A Stolen Heart

by Beverley Hollowed

  “Emma now is not the time,” he replied. “And I am pretty sure he has struggled with his decision too, especially now.”

  “He?” she replied then it dawned on her who he was. A strange calmness came over her and she knew what she had to do. She picked up her coat and walked to the door.

  “Emma!” Zach called after her but she didn’t stop. She walked quickly to the stairs and hurried down them. When she reached the lower corridor she began to run.

  When she got out on the street she waved down a taxi and jumped inside. A short time later she reached her parents’ house. She hurried to the door and began banging on it till her Mom opened it.

  “Emma!” Helen exclaimed shocked to see her daughter standing at her door at this hour in the morning. “What is it, love? Is Mia ok?”

  “She is fine,” she replied distractedly as she pushed past her and hurried down the hall to the kitchen. “Where is Jack?”

  “He is up in bed,” Helen replied unsure why she would be looking for Jack this early. Emma didn’t wait to explain. She ran out into the hallway and shouted up the stairs.

  “JACK GET DOWN HERE NOW!” she yelled at the top of her voice.

  “Emma, what’s wrong? What has happened?” Helen asked as Emma marched back into the kitchen. Emma didn’t reply. She just paced up and down, waiting like a wild cat waiting for it prey.

  “What’s all the commotion?” Gerry asked, still half asleep, as he came into the kitchen a few minutes later.

  “I have no idea,” Helen replied. She watched Emma and got an uneasy feeling. This behaviour was so out of character for Emma. She almost seemed like a stranger to Helen.

  “Emma, what’s going on?” Gerry ask. “Why are you so upset?”

  “You will know soon enough,” she replied with venom in her voice.

  “What’s wrong?” Jack asked as he rushed into the kitchen followed closely by Jenna who Emma had also woken up. “Is Mia alright?”

  “Like you care,” Emma snapped back coldly, much to surprise of everyone else.

  “Emma, pet,” Helen said confused by her daughter’s behaviour. “What is it?”

  “Ask Jack?” she replied. “It seems he has all the answers?”

  “Emma!” he said completely unaware why she was so angry with him. “I am not sure what I have done...”

  “You tried to ruin my life!” she shouted. “You’re a liar and I will never forgive you for what you have done.”

  “Emma, love, clam down,” Helen said but Emma didn’t even seem to hear her.

  “We sat here, that night,” Emma continued. “I cried and I poured my soul out to you. The next day you pushed me. Come clean you said. If I loved someone else I should tell the truth. You made me feel so bad.”

  “Emma, I don’t know what I’ve done wrong!” Jack said once again.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked this time her voice quivered. She wasn’t going to cry. She had cried enough. She swallowed hard, the huge lump that was almost choking her. “You knew he didn’t abandon me. You knew he loved me and that I loved him but when he came here looking for me and you sent him away. You told him I picked Jonathan and that I didn’t love him”.

  Helen and Jenna both looked at Jack in disbelief.

  “How could you do that on her?” Jenna asked.

  “I... I didn’t” he replied and turned back to Emma. “I never met him until two nights ago. I swear.”

  “Well if you didn’t” Emma replied confused. She was so sure it was Jack. “Who did?”

  “I did,” Gerry said as he slumped down on a chair at the table.

  “Gerry, how could you?” Helen asked. Emma just looked at him in disbelief.

  “Dad?” Emma asked in shock. “How did you even know?”

  “I saw you that night on the pier” he explained “I had gone down to get a bag of chips for your Mam. And I saw you with him. I thought if Jonathan was here you would see sense and forget all about him. But when I asked him to come early you were still so distracted, I knew you were still with him. So I went to the pub to see if I could find him and have a chat you know, man to man, maybe make him see sense. But instead I met a young girl who seemed to know all about your...whatever it was. She told me about your plans to run away with him and I couldn’t stand by and watch you make such a horrible mistake. So this girl...”

