Lizzie

By Carol A. Bassett

Things were moving at a fast pace for Suzy, an introverted teenager who would rather curl up in her father's recliner and read a good book than hang out with a bunch of girls. 

Was running into Josh in the park just a chance meeting, or did God have His hand in it? As their affection for each other grows, she knows he is not a typical

• Language: English
• Publisher: C.A. Bassett Publishing LLC
• Release date: Feb 5, 2024
• ISBN: 9798989183715

Book preview

Foreword

When you read this, know that I’m praying for you. I’m praying you will feel what I felt as I wrote it. I don’t think I actually wrote it but was used to send message to someone. If one person finds God in it and accepts Him as their Savior, then all my time and prayers have been worth it.

The legal terms and medical procedures referred to in this story are probably not correct. The intent was to use them to show that God can and will use situations and people to prove that He is God and will answer prayers. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16.

I would also like to thank my son, Dean, daughter-in-law, Anna, as well as my wife, Judy, for their support and encouragement in finishing this.

Amen.

Copyright © 2024 by Carol A. Bassett

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. This book is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Cover drawing by Jan Parker

C.A. Bassett Publishing LLC

337 Carter Cemetery Rd

Baxley, GA 31513

Contents

Foreword

Prologue

Josh

Suzy

Josh’s Mom

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Prayer at the Church

Sleeping with Lizzie

Suzy Shares How She Got Lizzie

Mom Is Coming Home

A Brain Load

Mom and Daughter Talk

Dad and Son Talk

A Serious Talk

Three Thugs

Big Problems

Suzy Goes to the Hospital

Josh’s Appreciation for Emmitt and Jack

Josh Brought up to Date

Josh’s Visit the Night Before Surgery

Options

Josh Spends the Night at the Rimmers’

Prayer

The Night Before Surgery

The Nurse

The Operation

Moms and Dads

Suzy

Big Trouble

Plans for the Friday Night Meeting

Conversation with Bess

A Frank Discussion

Lizzie’s Park Family

Trouble at the Hardware Store

The Family Meeting Plus

Prologue

I think all concerned participants are in attendance, Your Honor, announced the court clerk.

Thank you, clerk, replied Judge Harrell. I’d like to open these proceedings by introducing myself. I’m Judge Harrell. I’d like each participant to introduce themselves with a brief description of their reason for speaking. Technical terms are not necessary unless someone asks, all right? Let’s start with the young lady requesting the adoption of the child, Baby Hobbs.

Suzy did not have to move from her seat as almost everyone was seated in a semi-circle around the judge’s desk in his chambers. Suzy’s parents were seated behind her, as were other supporting people.

Your Honor, I’m Suzan Rimmer, better known as Suzy. I’m here requesting to adopt Baby Hobbs.

The judge looked over some papers on his desk. Let’s hear a little about you.

I’m a seventeen-year-old junior in high school with a 3.96 GPA, which does not include the three AP courses I’m taking. I’m also in the school choir. I spend my extra time studying to maintain my grades, and I help my mother around the house. I’ve provided you with a list of the people I have babysat for, and you’ll see most of them are newborns to slightly older. I babysit almost every weekend for somebody.

Dr. Anderson spoke up at this point. Your Honor, may I interrupt? I’m Dr. Anderson, Suzy’s doctor. I think I can anticipate your next remark: Suzy is seventeen, and you cannot place a child in the custody of someone under eighteen. Baby Hobbs will not be ready to be released from the hospital for some time. I have been Suzy’s doctor for several years and know that she will more than likely have become eighteen by then. Perhaps we are having this meeting prematurely, but we’d like to help the biological grandparents prepare for the future as well as Suzy and her parents.

The judge chuckled. Yes, you may interrupt. Thank you for the insight. Knowing everything the State requires in an adoption, she may well be nineteen by then. Let’s proceed and see where this leads. Is there anything else you feel we need to hear, Suzy?

"Yes, sir. Dr. Anderson, Francis’s parents, my parents, and Pastor Wright can all attest to this. Francis, the baby’s mother, was told by Dr. Anderson that the pregnancy was sapping the life out of her and the baby. A decision needed to be made very soon, if they continued on like they were, Francis, as well as the baby, would probably be lost. Francis shouted, ‘I’ll not have an abortion.’

Dr. Anderson said, ‘Francis, we have gone this far without an abortion, as you wished. The baby is close to the point where we can take her in a c-section. Yes, I said her." The latest ultrasound showed the gender. I wanted to wait until you were all here to share the news. She would have to be in the neonatal unit at the state university for some time, but I think she is strong enough to survive. This would give you a chance, Francis. I’ll be honest. It’s not a very good chance, but it’s a chance.’

Francis was sobbing when Dr Anderson finished. ‘Suzy, if all does not go well, like Dr. Anderson explained, will you raise my baby girl like your own?’ Now I was sobbing. ‘Francis, you know I will.’ How could I refuse?

You could have heard a pin drop in the judge’s office. The judge cleared his throat. This is very interesting and heartwarming. He looked heavenward, probably asking God’s direction. Mr. and Mrs. Hobbs, the State will want to award the baby to you as custodians unless you have a reason you feel you can’t raise her.

Mr. Hobbs started to speak then stopped. He looked at his wife, and she smiled and nodded. "Please bear with me as I explain how my wife and I have come to this point. When we married, we had both finished college and I had received my master’s degree, so, you see, we were already older than many newlyweds at the time. We both wanted children, but God saw different. We had been married eighteen years when I came home from work one day and my smiling wife met me at the door with ‘I’m pregnant.’

"My chin must have dropped to the floor. ‘You’re kidding.’

