Reach for Tomorrow
Page 11
“She was so looking forward to your wedding, Katie. It kept her going, made her last days more bearable. We will always be grateful she had you in her life, and the friends she made at camp last summer.”
Sarah’s mother paused. “Listen, dear, I’m mailing you something that Sarah wanted you to have. She said you’d understand.”
Now, remembering that April evening, Katie reached up and fingered the diamond pendant around her neck. It had come full circle, back to Jenny House. She believed that Amanda would be pleased to know Katie was wearing it as her “something borrowed” on her wedding day. Katie wore the necklace for Sarah, for Amanda, for Jillian, and for all of them.
“Are we ready?” The wedding director, a small woman with brown hair, came hurrying into the room.
The bridesmaids and the bride scurried over to her. “Here we go,” Lacey said.
“Hope I don’t trip,” Chelsea said.
“I hope I don’t faint,” Meg countered.
“Go, girl,” Tara said to Katie.
Katie hugged each of her bridesmaids. “I’ll be right behind you,” she promised, and watched them line up as they were to walk down the aisle in front of her: Tara, Chelsea, and Meg, followed by Lacey, the maid of honor.
“You all look lovely,” the director said with a bright smile. She turned to Katie. “Your father’s waiting at the top of the stairs.”
Katie watched her friends climb the carpeted stairway to the vestibule. As Meg walked up, Katie again caught sight of her odd choice of necklace. Meg wore a yellow grosgrain ribbon tied at the back of her neck. A locket hung from the ribbon against her throat. “My grandmother’s,” she’d explained earlier.
“Wouldn’t it look better on a gold chain?” Lacey had asked. “I can loan you one if you’d like.”
Meg had reached up and touched the ribbon. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather wear this. It was a gift from a friend. A special gift.”
Katie had said, “Wear it.”
Katie took a deep breath and climbed the stairs behind her friends, the wedding director carrying her long train. In the narthex, her father stepped up and patted her hand. The director smoothed Katie’s train and fluffed her veil. The music started, and Lacey began her walk down the carpeted aisle. One by one the other girls followed.
From her vantage point, Katie saw the chapel pews filled with her family and friends. At the front of the chapel, behind the granite altar, the stained-glass window soared in hues of blue, yellow, and green. The center pane depicted white orchids, Jenny Crawford’s favorite flower, and above that pane was a blazing emblem of the sun. At the bottom, in Gothic-style lettering, was a passage from Scripture: “Lo, I am with you always.”
Light flooded through the window and cast the chapel in shades of pale blue and yellow. The scent of summer flowers hung in the cool mountain air.
The minister stood on the altar steps, and beside him Katie saw her Josh, smiling. Next to Josh stood his groomsmen—Richard Holloway, Jeff, Eric, and Morgan. A lump filled her throat and tears misted her eyes as she watched the procession. Her heart swelled. She loved them so! There could be no better friends in all the world. She wished Jenny Crawford could see from heaven all the good she had given to the world. The thought that maybe she could made Katie beam.
The organist began the wedding processional from Lohengrin, and Katie’s father asked, “Ready, lovely Katie?”
“Very ready, Daddy.”
She took her father’s arm, and with her gaze locked on to Josh’s, Katie O’Roark walked toward her future.
Dear Reader,
For those of you who have been longtime readers, I hope you have enjoyed this newest One Last Wish volume. For those of you discovering One Last Wish for the first time, I hope you will want to read the other books that are listed in detail in the next few pages. You’ll be able to read the stories of the characters who have come together in this volume. From Lacey to Katie to Morgan and the rest, you’ll discover the lives of the characters I hope you’ve come to care about just as I have.
Since the series began, I have received numerous letters from teens wishing to volunteer at Jenny House. That is not possible because Jenny House exists only in my imagination, but there are many fine organizations and camps for sick kids that would welcome volunteers. If you are interested in becoming such a volunteer, contact your local hospitals about their volunteer programs or try calling service organizations in your area to find out how you can help. Your own school might have a list of community service programs.
Extending yourself is one of the best ways of expanding your world … and of enlarging your heart. Turning good intentions into actions is consistently one of the most rewarding experiences in life. My wish is that the ideals of Jenny House will be carried on by you, my reader. I hope that now that we share the Jenny House attitude, you will believe as I do that the end is often only the beginning.
Thank you for caring.
YOU’LL WANT TO READ ALL THE ONE LAST WISH
BOOKS BY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Let Him Live
Someone Dies, Someone Lives
Mother, Help Me Live
A Time to Die
Sixteen and Dying
Mourning Song
The Legacy: Making Wishes Come True
Please Don’t Die
She Died Too Young
All the Days of Her Life
A Season for Goodbye
Reach for Tomorrow
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MEGAN,
BE SURE TO READ
ON SALE NOW FROM BANTAM BOOKS
0-553-56067-0
Excerpt from Let Him Live by Lurlene McDaniel
Copyright © 1993 by Lurlene McDaniel
Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers
a division of Random House, Inc.
