Chapter Twenty-Five- Welcome Home With Open Hearts
After Jennifer had accepted the Camden's offer, everything seemed to fall into place. Eric and Annie began the endless stack of paperwork that would need to be done to keep Jen with them. Lucy and Ruthie both rearranged the attic to accommodate another bed and made enough room in the closet for Jen's things. Sgt. Michaels had brought all of Jen's possessions to the Camden home, and the two bags were sitting on her new bed, untouched.
Jennifer continued to improve in the hospital. At first she couldn't use crutches at all because it hurt her ribs. The full leg cast was heavy so she used a wheelchair to get around. Her face healed and her spirit did as well. Simon, Lucy and the rest of the Camden's made frequent visits and encouraged her to get better soon. One of the visits from Lucy and Mrs. Camden was very touching to both Lucy and Jennifer.
Lucy had told Jennifer about Mary and why she had been sent to Buffalo, but Lucy didn't know that Mary knew about Jennifer. Annie had told Mary about Jennifer without making a big deal of it, and Mary had been relieved to receive her mother's phone call that the girl had been found. Annie was worried her oldest daughter would be upset when she found out that Jennifer was going to become her foster sister, but again Mary surprised her mother. She was happy for Jennifer and immediately wanted to talk to the girl. Annie had let the surprise of Jen's new home die down a little before she decided to let the two girls talk.
Annie waited until Lucy and Jen were in a deep conversation before she dialed Mary's number. She said hello and then handed the phone to a puzzled Jen.
"Hello Jen, its Mary. I just wanted to welcome you to my family."
"Wow, that's really nice of you Mary." Jen said in total shock. The mention of Mary's name made Lucy's jaw drop too.
"I can't wait to meet you, although it may be later this summer. Until then I hope we can get to know each other some over the phone."
"Sure, I would like that. Luce has told me great things about you." She said, looking over at Lucy and smiling.
"And probably some not so great things. But I'm sure it's all been the truth. I should let you go, but could you promise me something before I do?"
"Sure, anything."
"Look after Lucy for me, I know I hurt her a lot and I'm going to make it up to her someday." Jen could hear Mary's voice quiver just a little.
"Consider it done. Goodbye Mary." Jen hung up the phone and looked at Annie.
"Thank you so much. It means a lot to know that Mary doesn't think I'm trying to take her place in your family." Jen said, her eyes meeting Annie's.
"It's your family now too." Lucy added.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Only three and a half weeks after she was admitted, Jennifer Baker was going home. She had decided to keep her last name for two reasons. The first reason was so that people would not mistake her and Simon for brother and sister, and the second was to honor her father. He had been the one biological family member that had ever cared for her, and she missed him in her life deeply.
The whole Camden family, including the twins, came to the hospital to see her home. She was a lot better at using the crutches now, but her doctor insisted that she use her wheelchair during this last week of school she had left to attend. Despite all of the classes she missed the school had decided to let her pass the grade. Jen was very glad that she did not have to take biology over again! But above all, Jen was glad to be going home.
The two-car caravan made one stop before heading to home. At Jen's request they had drove a few miles out of the way to a quiet little cemetery outside Talbrook. Eric helped Jen out of the van and the whole family followed them to a grave that read
Daniel Baker
A beloved father and friend.
I love you Daddy-Jennifer
Jen placed the flowers Annie had bought for her on her father's grave. She fought back her own tears, although she saw them rolling down the others cheeks.
"I just wanted you to know Dad; I'm going to be just fine. The Camdens are good people and they will take care of me. But I'm sure you've already seen proof of that. I love you." Jen's voice was strong as she spoke. Simon's thoughts wondered as he heard Jen speak those last words. I wish that man were here now, he thought, so I could thank him for bringing an angel into this world for me.
Jen turned to her new family, smiling as they wiped their tears. "We can go now, that's all I wanted to do."
"I want you to know that I'll never try to take the place of your father, but I hope that I can be a good substitute in his absence." Eric said as he pushed her wheelchair to the van.
"You already are." Jennifer said, and she hugged him quickly to hide his tears that threatened to fall.
On the ride home Reverend Camden could tell that his children were truly grateful to have been born into a family that loved them. The calm silence that surrounded them was enough to make him smile. He was happy that things had worked out for Jennifer and for his family. He didn't know if he would have been able to stand separating Jen from them all. Eric was just glad he would never have to.
They pulled up to the house and got out, but just before they reached the door Jennifer stopped them.
"Hand me my crutches. I would really like to walk in." She said, a slow steady smile spreading across her face. Robbie handed them to her and she got up and walked through the front door. The whole family went into the living room to sit down for awhile before dinner, savoring the precious moments than almost all of them could spend time together.
"So, how does it feel?" Ruthie asked, looking at her foster sister.
"Like home. Forever." Jen said, and everyone knew that's exactly what it would be.
The End
************************************************************************* It's done!!! *sniff sniff*. I really hope that my first ever fan fiction met the expectations of my readers (and that it wasn't too cheesy in the end!) I want to thank the academy... no wait wrong thing!!! I really want to thank my friends Alyssa, Megan and Stephanie for reading this, I know it was long and tiresome!!! I also want to thank my loyal reviewers for having faith in me. This one is for all of you!!! P.S.- Would you be mad if I didn't write a sequel??? LOL
After Jennifer had accepted the Camden's offer, everything seemed to fall into place. Eric and Annie began the endless stack of paperwork that would need to be done to keep Jen with them. Lucy and Ruthie both rearranged the attic to accommodate another bed and made enough room in the closet for Jen's things. Sgt. Michaels had brought all of Jen's possessions to the Camden home, and the two bags were sitting on her new bed, untouched.
