Page 3 of To the Moon and Back
Ashley could only admire him. Landon had always loved road trips with the family. These were his favorite vacations. He’d told Ashley that a thousand times.
Cole sat in the seat directly behind Ashley. He grabbed the walkie-talkie from the cup holder and held it to his mouth. “Stopping for gas at the next exit.” Cole loved the handheld device. “Roger?”
A static sound came from the speaker. Then RJ’s voice. “Roger! Over.”
“Over and out.” Cole leaned in to the space between the two front seats. He looked at Ashley. “This thing is amazing. I can’t believe you talked like this in the olden days.”
Ashley looked at Landon. “Olden days?” She mouthed the question.
“Hey now!” Landon shook his head. “We’re not that old, Cole.”
“I know.” Cole patted both of their shoulders. “Just teasing.”
They’d already been on the road for two hours. Ashley watched Landon pull off at the next exit. Her husband was more handsome than ever. He wore a white T-shirt and dark jeans, his arms and face tanned from his daily jog, his dark hair short to his head. The muscles in his shoulders were as defined as they were back when the two of them got married.
Ashley flipped the visor down and used the mirror to check on the kids. Devin was in the seat next to Cole, and Amy and Janessa were in the back row. Last night when they were loading up the car, Ashley had pulled Amy aside and taken her to a quiet bench in the backyard. Ashley was glad for the moment. She had been meaning to ask her niece if she felt nervous about the trip.
After all, it was on a road trip from Texas to Bloomington that Amy’s family was rear-ended by a semi truck. For weeks now Amy had seemed excited about the adventure ahead—especially seeing the Oklahoma memorial site. But Ashley thought she should hear from her niece on the subject. Just in case.
“Are you worried?” They had settled in on the bench and Ashley had taken hold of Amy’s hand. “About the drive?”
Amy hesitated for a minute. “Sometimes.” Her voice was quiet. “When I really think about it.” She looked across the field toward the stream that ran behind the old Baxter house. Then she turned to Ashley. “The Bible says to live is Christ. To die is gain.” Her smile didn’t quite fill her face. “I believe that.”
“Me, too.” The Scripture had helped Ashley learn to live in such a way that she didn’t feel heartbroken for Amy every time she saw her. All of them had learned to live normal lives again. Almost. Ashley felt tears well in her eyes. “Just look how many people we have in heaven. Right?”
“Yes.” Amy’s expression softened. She lifted her eyes to the starry sky. “When I think about that, I have nothing to worry about.”
Her wisdom was breathtaking.
Ashley watched Amy now, curled up with her pillow in the third row. She and Janessa had been sleeping for the past hour. Before that they were playing I Spy and giggling over things they’d spotted along the drive.
Ashley flipped the visor up and exhaled. She shifted so she could see Landon better. “Amy’s come so far.”
“She has.” Landon smiled. He kept his voice low. “Thanks to God . . . and you.”
“And you.” Ashley reached for his hand. They had all helped with Amy’s healing. “You’re wonderful to her.”
Landon squeezed her hand as he turned in to the gas station. Ashley’s sister Kari and her husband, Ryan Taylor, and their three children had followed them the whole morning. Ryan towed a pair of Jet Skis behind his truck, and he pulled the entire rig up to the pump across the way. It was supposed to be unseasonably warm this week. But they had brought wetsuits just in case.
Fifteen minutes later they were on the road again. During the next stretch, Cole chose the music and everyone sang along. There was Colton Dixon’s “Through All of It” and Danny Gokey’s latest hit, along with songs from Francesca Battistelli, Newsboys, Natalie Grant, MercyMe, and Matthew West.
At one point they were all singing at the top of their lungs. “Hello, my name is . . . Child of the One True King. I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, I have been set free!”
Ashley grinned at Landon. Most of them weren’t the greatest singers. Amy probably had the best voice in the family. But the sound was joyful all the same and it made the final leg of the trip fly by.
They reached Branson just after three o’clock and checked into their hotel. Then both families climbed back into the cars and drove the short distance to the beach. They laid out their blankets not far from the boat launch.
Half an hour later the Jet Skis were flying across the lake. Landon and Ryan took the first round while the kids cheered them on from the shore. Ashley and Kari settled into chairs near the blankets.
“What a great day.” Kari looked at her and took a deep breath. “Easier than when the kids were little.”
“Right?” Ashley laughed. “Diaper changes at gas stations. I don’t miss that.”
Kari stared at the kids still jumping around on the sand. “So true. But still . . . I sometimes long for those days.” She blinked a few times, like she was just seeing their kids for the first time in awhile. “When did they get so old?”
Usually Ashley tried not to think about that fact. This was Cole’s junior year, and already he was talking about colleges. Liberty University was at the top of his list. He had heard about it from Connor Flanigan, the son of their good friends. Every time she thought about Cole moving away, Ashley’s eyes filled with tears.
“Live in the moment, appreciate every day.” Ashley watched Cole pick up Janessa and run toward the water as she shrieked with delight. A smile filled Ashley’s words. “God gives us only so many days with our families. As long as we know that, we can live without regret.”