1540 Broadway, New York, New York 10036
All rights reserved
Being a candy striper isn’t Megan Charnell’s idea of an exciting summer, but she volunteered and can’t get out of it. Megan has her own problems to deal with. Still, when she meets Donovan Jacoby, she find herself getting involved in his life.
Donovan shares with Megan his secret: An anonymous benefactor has granted him one last wish, and he needs Megan’s help. The money can’t buy a compatible transplant, but it can allow Donovan to give his mother and little brother something he feels he owes them. Can Megan help make his dream come true?
“When I first got sick in high school, kids were pretty sympathetic, but the sicker I got and the more school I missed, the harder it was to keep up with the old crowd,” Donovan explained. “Some of them tried to understand what I was going through, but unless you’ve been really sick …” He didn’t finish the sentence.
“I’ve never been sick,” Meg said, “but I really do know what you’re talking about.”
He tipped his head and looked into her eyes. “I believe you do.”
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT
KATIE AND JOSH, BE SURE TO READ
ON SALE NOW FROM BANTAM BOOKS
0-553-29842-9
Excerpt from Someone Dies, Someone Lives by Lurlene McDaniel
Copyright © 1992 by Lurlene McDaniel
Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers
a division of Random House, Inc.
1540 Broadway, New York, New York 10036
All rights reserved
Katie O’Roark feels miserable, though she knows she’s incredibly lucky to have received an anonymous gift of money. The money can’t buy the new heart she needs or bring back her days as a track star.
A donor is found with a compatible heart, and Katie undergoes transplant surgery. While recuperating, she meets Josh Martel and senses an immediate connection. When Katie decides to start training to realize her dream of running again, Josh helps her meet the difficult challenge.
Will Katie find the strength physically and emotionally to live and become a winn
er again?
From the corner of her eye, Katie saw a boy with red hair who was about her age. He stood near the doorway, looking nervous. With a start, she realized he was watching her because he kept averting his gaze when she glanced his way. Odd, Katie told herself. Katie had a nagging sense she couldn’t place him. As nonchalantly as possible, she rolled her wheelchair closer, picking up a magazine as she passed a table.
She flipped through the magazine, pretending to be interested, all the while glancing discreetly toward the boy. Even though he also picked up a magazine, Katie could tell that he was preoccupied with studying her. Suddenly, she grew self-conscious. Was something wrong with the way she looked? She’d thought she looked better than she had in months when she’d left her hospital room that afternoon. Why was he watching her?
Katie is also featured in the novels Please Don’t Die, She Died Too Young, and A Season for Goodbye.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT SARAH,
BE SURE TO READ
ON SALE NOW FROM BANTAM BOOKS
0-553-29811-9
Excerpt from Mother, Help Me Live by Lurlene McDaniel Copyright © 1992 by Lurlene McDaniel
Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers
a division of Random House, Inc.
1540 Broadway, New York, New York 10036
All rights reserved
Sarah McGregor is distraught when she learns she will need a bone marrow transplant to live. And she is shocked to find out that her parents and siblings can’t be donors because they aren’t her blood relatives. Sarah never knew she was adopted.
As Sarah faces this devastating news, she is granted one last wish by an anonymous benefactor. With hope in her heart, she begins a search for her birth mother, who gave her up fifteen years ago. Sarah’s life depends on her finding this woman. But what will Sarah discover about the true meaning of family?
Didn’t the letter from JWC say she could spend it on anything she wanted? What could be more important than finding her birth mother? What could be more important than discovering if she had siblings with compatible bone marrow? Her very life could depend on finding these people. Sarah practically jumped up from the sofa. “I’ve got to go,” she said.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ERIC,
BE SURE TO READ
ON SALE NOW FROM BANTAM BOOKS
0-553-29809-7
Excerpt from A Time to Die by Lurlene McDaniel Copyright © 1992 by Lurlene McDaniel
Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers
a division of Random House, Inc.
1540 Broadway, New York, New York 10036
All rights reserved
Sixteen-year-old Kara Fischer has never considered herself lucky. She doesn’t understand why she was born with cystic fibrosis. Despite her daily treatments, each day poses the threat of a lung infection that could put her in the hospital for weeks. But her close friendship with her fellow CF patient Vince and the new feelings she is quickly developing for Eric give her the hope to live one day at a time.
When an anonymous benefactor promises to grant a single wish with no strings attached, Kara finds a way to let the people who have loved and supported her throughout her illness know how much they mean to her. But will there be time for Kara to see her dying wish fulfilled?
“What am I going to do about you, Kara?”
Eric’s tone was subdued and so sincere that his question caught her by surprise. “What do you mean?”
“I can’t stay away from you.”
“You seem to be doing a fine job of it,” she said quietly, but without malice.
“I know it seems that way, but you don’t know how hard it’s been.”
She was skeptical. “We just danced together, but after tonight, how will it be between us? Will you still ignore me in the halls? Will you duck into the nearest open door whenever you see me coming?”
He turned his head and she saw his jaw clench. She thought he might walk away, but instead he asked, “What’s between you and Vince?”
