I Did It For You ~ Part 6

To read previous parts click the links below:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

“They’re back!” Jack shouted excitedly. “They’re back, they’re back!” 

“Whoa! Hold on!” Aileen grabbed Jack. “You’ll ruin the surprise if you run out like that, Jack. C’mon, we have to go hide!” 

As she knelt behind the couch, she recalled what had happened in the past few weeks. Once her parents had realized she was firm in her decision to help Derek, they had instantly begun planning the trip to the hospital. After everything had been settled, they left with Derek to get the operation done. Two weeks later, Aileen and her brothers received an email from their parents. It was only seven words long, but the message was clear and simple: 

THE OPERATION WAS SUCCESSFUL 

PRAISE THE LORD!

Everyone had gone crazy with excitement and joy. After they had calmed down some, Ed had the brilliant idea to plan a little surprise party for Derek once he came home. The answer had been unanimously affirmative. 

Now they all hid, waiting eagerly for the trio. As the door opened, they could hear them talking. 

“Where is everyone?” Derek sounded excited. “I can’t wait to actually see them!” 

“I have no idea,” their mother said. “I was so sure I heard Jack shouting.” 

Jack giggled. 

Then all five of them jumped out from behind chairs, dressers, and tables, yelling “SURPRISE!” 

Running forward, they threw themselves at the three and gave them a giant hug. 

“We missed you so much!” 

“Welcome home!”

“Hurrah for Derek!” 

Aileen watched Derek moving easily among them, his eyes alive with happiness. He caught her gaze and grinned. 

“What is that delicious smell?” Mr. Forrest sniffed the air hungrily. 

“Oh right!” Aileen rushed into the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, “It’s dinner time!” 

After saying the grace, Will remarked, “I was looking forward to a homemade meal the whole way home! All that hotel stuff gets to you after awhile,” he chuckled. “You sure outdid yourself, tonight, Aileen! Let’s dig in!” 

By the time dinner was over, everyone was stuffed full of good food. 

Aileen was about to clear away the dishes when her father’s voice arrested her. 

“So, Derek, have you decided to stay with us, or do you have different plans?” 

Wide-eyed, Aileen swivelled her head to look at Derek. 

Derek looked like this had been on his mind for awhile. “Well -” he hesitated, then rushed on, “If you’ll all have me, sir, I’d like to stay.” 

“That’s the ticket!” Ed slapped him on the back. 

Will smiled broadly. “I second that. We’d be honoured to have you, Derek.” 

“And, Mr. Forrest,” Derek looked up suddenly. “About the adoption- ”

Adoption? Did Dad ask him that while they were away? Aileen wondered. She held her breath, waiting for Derek’s answer. 

“Thank you for the offer. You’ve all been so good to me and I really appreciate it. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m going to have to refuse.” He looked straight into Mr. Forrest’s eyes. “I’d like to be able to carry on the Miller name. For my parents’ sake.” 

As Aileen listened to her father agreeing with Derek’s decision, a sudden happiness she didn’t quite understand welled up within her. 

Standing up, she began clearing the table. After placing the dishes in the sink, she grabbed her hat and quietly left the house. 

She headed toward the fields and climbed to the top of her favourite hill. Finding a comfortable place, she sat down and soaked in the beauty of the evening. The long meadow grass had turned orangish-red in the setting sun and was waving gently as a cool spring breeze blew lightly through them. 

She heard a slight noise behind her and turned. It was Derek. 

He stood there for awhile, watching the big flaming ball of fire melt away into a tawny golden puddle. 

“It’s so beautiful,” he breathed. “I never thought I’d see a sunset again.” 

He sat down next to her. 

After a moment’s silence, he said quietly, “Your dad told me what you did.” 

Aileen looked down into her lap. “You weren’t supposed to know.” 

“I’d have figured it out anyway,” Derek plucked a stalk of grass and started stripping the seeds from it. “Why did you do it?” 

She stared at the setting sun, struggling to find an answer. “Remember how you said that night how I would probably choose my dream over you?” 

He nodded. 

“Well, you showed me how selfish I was being. And I believe that the Lord was telling me it was the way to prove to you that you were special and that people did love you. So I decided to-” she paused. The lyrics from Trust in You came to mind. “I decided I wanted what the Lord wanted.”

A peaceful silence settled between the two young people. Then Aileen said suddenly, “You know, I’m glad you’re not going to be my brother.” 

He grinned. “Really now? Should I take that as an insult or a compliment?” 

“A compliment.” 

Derek hesitated, then said, “Did you mean it when you said you cared for me?”

She smiled shyly. “Yes.”

“Tell me again why you gave up your whole dream.” 

“Derek!” she laughed. “How many times do I have to tell you? You’re more important than any singing career. So much more important!” Aileen turned to look straight into his eyes.

“I did it for you.” 

