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Please, God, don’t let him go down that road again . . .
“Just, hang on. I’ll tell Mom to meet us . . .”
Helen. His beloved. Her darling image drifted into his mind, easing the pain seizing his heart. She was his sunshine. His favorite.
He’d come so very close to destroying her. Truth be told, hehadwrecked her. He’d wrecked them. There was no earthly reason that Kevin, let alone his marriage, should have survived those years. He shouldn’t have even made it into that ambulance alive.
It had been a miracle. Two miracles wrapped up in one. A second chance at life and love—one he hadn’t deserved.
Remember grace . . .
The scream of sirens broke through Kevin’s dimming consciousness, a faded, surreal sound that came from the distant past as much as it did from that moment.
“God, please . . .” Tears salted Ty’s whispered prayer.
Kevin forced his mind to focus on reaching for his boy. He gripped the neck of the man who held him against his burly chest. The man who had once been his little boy, a baby he could remember holding because he’d been sober by then.
“Ty.”
“Yeah, Dad. I’ve got you. Stay with me, okay?”
Another groan escaped as Kevin exhaled through the pain. He didn’t want to die like this—with his son holding on to him. It would rock his core. Ty had already passed through a fire, walking through a story Kevin hadn’t wanted for him.
He hadn’t wanted any of the hard things his boys had journeyed through.
Even so.Remember . . .
There had been grace. Great grace. The sort of grace that had reached a drunken young man who was destroying his life and his young family. The kind of grace that changed a life.
His life.
That undefined thread of something strong andnotgood loosened its noose. Kevin exhaled a ragged breath. It was long overdue—this releasing.
The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in good.
Still true. Though they’d passed through rough waters—several times over,Hehad been there. Every time.
Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
He hadn’t been doing so well on that one lately. Not truly, in the depths of his heart. But if this was to be his dying day . . .
Kevin moved his hand until he cupped the back of Tyler’s head. His son folded until his forehead pressed against Kevin’s.
“Dad . . .”
“God is good.” Kevin breathed out those last three words before the inky blackness claimed him.
With her left hand, Helen Murphy scrolled through the Pinterest board she’d labeledhomecoming, a pen poised at the ready in her right. They would all be there this year. In just a couple of weeks, she’d have all seven boys and their families for Christmas.
She nearly burst with joy.
Seven boys, now men. Six daughters-in-love and one who would likely become so very soon, if Lauren’s instincts were correct. How lovely, that. They would always miss Sadie. Forever. But Connor didn’t need to live out the rest of his days alone—Sadie wouldn’t have wanted that for him or for her son, Reid. And Lauren, Matt’s wife, seemed to adore Jade Beck.
So. Seven boys and their plus-ones. Fourteen. Now, for the grands.
A giddiness bubbled up from Helen’s soul. Was there any comparable delight to one’s grandchildren? Nope. Not that Helen knew of.
She’d have sugar cookies and royal icing ready. And sprinkles! Gads of them. Oh, they’d make such a glorious mess! Andeat. Yes sir, they would eat. All the sugar they wanted, because they’d be at their gran’s house! It would be fabulous fun. Helen tapped her feet against the wood floor in anticipation.
