CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Skylar felt an incredible sense of relief as Aiden drove her to his house. She’d felt very alone since hearing the news about Shiloh being readmitted to the hospital, but now she wasn’t.
She probably shouldn’t have fallen into his arms like she had, but she’d needed his support to know that she wasn’t alone. Hopefully, he brushed it off as friends who happened to be co-parents, consoling each other.
Unfortunately, she was now an unemployed co-parent. When she’d asked Denise about taking more time off, the woman had said that they’d already stretched what they could allow her to take. That had left her with no option except to quit.
She’d hated to do it since she enjoyed her job. But right then, Shiloh was more important. Skylar couldn’t stomach being far away from the little girl when her health was once again hanging in the balance.
She wouldn’t have done it for any other niece or nephew, but Shiloh wasn’t just a niece. She was her daughter, even if she’d given up those rights to Charli and Blake. She felt compelled to be by her side, even if it meant losing her job.
As they drove, Aiden shared what they knew so far—which was very little. It sounded like Cole had been notified, however, and it was possible he’d fly in again, just in case he was needed for the transplant.
When they arrived at the house, her parents were already there, having used the door code to let themselves in. Skylar greeted them with tight hugs.
“It’s so good to see you again,” her mom said, cupping Skylar’s face in her hands. “I just wish it was under better circumstances.”
“Me too. I much preferred when my visits home were for weddings or holidays.”
Aiden had taken her suitcases into the room she’d be using, then showed them around the kitchen, revealing he’d made a trip to the store to stock up on food for them.
“Thank you for allowing us to crash here,” her dad said. “It’s good to know that we’re closer to the hospital in case Shiloh’s condition worsens.”
“Who’s staying with the other kids?” Skylar asked.
“Blake’s aunt and uncle said they’d stay with them for a few days,” her mom said. “And after that, we’ll reevaluate how things are and go from there.”
“I wish I had more room for all of them to stay here, but we’re just about maxed out.”
“It’s not a big problem,” her mom said. “We have plenty of people willing to step up. Denise, Misha’s mom, has also stayed with them in the past and would gladly step in to do so again. All the adults have helped where they could as well. We’ll get it sorted. I’m not too worried about that.”
There might be some downsides to having a big family, but in her estimation, having a lot of people to help circle the wagons when a family member was going through a rough time was a benefit that outweighed all the negatives. And they had that not just in their family, but in their community also.
“I hate to put an end to this get-together so soon,” Skylar said. “But I’ve been up since three-thirty this morning. Our flight out of Miami left at eight, which was five Serenity time. It’s been a long day.”
“Oh, that is a long day for you.” Her mom moved to give her a hug. “Sleep as long as you need to tomorrow. We’ll wake you if there’s news.”
“Are you going to Serenity for church?” Skylar asked.
Her mom shook her head. “We’ll just watch the service on the internet.”
After getting a drink of water, Skylar turned to Aiden, who was leaning back against the counter in the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest. “Thank you again for picking me up and for giving me a place to stay. I really appreciate it.”
As Aiden smiled in response, his gaze softened. “Any time. I was happy to do it.”
With butterflies fluttering in her stomach, Skylar said goodnight to her parents, then headed for the room where Aiden had put her bags. It shared a bathroom with Willow’s empty room, so she didn’t have to worry about hogging the bathroom while she took a long, hot shower.
She hadn’t had time to take one after her flight from Miami to Vegas, as she’d focused on packing for her trip to Serenity. And once she’d realized that she wasn’t going to have to rush back for her job, she’d taken the time to pack more than she might otherwise have. Which was why she had two suitcases instead of just one, like last time.
As she lay under the covers after her shower and getting ready for bed, Skylar realized that while her worry wasn’t completely gone, it had lessened now that she was surrounded by people who shared her concerns. Though it had cost her her job, she didn’t doubt for a second that she’d made the right decision to come to Coeur d’Alene to be near her family and Shiloh.
Exhaustion helped her fall asleep surprisingly quickly, and when she woke the next morning, it was nearly nine o’clock. It took her a minute to remember where she was, but once she did, she flipped the covers off and went into the bathroom to prepare for the day.
After going through her morning routine, she got dressed. She hoped that she’d get to see Shiloh that day, but she realized it might not happen.
When she left the room, she immediately smelled coffee and bacon. Venturing along the hallway that opened into the living area, she saw her parents and Aiden in the kitchen as if they’d never left it the night before.
“Good morning, darling,” her mom said as she approached them. “How did you sleep?”
“Really well,” Skylar said. “Better than I expected, to be honest.”
“You were probably pretty tired after a long day of travel.”
Skylar nodded, then thanked Aiden when he handed her a cup of coffee.
“Cream and sugar are on the table,” he said. “And so is breakfast.”
“Have you all eaten already?”
“Nope,” her dad said. “We were just getting ready to sit down.”
They all went to the table where there was a platter of bacon and eggs, along with a stack of toast and some fruit.
Once they were seated, her dad said a prayer for the meal, as well as everyone affected by Shiloh being in the hospital, but most importantly, Shiloh herself.
