Gifts Of Love

Following behind, Jessie reached the lobby area as David’s stretcher disappeared down a hallway and behind a thin white curtain.

Having driven his own car to the hospital, Jessie’s father, Don, caught up with her from behind, giving his youngest daughter a squeeze on the shoulders.

“Where’s Mom?” Jessie asked, suddenly aware of her mother’s absence, though feeling her prayers.

“She’s staying at your sister’s house tonight.”

“Is Maria sick again?”

Don nodded. “She’s got a cold.”

“Just when she seemed to be getting over the worst of her morning sickness. At this rate she’s going to be sick her entire pregnancy.” Though Maria was in her seventh month of pregnancy, she still suffered from bouts of morning sickness. During the past two months, both Jessie and her mother had taken turns helping Maria; because she had been so fatigued, she needed help caring for her eighteen-month-old son and husband.

“Did the storm hit near them?” Jessie asked.

“Strong winds gave them a few tense moments, but everyone’s fine.”

“That’s good news.”

A woman wearing white pants and a colorful smock approached them. As she handed a clipboard and pencil to Jessie, she said, “We’ll need your husband’s medical and personal history.”

Refusing to take the clipboard, Jessie said, “Oh, he’s not my husband. He’s my…” She stumbled over the words. What was David to her? They really weren’t even friends. They were barely acquaintances.

With ease, Don stepped in to explain. “My daughter just happened to be on the highway at the same time as the young man when the tornado struck. I’m afraid we really don’t have the information you need.”

Finally, Jessie found her voice. “His name is David. David Akers.” Turning to her father, she added, “He’s Liz and Bart’s son.”

“Well, why didn’t you say so?” Don exclaimed. Then his pleasure quickly turned to concern. “I’m sure I heard the Akers were leaving for an extended anniversary vacation in their motor home.”

“Thanks for your help,” the hospital employee said, before she returned to the admittance desk.

“What a night,” Jessie exclaimed to her father as she wiped her forehead with her sleeve.

“You need to go home, take a shower and crawl into bed.”

“I will,” she said, “but not until I know David’s okay.” She’d wait in her wet, grimy clothes all night if she had to. “Besides, I can’t abandon Isabel.”

Holding out a finger to Isabel, Don waited until she grabbed hold of it, then gently shook her hand. “Good grip,” he said, much to the toddler’s delight. Opening his arms, he attempted to take the little girl. While Jessie appreciated her father’s thoughtfulness, she wasn’t ready to release the child. And obviously, Isabel wasn’t ready to release her.

Staring at Jessie’s father, Isabel’s eyes teared up, and she threw her arms around Jessie’s shoulders and buried her small face in the base of Jessie’s neck.

“Looks like you’ve got yourself a new friend,” her father said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Jessie nodded. “I’m just glad I can be here for her.”

“Since it could be a while before we know anything about David’s condition, why don’t I get us a cup of coffee from the vendor down the hall, and you can tell me the whole story.”

“A cup of coffee sounds great. And while you’re doing that, I need to find some dry clothes, diapers and a snack for Isabel.”

Thanks to the help of a nurse, Jessie attended to Isabel’s needs. Then, as she’d promised her father, Jessie recounted the past few hours. She told her father everything. Almost everything. She didn’t tell him how tightly David had held her beneath the overpass. How she’d gathered her strength from his every breath. She didn’t tell him how cold her hand had felt when she’d been forced to let go of David’s at the hospital. And glancing down the hallway toward his curtained cubicle, she didn’t tell her father how desperately she wanted to hear good news.

When Jessie shifted Isabel’s weight to her opposite hip and shoulder, she noticed the toddler had dozed off. Lightly patting her back, Jessie realized how exhausted Isabel must be.

“Let me take her for a little bit,” her father offered again.

Jessie shook her head. “She doesn’t know you, and I wouldn’t want her to wake up and be frightened. She’s been through enough trauma for one night.”

And Jessie had a feeling this little girl had already experienced more upheaval in her short life than most children ever did.