THE END. 

I Did It For You ~ Part 5

Aileen stared blankly into the computer screen, her finger tapping restlessly on the keyboard. Derek had an amazing voice. And recording the demo with him had been so much fun. She remembered the look of pure happiness that had passed over his face while they were singing. It had made her wish there was a way for him to be that happy all the time.

The operation would do that. All she had to do was give up her future. 

As she sat there, she started thinking over the conversation between her parents. The wheels in her head were turning so fast it made her dizzy. I would do anything to help Derek. The words from her prayer shot through her.

She groaned and lay her head on the table. 

“Why, Lord?” she cried out. “This isn’t your way of telling me, is it?” 

She wasn’t at all sure she meant those words anymore. Give up her one, and possibly only, chance at fulfilling her dream? No, she just couldn’t do it. 

“Please, please don’t make me do it,” she pleaded. But memories of Derek’s unhappiness pricked her.

“Who’s more important?” a little voice asked her. “You or Derek? Your dream or Derek’s sight?” 

She moaned. It was going to be a long day. 

At dinner, she was still struggling with her conscience. A constant battle had been raging through her head all day. But exhausted though she was, she couldn’t help but notice when her father asked to talk to Derek in his room after dinner. 

The rest of the family had just finished cleaning up from the evening meal when Derek’s door opened and he walked into the kitchen. 

Aileen was about to ask him what had happened when she saw his face. He was struggling to keep his emotions in check. Mumbling something incoherent, Derek moved slowly toward the front door. It closed quietly behind him. 

Her father entered the kitchen, a concerned look on his face. “Did Derek go outside?” he asked. 

Mrs. Forrest nodded. “You told him?” 

“Yes,” Mr. Forrest sighed. 

“Dad, what’s wrong?” Ed looked as confused as the rest of the children. 

“To make a long story short, the officials found Derek’s aunt,” their father sat down heavily on a kitchen chair. He removed a piece of paper from his pocket. “She says this: ‘I am a busy woman, Mr. Forrest. I simply can not be bothered with a boy who claims to be by nephew. A blind boy, at that. After my sister, Pauline, married that low-down Miller man, I refused to stay in contact with her. Therefore, as far as I am concerned, she never had a son.’”

The room became deathly quiet. Stunned, Aileen bolted from the room. 

She went to the barn, dazed at the cruelty of the woman’s words. How could anyone be so mean? she thought angrily. Then she heard a muffled noise from one of the stalls. 

She walked silently through the barn. In the last stall lay Derek, crumpled in a heap. His mask of bravado had disappeared. Sobs tore through his body in an agony of despair and loneliness. 

For a time, Aileen only stood there, feeling Derek’s pain and wishing she could do something that would take away all his hurt. As his cries lessened, she finally spoke. 

“Do you want to talk, Derek?” 

His body stiffened in surprise at finding her there. Then he said, “I’m a nobody.” 

Aileen frowned. “Don’t say that, Derek! You’re a very special person.” 

“Really? Well, it sure doesn’t seem like it. If I am, then how come no one loves me? No one- ” his voice cracked. “No one wants me.” 

“But people still love you - ” Aileen started. 

“The only people that ever truly loved me were Mom and Dad. And they’re dead. Dead, Aileen Forrest! Now no one cares about me. So please, just leave me alone,” Derek trembled. 

The girl, undaunted, stepped closer. “I care for you, Derek.” 

“Ha! You care for me? I don’t think so! I’ll bet if you had to decide between me and that dream of yours, you’d choose it over me.”

Aileen recoiled as if she had been slapped. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Aileen lay down on her bed. Tapping her iPod, she started listening to the cover she had recorded with Derek earlier that day.

Letting go of every single dream

I lay each one down at Your feet

Every moment of my wandering

Never changes what You see

She froze as she realized what she was hearing.

Truth is You know what tomorrow brings

There’s not a day ahead You have not seen

So in all things be my life and breath

I want what You want Lord, and nothing less

When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move

When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through 

When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You

I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You! 

Tears dropped onto her pillow. She was sure now. God was telling her to do it. Derek needed someone to show him that he was loved - and Aileen was that someone. She closed her eyes tightly. I will trust in You, Lord, she prayed. 

She pulled herself up from her bed and crept over to the closet. Reaching up, she took down her blue box and removed a big white envelope. 

Aileen found her parents in the living room, sitting in front of the fire. 

“Mom, Dad - ” Her parents turned towards her. Before they could say anything, Aileen hastily handed the envelope to her father. 

Mr. Forrest took it and looked at her questioningly. “What is this for?” 

She took a deep breath. “I want to use it for Derek’s operation.” 

Her parents looked surprised. 

“I overheard you talking about it, and how you needed the money, and well, here it is.” 

“Aileen,” her mother hesitated. “Is this your plane fare?” 

She nodded silently.

