Authors: Linda Wood Rondeau
A Christmas Prayer: An Autistic Child, a Father's Love, a Woman's Heart (Christmas Romance)
Table of Contents
A CHRISTMAS PRAYER
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
Author of It Really IS a Wonderful Life
Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas
Praise for
A Christmas Prayer
A Christmas Prayer
is a poignant and heartfelt romance that delves into the complexities of not only romantic love, but the love of family and love for a special needs child. The Christmas theme keeps the story warm and cozy; the romance will take your breath away. Richly drawn characters round out the story and will keep readers coming back for more. Add
A Christmas Prayer
to your must-read list this holiday season!
Amazon bestselling author
Christy Barritt
,
Hazardous Duty
and
The Good Girl
.
I loved, loved, loved this book. I have a friend with twin sons and a brother with a grandson who are autistic. Linda Rondeau gives readers an
authentic, heart-wrenching autism story interwoven
with a very sweet romance. It was a real page-turner for me.
Lena Nelson Dooley
multi-published, multi-award-winning author of
Maggie's Journey, Mary's Blessing,
and
Catherine's Pursuit
(McKenna's Daughters series)
I had the privilege of reading
A Christmas Prayer
by Linda Rondeau. What a great story! I fell in love with Gib and Alexis immediately. Even though this was a short story, I feel as though the author filled in the blanks for me, and I felt like I truly connected with each and every one of the characters. I love how she tied up the loose ends for the reader as well, answering questions about Gib’s parents’ background and why they did what they did.
This was a great read, especially as the holidays are approaching. I truly felt like I had a better understanding of what caregivers of special needs children go through and the frustration they can feel when the system tries to help, yet fails at times despite their best efforts. It definitely made me realize I need to be more sensitive to those involved in helping special needs children, whether caregivers, teachers, parents, etc. The lives most people live are rarely what is seen - there is usually a lot more happening behind the scenes than realized.
It was a really sweet love story as well, reminding us that family is the most important gift we can be blessed with. Great read, especially around the holidays.
Cheri Swalwell
a christmas prayer BY LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
Published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas
2333 Barton Oaks Dr., Raleigh, NC, 27614
Copyright © 2013 by Linda Wood Rondeau
Cover design by The Killion Group,
www.TheKillionGroupInc.com
Interior design by The Fast Fingers,
www.TheFastFingers.com
Available in print from your local bookstore, online, or from the publisher at:
www.lighthousepublishingofthecarolinas.com
For more information on this book and the author visit:
www.lindarondeau.com
All rights reserved. Non-commercial interests may reproduce portions of this book without the express written permission of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, provided the text does not exceed 500 words.When reproducing text from this book, include the following credit line: “
A Christmas Prayer
by Linda Wood Rondeau published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Used by permission.”
Commercial interests: No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by the United States of America copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents are all products of the author’s imagination or are used for fictional purposes. Any mentioned brand names, places, and trade marks remain the property of their respective owners, bear no association with the author or the publisher, and are used for fictional purposes only.
Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION r. NIVr Copyright c 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Brought to you by the creative team at
LighthousePublishingoftheCarolinas.com
: Amberlyn Edwards, Eddie Jones, Rowena Kuo, and Brian Cross
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rondeau, Linda Wood.
A Christmas Prayer/Linda Wood Rondeau. 1st ed.
Printed in the United States of America
Acknowledgements
No manuscript is an author’s sole work as so many help in the process. To try to thank everyone would be a book unto itself. But I do want to express my gratitude to all those who gave of their time and efforts, their encouragement when I couldn’t see daylight, and for treats along the way.
To my agent, Diana Flegal and Hartline Literary Agency, you have been a rock. I hope and pray your belief in me will reap the benefits for the many years of support and encouragement.
To my publisher, Lighthouse of the Carolinas, and to my editor, Amberlyn Edwards, thank you so much for your diligence, and your vision for my work.