“I’m fine,” she assured her father. Though, if she were to tell the truth, she longed to crawl into her soft bed at home and sleep for hours. Her body ached from head to toe—though the discomfort wasn’t from holding Isabel. Her exhaustion was mental. It’d been a long night, and the longer they kept David the more worried she became. If she didn’t hear news about David soon…

Finally, she sought out her own answers. While Isabel had been awake, Jessie hadn’t ventured back to where David was being treated because she didn’t think Isabel should see him surrounded by doctors and medical equipment.

Now, because he’d been moved to a different area, it took Jessie a few minutes to locate him. When she did, she saw that he was hooked up to what she thought was a cardiac monitor, and a doctor and a nurse were talking to him.

With David’s head turned away from Jessie, he didn’t realize she watched through a narrow opening in the divider. She started to back away, not wanting to interrupt, but then inched forward. It wasn’t her intention to eavesdrop; she just wanted to get a better look at the man who’d protected her during the storm. Until now, she’d been running on adrenaline, seeing what was before her, yet not really seeing anything at all. If she’d had to describe David, she would have omitted the intensity of his eyes and the serious curve of his lips. But if anyone had quizzed her on the strength of his embrace or his determination to beat the raging winds, she could have talked at length about his stamina and bravery.

She wasn’t sure what gave her away, but David turned toward her. For just an instant their eyes met, and Jessie read the questioning stare as if she’d known him all her life. Turning until she could show him Isabel’s sleepy face, she made the okay sign with her thumb and first finger. David smiled and then returned his attention to the doctor.

In the waiting room, Jessie settled into a chair, while her father talked to a woman at the admittance desk.

“I was asking if they’d been able to contact David’s parents. Even if they’re out for the evening, I’m sure they must have a cellular telephone with them,” he said as he sat down beside her.

“What did she say?” Jessie asked, stroking the back of Isabel’s head.

“David instructed them not to call his family, nor his late wife’s family who lives in Ohio.”

“Really? That’s odd.” The news not only surprised Jessie, but concerned her. However, it really wasn’t her place to judge David’s decisions.

“I’m sure Liz and Bart would want to know,” her father continued. “And I’m sure David could use their help when he gets out of here. Someone’s got to look after this sweet one.”

“True. But this is David’s call.” However, until now, Jessie hadn’t thought beyond the present. What if David wasn’t released from the hospital tonight? Or even if he was, would he be able to take care of his daughter? Jessie pressed her lips against Isabel’s forehead. If it were up to her, she’d just take this little girl home and keep her forever. But she had an Internet business to run, and Isabel wasn’t her responsibility.

Sensing her father was becoming restless due to his inability to help, she suggested he check in with her mother and Maria.

Don jumped up as if he were pleased to be doing something. Borrowing Jessie’s cellular phone, he walked a few steps away to make the call.

As she sat alone in the cushy chair in the corner of the busy hospital waiting room, Jessie hummed under her breath. When Isabel stirred, lifting her head to look at her, Jessie thought her heart would melt. And then it did.

“Mama, mama, mama,” Isabel said.

Jessie’s father was still talking on the telephone when the nurse told Jessie that David had asked for her. Expecting him to be dressed and waiting to be discharged, she was disappointed he still wore a hospital gown. However, it was good to see him sitting up.

Isabel instantly jumped with excitement and leaned toward her daddy’s arms. When David didn’t raise his hands, Jessie sensed his injuries prevented him from holding his daughter, so she moved closer, allowing father and child to kiss.

“It looks like they’re going to keep me overnight. And depending on the test results, I might be here a day or two.” She could tell by the way he kept looking at his daughter that he’d never spent a night apart from her and that just the thought of being separated devastated him. “I was really hoping they’d let me go home tonight.”

His eyes said what his heart couldn’t put into words. He was going to have to find someone to watch Isabel overnight.

“What can I do to help? Can I call your parents?” she asked, as if she didn’t know he’d told the admittance nurse not to.

David bit down on his lip.

“Is there a neighbor or another family member, then?”

Before David could respond, she heard a deep voice say, “David Akers? Well, what are you doing here?”

“I’ll be,” David said, with obvious gladness. “And I could ask the same question, Reverend Peters.”

“I’m visiting family and friends,” the distinguished-looking man said. “You know you can’t pastor a church here for twenty years and not know half the city. One of my dear friends was brought in with kidney stones, and I wanted to check on him.” Still focused on David, the reverend had yet to notice Jessie. “Are you okay?” he asked David.

