerly waiting for the moment when he’d finally get to meet Him face-to-face.”
“So that’s what he’s doing now?”
“Yep. Right now, your grandpa and your great grandpa are able to look into the face of Jesus. They can speak directly to God.”
She looked down and picked at a loose thread on her comforter.
“You know, Maddie, for us death seems like a horrible thing. It’s something we fight at every turn. But God sees death as the ticket home to Him.” He paused and searched for an illustration to give her.
“Remember when you were teaching Caleb about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s fiery furnace?”
Madison nodded.
“That could have killed them, right?”
“Right.”
“That fiery furnace can be kind of like a serious illness. It can kill us.”
She listened attentively.
“So, just like those three guys, we pray to somehow be delivered. Do you remember what they said about God before they were thrown into the fire?”
“That He could deliver them out of it?”
“Yes. And did He?” he asked.
“No, not exactly. But they didn’t die either.”
“Right. And who did the Babylonian king see in the fire with them?”
“Another man who looked like the Son of God,” she replied.
“So here’s the thing, sweetheart. God responds to prayers about fiery trials in three ways. First, He might rescue us out of them and build our faith that He is a God who can change our circumstances in an instant. That would be like if He would have immediately healed Grandpa without any medical treatments.”
She nodded.
“Other times, God goes through the fiery trial with us and brings us out on the other end. That grows our faith because we see that no matter how bad it gets, He is always, always with us and will help us through it.”
“So, like if Grandpa would have gotten better from medicines?”
“Yeah.”
“Here’s the thing that’s hard for us to understand. Sometimes, He uses illness to reward our faith. That is when He says “enough” to the pain and suffering, and takes us directly into His arms. Then we get a brand new body that will never suffer or be sick again.”
She took a deep breath and let it out. “Go on.”
“From our perspective, we see death as unanswered prayer. But from His eternal viewpoint, that is the ultimate answer—total healing, perfected faith, and eternal life.”
“Alright. I think I get it,” she replied, and then added, “but it doesn’t make me feel any less sad.”
“That’s okay, honey. We all feel sad because we’ll miss him until we get to heaven. But here’s what I do when I think about my grandpa and wish I could see him. I just talk to Jesus and ask Him to tell my grandfather whatever it is I wanted to say.”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
“Daddy?”
“Yes, pumpkin?”
“Thanks for coming to talk to me.” She looked into his eyes and gave him a sad smile.
/>
Pulling her into his arms, he whispered, “I love you, baby.”
“I love you, too, Daddy.”
Michelle was walking past Madison’s door when she heard Steve’s voice. Standing quietly in the hall, she listened as her husband spoke words of comfort and encouragement to their daughter.
He sounds almost like Grandpa, she thought.
Tears of gratitude filled her eyes as she thanked God for spiritually growing all of them. Grandpa Phil was in heaven, but God was filling in the gaps through the heart of her husband.
That night, as she was tucking Caleb into bed, he piped up with a question that caught her off guard.
“Mom? Can I call Amber and tell her about Grandpa Phil?”
She hesitated, studying his face.
“She really liked him, and I want to invite her to come to the memory thing,” he explained.
“The memorial?”
“Yeah. That thing. So, can I call her?” he asked again.
“Let me talk to your father about it, okay? And I’ll give you an answer in the morning,” she replied. “You know kiddo, it’s a long way from Arizona to Oregon. She probably wouldn’t be able to come.”
“But let’s just ask her, okay? Please?” His earnest expression melted her heart. “Promise you’ll talk to Dad tonight.”
“Scout’s honor,” she replied, holding up three fingers.
After both kids were asleep, she found Steve flipping through the channels on the television. “Can we talk?” she asked.
He punched the power button off. “Sure.” Patting the seat beside him, he added, “Sit down.”
She relaxed into the soft cushions and turned to look at him. “Caleb wants to call Amber.”
“Why?”
“To tell her about the memorial for Grandpa and invite her to come.”
Steve’s eyes showed his surprise. “So what did you tell him?”
“That I’d discuss it with you.”
“Do you think it’s a good idea to have her out again so soon?” he asked.
“I doubt she’d actually come, Steve. But I’m thinking we should probably let him call her. Sometimes it’s like pulling teeth to get him to send her a little letter, and she’s pretty sad and lonely these days without Chad. The fact that he wants to include her, or at least invite her—well, I think it would be a sweet gesture. Something Grandpa would have encouraged.”
He sat quietly for few moments. Then, draping his arm over her shoulder and pulling her close, he said, “I’m a very blessed man to have a wife with your kind of heart.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze and leaned over to kiss the top of her head.
“You know, I was actually feeling the same way about you,” she said.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I listened in on your conversation with Madison this afternoon. If it wouldn’t have been your voice, I could have sworn I was listening to Grandpa.”
The look on Steve’s face was priceless. She saw gratitude and deep love in his eyes. “That’s about the best compliment I’ve ever received from anyone,” he said.
She smiled. “So what do you say about Caleb calling Amber? I’ll trust whatever you think is best.”
“I’d honestly rather not have her come. But I know your grandfather would be thinking of what is best for her, too. So, if you want to let Caleb call and invite her to the memorial, I’m okay with it.”
“Thanks, honey. Like I said, I doubt if she’ll be able to come on this short notice.” She looked into his eyes and gave him a gentle kiss. “I love you, Steve,” she added softly. He leaned in and kissed her back, softly at first and then with growing passion.
