“Well…” Kari bit the tip of the pen. “Is it possible? We just… decide?”
“I don’t know for sure.” Ashley pointed to the pledge. “But I feel really good about it.” She looked at Kari. “We have to try.”
Kari nodded. “You’re right.” She signed her name. “I can do that. I promise to never grow up.”
“Good.” Ashley took the pen and held it out to Brooke. “What about you, Miss Med School?” Ashley figured Brooke would be the hardest to convince. She had basically planned out her entire life.
Brooke looked around the circle. “I love you all and I’d do anything for you.” She looked at Ashley. “Sure, I have goals and dreams. But you matter more.” She took the pen. “I’m in.” She signed the pledge.
“Wow…” Ashley couldn’t believe it. Everyone had signed the contract. “We did it.”
Brooke handed the contract back to Ashley and she studied it. Then she looked at her sketch of Captain Hook’s ship, headed for Neverland. Ashley hopped off the rock, walked over to one of the trees. She pulled a stapler from her jeans pocket and stapled the contract to the trunk.
The perfect end to a perfect ceremony.
“Kids! Dinner is ready!” Mom’s voice carried through the trees.
Luke jumped down from the rock and took off. “Spaghetti!” Kari and Erin followed.
Only Brooke and Ashley stayed behind. Brooke took Ashley’s hand. “The pledge is perfect, Ashley. I needed to be reminded… to slow down.”
“We all do.” Ashley put her head on Brooke’s shoulder. “Now come on, Brooke… let’s go get some pie.”
They walked back to the house, giggling. And Ashley felt like she could live in this weekend forever. And thanks to the contract… she could. They all could. They would do what everyone thought was impossible. Everyone except one boy named Peter.
They would never grow up.
21
Meteors and Memories
KARI
After weeks of counting down, the big moment had finally arrived. And, in just a few hours, at about eight o’clock tonight, Kari would finally see her very first meteor shower.
There was something else that made today special. Through many guesses and moments of anxiety, and after looking at many options, she finally knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. She had already written her outline.
Life of a Professional Dancer, she titled it.
But she added something else. A surprise that just sort of popped into her head on the way home from church.
Kari flopped on her bed, pulled out her notebook and went to work. When I grow up, I want to be a professional dancer and…
Someone knocked at the door.
“Yes?” Kari looked up from her journal. “Come in.”
Dad opened the door and stared at Kari. “Hey… I wanted to talk to you.”
Right away Kari could tell something was off. “Okay.” She sat up straighter and set down her notebook.
Dad sat on the edge of her bed. Then he sighed a very heavy sigh.
“Is everything okay?” Kari felt suddenly concerned.
“It’s about Alex Hutchins.” He looked out the window, and back to Kari. His eyes were soft and watery. “Alex… his health declined earlier this week. He needs to stay in the hospital longer than they thought.”
“No.” Kari didn’t want to believe it. “So he can’t come watch the meteor shower with us?”
Dad shook his head. “No, sweetheart.”
“Is he going to get better?” Kari felt tears in her eyes. She slid next to her dad and held him real tight. “I thought we raised enough money for him.… I thought he was getting better.”
Dad ran his fingers over Kari’s hair. “We did. And that money helped his family. But Alex is just still really ill.”
“But… we prayed.” Kari looked at her dad.
Dad looked at her. “And we will keep praying. We have to trust God, even when we don’t get the answer we want.” Dad took a deep breath. “That’s called faith.”
Kari closed her eyes. She didn’t understand. But she knew Dad was right. She could trust God… even when it didn’t make sense. If Dad could still have faith, then so could Kari.
Dad stood. “Luke and the girls are playing basketball. He said he’d love for us to join him for a game of HORSE.”
Kari hesitated. And it occurred to her that life was really special. How often did she wake up and take the morning for granted? She never wanted to forget about the gift of today. Because some people were sick in hospitals.
“I’m gonna go outside.” Dad kissed the top of Kari’s head. “See you out there?” He headed out of the room.
A minute later, Mom popped her head in. “Dad told you about Alex?”
“He did.” Kari thought for a moment. “Let’s go see him again next week.”
“Okay.” Her mom pointed to the notebook on the bed beside Kari. “Working on your essay?”
“Trying.” Kari picked up her pencil. “I know something else I want to do.”
“What’s that?” Mom’s voice sounded lighter. A nice change from the sadness about Alex.
Kari held up the open notebook. “When I grow up… I want to be a professional dancer and… I want to be me.”
Mom raised her eyebrows. “You want to be… yourself?”
“Yes.” Kari loved this. “See… people have said I am fun, creative and a good friend. Those are my three supporting points. And that’s who I want to be. I could be a dancer. But maybe not.” She felt great about this. “Whatever my job, I want to be Kari Baxter. The girl who is fun, creative and a great friend.”
“I love it.” Mom paused. “I think yours will be Ms. Nan’s favorite essay.”
Kari nodded. “Me, too.”
Mom stood. “If grown-up you is like young you, then the world is in for a treat.”
“Thanks.” Kari almost told Mom about the contract. But that could wait. Plus it was just for the five Baxter children.
“Okay.” Mom smiled. “We’ll be outside when you’re ready.” She left and shut the door
