Free Wanda E. Brunstetter by Twice Loved

daughter’s condition.
    “You’re going to wear a hole in the linoleum. Please come sit beside me and try to relax,” Dan said, patting the chair next to him.
    She clenched her fingers and continued to walk back and forth in front of the window. “What if her leg’s broken or she has a concussion? What if—”
    Dan left his seat and came to stand beside her. “Whatever is wrong, we’ll get through it together.”
    We? After the way I spoke to him last night, why is Dan being so nice? And what does he mean when he says “we”?
Bev glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.
    “It’s going to be okay,” he said with the voice of assurance. “Amy’s a tough little girl, and she’s got youth on her side.”
    Bev nodded slowly. “I know, but—”
    “But you’re her mother, and you have a tendency to worry.”
    “Yes.”
    “I understand, but worry won’t change a thing.” He took Bev’s hand and led her over to the chairs. “Let’s pray, shall we?”
    Bev glanced around the room. There was an elderly couple sitting across from them, but they seemed to be engrossed in their magazines. “You want to pray now?”
    Dan offered her a reassuring smile. “Absolutely.” In a quiet voice, he prayed, “Heavenly Father, we ask You to be with Amy and calm her if she’s frightened. Give the doctors wisdom in their diagnosis, and help Bev remember to cast her burdens on You, the Great Physician.”
    Bev thought of a verse of scripture from the book of Matthew she had read the other evening. “ ‘Take
therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself
.’ ”
    Lately, she’d been trying not to worry so much, but staying calm was hard to do when something went wrong. Especially when that “something” concerned her daughter.
    A few minutes later, a nurse entered the room and called to Bev. “The tests are done, and you may see your daughter now.”
    “Are her injuries serious?” Bev tried to keep her voice calm, but her insides churned like an eggbeater.
    “The doctor will give you the details,” the nurse replied, “but Amy’s going to be fine.”
    Bev drew in a deep breath.
Thank You, Jesus
. She turned to Dan. “Would you like to come with me?”
    He nodded and took her hand.

    Dan stood at the foot of Amy’s bed, relief flooding his soul. Her leg wasn’t broken, but her ankle had been badly sprained. She did have a concussion, though it was thought to be mild. The doctor wanted to keep her overnight for observation.
    Bev sat in the chair beside Amy, holding her hand and murmuring words of comfort. It was a touching scene, and Dan felt like an intruder.
    Maybe I should leave the two of them alone
.
    He turned toward the door, but Amy called out to him. “Where ya goin’, Uncle Dan?”
    “To the waiting room so you and your mother can talk.”
    Amy looked over at Bev. “We want Uncle Dan here, don’t we, Mommy?”
    Bev nodded. “If he wants to be.”
    Dan rushed to the side of the bed and stood behind Bev’s chair. “Of course I want to be. I want…” What exactly did he want? Was it to marry Bev and help her raise Amy? He rubbed the bridge of his nose. No, it was too soon for that. They’d only known each other a few months.
    “Can you come to our place for Christmas dinner, like you did on Thanksgiving?” the child asked.
    Dan’s gaze went to Bev, seeking her approval—or at least hoping for a clue as to whether she wanted him there or not.
    She smiled. “I’m sorry for the unkind things I said when you stopped by our place with the tree.”
    “It’s okay. I understand.”
    “No. I was wrong to refuse your help and the offer of gifts, and I hope you’ll accept my apology.”
    “Only if you will accept mine for overstepping my boundaries.”
    She nodded. “If you have no other plans for Christmas, we’d love to have you join us.”
    He shook his head. “I don’t think coming to your place is a good idea.”
    Tears welled up in