“I’m coming with you,” he repeated firmly. “I don’t want you to be alone out there.”
She didn’t want to be alone, either, frankly. “Thanks, but this can’t be a good time for you to be away from work.”
“Keeping Jackson off-site lately has been impossible, and everyone knows what they need to do so they won’t need all that much supervision. He can handle any last-minute crises as long as he keeps his leg propped up.”
Knowing Travis would be there to help her face her mother gave her a bit more courage.
I’ll be with you, too.
Kate closed her eyes at the sound of Daddy’s voice. She ought to remain angry at him for the rest of her days after he’d kept her mother away all those years, but his presence brought her an odd sense of comfort. Thanks, Daddy.
“Katie, you still there?”
“Yeah.” She took a deep breath. “I’ll hang up and book the two of us on a flight.”
“You pack. I’ll take care of the airline tickets and hotel.” To Emmy, apparently, he asked, “Which hospital is she in?”
Her heart tripped a beat. She hadn’t been alone with Travis in such close quarters since the Fourth of July weekend.
“I’ll pick you up in two hours or less. Would you prefer taking the redeye or to leave first thing in the morning?”
“Tonight’s best. Can you put Emmy back on?”
“Sure.” His voice was muffled when he said, “She wants to talk to you again. I’m going to text Chelsea and meet her wherever they are to say goodbye before I head out to Katie’s.” He always seemed to handle crises so effortlessly.
“Sounds good, Travis,” Emmy said. “Be safe.” Her voice was louder when she spoke directly into the phone again. “Hey, Katie.”
“Emmy, can you see if your mom can stay out here with Chelsea if I’m not back before school starts?”
“Absolutely! Mom’s been wanting a getaway but Dad won’t slow down at work. I can come out, too, if she wants company. Do you want us to take her shopping for school?”
“Thanks. That would be great,” she whispered before clearing her throat. “The list of supplies she’ll need is on the school’s web site. She can print it out. If she wants a new backpack, go ahead. She might think her old one is a little childish, so I’ll donate it somewhere. Just let me know how much I owe you.”
“Not a thing. I haven’t been school shopping since I was in school myself. That kind of shopping I can get into.”
Kate was overcome with emotion. “I don’t know what I’d have done without you all.”
“Hey, that’s what families do.” Kate truly felt like she was included in that sentiment this time. It meant the world to Kate that it was coming from Emmy, too.
“Thanks, Emmy.”
“Now, go pack. I’ll talk with you soon.”
During the next ninety minutes, Kate called Chelsea to let her know what was going on, checked in with Miguel to be sure he was aware she would be gone for at least a few days, and packed a bag with enough clothes for up to a week, if need be, without having to do laundry. Not knowing what she would find or what kind of reception she’d receive, she probably was overdoing it, but…
“Katie! You up there?” Travis’s voice called from the bottom of the stairs.
“Yes!” she called from her bedroom. “I’ll be right down.”
Seconds later, she heard his boots in the hallway and turned to find him filling the doorway, his broad shoulders tapering to a slim waist. Her heart fluttered before she went back to zipping up the suitcase on her bed. “I’m almost ready. What time is our flight?”
“Not until eight, out of Louisville, so we have time for a quick bite before we leave.” She tried to lift the heavy bag until Travis crossed the room and took it from her hand, setting it on its casters. Facing her, he cupped her cheek. “How are you doing?”
The enormity of what was about to take place overwhelmed her, and she soon found herself cocooned in Travis’s arms. A sense of security like she hadn’t felt in a long while calmed her nerves. “Nervous. Petrified, actually.” She pulled away from his arms and looked up at him. “Thanks for going with me. I would never have asked you to, but I’m so glad you offered.”
He grinned, shaking his head. “I wasn’t about to wait for you to ask.” He bopped her playfully on the nose. “Now, let’s get your things downstairs, grab a bite, and head to the airport.”