Jennifer continued to improve in the hospital. At first she couldn't use crutches at all because it hurt her ribs. The full leg cast was heavy so she used a wheelchair to get around. Her face healed and her spirit did as well. Simon, Lucy and the rest of the Camden's made frequent visits and encouraged her to get better soon. One of the visits from Lucy and Mrs. Camden was very touching to both Lucy and Jennifer.
Lucy had told Jennifer about Mary and why she had been sent to Buffalo, but Lucy didn't know that Mary knew about Jennifer. Annie had told Mary about Jennifer without making a big deal of it, and Mary had been relieved to receive her mother's phone call that the girl had been found. Annie was worried her oldest daughter would be upset when she found out that Jennifer was going to become her foster sister, but again Mary surprised her mother. She was happy for Jennifer and immediately wanted to talk to the girl. Annie had let the surprise of Jen's new home die down a little before she decided to let the two girls talk.
Annie waited until Lucy and Jen were in a deep conversation before she dialed Mary's number. She said hello and then handed the phone to a puzzled Jen.
"Hello Jen, its Mary. I just wanted to welcome you to my family."
"Wow, that's really nice of you Mary." Jen said in total shock. The mention of Mary's name made Lucy's jaw drop too.
"I can't wait to meet you, although it may be later this summer. Until then I hope we can get to know each other some over the phone."
"Sure, I would like that. Luce has told me great things about you." She said, looking over at Lucy and smiling.
"And probably some not so great things. But I'm sure it's all been the truth. I should let you go, but could you promise me something before I do?"
"Sure, anything."
"Look after Lucy for me, I know I hurt her a lot and I'm going to make it up to her someday." Jen could hear Mary's voice quiver just a little.
"Consider it done. Goodbye Mary." Jen hung up the phone and looked at Annie.
"Thank you so much. It means a lot to know that Mary doesn't think I'm trying to take her place in your family." Jen said, her eyes meeting Annie's.
"It's your family now too." Lucy added.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Only three and a half weeks after she was admitted, Jennifer Baker was going home. She had decided to keep her last name for two reasons. The first reason was so that people would not mistake her and Simon for brother and sister, and the second was to honor her father. He had been the one biological family member that had ever cared for her, and she missed him in her life deeply.
The whole Camden family, including the twins, came to the hospital to see her home. She was a lot better at using the crutches now, but her doctor insisted that she use her wheelchair during this last week of school she had left to attend. Despite all of the classes she missed the school had decided to let her pass the grade. Jen was very glad that she did not have to take biology over again! But above all, Jen was glad to be going home.
The two-car caravan made one stop before heading to home. At Jen's request they had drove a few miles out of the way to a quiet little cemetery outside Talbrook. Eric helped Jen out of the van and the whole family followed them to a grave that read
Daniel Baker
A beloved father and friend.
I love you Daddy-Jennifer
Jen placed the flowers Annie had bought for her on her father's grave. She fought back her own tears, although she saw them rolling down the others cheeks.
"I just wanted you to know Dad; I'm going to be just fine. The Camdens are good people and they will take care of me. But I'm sure you've already seen proof of that. I love you." Jen's voice was strong as she spoke. Simon's thoughts wondered as he heard Jen speak those last words. I wish that man were here now, he thought, so I could thank him for bringing an angel into this world for me.
Jen turned to her new family, smiling as they wiped their tears. "We can go now, that's all I wanted to do."
"I want you to know that I'll never try to take the place of your father, but I hope that I can be a good substitute in his absence." Eric said as he pushed her wheelchair to the van.
"You already are." Jennifer said, and she hugged him quickly to hide his tears that threatened to fall.
On the ride home Reverend Camden could tell that his children were truly grateful to have been born into a family that loved them. The calm silence that surrounded them was enough to make him smile. He was happy that things had worked out for Jennifer and for his family. He didn't know if he would have been able to stand separating Jen from them all. Eric was just glad he would never have to.
They pulled up to the house and got out, but just before they reached the door Jennifer stopped them.
"Hand me my crutches. I would really like to walk in." She said, a slow steady smile spreading across her face. Robbie handed them to her and she got up and walked through the front door. The whole family went into the living room to sit down for awhile before dinner, savoring the precious moments than almost all of them could spend time together.
"So, how does it feel?" Ruthie asked, looking at her foster sister.
"Like home. Forever." Jen said, and everyone knew that's exactly what it would be.
The End
************************************************************************* It's done!!! *sniff sniff*. I really hope that my first ever fan fiction met the expectations of my readers (and that it wasn't too cheesy in the end!) I want to thank the academy... no wait wrong thing!!! I really want to thank my friends Alyssa, Megan and Stephanie for reading this, I know it was long and tiresome!!! I also want to thank my loyal reviewers for having faith in me. This one is for all of you!!! P.S.- Would you be mad if I didn't write a sequel??? LOL
