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will be healed and you will be the
glory of Syracuse.”
    Lucy awoke with a start,
realizing the voice she heard in her dream could be none other than
St. Agatha herself. “Bless you, St. Agatha.” Turning to her mother,
she shook her awake. “Momma. Momma! How are you
feeling?”
    Momma stirred ever so
slightly, than opened her eyes. “Dotter, it was a
miracle!”
     
    “ Because of the miracle
that took place, Lucy’s mother gave Lucy permission to give her
wealth to the poor. This didn’t sit well with everyone though.
Lucy’s betrothed was enraged. He went to the Governor of Syracuse
and told the Governor of Lucy’s Christian faith. This didn’t sit
well with the Governor and he sent soldiers to arrest
her.
     
    The pounding at the door
startled Lucy and her mother. They at once knew it was the
soldiers. As Lucy calmly rose to open the door, Momma began to
panic. “I knew this would happen. They’ve come to take you away! Oh
Lucy, why didn’t you listen to me?”
    Momma’s worrying couldn’t
faze Lucy. She opened the door and a group of soldiers met
her.
    “ Lucy of
Syracuse?”
    “ Yes, soldier.”
    “ The governor has
requested your presence.”
    “ You may take me then if
you can.”
    The soldiers tried but
they could not budge Lucy from her position. “Why don’t you move,
girl? This won’t make the governor pleased.”
    “ Well then the governor
didn’t expect he’d be dealing with the Lord Jesus
Christ.”
     
    “ Even in the face of
death, Lucy wouldn’t deny her faith. Lucy is an example to all
which is why we remember her as we celebrate St. Lucia’s
day.”
    There was silence in the
kitchen as Bethany finished the letter and she slowly lowered the
letter to the table. Carolyn was holding Rosie in her lap, the
hemming brought to a pause. Heather and Momma were both watching
her as well, and tears were streaming down Heather’s
face.
    “ Jesse told me her story
before, but never like that. What a life to live! The abandon Lucy
had for Christ is something to be admired.” Heather reached for a
cloth, dabbing the tears from her face. “I can see now why Jesse
wants to begin that tradition with our children.”
    Momma reached out and
clasped Heather’s hand, “It is an act of serving, Rosie. Tomorrow
morning when you go about delivering buns and coffee, you can
imagine what Lucy might have felt as she visited the Christians
hiding in the catacombs.”
    Rosie’s mouth dropped, “I
must carry all this upstairs to everyone? I need more
hands.”
    The innocence in her words
caused them all to burst out laughing. Carolyn squeezed Rosie’s
hands, “Well, I was thinking that perhaps Bethany or Laura wanted
to go with you.” Carolyn met Bethany’s eyes, and right then,
Bethany could see that she wanted Laura to feel a part of
it.
    Bethany nodded, “I shall
see what Laura wants to do. Something tells me that she would love
to play the part with Rosie.” At least, Bethany hoped. Though she
had before, Bethany had no idea what her sister was thinking these
days. With only fourteen days till Christmas, there wasn’t much
time left to find out.

     
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
CHAPTER NINE
     
    And so,
diary, with only five days till Christmas, I am worrying even more
that things will still not be resolved with Carolyn and Laura. St.
Lucia’s day went okay, but Laura passed on the role to me and so I
assisted Rosie and Adam with the rounds. Not that I minded, but I
wished Laura had seen Carolyn’s gesture as an opportunity to mend
some bridges. As we moved forward in preparing for Christmas, Laura
seemed to withdraw more and more. I only wish I could get her to
see that we are all hurting and that the only way to make it better
is to be together. We all went to cut down a tree and tomorrow
night we shall all gather together, including Jesse and Carolyn’s
families, to decorate it. It was decided to make popcorn garlands
and display white candles as we always have. I know Laura had