A Family of Their Own - By Gail Gaymer Martin Page 0,35
down her dad, even though I felt so much bitterness.”
“Good for you. That’s not easy.”
Kelsey eyed her watch. “Time to start.” She rose and faced the women. “Today I’d like to introduce you to a good friend of mine.”
Ross’s chest ached, holding back his anxiety. The muscles in his neck had become iron rods, and though he tried to relieve the tension, he couldn’t do it without making it obvious. “This is Ross Salburg, and he’ll be joining us based on our vote that we’ll open our meetings to men and see how it goes.”
Ross wanted to escape, but he grasped the chair seat and forced himself to smile and give the women a wave.
Diane Dodge raised her hand. “Welcome, Ross. I’m so glad you’ve finally made it. Now that you’ve appeared, I can get my husband to come. He’s been waiting.”
Ross chuckled. “So he didn’t want to be the first guy to attend?”
“Right. I told him he was cowardly.” She tittered. “He’s not, but I thought the comment would motivate him. Obviously it didn’t.”
Some women chuckled.
“We’ll look forward to him being with us next week, Diane. Tell him he’s welcome.”
Kelsey waved her finger from one side of the room to the other. “So let’s get in our circle and begin.”
Chairs scraped as the women shifted into a circle and once everyone was settled, Kelsey opened the meeting. “Since you shared the news about your husband, Diane, tell us how everything else is going.”
She began, followed by the next woman. Ross’s throat ached, holding back emotions he hadn’t allowed to surface when tears were shed as one mother spoke of her son’s relapse. Each woman offered a word of encouragement, and the thoughts and concerns circled the room. The circle narrowed to him, and his hands trembled as he folded them in his lap, trying to hang on to his composure.
Kelsey motioned for him to begin, and he cleared his throat, hoping his voice would sound firm and in control. “As you already know, I’m Ross. My daughter, Peyton, who just turned twelve, has cardiomyopathy.”
A gasp sizzled around the room. Ross dug his nails into the base of the chair. He knew what they were thinking, and he didn’t want to hear their thoughts or face them. He gathered his wits. “Peyton has done quite well. I spotted the symptoms, because my wife…” He didn’t want to go there. Fifteen women stared at him, their faces filled with question. “Because my wife had died from cardiomyopathy a few years earlier.”
Shock registered on their faces, and this time their oohs reached him. They were empathizing. He knew that, but he’d never allowed people to share his grief—not until Kelsey came along. He glanced at her and saw her caring expression. He could see that she wanted to touch him, to give him a pat of confidence, but it was impossible in the room full of women.
Ross decided to barrel along. He told them about her symptoms, her tests and now his sadness at having to up her meds. “She has a difficult time with other kids. You know how they are. She misses school when she’s not doing well, and she feels out of it. Instead of going back to classes and joining in, she pulls away.”
“And that causes the others to pull away.”
He guessed that the comment came from the woman who’d introduced herself as Shirley. He nodded. “So that’s where I’m at now. Praying that her arrhythmia lessens, and we can decrease the coumadin.”
“I’ll add that to my prayer list,” Shirley said, compassion filling her face. “I’ll also pray for her ability to make friends.”
“Thanks, Shirley.”
A few other women joined in with comments on prayer, and Ross’s spirit lifted. He’d shared his story, and he received offers for prayer. He could do this, and maybe next time, he wouldn’t be so tense. He had so much more he could tell them, and he needed answers.
Chairs were shifted back and a short meeting followed. Women offered new ideas for sharing, films they’d seen, programs at hospitals for parents. It ended more quickly than he’d expected. He hung around, wanting to know more about Kelsey’s plans with Lucy, and when the last woman left the room, he rose from the chair. “What are you planning to do now that Lucy knows? Does she want to see him?”
Kelsey leaned her hip against the desk. “Yes, but I knew she would.”
“So what will you do?”
“He lives in Grand Rapids. I’ll take her there