Shortly after seven-thirty they boarded the plane. Travis had bought first class tickets, he said so Kate could sleep most of the way to Oregon. She wasn’t sure that would be possible. “I haven’t flown in I don’t know how long.” She’d gone with Lidia on a trip to New York City one Christmas during college. Was that the last time? Usually, anywhere she needed to go was within easy driving distance.
When she shivered, Travis asked the flight attendant for a blanket and a pillow. His solicitous manner made her feel like a princess. “What can you drink?” he asked.
“I don’t need anything but water.”
“A little alcohol might do you good, as long as it doesn’t spike your sugar.”
“Actually, it probably would result in a drop in blood sugar. With the fluctuation of nerves to factor in, I’ll have to test repeatedly for the next twenty-four hours to make sure I don’t run into trouble. Water is preferable to making it worse, though.”
He ordered her a water with lemon and a bourbon and water on the rocks for himself. By the time they reached cruising altitude, her eyelids were drooping.
“Feel free to rest your head and your pillow on my shoulder if you’d like.”
“Thanks.” She did so and then he rested his head on hers, once again giving her that sense of assurance that all would be well.
The next thing she remembered was the announcement that they’d be landing in Dallas momentarily. Travis was reading the in-flight magazine. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep through half the flight.”
“You were beat. You don’t have to worry about entertaining me.”
In the restroom of the terminal, she tested and saw her sugar was low. So, on their way to their next gate, they stopped for a bite. “Do you think you’ll have any trouble getting in to see your mom?”
She shrugged. “I hope she’s conscious and will tell them who I am. Otherwise, I don’t know. Privacy laws are pretty strict.”
“I’m sure we’ll find someone to help.”
No doubt Travis could persuade the staff by simply marching in like he belonged. She’d have to employ a little bravado, if needed.
Their plane landed in Portland in the wee hours. He’d booked a hotel downtown near the hospital starting the night before so they could sleep until about nine then head over to see her mom. The room was enormous, with two queen-sized beds, but Travis turned down only one of them.
“I want to hold you tonight. Nothing more.”
His last two words disappointed her, but she understood. They still hadn’t reached a point in their relationship where they could agree to be more than friends sharing parenting duties, despite having made love twice this summer. Exhaustion set in and, after finishing up in the bathroom, she got into bed beside him.
“Come closer, darlin’. I won’t bite—unless you ask nicely.”
She shook her head, but couldn’t help but grin. She nestled in the crook of his arm and rested her head on his pec. “Do you think she’ll be happy I found her?”
“Hard to say.”
She appreciated his honesty. No sense in going in there expecting the best and being devastated all over again. “Night, Travis.” When she started to pull away to sleep on a pillow, he held her tighter. “Don’t go anywhere. I like having you here like this. Makes me feel like…” She waited, but he didn’t finish.
Travis kissed her on the forehead, making her feel protected and cherished. “Let’s get some sleep.” While she might have liked having something more happen between them, she knew this was for the best. She wouldn’t be able to f
ocus on anything but meeting her mom in the morning anyway.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Kate held onto Travis’s hand as they walked up to the hospital’s information desk to ask where she could find her mother. All they would tell her was that she was in the intensive care unit. Travis squeezed her hand reassuringly as they got off the elevator on that floor and went to the desk at the entrance to the ICU.
“I’d like to see Serenity Chula, please.” Calling her mom by a different name than the one she’d known all these years sounded odd.
The woman looked up. “Are you a family member?”
“I’m her daughter.”
She looked at Travis. “And this is?”
How should she identify Travis? He wasn’t a boyfriend or fiancé. “…my friend.”
The woman clicked some keys, staring at her computer screen. “We don’t show any next of kin listed for Mrs. Chula.” Hearing her referred to her as married struck Kate as odd. If she’d made up the name, which Kate assumed she had, there was no Mr. Chula, not legally, anyway. Did that mean, in Mom’s mind, she thought of herself as married to Daddy still?