I Did It For You ~ Part 4

Next day, Aileen opened her bedroom door to find Derek standing right in front of her. She gasped and almost fell backwards in her surprise. 

“Good morning,” he said. “Sorry if I scared you.” 

“It’s okay,” Aileen shook her head. She paused then took a deep breath and said, “Look, Derek, I’m really sorry about what I said last night. Will you forgive me?” 

He smiled. “Yeah, I forgive you. And I’m really sorry about how I was acting. You were right, I was being a baby.” 

Though she was puzzled at his sudden change of attitude, Aileen accepted his apology. 

“And to clear things up a bit, I don’t exactly hate horses,” Derek grimaced. “It’s just that - well - my dad was killed by one.” 

“Oh! I’m so sorry,” Aileen felt a twinge of guilt prick her. “I didn’t know- ”

“No, don’t apologize. It’s not your fault.” His face looked serious. “Last night, you made me remember the reason why my mom was coming here in the first place. I’d rather not explain it to you right now, but - thank you, Aileen.” 

“You’re welcome.” She hesitated, then grabbed his arm and asked cheerfully, “Now do you want to go eat breakfast?” 

After a hearty meal and devotions, the family dispersed to their everyday ranch chores. 

“Hey, Jack,” Derek called the boy back to the table. “Would you still be willing to show me the horses?” 

“But you said- ” Jack stopped and covered his mouth. 

“I know. I’m really sorry about all that mean stuff I said to you,” Derek held out his hand. “Will you forgive me?” 

“Sure!” Jack shook his hand readily. 

“You’ll have to describe the horses to me, then I can try picturing them in my mind,” Derek grinned. “Better hope you’re good at describing, Jack!” 

As Jack and Derek left the kitchen, Aileen caught her mother looking at her, eyebrows raised.  

“What?” she asked, pretending not to understand the look. 

“You want to explain that?” Michelle motioned towards the departing boys. 

“Uhhhh - not exactly,” Aileen blushed. 

“Aileen!” 

She turned around. 

“What is it?” she asked as Ed handed her his phone. 

“Just read,” her older brother leaned against the door frame. 

A few minutes passed before Aileen looked up. Her eyes were shinning brightly. She opened her mouth to speak, but the only thing that came out was a little shriek. 

“What happened?” their mother asked curiously. 

“Exec - demo - likes it - I’m dreaming-” Aileen stammered. 

Ed laughed. “What she means is that Mr. Stephens, the executive producer I told you about, really liked the demo that Aileen sent him and he wants to have her over to the States for a live audition and a few gigs. There will be a few other execs there too. But he says he’s certain she has a fairly good chance at winning them over.” 

“It’s next month!” Aileen danced around the room. “He actually liked it, Mom!”

“That’s wonderful, Ally dear!” Michelle hugged her daughter tightly. Then she looked over at Ed, a questioning look in her eyes. 

“I know,” he frowned. “There is the plane ticket, Ally.” 

But Aileen smiled excitedly. “That’s covered, Ed. I have more than enough for a trip there and back.” 

“You do?” Ed asked, surprised. “How?” 

“I’ve been saving up money since the day I made up my mind to be a country singer,” Aileen grinned. “Guess I finally get to use it!” 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Derek’s effort to change amazed Aileen. At first, she wondered if he had suddenly obtained some superhuman power. But as the two grew closer, she noticed that tease as he might, there was always a feeling of despair around him.

Finally, one night she sent up a prayer to her Heavenly Father. “Thank you, Lord, for making Derek better. But there’s a sadness about him that I don’t understand. Please, help him, Lord. Show him that you love him. If there’s ever a way that you can use me to help him, Lord, oh! please tell me! I would do anything to help Derek!” 

But Aileen wasn’t at all prepared for the answer God gave her. 

Spring finally arrived. And with it came the excitement of going to the States. Mr. Stephens had requested a cover of a song, so one day Aileen started recording Lauren Daigle’s Trust in You.  

Her clear, strong voice floated down from the loft, accompanied by a guitar. After a time, she emerged from her room. “Where did I put that sheet?” she muttered to herself. Running down the stairs, she went to the kitchen and began rummaging through the large brown desk standing in the corner. 

“Whatcha doing?” 

She whirled around and saw Derek standing in the doorway. 

“Oh, just trying to find a music sheet. I think I brought it down this morning and left it on the table. Mom probably put it in the desk by accident. I hope, anyway!” Aileen sighed as she started flipping through an immense pile of looseleaf papers. 

“You have a great voice,” Derek remarked. 

“Thanks! “ Aileen smiled. “Do you like singing?” 

“I used to be in a mini band back in the city. Not sure what happened to them now though,” he replied. “I was mostly the harmony.” 

