She did, and Dan sat beside her, his arm around her.
“Congratulations, you two,” her mother said.
“Thanks, Mum.” Sarah pressed her cheek into Dan’s chest. His heart ticked reassuringly.
“Thanks, Lindy.”
“So how are you feeling, Sarah?” her mother asked.
“Good. A little tired, but nothing to complain about.”
“I’m glad,soglad for you both. Oh, look, James is back. Can we tell him?”
“Of course.” Excitement filtered past the previous regrets. Helen and Andrew’s reaction didn’t need to sour this special time.
And sure enough, her father was thrilled, calling it a “real answer to prayer.”
Their encouragement soon led to a call to Rebekah, who was just as excited, then a call to Sam, then Luke, so all the siblings knew too.
“We should call John and Ange too,” Sarah suggested. “I know Mom will be itching to talk to her, but she won’t say anything until we give her permission.”
He grimaced. “Unlike some.”
“Hey.” She hugged him, as a twinge of guilt at not telling his parents demanded she be gracious. “Let’s put it down to your mum being excited, okay?”
“Hmm.” He lifted her chin. “But nobody does excitement quite like you.”
* * *
Nobody did doexcitement quite like Sarah. Since meeting her in Muskoka she’d brought a sparkle to Dan’s world, a zest and energy that was the perfect complement to his more laid-back ways. They were a perfect match. God-ordained, some might say.
He glanced across at where she slept, and traced her features. Fair skin, red hair, pink lips, dark lashes. He smiled. She must’ve got them tinted recently, and not said anything.
He shifted his pillow and settled on his side, watching as she rested. He should be asleep too, his game tomorrow demanded he be on full alert, but he much preferred this. It was funny how his priorities had changed since getting married. Once, hockey had been his all-consuming focus; now, the thought of retiring from the game he loved tantalized. Hockey defensemen often had longer careers than forwards, and some played into their late thirties, but he didn’t want that. As soon as this child was born, he wanted to be a full-time dad. And that might be a little awkward, seeing he hadn’t told his agent or anyone on the team about their family plans. But as he was on the last year of his contract, and his agent was already murmuring about negotiating for the future, then he probably needed to say something soon.
Fatherhood. His heart glowed. It still stunned him to think that God was gracious enough to allow him to experience this deepest desire of his heart. Especially after—
No. He was forgiven. He knew that.Knewit. God didn’t hold his unsaved self’s sins against him, not now. But sometimes it was harder to believe that. Like when the miscarriages had occurred, and he’d had the awful thought that perhaps it was God’s punishment for his previous actions. But God was a God of grace, and Sarah was full of grace, too, which was why she’d instantly refuted him any time he’d dared murmur some of his doubts.
“You arenotyour past, you hear me? Don’t let the devil lie to you. Don’t believe him. Believe God’s promises, okay?”
She could be fierce, his wife. That passion was part of why he loved her. That, and the way she overcame her grief, possessing a strength he’d needed, that he’d clung to.
He remembered the first time he’d seen the two pink lines on the pregnancy test. His heart had kicked at the impossibility. “Is that saying what I think it is?”
Sarah had nodded, then talked about a babymoon, then she’d taken another test. Two lines, one slightly fainter than the other.
The doctor had confirmed that her hCG levels were low, but they’d believed, they’d prayed. Surely God wouldn’t give them this miracle just to take it away?
Then she’d started bleeding, and they’d lost it. The same myriad of emotions had occurred several months later. Hope-filled dreams of answered prayers crashing into the reality of blood and loss. For him, the second time was worse than the first. The first time had been so quick. A pregnancy test then two weeks later it was gone. The second time, hope had lived a little longer, grown roots and gotten a little more established. So when that was ripped away the loss felt all the greater.
And while he’d chafed at his father’s insensitive comment, part of him had wondered if this process was helping Sarah’s system flush out the bad and prepare for the miracle of new life. He’d seen the doctors’ reports. He knew that the accident had scarred her internal organs, which meant getting pregnant was a miracle, especially as she only had one fallopian tube. He didn’t know all the ins and outs of what that involved, but Sarah had been blunt that marrying her came with the strong possibility that they might never have children she could carry to full term. He’d known that. Had prayed about it and felt God reassure. So the fact she had gotten pregnant at all was a miracle. But now it had fed fresh hunger to be a dad.
He reached a hand across, and gently laid it on her belly. She didn’t wake, but smiled.
And he prayed for their child, that God would bless this tiny person, and have His way in their life. And that God would bless his beautiful wife, and lead them into His purposes.
CHAPTER2
