Her Daughter’s Dream

* * *

As the train flew down the tracks toward Landstuhl, Carolyn felt Faith pressed close beside her, Puppy Brown still tucked under her arm. He’d fallen from Faith’s seat while she slept on the plane. They’d been so busy gathering their things, they had forgotten him. Fortunately, one of the flight attendants spotted the well-worn, well-loved stuffed animal tangled in the blue blanket and caught up with them in the Jetway. Faith had held him at arm’s length and told him not to get lost again.

Carolyn kissed Faith on the top of her head. “Your great-great-grandfather came from this country, Faith. He grew up somewhere near Hamburg.” Carolyn imagined Oma making her way through Europe to England and eventually boarding a ship to cross the Atlantic, then marrying a German boarder who rented a room in her house. Under other circumstances, they could have been on a heritage trip with Mom and May Flower Dawn.

She and Mitch had talked about Mom’s coming, but she refused. “No, no. You need to get to Jason as soon as you can, and I’d hold you back. If I were younger, maybe, but not now. I’m not up to it.”

In truth, Carolyn had been relieved. Even with a wheelchair, the trip would have been too grueling for Mom, who had just turned ninety-three. She had a hard enough time getting from her rooms to the dining room table these days. Carolyn and Faith often served tea in Granny’s “parlor” rather than have Granny make the long walk to the kitchen.

Carolyn dreaded the time when she wouldn’t have Mom with her. The last six years had been precious, a time of finally getting to know each other. God had given them back the years the locusts had eaten, just as Dawn had prayed He would.

When they reached the Schloss Hotel, they checked in, went upstairs, dumped their luggage, and then took a cab to the hospital. Georgia had to provide Jason’s full name, serial number, and doctor’s name at the reception desk. The nurse gave them directions to intensive care. Only one person could go into the room at a time.

Carolyn sat in the waiting room with Faith. “Am I going to see Daddy, Grammy?”

“I hope so, sweetheart. That’s why we’ve come so far.”

When Georgia came out, Carolyn knew things weren’t good. Her smile wobbled as she took Faith on her lap and said Daddy was sleeping and it might be a while before he’d wake up.

Carolyn went in next. Jason looked like death, with tubes and IVs and everywhere machines beeping and blinking, his head swathed in white. His left leg had been amputated above the knee, his right set in a cast. His left arm was bandaged from wrist to shoulder. Carolyn took Jason’s right hand and leaned down. “It’s Carolyn, Jason. Faith is here with us. Everyone sends their love. They’re all praying. You hold on, soldier. You come back to us.” She kissed his brow. “You have Faith, Jason. She needs her daddy.”

When Carolyn came out, Georgia stood, holding Faith’s hand. The nurse had said she could stay as long as she wanted, and it would be good if she talked to her son. She leaned down and kissed Faith. “Don’t wait around here, Carolyn. She needs to go to bed. I’ll be fine.”

After dinner in the hospital cafeteria and looking in on Jason once more, Carolyn took Faith back to the hotel. She tucked her granddaughter into bed and read Horton Hears a Who! again.

“Grammy? Is Daddy going to die?”

Carolyn didn’t want to lie. “I don’t know, sweetheart.”

“Does he still want to be with Mommy?”

Children never missed anything. “Mommy would want him to stay here until you’re all grown-up.” She held her granddaughter close, and they prayed Daddy would wake up soon and get better.

Georgia didn’t come back to the hotel that night.

Getting ready the next morning, Carolyn found the bundle of letters from Oma’s friend Rosie Brechtwald tucked under her clothes.

When Carolyn and Faith arrived at the hospital, Georgia was just coming out of Jason’s room in intensive care. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

* * *

“He’s going to be okay!” Carolyn cried as she shared the news with Mitch and her mother. Mom leaned down behind Mitch and asked for medical details. “He came out of the coma last night. They’re moving him into another room tomorrow morning. That’s all I know.”

“How’s Georgia holding up?”

“She’s exhausted, but a lot better than she was.” Carolyn ran her hand over her granddaughter’s head. Faith grinned around her straw and then went back to drinking her milk. People milled around the hospital cafeteria. “Faith got to see Jason this morning. He’s pretty weak right now, but he smiled.” She winked at Faith. “A big smile when he saw his little girl.”

Mitch asked questions, and Carolyn told him as much as she knew. “He’ll be sent back to the States for rehabilitation. Texas, I think.” Carolyn spotted Georgia entering the cafeteria and waved her over. “Georgia just came in. She’s smiling. There must be more good news.”

Georgia leaned in to say hi to Mitch and Hildie, then asked Faith if she wanted to talk with Daddy. He was asking for her. Georgia took Faith by the hand, and Carolyn said she’d follow in a minute.

“Mitch, I’ve been thinking about going to Switzerland in a few days, as soon as we know everything is fine with Jason. I’d like to see Oma’s hometown. Would that be all right with you?”

Mitch nodded. “Mom told me about the letters. Maybe you can even find someone from your grandmother’s friend’s family to give them to.”

“I don’t know if Hotel Edelweiss is still there, but I’ll see what I can find. Georgia will keep Faith here. We bought a few games and crayons and a coloring book to keep her occupied. She’s been good as gold. Jason told her she’s going to grow up to be as beautiful as her mommy. He’s been carrying a picture of May Flower Dawn he took when they were first married and living in San Luis Obispo. Faith thought she was an angel with a halo of light. Jason told Faith her mommy always read her Bible in the morning as the sun was coming up. I told Jason I want a copy of that picture. It would make a wonderful portrait.”

Mom leaned closer so Carolyn could see her on the screen. “Take lots of pictures, honey. I’d love to see where Oma grew up.”

* * *

Carolyn searched the Internet and booked one night at the Hotel Schweizerhof in Zurich. The grand old hotel was expensive, but it was right across the street from the train station. Now that her plans were falling into place, she felt like a child facing the first day of school. She laughed silently at herself. Oma had gone around the world by the age of twenty-three! It seemed ludicrous to hesitate in the face of any challenge with Oma’s blood running through her veins. “You have to take life by the horns,” Oma said once.

Oma had certainly done that. Oma had told her about the fake Count and Countess Saintonge who ran the housekeeping school in Bern, about Herr Derry Weib and Chef Warner Brennholtz at the Hotel Germania in Interlaken. She had talked about Lady Daisy Stockhard and her spinster daughter, Miss Millicent, always on the hunt for a suitable husband. It had surprised Carolyn to find out Mom hadn’t heard any of those stories.

She got up early, packed, and kissed Faith on the forehead. Georgia walked her to the door. “I don’t know how to thank you and Mitch for flying me over here, Carolyn.”

Carolyn hugged her. “Jason’s our son, too. I’ll call tonight so you can tell me how our boy is doing.”

She caught the early train to Zurich. The scenery was glorious, the passengers friendly. Hotel Schweizerhof couldn’t have been more convenient. She checked in and asked where she might do some shopping. Her winter coat kept her warm in Sonoma County, California, but she knew after walking from the train station that it wouldn’t suffice in the Alpine country of Switzerland. And she’d need boots instead of walking shoes.

She hunted from store to store until she found a coat and boots at reasonable prices. After a late lunch in Old Town, she headed back toward Hotel Schweizerhof. She spotted the ornately beautiful