“Hey!” Aileen suddenly grabbed his arm. “Why don’t you record a song with me? I’m sending a demo to Mr. Stephens; maybe you can help me with the harmonies? I’ve been having a bit of trouble figuring them out.” 

“Who’s Mr. Stephens?” his blank eyes looked at her, his head tipped to the side in a  questioning manner. 

“He’s an executive producer who’s interested in my music. I’m going to meet him, as well as a couple other execs, in a few weeks for an audition. And I’ll get to perform a few gigs too. He thinks that I might be able to start a singing career, which has been my dream for more than 10 years!” She stopped abruptly. Why did I just tell Derek Miller that? Now he’s got something else to tease me about and I’ll never hear the end of it. 

But instead of teasing, he commented, “Nice dream. Hope it all turns out for you.” 

There was a pause, then he said, “Are you sure you want me in your demo? I don’t want to ruin it and make Mr. Stephens send it back or something.” 

“I’m sure you’ve got a great voice,” Aileen grinned. “Maybe Mr. Stephens will love it so much he’ll make us a singing duo and we’ll go touring the country together!” 

“Very funny,” Derek laughed. “I don’t think you’re serious.” 

“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not,” she said teasingly. “But I am serious about you being in my demo. Now you go upstairs and we’ll record as soon as I find that paper.”

“Bossy!” he flung over his shoulder as he headed towards the loft. 

Aileen shook her head and thumbed through a yellow folder. 

“Bingo!” she exclaimed, pulling out a crumpled sheet covered in chords and lyrics. She was about to go back to the loft when she overheard her parents talking earnestly in their room. 

“How dare she?” her mother’s voice sounded indignant. 

Tiptoeing over, Aileen stood silently outside the door and listened intently.

“It’s true,” Will said sadly. “But that operation-”

His voice was cut off by the sound of the Chevy roaring out of the driveway. 

“Ed!” Aileen sighed in exasperation. As the sound of the truck died away, she heard the end of Will’s sentence

“- has a very high chance of regaining his sight.” 

Aileen caught her breath in shock. 

“The only problem is the money,” her father sighed. “Even if we gave as much as we possibly could, we would still be very short. We’ll have to pray about it and see what the Lord has in plan.”

“How much more do you need?” Michelle asked curiously. 

As her father named the amount, Aileen paled. In her little blue box upstairs lay the very amount he was looking for. 

I Did It For You ~ Part 3

Derek sat quietly in the front seat of the truck. Michelle Forrest, squeezed in between the boy and her husband, chatted with him about the ranch, the family, anything she could think of. Will added a bit to the conversation, but most of his attention was on the road, which was still slick from the previous night’s snowstorm. 

“You remember Ed, Peter, Aileen, and Aaron, don’t you, Derek?”

Stony silence greeted her. She looked with despair at her husband. He mouthed to her, “Give him time.” 

“We’re all very glad to have you in the family.” 

Derek folded his arms and stared straight ahead of him. Finding out his mom was dead had been devastating. But when he first opened his eyes in broad daylight and realized he could no longer see, he had been absolutely terrified. Now he was just angry and resentful at the turn of events.

He scoffed inwardly. They’re glad to have me? Yeah, right. They’re just doing it ‘cause they’re sorry for me. I hate pity. It’s pathetic! 

“Here we are!” Will said cheerfully as they pulled into the farmyard. 

Derek stepped out of the truck, gingerly waving his white cane in front of him. Then he stopped. His nose wrinkled. “What is that smell?” he asked before he could stop himself. 

Mrs. Forrest laughed. “Just normal ranch smell, Derek.” 

“Wait, you moved to a ranch?” Derek paled. “We’re not in the city?”

“No, of course not, dear. That’s what I’ve been telling you the whole ride here,” the kindly woman patted him on the shoulder. 

Derek groaned. Great, he thought. Not only do I lose my mom and my sight, I have to change my whole lifestyle and live with - with country bumpkins! I hope Aunt Sarah replies soon and gets me out of this mess. 

Suddenly, he felt a cold hand on his arm and heard a voice greeting him. 

“Hi Derek. I’m Aileen.” 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Aileen had been shocked when her father told her that Derek was blind as a result of the accident. In that instant, all her negative feelings for Derek were chased away by a burning desire to help him. 

But even though she knew his entire world had been turned upside down, she was in no way prepared for the sullen boy she met that afternoon. 

He acknowledged her greeting with the smallest of nods. After that, Aileen stepped back while her brothers all shook hands with the newcomer. 

She noticed the slump of the boy’s shoulders, and the overall discouraged way he carried himself. There was a scar on his cheek, probably from the accident, she decided. 

But it was his eyes that scared her the most. From a far-off distance, Derek looked like a completely normal person. Up close, she could see a cold darkness that seemed to swirl with resentment. His eyes were like hard, black stones that occasionally sparked with anger. 

Mr. Forrest removed Derek’s bags from the truck. “Let’s go inside,” he suggested. 

