A Christmas Prayer: An Autistic Child, a Father's Love, a Woman's Heart (Christmas Romance) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgements

  Dedication

  Author’s Notes

  Resources

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Epilogue

  A CHRISTMAS PRAYER

  LINDA WOOD RONDEAU

  Author of It Really IS a Wonderful Life

  Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas

  www.lighthousepublishingofthecarolinas.com

  Praise for

  A Christmas Prayer

  A Christmas Prayer is a poignant and heartfelt romance that delves into the complexities of not only romantic love, but the love of family and love for a special needs child. The Christmas theme keeps the story warm and cozy; the romance will take your breath away. Richly drawn characters round out the story and will keep readers coming back for more. Add A Christmas Prayer to your must-read list this holiday season!

  Amazon bestselling author Christy Barritt, Hazardous Duty and The Good Girl.

  I loved, loved, loved this book. I have a friend with twin sons and a brother with a grandson who are autistic. Linda Rondeau gives readers an authentic, heart-wrenching autism story interwoven with a very sweet romance. It was a real page-turner for me.

  Lena Nelson Dooley

  multi-published, multi-award-winning author of Maggie's Journey, Mary's Blessing, and Catherine's Pursuit (McKenna's Daughters series)

  I had the privilege of reading A Christmas Prayer by Linda Rondeau. What a great story! I fell in love with Gib and Alexis immediately. Even though this was a short story, I feel as though the author filled in the blanks for me, and I felt like I truly connected with each and every one of the characters. I love how she tied up the loose ends for the reader as well, answering questions about Gib’s parents’ background and why they did what they did.

  This was a great read, especially as the holidays are approaching. I truly felt like I had a better understanding of what caregivers of special needs children go through and the frustration they can feel when the system tries to help, yet fails at times despite their best efforts. It definitely made me realize I need to be more sensitive to those involved in helping special needs children, whether caregivers, teachers, parents, etc. The lives most people live are rarely what is seen - there is usually a lot more happening behind the scenes than realized.

  It was a really sweet love story as well, reminding us that family is the most important gift we can be blessed with. Great read, especially around the holidays.

  Cheri Swalwell

  a christmas prayer BY LINDA WOOD RONDEAU

  Published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas

  2333 Barton Oaks Dr., Raleigh, NC, 27614

  Copyright © 2013 by Linda Wood Rondeau

  Cover design by The Killion Group, www.TheKillionGroupInc.com

  Interior design by The Fast Fingers, www.TheFastFingers.com

  Available in print from your local bookstore, online, or from the publisher at: www.lighthousepublishingofthecarolinas.com

  For more information on this book and the author visit: www.lindarondeau.com

  All rights reserved. Non-commercial interests may reproduce portions of this book without the express written permission of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, provided the text does not exceed 500 words.When reproducing text from this book, include the following credit line: “A Christmas Prayer by Linda Wood Rondeau published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Used by permission.”

  Commercial interests: No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by the United States of America copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents are all products of the author’s imagination or are used for fictional purposes. Any mentioned brand names, places, and trade marks remain the property of their respective owners, bear no association with the author or the publisher, and are used for fictional purposes only.

  Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION r. NIVr Copyright c 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

  Brought to you by the creative team at LighthousePublishingoftheCarolinas.com: Amberlyn Edwards, Eddie Jones, Rowena Kuo, and Brian Cross

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Rondeau, Linda Wood.

  A Christmas Prayer/Linda Wood Rondeau. 1st ed.

  Printed in the United States of America

  Acknowledgements

  No manuscript is an author’s sole work as so many help in the process. To try to thank everyone would be a book unto itself. But I do want to express my gratitude to all those who gave of their time and efforts, their encouragement when I couldn’t see daylight, and for treats along the way.

  To my agent, Diana Flegal and Hartline Literary Agency, you have been a rock. I hope and pray your belief in me will reap the benefits for the many years of support and encouragement.

  To my publisher, Lighthouse of the Carolinas, and to my editor, Amberlyn Edwards, thank you so much for your diligence, and your vision for my work.

  A special thank you to my son and daughter-in-law, John and Melissa Barringer, whose work with disabled children has taught me so much.

  Thank you to American Christian Fiction Writers, Hartline Beta Readers, and to my many writers’ loops for your help and suggestions. Thank you to my fans and supporters.

  Most of all, I want to thank my family for their belief in me and their encouraging words.