"‘I waited until I was sure. I went to the doctor today, and he confirmed it. I’m so happy. After all these years, God finally decided to answer our prayers.’ My wife couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry. I just grabbed her and gave her the biggest hug and kiss I could.

We made plans and plans. We bought as large of a life insurance plan as we could afford on each of us so if something should happen to us, the baby would be taken care of as well as one on her so in the event we should lose her, we could afford the grandest funeral possible. When all this happened and we found out Francis was going to have a baby, we decided to sell the policies on us and put the money in a trust fund for the baby.

The judge was writing something, and when he finished, he looked up at Mr. Hobbs. Anything else?

Yes. My wife and I have spent many hours discussing what would be best for the baby. We spent many hours of Pastor Wright’s time. Not revealing the situation, he had his church praying for Francis and the baby. We understand that many grandparents raise their grandbabies. We are not that old, but could we handle having a newborn baby in our lives? Probably, but would we be able to provide her with the kind of life we would want her to have? Dr. Anderson was most helpful when we talked to him about the situation and the pros and cons of older parents. We feel God is directing us to follow Francis’s request and have Suzy raise the baby as hers. Your Honor, this is one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever made, but we both feel God’s leading that it is the right one.

Mrs. Hobbs nodded with a smile and tears running down her cheeks.

Again the judge was writing. He finally looked up at Dr. Anderson. I understand that you have said you would provide medical care for Suzy and the baby. If either needs a specialist, you’ll cover that and all hospital costs.

That’s correct, sir, replied Dr. Anderson.

This is a very unique case, but if there are no further comments, I’ll petition the State to grant permission for Suzy to adopt Baby Hobbs upon Suzy reaching the age of eighteen. Suzy, you and I, along with some folks from the State, will be having some discussions. We’ll include your family also. Now let’s go get some lunch. I’m buying.

1

Josh

Josh ran into the park as easily as a deer runs through the woods. Josh was a runner. Some people hunt or fish, others sew or perhaps read a good book to get away from the things that bothered them. Some watched TV to relax or loose themselves from the everyday pressures of the world, but Josh would just put on an old pair of shorts, a tee shirt, and his running shoes and head down the road. Unlike most runners that have a unique course they would run or a set number of miles or a predetermined amount of time to run, Josh just took off and ran wherever his heart and mind led him. It could be on the road out of town, in and around the city streets, around the track at the high school, or some path through the woods,; he would just run until there was a reason to stop. Sometimes it would be darkness or rain, or maybe he would remember something he was supposed to do. Perhaps, believe it or not, it would be so he could have time to get his homework done, but most the time, it was because he was hungry orand he knew his mom would have supper ready for him and his father.

Josh had started to run about the time he learned to walk. It was like he didn’t have enough time to get where he was going. All little boys have an imaginary horse made out of a couple sticks, but unlike most, his horse was a racehorse named Go-Go, and it loved to run. The perimeter of the house was his racetrack and round and round he would go. When he started school, he was not only the fastest in his class but could run farther and longer than anyone else. Middle school introduced him to the track team and distance running. In high school, it was the cross country team. He won races and got medals and even several offers to run for colleges, but it wasn’t the competition that drove Josh to run; it was the love of and desire for running itself.

Money wasn’t plentiful around the Wright home. Josh’s dad was the pastor of the local Baptist church, in fact the only Baptist church in town. His mother’s physical problems prevented her from holding down a job outside of the home. He knew his parents would have to scrape the money together to send him to college, so he was looking very closely at the scholarship offers he had received from three different schools. He had no idea what course of study he wanted to pursue or what he wanted to do with his life other than run. He knew that even though he was able to run competitively, he just didn’t have the drive or the competitive spirit to run for either of the large universities. A smaller school, which wouldn’t be quite as competitive, had also offered him a scholarship but was farther away from home than he wanted to go. He could always attend the local community college for the first two years, but they didn’t have a cross country team…or any sports at all for that matter.

His mother had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. It was small, and she was going through all kinds of diagnoses to determine the best course of treatment. This kept her from holding down a job, but she did try to stay as active at the church as she could.

He had run farther and pushed himself harder than usual trying to put everything out of his mind for a little while, but it just didn’t work today. It just seemed to let the different arguments flow around and around in his brain.

Still not settled on what he needed to do, he slowed down to a jog as he passed the playground area of the park. There was Suzy again, with a little baby in a stroller. She must be babysitting for someone.

Even though her family was always at church, Josh couldn’t remember having seen Suzy there since school was out for the summer. That was odd.

Suzy was as cute as a button but kinda of shy …or maybe it should be called reserved. She sang with the youth choir, and he remembered when the youth director had asked everyone to pray for her when she tried out for cheer leading. She hadn’t made the team but was okay with it. She almost seemed pleased that she hadn’t made the cheer squad.

Josh could hear her softly singing to the baby as he approached. "Should he stop and say Hello, or just jog on by as he cooled down from his run?" She looked up and smiled at Josh as he approached. What a beautiful smile…bright, straight white teeth, probably the pride of an orthodontist. The rest of her was not bad either—everything in the right place and just enough of that everything." Her light brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail with a ribbon that matched her blouse. Her cutoff jeans were longer than what most of the girls wore but were still short enough to show off her legs.

Okay, Josh. Are you going to stop or not? At least try to be nice. What should I say to her? Hey, ya know you’re hot? That would never do for a preacher’s son. Come on, Josh. You’re not the most extraverted person in the world, but you’ve never had a problem talking to a person of the opposite sex.

Still jogging, Josh finally said, Hi, Suzy. Babysitting?

No!

Oh boy! Josh kept moving. See ya was all he could come up with. What did she mean by that?

If she wasn’t babysitting, what was she