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When her mother came to sit beside her, she put her head on her shoulder as she had so many times
when she was little. Elise put her arm around her shoulder holding her closely. Before she knew it, DeAlmonie's sniffles grew
louder and louder. She tried to hold them in, but alas she could not. She held them in as long as she could but now her fountain of
tears flowed uncontrollably now.
"Oh Mama! I just don't know what to do!" she sobbed as her mother pulled her closer cradling her with both arms now. "It's okay. It's okay. Let it out. Mama's here and I'm not going anywhere. Everything will be fine, just..." then suddenly something happened. DeAlmonie had reached her breaking point. "No it won't! I'm not like you! I'm not strong like you, Mama! I never have been! My husband was beaten so badly that it took two paramedics to work on him instead of one. He could have died and now he's blind, too. I don't know how to deal with that! It's just too much. It's too much!" she sobbed uncontrollably again as she stood before her mother completely broken. Elise pulled her into her loving arms and cradled her daughter's towering frame close to her just as she done many times when she was a child. She stroked her daughter's hair away from her face as she patted her back gently. "Shh, shh! There, there now! The Lord hears you and he'll never let you down, never," she reminded her. Elise drove that point home because she didn't want her daughter to lose faith. Elise knew that God would never let her daughter down. "Get it all out of your system because when you get to the hospital you've got to be brave for Maxx's sake," Elise said. DeAlmonie swallowed hard as she tried to compose herself. She knew that her mother was right for she spoke from experience. She had lived it and was therefore qualified to speak honestly on the subject. After a few moments, DeAlmonie looked at her mother and shook her head first in amazement, then in awe and then with sheer gratitude that she was who she was, her mother. "How do you do it? You always know just what to say and when to say it. I love you, Mama." with that they embraced for what seemed like forever. Elise looked up at her daughter who was taller that she and smiled wiping a tear from her cheek. "Mama, how did you do it? Here it is Daddy was in a coma for years and you kept the faith and Maxx just went to the hospital yesterday and I'm already lost," she breathed hopelessly as her mother took her chin in her hand and their eyes connected. Elise could feel her daughter's sadness and confusion. Just then, Ian entered the room and his daughter walked over to the couch in preparation to leave. But before he could say anything, DeAlmonie spoke first. "Good Morning, Daddy. I'll be back whenever visiting hours are over. I've given Mrs. Perkins the week off, with pay. I told her to consider it a vacation. Besides, when Maxx and I come back, she'll have more work that usual to do," she spoke as she fumbled in her purse for her keys as she walked toward the door. "Not before we pray with ya about this situation. Your mother and I prayed for ya last night, but it's time that we prayed with ya this time. It's important that ya always remember that God won't fail ya," he said as he stood facing the two most important people in his life as they all joined hands and Ian began to pray: Heavenly Father, Right now we come ta ya asking for mercy, guidance and above all strength. We come before your throne o' grace seeking strength dear God for your daughter who needs ya now as never before. Only ya can console her and be her strength during this crucial time for we know that only ya can touch, heal and deliver her husband. I thank ya because I know ya as a healer, for only ya could have restored me when I lay upon my sickbed. Please work a miracle in my daughter's life and heal Maxx. Ya did it for me, and I know that ya can do it for him. Almighty God, we consider tha work already done. We thank ya Lord for hearing our plea and for giving her peace beyond understanding and for comforting her as only ya can. These things we ask and pray in Jesus' name, Amen. Amen repeated Elise and DeAlmonie as everyone opened their eyes with hearts of sincerity abouding. "I don't know what I do without you both! I feel so much better now. You'll never know how much!" she said hugging and kissing her parents before leaving for the hospital. As she drove away, the phone rang. |