Read Online Mother's Promise by Anna Schmidt - Free Book Online

were papers to sign followed by a tour of the entire facility that left her head spinning. So many corridors. So many people coming and going in all directions. So much suffering on the cancer wing and then utter joy when they walked through the maternity wing. There she witnessed a man in the midst of a throng of well-wishers in the waiting room as he held up his phone to show pictures of his newborn child. They passed two hospital rooms occupied by mothers nursing their babies.
    â€œChildren’s wing is across this skywalk,” Mark told her. “Patients who come here as well as friends and family have their own separate chapel.” He opened the door to a small room that took her breath away.
    The chapel he’d shown her in the main part of the hospital had been generic, with stained glass windows in a geometric design that lined the two side walls. The front of the room was furnished with a small lectern and a simple wooden table that held a vase of fresh flowers. The rest of the carpeted room had been furnished with three rows of chairs—four chairs per row to each side of a center aisle. The low-level lighting created an atmosphere of peace and quiet, a haven to escape the noise, bright lights, and fast-paced activity outside the double cypress doors.
    But, although it was also a small room, the children’s chapel was filled with natural light from a trio of frosted skylights above and windows that looked out onto the manicured grounds of the medical center’s campus all around. The floor was tile interrupted by two circles of bright-colored square cushions.
    â€œThe children who are able to do so will sit on the cushions,” Mark explained. “Those gaps in between are for children in wheelchairs. Those chairs against the walls are for times like Christmas when we might have a special program, or they could be used for a memorial service if necessary. The room will be used for multiple purposes.” He pointed to a second door. “In there is a room where family and friends can get away if they need to cry or pray or simply escape the clamor,” he explained.
    â€œIt’s wonderful,” Rachel told him. “Thank you so much for taking the time to show me around.”
    Mark smiled. “Hey, from what I hear this is where you’re likely to spend a good amount of your time.” He led the way back into the children’s area and opened a narrow door concealed as part of the wall. “Locked storage for whatever you might want to keep here,” he said, taking out a plastic bag that held a clown’s red rubber nose and a chartreuse frizzy wig. “Pastor Paul’s,” he explained. “He sometimes wears them when he’s on his rounds.” He placed the items back in the closet and closed and locked the door before handing her the key.
    On their way out, Rachel couldn’t help but notice a small silver plaque that read C HAPEL OF H OPE : A G IFT OF M ALCOLM , S HARON, AND S ALLY S HEPHERD .
    â€œThere’s an activity room across the hall here.” Mark pointed to an open door, beyond which Rachel could see an area set up with a quartet of computers, an area for crafts, and some colorful plastic toys geared toward toddlers.
    â€œAnd that’s pretty much the grand tour,” Mark said. He glanced at his watch. “Oops. I promised to have you back fifteen minutes ago. Eileen wants to get you set up in your office.”
    Mark made one more stop at the nurses’ station and introduced Rachel to the staff on duty. Then as they retraced their steps back through the corridor lined with patients’ rooms, they couldn’t help noticing that most were empty. “They’ll fill up,” Mark said as if she had asked. They rounded a corner, and she glanced into a room where a child was watching cartoons. The boy, who could not have been more than seven, glanced over at her, and Rachel smiled and waved at him.
    As they