A special thank you to my son and daughter-in-law, John and Melissa Barringer, whose work with disabled children has taught me so much.
Thank you to American Christian Fiction Writers, Hartline Beta Readers, and to my many writers’ loops for your help and suggestions. Thank you to
my fans and supporters.
Most of all, I want to thank my family for their belief in me and their encouraging words.
To my dear husband Steve, thank you for all the extras for making this book possible. Extra housework, extra eating out, extra cooking.
Most of all, I thank my Lord and Savior for allowing me to continue to write for His glory.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to all special needs children and to their caregivers.
Author’s Notes
In my many years as a caseworker for Franklin County Department of Social Services, we encountered many situations where biological parents surfaced after years of absence, particularly at a child’s most vulnerable stage of development. Gib’s situation, though fictional, is representative of the difficulties our agencies face when trying to “shape” a comprehensive treatment plan for special needs children within a system already over-burdened and nearly broken. It is my prayer, as you read this novella, that you will consider what you can do within your circumference of influence to help kids like Gib.
The reader should note that procedures, especially involving the welfare of minors, are in constant flux and will vary from county to county as well as state to state. Specific procedures used at the writing of this book may become obsolete by printing.
In
A Christmas Prayer
, the reader will note the use of familiarity between client and service provider. In rural areas, particularly true of Northern New York, department workers and professionals may be neighbors, school mates, and perhaps related and much is known about the other beyond a professional context.
A diagnosis of autism may not mean a child is mentally retarded. Many autistic children are very intelligent and may fall into what is called the
autistic spectrum—a series of related disorders that
impair cognitive function and impact the child’s physical and social life.
Historical Note:
The Herkimer County Courthouse,
built in 1873, is still in use. It was the site of the 1906 trial of
Chester Gillette
, the accused murderer of Grace Brown at
Big Moose Lake
, the story behind
Theodore Dreiser’s
novel,
An American Tragedy
, and later the 1951 Academy Award-winning movie,
A Place in the Sun
.
Chapter One
Alexis Jennings smelled smoke and rushed to the window. “Not another fire!”
Wishing it weren’t so would not change the outcome. Flames shot from the shed.
Alexis sprang into action with the kind of expediency a year of caring for Gib had taught her. She punched in 911, gave the address, and ran outside, the alarm blaring when she opened the door. Nice to know the fancy alarm system she’d installed at a hefty price was working. But how did Gib get outside without tripping it?
At least this time Gib had set the fire outdoors and not in the house. Alexis grabbed the lawn hose. Useless. Frozen solid. She waited in helplessness for the fire department while flames danced the length of the walls and on the roof.
She fumed. Where was Gib? Normally he returned to the scene of his trouble-making, laughing while others undid his messes.
Horror replaced anger.
Was he in there? What if he was hurt and couldn’t get out?
Alexis edged closer to the shed. “Gib! Gib! Are you in there?” Like flaming hands, the fire’s heat pushed her backward.
No answer. The siren wails meant the fire department was near. She hurried to the front as the truck pulled up.
“I don’t know where Gib is!” Alexis screamed to the first firefighter she spotted. While one group unraveled the hoses, another donned masks and axed their way in. Smoke billowed across the yard as flames engulfed the entire structure.
Soon the fire was out, the shed a memory.
Donna Bilow took off her mask as she approached. “Doesn’t appear your brother was in there.”
Alexis sobbed with relief. “This is the first time Gib’s set a fire outside.”
“Can’t say for sure, but this one appears to be an accident.”
Please, Lord. Let it be so.
“Gib’s
modus operandi
is to light a newspaper, set it on the oven, and watch it burn until the smoke detector goes off. Most of the time I can extinguish it before the sprinklers come on. I’m at my wits end, Donna. I don’t know how to keep him and me safe anymore. When I scold him, he runs off and it takes me hours to find him. It’s as if he’s punishing me for punishing him.”