Before Kate responded, Travis said, pointing to Kate, “This is Katherine Serenity Michaels. Named for her mother. And she’d like to visit her. Please find us a nurse or someone who can help us.”
The clerk looked up at him with a simpering smile, which faded under his intense scrutiny. She hit the buzzer on the door. Addressing Travis rather than Kate, she said, “Go through that door and the nurse’s station is halfway down the hall on the right.”
Travis gave her a curt nod, muttered a thank you, and took Kate by the elbow to guide her through the door. Kate’s body shook, not so much from anger as from fear. She hadn’t been this close to her mom in more than twenty-eight years.
“I can see you’re going to come in handy,” Kate said to Travis. He chuckled, but she remained serious. “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
He stopped mid-stride and turned her toward him. “Take a deep breath, and look at me.” Like the woman at the desk, she couldn’t do anything but cave under his authority. “Now, repeat after me. ‘I have every right to visit my mother.’”
“I have every right to visit my mother.”
“‘I belong here.’”
“I belong here.”
“‘No one is going to keep us apart another minute.’”
Kate repeated the words, beginning to believe them. Some of the tension lifted, and she smiled pulling her shoulders back and standing taller. “Let’s do this,” she said, smiling.
“I don’t want to intrude on your time with her so once we find out where she is, I’ll sit in the waiting area.”
She grabbed his forearm. “No, please, Travis. You understand my needs better than anyone has in a very long time. I want you there.”
“Then I’ll be there.”
Kate blinked a few times, trying to center herself. Taking his hand, they proceeded to the nurse’s station. Two women in dark blue scrubs were intently typing into their computers.
“Excuse me. May I speak to Serenity Chula’s nurse?”
The woman at the far end of the desk glanced over at her. “I’m Monica. I’ve been taking care of Mrs. Chula today. How may I help?”
Kate took a deep breath as she moved closer to her. “I know your records show no next of kin, but I’m her daughter.” Her throat closed up as she said the words, desperately hoping the nurse would believe her. Travis stroked her back, centering her again. “I’ve been searching for her for a very long time.” She blinked away the tears stinging her eyes. “I know you can’t tell me anything about her condition without permission but you could verify who I am if you ask her. Please help me. Is she conscious?”
“Yes,” she said, somewhat reluctantly as she looked from Kate to Travis and back.
Good. At least then there was a chance she could get in to see her. Kate opened her purse and pulled out the only proof she had that she was who she said she was. A birth certificate wouldn’t work because Mom was using an assumed name. So she handed the nurse the photo of her and her mom on Kate’s fifth birthday. “Please, show her this. Tell her Kate’s here to see her.”
She stood up, a hint of sympathy on her face, and accepted the photo, looking down at it. “That definitely looks like Mrs. Chula.” Hearing that her face hadn’t been ravaged by whatever disease had brought her here gave Kate hope that she’d see some resemblance in her. Would her mom remember her? She had to. How could a mother ever forget her child?
Coming around the desk, the nurse added, “Wait here, and I’ll ask if she’s up for a visit.”
Travis continued to stroke her back, calming her nerves.
“I may need you to pick me up off the floor if I pass out.”
His hand stilled and a look of concern crossed his face. “Do you need to test?”
She grinned. “I didn’t mean from a glucose drop.” They’d grabbed bagels and coffee in a café in the lobby. That would tide her over for a while.
“Ah.” He smiled as he cupped her cheek. “You can count on me, Katie.”
“I always could.”
Before he could respond, the nurse returned. “Well, I didn’t think it possible, but that photo left her speechless.” Hearing someone talking about her mother was surreal. “She asked me to take you to her—after she had me brush out her hair. I think your visit is going to do her more good than anything we can offer her at this point.”
Kate sagged in relief. She wants to see me. The moment she’d dreamed about since she was five was almost here, and Kate hadn’t realized she’d expected her mother to refuse to see her. While more terrified than ever, she was now filled with hope as well.