As they ate, her dad gave them the update he’d received from Charli just a few minutes earlier after Shiloh’s doctor had come around. It seemed that her body was fighting an infection, which they’d narrowed down so that they could prescribe a more focused antibiotic instead of a broad spectrum one.
Unfortunately, it had meant that, since her immune system was compromised, they were discouraging visitors, aside from parents, for the time being. Skylar was disappointed, but didn’t bother pointing out that she and Aiden were also parents. Charli and Blake knew that, so if they wanted them there, they’d be there.
When they finished eating, her mom started to clear off the table, but Aiden stopped her. “You took care of breakfast. I’ll do the cleanup.”
“I’ll help,” Skylar said, knowing that her parents would expect her to make that offer. Not that she was opposed to helping Aiden.
Together they cleaned the table, then Skylar loaded the dishwasher while Aiden washed up the pans they’d used to make the bacon and eggs. They worked in silence, though it wasn’t a tense time like it might have been a few weeks ago. Things had definitely changed between them.
Or at least Skylar thought they had. Did Aiden feel the same shift she did?
Once the kitchen was all cleaned up, Aiden said, “Thanks for the help.”
“You’re welcome.”
They joined her parents in the living room, where there was a large television on one wall. It was big enough that they’d probably feel like they were sitting in the front pew of the church.
“So, is Cole going to come home again?” Skylar asked as Aiden set to work getting the church service ready to stream.
“For sure if Shiloh needs the stem cell transplant,” her dad said.
“I suspect he might show up even if she doesn’t,” Aiden added.
“I hope you’re right,” her mom said. “I can’t tell you how great it was to have all my children close to home for that week he was here.”
As the time neared for the service to start, Skylar’s parents settled onto the loveseat, sitting close together. Skylar chose one end of the couch, and instead of going to the armchair, Aiden sank down on the opposite end.
When the musicians began to play, Skylar noticed that Peyton was once again on the drums. She’d taken to watching the livestream herself over the past few weeks, so she was becoming more familiar with the faces of the people who took part in the service.
After the welcome, the congregation stood for the singing, and when the camera panned out, she was able to spot several members of her family there.
She was surprised when, after just one song, Pastor Kennedy got to his feet and walked to a microphone that stood on the floor in front of the stage.
“I come before you this morning with a heavy heart as we received news through the night that Charli and Blake’s lovely daughter, Shiloh, has once again been admitted to hospital. We have prayed for her before, and I’m asking you to join me in lifting her before the Lord once again. I’d like for a handful of people to join me here at the front to pray for Charli, Blake, Shiloh and their whole family, then I’ll close.”
There wasn’t even a moment’s hesitation before people began to move to join Pastor Kennedy at the microphone.
“Oh, bless that man,” her mom said, reaching out to take her husband’s hand. “And bless our church family for coming alongside Charli, Blake, and Shiloh.”
As Skylar listened to people pray their hearts out for Shiloh’s healing and wisdom for Charli, Blake, and the doctors, tears leaked from beneath her closed eyelids. She wiped at them, unable to believe how the prayers just kept coming. There was definitely more than a handful of people praying for her family.
Her heart heard those prayers and absorbed them like a thirsty plant drank up water. And with each prayer, her faith and trust in God grew. It was hard to understand God’s purpose in allowing Shiloh to suffer. But amid that suffering, His people were rising up to support them.
The prayers weren’t just for Charli, Blake, and Shiloh either. Jackson, Gareth’s best friend, stood at the mic, and with a voice cracking with emotion, prayed for each member of Charli and Blake’s family by name.
As her sniffles grew more pronounced, Skylar felt a wad of tissues being pressed into her hand. Looking up through tear-filled eyes, she found Aiden had moved closer to her and given her the tissues.
She mopped at her eyes, listening as Pastor Kennedy prayed after so many others had. There was emotion in his voice as well, and she knew part of that was because of his connection to their family.
As his prayer ended, the piano began to play the opening chords for Great is Thy Faithfulness.
Without opening her eyes, Skylar listened as someone sang the first verse, soon to be joined by the congregation.
Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father; There is no shadow of turning with thee. Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness, Great is thy faithfulness, Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed thy hand hast provided; Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above Join with all nature in manifold witness To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside.
Skylar knew all the words, but there was no way she could sing them because of the tightness of her throat. Her mom and dad sang along, and even Aiden chimed in on the last verse and chorus. Like she had with the prayers, Skylar found comfort in the words.
“I am so grateful for this congregation,” Pastor Kennedy said as he took his place behind the pulpit. “You have hearts full of God’s love for each other. Thank you for lifting Shiloh and her family up in prayer. Thank you for the times you’ve lifted others in this congregation before Him as well. For the times we’ve interceded for our brothers and sisters.”
Skylar wasn’t sure if he was preaching the sermon he’d planned to, or if he felt led to speak in a different direction. The sermon certainly seemed to line up with what had already transpired in the service. Praying. Trusting. Believing.
When the service was over, they all just sat there in silence for several minutes. She glanced over at Aiden and saw him staring at the blank screen with a contemplative look on his face.
