Rain in Hell

by Jane Lebak

“If I get to Heaven and find her there, I’d rather be in Hell.”

Six years ago, an ultrasound diagnosed baby Annie with an incurable birth defect. She’d be born, and then she’d die.
Doctor Olivia Thackeray walked into the exam room and did the unforgivable. She lied to Annie’s mother, badgered her, and finally yelled to coerce her into an abortion she didn’t want.

Today, Doctor Thackeray walks into the mother’s church. And she’s still unforgivable.

An outraged mother and an embittered doctor stand before the same altar, hear the same words, and need the same mercy. But mercy was the last thing Doctor Thackeray had on baby Annie and her mother. She doesn’t even remember them.

With her husband and best friend as her guides, a bereaved mother has to navigate this invasion of her church community. God doesn’t want this. How can God possibly want this?
But sometimes God wants things we never dreamed, and surely someone who requires us to love our enemies can ask a lot of other impossible things along the way.

29 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2018

About the author

Jane Lebak writes about angels, smart women, and angels who have to put up with smart women. Her stories are a random assortment of genres, both fiction and nonfiction, long form and short form. Some of it is pretty weird. One editor told her, "You think so far outside the box, I'm not sure you know there is a box."

Boxes are for cereal. Fiction wants to be free.

Jane lives in the Swamp and spends her time either writing books or ejecting stink bugs from the house. She is pretty sure no one reads these author bios.

Reviews

[Karina Fabian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too short!

Beautiful and heartfelt, I was surprised when it ended. I lived the lesson about love and he insight about parenting.

[Anne-Marie Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first exposure to this author but will not be my last. This short story deals with issues of the heart: wounds that seem too deep to ever heal, bitterness and the issue of forgiveness when it is beyond our human capacity to do so. The friendship of the two women in this story was inspiring and illustrated how honesty can be genuine when cloaked in the security of love and safety. This was a wonderful read; inspiring and thought provoking . I highly recommend this book.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought-provoking, short story that demonstrates just what it means to forgive - why, how, and what for.

[Jeff Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, but enlightening

A good book for all of us who have a hard time forgiving (and loving) those who have hurt us deeply.