  “Joanna” Emma replied feeling a little nauseous. She never imagined he would have been that involved.

  “She said she could fix it” he explained. “I thought was it just wedding nerves and you were making a decision you would regret for the rest of your life. And if he was out of the picture you would see sense and marry Jonathan, like you were supposed to and everything would be all right. I only wanted what was best for you. He was just a barman, Jonathan had such potential. He was the right one for you.”

  “That wasn’t you decision,” she replied coldly. ”You walked me down the aisle, you stood there knowing you had broken my heart. You knew he was the one I wanted but that didn’t matter to you and now his daughter is fighting for her life and he never had the chance to get to know her. He might never. You robbed him of that and you broke my heart.”

  “Emma please, stop,” Helen said trying to calm her daughter down. She was angry with Gerry too but she knew he honestly thought he was doing what was right.

  “No!” Emma snapped back and turned back to her father the tears dancing in her eyes. “I loved you so much. I never believed you, above anyone, could hurt me. But you have Dad, more then you will ever know.”

  “Emma” he said as tears pooled in his eyes. “I am sorry.”

  “If my daughter dies” Emma said suddenly her voice calm once again. “I will never forgive you for what you have taken from us.”

  “Emma,” Helen said shocked by what her daughter had said. Gerry didn’t reply he just sat in silence, staring at the table.

  Emma didn’t say another word she just walked out the door, slamming it behind her and climbed back into the taxi she had asked to wait for her.

  “Dad,” Jack said sitting down across from Gerry. “She is just upset, she will calm down and see you made a mistake. That you thought you were only trying to help.”

  “Thanks Son,” Gerry replied smiling at Jack. But in his heart he wasn’t so sure. He and Emma had always been so close but he had ruined that and he knew she could never look at him in the same way again. “But I don’t know if she will want to listen.”

  “Gerry,” Helen said as she sat down and took his hand. “I will talk to her.”

  Gerry smiled and looked up. He spotted Jenna who was standing nervously at the kitchen door.

  “You must think I am a terrible father,” he said and tried to smile.

  “I think what you did was wrong,” she replied honestly as she walked over and put her arm around him. “But I think you did what you thought was the best for her. I know she is angry but when she calms down she will see you did it because you loved her so much and she’ll see she is so lucky to have someone love her like that.”

  “Thank you Jenna,” he said with a smile and patted her hand. “You are a good girl.”

  He hoped she was right. He hoped Emma would see he did what he did because he wanted the best for her. She was his little girl and he loved her.

  Chapter 27

  When she got back to the hospital, she saw Zach sitting outside Mia’s room. Emma felt the terror boil up inside her. She ran to where he was sitting.

  “Zach, what is it?” she asked in a panicked voice. “Is Mia ok?”

  “She woke up,” Zach replied with a relieved smile on his face. “They are just going to remove her breathing tube. Her temperature has come down. They think she is going to be fine.”

  Emma hugged Zach. She was so relieved. She pulled away from Zach embrace and hurried into Mia room.

  “Hey sweetheart,” she said pulling a chair next to Mia’s bedside. “You gave Mammy such a fright.”

  “I’m thirs
ty,” she whispered still a little groggy.

  “Can she have something to drink?” Emma asked Dr. Stewart who was standing on the far side of the bed.

  “I will get the nurse to bring her a drink in a moment,” he replied as he continued to check Mia over.

  “She is going to be ok now?” Emma asked the doctor hopefully. “Isn’t she?”

  “Well she is still very weak,” he said with a big smile. “But, yes she seems to be out of danger now.”

  “Thank you so much Dr. Stewart,” Emma said shaking his hand.

  “She will probably be very sleepy on and off,” he explained. “We will keep her here for another couple of days, just to keep an eye on her.”

  “But she is fine?” Emma said bending down and kissing her daughter on the forehead.

  “Yes she is,” he replied. He looked at Zach and smiled. “She is going to be up and about in no time.”

