Picture Perfect Family, page 17
“We’ll stay here and come get you all if the doctor comes out before the hour,” Daniel assured them and was thanked by the family.
After they left, Daniel turned to Mandy and held out his arm, then waited for her to step into his embrace. The strength emanating from him, the exquisitely tender way he gathered her close, melted Mandy’s heart.
“You okay?” he asked.
She nodded against his chest. “So worried about her,” she managed. “She’s so amazing, such a sweet girl.” Mandy sniffed, then tilted her head to look at his face. “Daniel, I was so angry when John said Casey had been drinking. I kept thinking of that night, when I came here to be with Mia for the last time.”
He nodded, kissed her forehead. “I know, honey. I thought immediately of Mia and Jacob, too.”
“And when we walked back there to see Casey, I thought I wouldn’t want to help him. I thought I’d be angry with him,” she said, while Daniel nodded, giving her the time to express her feelings and holding her while she dealt with the emotions ravaging her soul. “But then I saw him, and he’s so hurt and so sorry for what he did. He knows that he made a mistake, and he’s terrified that she isn’t going to get better. And I got to know him over the past couple of weeks. He really is a good kid. It’s just—” she swallowed “—he just made a terrible mistake.”
Daniel nodded again. “Yes, he did.”
“And after I saw him, and saw John’s pain, too, then I remembered something else about that night last year.”
“What did you remember?”
“I remembered when that other guy’s parents showed up in the Emergency Room, and when the doctors came out and talked to them. I remember I was with Mia, but I heard that mother’s scream for her son.”
Mandy shook her head. “I didn’t feel sorry for her. And I didn’t feel sorry for him losing his life. He was only twenty-four, the same age as me, and he lost his life because he made a stupid mistake. And Mia and Jacob lost their lives because of his mistake. But it was a mistake. And I should have felt sorry for that family losing their son. I should have realized that he needed to be forgiven for his mistake, too.” She inhaled, let it out. “Like Casey does.”
Daniel drew her even closer, held her even tighter. “Oh, Mandy, I wish I’d have been with you last year when you went through all of that after the wreck. I hate it that you were alone and that I wasn’t here when you needed someone so much.”
“I haven’t dealt with it well,” she admitted, wiping more tears from her cheeks. “Have still been angry. Still blamed God for taking everyone I loved.”
“And now you don’t?” he asked.
“I don’t blame Him for what happened, and I’m going to try to understand that the other guy made a fatal mistake,” she said, then looked up again at Daniel. “That support group. Do they help you cope with it all? Deal with the pain and forgive?”
“Yes, they do.”
“I want to go next time,” she said, “if you wouldn’t mind taking me.”
“I wouldn’t mind at all,” he murmured, and softly kissed her hair.
“And Daniel,” she added.
“Yes?”
“I thought I’d lost everyone I loved, but that isn’t true. I still have Kaden.” Her eyes studied him, and she touched a finger to his mouth, then whispered, “And I thank God that I have you. I love you, Daniel. I’ve loved you for a very long time.”
“Oh, Mandy, I love you, too,” he said, as a nurse entered the waiting room and asked, “Is Nadia Berry’s family here?”
Daniel and Mandy turned toward the woman. “They went to the chapel,” Daniel told her. “But we can go get them.”
“Yes, please,” the woman said, smiling broadly. “The doctor is still in with her, but he says they can come back now. She’s awake and wants to see them.”
“Praise God,” Daniel said, grabbing Mandy’s hand and hurrying down the hall toward the tiny chapel.
And Mandy grinned, repeated, “Praise God,” and was thrilled to know that she’d never meant the words more.
Chapter Sixteen
Kaden’s brows were raised so high they nearly disappeared beneath his sandy waves, and his smile was as wide as Mandy had ever seen, cheek to cheek. “Okay, I think that’s almost our part now. Are you ready?” His excitement was palpable, as was his happiness. “Come on!” he urged. “We can’t be late!”
Mandy laughed. “I love you, you know.”