David sighed. “I might have a slight concussion, as well as some internal injuries. They’re going to keep me overnight for observation. We had a little run-in with a tornado tonight.”

“My goodness, thank God you’re okay. And little Isabel, was she hurt?”

At the sound of her name, Isabel started jabbering, and Reverend Peters turned toward Jessie. His shoulders relaxed instantly, and he said, “Well, I’ll be, if it isn’t Jessica Claybrook.” His glance bouncing between David and Jessie, a knowing smile lit his face. “Well, well…I’ll be.”

Realizing the reverend’s thoughts were headed in the wrong direction, Jessie rushed in to explain. “By God’s grace, we happened to seek shelter in the same place tonight.”

Reverend Peters’s smile merely deepened. Patting Isabel on the back, he looked at David as he spoke. “Your little girl couldn’t be in better hands than Jessica’s.”

“Jessie’s been an angel tonight,” David agreed.

The white curtain parted, and a nurse told Reverend Peters that his friend had been released. “Though I’m sorry for the circumstances, it was good to see you both. God bless you,” he said, hugging Jessie and Isabel, then shaking David’s hand.

As soon as the reverend disappeared, David said, “I haven’t seen him since I was a boy, though my parents have kept in touch through the years.”

“What a small world,” Jessie marveled. “He married both my sisters.”

“We may have more in common than a highway overpass.”

Though David grinned, Jessie could tell he was tired, achy and needed his rest. And so did Isabel.

“I hate to impose on you…” David began.

“Just tell me what you need. I want to help.” Jessie leaned forward for emphasis.

“Normally, I’d call my parents. But they just left on an extended vacation in their RV, and I don’t want them rushing home for me. However, I’m sure one of my sisters will watch Isabel for the night.”

“I’d be happy to call them. I don’t want you to worry about her. I’ll make sure she’s taken care of until I reach them. You need to concentrate on getting well.”

“No arguments there,” David said, lying back on the bed. Jessie wrote down the numbers he quickly rattled off.

Surprised by the telephone prefixes, Jessie hesitated at the curtain opening. “Your sisters live near St. Louis? Won’t it take them at least a couple of hours to get here?” Taking a deep breath, she made a quick decision. “Look, since it’s so late, why don’t I spend the night with Isabel? It’s the most practical and the easiest solution for both you and her.”

David shook his head. “I can’t ask you to do that. You’ve already gone to too much trouble. You’ve been here for hours. I’m indebted to your kindness.”

It occurred to Jessie that he might not trust her with his daughter. Isabel was all he had, and, after all, Jessie was a virtual stranger. “I understand you’ll be more comfortable if she stays with one of your sisters—”

“No, it isn’t that,” David claimed, and the light in his eyes told her he trusted her. “You don’t owe me this. Really, I’ve got family that will help.”

Jessie pressed her lips against Isabel’s forehead, then held the child close enough for David to hug and kiss her good-night. With Isabel’s arms anchored tightly around her neck, Jessie couldn’t help but say, “Please, let me stay with her tonight. We’ve all been through enough. She’s comfortable with me. It might be best for her.” And for me, Jessie thought.

David stroked his chin between his thumb and fingers. “I really don’t want to impose.”

“I want to do this for you. And if the situation were reversed, I know you’d do the same for me.” Somehow she sensed that about him. That he was the kind of man who’d help someone in need.

David opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say no, she said, “Then, it’s settled. I’ll stay with Isabel for the night.”

The orderly arrived to take David to a higher floor for more tests. As he wheeled him away, David said, “I’ll call you later.”

“Don’t worry about us. We’ll be just fine.”

How could she not be? She was holding in her arms the one thing she wanted most in the world.

Chapter Three

“I t looks like we are a family. At least for tonight,” Jessie said as she stored the personal items she’d picked up at her home in her father’s car and headed to David’s house. Her father, who’d taken a cab home, had arranged for her car and David’s to be towed to the garage, and a nurse had loaned her a car seat for Isabel.

“We’re doing great,” she said to the sleeping toddler. “We’re doing just fine. This is going to be a piece of cake.”

