Not in the Heart by Chris Fabry

Author:Chris Fabry
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, azw3
Tags: Christian, Fiction
ISBN: 9781414369150
Publisher: Thorndike Press
Published: 2012-01-19T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 25

Abigail held Aiden’s hand and patted it like she had when they were young. When he was a baby, her mother had allowed her to be a “big girl” and sit with him on the couch with her arm tucked gently behind his head. She would pat his hand when he was in his high chair waiting for food. Pat his hand sitting next to his car seat as they drove to the hospital for another procedure. His hand still seemed just as fragile.

A game was on TV, but he had the sound muted. He watched haphazardly, as if he knew the winner and loser didn’t really matter. How could you become emotionally invested in baseball, she thought, in your condition?

“I admire you,” she said out of the blue, staring at his pale hand. She traced a blue vein with her eye until it disappeared under his wrist.

“What’s to admire?” Aiden said.

“The way you’ve handled all of this. Even when you were little, you just took everything in stride. One day at a time.”

“It’s the only way I knew how to live. What else was I going to do?” His voice was shallow, supported by short puffs of air.

“Don’t sell yourself short. It’s admirable. I wish I could live that way.”

“You do. You just don’t see it.”

“Not like you, though.”

Aiden turned on his side and the effort made him wince. “Well, maybe you’re seeing something else and not just me.”

“Don’t start,” she said.

“Don’t start what?”

“You know what—the God stuff.”

Aiden smiled.

“Mom has been working on me nonstop. And Philip’s mom and dad are really into the religion thing. I’m getting it from all sides.”

“Religion gets you nowhere—”

“I know, I know—if I hear one more time that it’s a relationship, I’m going to hurl.”

“It’s true, Abby. Why don’t you give your dying brother just one chance to explain?” He said it with a twinkle in his eye, as if he could guilt her into listening to something she knew was real, knew had made a difference.

“You looking for a pity conversion?” she said.

“That’s funny. A new witnessing tool. Evangelism Implosion.” His thin rib cage shook through the hospital gown. “Get sick and lead your whole family to faith.”

She laughed with him, then looked away as a tear formed. She didn’t want him to see her weak and doubting. She had to be positive and upbeat and believe the best and all that. That’s what he needed now. But just hearing his voice made her sad, made her think of what might be in the coming days. What it would be to not have that voice around anymore.

“Truth is, I admire you,” he said.

“Now there’s a shocker,” she said. “What little brother in the history of the world has ever said that?”

“First time for everything.”

“So what do you admire?”

“Going after your dreams. How smart you are. Gorgeous. You’re going to take the world by the tail one day and sling it around, big sister. I can tell.”

“You think so?”

“I know it. I just hope I can be there to watch.

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