As she led him by the hand up the stairs to their bedroom, Michelle thanked God that their marriage had endured so many rough patches. She marveled at how married love could continue to grow deeper and more intimate through the years. Those early sparks of attraction, that had seemed so irresistible at the time, paled in comparison to what they felt and experienced together now.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Michelle sat with Caleb at the foot of the stairs, her cell phone in hand. “Now remember what I said, honey. There’s a good chance she won’t be able to come, so I don’t want you getting your hopes up.”
“Okay, Mom.”
She pulled up Amber’s number and placed the call. As soon as it began ringing, she handed the phone to him.
“Is this Amber?” he said a moment later. A smile spread across his face, and he looked up at Michelle and gave her a thumbs up. “This is Caleb.”
Michelle watched his expressions as he listened.
“I called to tell you something. My Grandpa Phil died.” His face became very serious as he relayed the news. After a pause, he said, “Yeah. We’re all pretty sad.”
Another pause.
“Well, I’m calling to see if you want to come to our remembering party about him.”
Michelle could see him pressing the phone tightly to his ear.
He nodded and grinned. “Okay! Good! I’ll let you talk to my mom about it.” Holding the phone out to Michelle, he whispered excitedly, “She’s coming!”
Michelle didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath up to that moment. She smiled and gave him a high five as she took the phone. Caleb continued to sit beside her, watching her face and listening to every word. After Michelle gave Amber all the details about the service, she offered to let her stay with them in Madison’s room for a few days while she was visiting.
“I can sleep on the couch. Really. I don’t want to cause any inconvenience for you guys,” Amber said.
“Maddie will be happy to share her room with you. Maybe you can sleep in her trundle bed pull out,” Michelle suggested. “Then you won’t feel like you are kicking her out of her room.”
“Perfect. See what she says, though. If she’d rather not, I’m fine on the couch.”
Caleb tugged on her arm. “She can have my room,” he whispered.
Michelle smiled and nodded. She covered the mouthpiece and said softly, “We’ll work it out, sport.”
Amber promised to call after she made arrangements for her travel. She’d probably have to take a bus.
“Let me talk to Steve,” Michelle said. “We’ve got some frequent flyer miles. Maybe we can arrange a flight for you.”
After they got off the phone, she looked over at Caleb. He was beaming. She ruffled his hair and stood up. “Let’s go check on Thumper,” she said, and they headed out to the backyard.
Later that day, Michelle approached Steve about the flight. “She’s planning to take a bus,” she said. “But that’s an awfully long ride for a young woman traveling alone.”
“I agree,” he replied. “It’s amazing that she is willing to come. Caleb seems really happy about it, so I’m glad he called her.”
“Me, too.” She hesitated and then added, “What would you think of using some of our frequent flyer miles to get a ticket for her?”
“That’s a great idea. I’ll take care of it in the morning,” he replied. “You’re something special, you know that?”
She laughed. “Because I thought of the frequent flyer miles?”
“No. Because you put Caleb first. And you aren’t insecure about Amber’s relationship with him.” He hugged her close. “Where is that boy of ours anyway?”
“Out playing with Thumper. Those two are practically inseparable. I’m a little concerned about how they’ll both do when Grandma takes him home again.”
“Maybe she’ll decide to stay in Sandy Cove.”
“Maybe,” she replied, suddenly realizing how much she hoped that was true.
Two days before the memorial service and a day before Amber’s arrival, Michelle’s lifelong friend, Kristin arrived with her husband. They’d booked a room at a local inn overlooking the coastline. As soon as they were checked into their room, Kristin called. “I’m dying to see you, `Shell! If you’re not too busy, wanna run over here and go for a walk on the beach? It’ll b
e like old times down in Seal.”
“I’d love to! Mom said she’d watch the kids this afternoon for a while. Let me give her a call and see when she can be here.”
Sheila agreed to come over, and as soon as she arrived, Michelle headed for the inn.
Seeing Kristin was like returning to her youth. Whenever they were together—no matter how long they’d been apart—they picked up right where they left off.
Immediately upon opening the door to her room, Kristin opened her arms. “Come here, friend.” As they embraced, she said, “I’m so sorry about your grandfather. That was really sudden.”
Michelle nodded. “I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that he’s gone. He and Grandma were just up for a visit about a month ago.”
“How’s your grandmother doing?”
“Better than I expected. She’s going to be staying with Mom for a while.”
“That sounds like a good idea. Must be a hard time for her, too—your mom, I mean.”
“Yeah. I think they’re both trying to be strong for each other,” Michelle said. Noticing her friend’s swollen middle, she said, “You look great, Kristin. Pregnancy agrees with you.” Reaching over, she patted her friend’s baby bump.
“Thanks. We can hardly wait to see this little guy.”
“Guy?”
“Yep. We just found out it’s a boy.”
“Congratulations!” Michelle replied, directing her glance back to Kristin’s husband, Mark, too.
He nodded to her and smiled.
“So, shall we take our walk by the water?” Kristin asked.
“Sounds great,” Michelle replied, eager to soak in the time with her lifelong friend.
“We’ll see you in about an hour, honey,” Kristin said to Mark, giving him a quick kiss.
“Have fun,” he replied.
As the two friends walked along the water’s edge, they caught up on each other’s lives and reminisced about their childhood years in Seal Beach.
“The water was much warmer down there,” Kristin said with a grin as it bit at her toes.
Michelle laughed. “It takes some getting used to.”
Around the Bend (Sandy Cove Series Book 4) Page 26
