Autumn jumped into the car and buckled herself in. She was impatient to hear what had happened since her father had told her that Mrs. Harrison was expecting triplets. “What did the doctors say?” she asked.

Her mother took a deep breath. “Well, it appears that two of the triplets-or maybe all of them-have a birth defect of some kind,” she explained quietly, “and we might lose them.”

Autumn folded her hands in her lap and twisted the bottom of her shirt, her heart almost feeling like it was about to drop into her feet.

“Why?” she choked out over the sobs rising in her throat. “Why did we have to lose Lily and Josh, and then get pregnant again almost right away with triplets and get told that they’re probably going to die? Why?”

The rest of the trip was made in silence.

Autumn climbed out of the car and silently followed her parents to the front door, which her father unlocked and then opened for his wife and daughter.

They all sat down in the living room, and Mr. Harrison turned to Autumn.

“Sweetheart,” he said gently, “you do know that God has a plan for these precious little lives. What he does is up to him and no one else. We just need to trust him to do what he knows is good for us. And remember,” he said, putting a hand on her shoulder, “he will occasionally send trials to test our faith and see if we really trust him. So trust him, and believe that he wants what is best for you. Pray, and know that he will comfort you.”

Autumn nodded. “Alright.”

She went to her room and wrote down the latest news in her journal, ending the entry with:

You know, maybe everybody’s right; maybe God wants to strengthen my faith through the situation. Maybe he just wants me to learn to trust and obey him not matter what the circumstance, no matter how bleak the future appears to be.

A couple days later, while she was doing work in her room, she looked out the window and saw Melody heading over to her house from the direction of the Duncan house.

Autumn hurried downstairs and met her friend at the door.

“What’s wrong?” Melody quickly asked upon seeing her friend’s sad and disappointed expression.

Autumn quietly led her inside and gestured for her to sit on the couch. She got out milk and cookies and sat down beside Melody with the snack, and then explained all that had happened since the girls had last seen each other.

“God knows what he is doing,” she said softly. “He really does. You only need to trust him and do what he says. Trust him, no matter what the circumstance.”

Autumn nodded.

They sat quietly for a few minutes.

“Melody,” she said in a low voice, “how did you learn this? It has been explained to me, but I never really paid much attention to its teaching.”

“There was one day, several years ago, before my younger brother was born, when my parents had promised to take me on a picnic to my favorite beach. When I woke up the day of the special occasion, I looked out the window and it was pouring rain. I was crushed, and very angry that my parents couldn’t keep their promise.

“My mother took me to their room and explained to me that she was sorry that she couldn’t take me on a picnic, and that maybe God wanted me to do something else that day instead of going on a picnic, or maybe he just wanted me to learn that I can’t always get what I want and that I needed to trust him to do what he thinks is best for me,” Melody finished. She smiled at Autumn. “Maybe God has something he wants to teach you through your mother’s pregnancy. Ask him to show you what he wants you to learn, and listen, and you will learn. Trust me.”

Autumn began to feel better. “I understand,” she said as she nodded.

“Now, is there anything that needs to get done?” Melody asked in a businesslike manner. “My mom said I could come over and ask you after visiting the Duncans.”

Soon, the two friends were sitting, watching a movie, and folding laundry as they ate their snack.

One by one, the months whirled by.

Autumn completed eighth grade in May of that year, graduating from middle school.

The doctors and midwives watched Mrs. Harrison closely, and to everyone’s surprised delight, she did not lose the triplets as she had the twins, and though it was discovered that two triplets had defects, most of the growth of the babies was very normal.

In June, they went in for an ultrasound to find out the genders of the babies.

“I see a boy right here…” the midwife said a few minutes after the ultrasound began.

Mr. Harrison was delighted. “Just wait and see,” he told Autumn, “the other two will be boys, or a girl and another boy.”

Autumn grinned in triumphant delight as the midwife said,

“And it looks like girls triumph over boys!”

“Yes!” Autumn cheered.

Mr. Harrison sighed and complained, “You’re kidding, right? Girls will always triumph in our house, now!”

Mrs. Harrison held up her hand, and Autumn slapped it in a high five as they smiled at each other.

“Doctor Hall?” the midwife called. “We’re ready for you now.”

Mrs. Harrison’s regular doctor quickly appeared at the doorway. “Are you ready to begin?”

The midwife nodded. “Yes.”

He came over and stood at the screen.

“What are they doing?” Autumn wondered.

The doctor turned ever so briefly as he replied, “We’re seeing which babies have the heart defects.”

A few minutes of silence passed before he spoke again.

“It looks like both of the girls have heart defects.”

Autumn sank back in her chair, looking absolutely crushed.

“Autumn.”

Her name was spoken softly, yet Autumn’s sharp ears caught the word. She looked up from writing in her journal.

She looked up. “Yes, Dad?”

Her father came into her room and sat beside her on her bed. “I know how disappointed you must be,” he began.

Autumn nodded as he continued.

“I want you to remember all the advice that you mother, friends, and I have given you,” he said. “Trust in God. He will never let you down. He probably just wants to strengthen your faith as,” he added, “he has been doing with your parents.”

Autumn gave a small smile. “I understand,” she said as she put aside her journal and picked up her Bible.

Autumn was so busy that summer that she hardly thought about the fact that her parents decided not to vacation at camp or the beach that year. She was content to stay home and cook, clean, and do other things to keep house.

She and her parents armed themselves with information about atrial septal defect, the heart problem that the triplets were suffering, and they were relieved to find out that it was very treatable and that the babies were likely to live long and fulfilling lives.

It was August 31, 2014, when Mrs. Harrison went into labor.