Never Grow Up

got a drink, too.
“Okay… let’s walk a bit till we catch our breath.” Dad looked at Mom and the kids. “Then we can run again at the end.”
Walking will be good, Kari thought. Her feet hurt and she was sweaty. But she didn’t complain. At least she wasn’t like Alex, in the hospital fighting a sickness.
When the finish line was a block ahead, Luke and Dad and Bo began to run. Fast. Brooke and Erin kept at a walking pace, and Kari and Ashley and Mom jogged.
Ashley clapped her hands. “We can do this!” An older couple ran past them, and Ashley called out. “Keep up the good work!”
They smiled back at Ashley and waved.
One by one, the Baxters crossed the finish line. They each got another cup of water and then they headed back to the van. On the way, Mom bought a bag of apples from one of the vendors.
Halfway home, with Bo asleep on the seat beside her, Kari stared out the window. She couldn’t stop thinking about Alex in the hospital. “Mom?” Kari turned to her mother. “Why do some people get sick?”
“Well…” Mom thought for a long time. Like she was trying to make sense of that question herself. “Sometimes sad things happen. It’s not heaven… so people get sick or hurt.”
Brooke and Ashley and Erin and Luke were listening, too. Like maybe all of them also wondered why Alex was sick.
Dad looked in the rearview mirror at all of them. “I think God is just as sad as we are when bad things happen.”
Kari liked the idea of that. She pictured God standing with people in their sadness and sick times. She looked at Mom again. “Because He loves us, right?”
“He does.” Mom took their dad’s hand. “So very much.”
Kari gazed out the window again. The sky had turned gray, and rain clouds were moving closer. That meant somewhere, God was sad today, too. Sad for kids like Alex and all the broken arms and broken hearts. In that moment, Kari felt like she understood more of who God was.
And that made her smile.
They dropped Bo off at home and drove to the hospital. Alex’s dad met them in the lobby. “Alex needs to rest soon. But he doesn’t have brothers and sisters. So he’d love to meet you all.”
The man led the way up the elevator and down a hall to Alex’s room. It was full of balloons and get-well-soon cards.
Alex sat up and smiled. Three thin tubes were attached to his arms, and his bed was surrounded by beeping machines. His head looked bald but it was hard to tell because he wore a baseball cap.
“Hi, Dr. Baxter!” Alex didn’t sound sick. His eyes lit up as he looked at Kari’s dad. “You brought your family!” He waved at Luke. “Hey… I remember you!”
“I’m Luke.” He took a step closer. “We played kickball together.”
“Before I got sick.” Alex grinned even bigger. “Don’t worry. I’m getting better. I’ll be on your team when I get back to school.”
“Okay.” Luke took hold of the railing that ran along Alex’s bed. “I’ll save you a spot.”
“Wow, Luke.” Alex looked at Kari and her sisters. “You’re the only boy!”
“It’s not that bad.” Luke smiled back at the girls. “Sisters are a lot of fun, actually.”
Luke showed Alex his basketball cards, and the boys spread them across Alex’s hospital blanket.
“Alex.” Ashley stepped up. “You should know I’m the original Wendy. From Peter Pan.”
Alex looked surprised. “Really?”
Dad gave Ashley a look. “Well, not—”
“Father.” Ashley’s eyes grew shocked. “You cannot deny the fact. Mr. Garrett named me Wendy. And I’m very original.” She turned to Alex again. “So I’m the original Wendy.”
“That’s cool.” Alex laughed. “I always wanted to meet Wendy.”
“And now you have.” Ashley bowed. “Alex, why was the broom late?”
“Why?” Alex hesitated. Like he wasn’t sure where this was going. Ashley had that effect on people.
“Because…” Ashley held out both arms. “The broom overswept!” She glanced around. “Get it, people? It overswept! Instead of overslept.”
Everyone laughed. They were all relaxed, like they could have been at home in the living room.
“Okay! That’s enough.” Dad raised his eyebrows at Ashley. “Alex needs his rest.”
“But, Dad, I didn’t get to the—”
“That’s all, Ashley.” He chuckled and put his hand on Alex’s shoulder. “How are you feeling, Alex?”
“Better now.” He grinned at their dad and then Mom and the rest of the family. “Thanks for coming here.”
“We’ll be back!” Ashley gave Alex a high five.
Brooke and Erin told Alex they’d be praying for him. If Kari was going to say something to Alex, this was her moment. She moved in by his bed, right next to Luke. “Hey, Alex, did you know there’s a meteor shower coming to Bloomington in two weeks? It’s like a shower of shooting stars.”
“My dad and I talked about meteor showers last year!” Alex sat a little taller in his bed. “I’ve always wanted to see one.”
“Me, too.” Kari liked Alex. He reminded her of Luke. “I learned about it in class. We’re gonna watch it at our house. You should come.” By then, Alex would probably feel better. He could come to the house and play basketball with Luke and help Mom bake. And then he could hang out with the family and watch the sky show. Since he didn’t have brothers and sisters.
Kari thought it was the perfect plan.
“I’ll ask my parents!” Alex blinked a few times. “It sounds fun!” He yawned and leaned back in his bed.
Dad patted Alex’s foot. “We’ll let you sleep, buddy. See you soon.”
They all said their goodbyes and on the way back to the lobby, Alex’s dad thanked them. “That was so good for him.” He looked at Mom and Dad. “Keep praying.”
“We won’t stop.” Dad shook the man’s hand.
Later that night, as Mom and Dad made dinner, Kari sat on the couch with her journal. She had some thoughts about today, thoughts she didn’t want to forget.
Today we had fun at the 5K. We raised money