The Someday List Read Online Free Page B

put
the dream there. Promise me that as I move on to another phase,
you'll give this part of your journey your best shot. That will be
the best way to remember me, to honor our bond.
    "To be honest with you, I am not ready to die. I'm just not
ready. But I'm thankful that I am connected to God and I know
where I'm going" Jillian paused and allowed a slow smile to spread across her face. "I'm thankful that I got to meet each of you and
love you. I will leave here a happy woman, especially after the gift
you have given me by showing up tonight.

    "I am drinking in your presence;' she said in a voice that had
begun to tremble with emotion. "I'm going to tuck away this
night in my memory and ask God to let me keep it, when I get
to heaven"
    Jillian's efforts to remain upbeat had been for naught. Rachelle
took a tissue from a travel-size package that was circulating from
hand to hand. Jillian's goddaughters ran to the stage and hugged
her neck.
    The youngest girl, who appeared to be five or six, flung her
body across Jillian's lap and sobbed. Rachelle winced at the child's
obvious fear and pain. Her mother came quickly and took the
girl to a side room.
    Jillian, who was visibly spent, raised the microphone to her
lips a second time. She sighed. "This isn't easy-for the babies or
any of us. But I really do want to celebrate the good and positive
journey I've had. Will each of you come and give me a hug? Show
me some love?"
    Patrick rolled Jillian off the stage, over to a long table covered
with a sea green tablecloth. She sat at the end of it, so that her
friends could review the pictures of her life, from childhood in
Philadelphia to her young adult years at Everson College in Jubilant, Texas, to the decade she traveled the world as a professional
photographer.
    Everyone except for Jillian's mother, brother, and sister, and
several other relatives, formed a line so they could talk with her.
As they waited their turn, they had time to peruse the informal
photo gallery.
    Rachelle, who grew up next door to Jillian and shared a dorm room with her when they went off to college, took in each of the
images and felt the layers of time peeling away.

    She remembered the backyard swing set captured in one of
the photos and the teacup wallpaper that had graced the walls in
Jillian's room until her sixteenth birthday.
    She recalled their hangout spot on The Yard, the campus square
at Everson College where freshmen and sophomores who didn't
have transportation gathered most nights to socialize and flirt.
There were graduation day photos and images of a party that followed later that evening, at the home of Rachelle's aunt and uncle,
Charles and Irene, who lived near the campus.
    Rachelle felt another wave of waterworks coming. What had
happened to the youthful fervor her eyes possessed in those photos? It had never dimmed for Jillian, but somehow she had gotten
off track.
    Before she could formulate answers, it was her turn. Rachelle
knelt before Jillian and hugged her gingerly.
    Jillian grasped her tightly, cuing Rachelle that she wasn't fragile.
She pulled back and stroked Rachelle's face. "Thanks for being
here, Rae," she said softly, using the nickname she had given Rachelle when they were sixth graders and thought it was no longer
cool to use their parent-given names. "It's so good to see you. The
last time we talked we didn't agree on something really big. I don't
know how that has worked out for you, but I heard through your
mom that you were doing well and that your kids are beautiful.
I hope you are happy."
    Rachelle attempted a smile.
    Jillian's eyes indicated that she understood. "Well, get happy,
okay? For me and for you. You're living for both of us now. I've
never stopped loving you like a sister, you know? Tell God your
heart's desires. Trust him with all of them. That's the only reason all of this is okay-I learned how to do that when I was in Jerusalem."

    Rachelle nodded. "I need