CHAPTER TWENTY
“There was a match?” Skylar asked her dad. He’d announced that he had good news, and that, as far as she was concerned, was the only good news that would put that smile on her dad’s face.
“Yes, indeed. There was a match.”
Skylar felt a rush of relief as she sank back into her chair, covering her face with her hands as emotions overwhelmed her. She felt the couch dip beside her and an arm go around her shoulders.
Had that happened in different circumstances, she would have pulled away from Aiden. She knew it was him because of his cologne, and for once, she allowed herself to take comfort in his closeness.
“That is just the greatest news,” Aiden said, his voice thick with emotion. “I know it was a long shot, but I’ve been praying that God would allow there to be a match for her.”
“We’ve all been praying,” her mom said. “And I’m so thankful for this answer.”
Skylar wiped the tears from her cheeks as she looked up. Blake and Charli were also showing emotion over the news. In fact, Skylar wasn’t sure she’d ever seen that much emotion on her brother-in-law’s face. He had his arm wrapped around Charli just as Aiden did with her.
“Who is the match?” Blake asked.
Skylar expected her dad to say her or Aiden, given they were closest to Shiloh genetically. However, she knew there was a chance it could be someone else in the family or even a stranger.
Her mom and dad had tried to explain how that might happen, but there was a reason Skylar had struggled a lot with science and biology. She just couldn’t grasp it.
“I’ve already spoken to the person, and he gave me permission to share the news with everyone.”
Well, that ruled out her or Aiden, because, surely, if it had been Aiden, he would have shown some indication about it.
“He?” Aiden asked.
“Yep. The test results revealed that Cole is a good match for Shiloh.”
“Cole?” She and Aiden spoke in unison, their shock was reflected on Charli and Blake’s faces as well.
Her dad smiled. “I guess it’s a good thing that he decided to come home and be tested.”
Skylar turned to look at Aiden. He was close enough she could see the flecks of dark blue in his light blue irises. She could also see the emotions he was trying to keep in check.
“I can’t believe it’s Cole,” he said with a grin. “He is never going to stop spoiling her now.”
Skylar smiled. “This is just wild.”
She leaned against Aiden for a moment, then realized that perhaps people would read more into their interaction than was there. She didn’t jerk away from him, but as she straightened, his arm fell away.
“Will they do the transplant right away?” Aiden’s mom asked.
Her dad shook his head. “Doing the transplant will be the step they’ll take if it appears that this first treatment hasn’t worked. So for now, we won’t do anything with this information, but pray that we don’t need it. However, if Shiloh does, then we’re ready to go.”
It seemed timely that this news came just as she was preparing to leave. Cole had stayed for a week before he’d flown off again. And now it was her turn.
Her ankle was much better and barely gave her any pain, even when she walked around in her work heels. She’d let Denise know that she was prepared to go back on the schedule, and her first shift was just four days away. She would be flying back to Vegas in two days’ time.
It was time to get back to her job. To Vegas. To her life there. It was what she’d wanted when she’d first come back to Serenity. She hadn’t intended to stay this long, so she should be looking forward to leaving.
But she wasn’t.
The thought of leaving her family. Of not being able to see Shiloh for long stretches of time. Of not seeing Aiden… All of it left her with a very heavy heart. And a reluctance to return to the life she’d left behind in Vegas.
She’d come to Serenity nursing a bruised heart from a breakup, only to have her heart further broken by having to see the man who’d hurt her so badly in the past.
But somewhere along the way, healing had begun within her. Healing not just from the hurt inflicted by men, but healing from the hurt, guilt and anger she’d carried from believing that God had abandoned her. That He’d allowed Aiden to take so much from her.
Her time in Serenity, being with family, attending the church where she’d committed her life to God, seeing the changes in Aiden, spending time with Shiloh… There was no way she could be surrounded by all of that and not experience some change herself.
Her heart may have been hardened to some extent, but being around those who knew and loved her most had reached beyond the shell she’d erected around herself and her emotions. It was what Emmett had complained about when he broke up with her. That he didn’t feel like she was emotionally connecting with him.
Leaving was going to be so hard.
Tears pricked at her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. There would be time for crying later. This was her life, and she needed to get back to living it.
The conversation continued on around Skylar as she tried to keep her emotions from spilling out in front of everyone.
