Closest to Your Heart-chapters 7 & 8

Sorry I haven't posted in so long...VBS was this past week and I haven't been able to connect to the internet. Since you've been so patient, I'm posting two chapters. Enjoy!

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CHAPTER 7

Okay, this is actually a picture of my Grandpa...but I didn't feel right putting a random picture of a soldier on my blog (kinda disrespectful). Anyway...ain't he handsome?

By morning the snow had stopped and the clouds had blown away. The sun came out, but its rays didn't do much to warm the earth.
May rose early as usual and got dressed. She tied an apron around her calico-clothed body and went downstairs to put coffee on. Oliver met her in the kitchen and, after sharing cups of coffee, they headed out to the barn for the morning chores.
Audrienne was roused from sleep by the voices in the kitchen. As she crawled out of her warm bed, she heard the door in the kitchen close. She hurried to the window and watched as May and Oliver entered the large barn. Quickly she turned and changed into the dress she had worn the night before. If I hurry, I can make breakfast for them, she thought. It was the least she could do to repay them for their kindness.
Audrienne walked downstairs and entered the kitchen. After rummaging through some drawers, she found an apron. She searched the kitchen and found the fixings to make a batch of biscuits. She hand-mixed the biscuits in a bowl and got them in the oven. Then she fried bacon and eggs while they baked. When they were done, she put them in a bowl and covered them with a towel. Next she set the table, and as she pulled the last piece of bacon out of the pan, May and Oliver walked through the door.
"My lands, girl, what are you doin'?" May exclaimed, seeing Audrienne with the plate of bacon in hand.
"Morning, Mrs. Richardson. " Audrienne said. "I figured you deserved a hot breakfast after plowin' through all that snow."
" Well, that's real nice of ya." May smiled and sat down at the table. "It was deep!"
Oliver waited until Audrienne set the bacon on the table and seated herself, then he sat and blessed the food.
"Me and Oliver were talkin' about how we'll get you home while we were chorin'." May said between bites of eggs.
" Oh?" Audrienne said. "Did you think of anything?"
"We figured you might as well just ride with us in to the hospital. That is," May paused, "if you don't mind."
"I don't mind, and I'm awful thankful for the ride. I'm pretty sure my car won't make it through this." Audrienne said. "Here, have another biscuit." She held the bowl out to May and then Oliver.
"Thanks." Oliver said. "These are good."
"I'm glad you like 'em. My grandma showed me how to make biscuits. She taught me to cook nearly everything I do cook." Audrienne said.
The three talked easily through the rest of breakfast, and afterward May helped Audrienne clean up the kitchen.
"Oliver's probably got the truck warmed up." May said as she put the last clean plate away. "We'd better go."
"All right," Audrienne untied her apron and laid it the back of a chair. "I'll just go upstairs and get my things." She left the room, leaving May to get her coat by herself.
After Audrienne came back downstairs and slipped into her coat, May gave her an extra pair of boots. "Snow's too deep for your shoes." she explained.
May and Audrienne went out into the cold and quickly made their way to the truck, where Oliver waited. They climbed in and were on their way to Audrienne's home. When they arrived, Audrienne thanked her friend for her hospitality and then went inside her house.
Oliver dropped his mother off at the hospital and headed to work. After waving him off, May entered the hospital and headed to Abel's room.
As she passed one room, May heard weeping. She glanced in and saw a girl resting her head on a hospital bed. Sobs shook the girl's body as she cried, "She was my only sister!" May turned her face away, a tear sliding down her cheek unchecked. Lord, be with that young one, she prayed inwardly. She entered Abel's room and sat down.
Seeing the grieving girl like that had reminded May of when she had lost her own sibling. She began to tell Abel the story.
" Do you remember that spring of Forty-two? I remember it so clearly. It was an early spring. Things were greenin' up real nice and it was so warm outside! The kids were runnin' around barefoot before I could stop them.
"But that was the same spring that Tom signed up for the war. He was so proud when he came to our house that same night he enlisted. I remember him tryin' to get you to join. When I heard him I wanted to knock some sense into his head. I was so worried you'd take him up on his offer. But I was wrong. ' What'd they want an old-timer like me for?' you joked.
"All too soon it was time for Tom to go overseas. There was such a crowd at the train station that day. Everyone wanted to give Tom a good go-away.
" I remember that as I wrapped my arms I finally realized that Tom was grown up and leaving us. My kid brother was going off to war! I promised him I'd take care of Mom and Daddy till he got back. Then he kissed my cheek and said, 'Pray for me, May. Our prayers may be the only thing that get me home.' He was so serious. Then he grinned that familiar, lop-sided grin to chase away my fears and climbed onto the train." May paused to wipe some tears. " I walked to your side and you held me while I cried. We watched till the train was out of sight, then we went back to the farm.
"It wasn't until late summer that we got the telegram saying Tom had been killed in action. It was a shock to me. I couldn't imagine that he was dead. I couldn't even cry. Not till I saw him in his coffin. Then I grieved for a long while. I almost let my grief become my life. I'm ashamed of the way I let you and the kids get pushed out of my life. I was so selfish!
"Then Ruthie set me straight. 'You can't go on like this, May. Tom's dead, but you're living. You got a family. I'd say you've grieved enough.' It was just like Ruthie to snap me back into real life. She's always done that for me.
" So I got back to living, and though Tom's death still pained me, I found out that being with ya'll made the pain a little easier to bear. You all helped me in every way you could. Now I still miss Tom, but there's no pain there, just sweet memories of his life." May sighed before continuing.
"Oh, Abel, I just don't know if I could ease the pain if you died. I know I'd have the kids to help me with it, and I have God, too, but it just don't help my thoughts. Losin' you'd be like losin' part of my own being."
May watched her husband's face before turning to her Father in prayer.
"Lord, I know You'll hold my hand if I have to lose Abel, But I'm prayin' that I can hold both Yours and his again in this life. Please, God, bring Abel back to me."
CHAPTER 8

