Page 46 of Family Forever
The terrified look in his eyes nearly caused her to scoop him up and run out the door so he didn’t have to face his fear, but she knew Dylan was right. He needed to sit up front with his classmates. And she knew he could do it, he’d practiced so hard the past couple of days. She squatted down and kissed his cheek. “You’re going to be great. Now scoot along with Nate.” Her voice nearly cracked but luckily she was able to hold it together. The last thing she wanted was to instill more fear or reluctance into the poor little boy.
Nate reached out and Luke took his hand.
Marissa stared after the two boys, even when they’d disappeared from sight. She blew out a sigh.
Cole slung his arm over her shoulder. “He’ll be fine. Let’s go get a seat.”
She glanced toward Dylan, who still stared in the direction the boys disappeared. The pain in his eyes was unmistakable, his little brother’s fear had seeped into him.
Aric waved them over to the spot he’d saved near the front of the church. They filed into the pew, Aric, Braden, Cole, her, and then Dylan. A few minutes later, the Sunday school children marched in, the younger ones dressed as angels, wearing halos, and white robes with gold trim. The older children were either dressed in their Christmas best or took on the roles of Mary, Joseph, wise men, and shepherds, Nate being a shepherd.
Marissa’s palms perspired as Pastor Jahn wrapped up his sermon, it would soon be time for the kids to sing, and she hoped and prayed Luke would be okay.
Mrs. Jahn motioned for the kids to rise and turn in their pews so they would be facing the congregation. Luke stood in the front. The shards of panic radiating from his gaze pierced her heart with the velocity and pain of a thousand daggers. Though he’d made great progress over the past six months, the poor boy was still more quiet and shy than most kids his age.
The children began to sing their first song. Luke’s lips didn’t move. Though six pews away from the children, Luke’s terrified gaze somehow found Dylan. Marissa looked at Dylan. His gaze was glued to his brother’s and he began mouthing the words to Away in a Manger. Within seconds, Luke’s lips began to move. Relief floated through every cell in her body as she watched the little boy sing.
Marissa glanced down the pew, at Aric, Braden, and Cole. They looked forward, watching Luke, Nate, and the rest of the children. Returning her gaze to Dylan, she found herself in awe at the incalculable depth of pride emitting from his gaze as he swung it between Nate and Luke. The expression was clearly more than that of a brother, it was more like that of a father.
After the service, Cole and Aric took off for home, and she, Dylan, and Braden went into the church social hall to find Nate and Luke.
Luke ran toward Dylan and leaped into his arms. “I did it!” Sheer excitement radiated in his tone.
“You did, buddy. I’m so proud of you.”
Dylan eyed Nate who didn’t seem nearly as excited as his younger brother. Marissa guessed the few years Nate had on Luke played a role in that. Dylan ruffled Nate’s hair. “You did well, too.”
Nate smiled.
Cole and Aric were getting out of the car when Dylan pulled into the driveway.How odd, Marissa thought, they had left church at least fifteen minutes prior to them yet got home at nearly the same time. Had they stopped off somewhere on the way home? But where? It was Christmas and surely everything was closed.
Marissa hung back with Dylan, Cole, and Aric as they seemed to be nudging the younger boys into the house first.
“Santa came!” Luke yelled.
The excitement in the little boy’s voice was present enough for Marissa, and the rest of the Jacobs men and boys wasted no time filing into the living room.
She eyed the heaping piles of presents under the tree, that explained why Cole and Aric high-tailed it out of church, they were responsible for stacking the presents under the tree, but on Christmas Eve, hmm.
Dylan winked at her. “We’ve always been one of the first stops,” he whispered. “Santa always comes while we’re at church.”
One by one they opened their presents, her included. How had she not noticed her heaping pile of presents when she stashed the others in Dylan’s closet?
Dylan had hit a home run with each and every gift. But why wouldn’t he have, he devoted his life to making sure his brothers, and anyone else he cared about, were taken care of and happy. The small gifts she purchased for the boys were well-received as well, even Dylan seemed pleased with his. She hadn’t a clue what to get for him so, at Cole’s advice, they pooled their financial resources and got him a new scope for his hunting rifle.
After the younger boys went to bed, Marissa, Cole and Dylan chatted in the living room. Marissa opened the jewelry box containing the teardrop ruby hanging from a gold chain. This wasn’t just a department store special. Dylan had purchased this beautiful necklace from a real jewelry store. In her whole life, nobody had ever given her such a nice gift.
“It’s your birthstone,” Dylan said as if she hadn’t already put that together.
“Yes.”
“If you don’t like it you can return it and get whatever you want.”
She pulled a frown. “Why on earth would I consider returning such a lovely gift?”
Dylan's gaze raked over her. “Well, you were looking at it kind of strangely.”
“I guess I’m just taken aback. This is the most beautiful gift I’ve ever received. You shouldn’t have.”
