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Back A Flicker of Light
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Half Title Page
  3. Books by Katie Powner
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright Page
  6. Dedication
  7. ONE
  8. TWO
  9. THREE
  10. FOUR
  11. FIVE
  12. SIX
  13. SEVEN
  14. EIGHT
  15. NINE
  16. TEN
  17. ELEVEN
  18. TWELVE
  19. THIRTEEN
  20. FOURTEEN
  21. FIFTEEN
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. TWENTY
  27. TWENTY-ONE
  28. TWENTY-TWO
  29. TWENTY-THREE
  30. TWENTY-FOUR
  31. TWENTY-FIVE
  32. TWENTY-SIX
  33. TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. TWENTY-NINE
  36. THIRTY
  37. THIRTY-ONE
  38. THIRTY-TWO
  39. THIRTY-THREE
  40. THIRTY-FOUR
  41. THIRTY-FIVE
  42. THIRTY-SIX
  43. THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. THIRTY-EIGHT
  45. THIRTY-NINE
  46. FORTY
  47. FORTY-ONE
  48. FORTY-TWO
  49. FORTY-THREE
  50. FORTY-FOUR
  51. FORTY-FIVE
  52. FORTY-SIX
  53. FORTY-SEVEN
  54. FORTY-EIGHT
  55. FORTY-NINE
  56. FIFTY
  57. FIFTY-ONE
  58. FIFTY-TWO
  59. Acknowledgments
  60. About the Author
  61. Back Ads
  62. Back Cover

Bea nudged her dad toward the door. “We’ll let you get some rest now, Grandma.”

Still no answer. Bea, Jeremy, and Dad moved to leave the kitchen. After a moment of hesitation, Ken reluctantly turned to follow.

“Wait.” Grandma’s head shot up. “Marshall.”

Ken jerked to a stop. “Yes?”

She pulled her hand from her pocket and opened it. On her palm rested an old worn penny. “I want you to have this.”

He gingerly took the offered gift and examined it closely. “Does that say 1976?”

She nodded. “I picked it up from the floor of Mercy Hospital as I was leaving. ’Course, it was brand-new then.”

Ken’s voice was thick with emotion. “You’ve kept it all this time?”

“I’ve never been without it. I’ve held it ten thousand times, praying that someday God would let me know that you were okay. But I don’t need it anymore.”

His fingers closed around the penny.

She smiled. “Now you’re here.”

FORTY-FIVE

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When Bea opened her eyes Sunday morning, she was back in high school for a split second. In her old bedroom, under the comforter she’d had since she was thirteen. She had no responsibilities. Dad was cooking sausage links for breakfast. Mom was alive and well.

She sat up with a groan. This wasn’t her comforter. It was Mom and Dad’s quilt.

Reality made its presence felt. As she scrambled down the hall to the bathroom, clutching her stomach, she thought about Grandma June. What was it like for her to wake up some days in a different life? A different time? Thinking it was the past. Thinking things were one way when they weren’t.

Her own brief fantasy had been right about one thing. The sausage. She dry-heaved as the smell of it wafted into the bathroom.

Jeremy tapped lightly on the door. “You need anything?”

She sank to the floor and leaned back against the tub, crossing her arms over her tender breasts. “Just give me a minute.”

“I’m going to get dressed.”

“Okay.”

Perspiration covered her forehead and the back of her neck. Gross. Wasn’t the whole morning sickness thing supposed to be over by now?

Her hands found their way to her stomach as they seemed to do often and rested lightly on her lower abdomen, which was tight and ever so slightly swollen. She’d need to go shopping for maternity clothes soon. Mom would’ve loved that.

She let her head rest against the tub and took a couple deep breaths, concentrating to block out the smell of sausage. Mom would’ve been ecstatic to find out about Ken. Uncle Ken. She’d loved everything to do with family. She probably would’ve asked Ken to send her some of his photos and already printed them out and hung them on the fridge.