  Zach didn’t reply he just smiled and shook the doctor’s hand.

  “You should ring home,” Zach said when they were left alone.

  “I will later,” she replied without looking at him. She didn’t want to think about that just then.

  “But I’m sure they are all very concerned about her,” he pushed.

  “I said I would in a while,” she snapped. As soon as she did she regretted it. She wasn’t angry with him so she shouldn’t take it out on him. “I’m sorry, I... I just don’t want to talk to them right now.”

  “Emma.” he said in a worried tone. “What happened when you went home?”

  “I had made a mistake. I thought you were talking about Jack.” she said still unable to look at Zach. “But I found out the truth when I got there.”

  “Emma, he’s your Dad,” Zach said sensing something had happened to upset her. “I am sure he thought that for whatever reason, he was doing what was right.”

  “I don’t care,” she said. But the truth was she did care. She thought about some of the things she had said to him and how angry she was and she remembered the look on his face. She knew he was devastated by her words. They were cruel and mean and so out of character for her and the truth was she regretted most of the things she had said as soon as she had said it but she was angry. And she wanted to hurt him like she had been hurt.

  He had to be told. She was still angry with him but she wished she hadn’t of been so cruel to him.

  He walked over and sat on the chair next to her.

  “I think you do care,” he said softly as he took her hand.

  “I was so horrible to him,” she sobbed suddenly. “I thought it was Jack you spoke to and I went charging in there ready to kill him. But then when my dad told me it was him. At first I was shocked but then I just lost it. I was so angry and I was cruel. I have never been cruel to anyone in my life before.”

  “I am sure he knew you were just upset,” Zach replied.

  “You didn’t see his face Zach,” she said. “I know I should be angry with him. And I am, I really am but he is my dad. I look at her lying there and there is nothing I wouldn’t do for her. I know he was wrong but...”

  “But he is your dad and you love him,” Zach said finishing her sentence. “Maybe you should ring home. Tell them about Mia.”

  “But I am scared,” she replied. “I am afraid they will never forgive me for what I have said.”

  “You have nothing to be scared of,” he reassured her. “They are your family and they love you.”

  “I can’t,” she whispered

  “Do you want me to call them?” Zach asked her. “Just to tell them she is ok.”

  “Would you do that?” Emma asked him.

  “Sure,” he replied and smiled warmly at her.

  Emma gave him the number and he left her alone to go outside and call her family. Emma watched him through the door and tried to read what was happening by the expression on his face.

  “What did they say?” she asked as soon as he walked back in the room.

  “They’re very relieved” he said sitting down next to her. “I was talking to your Mom. She wanted to know were you ok. I told her you were a little upset and that you just needed a little bit of time. I promised I would get you to call home in a little while.”

  “Ok,” Emma replied. “Thanks Zach.”

  They sat side by side and watched Mia sleep. But this time it was a more restful sleep and Emma was so relieved her little girl was going to be ok.

  A couple of hours passed before Mia woke up. When she did she turned to Emma and smiled.

  “Hey sweetie,” Emma said leaning forward and stroking the hair from her little face. “How are you feeling”?

  “I want Grandad,” she whispered. Emma felt a knot in her stomach.

  “He will be here soon,” Emma lied.

  “Well maybe Mommy should go and call Grandad and ask him to come,” Zach said as he leaned on the bed next to her. Emma turned and looked at him. “You promised.”

  “Okay,” she said reluctantly and got up from her chair and went out to the phone outside the room and dialled in her parent’s number. It rang and rang but there was no answer.

  Emma hung up and phone and waited for a moment and dialled the number again. Again there was no answer.

  “How did it go?” Zach asked when she returned to the room.

  “There was no answer,” she said as she sat down on the chair next to Mia’s bed. Mia had drifted of back to sleep.

  “Maybe they are on their way here,” Zach suggested. Emma’s face dropped as her heart started to race. She wasn’t ready to face them and she didn’t want a big scene in front of Mia. Sensing her panic Zach took her hand and reassured her. “Don’t worry I will be here with you.”

