yourself. Jim was a little weird acting compared to how upbeat heâd been earlier. And then that nurse ...â
âHave you talked to Unique?â Thatâs all Nicholas could think to say.
âUnique?â Lorain shook her head, puzzled at Nicholasâs line of questioning. âNo.â
Nicholas tried to think of something else to say, but his mind was blank.
âOkay, now youâre scaring me. Youâre just standing there like some zombie. You need to start talking.â
Nicholas agreed; he needed to start talking. He just needed to say it. Just say it. If Nike could just do it, surely he could just say it. âThat emergency; it was three children. It was three little boys.â
âOh no. I can only imagine how it is when you guys have to deal with sick children. I mean, not that taking care of sick or injured adults isnât just as important. Thereâs just something about seeing a child go through . . .â Lorain shook her head. âThen I guess that explains everyoneâs mood around here.â Walking over to Nicholas, Lorain took his hands. âDo you want me to pray?â
Nicholas gently shook Lorainâs hands. âNo, hon. Why donât I pray?â
Lorain couldnât hide the complete look of shock that displayed itself on her face. Besides a grace over his food here and there, she had never heard Nicholas pray before.
âSure, by all means you can pray,â Lorain replied.
Even after Nicholas bowed his head and closed his eyes, Lorain still stood there in shock. At first she couldnât believe this was happening. She honestly couldnât believe Nicholas was actually leading the two of them in prayer. She was ashamed that she was jumping for joy on the inside. She wasnât ashamed that her soul was giving God glory for showing her a sign in the eleventh hour that He was doing a great work in her life and in her relationship with Nicholas. She was ashamed, though, that it had taken three sick children for the manifestation.
âHeavenly, Father, I ... I just want to thank you, first and foremost, for all you have enabled me to do,â Nicholas prayed. âFor all the miracles you have allowed me to witness right here in this hospital. I thank you, Lord.â He paused and then continued. âFather, Iâve seen you take a heart that has stopped beating and make it beat again. Lord, Iâve seen you take a brain that couldnât function, that hadnât functioned for years, and restore it whole.â
âPraise God,â Lorain spoke. Her eyes were now closed, and she was fully engulfed in Nicholasâs prayer to God.
âWhat I thank you for most, God, though, is the strength and comfort you provide daily in this place to families who donât always get to experience your earthly miracles with the saving of their loved oneâs life. Today is one of those days, Lord.â He gently shook Lorainâs hands. âToday, Lord, I need you to send your comforter like never before to saturate this place. For today we lost not one, but three souls, God. Three young souls.â Nicholasâs voice began to crack. âAnd, God, I donât know how Iâm going to tell the boysâ family. They were so special. So kind and loving. If I didnât know any better, Lord, Iâd say they were angels right here on earth. They were so loved; so very loved, and they will be missed.â Taking a deep breath, Nicholas closed out his prayer. âSo, God, I ask you to give me the strength to say the words that I need to say. In Jesusâ mighty name; Amen.â
âAmen.â Lorain, so moved by a praying man, a praying man that was her man ... her soon-to-be husband, pulled her hands from Nicholasâs and threw them around his neck. âNicholas, that was beautiful.â
Nicholas put his arms around Lorain and squeezed her tightly. He didnât want to let her go, because he knew