Page 4 of A Baxter Family Christmas
As she climbed the stairs, Ashley remembered it all again.
She was the third daughter of John and Elizabeth Baxter. One of six kids, all grown up now. All married with kids. Her parents had seen her through those difficult years. When she’d come home from Paris alone and pregnant and rebellious.
But it was Landon Blake who had given his life for her and Cole. He loved Ashley’s son like the boy was his own. Ashley’s mother grew sick with cancer, but she lived long enough to see Ashley and Landon marry. They’d had three kids since then. One who only lived a few days before joining her grandmother in heaven.
Then came the car accident. Ashley’s dear youngest sister, Erin, and her husband, Sam Hogan, and three of their daughters all killed that terrible day. Only their daughter Amy had lived. Raising her now was something else Landon took on as easily as he breathed.
That was the kind of man Landon was.
They reached their bedroom door. It was a miracle any of her family had made it through the heartache of that time. Erin’s organs had gone to several recipients. And her heart had gone to Kendra Bryant. An atheist.
The woman her father had invited to join them for Christmas Eve dinner.
“Hey.” Landon turned and put his arms around her neck. “You’re thinking about it again.”
She smiled. “How come you know me so well?”
“Because.” He kissed her. “When you’re sad... my heart hurts.” He smiled. “It’s always been that way.”
“I love you.” Ashley rested her head on his chest. She didn’t know what she had done to deserve a man like Landon Blake. But she knew this much. No family could be expected to meet a woman whose heart once belonged to one of their own. Especially on Christmas Eve.
Not even the Baxter family.
Amy Hogan couldn’t sleep. She lay in bed in her dark room and stared at the moon just outside her window.You’re here, God. I know it. Right beside me. She waited a minute in case God wanted to say something. But Amy didn’t hear any actual words.
Okay, God... so I heard everything they said. Now what am I supposed to do about it?
She rolled onto her side and tucked her hand under her pillow. Aunt Ashley didn’t want to meet the woman. She thought it would be too sad.
But it was all Amy could think about.
What kind of a person was this stranger? What did she look like? Aunt Ashley said the woman was only alive because Amy’s mommy died.You must have really special plans for her, right, God? Because she got to live and my mommy didn’t.
Tears came. Amy couldn’t stop them.
She didn’t talk about her mom that much anymore. She loved Aunt Ashley and Uncle Landon. She felt like part of the family here. But every night before she fell asleep she did the same thing. She looked out the window, up toward heaven, and asked God to do something for her.
Tonight, though, she wasn’t ready to do that yet.
Her thoughts were so loud she didn’t want to sleep. What would it be like? Would the woman look like her mommy? Would she sound like her? Since she had her mommy’s heart?
Amy wiped her tears with the sleeve of her nightgown.
Then a picture came to her mind of what it might be like.
It would be Christmas Eve and the woman would walk into the house. She would look like her mommy and sound like her. And Amy would run up and hug her and put her head against the woman and then... for the first time in such a long time, Amy would hear her mother’s heartbeat. The way she used to hear it when her mommy would hug her and read to her and sing with her.
That would be really nice. Amy thought about that for a long time and her tears stopped. She rolled onto her back again and closed her eyes.
It’s time, God. Like every night. Can you please tell my mommy and daddy and sisters that I love them. And I miss them.Amy waited.One more thing, God. Please can you ask my mommy if I should meet this woman who has her heart? Okay. That’s all. Thank you, God.
With that, Amy yawned and a few minutes later she fell asleep.
But this time her dreams weren’t about school or her cousins or her aunt and uncle. They were about a woman she had never met. A woman who looked and sounded like her mommy. And whose hug made Amy feel—if just for a little while—that her mommy was right here with her again.
CHAPTER TWO
Connor Flanigan loved attending Liberty University, but he had been looking forward to Thanksgiving break for a month. His sister, Bailey, had asked him to be a director for the Christian Kids Theater Christmas production.