Michelle took Derek’s arm and led him to the house. His back stiffened as pride overcame him. 

As the rest of the family walked through the doorway, Aileen hung back. She stood in the middle of the farmyard and looked up into the clear blue sky. 

“What is going to happen, Lord?” 

There was no answer. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Two weeks had passed since Derek moved in with the Forrest family, but he still had that sullen, discouraged attitude about him. He refused to do anything except eat and sleep. For the most part, he stayed in his room, mulling over his situation. 

Aileen could sense tension and anxiety building up between herself, her family, and Derek. She didn’t know how much longer she could bear all the stress. It’s like the quiet before the storm, she thought. 

Then one day, the storm came. 

For pretty much all her life, Aileen had known her family to have dinner together. There was rarely ever a day when they all didn’t gather for the evening meal. Derek, even if he stayed in his room the rest of the day, was compelled to be there as well. It had been one point that Will Forrest had been firm on. 

On this particular day, there was no exception.

She had just put a piece of chicken into her mouth when Jack, who had been racking his brain for a way to help Derek feel more at home, suddenly turned and asked, “Do you want to go out tomorrow and see some of the horses, Derek?” 

Aileen nearly choked. She shook her head frantically at Jack, but the damage had already been done. 

Derek sat there, silent as a statue. His face turned white, then red as his anger flared. “What do you think?” 

Jack stammered, “Well - uh - when I helped you unpack, I noticed you had a lot of pictures of these horses and their riders, and I thought maybe you liked them and- ”

“No! I hate horses!” Derek turned his face towards the direction of Jack’s voice. “I hate them! I hate them!” His voice raised in fury. He pushed back his chair. “And how did you think I could see them? I’m blind!” he spat out. The boy stood up and stumbled back to his room, his white cane tapping angrily on the wooden floor. His bedroom door slammed shut. 

For a time, there was only awkward silence. Jack had tears in his eyes. 

“I didn’t - didn’t mean to hurt Derek,” his lower lip trembled. 

Michelle went over and gave her youngest son a hug. “I know, darling. You were only trying to help Derek. But we have to be considerate of his blindness. He’s still very sensitive about it.”

“I’ll go apologize,” Jack rubbed the tears from his eyes. He was about to get up when his father stopped him. 

“Let Derek cool down first,” Mr. Forest advised. “Why don’t you finish your dinner, Jack?”

“Yes, sir,” Jack obediently picked up his fork. 

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence. 

Later that evening, Aileen heard Jack knocking softly on Derek’s door. 

“I’m really sorry I hurt your feelings, Derek,” the eight year old said shyly. “I didn’t mean it, honest!” 

“Yeah right!” Derek’s voice was still filled with anger. “Isn’t that what you pesky little boys love to do? Hurt people? Well, it worked! You satisfied?”

“But, Derek- ” Jack started. 

“Just leave me alone!” Derek shouted. 

Aileen tiptoed down the hall and laid a hand on her brother’s shoulder. “Jack,” she whispered. 

He turned to her slowly. 

“Hey, don’t cry,” Aileen knelt down next to him and gently wiped the tears rolling down his face. She hugged him. “Why don’t you go find Ed? He might need help bringing the horses in from the field.”

Jack nodded and fled from the hallway. 

Aileen pressed her lips together hard and sent up a quick prayer. Then she pushed the door open. 

She looked into the dark room. Derek’s silhouette was vaguely made visible by a lamp in the hall. Flipping the light-switch, Aileen entered and closed the door behind her. 

Derek stared stonily at the wall. “Leave me alone, Jack,” he said in a low, cold voice. 

“I’m not Jack,” Aileen said quietly. Before he could say anything, she continued, “I sent Jack to the barn. You hurt his feelings.” 

“I hurt him?” Derek laughed shortly. “Ha! What about him hurting me?” 

How immature, Aileen bit back a retort at the slight whine she detected in the boy’s voice. Drawing in a deep breath, she said, “Look Derek. Jack’s only eight and he forgot, okay? He wasn’t purposely out there to hurt you. He really was only trying to help.”

“Seriously, an eight year old wanted to help me?” Derek mocked. 

“We all want to help you, Derek.”

“Let’s get something clear then. I am not a baby. And I don’t need anyone’s help!” 

“Well, maybe if you didn’t act like a baby, we wouldn’t need to treat you like one!” The words rushed out of Aileen’s mouth before she could think. “You gotta cowboy up, Derek. Because you really are acting like a spoiled little kid!” 

She rushed out of the room. 

Derek sat there, stunned at the sudden outburst. Self-pity overwhelmed him and a tear slipped down his cheek. Next moment, he realized the truth in her words.

“She’s right,” he groaned. “I am acting like a baby.” He buried his face in the pillows.