“Well, that was good for the soul,” her dad said. “Not for the first time, I am so grateful for our church family.”
“It’s truly a blessing to have a Bible-teaching pastor and God-loving brothers and sisters,” her mom agreed.
Aiden shut off the television, then said, “Anyone want another cup of coffee?”
“I wouldn’t turn one down,” her dad said as he got to his feet.
“Are you okay, darling?” her mom asked when it was just the two of them.
Skylar gave her a small smile. “I’m okay. I just… I’ve cried more over the past couple of months than I have in a very long time. Every time I think I’m cried out, there are more tears to come.”
“There’s nothing wrong with tears,” her mom said. “We’ve all shed them during this time with Shiloh. I look at tears as silent prayers that God has no trouble understanding.”
“Do you think Charli and Blake watched the service?”
“They might have. I know when Shiloh was in the hospital for treatment, Charli mentioned watching on her phone.”
“I’m sure it will be encouraging for them to know that so many people are supporting and praying for them and Shiloh.”
When her mom’s phone chimed, Skylar picked up her own. There were no messages waiting for her, which wasn’t surprising, but it was a bit disappointing.
She’d told her co-workers why she had to quit, and the only one who had expressed any sort of sympathy for the situation was Jack, the one pilot that she always liked to fly with.
Denise had seemed to feel like Skylar should just let Charli and Blake parent Shiloh and keep her distance. She hadn’t understood why Skylar had felt so strongly about being there when she wasn’t even Shiloh’s mother.
But she was, whether she held the actual title. There was a physical tie from her to Shiloh that she couldn’t erase. Charli also had a tie to Shiloh as her adopted mom, one that Skylar would never dismiss. Just like Charli hadn’t dismissed Skylar’s role in Shiloh’s life.
“Here you go, my love,” her dad said as he held out a cup of coffee to her mom.
“Thank you.” She smiled at him as he sat down beside her with a mug of his own, then she leaned over to give him a kiss. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
As a teen, Skylar hadn’t understood what the affectionate interactions between her parents had really meant. She’d rolled her eyes and gotten grossed out about it.
But now, she appreciated them because they were just one of the many ways her parents showed that things were right between them. That their relationship was strong and able to weather the storms of life.
Aiden came from the kitchen with a tray that held two more mugs, as well as cream and sugar. He set the tray on the coffee table in front of the couch where Skylar sat.
“You didn’t say if you wanted another cup,” he said. “But if you don’t, I’ll drink it.”
“Hopping yourself up on caffeine?” she asked.
He grinned. “Something like that. Or perhaps I’m just addicted to it a little bit.”
“I’ll happily take another cup.”
He handed her a mug, their fingers brushing as she took it from him. He then held the tray so she could add cream and sugar to hers.
Since they’d had a late breakfast, no one was in a rush for lunch. Instead, they talked while they drank their coffee, then decided to go for a walk.
Skylar went to change her skirt for a pair of white cuffed shorts, which would be better for a walk. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail, then donned a pair of socks and slid her feet into a pair of runners.
Her ankle was all better, but she still tried to wear good shoes whenever she could now to make sure it stayed that way.
As they left the house, Aiden pointed them in the direction that would take them to a small park that had a path running through it. He and Skylar’s dad took the lead, while Skylar and her mom followed.
“It’s such a gorgeous day,” her mom said as they walked down the sidewalk that was dappled with shadows from the shade trees growing in yards along the way.
There was a bit of breeze, causing the leaves to rustle and dance above them. They were heading into that time of year when early mornings and late evenings would become cooler until fall set in and they’d need sweaters and jackets as the leaves fell from the trees.
“It’s a shame that they’re cooped up in the hospital,” her mom said. “This would be the perfect day to sit outside in the shade. The fresh air would probably do Shiloh some good.”
It seemed no matter what they did, thoughts of Shiloh weren’t far from their minds. That included when they stopped into a small ice cream shop that they came upon, and Skylar wondered what flavor Shiloh would have chosen had she been there with them.
Her dad treated them all to ice cream cones, then they continued their walk through the park. It was a nice way to spend the day, if only their reasons for being in Coeur d’Alene weren’t so worrisome.
At some point, her mom joined her dad in the lead, so Aiden fell back to walk with Skylar. As they walked side by side, Skylar’s fingers itching to curl around his, or to hold onto his elbow.
They hadn’t gone on tons of walks, just for the sake of walking, when they were dating, but whenever they’d walked anywhere together, they’d held hands. Occasionally, they’d even walked with their arms around each other.
Skylar couldn’t believe that she was missing that time. After everything that had happened between them, she shouldn’t be even remotely interested in revisiting any part of it.
But the Aiden she saw now was the one she’d always imagined growing old with. Responsible. Caring. Willing to do for others.
If only he’d never gone away to college. Maybe then, they could have had that future.
But she knew that some kernel of how he felt when he broke up with her must have already been present when they were dating for him to buy into it so fully. It might have happened even if he hadn’t gone away to college.
She’d never know because there was no going back in time. She could only move forward, accepting him as a friend without longing for something more.
If she wasn’t the best for him nine years ago, she still wouldn’t be the best for him now.