Travis wrapped his arm around her and propelled her forward as they followed the nurse almost to the end of the hall and into a room on the left. His arm tightened as if he was afraid she’d collapse as she walked into the room. The air thinned, and she almost feared she would pass out. A frail-looking woman lay on the bed, her thin blond hair cascading over both shoulders and tears flowing down her cheeks. Kate’s lower lip trembled and her vision became blurred, but when her mom reached out her arms to her, Kate broke free of Travis and closed the gap. The two women hugged as the tears spilled for all the years they’d lost. The scent of lemongrass permeated her senses, and Kate felt like she was five years old again being comforted in the arms of the woman who had given her life.
Her mom stroked her hair. “Oh, my precious chula. I didn’t think I’d live to see you again.”
Kate couldn’t form any words but even if she could, she wouldn’t have been able to speak past the lump in her throat. Her mother’s arms around her at long last overwhelmed her. All the hurt and everything they had missed was swept away in this embrace.
After an unknown amount of time, Kate sat up, wanting to look at her mother. “Chelsea has your blonde hair.”
“My granddaughter. I’ve been dying to see her picture ever since Ben told me about her.” Kate cocked her head. Was her mom suffering from early dementia, too? No matter. Where was her purse? She turned around as Travis pulled out his phone and punched the screen a couple of times.
He extended the phone to her mother. “Hi. I’m Travis, Chelsea’s dad. And this is your granddaughter, Chelsea.”
Kate hadn’t thought to introduce the two of them in her current state.
“Oh, how precious.” Her voice grew husky. She stared at the phone, blinking rapidly.
Kate didn’t know which photo he’d shared, but a fresh batch of tears flowed down her cheeks now, too. “I didn’t bring her with me on this trip, but will make sure you two get to meet soon.” Perhaps she could even ask Emmy to fly out here with Chelsea. But while her mother was older and appeared to be weak, she couldn’t be in danger of dying anytime soon. Kate had only just been reunited with her. The fates wouldn’t be so cruel.
Mom handed the phone back to Travis. “I suppose
that makes you my son-in-law.”
“No.” Kate should have introduced them properly in the first place. “Travis and I aren’t married.” Yet. She wouldn’t go into all that. “It’s a long story.”
“Well, I’m not going anywhere,” Mom said with a smile that faded quickly. “Not today at least. Have a seat, Travis.” He pulled over one of the two chairs. Kate, holding her mother’s hand and sitting on the side of the bed, told her how they’d met in college and that circumstances—and a misguided Kate—had torn them apart, until this summer.
“The important thing is that you’re together now. It’ll work out between you this time. I can see the love in your eyes.” She cupped Kate’s face with both hands. “Your father’s eyes.”
Kate wondered if she knew what Daddy had done to keep them apart, but didn’t want to put a damper on the visit. But she wanted Mom to understand why she hadn’t responded. “Mom, in late June, I found the letter you’d written to me for my twelfth birthday. It had been hidden behind the mirror in Daddy’s room. I had no idea you’d kept in touch.”
“Most of my letters were returned, but I didn’t know that one survived until recently.” Kate wondered if she’d meant to say now, but Mom continued. “I worried you’d want to have nothing to do with me.”
“It wasn’t like that at all!” More tears welled in Kate’s eyes. “I didn’t know you’d written to me until I found that letter.”
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to come back to you.”
Kate might never have another chance to understand what happened between her parents. “May I ask a question?”
Mom seemed wary, but nodded.
“Why’d you leave?”
“I was young and stupid. I felt tied down on that farm and missed the ocean. When I left, I had every intention of returning a few months later, just as I had the two previous times I’d run off to try and prove to my parents that I was now a stable person worthy of their love.”
“Wait—what?” Daddy had made it sound as though she’d run off to find herself, or to simply hang out on the beach. For years, Kate had tried to put herself in her mom’s shoes to understand her reason for deserting her and Daddy, but nothing on earth would have made Kate leave her daughter behind. Not in a million years.
Kate's Secret (Bluegrass Spirits Book 2) Page 42