I Did It For You ~ Part 2

A sharp pain needled him awake. Derek groaned. Why did his head hurt? What had happened? Questions surged forward. Suddenly, everything came flooding back. The snow and ice - the crash - the jolting shock - then Mom leaning on -

Mom. His mom. 

Derek jerked up and immediately cried out in pain. As he struggled with the wave of nausea that shot through him, he tried to see where he was. The lights in the room were off. “Mom!” he shouted. “Mom! Where are you?” 

Silence. 

“MOM!!” Panic enveloped him. He started breathing quickly, trying to swallow the uneasy feeling rapidly rising in his throat. A sob escaped him. 

Footsteps hurried toward him. He heard a door open. 

“Mom? Are you alright?” Derek cried. “Someone turn on the lights, please!” 

He groped around wildly and then arms were encircling him, comforting him.

“Shhh, it’s alright,” a soft crooning voice whispered. “Calm down. It’s all right.” 

The boy trembled as he drew in a deep, shuddering breath. But he started to relax. Mom was okay. Mom was alive, she was here. 

As sleep enveloped him, he murmured, “I’m so glad you’re alright, Mom. See you - in the morning.”

He thought he heard a shocked “Oh no” accompanied by a tightening of the arms around him, but he was too tired to investigate. Closing his eyes, he sank into unconsciousness, oblivious to the strange woman who held him, and who was calling out to the Father to bring strength and comfort to the now orphaned boy. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“There’s hope in front of me! 

There’s a light, I still see it!

There’s a hand still holding me

Even when I don’t believe it,”

Aileen danced out of the stall she had been cleaning and moved onto the next. 

“I might be down but I’m not dead

There’s better days still up ahead

Even after all I’ve seen

There’s hope-”

Her singing stopped abruptly as she realized she had suddenly gained an audience. Her older brother, Edward, stood outside the barn door. “Hey, Danielle Gokey!” he grinned teasingly. 

Aileen groaned. “Please don’t start, Ed.” 

“My dear sister, what on earth are you talking about?” Ed asked, looking as innocent as a baby. He grabbed a rake and started cleaning the last stall. 

“Brothers,” Aileen rolled her eyes. “What did I ever do to end up being the only girl amidst a ton of boys?” 

“Correction - your ton of boys is actually only four,” Ed emptied his rake into the wheelbarrow. “We’re helping toughen you up.” 

“Yeah right!” Aileen laughed shortly. “Toughen up? I’ve lived with you for all seventeen years of my life and I still haven’t gotten used to anything you do.”

“Nice singing,” her brother suddenly changed the topic. “You’ve really improved over the years, Ally.” 

Aileen stared at him in amazement. Ed - complimenting her? It was unheard of! And how did he turn from teasing to praising, just like that? She shook her head. Never in the whole world would she understand this queer species of humans called boys. 

But Ed continued, “I was talking to Josh Brewster and turns out he knows this executive producer-”

“What?!” Aileen flew out of the stall. “Ed, you’re joking! Stop pulling my leg!” 

“Hey, I’m totally serious,” Ed’s clear blue eyes looked straight down into hers. “Josh is willing to mention you to the executive producer. I said I’d talk with you first. So - do you still have that dream of yours?” 

“Do I?” Aileen was half crying, half laughing. “Of course! Why wouldn’t I? This has been my dream since I was five!” 

“Alright then,” Ed grinned. “I’ll let Josh know.” 

“Oh, Ed!” Aileen was speechless with delight. “Is - is this a dream?”

Her brother laughed and pulled her hat down over her eyes. “No, you little goose. It’s real, ‘bout as real as it gets.” He pinched her arm. 

“Ow!” Aileen frowned, but her eyes were sparkling with excitement. 

“Well, gotta go to town now,” Ed settled his own black Stetson on his dark head. “Continue your chirping, goose!” he called over his shoulder as he strode out of the barn. 

Aileen finished the rest of her chores in a daze. Slowly, the truth began to sink in. She was so thrilled she thought she was going to burst. 

Just as she put the last brush away, her dad’s Chevy pulled into the yard. 

As Will Forrest got out of the truck, Aileen noticed the grim look on her father’s face. 

The girl ran out of the barn. “Hey, Dad,” she said as she greeted him with a warm hug. “What happened?”

“I have a very grave matter to discuss with your mother,” he said quickly. “I’ll tell you about it later on, okay?”

“Is something wrong?” Aileen looked up with concern. 

But her father wouldn’t say anymore. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

That Saturday, Will Forrest called for a family meeting. So after dinner, the Forrests gathered in their rather small living room. Aileen and her mother sat together on the couch. Ed and Peter, who were only a year apart from each other, lay sprawled on the floor, while Aileen’s younger brothers, Aaron and Jack, tried with difficulty to squeeze themselves into the single bean bag chair. A lot of laughing and pushing was going on when Mr. Forrest entered the room. For a time, the head of the house only stood in front of the stone fireplace, staring into the blazing flames. 

