Chapter 34
Emily’s new walking stick echoed against the hillside as they followed the boardwalk in Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park. Jake wrapped his hand around hers and lifted his face to the sun. Lexi sprinted ahead while Adam spewed facts about the reservoir breach that destroyed a portion of the park in 2005.
“One-point-three billion gallons of water. Imagine what that sounded like. It ripped out a chunk of the mountain and totally destroyed the old campground.” His mouth twisted in a grimace. “That would have been a worse camping trip than this one.”
Jake winked at Emily and she answered with a squeeze to his hand. “Unbelievable,” she whispered.
“Mm-hm.”
A nurse at the hospital had warned them that the kids might show signs of posttraumatic stress. So far, they weren’t displaying anything but relief.
“Imagine looking out your tent flap and seeing a wall of water pushing a ten-foot-wide boulder right at you. Bummer.”
“Ignore the boy.” Jake laughed. Emily’s look said she hadn’t missed the huskiness in his voice.
Lexi turned and gestured with a wildly arcing arm. “Come on. Can we get wet?”
Jake nodded. “You’ve got an hour. We’re meeting Mr. Greene at two.”
The twins ran ahead. Emily led the way to a flat-topped rock ten feet above the rocky riverbed and pulled Jake down next to her. “You’re going to be one of those Wild at Heart kind of dads, aren’t you?”
With feigned innocence, he took the stick from her and leaned over for a lingering kiss. When he pulled away, Emily giggled. “We got caught.” She gestured toward Adam, standing on a rounded boulder with his hands on his stomach and his tongue sticking out in the universal sign for gagging.
Lexi, sitting in an enormous hole in the rock carved by the east fork of the Black River, shot a thumbs-up and grinned at them like a girl with nothing more on her mind than the rush of water over bare legs.
Jake pulled Adam’s Swiss Army knife from his back pocket. He pulled out blades, smiling at the broken stub of the blade that had prevented Ben from taking the kids to Texas. He hunted for the one he’d used during the restless night in the motel.
Even though everyone was safe, he’d been unable to sleep. Hours of adrenaline and the weight of future responsibility had him pacing the floor while Emily and Lexi slept across the hall and Adam was under observation at the hospital. And then he’d remembered the stick in the back of his truck. Emily needed a remembrance of her courage, of the moment she’d pointed it at Ben. Did she see God’s faithfulness in what had happened last night? Instead of requiring restitution from her, He’d given her a chance to set someone free.
He smiled at her and carved a curled tail on the y in Emily.
Adam leaped to another rock and Emily stiffened. “That child had a ton of stitches in his head last night and here he is rock climbing.”
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
An adorably exasperated sigh hissed through her lips. “I’m buying you a stack of parenting books.”
He tipped his head toward hers, breathing in a sweet and spicy medley of deliciousness. “You taught kids their age. You could teach me all I need to know.”
She was quiet for a moment. “Teaching is different from parenting.”
Jake folded the knife and slid his arm around her shoulders. The words he wanted to say were premature. “I’ll need your help with the girl stuff,” he said instead. If it were up to him, he’d tack a “forever” onto it, but she hadn’t said a word about the house in St. Louis or about heading back to Wisconsin. For all he knew, she was on her way to California and this majestic place with the rush of dozens of waterfalls in the background was the setting for their farewell scene.
She’s waiting on you, lame brain. The thought came in Topher’s voice. Jake smiled and pulled her closer. “So about that trim you’re going to refinish in the dining room…”
Emily laughed. “Subtle.” She turned until her lips were once again an easy kissing distance from his. “You can ask, you know.”
“I’m too scared of the answer.” He took an exaggerated breath. “Are you coming back home?”
Blond strands trailed across her cheek. “I’ve been thinking about that.”
He didn’t like where this was going. “And?”
“I want to do something significant with the money from the house.”
“Like what?” His voice rasped. From the moment he’d heard her on the ranger’s radio last night, he’d lost his grip on his emotions. “What are you thinking?”
“Maybe some kind of art scholarship for handicapped kids. Or maybe…I can’t believe I’m saying this. Maybe starting a preschool.”
Jake nodded, knowing his voice wouldn’t cooperate. She’d changed so much from the cardboard girl he’d first met.
“I can’t decide if I should withdraw my offer on the house in St. Louis or go ahead with it. It’s an amazing deal. It would be a smart investment, but”—she touched her forehead to his—“I hate the thought of breaking in a new contractor.”
The sparkle in her eyes banished every ounce of tension in his muscles. He laughed and realized his AWOL voice had returned. “Braden Remodeling has been known to do some long-distance work, but there would have to be some major restrictions in the contract.”
“Such as?”
“Such as Braden would have to go halfsies on the purchase of the property.”
