A Brush of Wings (38 page)

Authors: Karen Kingsbury

Lexy smiled through her tears. “He’s yours.” She took one final look at the baby. “Tell him how much I love him.” She could barely speak the words. “Will you do that?”

“Of course.” Mary Catherine tried to see clearly through her tears. “We’ll tell him that and we’ll tell him about his name.”

“Thanks.” Lexy nodded. She pressed the tissue to her face again. “Okay . . . you can go now. Please.”

They said a final goodbye, and Mary Catherine, Marcus, and Dallas left the hospital room. They signed the paperwork in the hallway and on the elevator down they didn’t speak. Marcus kept his arm around her shoulders, the two of them staring in awe at the beautiful baby in their arms. “I love the name Dallas.” Mary Catherine looked into her husband’s eyes.

“Me, too.” He kissed her lips just before the elevator door opened. “But I love you more.”

“We’re a family.” Mary Catherine had no words to describe how she felt. The love exploding through her was something she couldn’t have understood until now. With their first baby cradled between them.

In the lobby, they immediately found Sami and Tyler. The two of them stood as Mary Catherine and Marcus walked up with the baby. “Here he is.” Mary Catherine turned so her friends could see the child.

Sami gasped. “He’s absolutely perfect.” She touched the baby’s cheek. “Look at his eyes. So handsome.”

Tyler said something similar. Mary Catherine wasn’t sure exactly what. All she wanted was to be home with Marcus and Dallas, so she could try to believe what had just happened. The fact that she was a mother.

They talked for a few minutes and then the Waynes joined them. The six of them talked for a few minutes, everyone marveling at baby Dallas Garner. Then the Waynes headed up to get Lexy. Tomorrow they would all get together and celebrate the arrival of the baby. Marcus’s parents would stop by also, and over the weekend Mary Catherine’s parents would arrive for a week.

Mary Catherine was grateful for the support. She felt like she was floating on clouds as she waited in the lobby for Marcus to pull up his truck. He brought the car seat inside and they buckled the baby in. Then—like something from a dream—Mary Catherine and Marcus climbed into the front seats and they drove off.

A few miles from the hospital, Mary Catherine reached for Marcus’s hand. “Know what I’m thinking?”

“That it feels like a dream?” Marcus grinned at her.

“Yes.” Though Mary Catherine had been wiping away tears all morning, now her eyes were clear. “He’s our little boy. It’s more than I can take in. God is so great.”

They talked about the name Lexy had chosen. Dallas Garner. A name they already loved. Mary Catherine looked over her shoulder at the top of her son’s small head. “You know what
I
think?”

“What?” Marcus hadn’t stopped smiling.

“I think God’s going to use our little boy for something very special.”

“Mmmm.” Marcus chuckled. “I agree, of course. But we sound like all new parents.”

“I know, but I really mean it.” Mary Catherine couldn’t shake the feeling. “Like God has destined this child for great things.” She hesitated, looking back at her son again. “Maybe he’s going to change the world for God. You know?”

“If the miracle of how we all got here is any indication, then I’m sure you’re right.” Marcus’s eyes were full of depth and emotion. He gave Mary Catherine a quick smile. “I’m sure God has very special plans for him.”

“Exactly.” She looked straight ahead, still pondering everything that had happened today.

They were a mile away from home when the song came on the radio.

Francesca Battistelli’s song—“Hundred More Years.”

Last time Mary Catherine had thought about this song she could only think of everything she would never have, the husband and children she would miss out on, the years she wouldn’t live. But this time . . .

The words played out like an anthem.

All those dreams and now they’re finally here . . .

Every line spoke straight to Mary Catherine’s soul. She could’ve written the song herself.
All this life still left to live and they can hardly wait . . .

Marcus exchanged a look with her. Neither of them needed any words. The song said it all. The lyrics rang with hope about a bright and beautiful future and God smiling down on them.

Again tears filled Mary Catherine’s eyes. But this time because the song was her life. She really did have everything she’d ever dreamed about. Everything she never dared ask for. The song told about the future looking beautiful and bright . . . and God smiling down on them.

Mary Catherine sang the last lines quietly, like a prayer to God. “ ‘And they want to stay right here . . . make it last for a hundred more years.’ ”

Yes, God had answered every one of her prayers. She was alive and her body felt whole and healthy and strong. Marcus wasn’t some far-off memory she needed to forget. He was her husband, her best friend. Her lover.

And Mary Catherine really did have a feeling that amazing things lay ahead for all of them. There was no way to tell whether she’d get her heart transplant or if she and Marcus would ever have more children. It didn’t matter. Because they were a family. They had God and each other, and the greatest gift God could’ve given them.

A baby boy named Dallas Garner.

THE CELEBRATION COULDN’T BEGIN
until Jag and the others arrived at the meeting. Jag was convinced it would be a time of rejoicing they would always remember. Orlon and the others were already inside. But first he and Aspyn, Beck and Ember gathered together outside the door of the meeting place.

On what felt like holy ground.

All of heaven knew about the victory that had taken place. Jag looked at his peers. “It’s a miracle. Really, it is.”

