realization came across his features. He stopped and looked from Katy to Dayne. “Have we heard from Mom and Dad?”
Dayne had known this moment was coming. He and Katy could only keep the boys distracted for so long. He glanced at Katy, and she took his cue. “Your dad called after dinner. Cody’s still very sick. I said we’d pray that he gets better.”
Next to him, Dayne could feel Ricky start to shake. He looked, and sure enough, the boy had covered his face and he was crying.
“Why’d he have to go and drink that alcohol?” Anger colored Justin’s expression. “He promised he wouldn’t do that.”
“Could he die?” BJ blinked back tears.
This wasn’t the time for nice-sounding answers. These boys were only years away from facing the same kinds of decisions. Dayne bit his lip. “Yes, he could die.” He looked at the sad and scared faces around him. “When people drink too much alcohol, they sometimes die because of it.” He reached out and took hold of Ricky’s hand. “That’s why we’re going to pray for him right now.”
Justin was the natural leader among the brothers, no question. It showed in everything he did, and this was no exception. “Can I pray first?” Katy told him yes, and he folded his hands and bowed his head, drawing a shaky breath. “Dear God, Dad says You brought Cody into our lives for a reason. But now he’s sick in the hospital, and I don’t think we had enough time to help him.” Justin’s voice broke, but he continued anyway. “Please don’t let him die. He needs to learn about You so he can see that he doesn’t need to drink that junk. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Justin’s prayer started a chain reaction, and the boys took turns asking God to heal Cody. Ricky prayed that the Lord would “give our friend Cody just one more chance.”
When they were finished, everyone had tears on their cheeks, and Dayne was sure he’d been part of something very special. The room felt filled with the presence of God in a way Dayne had never experienced before. Because until now he’d never been around children whose faith was so sweet and strong.
Dayne and Katy tucked the boys into bed and shifted the conversation to the front yard football game. By the time they turned off the lights, the boys were still sad, but they weren’t crying.
After the doors to both bedrooms were shut, Dayne and Katy headed for the stairs. When they reached the first step, Dayne stopped and leaned against the wall. “That was amazing.”
“ You were.” Katy eased her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. “I think I love you more right now than ever before. You’re so good with those boys, Dayne. I was watching you and thinking of everything we have ahead of us, and . . . I don’t know. I could barely breathe.”
Dayne kissed the top of her head. “I felt the same way. Watching you read to them.” He pulled back a little and found her eyes. “And that talent you have in the kitchen . . . wow, Katy.”
She gave him a light punch on the arm. “Thanks.” She took his hand and led the way down the stairs. “We’ll be married fifty years before I ever live that one down.”
Dayne laughed. “Maybe not even then.”
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Dayne could hardly wait until Katy was reading Dr. Seuss to their own children, kids who would understand God and trust Him the way the Flanigan kids did.
Now it was a matter of holding tight to real life in a real place like Bloomington and enjoying every moment along the way.
Katy’s heart was full as she reached the bottom of the stairs and headed for the sofa where they’d watched the basketball game earlier. Dayne could tease about her cooking, but she could sense what he was feeling, how the bedtime ritual upstairs had touched him the same way it had touched her.
When he was seated on the couch beside her, she pulled up her legs and faced him. “You’re going to be a wonderful dad someday, Dayne
Dayne had known this moment was coming. He and Katy could only keep the boys distracted for so long. He glanced at Katy, and she took his cue. “Your dad called after dinner. Cody’s still very sick. I said we’d pray that he gets better.”
Next to him, Dayne could feel Ricky start to shake. He looked, and sure enough, the boy had covered his face and he was crying.
“Why’d he have to go and drink that alcohol?” Anger colored Justin’s expression. “He promised he wouldn’t do that.”
“Could he die?” BJ blinked back tears.
This wasn’t the time for nice-sounding answers. These boys were only years away from facing the same kinds of decisions. Dayne bit his lip. “Yes, he could die.” He looked at the sad and scared faces around him. “When people drink too much alcohol, they sometimes die because of it.” He reached out and took hold of Ricky’s hand. “That’s why we’re going to pray for him right now.”
Justin was the natural leader among the brothers, no question. It showed in everything he did, and this was no exception. “Can I pray first?” Katy told him yes, and he folded his hands and bowed his head, drawing a shaky breath. “Dear God, Dad says You brought Cody into our lives for a reason. But now he’s sick in the hospital, and I don’t think we had enough time to help him.” Justin’s voice broke, but he continued anyway. “Please don’t let him die. He needs to learn about You so he can see that he doesn’t need to drink that junk. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Justin’s prayer started a chain reaction, and the boys took turns asking God to heal Cody. Ricky prayed that the Lord would “give our friend Cody just one more chance.”
When they were finished, everyone had tears on their cheeks, and Dayne was sure he’d been part of something very special. The room felt filled with the presence of God in a way Dayne had never experienced before. Because until now he’d never been around children whose faith was so sweet and strong.
Dayne and Katy tucked the boys into bed and shifted the conversation to the front yard football game. By the time they turned off the lights, the boys were still sad, but they weren’t crying.
After the doors to both bedrooms were shut, Dayne and Katy headed for the stairs. When they reached the first step, Dayne stopped and leaned against the wall. “That was amazing.”
“ You were.” Katy eased her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. “I think I love you more right now than ever before. You’re so good with those boys, Dayne. I was watching you and thinking of everything we have ahead of us, and . . . I don’t know. I could barely breathe.”
Dayne kissed the top of her head. “I felt the same way. Watching you read to them.” He pulled back a little and found her eyes. “And that talent you have in the kitchen . . . wow, Katy.”
She gave him a light punch on the arm. “Thanks.” She took his hand and led the way down the stairs. “We’ll be married fifty years before I ever live that one down.”
Dayne laughed. “Maybe not even then.”
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Dayne could hardly wait until Katy was reading Dr. Seuss to their own children, kids who would understand God and trust Him the way the Flanigan kids did.
Now it was a matter of holding tight to real life in a real place like Bloomington and enjoying every moment along the way.
Katy’s heart was full as she reached the bottom of the stairs and headed for the sofa where they’d watched the basketball game earlier. Dayne could tease about her cooking, but she could sense what he was feeling, how the bedtime ritual upstairs had touched him the same way it had touched her.
When he was seated on the couch beside her, she pulled up her legs and faced him. “You’re going to be a wonderful dad someday, Dayne
Similar Books
