Faith squealed in delight and spread her arms. “GeeGee, we’re flying!” Georgia closed her eyes and gripped the arms of her seat. After what seemed a surprisingly short amount of time, the bell pinged and the captain announced the 747 had reached its cruising altitude and everyone was free to move around the cabin. Dinner was served. Carolyn took Faith to the bathroom, then strapped her back into her seat, covered her with a blanket, and read her favorite book to her, Horton Hears a Who! Faith fell asleep halfway through the third reading. Georgia had lowered her seat and finally looked peaceful.
Carolyn took out her wireless laptop. While she waited for it to boot up, she thought of how many times she’d used the computer over the past few years to connect with Jason on the other side of the world, Faith perched in her lap. When he came on the screen, she’d point. “There’s your daddy. Say hello, sweetheart.”
Jason would grin. “How’s my little girl?” Carolyn hadn’t wanted Jason to miss anything. She’d posted movies of Faith rolling over, sitting up, crawling. Faith had been walking by the time he came home from Iraq. Jason made the most of what little time he had with his daughter. Eighteen months after returning from Iraq, he was deployed again.
Georgia went to pieces when Jason was called up for a third tour of duty, this time in Afghanistan. “They’ll keep sending him,” Mitch told Carolyn. With so few men, the military had no choice but to reuse the ones they had. “As long as there’s war in the Middle East, he’ll be going in and coming back.” It didn’t look like it would end anytime soon.
Every night, Faith said the same prayer. “God, please bless Daddy and bring him home safe and soon. Help GeeGee not to worry so much. God bless Grammy Caro, Bumpa Mitch, Granny H, and Uncle Chris. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Then word came that Jason had been wounded and was being airlifted to a hospital in Germany. He wouldn’t be sent back into a war zone again. His war-won disabilities would bring him a Purple Heart and commendation, but also very likely an early out from the military. Jason had hoped to serve his full twenty years before returning to civilian life.
Mitch came on the screen. “Hey, darlin’. I miss you two already.”
“Thank you for putting us in business class, Mitch. It’s luxurious.” They talked for a few minutes, and then he let Carolyn’s mother take his seat. Even Mom had grown accustomed to sitting in front of a computer and carrying on a conversation via webcam.
“How’s our munchkin, honey? Behaving?”
“Momentarily. She’s asleep. So is Georgia. They both conked out right after dinner, which was served on white tablecloths with china and silver. Can you believe it?”
“We had pizza on paper plates.” Mom winked, so Carolyn knew she was needling Mitch again. Carolyn could hear Mitch laughing and speaking in the background. “Oh, shut up.” Mom sighed. “He wants me to tell you I almost lost my dentures. Not to worry though. Your man is taking good care of me.”
“Don’t forget to use your walker, Mom.”
“Now don’t you start!”
Mitch leaned down so Carolyn could see both their faces. “Don’t worry about us. We get along just fine. If your mother misbehaves, I’ll send her to her room.” He gave Mom’s cheek a brisk kiss. “My turn.” Mitch helped Mom off the chair, then sat in front of the monitor. “Someone will be waiting for you at the airport. I arranged a ride to the train station.”
Mom leaned down. “I put something in your suitcase, honey. If you have time… well, you’ll understand. Give Jason a big hug from his granny-in-law.”
“The whole church is praying, Carolyn.”
Carolyn slept easily after that.
As the train flew down the tracks toward Landstuhl, Carolyn felt Faith pressed close beside her, Puppy Brown still tucked under her arm. He’d fallen from Faith’s seat while she slept on the plane. They’d been so busy gathering their things, they had forgotten him. Fortunately, one of the flight attendants spotted the well-worn, well-loved stuffed animal tangled in the blue blanket and caught up with them in the Jetway. Faith had held him at arm’s length and told him not to get lost again.
Carolyn kissed Faith on the top of her head. “Your great-great-grandfather came from this country, Faith. He grew up somewhere near Hamburg.” Carolyn imagined Oma making her way through Europe to England and eventually boarding a ship to cross the Atlantic, then marrying a German boarder who rented a room in her house. Under other circumstances, they could have been on a heritage trip with Mom and May Flower Dawn.
She and Mitch had talked about Mom’s coming, but she refused. “No, no. You need to get to Jason as soon as you can, and I’d hold you back. If I were younger, maybe, but not now. I’m not up to it.”
In truth, Carolyn had been relieved. Even with a wheelchair, the trip would have been too grueling for Mom, who had just turned ninety-three. She had a hard enough time getting from her rooms to the dining room table these days. Carolyn and Faith often served tea in Granny’s “parlor” rather than have Granny make the long walk to the kitchen.
Carolyn dreaded the time when she wouldn’t have Mom with her. The last six years had been precious, a time of finally getting to know each other. God had given them back the years the locusts had eaten, just as Dawn had prayed He would.
When they reached the Schloss Hotel, they checked in, went upstairs, dumped their luggage, and then took a cab to the hospital. Georgia had to provide Jason’s full name, serial number, and doctor’s name at the reception desk. The nurse gave them directions to intensive care. Only one person could go into the room at a time.
Carolyn sat in the waiting room with Faith. “Am I going to see Daddy, Grammy?”
“I hope so, sweetheart. That’s why we’ve come so far.”
When Georgia came out, Carolyn knew things weren’t good. Her smile wobbled as she took Faith on her lap and said Daddy was sleeping and it might be a while before he’d wake up.
Carolyn went in next. Jason looked like death, with tubes and IVs and everywhere machines beeping and blinking, his head swathed in white. His left leg had been amputated above the knee, his right set in a cast. His left arm was bandaged from wrist to shoulder. Carolyn took Jason’s right hand and leaned down. “It’s Carolyn, Jason. Faith is here with us. Everyone sends their love. They’re all praying. You hold on, soldier. You come back to us.” She kissed his brow. “You have Faith, Jason. She needs her daddy.”
When Carolyn came out, Georgia stood, holding Faith’s hand. The nurse had said she could stay as long as she wanted, and it would be good if she talked to her son. She leaned down and kissed Faith. “Don’t wait around here, Carolyn. She needs to go to bed. I’ll be fine.”
After dinner in the hospital cafeteria and looking in on Jason once more, Carolyn took Faith back to the hotel. She tucked her granddaughter into bed and read Horton Hears a Who! again.
“Grammy? Is Daddy going to die?”
Carolyn didn’t want to lie. “I don’t know, sweetheart.”
“Does he still want to be with Mommy?”
Children never missed anything. “Mommy would want him to stay here until you’re all grown-up.” She held her granddaughter close, and they prayed Daddy would wake up soon and get better.
Georgia didn’t come back to the hotel that night.
Getting ready the next morning, Carolyn found the bundle of letters from Oma’s friend Rosie Brechtwald tucked under her clothes.