Finally, he turned around. He coughed for attention, and instant silence reigned over the room. 

“You all remember Robert and Pauline Miller, and their son Derek,” Mr. Forrest started. 

Aileen nodded along with the rest of her family. The Millers used to live nearby the Forrests before Robert had died. Then Pauline and Derek had moved away. Aileen was secretly glad when they left. Derek had been a loud, pesky boy whose chief goal in life was to make her as miserable as possible. He had pulled her hair whenever he got the chance, slipped bugs down her shirt - she shuddered.

Mr. Forrest continued, “I’m not sure why they were up here, but my guess is that Pauline was heading back to their old house. She wasn’t prepared for the weather though. The roads were pretty bad, covered in ice. A passerby found her car in a gully along Dawson Forest. It looked like she had been killed instantly. But Derek survived.”

Aghast, Aileen tried to process what she was hearing. Her father’s solemn attitude was starting to worry her. Where was he going with this?

“Excluding his parents, Derek had only one other living relative. An aunt. However, he has never met this aunt before and officials are trying to contact her. In the meantime, Derek has no place to go.” He paused, then continued, “Your mother and I have talked long and hard about this, as well as asked the Lord for wisdom and guidance. We have come to an agreement that we should open up our home to Derek Miller.” 

For a few moments, there was stunned silence as Will’s words sank in. Then the room erupted with questions. 

“When’s he coming?” 

“Is he going to be our new brother?”

“How long will he stay with us?”

Only Aileen remained silent. 

“Hold on, hold on!” Mr. Forrest held up his hand. “Good,” he said as quiet once more came over the group. “Now to answer your questions. We’ll have to talk with some people before Derek can come over here, but, Lord willing, it will be in a couple of weeks. I don’t know how long he will be staying with us, probably until his aunt is found.”

“But I would like you all to give him a warm welcome. It might be hard at first. You haven’t seen him in nine years, and Jack, you’ve never met him.” Mr. Forrest turned to his youngest son. “For those of you who have met him and remember him a bit, well - just know he isn’t the same anymore. For one thing, he is no longer a little boy of eight.”

Aileen’s thoughts drifted away again. Another boy? she thought to herself wildly. Even worse, Derek Miller? True, she was sorry that his parents had died - but having that troublesome boy live with her for who knew how long was simply unimaginable. And I haven’t even gotten used to my own brothers, she moaned inwardly. 

Then again, Dad had said Derek was different now. Maybe the change had been for the better. Maybe he would be much nicer than the nightmare Aileen had last encountered. Maybe - 

“There is one other thing you should know.” Her father’s voice brought her back to reality.

She turned her full attention onto him. 

“Derek Miller is blind.”

I Did It For You ~ Part 1

Hey everyone! I placed second in the Writers Unite Writing Contest; soooo excited!!!! I could attempt to write exactly how excited I am, but chances are there will be lots of caps, italics, and exclamation marks and you won't be able to make head or tail of what I'm trying to say. So I'll skip that part ;) And besides, the real purpose of this post is to share the story I wrote for the contest with you! 

I'm not sure if I should give a background sort of thing for this story. I'm going to attempt it, but be warned, it might be lengthy and boring. So, if you would rather just read the story, feel free to do so! Just skip past all this italic stuff! :D

I'm the kind of gal who gets random ideas for random stories at very random times. From past experience, I've learned to always have a notebook or some paper handy so that I can write down any ideas that I get. Not that I write ALL of them down; I'd be drowning in notebooks if I did :P Anyway, one Sunday during service, our pastor was talking about how we should count it all joy when we fall into various trials (James). For one brief moment, I got this idea about a boy and a girl (it was more specific than that, but trying not to give away any spoilers here ;)) and scribbled it down on my bulletin. Then I forgot completely about it amidst the flurry of final exams, essays, and all that end-of-school stuff. However, after all my exams had been finished, I sat down to discover that there was a ton of free time on my hands. I found the bulletin with my notes scribbled on a corner and wondered if I could turn it into something. And then it crossed my mind that Faith had mentioned a writing contest several weeks ago. I instantly hopped onto her blog and found the information on the contest. The theme for the contest was different than the one I had originally had in mind when I first got the idea, but it was easily switched. My main problem was the deadline. It was due on May 16th. And it was already the 7th. "Just write lots, and really fast," I decided. (Tiger Lily thought I was crazy, partly because it was a little late to begin, and partly because she doesn't understand why anyone would want to write anything when they don't have to :P) But I did it anyway. At day I wrote, at night I planned out the plot. My schedule (yes, I made a schedule so I wouldn't fall behind ;)) called for 1000 words every day. I hadn't written for a very long time before this, and yes, I had a lot of writer's block. There were days when I only reached 6-800, but I made up for it by writing extra the next day. And guess what? I did it! Of course, a BIG MASSIVE thank you is in order to my critiques and editors, Olivia and Tiffany for helping me at moment's notice!!! :D Seriously, they were awesome, and they really helped me with the plot and especially during the editing process! 