Emily blinked once, then again. “That’s quite a long-term commitment.”
He leaned into her lips. “Not nearly as long as I’d like it to be.”
Her lips touched his then jerked away. “Wait a minute. That means Braden would expect to go halfsies on all decisions.”
“You betcha.” His eyelashes swept her cheek. “But no worries. I’m starting to like tearing down your walls.”
“I’m so sorry.” Kalisa Harris set a netting-covered infant car seat on the garage floor and brushed a shiny black curl off her forehead with a tapered, manicured finger. She gestured to the cardboard boxes overflowing with newspapers, yellowed documents, and old photographs. “Marvin Greene’s granddaughter called me from the hospital and asked me to meet you. She didn’t have time to explain much, but said you could look through the boxes. I can scan and copy anything you find.” She shrugged apologetically.
Jake smiled at the woman. “What are the doctors saying about Mr. Greene?”
“It was a mild stroke. His prognosis is good.”
“That’s a blessing.”
“Amen to that.” Kalissa lifted the car seat and stepped out the door. “My other daughter’s playing in the backyard. I’ll check on her and then I’ll be back to see if you need anything.”
“Thank you so much for—” Emily stopped mid-sentence as sunlight glinted on something that hung from a fine gold chain on Kalissa’s neck.
A gold frog.
A chill skittered down Emily’s spine. “May I look at your necklace?”
Kalissa grinned. “Of course. There’s a story behind this.” She set the car seat down, unlatched the clasp, and laid the frog in Emily’s hand.
Lexi drew close and gasped. “That’s exactly like yours, Emily.”
Kalissa smiled. “Couldn’t be exactly like this one. I made this from a mold I cast of the original, which is made of wood.”
From the chunky, raised bumps along the spine to the sharp angles of the bent legs, the frog looked so much like the one in the treasure can. She turned it over and echoed Lexi’s gasp.
“An M!” Adam lowered his head until his hair brushed Emily’s arm. “Weird.”
“This”—Emily’s hand quivered—“mine has an M on it. It’s the same size and carved ex—”
“Where did you get it?” Kalissa’s eyes sparkled with the excitement that infused the whole garage.
Emily told her about the house, the treasure can, the room, and the letters.
Kalissa sank onto a stack of boxes. “I apologized when you got here because I didn’t think I’d be much help to you.” Wide brown eyes stared in shock. Her lips parted. “It appears I was wrong.” She smiled. “Would y’all like to follow me across town to my—”
“Mama!” Footsteps rounded the garage. A little girl with thick black braids stopped short then wrapped herself around Kalissa’s legs. Kalissa bent and picked her up. “I’d like you all to meet my daughter. Hannah.” She leaned over and pulled the netting from the car seat. A mass of black curls crowned a round little head. “And this is Mariah.”
Kalissa handed the baby to Emily, then set glasses of sweet tea on the kitchen table. Outside, on the expansive deck, Adam and Lexi blew bubbles with four-year-old Hannah. Kalissa sat down across from Emily. “I became obsessed with my family tree while I was in college. My search led me to the Greenes. And these.” She tapped a stack of papers in plastic sleeves.
“My maiden name is Johnson,” she said. “My great-great-great-great-great”—she held up one finger with each great— “grandfather was a slave. George Johnson. He fled Missouri with his young daughter, Mariah, in 1852. Mariah died along the way. Your Hannah and her father hid George and helped him get to a ship that took him to Canada. Sometime later, Thomas and Hannah Shaw came here to Fredericktown to help George’s mother and sister escape. They stayed with Robert and Isabella Greene, who donated the money that Hannah, all by herself according to the accounts I’ve read, used to buy the women’s freedom. They say she…”
Emily sat mesmerized—by the story, and by the smooth, dark skin of the child in her arms. She ran her finger across the infant’s velvet cheek. Like feeling history. She thought of Dorothy’s words—We’re all connected. Like holding a mirror up to a mirror, we’re reflections of the people who came before us and the generations that follow.
Jake reached over and touched Mariah’s hand, looking into Emily’s eyes. Searching. She smiled at him, hoping he read joy in her eyes. He turned to Kalissa. “Do you know anything more about Hannah?”
“I know”—she slid the papers across the table—“she lived a long and happy life.”
Emily looked down at bold, familiar strokes. The letter was headed, Rochester, Wisconsin, December 16, 1881. Her breath froze in her throat. “It’s him.” She scanned to the bottom. “Liam,” she whispered. “His name was Liam.”
Jake read quietly:
Dear Mrs. Greene,
It is with deepest joy that I wish you a blessed Christmas. Hannah and I are enjoying health and hope you are well.