  To my dear husband Steve, thank you for all the extras for making this book possible. Extra housework, extra eating out, extra cooking.

  Most of all, I thank my Lord and Savior for allowing me to continue to write for His glory.

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to all special needs children and to their caregivers.

  Author’s Notes

  In my many years as a caseworker for Franklin County Department of Social Services, we encountered many situations where biological parents surfaced after years of absence, particularly at a child’s most vulnerable stage of development. Gib’s situation, though fictional, is representative of the difficulties our agencies face when trying to “shape” a comprehensive treatment plan for special needs children within a system already over-burdened and nearly broken. It is my prayer, as you read this novella, that you will consider what you can do within your circumference of influence to help kids like Gib.

  The reader should note that procedures, especially involving the welfare of minors, are in constant flux and will vary from county to county as well as state to state. Specific procedures used at the writing of this book may become obsolete by printi
ng.

  In A Christmas Prayer, the reader will note the use of familiarity between client and service provider. In rural areas, particularly true of Northern New York, department workers and professionals may be neighbors, school mates, and perhaps related and much is known about the other beyond a professional context.

  A diagnosis of autism may not mean a child is mentally retarded. Many autistic children are very intelligent and may fall into what is called the autistic spectrum—a series of related disorders that impair cognitive function and impact the child’s physical and social life.

  Historical Note:

  The Herkimer County Courthouse, built in 1873, is still in use. It was the site of the 1906 trial of Chester Gillette, the accused murderer of Grace Brown at Big Moose Lake, the story behind Theodore Dreiser’s novel, An American Tragedy, and later the 1951 Academy Award-winning movie, A Place in the Sun.

  Resources

  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

  Mayo Clinic

  Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD)

  Association of Retarded Citizens

  Autism Spectrum Disorders Foundation (ASDF)

  Chapter One

  Alexis Jennings smelled smoke and rushed to the window. “Not another fire!”

  Wishing it weren’t so would not change the outcome. Flames shot from the shed.

  Alexis sprang into action with the kind of expediency a year of caring for Gib had taught her. She punched in 911, gave the address, and ran outside, the alarm blaring when she opened the door. Nice to know the fancy alarm system she’d installed at a hefty price was working. But how did Gib get outside without tripping it?

  At least this time Gib had set the fire outdoors and not in the house. Alexis grabbed the lawn hose. Useless. Frozen solid. She waited in helplessness for the fire department while flames danced the length of the walls and on the roof.

  She fumed. Where was Gib? Normally he returned to the scene of his trouble-making, laughing while others undid his messes.

  Horror replaced anger.

  Was he in there? What if he was hurt and couldn’t get out?

  Alexis edged closer to the shed. “Gib! Gib! Are you in there?” Like flaming hands, the fire’s heat pushed her backward.

  No answer. The siren wails meant the fire department was near. She hurried to the front as the truck pulled up.

  “I don’t know where Gib is!” Alexis screamed to the first firefighter she spotted. While one group unraveled the hoses, another donned masks and axed their way in. Smoke billowed across the yard as flames engulfed the entire structure.

  Soon the fire was out, the shed a memory.

  Donna Bilow took off her mask as she approached. “Doesn’t appear your brother was in there.”

  Alexis sobbed with relief. “This is the first time Gib’s set a fire outside.”

  “Can’t say for sure, but this one appears to be an accident.”

  Please, Lord. Let it be so. “Gib’s modus operandi is to light a newspaper, set it on the oven, and watch it burn until the smoke detector goes off. Most of the time I can extinguish it before the sprinklers come on. I’m at my wits end, Donna. I don’t know how to keep him and me safe anymore. When I scold him, he runs off and it takes me hours to find him. It’s as if he’s punishing me for punishing him.”

  Donna’s face softened, the creases melting with empathy rather than the usual scowls of condemnation Alexis so often received. “My nephew is autistic. Thankfully, he doesn’t set fires. My sister hides all the matches as a safety precaution.”

  “I don’t keep matches in the house either. Gib steals them from The Quick Stop down the road, along with half a dozen candy bars.”

  “Isn’t he forbidden to go there under the terms of his probation?”

  “Gib does what Gib wants to do. He doesn’t consider the consequences.” Alexis tasted the acidity in her condemnation. Why hide her frustration? She’d made excuses for Gib long enough.

  “We found a metal box in the shed full of candy bars, matches, and cash.”

  “Stolen, no doubt.”