Then she hit a pothole she hadn’t seen in the dark, and the unexpected jolt woke Isabel, whose pout quickly escalated into a full-blown cry.

Jessie tried to soothe the child with songs and soft-spoken promises, but nothing quieted her. And then Jessie made the big mistake—she told Isabel that before she knew it, her Daddy would be home from the hospital. The mention of David’s name upped Isabel’s cries by yet another decibel and started her begging for her “Dada.”

Unnerved by the desperate sobs, Jessie made two wrong turns before she pulled into David’s driveway. As she parked the car in the garage, she momentarily rested her forehead against the steering wheel and wondered if she’d agreed to more than she could handle.

Her prayer was quick and to the point. Lord, please help me comfort this child. If I can survive a tornado, surely I can survive Isabel’s bedtime.

As soon as Jessie carried Isabel through the doorway, the child stopped crying. It was almost as if she knew she was home, and just for a second, Jessie felt the same peaceful familiarity.

But that was silly, she thought. She’d never been in David’s home before. She had her own home, less than a half-mile away, that she loved.

Having no time to waste on trivial thoughts, Jessie went straight to the kitchen, where she prepared a small bottle of milk for Isabel, just as she’d seen her sister Maria fix on many nights for her nephew. In the nursery, the milk quieted Isabel, and the child slipped off to sleep as Jessie gently rocked her.

When she was certain Isabel slept soundly, she placed the child in the crib. Please, Lord, keep Isabel safe through the night.

Leaving the nursery door slightly ajar, Jessie shuffled down the hallway. With everything under control, she took a quick shower. After changing into a nightshirt, she collapsed on the living room sofa and, too tired to find a bed, instantly fell asleep.

Less than a half-hour later, Isabel’s cries woke her. Too softhearted to let the toddler cry herself to sleep, Jessie took her from the crib and cradled her in her arms. Entering the nearest bedroom, which she assumed was David’s, she and Isabel crawled into the king-size bed and cuddled beneath the comforter.

As Isabel slowly calmed down, Jessie loosened her embrace and allowed her own thoughts to roam. Inching down the bed, she rolled onto her side so she could study Isabel in the moonlight. She pressed the toddler’s tiny hand against her own, marveling at the beauty of her delicate fingers. As she listened to the child’s peaceful inhale and exhale, she decided she’d never heard anything so magical.

Swallowing hard, Jessie prevented the old dream from surfacing. She would never give birth to a child of her own. She would never know a moment like this. So in the silent house, she decided to accept this special gift.

When the telephone rang, she almost didn’t answer it. But then it occurred to her that her parents or David might need to contact her.

“Hello,” David said. “I know it’s late—”

Though the telephone had awakened Isabel, she didn’t cry. “I’m glad you called. Isabel and I are lying in bed,” she said. Then, thinking he might prefer his daughter to be in her own bed, she quickly added, “But if you would like, I’ll put her back in the crib.”

“If she’s happy where she’s at, leave her. I hate to admit it but I’ve spoiled my girl. She loves napping in my bed.”

Jessie felt the heat of her blush and was thankful David couldn’t see her. Lying in his bed while talking to him on the telephone suddenly seemed intimate. She shook the thoughts from her head and instead asked him how he was doing.

He sighed. “I hope to come home tomorrow. I tried to tell the doctors there’s nothing wrong with me. I’m just a little sore.”

Sensing he’d told her all he wanted to, Jessie didn’t press him for more specific answers. Having just met, he didn’t owe her a detailed diagnosis.

Isabel reached for the telephone with both hands, and Jessie said, “I think your daughter would like to speak to you.”

“Please, put her on.”

His loving tone warmed Jessie. Placing the telephone against Isabel’s ear, she smiled, as Isabel jabbered and slobbered over the mouthpiece. Lowering her head, Jessie shared the telephone with Isabel, listening as David sang a familiar lullaby to his daughter.

“She’s sound asleep,” Jessie whispered, as he started a new verse.

“That’s a relief,” David said.