“Yep, I know, Aunt Mandy. And I love you, too. But we cannot be late!” He held his hand toward hers, and she clasped it.
“Ready,” she said.
Kaden pulled at her arm and practically ran the entire way from Daniel’s office to the church lobby. “See, the doors are open, so it’s our time. That’s what Brother Henry said.”
“Yep, you’re right,” Mandy said. “It’s our time.”
They stepped between the open doors to the auditorium and Kaden gasped.
“Whoa, look at all those people!” he exclaimed, which caused a low rumble of laughter to trickle through the crowd.
“Yes, look at them all,” Mandy said. Then she beamed at Brother Henry and Daniel, waiting at the front of the church.
“Ready to go?” Kaden asked, tugging at her hand once more.
“Definitely ready,” Mandy replied, and she began the walk down the aisle, her hand clasping the little boy who’d become a huge part of her world, and her heart yearning for the man at the end of the aisle, the one who was patient enough to wait for her to find her way back home, to realize that Claremont was where she wanted to stay forever and to know that her life was nothing without love, and without God.
She passed lots of happy faces from the people around town, but the two smiles that touched her heart the most were from Casey and Nadia, standing beside each other and beaming at Mandy. It’d only been a month since the accident, but both teens were healing quickly. Casey had turned away from the rough crowd and turned to God, praising Him daily for Nadia’s willingness to forgive.
Finally they reached the end of the aisle, and Kaden took Daniel’s hand and then brought it to Mandy’s the way he’d rehearsed last night.
“Now,” Kaden said, “you’re together.”
Daniel grinned, looked at Mandy. “Yes,” he murmured. “We are.”
Mandy couldn’t imagine life being any better than this, sharing it with the man she’d always loved and raising a little boy that they both adored. She smiled at Daniel, who didn’t wait for Brother Henry’s instruction to kiss the bride. He kissed her before Brother Henry even started talking, which caused another ripple of laughter in the crowd.
Then the ceremony began, and Mandy focused on remembering every word, every feeling, every tug at her heart. Because she was marrying the man she’d proposed to seven years ago. Back then she didn’t truly understand the meaning of love. Now she did. And back then everything about that impromptu proposal had been wrong. But now, with Daniel, Kaden and, most importantly, God at the center of her world, everything couldn’t be more picture-perfect.
Epilogue
“Look, Aunt Mandy, that’s you!” Kaden exclaimed, running into the gallery and pointing to the gold easel that displayed the featured photographer.
Mandy wasn’t certain whether she was more excited about being the featured photographer or about seeing her name beneath her picture.
Mandy Brantley. She’d been Mandy Brantley for six months now, but time didn’t lessen the excited sensation she experienced every time she saw her new name.
“Adorable,” Daniel whispered in her ear, then he said to Kaden, “Come on, let’s go look at her pictures in the gallery.”
“Aunt Mandy is a star, huh?” Kaden asked.
Mandy was already shaking her head in denial, but Daniel didn’t miss a beat. “Always,” he said. “A star and a princess, too.” He winked at Mandy. “Our princess.”
They made their way through the outer lobby to the main exhibit area, where several people were already gathered around Mandy’s group of photos.
“Isn’t that lovely,” one woman said.
“The theme is what really makes this work so well, don’t you think?” a man returned.
Daniel took Mandy’s hand, squeezed it, then leaned close to kiss her cheek. “It is a pretty amazing theme,” he whispered.
They stopped walking, waited for the people to move away from the display and then finally got a chance to see her gallery exhibit.
There were several small photos that surrounded the center three, but those middle ones were the main key to the theme. They were what tied it all together. Mandy had printed all of them in black and white, because it added more depth, more passion to the already emotional scenes.
The first photo was of Kaden, swinging in Daniel’s arms after his first home run. And the title beneath the photo…
Kaden’s Dream.
The second photo was of Daniel, Mandy and Kaden in Malawi surrounded by children from the village churches, their smiles beaming amid their meager surroundings. The picture was taken three months ago on their first trip as a family to visit and help the churches Daniel started in Africa. And the title for that photo…
Mandy’s Dream.
