The Healing Quilt (48 page)

“What?” Kit and Elaine looked at each other with matching raised eyebrows.

“I love surprises.” Elaine stood and brought the box over to set on the coffee table. Oh, look at these.” She drew out a stuffed pumpkin with alternating sections of white dotted orange and orange with white stripes. The stems and leaves were made of green felt with yarn or embroidery thread tied in the indentations. “They are adorable.” She took them all out and arranged them on the table so everyone could see.

“Beth, what a neat thing to do.” Kit sorted through and chose one with harvest leaves and plain rust panels.

“I made them in different sizes and had so much fun. Harriet Spooner came over and helped me stuff them. She is such a dear.”

Kit studied the pumpkins. “Did you make any of these for sale?”

“I have some I could sell.”

“Good. I want to buy three to mail to Jennifer to help decorate her apartment, one of each size.” Kit rubbed her chin. “And if you want to put them on consignment, I'm sure Teza would love them at the farm shop.”

“Between hats and pumpkins I could sew around the clock, every day of the week.”

“And what does Garth say about all this sewing?” Elaine looked up from trying to make a choice.

“He can't get over it. Like me, he's totally amazed.”

“By the way, what happened with his court appearance?”

“Everyone's amazed that this judge threw the case out. Said the fine was sufficient, ordered Garth to pay for the window repair, and reminded everyone this is a free country with freedom of speech, and protests come under that provision. He warned about watching out for troublemakers, though.”

“Well, I'll be.” Elaine shook her head. “Old Farnsworth came through.”

“You know him?”

“Of course. He and I served on the planning board together. He upholds the rights of citizens, be they on either side of the law.”

“Even the unborn?”

“Looks that way, doesn't it?”

“That's it, the last stitch.” Kit clipped her thread and put her scissors back in the case.

“We did it.” Beth spoke in a tone of awe.

Kit and Sue took two corners and held it up for everyone to see. “We made it by October first. Can you believe it?”

“And no all-nighters. What a shame.”

“So we all need to be at the hospital on Monday morning to have our picture taken with the quilt as it is hung on the wall.” Elaine stuck her needle back in her case and zipped it closed.

“Sorry I'll be in surgery by then.” Teza leaned back in the recliner. “Sure is a pretty piece.”

“What about Sunday?”

“You can get a photographer there on a Sunday?”

“You bet I can. I'll call all of you with the time, most likely around two or so.”

Sue and Kit matched the corners and folded the quilt, starburst to the inside. “I have a zipped plastic bag that I'll put it in.”

“Hey, now you can have your living room back.” Beth took hold of one of the clamps. “Shall we take this down?” At Kit's nod, she and Elsie Mae did just that, strapping the frame pieces in a bundle with bungee cords.

“See you all on Sunday, then.” Elaine gathered her things together.

“And thanks for inviting me to be part of this.” She went around the room and hugged each of them on her way out the door.

“You better go over that quilt and make sure there are no pins left in it. Looked to me like all the threads were cut close, but it needs checking.”

“Yes, ma am,” Kit needled her aunt.

“I'll be praying for you,” Elsie Mae said, hugging Teza gently. “We're goin to beat this thing. Cancer, get yourself on out of here.”

After the photo sessions and interviews for print, radio, and the local television station at the hospital on Sunday afternoon, Kit took Teza back to the farm at her insistence.

“I want to sleep in my house tonight, in my own bed, and I'll be ready on time. I won't eat after six, and I won't drink anything after midnight. I'm planning on a light dinner, and no, I don t want to come to your house to eat.”

“Okay.” Kit leaned her arms on the steering wheel. “I'll see you at six tomorrow morning.”

“And you are not to spend the night worrying. This old breast isn't good for anything more anyway.” 1 m worry free.

“Did you hear from Mark?” Teza asked when she climbed into the van the next morning.

“No, did you?”

“I thought I would. We can leave my suitcase in the car, since I won't need anything out of it the first day anyway.”

“Fine. I'll bring it in whenever you want.”
Father God, Idorit want to do this.