It has been a tumultuous year for us. Our first grandchild was born in October, a week before Hannah’s father went on to Glory. He will be sorely missed.
The good Lord allowed Thomas to see some of the fruits of his labors before taking him Home. George Johnson and his wife spent two weeks with us in September. You can imagine the tears as we joined hands in our cellar room and lifted prayers of thanksgiving. By way of gratitude, George lent some beautifying touches to our chapel with his woodworking skills. He still grieves the loss of his first daughter, but God blessed him with four children. Because of you, they were born into freedom.
May the new year be filled with blessings for you and yours, Liam and Hannah Keegan
Emily pulled a branch laden with almost-ripe apples close to her nose, breathing in the sweet, sun-warmed smells of August. Two little boys sat under the tree, eating the last of the peanut butter cookies.
From several yards away, Cardinal Bob cocked his head and stared at her. As she waved at him, she leaned on the gun-shaped walking stick and ran her fingertips over her name and the engraved date. Like portly Mr. Bottomley in Dorothy’s book, she carried it as a fashion statement. And a reminder.
“I’m going inside, boys,” she yelled.
“To make more cookies?” Michael’s brown eyes peered at her from his apple tree hideaway.
She laughed. “Tomorrow. How about oatmeal this time?”
His nose wrinkled. “Uh-uh. Peanuhbutter.”
“I kind of thought you’d say that.”
She walked through the front door. The new floor plan never failed to make her smile.
Dorothy would be happy here.
And Emily would spend the rest of her life fighting a new kind of regret. Too late, she’d realized her flip had become home. Vanessa would probably say home was just a state of mind. If she could feel it here, she could feel it anywhere. Was there a mantra for convincing herself that was true?
In the kitchen, she picked up the treasure can. Several Squiggles had occupied the can, but Michael had recently declared, “Frogs hiberate in really hot summer.” She opened the zipper bag and placed the treasures, one by one, back in the can. All but the tiny carved frog that sat on the windowsill above the new sink. The wooden Squiggles would leave with her.
She opened the cellar door, running her hand over the rough edge. Like feeling history. Dorothy agreed the door should remain as is.
She walked down the creaky steps, across the uneven floor, and opened the sliding door. Jake had oiled the wheels and they slid easily. Without picking up the flashlight, she stepped down into the room and sat on the bench, setting the can next to the carved inscription. In a few days, when she moved out to divide her time between St. Louis and the apartment above Tina’s garage, the can would stay. The treasures belonged to her imaginary friends whose memories lived in the walls.
Footsteps sounded overhead. “I’m down here!” she yelled. At that moment, her phone vibrated.
Dorothy. Her finger moved slowly to answer the call. She wasn’t in the mood to listen to more plans for wall colors or room arrangements. “Hi, Dorothy.”
“Emily? I—oh, is Jake there yet?”
“I’m in the cellar, but I think he just got here. Do you want to talk to him?”
“Well…”
“We’re coming down!” Adam called from the kitchen. Laughter and footsteps followed. Breathless twins tumbled in. The rip of Velcro sounded and an LED light lit the room.
“Just a minute, Dorothy.” She looked at the kids. “Is Jake with you?”
“Yeah, but we gotta ask you something before he gets here.”
“I’m on the phone.”
Lexi bent over, hands on her knees. “This’ll only take a sec.”
Heavier footsteps sounded overhead. Adam nudged Lexi. “Hurry.”
Lexi nodded and gulped air. “It’s like this. Jake wants to help you more with your house in St. Louis, but he’s stuck with us, but Adam and I decided it would be really good for us to get away from here for a year after all that’s happened and St. Louis sounds like a cool place to live so we decided we should all move there and since you’re a teacher we were thinking you could homeschool us and it kinda wouldn’t work unless you”—she looked at Adam and he nodded. The cellar steps creaked. Lexi scrunched her face. “Would you”—they said in unison—“marry us?”
“Alexis!” Jake appeared in the doorway, nailing Lexi with a horrified look.
Mouth agape, Emily looked up into lake-blue eyes.
The stunned look slowly melted from his face. He shrugged, shook his head, and grinned. “Well…what they said.”
“Uh…”
Tears brimming his eyes, Jake reached out for Lexi’s hand then Adam’s. In one fluid motion, all three were on their knees at Emily’s feet.
“Emily Foster, will you do us the honor of making us the happiest family in the whole world? Will you marry us?”
Mouth still wide open, Emily nodded. “Yes. Yes. To all of you!”
Jake stood and pulled her to her feet. He held her gaze for a heart-stopping pause then bent and pressed his lips to hers. Her arms slid around him.
Adam covered his eyes. “That’s disgusting.”
“Hello? Hello? Emily?” The muffled voice came from somewhere behind Jake’s right shoulder.
