Read Online The Red Gloves Collection by Karen Kingsbury - Free Book Online

this time she was sicker. Once in a while when they thought she wasn’t listening, the doctor would talk to her mom and dad about something called a transplant. She had heard that word before, but she didn’t know what it was.
    Maybe a medicine or a special tool that would make her better.
    She wasn’t sure, but whatever it was it cost too much. Otherwise the doctor would have already given it to her. That was okay. God was with her, and he would take care of her no matter what happened.
    But God, whatever happens to me, please let me go home for Christmas.
    Of course, she might not get better. Kids died from cancer sometimes. Once when she and her dad had gone over for a treatment, a man and woman were crying in the waiting room. She hadn’t meant to stare, but she couldn’t help it. Later she asked her nurse why the people were sad.
    “Their daughter died this morning,” the nurse told her.
    “Died?”
    “Yes. She’d been fighting cancer for three years.” There were lines on the nurse’s forehead and her eyes looked tired. “Today she lost the battle.”
    After that Gideon had had a different way of thinking about cancer. It wasn’t just a bad sickness, like a long cold or an ear infection. It was a battle. And if you lost the battle, you could die.
    She yawned.
    Death would be sad because she would miss her mom and dad and Dustin. But it wouldn’t be scary. Her parents had always talked about heaven and in the secret places of her heart, she was sort of excited to go there. Streets of gold. No more pain. No more tears. Besides, one day her family would be there, too.
    After she knew the truth about cancer and how bad it could be, she wanted her parents to know she wasn’t afraid. She’d told them a few days ago when she was first put in the hospital.
    “Heaven will be wonderful, don’t you think?” She’d looked straight up, first at her mother, then at her father.
    Her dad squeezed her hand. “Sure, honey, it’ll be great.” His eyes were red and wet, and when he smiled his chin moved up and down. “But not for a long time, okay?”
    “So we can all go together, you mean?”
    “That’s right, sweetheart.”
    As good as heaven seemed, her dad was probably right. It’d be better to wait until they were all old. That way they could be there together without having to wait.
    She yawned again and turned onto her side. She was tired all the time lately, but that was a good thing. When she slept she had the most wonderful dreams. She felt her body relax. The sounds and lights and even the pain began to go away.
    Gradually she fell asleep and a glorious city appeared before her eyes. Sparkling gold buildings and bright blue streams that ran along either side of the street. Up ahead was a man she didn’t quite recognize. She took a few steps forward, then a few more, and suddenly she could see the man’s face. It was Earl! Only his clothes weren’t tattered and his face was smooth. He wasn’t angry, either. In fact … Yes! She took a step closer and she could see it was true. He was smiling! And there was something different in his eyes. She tried to think of what it was …
    Earl believed! That was it, she was sure. His eyes looked all glowing and clean.
    Then Earl turned around and started to leave.
    “Wait! Don’t go!” she called after him, but he didn’t hear her.
    “You will stay, Gideon.”
    “Who said that?” She spun around and there, beside her, was a tall man with shining hair.
    He reached for her hand. “You’ll like it. We have a palace ready for you.”
    What was this place? And why weren’t her parents here? What about Earl? If he could leave, why couldn’t she?
    Then she realized where she was. Of course. She was in heaven. Cancer had won the battle and now she was here. It wasn’t supposed to feel sad, but it did. Just a little. Not because it wasn’t wonderful, but because her mom and dad and Dustin weren’t here. And that meant somewhere they were crying and