Reunion (Redemption Series, 5, Band 5) - Softcover

Kingsbury, Karen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1414333048 ISBN 13: 9781414333045

Verlag: Tyndale House Publishers, 2009

Inhaltsangabe

The Baxters is now an original series on Prime Video, starring Roma Downey and Ted McGinley.

A story of God’s grace, redemption, and victory even in the most difficult times, from Karen Kingsbury, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of “heart-tugging and emotional” (Romantic Times) life-changing fiction, co-authored with Gary Smalley.

A Deadly Diagnosis
Plans are being made for a family reunion, and nearly all the Baxters have a reason to celebrate?except one. As the preparations get underway, a deadly diagnosis sends shockwaves through the family and threatens to tear them apart.

A Heartbreaking Secret
The reality of what might lie ahead brings each of the Baxters to a place of faith and honesty. In the process, John and Elizabeth come to grips with a secret they haven’t shared with anyone, a secret they rarely admit even to themselves. At the same time, a young man is making his rise in Hollywood and wondering about his place in life.

A Glorious Celebration
Amid the threat of sorrow, the Baxters share in their most wonderful celebration of all?a moment to remember that love always wins out, no matter how long the struggle, and a reminder that God reigns, even in the darkest night.

This touching story in the bestselling Christian fiction series about the Baxters invites readers into Erin and Sam’s attempt to adopt a child. As the family looks forward to a heartwarming reunion, they find out that Mr. and Mrs. Baxter have a secret that could change their lives forever.

• Fans will enjoy a personal note from Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley as well as discussion questions for book clubs
• Books featuring the Baxter family include:
  Redemption series: Redemption, Remember, Return, Rejoice, and Reunion
  Firstborn series: Fame, Forgiven, Found, Family, and Forever
  Sunrise series: Sunrise, Summer, Someday, and Sunset

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The Baxters come together one final time. . . . A deadly diagnosis In the fifth and final book in the Redemption series, plans are being made for a family reunion. Nearly all the Baxters have a reason to celebrate-except one. As the preparations get under way, a deadly diagnosis sends shock waves through the family and threatens to tear them apart. A heartbreaking secret The reality of what might lie ahead brings each of the Baxters to a place of faith and honesty. In the process, John and Elizabeth come to grips with a secret they haven't shared with anyone, a secret they rarely admit even to themselves. At the same time, a young man is making his rise in Hollywood and wondering about his place in life. A glorious celebration Amid the threat of sorrow, the Baxters share in their most wonderful celebration of all-a moment to remember that love always wins out, no matter how long the struggle, and a reminder that God reigns even in the darkest night. A story of God's grace, redemption, and victory even in the most difficult times.

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Reunion

By Karen Kingsbury Gary Smalley

TYNDALE HOUSE PUBLISHERS, INC.

Copyright © 2004 The Smalley Publishing Group, LLC, and Karen Kingsbury
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4143-3304-5

Chapter One

Elizabeth Baxter found the lump on March 7.

She was in the shower, and at first she brushed past it, figured it to be nothing more than a bit of fatty tissue or a knotted muscle or maybe even a figment of her imagination. But then she went over it with her fingertips again and again. And once more, until she knew.

No question-it was a lump.

And a lump of any kind meant getting an immediate check. This was a road she'd traveled before. If a breast-cancer survivor knew one thing it was the importance of self-checks. She stopped the water, dried off, and called her doctor while still wrapped in a towel.

The mammogram came three days later, and a biopsy was performed the day after that. Now, on a brilliantly sunny morning in mid-March, in the private office of Dr. Marc Steinman, Elizabeth sat stiff and straight next to John as they waited for the doctor to bring the results.

"It's bad; I know it is." Elizabeth leaned a few inches to the side and whispered, "He wouldn't have called us in if it wasn't bad."

John did a soft sigh and met her eyes. "You don't know that. It's probably nothing." But his tone lacked the usual confidence, and something wild and fearful flashed in his eyes. He tightened his grip on her hand. "It's nothing."

Elizabeth stared straight ahead. The wall held an oversized, framed and matted print of a pair of mallard ducks cutting a path across a glassy lake. No, God, please ... not more cancer. Please. She closed her eyes and the ducks disappeared.

A parade of recent memories marched across her heart. Ashley and Luke sitting side by side at Luke and Reagan's wedding reception, reconnected after so many years apart; Kari and Ryan exchanging vows at a wedding in the Baxter backyard; little Jessie taking her first steps; Maddie and Hayley holding hands for the first time after Hayley's drowning accident.

They need me, God ... they still need me. I still need them. Please, God ... no more cancer.

Footsteps sounded in the hall outside, and Elizabeth's eyes flew open. "Help me, John." Her voice was pinched, panicked.

"It's okay." John leaned closer, letting her rest on him. "It'll be okay."

The doctor entered the room, a file clutched beneath his arm. He stopped, nodded, and sat at the desk opposite them. "Thanks for coming." He opened the folder and pulled out the top sheet of paper. His eyes met first John's, then Elizabeth's. "I have the results of your biopsy."

A pause followed, and John cleared his throat. "She's fine, right?" John's tone sounded forced, unnatural.

The doctor opened his mouth, but Elizabeth already knew. She knew the news would be bad, and in that instant she couldn't think about surgery or radiation or how sick she was bound to get. Neither could she think the unthinkable-about regrets or do-overs or things she wished she hadn't done. Instead only one question consumed her soul.

How in the world would her family live without her?

* * *

The idea of meeting with the birth mother gave Erin Hogan a bad feeling from the beginning.

Their adoption attorney had warned them against it, but with four weeks until their baby daughter's birth, Erin couldn't tell the woman no. Sam agreed. Whatever the outcome, they would meet the birth mother, hear what she had to say, and pray that nothing-absolutely nothing-would damage the dream of bringing home their daughter.

The meeting was set to take place in thirty minutes at a small park not far from Erin and Sam's Austin home, where they would spend an hour with the birth mother, Candy Santana, and her two children.

On the way out the door that day Erin's stomach hurt. "Sam?" She paused near the nursery door and gazed in.

"I know." He stopped at her side and ran his fingers over her arms. "You're worried."

"Yes." The nursery was entirely pink and white: pink walls and a white crib with pink bedding, and dresser topped with pink teddy bears. It smelled faintly of fresh paint and baby powder. Erin folded her arms and pressed her fist into her middle. "Everything's been going so well." Her eyes found Sam's. "Why now?"

"I don't know." He kissed the top of her head and studied the nursery. "Maybe she wants to see how excited we are."

The possibility seemed like a stretch. Despite the warm March Texas morning, Erin shivered and turned toward the front door. "Let's get it over with."

The short ride to the park was silent, mostly because Erin was afraid to talk, afraid to speculate about what might happen or why in the world the birth mother would want to meet them now. Without the social worker or attorney or anyone official. They parked the car and headed toward a picnic table.

Ten minutes later a young woman and two small girls headed toward them. Next to her was a thin man with long hair and mean, dark eyes.

"Who's he?" Erin whispered. They were sitting on top of the table, their feet on the bench as they waited.

Sam frowned. "Trouble."

The approaching couple held hands. As they drew closer Erin felt the knot in her stomach grow. Candy was very pregnant, dressed in worn-out, dirty clothes and broken flip-flops. The man's arms were splattered with tattoos. On one was a rooster with a full plume of feathers and the word cock in cursive beneath it. The other arm had the full naked figure of a woman framed on top by the name Bonnie.

Erin swallowed to keep from shuddering. She lowered her gaze to the girls, who were running a few feet in front of the adults. Candy's youngest daughter was maybe two years old and wore only a droopy diaper. The other girl, not much older, had a runny nose. Both children had blonde matted hair, lifeless eyes, and vacant expressions. The look of neglect and emotional disconnect.

The same way Candy's unborn child would look one day if something happened to the adoption process, or if Candy changed her-

No, God ... don't let me think like that. The couple was a few feet away now, and Erin could feel the color draining from her face. Please ... get us through this meeting.

"Hi." Candy gave them a look that fell short of a smile. The right side of her upper lip twitched, and she rubbed her thumb against it. "This is Dave. The baby's dad."

The baby's dad? A thin wire of terror wrapped itself around Erin's neck. "Uh ..." She forced herself to smile. "Hello. I'm Erin."

Next to her, Sam held out his hand to the tattooed man. "Hi."

Dave shook Sam's hand, but refused to look either Sam or Erin in the eyes. Instead he shifted his gaze from Candy to the girls, to the ground, and back to Candy again. He grunted something that might've been a greeting. Erin wasn't sure.

For a moment no one said anything. Then Candy cleared her throat and glanced at her daughters. The youngest had picked a dandelion and was chewing on the stem. "Hey!" Candy pointed at the girl and let loose a string of expletives. "I told you a hundred times don't be stupid, Clarisse, and I mean it. You ain't a goat; take the flower outta your mouth."

The girl lifted her eyes in Candy's direction. "No!" She put the flower stem between her lips.

Candy mumbled something as she stomped over to the child and grabbed her arm. "Let it go!"

Fear filled the girl's eyes. She dropped the flower and tried to back away...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Tyndale House Publishers
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2009
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1414333048
• ISBN 13: 9781414333045
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 384
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: preigu; mail@preigu.de; ; Lengericher Landstr. 19; Osnabrück; 49078; Deutschland