“Sky,” Charli said, drawing her attention from her thoughts. “Did you want us to bring Shiloh over tomorrow afternoon so you and Aiden can spend some time with her before you leave?”
“Yeah.” The word came out strangled, so Skylar cleared her throat and tried again. “That would be great.”
Willow and Shiloh were currently out in the backyard with Amelia, who had come with her parents and Shiloh for the meeting. It wasn’t a full family gathering, but Skylar imagined that the news would be posted in the family group chat soon enough.
“We’re still not taking her to church, but we’ll come by around two,” Charli said.
“Why don’t you all come for lunch?” her mom suggested.
“That would be nice,” Charli said. “But that’s a lot of people to feed.”
“We’ll just do burgers and hotdogs again. That’s easy enough.” Her mom turned to Tracy. “And you and Willow are welcome to come with Aiden as well.”
“Thank you for the invite, but I think that this time, it’s best for us not to be here. If we come, Willow won’t want to leave, and I think it’s important that Aiden and Skylar have that time with Shiloh.”
“We’ll come for lunch, but then we’ll take the other kids home so they’re not a distraction either,” Charli said.
With the plan settled, Charli and Blake decided it was time to go. Shiloh and Willow were disappointed when they were brought inside and told that they had to part ways.
As Shiloh came to say goodbye to her, Skylar had to once again hold back her tears as she wrapped her arms around Shiloh’s frail body. “I love you, sweetie.”
“Love you too, Auntie Sky.”
She moved on to Aiden, and gave him a hug, then high fived his hand when he held it up for her. It was interesting to see how Aiden interacted with her. He was gentle with her, just like he was with Willow, but he was also willing to do whatever it took to coax a smile or laugh from her.
He would have made a great dad.
Pain spiked again, and she crossed her arms over her waist and turned away from Aiden and Shiloh.
“This was such great news,” Charli said as she slid her arm around Skylar. “Are you doing okay?”
“I am,” she assured her. “Just a little emotional with it all. I kind of didn’t dare hope that we’d have a match since the chances were so slim. And yet here we are with a match, and it’s Cole.”
“I can’t wait to talk to him to find out how he took the news.”
“I’m just so grateful that he came to be tested. I didn’t pressure him, because it seemed unlikely that he’d be a match.”
“Something prompted him to come,” Charli said. “Or maybe I should say some one prompted him. I believe God has been at work in all of this.”
“You’re not mad at God for allowing this to happen to Shiloh?”
“No. I don’t understand why, but there’s no way Blake or I could have made it through this if not for our faith that God has a purpose in everything that’s happened. We might never know what that is while we’re on this earth, but I trust that God is at work. Whatever happens, He’s in control and working this out for His glory.”
Skylar had heard those words plenty of times over the years, but they struck deeper now. As an adult, she had an understanding of life that she hadn’t had as a teen. Back then, things working out for God’s glory hadn’t held a lot of meaning. Her life had been relatively simple. She hadn’t faced any huge tragedies.
But then she’d gotten pregnant and had to give up her baby. From that point on, she could understand more about the complexities of life and the situations people faced. Some of it she’d also seen in her own siblings’ lives.
Life wasn’t black and white. Families didn’t always get along. People like Rori and Lexi had family issues that were deep and hurtful. And yet, they’d risen above them and had come to love God in spite of those circumstances.
Could she do that? Could she give her life fully to God, as she’d once pledged to do? Now that it might require difficult things of her?
The question lingered in her mind as they said goodbye and the house emptied out until it was just her and her parents. When they headed to the family room at the back of the house, Skylar went up to her room.
Once there, she pulled out her work heels and slipped them on again. The idea of going back to wearing them for hours on end did not appeal to her at all. Wearing them had never bothered her before, but now, putting the heels back on represented something that left her an emotional mess. It represented her leaving behind her family, and those she loved the most.
After wearing them for a while with no pain, she slipped them off and put them beside the suitcase that now sat open on the loveseat near the window. She needed to pack soon, but not right then.
The next day, when they got home from church, Skylar went to change into something more comfortable before returning to the kitchen to help her mom and dad with the meal. As she worked alongside her parents, she realized that this would likely be the last time she did that for the foreseeable future.
When her mom bumped her hip playfully to get her to move out of the way, Skylar just about burst into tears. She was going to miss them so much.
