Jim and Sarah laid in bed that night and talked about the day, about Carissa’s doctor appointment and the news it brought.
“Jim, what are we going to do?” Sarah cried and spoke softly. “I wish I would have been at that appointment with her. She must have been so scared. I should have been there. Why didn’t I insist on going? She tries to be so independent, and I try to let her, but she’s still my little girl. She still needs me!”
Jim patted her hand. “Sarah, Carissa wouldn’t have let you go to that appointment if you had tied yourself to her car. You know that. That child of ours is stubborn and independent because we made her that way. We had to! She will never survive without that stubborn grit, and you put it in her. Don’t take it away now. She needs it. And she’ll be fine if she needs surgery again. She’s always fine. She’s our girl. She doesn’t know how to be any other way.”
Sarah didn’t know what she would do without Jim. He had been her rock ever since the day they learned about Carissa’s diagnosis. He hadn’t cried when he heard their baby girl might not make it. As soon as she could get out of bed, he had immediately taken Sarah down to the chapel and prayed and prayed. He took everything to God. That was probably why they had made it through everything so far. She loved him for it. She never had to worry long, knowing that her husband took everything to the Almighty.
“Okay,” she whispered against his ear. “You’re right. Let’s get some sleep.” Sarah fluffed her pillow and leaned into Jim’s arm. He wrapped it around her and pulled her closer into his chest.
They kissed goodnight and, comforted, she fell fast asleep.