Donna’s face softened, the creases melting with empathy rather than the usual scowls of condemnation Alexis so often received. “My nephew is autistic. Thankfully, he doesn’t set fires. My sister hides all the matches as a safety precaution.”
“I don’t keep matches in the house either. Gib steals them from The Quick Stop down the road, along with half a dozen candy bars.”
“Isn’t he forbidden to go there under the terms of his probation?”
“Gib does what Gib wants to do. He doesn’t consider the consequences.” Alexis tasted the acidity in her condemnation. Why hide her frustration? She’d made excuses for Gib long enough.
“We found a metal box in the shed full of candy bars, matches, and cash.”
“Stolen, no doubt.”
“The bills are covered with melted chocolate; otherwise the contents are intact. A miracle the matches didn’t ignite from the heat.”
Alexis shivered.
If Gib had been in the shed …
What more could she do to reign Gib in? She’d read every book she could find on caring for autistic children. She’d tried every behavior modification technique the counselors suggested and those mentioned in her online support groups. Yet, his rebellion continued. The cold weather and his exploding hormones only added to his obstinacy.
“We found a heater plugged into the outlet. Looks like it hadn’t been turned off after the last use,” Donna said. “More than likely that’s what caused the fire. We still had to call the juvenile officer. He’s on his way.”
Kyle Connolly had filed the last child protective services report against Alexis. One more neglect charge and they wouldn’t wait for Gib’s hearing before removing him from her care. She hated the conflict within, almost wishing she had no more responsibility for him. Yet, at night, when he knelt for his prayers before getting into bed, his sweetness too often caged by misfired neurons caressed her spirit. How could she possibly be parted from him?
“Does Gib ever hide in the shed?” Donna asked.
Alexis sighed. “Yes. He goes in there to read. I’ve told him not to a zillion times. I keep it locked. He’ll break the window or pull at the hinges until he can squeeze in. He might have turned on the heater to stay warm. Gib can’t even remember to flush a toilet or shut off the kitchen faucet. Easy enough for him to forget to turn off a heater. He’s been in his room all morning, so no telling how long the heater had been plugged in.”
Donna scanned the room. “Where
is
Gib?”
He could be hiding in the house or have pulled one of his disappearing acts. To admit she didn’t know Gib’s current location only added layers to Donna’s suspicion. “I can’t watch over him 24/7.”
“No, I guess not. Unfortunately he needs constant supervision to keep him safe.”
Donna’s words sliced through Alexis’s already battered heart. Accident or not, this fire proved what everyone else knew: Alexis Jennings was an inadequate caregiver. What would happen to Gib now? What power could keep him from an institution?
Alexis shot up the same prayer she’d muttered since Thanksgiving. “I need a miracle, Lord.”
Donna rejoined the group of firefighters as they put their gear away, and Alexis went into the house to search for Gib. He could find hiding places a cat would miss. She climbed the spiral staircase to the
attic. Gib sat in the farthest, darkest corner, graphic
novel in hand. How could he even see to read? “There you are. Didn’t you hear me calling you?”
No response, his gaze was fixed on the page.
Alexis grabbed the book from Gib’s hands. Absolutely the wrong thing to do. She’d let her anger cloud her judgment. He stood, his fists balled, and his jaw tight, posturing revenge. “Why did you take my comic?”
Finally … recognition of her presence. “Didn’t you hear me calling you?”
“Yeah.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you answer me?”
“I wasn’t done with the book yet.”
Perfect logic to Gib. Unfortunately, his irrational suppositions merely fueled Alexis’s frustrations.
Before Alexis could correct him, he clomped down the stairs, emitting loud, guttural grunts with every step. He’d probably plop into the recliner where he’d sulk for thirty minutes, or worse yet, go into a meltdown.
“Whoa … fire trucks!” Gib shouted as he reached the bottom stair and peeked out the picture window in the living room. “What are they doing here?”
“You didn’t know the shed caught on fire?”
