When Tomorrow Comes by Janette Oke Read Free Book Online Page A

fair. The best one can hope for is to be given a chance.”
    Christine had much to ponder. It was the first time Elizabeth had really opened her heart to Christine—not simply as her daughter but now as a friend. In the past she had always been the protector. The guardian. Now she had exposed herself as vulnerable. Needy. Human. Christine was not sure how to respond.
    She had one more question she had to ask. “Was . . . was Dad afraid?”
    “Afraid? Sensibly so. Cautious. He worried at times that something might happen to him, and I’d—we’d be stranded with no way to get out of the North. No place to go. We talked of it. He . . . he kept a little stash of money—not much, but a little. He . . . he said if ever anything happened, I was to use it to find us a small house in some safe town. He said—”
    But Christine did not wish to hear more. It was too much. All the morbid thoughts on such a brilliant day. She shivered and stopped her mother. “Look. There are tracks all across that field. Deer must have been playing tag or something.”
    Elizabeth chuckled. “We missed it,” she lamented.
    The spell was broken. Christine leaned her head back against the high seat and closed her eyes. Her emotions were still in turmoil. So much . . . so much had gone on in her family that she had been totally unaware of. So many battles fought and won—or lost. So many struggles with inner or outer conflicts. As a child she had assumed that grown-ups had everything neatly figured out. That they were in charge of their world. That there was nothing that troubled their sleep or caused them alarm. Now was she being told that there was never a place in the world free of worry or challenge? That was not what Christine was hoping to hear right now.
    Both Jon and Mary met them at the Calgary station. “I just couldn’t bear to wait at home,” Mary exclaimed as she hugged first one, then the other. “It’s been such a long time.”
    “Oh, it’s so good to see you,” responded Elizabeth, tears in her eyes. “I think of you all so often. And the children. How are the children?”
    “Well,” laughed Jonathan, “the children have children of their own now, as you know. They are quite adult. Quite, shall we say, independent—for which their mother and I are dreadfully thankful.”
    They all laughed.
    “Oh, I want to see them. Each of them,” enthused Elizabeth.
    “And you shall. They are all coming to dinner tonight. Well, all, that is, except William. He and his family haven’t been home since a year ago June. He took them all off to Winnipeg. Can’t imagine it. But William loves it. He’s an attorney, you know.”
    “Yes,” murmured Elizabeth. “And a good one, too, I’m sure.”
    “Well, let’s get you loaded up and off to our home,” said Jonathan, lifting the two heavy suitcases. “We’ve plenty of time to talk in the comfort of the living room.”
    “I think the city has grown again,” mused Elizabeth as she gazed out the car window.
    “Grown. Growing. Every time you turn around, a new building is going up.” Jonathan seemed very pleased and proud of his city.
    “It’s growing too fast, if you ask me,” cut in Mary. “We can’t keep up with things.”
    “We’ll catch up,” Jonathan replied comfortably.
    Christine could not help but compare Calgary to the Edmonton she knew. It was true that Calgary was growing quickly. She noted several new buildings since the time she had spent with her uncle Jon and aunt Mary while taking her secretarial course. But if she had to choose in which of the two cities she would make her home, she was not sure which one it would be. They were very different—in both appearance and feel.
    “You’ve changed the color of your house,” Elizabeth exclaimed as they pulled up into the driveway.
    “It was time for a change. It had the same blue-green trim for over thirty years.”
    “I liked it,” said Elizabeth and quickly caught herself. “This looks nice too. Such