So yep, that's about it! I'll leave you to meet Derek and Aileen now :) 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Snow-covered trees flashed by the window. Derek leaned outside, letting the freezing wind blow into his face. 

“Derek, honey, please roll up the window. It’s getting very cold in here!” 

He pulled his head back in. “Sorry, Mom.” He readjusted himself on the hard seat. “Are we almost there? You’ve been driving on this road for an awful long time.” 

“I think so,” Mrs. Miller pushed her hair behind her ear. “I’m not too familiar with these parts. It’s been 9 years since I’ve been here. Now all this snow’s got me mixed up.” 

“Where are we going, anyway?” 

“There’s this place around here I know of, so I decided we could take a mini break from all that craziness in the city and have a nice vacation. Just the two of us.” 

“That’s great!” Derek exclaimed. “Thanks, Mom!” 

His mom smiled in answer. Silence followed for awhile. Then she said suddenly, “It’s our old home, Derek.” 

“What?” he looked up quickly. “You mean the place where - where Dad- ” he paused and swallowed hard. 

“Yes,” she said softly. “The same place.” A small tear rolled down her cheek. “It was your Dad’s favourite place, Derek. We were so happy living there. After his accident, I avoided coming here, just because of all the - the memories it brought back. But I think it’s time to face up to it now.”

“But if the memories still hurt you-” Derek started .

“I think it’s those memories that will help me,” she said, wiping away the tear. “Some of them hurt, but most of them are happy ones. I want to relive being with your dad. Just because he’s gone doesn’t mean I should try to forget him. I’ve been struggling with this for so long! But God held me up with his great mercy and love and I know that even if your dad’s not here with us on earth, I’ll still see him again. In heaven.” 

“Thanks for sharing this with me, Mom,” Derek put a hand on her shoulder. “I- ”

His sentence was cut short as he was thrown against his side. There was a pause and then his world pitched forward in a wild rush.

“Mom!”

Derek’s scream was lost amid the crash of metal against wood. Lights flashed before his eyes. Then there was silence. 

“Mom!” he cried out again. He could see her at the front, clutching the wheel. She was so still… he moved forward to see her - and felt himself falling in mid-air. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

All her life, Aileen had pursued a music career. Her dream? To write songs that people loved and to perform them. As far as she could remember, she had been singing. True, it hadn’t always been on-tune, but recently even her parents had told her that she had potential. Potential. She shivered in delight. What a nice word! Her brown, weather-beaten journal lay open on the pillow beside her. Flipping to the first page, she read the big blocky letters scrawled on the now grimy, slightly yellowed paper. It read: 

FEBRURY 12 

WHN I GRO UP I AM GOIN TO BE A CONTRY SINGR 

She smiled at the words. The dream had never died. As she lay cuddled up in her warm blankets, she let her mind wander away and began to build castles in the air. One day her big chance would come, and she would take it, and never let go! Then people would hear her songs. One day there would be a stage and she would be the one on it. She would become the country star she had always dreamed of becoming. One day - 

“Ally!” Her brother’s holler came from the kitchen. “It’s breakfast time!”

Aileen sighed and rolled over. “Okay, I’m coming,” she called back down. 

The 17 year old pulled on a plaid shirt and jeans and grabbed her brown Stetson from the hook where it had been hanging. She ran downstairs and slid into her seat just as the last family member got settled. 

“We all here?”  Mr. Forrest looked around at his family. 

“Yes sir!” the eager chorus rang out from the rest of the group. 

“Alright then, let’s pray,” Mr. Forrest bowed his head and everyone followed his lead. 

“Dear heavenly Father, we thank you for another new day. Help us to be good examples of your love. Let us be witnesses to your word. Bring safety and peace to our family as we go about our everyday habits. Thank you for this food that you have provided and my wife has prepared. Bless it to our bodies. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

Just as he finished, Mrs. Forrest gave a sudden gasp. Glancing up quickly, Aileen saw her younger brother, Jack, shove something down his overalls. He grinned guiltily. 

“Jackson Avery Forrest,” her mother’s voice sounded calm, but Aileen knew she was biting down hard on her panic. “What have I said about bringing reptiles into our house?”

“You said not to bring them in,” Jack said. “But it’s not a reptile, honest Mom!”

“Then what is it, son?” Mr. Forrest asked curiously. 

“A - a mouse.” 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

That's it for today! What do you think of it so far? I'll be spreading out the story throughout this week and next week. There IS a reason for that... but I'll explain another time ;) 

Hope you all have a fantastic week!