Beck nodded. “How many times did we all feel like we were being led by the Holy Spirit?”

“Constantly.” Ember looked at peace. “Failure was around every corner. And yet . . .”

Aspyn smiled. “God prevailed.”

“Yes.” Jag took a deep breath and looked at the other three. First Ember, then Aspyn. And finally Beck. “We were the exact angels for the job. Orlon had it right.” He hesitated. “But it was by prayer that we succeeded. The prayers of heaven and Earth.”

The baby would be tended by guardian angels from this day on. That was the job of others. For now, the four of them could simply join the rest of the team and rejoice. They would spend the day thanking God for the victory. Their work had been nearly impossible at every turn. And there would be other jobs ahead, other Angels Walking adventures they would embark on. But for now they would enter the room together.

The four of them.

And they would hear the words they all longed to hear. Words they had longed to hear from the beginning.

Well done, good and faithful servants.

Mission accomplished.

Dear Reader Friend,

It’s never easy to wrap up a series. Angels Walking was no exception. As I finished the scenes with Marcus and Mary Catherine, Tyler and Sami, I kept writing slower and slower—not wanting to say goodbye.

People ask me why I wrote the Angels Walking series, and the answer has stayed the same. These books allowed me to peel back the layers of a very real spiritual dimension and give us all a fictional glimpse at what’s going on behind the scenes—not just in the lives of my characters.

But in your life and in mine.

Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for in doing so some of you have entertained angels without knowing it.” That tells me that on occasion someone has given me a word of encouragement or helped with a rescue or prayed with our family when my father was suffering his heart attack in 2007—and just possibly that person was actually an angel.

Your letters throughout this series have encouraged me. While you’ve enjoyed the story line, most of you have taken away more than an entertaining diversion. Rather, you have closed the cover of the book and realized just how much God loves you. How He would send angels on your behalf for any number of reasons. But mostly because He loves you.

Of course the angels in this series are fictional.

But angels are very real. Have you interacted with an angel? None of us will ever know for sure, but maybe reading the Angels Walking series has helped you take a closer look at your own life. Sometimes when we look for the fingerprints of God at work in our stories, we’re more likely to see Him.

More likely to experience a deeper faith.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this series, and how you’ve seen God at work in your life. Stop by my Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! I’m there all the time! Also, visit my website—
KarenKingsbury.com
—for announcements about upcoming books and movies. And sign up for my newsletter and weekly blog. One more way I can encourage you to stay the course!

God is on your side.

Love you all!

Karen Kingsbury

Reading Group Guide

Brush of Wings

Questions for you and your group to help you take a deeper look at
Brush of Wings
.

1.
Mary Catherine was afraid of hurting Marcus. What impact did that have on her life?

2.
Have you ever adjusted your life because of fear? Explain the situation.

3.
Tyler took Sami back to her grandparents’ house to propose to her. Why was that such a special idea for the two of them? Talk about a sentimental marriage proposal—either yours or someone you know.

4.
Why was Africa so important to Mary Catherine, especially in relation to her fading health?

5.
When has something been as important to you as Africa was to Mary Catherine? Explain.

6.
Ember was a significant help to Mary Catherine, and yet she was an angel. Talk about a time you or someone you know may have interacted with an angel.

7.
Which angel was your favorite—Jag, Beck, Aspyn, or Ember? Why?

8.
What did you like most about Mary Catherine in
Brush of Wings
? Give some examples.

9.
Why did Mary Catherine change her mind about falling in love with Marcus? What was the tipping point?

10.
Mary Catherine was on the verge of death when she had her heart surgery, but she was given another chance to live. Talk about a situation like that in your life or in the life of someone you know.

11.
Do you believe in miracles? If so, tell about one you or someone you know witnessed.

12.
What was your favorite part of the double wedding of Marcus and Mary Catherine, and Tyler and Sami?

13.
Why were Tyler, Sami, Mary Catherine, and Marcus, along with Lexy, all so important to seeing the successful completion of the Angels Walking mission?

14.
Were you surprised by the fact that Lexy’s baby was Dallas Garner? Why or why not?

15.
What is God doing in your life right now? How has the Angels Walking series helped you to see beyond the black-and-white details of life to the spiritual?

One Chance Foundation

T
HE KINGSBURY FAMILY IS
passionate about seeing orphans all over the world brought home to their forever families. As a result, Karen created a charitable group called the One Chance Foundation.

This foundation was inspired by the memory of her father, Ted C. Kingsbury. Ted always said, “Life is not a dress rehearsal. We have one chance to love, one chance to truly live!”

Karen often tells her reader friends that they have “one chance to write the story of their lives!”™ Now, with Karen’s One Chance Foundation, readers can join her in the belief that all of us have one chance to make a difference in the lives of orphans.

In the Bible, James 1:27 says that people with pure and genuine religion care for orphans. The One Chance Foundation was created with that truth in mind.

If you are interested in giving to Karen’s One Chance Foundation and having your dedication printed in one of Karen’s upcoming novels, visit
www.KarenKingsbury.com
. Below are dedications from some of Karen’s reader friends who have contributed to the One Chance Foundation: