Military Daddy (18 page)

“Are you ready?” Marge, dressed in a powder-blue suit, waited at Annie's side.

“I was just wishing that my parents could be here. I wish my dad were walking me down the aisle.”

“You should have called them.”

“There wasn't time, and I'm not sure they would have come anyway. No, I'm okay. We don't dwell on past mistakes. We dwell in the present and go forward from here.”

She smiled at Marge as she stood up and stepped away from her wheelchair. “I'm ready. My future is standing there waiting for me, and I love him more than life itself. God has been good to me.”

A
nnie gazed with love at the small bundle in her arms. Sitting up in bed the day after her C-section, she still couldn't get over how beautiful her daughter was. Her thick black hair stood on end and refused to lie down no matter how much the nurses tried combing it or how much lotion they applied.

Clara's little bow mouth was busy making sucking motions as she dreamed of her next meal. Even though her eyes were closed, Annie knew they were the same bright blue as her father's.

Annie glanced at the clock on the wall. According to the Red Cross volunteer who had called earlier, Shane should be arriving about five o'clock. It was a quarter to five now. Shane would be here any minute. She could barely contain her excitement. The long months of waiting were finally over. Clara Olivia Ross had entered the world three weeks early but in perfect health, at five pounds three ounces and with a squall that would wake anyone within half a mile.

A new nurse came in and stopped at the bedside. “I'm here to take your vital signs, Mrs. Ross. How are you feeling?”

“Wonderful.” She ran her fingers though Clara's downy hair and smiled.

“Good. I'm going to give you a bath demonstration in a little while, but I'd like your husband to be here for that.”

“He's on his way. His flight should have landed an hour ago.”

“Oh, he hasn't seen the baby yet?”

“No, she showed up early and spoiled our plans for him to be here. She's had a way of messing with our lives from the get-go.”

“What does your husband do?”

Clara stirred and thrust one hand in the air. Annie caught it and thrilled to the strength of her baby's grip. She bent and placed a kiss on the tiny fingers curled around her own. “You have a military daddy, don't you, Clara?” she cooed.

The door opened and Shane rushed in. His uniform was rumpled, and he looked as tired as a man who had been on a plane or in airports for the last twenty hours. He dropped his duffel bag off his shoulder and walked with unsteady steps toward Annie.

Smiling through tears of joy, Annie said, “Daddy, someone wants to welcome you home.” She held the baby out to him.

The look of love and wonder on his face as he took his daughter and held her close was something that Annie knew she would always remember and treasure.

“She's so beautiful.” He raised his eyes to Annie. “She looks like her mother.”

“But she has her father's charm.”

Shane leaned in to kiss Annie—for a moment everything faded except for the feel of his lips on hers.

He pulled back and reached out to touch her face. “How are you?”

“I'm fine. Welcome home.”

“I can't believe she is finally here. She's perfect, Annie, just perfect.”

“Yes, she's a pure and simple gift from God.”

“Oh, I almost forgot.” He grinned at Annie and gave the baby back to her. “I brought you both something. Marge and Pastor Hill had been doing a little detective work for me. I had a four-hour layover in New York, so I took the ferry out to Long Island. Look what I found there.”

He pulled open the door and motioned to someone in the hall. “Come in. Come and meet your granddaughter.”

Stunned into speechlessness, Annie watched as her mother and father walked cautiously into the hospital room.

They were so much older than she remembered. Had she aged them that much?

Her mother spoke first. “Hello, Annie.” She pressed a hand to her lips. “Oh, my, she is a pretty baby.”

Walking up to stand beside his wife, her father thrust his hands in his pockets. “She looks a lot like you did the day you were born, Annie.” His voice cracked with emotion and he wiped at his eyes.

Annie laid her daughter down carefully on the bed in front of her. “I can't believe you are here.”

Her mother sniffed and nodded. “Shane has told us about all you've been though. I'm so grateful that you've been able to turn your life around. I've prayed for this day.”

“And I'm so sorry for all that I put you through. Can you ever forgive me?” She held out her arms and found herself enveloped in her mother's embrace. A second later her father threw his arms around both of them. The tears they shed as they clung to one another washed years of bitterness and sorrow away.

From his place at the foot of the bed Shane looked on through tears of his own. His wife and his daughter were safe and he was with them. God was good.

 

1. When Annie tells Shane that she is pregnant, he is confronted with a choice about how deeply involved he should be. Why do you think he was so determined to be a true father? Do you know someone who made a different choice than the one Shane made?
   
2. Shane tried to convince Annie that he is earnest about being a part of his child's life. She is reluctant to accept that his intentions are sincere. Have you been suspicious of someone's motivation when they offered help to you? Do you choose to see the best or the worst in people? Discuss.
   
3. Annie is determined to make it on her own. Have you rejected help because of pride? When is it okay to admit you can't go it alone?
   
4. Annie struggled to live a sober life. She has failed more than once but continues to try. Do you know anyone struggling with addiction? Which means more to you, that they fail or that they try again? What can be done to help them?
   
5. Marge opens her home to young women in dire circumstances. In your community, what can you do to help people like Annie and Crystal?
   
6. When Annie learns Olivia has been drinking, she sees her own unhappy past. She wants to help the child avoid the mistakes she made. What role does our faith play when we are confronted with a child who strays from the path?
   
7. After Shane sees how faith in God has helped Annie and others at AA, he is inspired to seek God for himself. What event or events led you to seek the Lord?
   
8. Shane is delighted when Annie says that she will allow him to be involved in their baby's life, but he finds himself wanting more. He wants a relationship with Annie. When has God granted you what you desired and yet you found yourself wanting more from Him? Is there a limit to what we may ask God to do for us?
   
9. Annie is devastated when she learns about her baby's birth defect. She feels abandoned by God. Her faith wavers and she thinks that God is punishing her for the sins she committed. Have you ever felt punished or abandoned by God? How did you overcome it?
   
10. Annie must trust Shane to help her overcome her doubts and fears. Shane's strong new faith in God helps Annie to recover her trust in the Lord. Have you known “new converts” who seemed to have greater faith than some that have “grown up” in the church? Why do you think that is?
    
11. Annie has to make a decision to try and save her baby that could put her own life at risk. What big decision have you faced in your life that had no clear-cut answer? Did you find the courage to overcome your fears and put the situation in God's hands or did you try to “fix it” yourself? Discuss.
    
12. Annie's friend Crystal was hiding the fact that she had started drinking again. When she sees Annie's despair, she offers Annie a bottle. Why do you think Crystal did that? Have you ever been tempted by something you know is bad for you? How has God helped you resist temptation?
    
13. Crystal's future is left undisclosed in this story. What do you think her future is and why? Do you know someone who seemed to be on the right path but faltered? How can you help people who lose their way?
    
14. Annie and Shane are blessed with a healthy baby when their child is born. How much more difficult is it to see God's love when a child is born with a handicap? Have you or someone you know faced this challenge? How has it affected your faith?