Jessie silently agreed, unwilling to let David know she found temporary motherhood a little more taxing than she’d anticipated. Taking care of her eighteen-month-old nephew for a few hours at a time while he napped or played was a totally different experience from being in charge of a child’s needs around the clock. The magnitude of the responsibility she’d taken on had begun to sink in.

“If you feel up to it, maybe you could tell me about Isabel’s morning routine,” Jessie suggested.

“She generally wakes up around seven, and she’ll need to be fed and changed. And you’ll want to give her a bath and brush her teeth. You’ll find her play clothes in the third drawer of the dresser, diapers in the closet, and she likes hot cereal with bananas and milk for breakfast. But I should warn you, she wears as much oatmeal as she eats.”

Feeling overwhelmed, yet determined to conquer the morning routine, Jessie switched on the bedside lamp, grabbed a pen and paper and began scribbling notes.

“Just give her a sponge bath in the morning. There’s a small plastic tub and sponge on the bottom shelf of the changing table.”

“I can give her a bath,” Jessie insisted, lest David think he’d made a mistake trusting his daughter’s care to her. Besides, how difficult could it be to give a toddler a bath?

“Elaine will be there at nine, so as soon as she arrives—”

“Elaine?”

“Elaine Marshall. Isabel’s nanny. I’m sorry, in all the confusion I didn’t realize I never mentioned her. She’s been out of town visiting her sister. She lives in an apartment over the garage.”

Of course, Isabel had a nanny. Jessie had seen the stairway in the attached garage earlier in the evening, but she hadn’t given it any thought. It also explained why David hadn’t been eager to ask either his sisters or his parents for help.

“Well, that’s great. As soon as Elaine gets here, I’ll leave for the hospital.”

David paused. “Listen, Jessie, I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but there’s no reason for you to come to the hospital. You’ve already gone beyond the call of duty. And believe me, you can’t know how much I appreciate your help. You give the words Good Samaritan a whole new meaning.”

Though she thought the comparison was exaggerated, Jessie appreciated David’s sentiment. “I have to come to the hospital, anyway,” she said. Then she explained about the borrowed car seat and that her father had arranged to have both of their cars towed to a local garage.

“I’m so amazed at how a disaster can bring out the best in people.”

“Yeah,” Jessie echoed. “If a person didn’t believe God watched out for them, a night like tonight certainly would change their mind.”

When David lapsed into silence, Jessie swallowed hard. For some reason, in those few seconds, she felt his pain and confusion. Instinctively, she knew losing his wife had challenged his faith in ways she’d never experienced. She wanted to say something meaningful, to assure him that even in the most difficult times, God would never desert him. And she should know.

But before she could come up with an encouraging response, David said, “The nurse just came in. Do you have any more questions about tomorrow morning?”

“No,” Jessie said. “Don’t worry about your daughter. Get a good night’s rest and concentrate on getting well.”

“Thanks to you, I feel like I can do that.”

“Good night,” Jessie said. As she held the receiver tightly, she realized she didn’t want the conversation to end. She wanted to know more about this man who’d risked his life to save his daughter’s.

“Good night,” David said. Then, with a surge of energy, he added, “Jessie’s blue bunny was in the car…”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure my father will collect your belongings from the car.”

“And Jessie,” David added, “tonight was a miracle.” And he hung up.

Reluctant to break the connection, Jessie listened to the silence until the telephone company’s automatic recording came on the line.

She closed her eyes, but sleep eluded her. Now that she was certain David and Isabel were both settled, she could let herself think about the tornado. Over and over, she relived the minutes she’d spent huddled beneath the overpass with David’s arms anchoring her in the tremendous wind. She recalled the deafening chug, the sting of gravel on her skin and the way she’d gasped for breath in the damp, swirling air.

And while time would eventually polish the rough edges off these memories, she knew one instant would always remain sharp and clear—the moment David had let go. She would never forget his piercing scream, nor the way she’d instinctively reached for Isabel. Her body trembled with fear at what could have been.

Snuggling next to Isabel, she believed without a doubt she’d been in the right place at the right time. God had dropped this child into her arms.

Thank you, Lord, for this miracle, Jessie prayed, and then closed her eyes and slept.

An early riser, Jessie eased from the bed at 6:00 a.m. Isabel had slept without waking, and she showed no sign of stirring soon.