“No.”
“Did you do it, Gib?”
A thespian’s fall couldn’t have been more dramatic as Gib hurled himself into the recliner.
“Gib … did you set the fire?”
“I already told you. NO!”
Alexis glanced out the window. The flashing lights on the patrol car meant Kyle had arrived. Would he take Gib into protective custody or call Social Services again? How was she supposed to maintain a household and a job and watch Gib every second? She’d learned a long time ago that the quickest road to insanity was living life according to everyone else’s expectations. Yet, they had the power over her. She wasn’t the only one who couldn’t control her brother. But no one blamed the staff at the YMCA when Gib “borrowed” a baseball. They simply banned him from the premises.
Alexis sucked in a deep breath and opened the door.
Kyle’s smile was the stuff of romance novels. Too bad he was married.
“This is getting to be a habit, Alexis. Where’s Gib?”
She tilted her head toward the recliner. “Over there. Pouting. He’s mad at me because I took his Superman comic away. I had to get his attention somehow.”
“May I come in?”
“Like I have a choice?”
Kyle’s smile broadened. “Of course you have a choice.”
“Are you going to take my brother away so close to Christmas?”
He stared at the barren pine tree on its side in the corner. “Couldn’t tell it’s coming on Christmas by this house. Don’t you believe in decorations?”
Alexis glared at Gib. “I decorated it last week. Go ahead Gib, tell Kyle why I took down the Christmas tree.”
“I got headaches.”
Alexis shrugged. “See what I’m up against? He claims the lights gave him headaches so he tore down every decoration I put up.”
“She won’t buy me any presents,” Gib shouted.
“Not true, Gib. You know very well my friend Jasmine has your presents and will bring them over Christmas Eve. That is, if the house is still standing.”
Kyle’s smile disappeared. “I spoke briefly with Donna. She said this fire was probably an accident. It still adds up to poor supervision, Alexis. I’d like to talk to Gib before I decide what to do.” Kyle sat on the torn leather couch across from the recliner. “Hello, Gib.”
Gib smiled back, gifting Kyle with all his closeted charm. “Hello Officer Connolly.”
“I’m here because of the fire.”
“I didn’t do it.”
“I didn’t say you did. I wanted to know if you saw the fire.”
“No. I was reading my book.”
Kyle leaned forward, his kind eyes meeting Gib’s hardening features head on. “The fire’s out and no one was hurt. That’s the good thing. Do you ever go into the shed?”
“Sometimes. When Alexis takes my books away I go in there to read.”
“Do you put the heater on when you do?”
“If it’s cold.”
“When was the last time?”
“I don’t remember.”
Kyle raised his eyebrows, his former calm obliterated with Gib’s resistance.
“Are my comics okay?” Gib asked as he kicked the recliner.
“The ones in the metal box are only singed. Everything else is gone.”
“My special comics were all in the box, so they didn’t get burned up.”
Alexis shook with cascading emotions. “I had stuff out there, too, Gib, like my college yearbooks. They’re gone now.”
“So? I didn’t start the fire!”
No use trying to get sympathy from a dry well. Of course he’d be fixated on his own treasures. Except for his Ethan Jacobs CDs, Gib valued his comic books even above his miniature cars, and he was never without his favorite Hot Wheels in his pockets. He counted every one he owned before he went to sleep. If one went missing, she always had to turn the house upside down until she found it or Gib would be up all night. Knowledge of his compromised rationality was one thing. Coping with his compulsions was quite another.
Kyle peered toward Alexis, his eyes wide with concern. “Gib, why don’t you go to your room for a few minutes and let me talk to your sister. Okay?”
“Fine.” Gib stomped his attitude with his ascent.
When he was out of sight, Alexis let the tears flow. “He doesn’t get it. He might have been killed if he’d been out there.”
Kyle motioned for Alexis to sit. “For most autistic kids, cause and effect don’t compute.”
“Am I going to lose my brother?”
