Chapter Seven!

Eric, Annie and their kids woke up early the next morning. They knew they had a lot to do to prepare for Ronnie's arrival. Annie and Eric were pleased to know Matt's bedroom was all ready for a teenage girl, but there were still additions that needed to be put in her room, like new bed sheets. Annie reasoned that a 15-year-old girl may not appreciate baseball bed sheets. So as Eric and the boys stayed home, Annie took Mary, Lucy and Ruthie along for some shopping. Annie dropped the older girls off at the clothing store to buy some new clothes for Ronnie as she and Ruthie went to buy bed sheets. They picked out a beautiful lavender set of daisy bed sheets, which Annie thought were perfect. Annie took Ruthie to one more store to pick up one last thing before she picked up her oldest girls. When she came back to the clothing store, she laughed when she saw Mary and Lucy struggle with all the bags. She opened the door to the minivan for them as they dropped everything in with a sigh.

"Did you max dad's credit card?" Annie asked, eyeing the girls. They shook their heads as they buckled themselves in.

"No, we stayed within the limit he gave us. There was just a really big sale." Mary explained as she looked over to Lucy, who nodded her head.

"Yeah, you can even see the receipt if you don't believe us." She added.

"I believe you. Besides, it's for someone special. I'm not worried about the money." Annie said with a wink. She drove off with the girls.

When they arrived home, the boys were watching TV together. Lucy and Mary ran upstairs immediately with all the bags, ready to load all the new clothes in Ronnie's closet in her new bedroom. Annie smiled at the boys.

"Did you have a good morning?" She asked. Eric looked up while Simon, Sam and David continued watching TV.

"It was pretty relaxing, although I'm not sure yours was." Eric replied with a smile.

"It was busy, but fun. Did you find out what time Ronnie is being released from the hospital?" Annie asked. Eric nodded.

"Yeah, 4:00p.m. We can go pick her up then. I'd say let's go visit, but Jenny called me. She said she wants to visit her today, so I think Jenny's just going to stay with her until we show up." Eric explained. Annie nodded.

"That's good. It'll give me time to clean up a little and wash Ronnie's new bed sheets. Oh Eric, I'm so excited." She said with a smile.

"I know you are. You're such a loving person Annie. Ronnie is lucky to have you care about her so much." Eric replied.

"She's lucky to have us both Eric. You care about her just as much as I do." She said with a wink. He smiled.

"Alright. Well, do you need some help cleaning?" He asked.

"Sure. Maybe you can start in the kitchen. I'll go throw Ronnie's sheets in the washer. Mary and Luce are loading Ronnie's closet with new clothes, and then I'll start with the living room." Annie smiled and left the room.


Upstairs, Mary and Lucy were pulling tags off of all the new clothes, while sitting on Ronnie's new bed.

"So what do you think she'll be like?" Lucy asked. Mary shrugged.

"I don't know. But I think it will take some time for her to feel right. I mean, I can't even begin to imagine what it's like for her. Growing up with parents like that and then suddenly, they try to kill you." Mary shuddered at the thought and Lucy nodded.

"It really makes you feel blessed to have such a loving family, even though we don't always think that way, but really, we're very lucky." Lucy said.

"Yeah we are. But now Ronnie will get what we have. I just hope the adoption goes through. I would hate for her to stay here, start to feel comfortable and then be taken away." Mary replied.

"That's not going to happen. I know mom and dad wouldn't let it happen. The adoption will go through, it has to." Lucy said as she hung a pink T-shirt up in the closet.

"I trust mom and dad will do their very best to make sure Ronnie doesn't get taken away, not after everything she's already been through. I just really hope we can help her. It'll be so great to have another little sister." Mary replied.

"Yeah another little sister to annoy." Lucy said with a giggle as she threw a pair of jeans at her sister. Mary laughed.

"Hey no clothes fights." She smiled. Lucy giggled, and then sighed.

"We're sitting here having fun and really excited about her arrival. What do you think she's feeling? Do you think she's scared?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure she is. I mean, her whole life turned upside down in a week. She should have been out of that house ages ago, and now her dad shot her. And in just a week, she learned her parents are wanted criminals and she's coming to live with a strange family she doesn't even know." Mary explained as she looked out the window. "I think she must be terrified."


Ronnie leaned against her headboard in her hospital bed, reading from the Bible Annie had left for her. Ronnie was so intrigued. She had never heard from the Bible before, except for when Jenny quoted Scripture, but now she was reading from God's word on her own. She found it comforting, and especially distracting, considering how nervous she was. She kept glancing at the clock on the wall, knowing that the Camdens were coming around 4:00p.m. The nurse had told her this when she brought Ronnie some breakfast. It was only 1:00p.m., but Ronnie couldn't help glancing at the clock constantly. She jumped when she heard a knock on her door and for a split second, she feared it was the Camdens, coming to get her early, but she looked up and saw Jenny enter the room, carrying a bouquet of yellow roses. Ronnie smiled widely, as Jenny came in and gave Ronnie a big hug.

"Oh Ronnie I'm so happy to see you." Jenny said as she placed the roses on the side table. Ronnie looked at the flowers and smiled.

"You didn't have to bring me flowers." She said quietly. Jenny shrugged.

"I thought you might like them. It might brighten up the room a little bit." She replied. Ronnie sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, I know. It's a little boring here." She said.

"Well, at least you're going home today." Jenny replied. Ronnie's smile faded slowly and she looked down at her folded hands.

"No I'm not." She said quietly. "Haven't you heard what's happening?"

"Yes honey, I have heard. I think it's really great the Camdens are taking you in like this. I think it will be good for you, to be around people who really care about you. They're really great people Ronnie; I'm sure I've told you that time and time again. They won't hurt you like your parents did." Jenny said carefully, not quite knowing how Ronnie would react. Ronnie only shrugged, hesitating for what she was about to say.

"Jenny, I don't really know how I'm feeling about this whole thing. I should be really glad I don't have to go back to my parents, but I feel guilty. I don't really know why, but I feel guilty that they're being chased by the cops because they tried to kill me." She admitted. Jenny took the young girl's hands in her own and squeezed them.

"You have no reason to feel guilty for what they're dealing with Ron. They made a really bad mistake, and it almost cost you your life, which is precious in God's eyes. But God made sure you survived it and He placed amazing people in your life to take care of you when nobody else could. I know it's gotta be hard for you, to go from one place to another, but the Camdens won't let anything happen to you. Your mom and dad can't hurt you anymore. Oh Ronnie, I just wish you would have told me what was going on over there. We could have gotten you out of there so much sooner." Jenny said. Ronnie sighed.

"I couldn't tell you Jenny. My parents would have killed me." She paused at her last words, realizing what she had just said, and then looked down, ashamed.

"But they tried to anyway." Jenny said in a low whisper. Ronnie only nodded, tears now streaming down her face now. Jenny came closer and embraced her young friend, who cried into her shoulder.

"Oh Ronnie, it will be okay. Eric and Annie will take care of you, and your mom and dad will never hurt you again. You can trust the Camdens, sweetie. They really want to help you. Just let them." Jenny whispered as the young girl cried in her arms.