A Matter of Trust by Diane Noble

Author:Diane Noble
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780824907761
Publisher: Guideposts
Published: 2009-07-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

How long has it been?”

Paul looked up from the Newsweek he was flipping through, then checked his watch. “About forty-five minutes.”

“It seems like hours.” Kate sighed. “Waiting is always so difficult.”

Just then, Melissa came into the waiting room and headed toward them. She sat down next to Paul. “Thank you both for coming. It meant a lot to us to know you were right there behind us on our way.”

She took a deep breath. “Mia is stable, actually sitting up and smiling. Dr. Lucas fitted her with an oxygen mask to ease her breathing and make her more comfortable. He wants to keep her here for observation.”

“I agree that it’s the best thing,” Kate said. “Is he calling in some other specialists?”

Melissa smiled. “How did you know that before we did?”

“Simple deduction. If the tests he’s run are inconclusive, it makes sense he would call in someone else.”

“Dr. Lucas wants to avoid surgery if at all possible, and rather than putting Mia through the trauma of moving to another hospital or clinic for more tests, he’s called another pediatric cardiologist who will be here tomorrow. He’s part of the team we mentioned earlier.”

Paul sat forward. “It’s the waiting, the not knowing what’s ahead, that’s the hardest.” He gave his daughter a gentle smile. “It’s difficult for your mother and me, but I can only imagine what it’s like for you and John.”

Melissa tucked an errant strand of hair behind one ear. Her eyes looked heavy with concern. “We’re going to stay with her, of course,” she said. “They’ve got recliners in the pediatric room for parents.”

“Can we see her before we leave?” Paul asked.

Melissa stood. “She’s wide awake and will love seeing you.”

A few minutes later, they peered through the doorway of the brightly colored room. Mia was sitting in a crib jabbering to the stuffed rabbit that Paul had picked out for her.

She looked up and giggled as Kate and Paul walked toward her, then she held up her arms to be picked up. Being careful with the oxygen-mask tubes and connections, Paul lifted her from the crib, held her close, then as the rest of the family circled around him, he prayed for the child in his arms.

IT WAS NEARLY MIDNIGHT when Paul and Kate headed home.

Paul reached across the space between them to take Kate’s hand. “You okay?”

“I’m just thinking about the kids and all they’re going through, and of course, mostly about our little Mia.”

“Being a parent is hard, but being a grandparent is in some ways harder.”

They rode along in silence for a few minutes. Then Paul said, “Tell me the latest about the urn. We’ve been so concerned about Mia, I haven’t had a chance to ask.”

Kate pulled her knees up onto the seat and turned toward him. “I’m still waiting to hear from Dr. Hosea. Meanwhile, my curiosity about the piece is growing stronger by the day. I invited Renee over this afternoon, thinking I might find out more about the urn and the man who talked her into buying it.

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