Once at the hospital, a nurse whisked Teza away with the promise that Kit could see her again before surgery “You can wait for her in room 215.”

Kit made her way up the stairs and down the hall, wishing now she'd accepted Sue's offer to stay with her.
God, please, I'm counting on you to pull Teza through this.
She checked the numbers and entered a room with two empty beds right across from the nurses’ station.

After a bit the same young woman wheeled Teza into the room, gowned and finished with the pre-op. “You might want to get up into bed because they'll be along with your shot fairly soon. Then you'll be really relaxed.”

“I'm about as relaxed as I can get right now.” But Teza did as told and listened while given instructions on how to work the bed. So with the bed raised and a pillow plumped behind her head, she pointed to her bag. “Will you please get my Bible out? I marked some places for you to read while you're waiting for me. And I brought a couple of quilt blocks for you to work on.”

“Like I didn't bring my own things?”

“Just in case.” Teza held her Bible between both hands. “I don't know what I would do without his Word to comfort me. You have no idea how glad my old heart is that you have come back to him.”

“Me, too.” Kit sat on the edge of the bed. “Forgiveness is a big thing.”

“Yes, it is.” A male voice drew their attention to the doorway.

“Mark!” Kit slid off the bed and flew into his welcoming arms.

“Well, it's about time.” Teza held out her arms. “My land, how I've missed you.”

Keeping Kit tucked against his side, Mark bent over and hugged Teza. “I'm so glad I made it in time. I thought to be home last night but got fogged in.” He kissed her cheek.

Kit hesitated. “Are you here for a while?”

Marks repentant gaze went directly to Kits heart. “If you'll let me.”

Thank you, Lord, thank you, thank you.
Kit closed her eyes to hold the tears back. He came home, Mark came home. “No wonder Sue wasn't supposed to be here. God knew you would be.”

“I'm here to give you your shot,” the nurse interrupted. “Roll over, dearie.” Within minutes, they had Teza transferred to a gurney and ready to trundle down the hall.

“I love you.” Kit kissed her cheek.

“I know and I you.” Teza laid a hand on Kits cheek. “You're the daughter I never had, so that makes you the daughter of my heart. See you soon.” She pointed to the Bible on the bed. “Read what I marked. God says it better than I can. Okay, boys, lets get this show on the road.” She waved as she was wheeled from the room.

Mark clutched Kit's hand in his and looked her foil in the face. “Can you forgive me?”

“Yes.”

“Will you?”

“I already have, thanks to some heavy duty interference from our Father.”

“I don't know how you'll ever trust me again.”

“Teza always says ‘trust is forgiveness in walking shoes. The two always go together.’ ”

“Yes. Makes good sense.”

“Makes a good picture. Ah, my dear, I have so much to tell you.”

“How about over breakfast? I'm starved.”

“Leave it to a man to think of the important things.” Kit picked up Teza's Bible and put it into her bag. “Wait until we tell the kids that you are home. They'll be dancing in the streets.”

“In walking shoes.” They strolled down the hall hand in hand, chuckles drifting over their shoulders like children playing in the comfort of Grandma's old quilt.

“I can't believe it is really here.” Beth tucked her hand under Tezas elbow.

“Only Gods grace brought this whole shebang together.” Teza patted Beths hand. “Brought the whole town together.”

“I know.” Beth pointed to a couple walking in the door. “Mark made it home again just in time.”

“In more ways than one.” The two shared a conspiratorial grin.

“All right you two, what's going on here?” Kit let go of her husband's arm long enough to give them each a hug.

“You three ladies look like the belles of the ball, far as I can see.” Mark glanced around the decorated hall, the revolving mirrored ball above them flashing shards of light in all directions. Restaurants from the surrounding area had food pavilions at one end of the hall, their decorations exceeded only by the quality of their food. Tables with pink cloths invited guests to bring their samples and sit to enjoy them. Musicians played from the raised platform, everyone donating their services for the evening. At the other end of the long building, chairs were set up theater style for the auction, with the quilt serving as the backdrop for the program.