“Dorothy!” Emily pulled away, laughing, and put the phone to her ear. “Dorothy, I’m so sorry.”
“No, it’s me who’s sorry, dear. Jake just left here and he said I should call you while he was there with you and—oh, I know it’s too late, but Jake just showed me how he could knock out just one wall and make my house so much like yours that it…”
Emily narrowed tear-filled eyes at the man whose grin hovered inches from the phone. “It would feel so homey that it just wouldn’t make sense for you to move, right?”
“Y-yes.”
“I understand that feeling, Dorothy. I’ll let you out of the contract.”
“Oh dear, thank you. I’m so sorry for any inconvenience this—”
“No inconvenience, Dorothy.” She traced Jake’s lips with her fingertip. “None at all.” She nestled into waiting arms.
Safe. Warm. Home. Where she belonged.
BECKY MELBY has been married to Bill, her high school sweetheart, for 40 years. They have four married sons and eleven grandchildren. Becky has co-authored nine books for Heartsong Presents and is working on her third novella for Barbour Publishing. Tomorrow’s Sun is the first of three stories in The Lost Sanctuary series. Becky’s favorite pastimes are spoiling grandkids and taking trips with Bill in their RV or on their Honda Gold Wing. To find out more about Becky or her books, or to let her know your thoughts on Tomorrow’s Sun, visit www.beckymelby.com.
Discussion Questions for Tomorrow’s Sun
1. Long before Emily arrived in Wisconsin, she decided not to make friends there. Have you ever entered a situation or relationship determined to guard your heart and keep everyone at a distance?
2. Jake had his own boundaries in place because he thought a relationship would take his focus off of gaining guardianship of the twins. How different would his interactions with Emily have been if he’d been able to trust God with the details of his future? Have you drawn boundaries around any part of your future? What would it take to leave it in God’s hands?
3. Jake blames Ben for much of what has gone wrong in his life. That’s a very normal, human tendency. If there is a person who has hurt you or seemingly changed the course of your life, how are you dealing with it? In light of this, do you find the promise found in Romans 8:28 comforting, or very difficult to accept? Have you experienced good things coming out of bad situations?
3. Have you ever discovered a “secret” room, a lost treasure, or old letters in an attic or basement? Have you moved into a house that held clues about previous owners?
4. Hannah’s faith appears so strong even in the face of great danger. In what ways might it have been easier to trust God in a “simpler but harder” era? What “faith advantages,” if any, do we have in this age of information?
5. Emily has a full “toolbox” of techniques for quelling panic. What “tools” have you found helpful in anxiety-producing situations?
6. The letters and the secret room begin to erode Emily’s “wall”, and she embarks on a mission to discover more about the letter writers. Adam longs to be involved in “something like the Underground Railroad.” What causes exist today that Christians are, or should be, championing? Are you involved in something “significant,” or do you long to be? What is God calling you to do that you haven’t acted on yet?
7. In her pain and fear, Lexi lashes out just like her injured cat. Do you have regular contact with a coworker or family member who responds to the world like a porcupine— bristly and unapproachable? How does (or would) knowing the painful events in this person’s life soften your reactions?
8. Jake and Lexi sit side-by-side in church, hearing the same music. One responds in joyful worship, the other can barely utter a word. How do the events in your daily life color your attitude toward worship? We know God is worthy of our praise no matter what our circumstances, so how can we more readily respond to Him simply because of who He is?
9. Emily’s driving force is her need to make restitution to Sierra. In what circumstances does God ask us to make restitution, and for what purpose? The Bible tells us in many places that God’s forgiveness doesn’t come with a “to do” list we must check off before experiencing His grace. Emily could not escape the knowledge that her choices resulted in Sierra’s handicap, but what would her mind-set about her own future, and Sierra’s, have been if she’d accepted God’s forgiveness and plan for her life earlier?
10. What was your initial reaction to Jake’s lack of response when Emily told him she couldn’t have children?
11. Second Corinthians 1:3–4 speaks of God comforting us “in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” We see this principle played out in the lives of Hannah and her father. Familiar with grief after Elizabeth’s death, they minister to George and Isaiah with tenderness. Do you know people who, like Emily, have experienced miscarriage, infertility, or the loss of a loved one who are able to comfort others in the way they have been comforted?
12. Hannah acknowledges that Liam left without her because he didn’t want to endanger her. Has there been a time in your life when you were on the giving or receiving end of a selfless love that “doesn’t feel like love”?
13. God’s faithfulness to His children in spite of their actions is always humbling. Emily’s choices hurt Sierra. Describe how Emily must have felt when she was allowed to take part in rescuing Adam and Lexi.
14. What do you think the future holds for Jake, Emily, Adam, and Lexi?