Love in Healing

Chapter 1

"International model Chandra Moore is said to be alive and will pull through the awful accident that almost cost her her life. Chandra Moore has been called the most exquisitely graceful model of her time with her coffee and cream complexion and her unusual whiskey brown eyes and full lips she has walked the runway from Milan to Madrid and has been on the cover of more magazines than her fellow models. Sources at the hospital told our news team that Ms. Moore will make a full recovery but as far stepping into those designer shoes of hers and strutting her stuff on the runway, that remains to be seen!"

Carolyn folded the paper slowly and put it away as she looked at her sister lying so still and helpless in the hospital bed. It had been the two of them for the past ten years as their parents had died in a car accident that left them orphans. Carolyn had been seventeen at the time while her sister had been fifteen. She had fought to keep them together and had succeeded. She had gone on to become a lawyer while Chandra with her unusual beauty had become a model and had made it big almost immediately! She had taken her looks from their beautiful mother and had taken the height from their father. Carolyn was plainer with darker skin and thick black hair but she had never envied her sister her looks maybe because the girl had never lorded it over her at any given time. She had gotten the call while she was in court three days ago and had not hesitated but had come running. She had not heard from her in a week but that had not been unusual as Chandra was known to be in the Caribbean at one point and then off to some exotic location the next. She trembled as she realized that she had almost lost her only remaining relative!

She looked up as a nurse came into the room. "How much longer?" she whispered.

"She should be waking up any minute now," the woman said with a kindly smile.

"How am I going to tell her?" Carolyn asked softly as she stared at her sister.

"The best way is to be straight with her from the beginning."

"Modelling has always been her life. How is she going to take it that she will never be able to do so again?"

"By being there for her," Nurse Blake told her kindly. "She is by far the most beautiful woman I have ever known and that scar on her cheek will not detract from her beauty. She has to thank God that she came out of that twisted metal alive."
"She is not going to look at it like that." Carolyn looked at her inert sister again.

"She will."

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"Pastor Gary! What are you doing here?" Jill cried out in pleasure as she hurried to open the screen door to admit the tall ruggedly handsome man with the bleached blonde hair and dark blue eyes. "Come on in. I just made some hot chocolate and some lemon meringue pie."

"Sister Jill you read my mind," he said with a smile as he followed her into the kitchen. Jill Greene was a widow whose husband had been killed when his tractor had overturned and dumped him into a ravine, leaving her with their ten year old son and a child on the way. The whole neighborhood of the small community had rallied around her and made sure she was okay. Pastor Gary Miller was pastor of the small chapel in the community and made his rounds very frequently making sure that everyone was okay and spiritually guided.

"Sit please," she gestured to the stool around the counter of the cozy kitchen. "What are you up to?"

"My sister is coming in from town and I want to show her the place." he accepted the hot chocolate gratefully and the slice of delicious pie. "She is an accountant at some top firm in town and she thinks I am not taking care of myself properly."

"You have to tell her that we are capable of taking care of our pastor," Jill said with a pretty smile as she stared at her pastor. he was kind and gentle but was all business as he never led any of the single ladies to think that he was in any way interested. He was doing God's work and he was all about that.

"I keep telling her that." he smiled at her, his blue eyes probing as he looked at her. "How are you doing?"

"I am coping, thanks to everyone especially you." Her baby had been born shortly after her husband had died and she constantly bemoaned the fact that their daughter would never know her father. her ten year old son Tim was still resentful and cried in his sleep at not having his father around.

"That's what we are here for my sister," he said earnestly.

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Chandra felt as if she was fighting her way through a very deep fog! She emitted a moan that caused her sister to get out of her seat quickly and rushed to the bed. "Chandra honey?" she heard the call but she could not respond. It was hard to open her eyes! They felt like something heavy was pressing on them. "Chandra?"

She finally opened them slowly and for a moment she looked into the dark brown eyes in confusion. "Caroline?"

"Oh honey. Thank God you are awake. I need to get the doctors."
"What happened?" she asked thickly, her throat feeling parched.

"Let me get the doctors-"

"Caroline, please. What happened?"

"You were in an accident," her sister said reluctantly as she sat carefully on the bed. "But you are alive with no broken bones thankfully."

Chandra fought to remember and the bits and pieces started to fall into place. "Someone rammed me from behind and sent me into a SUV."

"You remember?"

"Yes-" suddenly she gripped her sister's hands. "My face! I need to see my face."

Caroline felt the hopelessly gripping her and did not know what to do. Fortunately the doctors came in at that point, saving her from telling her sister the bad news.

"Chandra you are awake," Doctor Evan Sullivan said with a smile on his attractive face as he hurried over to look at his famous patient. Even with the scar marring her cheek she was still exquisitely beautiful. he pulled up a chair and started examining her. "Ah your eyes are clear and focused and your blood pressure is okay. It's good to have you back."

"How long have I been out?"
"Three days."

"I want to see my face."

He looked up at her sister and then back at her. "I don't think that is such a good idea-"

"I need to see it now."

He nodded at the nurse and she handed him a mirror. "it's just a scar and maybe when you are well enough we can have our resident plastic surgeon to take a look and see-"

"i want to be alone," she told him stonily as she gazed at the angry welt on her cheek.

"Honey it is not as bad-"

"Caroline please! I want to be alone right now."

The doctors nodded and started shepherding everyone out. "Let's give her some privacy."

Caroline hesitated but her sister gave her a mutinous stare. "I will be back later." she murmured and went from the room, closing the door behind her.

It was only then that Chandra brought up the mirror and stared at herself again. Her face had graced many magazines and had been called one of the most beautiful in the world! She blinked back the tears as she stared at the scar. It was never going to be the same again!