  Emma kept looking at her watch and kept checking the door. But there was no sign of her Mum and Dad or anyone from the house. She tried calling again but still there was no answer. She wondered where they could have gotten to. They were still looking after Lily and she couldn’t imagine them bringing her out so early in the morning.

  After a couple of hours had passed she was really starting to worry. She was just about to call again when she saw Jack make his way down the corridor. Straight away she sensed just from the look on his face she wasn’t going to like what he was here to say to her.

  “Jack,” Emma said nervously when he reached where she was standing.

  “How is Mia?” he asked looking through the glass panel on the door.

  “She is going to be fine,” Emma replied following his gaze to Mia, who was fast asleep in her bed. “She has started to respond to the antibiotics. Her temperature has come down and she is doing much better. I was trying to ring the house but there was no answer.”

  Jack stared nervously at Mia and Emma was aware he was avoiding eye contact with her. She knew she had hurt him and she realized she hadn’t apologized for what had happened earlier.

  “Jack,” she said as the hot tears suddenly began to sting her eyes. “About earlier, I am so sorry I blamed you for what had happened. It was just Zach said he had talked to someone at the house and he wouldn’t tell me who, I jumped to the conclusion and thought since you were the only one who knew.”

  “Emma, forget about it,” he said abruptly cutting her off. He briefly met her gaze but quickly turned back toward Mia. “It doesn’t matter, not now.”

  “Why?” she asked as a fresh wave of panic swept over her. She knew Jack almost as well as she knew herself and she knew when something was wrong with him. “Jack, you’re scaring me. Why not now? What’s wrong?”

  Jack turned to her and looked her in the eyes properly for the first time since he got there. Tears were dancing in his eyes.

  “It’s Dad,” he replied.

  “I know I was hard on him earlier Jack,” she replied. “But I was angry and I was hurt. But I didn’t mean what I said. He knows that, I love him. I was trying to call him but there was no answer but I promise I am going to apologize.”

  “Emma that’s not why I’m here,” h
e said wiping a tear from his cheek.

  “Why are you here then?” she asked.

  “Dad had a heart attack,” Jack told her. His words washed over her like a tidal wave.

  “But... but he is... is ok?” she asked trying to remain calm but failing miserably.

  “We eh... we called an ambulance” he replied once again unable to look her in the face. “They brought him here. They did all they could do but it just wasn’t enough.”

  “But he is ok?” she asked again but in her heart, she already knew the answer.

  “No,” he said unable to stifle a sob. “Emma, he is gone.”

  “No!” Emma cried as Jack pulled her to him and held her tightly. “No!”

  Zach, who had been sitting beside Mia’s bed and had been watching Emma’s interaction with her brother, was now at the door of the room

  “Emma?” he said confused by the scene that was unfolding in front of her. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “It’s my Dad” she said as Jack released her from his arms and she quickly she brushed the tears from her eyes. Suddenly she became strangely calm and seemed a little disconnected. “He is dead.”

  “Emma I am so sorry,” Zach said and reach out to her but she pulled back.

  “Mommy,” Mia cried from her bed. Emma calmly walked past Zach and into her little girl. She wrapped her arms around her little girl and pulled her closer to her and kissed her softly.

  “I am here sweetheart,” Emma said and smiled brightly at Mia. “Mommy is here.”

  Chapter 28

  The church was packed to capacity on the sunny Tuesday morning. The Kelly family sat on the front row of the church and listen as Fr. Sullivan talked about Gerry Kelly. Someone he had known well since he had come to the parish sixteen years earlier as a young priest. He talked about how completely devoted to his family he was. About how proud he was of he three children and his three grandchildren, and how Helen was the love of his life.

  He talked about the close relationship he shared with each of his children. About how he and Jack were more like friends, rather then, father and son. How they could be seen regularly sitting side by side on the stools at the bar in O’Grady’s.