  “The bills are covered with melted chocolate; otherwise the contents are intact. A miracle the matches didn’t ignite from the heat.”

  Alexis shivered. If Gib had been in the shed …

  What more could she do to reign Gib in? She’d read every book she could find on caring for autistic children. She’d tried every behavior modification technique the counselors suggested and those mentioned in her online support groups. Yet, his rebellion continued. The cold weather and his exploding hormones only added to his obstinacy.

  “We found a heater plugged into the outlet. Looks like it hadn’t been turned off after the last use,” Donna said. “More than likely that’s what caused the fire. We still had to call the juvenile officer. He’s on his way.”

  Kyle Connolly had filed the last child protective services report against Alexis. One more neglect charge and they wouldn’t wait for Gib’s hearing before removing him from her care. She hated the conflict within, almost wishing she had no more responsibility for him. Yet, at night, when he knelt for his prayers before getting into bed, his sweetness too often caged by misfired neurons caressed her spirit. How could she possibly be parted from him?

  “Does Gib ever hide in the shed?” Donna asked.

  Alexis sighed. “Yes. He goes in there to read. I’ve told him not to a zillion times. I keep it locked. He’ll break the window or pull at the hinges until he can squeeze in. He might have turned on the heater to stay warm. Gib can’t even remember to flush a toilet or shut off the kitchen faucet. Easy enough for him to forget to turn off a heater. He’s been in his room all morning, so no telling how long the heater had been plugged in.”

  Donna scanned the room. “Where is Gib?”

  He could be hiding in the house or have pulled one of his disappearing acts. To admit she didn’t know Gib’s current location only added layers to Donna’s suspicion. “I can’t watch over him 24/7.”

  “No, I guess not. Unfortunately he needs constant supervision to keep him safe.”

  Donna’s words sliced through Alexis’s already battered heart. Accident or not, this fire proved what everyone else knew: Alexis Jennings was an inadequate caregiver. What would happen to Gib now? What power could keep him from an institution?

  Alexis shot up the same prayer she’d muttered since Thanksgiving. “I need a miracle, Lord.”

  Donna rejoined the group of firefighters as they put their gear away, and Alexis went into the house to search for Gib. He could find hiding places a cat would miss. She climbed the spiral staircase to the attic. Gib sat in the farthest, darkest corner, graphic novel in hand. How could he even see to read? “There you are. Didn’t you hear me calling you?”

  No response, his gaze was fixed on the page.

  Alexis grabbed the book from Gib’s hands. Absolutely the wrong thing to do. She’d let her anger cloud her judgment. He stood, his fists balled, and his jaw tight, posturing revenge. “Why did you take my comic?”

  Finally … recognition of her presence. “Didn’t you hear me calling you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes.”

  “Why didn’t you answer me?”

  “I wasn’t done with the book yet.”

  Perfect logic to Gib. Unfortunately, his irrational suppositions merely fueled Alexis’s frustrations.

  Before Alexis could correct him, he clomped down the stairs, emitting loud, guttural grunts with every step. He’d probably plop into the recliner where he’d sulk for thirty minutes, or worse yet, go into a meltdown.

  “Whoa … fire trucks!” Gib shouted as he reached the bottom stair and peeked out the picture window in the living room. “
What are they doing here?”

  “You didn’t know the shed caught on fire?”

  “No.”

  “Did you do it, Gib?”

  A thespian’s fall couldn’t have been more dramatic as Gib hurled himself into the recliner.

  “Gib … did you set the fire?”

  “I already told you. NO!”

  Alexis glanced out the window. The flashing lights on the patrol car meant Kyle had arrived. Would he take Gib into protective custody or call Social Services again? How was she supposed to maintain a household and a job and watch Gib every second? She’d learned a long time ago that the quickest road to insanity was living life according to everyone else’s expectations. Yet, they had the power over her. She wasn’t the only one who couldn’t control her brother. But no one blamed the staff at the YMCA when Gib “borrowed” a baseball. They simply banned him from the premises.

  Alexis sucked in a deep breath and opened the door.

  Kyle’s smile was the stuff of romance novels. Too bad he was married.

  “This is getting to be a habit, Alexis. Where’s Gib?”

  She tilted her head toward the recliner. “Over there. Pouting. He’s mad at me because I took his Superman comic away. I had to get his attention somehow.”

  “May I come in?”

  “Like I have a choice?”

  Kyle’s smile broadened. “Of course you have a choice.”