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MORGAN,
BE SURE TO READ
ON SALE NOW FROM BANTAM BOOKS
0-553-29932-8
Excerpt from Sixteen and Dying by Lurlene McDaniel Copyright © 1992 by Lurlene McDaniel
Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers
a division of Random House. Inc.
1540 Broadway, New York, New York 10036
All rights reserved
It’s hard for Anne Wingate and her father to accept the doctors’ diagnosis: Anne is HIV-positive. Seven years ago, before blood screening was required, Anne received a transfusion. It saved her life then, but now the harsh reality can’t be changed—the blood was tainted. Anne must deal with the inevitable progression of her condition.
When an anonymous benefactor promises to grant Anne a single wish with no strings attached, she decides to spend the summer on a ranch out west. She wants to live as normally as she possibly can. The summer seems even better than she dreamed, especially after she meets Morgan. Anne doesn’t confide in Morgan about her condition and doesn’t plan to. Then her health begins to deteriorate and she returns home. Is there time for Anne and Morgan to meet again?
Fearfully, Anne stared at her bleeding hand.
Morgan reached beneath her, lifted her, and placed her safely away from the hay and its invisible weapon. “Let me see how bad you’re cut.”
“It’s nothing,” Anne said, keeping her hand close to her body. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. You’re bleeding. You may need stitches. Let me wipe it off and examine it.”
Her eyes widened, reminding him of a deer trapped in headlights. “No! Don’t touch it!”
“But—”
“Please—you don’t understand. I—I can’t explain. Just don’t touch it.” Wild-eyed, panicked, she spun, and clutching her hand to her side, she bolted from the barn.
Dumbfounded, Morgan watched her run back toward the cabin.
YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO READ
ON SALE NOW FROM BANTAM BOOKS
0-553-29810-0
Excerpt from Mourning Song by Lurlene McDaniel Copyright © 1992 by Lurlene McDaniel
Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers
a division of Random House, Inc.
1540 Broadway, New York, New York 10036
All rights reserved
It’s been months since Dani Vanoy’s older sister, Cassie, was diagnosed as having a brain tumor. And now the treatments aren’t helping. Dani is furious that she is powerless to help her sister. She can’t even convince their mother to take the girls on the trip to Florida Cassie has always longed for.
Then Cassie receives an anonymous letter offering her a single wish. Dani knows she can never make Cassie well, but she is determined to see Cassie’s dream come true, with or without their mother’s approval.
Dani had rehearsed the speech so many times that even she was beginning to believe it. “It’s as if you’re supposed to do this. While we don’t know who gave you the money for a wish, I think you should use it to get something you’ve always wanted. Listen, even a trillion dollars can’t make you well, but the money you’ve gotten can help you have some fun. I say let’s go for it! You deserve to see the ocean, whether Mom agrees or not. I’m going to help you make your wish come true.”
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT RICHARD
HOLLOWAY AND JENNY CRAWFORD,
BE SURE TO READ
ON SALE NOW FROM BANTAM BOOKS
0-553-56134-0
Excerpt from The Legacy: Making Wishes Come True by Lurlene McDaniel Copyright © 1993 by Lurlene McDaniel
Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers
a division of Random House. Inc.
1540 Broadway, New York, New York 10036
All rights reserved
Who is JWC, and how was the One Last Wish Foundation created? Follow JWC’s
struggle for survival against impossible odds and the intertwining stories of love and friendship that developed into a legacy of giving. And discover the power that one individual’s determination can have, in this extraordinary novel of hope.
“I had my physician call the ER doctor and afterward, when we discussed their conversation, he suggested that I get her to a specialist as quickly as possible.”
“A specialist at Boston Children’s,” Richard said with a nod. “What kind of specialist?”
“A pediatric oncologist.”
Before Richard could say another word, Jenny’s grandmother spoke. “A cancer specialist,” Marian said, her voice catching. “They believe Jenny has leukemia.”
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT KATIE,
CHELSEA, AND LACEY,
BE SURE TO READ
ON SALE NOW FROM BANTAM BOOKS
0-553-56262-2
Excerpt from Please Don’t Die by Lurlene McDaniel Copyright © 1993 by Lurlene McDaniel
Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers
a division of Random House, Inc.
1540 Broadway, New York, New York 10036
All rights reserved
When Katie O’Roark receives an invitation from the One Last Wish Foundation to spend the summer at Jenny House, she eagerly says yes. Katie is ever grateful to JWC, the unknown person who gave her the gift that allowed her to receive a heart transplant. Now Katie is asked to be a “big sister” to others who, like her, face daunting medical problems: Amanda, a thirteen-year-old victim of leukemia; Chelsea, a fourteen-year-old candidate for a heart transplant; and Lacey, a sixteen-year-old diabetic who refuses to deal with her condition. As the summer progresses, the girls form close bonds and enjoy the chance to act “just like healthy kids.” But when a crisis jeopardizes one girl’s chance of fulfilling her dreams, they discover true friendship and its power to endure beyond this life.