“I’ll have to report the fire, of course. But I don’t think anyone will rush in to take Gib immediately. I don’t see an imminent risk so I’m recommending he stay with you for now, especially since there’s a hearing after Christmas. I won’t lie to you, Alexis. If I’m asked whether I think Gib is safe for the long-term, I’d have to argue for placement. I’m sorry.”
“What will happen to him? Hasn’t he lost
enough? My parents die and now he loses his home?
How can God let an innocent suffer so much?” Foolish to blame God for her failings. “I do love him. I don’t care if he’s adopted. He’s still my brother.”
“With kids like Gib, sometimes love isn’t enough. How’s the after-school program at the Gideon Foundation working out?”
Alexis walked to the fireplace, sealed off for Gib’s safety. “He talks as if he likes it there. Unfortunately, all he does is sit on the gym bleachers and listen to music. The staff has tried to engage him in activities. They say he refuses and prefers to sit and watch. I don’t know what more I can do. When school’s closed, I lose work. I’m surprised my editor hasn’t fired me yet.”
“Buck Kincaid’s a fair man. He’s been with the newspaper a long time.”
“He does allow me to work at home when there’s no school. But, he wants me to ramp up the coverage on the benefit. I’ll be extra busy.”
“With Ethan Jacobs as the main event it’ll sell itself. You shouldn’t have to work at it that hard.”
“It’s been sold out for weeks. But there are so many angles to cover, I’ve been at my wits end trying to do the work and find someone to take care of Gib.”
“I heard the Gideon Foundation is the recipient this year, Ethan’s favorite charity. I also heard he’s donating a huge chunk of change from the sales of
A Christmas Prayer
. Since they’re getting all the moola, maybe they’ll write a few articles for you.”
“I have an interview with Ethan tomorrow and Buck wants me to do the presentation at the Mayor’s Dinner the night before the benefit. I can’t keep imposing on Jasmine.”
“Why not bring Gib with you?”
“Too risky. Lately, he’s been off the wall more than he’s been on task. Seems like any new situation throws him into a meltdown. Or, he’s apt to borrow anything not bolted to the floor.”
“Ethan Jacobs is Gib’s hero, right?”
Alexis nodded … hero was an understatement.
“Gib might surprise you if there’s something in it for him, like meeting a legend. Positive reinforcement, they say, can sometimes work better than punishment. I’m moonlighting on Ethan’s security detail. Did you know he’s rented the old Guilford Residence for an extended vacation?”
“Buck mentioned it. Another angle he wants me to write about. Why would someone of Ethan’s stature want to live in Jasper Falls? Not so much as a McDonald’s.”
“He’s from here. He graduated with my older brother, Tom. He left town the same year your father took the pastorate at Good Shepherd Church, the year they adopted Gib.”
“Yes, but why stay here now?”
Kyle’s infectious laugh pushed through her pain and made her smile in spite of her need to cry. “I was in college when my parents moved here, and I didn’t visit very often after I moved to L.A. There’s a lot about Jasper Falls I don’t know yet and probably should. Maybe if I’d spent more time with Gib before my folks died—”
“Don’t be hard on yourself, Alexis. Not many children would have tried to care for a disabled sibling.”
At least someone in Jasper Falls understood. “I’m no heroine, Kyle. I did it because, stranger to me or not, Gib is all the family I have left. I hoped to at least keep him in the only home he’s ever known. Looks as if all my so-called sacrifice has been for nothing. I’m going to lose him, aren’t I?”
Kyle rubbed his chin. “I’m no psychologist. Seems Gib wasn’t such a handful before your folks died. Maybe he still needs time to grieve. Just because he doesn’t express himself, doesn’t mean he’s absent of feelings.”
“I don’t want to lose him, Kyle. I
do
want what’s best for him.”
“Keep praying, Alexis. I know it looks hopeless right now, but Christmas is the time of miracles. No harm in asking for one.”