Given that she’d lived apart from them for so long, she wouldn’t have thought that she’d find it difficult to leave. But she was really struggling with being away from her family in a way that she never had before.
It wasn’t too much later when Charli and Blake showed up with their kids, followed shortly after by Aiden. They gathered around the tables on the back deck, delving into the food that had been prepared.
The meal was lively since Charli and Blake had brought their two youngest. A pair of boys who had more energy than Skylar could ever remember having.
But Charli and Blake were very patient with them, correcting them when necessary. It was clear that the boys loved all three of their older sisters, but they were especially gentle and loving towards Shiloh. The youngest had insisted on being able to sit next to her and had offered to share his food with her, even though she had her own plate.
It was a good reminder that Shiloh was part of a wonderful family. If there was one thing that had gone right in that whole situation in Skylar’s estimation, it was that she’d asked Charli and Blake to adopt Shiloh. Even though her feelings were still a mess over all the things that had transpired back then, she had peace in knowing that Shiloh had been well-loved by her family.
Once the meal was finished and cleaned up, Charli, Blake, and the other kids left, promising to come back in a couple of hours to pick Shiloh up.
Since it was such a nice day, they stayed in the backyard while her parents went inside.
“What would you like to do, Shiloh?” Skylar asked once it was just the three of them.
“Mama brought a bag of things,” Shiloh said, pointing to a large tote that sat near the back door.
Aiden went to get it, then set it on the table and unzipped it for Shiloh. “What all did you bring?”
“Stuff to color with and some books.”
“Looks like you have a couple of games in here too,” Aiden said as he set out the items from the bag onto the table. “What would you like to do first?”
“Can we color?” she asked, then looked at Skylar. “And maybe you could read to us while we do.”
“I can do that,” Skylar said. “What book are you reading?”
Shiloh picked up a book with a familiar title on it and handed it to her. “We’re reading this one.”
Skylar stared at the cover for a moment, recalling when she’d read the books of the Little House on the Prairie series for herself. It struck her as surreal that here she was, preparing to read it to her daughter.
Skylar’s gaze went to Shiloh as she and Aiden decided on the pictures they wanted to color—Aiden’s in an adult coloring book that Charli had thoughtfully included.
Once that was decided, Skylar opened the book at the bookmark, then lifted it and began to read.
After she’d read a chapter, Skylar paused to ask Shiloh some questions about the story and what she thought of what was going on. She had clearly been paying attention to the story because she didn’t hesitate to answer.
“You read really good,” Shiloh said. “Just like my mama.”
“Does your dad read to you, too?”
“Sometimes. But he doesn’t like it as much as Mama does.”
“How about I read another chapter, then Uncle Aiden can have a try?”
Shiloh glanced at Aiden, then nodded with a grin. “I’d like that.”
Skylar’s gaze met Aiden’s, and she thought he might protest, but he just shrugged. It dawned on her then that he probably had more experience reading out loud, thanks to Willow.
When she finished the next chapter, she handed the book over to Aiden and took possession of the coloring book. Aiden had only half-finished his picture, so she decided to finish that while he read.
“You read good too,” Shiloh said after Aiden had read a chapter. “Almost as good as Mama and Auntie Sky.”
“I get lots of practice, since Willow likes me to read to her sometimes.”
“Is Willow your daughter?” Shiloh asked, placing her elbow on the table and leaning her cheek against her hand.
“No. She’s my sister’s daughter. My sister died. That’s why Willow lives with me and Nana.”
“But why isn’t she your daughter, too?” Shiloh asked. “Like Auntie Sky couldn’t take care of me, so her sister became my mom. If Willow doesn’t have a mom or dad anymore, why aren’t you her dad?”
The question showed that Shiloh had given her own situation some thought, and it was a logical conclusion when she applied the framework of her situation over Willow’s.
“To be honest, I’m not sure. My mom was named Willow’s guardian, and she wanted to take care of her, so that’s how it’s worked out.”
Shiloh shrugged, then focused on her coloring again. “Maybe Willow would like to have another mom and dad. I have two moms and dads. It doesn’t seem fair that she doesn’t have any.”
“Well.” Aiden cleared his throat. “Perhaps that’s a conversation we need to have with Willow to see what she’d like.”
Shiloh made a lot of sense, but it appeared that it wasn’t something that Aiden had spent much time considering.
Rather than pursue that topic of conversation, Aiden started to read the next chapter. But Skylar had a feeling that it was still in his mind, just like it was in hers.