And the third photo was of Daniel, sitting at his desk at the church working on a lesson, while the window behind him displayed Kaden laughing and running on the playground outside. And the title…
Daniel’s Dream.
The theme for the series hung above the three photographs, and the truth of the statement still caused her heart to clench.
Sometimes, dreams change.
She looked at Daniel and Kaden, her family, thought about the love that she’d been blessed with over the past year, and the peace that came with learning to forgive. Daniel had been patient with her, and God had, too, blessing her with Daniel’s love and with a beautiful little boy. She touched her hand to her stomach and said another thank You to God, for He’d blessed her even more than she’d ever dreamed. A precious new life was growing inside of her, and she and Daniel couldn’t wait to find out whether Kaden would have a little brother named Jacob or a little sister named Mia.
Either way, the new blessing to their family would undeniably be yet another dream come true.
* * * * *
Dear Reader,
When Jacob and Mia died, Mandy Carter’s world was upended, her dreams were thrown out the window and she had to put another person’s needs—her nephew, Kaden’s—above her own.
This is the kind of challenge that everyone wants to believe they could handle. That this-is-what-my-life-is-now moment, where a person sees that they’ve been tossed onto a different path than they anticipated, and they accept that test and excel. Mandy grew emotionally and spiritually because of the hardship, and she became Kaden’s princess, the one who took care of him when his mother couldn’t, much like Pharaoh’s daughter took care of Moses.
I enjoy mixing facts and fiction in my novels, and you’ll learn about some of the truths hidden within the story on my website, www.reneeandrews.com. You can enter a contest on my site to win a painting by Gina Brown, the artist mentioned in the book and the person to whom this book is dedicated.
Additionally, my site includes alternate beginnings for some of my novels and deleted scenes that didn’t make the final cut. If you have prayer requests, there’s a place to let me know on my site. I will lift your request up to the Lord in prayer. I love to hear from readers, so please write to me at renee@reneeandrews.com.
Blessings in Christ,
Renee Andrews
Questions for Discussion
In this book, Mandy’s faith is tested when she loses her sister, Mia. Have you lost someone who was taken before their time? Did you turn to God? Or did you find yourself blaming God? What got you through the hardship of losing someone you loved?
Daniel feels called to share the Gospel abroad, but also to return to Claremont and help raise his nephew. Have you ever wondered if you were making the right decision regarding God’s plan for you? How can you know whether the decision you make is best?
Mandy turned her back on God and then returned to Him. Have you ever gone away from God and then returned?
Teens are extremely influenced, both positively and negatively, by their peers and by the adults in their world. How was Casey influenced by his friends? Did his family situation play a factor in his willingness to go along with the crowd? How did Daniel and Mandy influence Casey?
Why do you think Mandy found the willingness to forgive Casey when she hadn’t been able to forgive the man who hit Jacob and Mia? How do you think she felt when she not only forgave Casey, but also the man who’d taken her sister’s life?
Daniel managed to find a way to serve his ministry in Africa and also stay in Claremont and raise Kaden. Do you believe that God’s plan sometimes involves creative thinking? How do you know that you’re still following His plan and not just finding a way to do it your way?
The town of Claremont is composed of a small, tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone and cares for each other. How do you feel about life in a small town? Do you think it could benefit you spiritually?
The theme verse for this book is from Jeremiah: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” What plan did God have for Daniel? For Mandy? What plan do you believe He has for you?
Mandy dealt with abandonment issues throughout her life. Have you ever had to come to terms with someone you cared about turning their back on you when you needed them? Or has someone you cared about died, and you felt that God—or even the person who passed away—somehow let you down?
The photos in Mandy’s exhibit all depicted dreams that were changed. Have you ever had a dream or goal that began as one thing but ended as something totally different? What was that dream or goal? How did your dream change? Did it change for the better? And did that change benefit you physically, emotionally and/or spiritually?
ISBN: 9781459223745
Copyright © 2012 by Renee Andrews
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Renee Andrews, Picture Perfect Family