May lifted the lid of the pot that was on the stove and breathed in the aroma of ham. The ham and beans had been cooking all day while she was visiting Abel. All she had to do was pick the ham hock and make cornbread and supper would be ready.
As May was stirring the cornbread up, the phone rang. With her heart pounding for fear that something had happened to Abel, she picked up the receiver.
"Hello?" she said.
"Ma? It's David." said the voice on the other end.
May's breath exited in a whoosh. "What is it, son?" she asked, relaxing.
"Evelyn's gone into labor. We're at the hospital." David answered.
"You sound shook up." May said.
"I've never done this before!"
"You'll be all right, David. "May chuckled. "I guess me and Oliver'll head up there sometime to sometime tonight to see the new baby."
"What about Pa?"
"I don't think he'd mind us coming."
"I'd better go. I'll see you later."
"All right."
"Bye."
"Bye, love you." May said before hanging up.
May said a silent prayer as she headed back to the kitchen. One for Evelyn and for David.
After she and Oliver ate supper, May suggested that they ride over to the hospital where Evelyn was admitted. Oliver complied and soon they were on their way. When they reached the hospital and entered the waiting room, David was all in a tizzy.
"Oh, Ma, thank the Lord you're here!" he said, walking towards them.
"Why, David? I'm sure the doctors have it all under control."
"Not for Evelyn, for me!"
"Oh. Well in that case, come here." May hugged her son-in-law before leading him to a chair. As they sat, May thought of a way to keep David from worrying. "I was just thinkin' the other day of how you and Evelyn met. How was it again? You met at that one county rodeo, right?" She asked in an effort to make David tell her, and therefore distract him.
"Yeah, it was a pretty big rodeo for all the county teens." David began, "I was there for bull-riding, bronc busting, steer wrestling, just about everything. I think Evelyn was only in for barrel racing, but boy, was she good!
"I remember them announcing her.'And now is Evelyn Richardson on her horse, Sharp. She's been real fast around these barrels lately. Let's see what she can do.' Well, Evelyn sure proved herself that day. Her and Sharp were like a rattler's strike, real fast. I think she broke a record that day.
"Anyway, I remember thinking I had to meet her and ask her how she  got so good. But I had to get ready for bronc bustin'. So I decided to just wait until after the rodeo to find her.
" Well, of you remember right, I never got that chance 'cause she found me instead. That one bronco was tough, and it threw me right into the fence. I felt this sharp pain in my shoulder when I hit the ground after bouncing off the fence. I remember being helped out of the ring by some of the wranglers. They took me to a nurses' station and who should be there but Evelyn! She was volunteering or something.
" So while a nurse checked my shoulder, before saying it was broke, I talked to Evelyn. I really liked her and asked to meet her parents."
"Oh, yes, I remember that part." May broke in, "Evelyn came runnin' to me saying I had to meet this boy before he left for the hospital. So me and Abel came to the nurses' station and we talked to you for a little before you left. Evelyn was so excited. But her Pa and me weren't so sure. We didn't know if you were saved or not."
" Well, the next time she saw me, she just outright asked me." David said, laughing.
"She did?" May said, "She never told me that. She just said she found out you were. So we decided to let you two get together after we were sure you were a Christian. And now look at you! You're having a baby with my girl."
"It's almost unreal. God's been so good." David said. "I just hope-"
"Mr. Storm?" a nurse interrupted.
"Yes?" David rose and walked toward her.
"You have a daughter. Your wife wants to see you." the nurse said.
"Didja hear that, Ma?" David spun to May, excitement pouring out. "I'm a daddy!"
"Good for you, son. Now go see your wife." May chuckled as she watched David follow the nurse, happiness and pride giving a spring to his step.
After a while, May and Oliver were allowed in to see the new baby, named Rebekah May. While Evelyn watched, May held her fourth grandchild. She crooned to Rebekah in baby talk. Finally May returned the baby to her mother and smiled as she watched the two interact.
"Oh, Ma," Evelyn said suddenly,"I'm so sorry for the trouble I've caused lately."
"Trouble?" May asked with a raised brow.
"You know. What I said about God in Pa's hospital room. I know I've worried you. But don't worry any more. I got that all resolved. After a while I realized that I didn't even think of all the good we've had in this life. I spent all my time dwelling on the trials."
May nodded in agreement, but kept silent so Evelyn could go on.
"Then I got in God's Word. I read that verse in John that says 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.' It really made me think. God sent Jesus to become a man to die for me. If  a person loved me that much, surely the bad things only come for my good." Evelyn finished.
Un-shed tears pooled in May's eyes. "Honey, I'm so happy for you!" She leaned over the edge of the bed and kissed her daughter on the cheek."I know this baby will grow up in a Godly home now."
May bowed her head and began a prayer of thankfulness. ""Father, thank you for bringing my little girl back to you. I can rest easy, knowin' her little girl will know you too."