When Shiloh had finished her coloring, she declared that she wanted to play a game. They were sorting out the cards for Go Fish when her mom came out with a pitcher of lemonade and three glasses.
“I thought you might be getting thirsty,” she said as she poured juice for each of them.
“We are,” Skylar replied, picking up her glass. “I’ve been reading out loud, so my throat is parched.”
“It sounds like you’ve been having fun out here.”
“We’re going to play Go Fish, Grandma.” Shiloh held up her handful of cards. “Want to play too?”
“Not today, darling,” she said, bending to press a kiss on the top of Shiloh’s head. “I’m spending some time with Grandpa. Next time though.”
After she went back inside, Skylar had Shiloh explain the rules to them just to make sure they were all on the same page. At some point, Shiloh began to show some tiredness. Skylar had her come sit on her lap and they played one hand together against Aiden.
Skylar took in the feel of her daughter on her lap. The scent of her shampoo. The little laugh she’d give each time she told Aiden to go fish.
She packed away every little detail to pull out later when she was back in Vegas and missing Shiloh and the rest of her family.
By the time Charli returned to pick Shiloh up, she was definitely showing signs of being exhausted, and Skylar hoped she hadn’t overdone things by hanging out with her and Aiden. Charli didn’t seem overly concerned, however. Just commenting that they’d take a nap when they got home.
After Skylar had hugged Shiloh, she turned to Charli, her eyes flooding with tears as her older sister gathered her into her arms.
“Thank you,” Skylar whispered. “Thank you for being such a great mom to her. I love you.”
Charli’s embrace tightened. “I love you too. I know it was hard to give her up, but just know that you gave Blake and me the best gift ever. We love her with all our hearts, and I’m glad that she knows about you now and the sacrifice you made so that she could be part of our family.”
They stood together for a couple of minutes as Skylar silently wept on her sister’s shoulder. When she finally felt the swell of emotion ebb, Skylar took a deep breath, then stepped back, reaching to wipe her cheeks with the sleeve of her T-shirt.
“Here you go, darling,” her mom said, pressing a wad of tissues into her hand.
“Thanks.” As Skylar dried her eyes and blew her nose, she noticed that Shiloh wasn’t there. Nor was her dad or Aiden.
“They went out onto the front porch to see the bird feeder Dad put in last week.”
Skylar was glad that Shiloh hadn’t been there to witness her meltdown. “I guess we should go see it, too.”
Charli led the way, while her mom looped her arm through Skylar’s and followed Charli.
Aiden was holding Shiloh in his arms while Skylar’s dad showed off the bird feeder that hung from a branch of a tree in the front yard. Emotion once again threatened to choke her, but Skylar swallowed hard and refused to let the tears spill yet again.
At Charli’s urging, she gave Shiloh one more hug, then a few minutes later, waved as Charli drove down the driveway.
Once they were gone, her parents went back into the house. Skylar and Aiden remained on the porch. Skylar wanted to turn to Aiden for support in that emotional moment, but that wasn’t how things were between them.
“Do you need a ride to the airport tomorrow?” Aiden asked, breaking the silence.
“Uh, I think my dad was going to take me.”
“If you want, I can give you a ride to Coeur d’Alene.”
Skylar shifted to look at him. “Don’t you need to work?”
“I can go in a little late. I’ll just stay at Mom’s tonight.”
Where the idea would have been abhorrent not that long ago, Skylar now found herself considering it. “If you’re sure.”
“I’m positive.”
“In that case, I’ll take you up on that offer.”
She gave him the details of when her flight was scheduled to depart and from there, they decided on the best time to leave Serenity.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” Aiden said. “Thanks for letting me hang out with you and Shiloh this afternoon.”
“I think it went well.” She hesitated, then asked, “Would you send me pictures of her when you spend time with her? And when she’s with Willow, too?”
“I’d be happy to do that.”
“Do you think you’ll see her a lot?”
“I’m not sure,” Aiden said. “But I plan to come home on the weekends to spend time with Mom and Willow.”
Skylar wished that her life would accommodate such regular visits, but it didn’t. And she had no idea when she’d next be back in Serenity. After Aiden said goodbye, Skylar watched as he drove away, then went inside to spend some time with her parents.
The countdown was on, and she wasn’t happy about it at all.