Chapter 14

Now the holiday was over, it was back to reality, and, even though there had been a few hiccups along the way, Jon and Donna felt that those two weeks away had helped them come to terms with some of their feelings, whereas others were still just as raw.  As Donna had said, they had to concentrate on enjoying each other's company for now, and learn to be happy again with each other, before they were ready to bring a new life into the world.

One day, as they sat together watching TV, they heard a knock at the door.  Muttering under his breath about there being no peace for the wicked, Jon went to answer it.  It was the little boy who lived in the house opposite theirs, asking for his football back.  He was only 8 years old, but a delightful child, and so well mannered; Donna and Jon had developed a great affection for him.

"You can have it back on one condition" said Jon, as the little boy gazed up at him expectantly.

"What condition?" he said, beginning to look worried.

"That you play a game with me!"

"Okay!  But I'd better ask my mum first, so she knows where I am!  Shall we go to the field?  There's more room there!"

As the little boy ran off, Donna called to him from the living room.  She was feeling rather sorry for herself - she was nursing a rather nasty cold, and thought she would break the world record for sneezing.

"What's up, my little passionflower?" he said, kissing her.  "You're not allergic to me, are you?"

"Don't you 'passionflower' me!" she said.  "And less of your smart remarks otherwise you'll end up wearing your bits as a necklace!"

"Ouch!" he said, trying not to laugh.  "That makes my eyes water just thinking about it!"

"Who was that, anyway?" she said, throwing a cushion at him.

"That was James" he said.  "He wants me to play football with him - I'll only be over the road!"

He had just finished speaking when there was another knock at the door - it was James.  They walked the short distance to the field at the back of James' house, and, before long, he had completely forgotten himself as the sound of the little boy's laughter filled the air, it seemed like an age since he had felt as carefree as this - there was the odd moment when he wondered whether their baby might have been a boy, and this was how he would have felt playing football with him, and doing things that dads do with their sons.  He would have loved a daughter just as much - but it was little things like this that made him think what might have been. He was shocked back into reality when he heard a cry from James - some bigger boys had run off with his football.  As the child began to cry, Jon saw red, and tore after the boys.  He soon caught up with them, and demanded that they give the ball back.

"Are you going to make us?" said one of them, walking over to him.

"If I have to" said Jon.  "Are you going to give that ball back, or am I going to punch your lights out - it's your choice!"

"You wouldn't!" said the boy, his bravado was breathtaking. "You couldn't take me on!"

"Oh, give me a break!" Jon's voice was scathing.  "You don't really think I'm scared of someone whose balls haven't even dropped!   Now, stop wasting my time and give it back!"

The boy shot him an evil glare, and threw the ball at him.  James had been watching all this time, and he looked up at Jon, his face glowing with admiration.  As he threw his arms around him, for some inexplicable reason, Jon felt close to tears.  When he could finally trust himself to speak again, he said:

"You want to carry on with the game?"

"I don't want to play any more" said James.  "Can we just sit and talk to each other?"

He seemed so wise, and so eloquent for someone of such tender years.  They sat there together on the grass, the football game forgotten.  As they talked, James said something which both surprised and shocked him.

"Why isn't Donna's baby inside her tummy any more?" he said, his tiny hand resting on Jon's shoulder.  "Was it poorly?"

"No, James" he said, his voice shaking - wasn't quite sure what to say.  "We had an accident in the car, and the baby was hurt, the doctor couldn't make it better, so it went to Jesus, so he could look after it..."

"I expect you were really sad" he said, his blue eyes full of concern.

"Yes" he said, fighting back tears.  "We were really sad - we still are sometimes.  We really miss our baby, we didn't want Jesus to have it - we wanted it, we....."

Despite his best efforts, he could not hold it in any longer. As James wrapped his arms around his neck, he began to cry as if his heart would break.  Despite his tender years, James seemed to know exactly what to do.  He remembered that whenever he cried, his mum would hold him tightly, gently rubbing his back - and he thought that if that made him feel better, then maybe it would help Jon, too.  It was wonderful the way his childish mind worked.

"Please, don't cry, Jon" he pleaded.  "If Jesus took your baby away from you, and he knows how sad you are, he'll let you have another one, to make you happy again."

"I hope so, James" he said, finally pulling himself together.  "I really do hope he will, one day."

As the months passed, he remembered his conversation with little James, and hoped and prayed that one day he would be proved right.  In the meantime, he and Donna got on with life, their love grew even stronger - if that were possible, and they rediscovered the joy in each other that they thought had died with their baby.  They had never stopped loving each other, but something had died, which they could not quite put their finger on - but, whatever it had been, they had found it again.

One evening, he came home from visiting Mike, to find Donna sitting curled up on the sofa, deep in thought.  He sat next to her, and pulled her close, kissing her tenderly, but he was surprised when she did not respond.  He asked her what was wrong.

"There's nothing wrong" she said, beginning to smile.  "In fact, just the opposite.  I've been hoping against hope, and I didn't want to tell you until the danger period was over, as I didn't want to get your hopes up for no reason - but now I'm sure everything's OK, I can tell you!"

"Tell me what?" he said, pleased at her happy face, but puzzled at the same time.

"Do I have to spell it out?" she said, laughing as she wrapped her arms around his neck.  "God has given us another chance...."

She patted her stomach, the joy in her eyes was almost undescribable.  He did not know what to say, he did not think a day like this would ever dawn again, he felt that his heart would burst with joy. He gently touched her stomach, every imaginable emotion coming together and completely taking him over.  She gently touched his face.

"You're not going to cry, are you?" she said, smiling.

"Yes, I'm afraid I am" he said, and proceeded to do just that!

They clung to each other, the tears this time were tears of joy, celebrating the second chance that God had given them - James had been right - Jesus had taken their first baby, but had given them another in return!  All the pain, tears and heartbreak they had been through - and now this - they could finally begin to hope, and to live again.