by Rhea Wilde
“I’ll wait out here,” Noah said.
“Do you know what this is all about?” I asked.
“No. You know I don’t talk to him very much.”
“Well, maybe you should.”
“Yeah,” he said, looking away from me. “Maybe I should.”
I left Noah by himself then stepped inside of the coffee shop. It didn’t take me long to find him sitting at a table in the corner of the store. The richest man in the city stuck out wherever he went.
I walked up to him and he looked up from the phone he was browsing.
“Hello, Lee.”
“Sheila. Please. Have a seat.”
Lee extended a hand out to me and I took a seat at the table across from him. He looked different. I’d known him for years but he wasn’t the man I knew when we were teenagers. He was a completely different person. It wasn’t the age. It wasn’t the money. It was me. I was the one who changed and now Lee was just a man who happened to be the father of my boyfriend.
“You wanna mind telling me what this is all about?” I asked.
“I made a few phone calls. I talked to some people. It wasn’t easy, even for someone like me.”
“What wasn’t easy?”
“I managed to get you another meeting.”
“A meeting? With who?”
Lee shifted his eyes up and looked at something next to me. I didn’t even notice the woman standing next there. It was as if she appeared out of nowhere. A slender brunette woman about my age stood there, lowering her shades with a soft smile upon her lips.
“Hello, Sheila,” she said.
“Mrs. Barnett.”
“Alice. Call me Alice.”
“Sure.”
I looked back at Lee and he had a half-smirk on his face. I wasn’t sure what to think but I knew I wasn’t going to complain. If anything, I was too shocked to speak about what was happening.
“I’ll let you two talk,” Lee said. “I’ll be waiting outside.”
“Your son is out there,” I said. “Maybe you should talk to him.”
“Is he?” he said, looking out the window. “Maybe I should. Mrs. Barnett.”
Lee bowed his head to Alice then excused himself. Alice took Lee’s place and sat right in front of me. It was hard to believe a woman worth billions sat right in front of me again. Something about her made her seem down-to-earth. She didn’t have any of the arrogance you might have expected from someone like her.
“How are you?” she asked. “How have you been?”
“I’m… I’m fine,” I sighed. “It’s been a long week.”
“I’m sure it has. I read about the incident in the news right after it happened. How is everything?”
“Everything is going well, I suppose. Castle and all of the men associated with him are looking at a guaranteed conviction and a long prison sentence.”
“That’s good to hear. You know, Castle and his ilk were part of the reason my husband and I left in the first place.”
“I don’t blame you. He was a problem but he wasn’t your problem to fix.”
“Perhaps. Perhaps not. There’s no point in contemplating it now.”
“Yeah…”
I looked down at the table, rubbing my hands together to control my nerves.
“Do I make you nervous?” she asked.
I looked up and she had a friendly smile on her face.
“No,” I said. “No, you don’t… Well, maybe a little. But it’s more about the fact I don’t know what this is about.”
“Ah, I see. You know, you really shouldn’t be nervous. Everybody would assume we’re different, including you, simply because of the money. But we’re not. You and I are the same person, Sheila.”
“What makes you say that?”
She smiled politely at me.
“How is the city doing?”
“What?”
“How is the city?” she repeated. “I imagine that with Castle gone, things are better.”
“Things are better. It feels as if there are fewer drugs on the streets for one. It feels a little safer at night, too. But there’s still room for improvement.”
“There’s always room for improvement.”
“Indeed.”
“And you’re the one that’s going to do it.”
“Hmm?”
I squinted my eyes at her slightly, unsure of what she was getting at. She wore that same smile upon her face as she leaned forward across the table closer to me.
“The last time we spoke, you told me this city needed help,” she said. “And you needed me to make a private donation. I told you there would be no point. It would just be throwing money away.”
“I remember.”
“You proved me wrong. After I read about what happened, I knew things were changing for the better. Lee told me you were directly involved. That’s when I knew you were the person I needed to speak to.”
“Alice…”
“I’m going to make a donation your shelter. Not a lot. Just enough to get you started. I want to see how you put the funding to use and then we’ll see from there. How does that sound?”
“I…”
I looked down at the table, shaking my head in disbelief. It all felt like a joke.
“Alice, I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. You’ve already said enough. You’ve already done enough.”
“Right,” I sighed. “Alice, you don’t know how much this means to me, how much this means to everybody. Thank you.”
“No, Sheila. Thank you.”
Alice stood up from the table then shook my hand. She started to walk away but stopped in her tracks.
“I told you this city was a part of me,” she said. “Do you remember?”
“I do.”
“It’s a part of you, too. Don’t ever forget that.”
She placed her hand on my shoulder for just a second before excusing herself. I watched her leave then sat at the table for a few seconds, still in disbelief.
It hadn’t registered. I’d gotten something I didn’t even ask for but needed. It took me a few minutes before I was finally able to gather myself and leave.
When I stepped outside, Noah and Lee were waiting for me. The two appeared to be having a conversation but stopped when they saw me.
“So?” Lee asked. “How did it go?”
“It went… It went as well as it could go. She’s willing to provide some funding for the shelter.”
“That’s great!” Noah chimed in.
He walked up to me and squeezed his arms around me.
“We should probably get back there,” he said. “They’ll wanna hear about this.”
“Yeah, we should go. Are you coming along?” I asked Lee.
Lee looked at me then at his son. A slight smile appeared on his face.
“Sure,” Lee said. “I could use the exercise.”
The three of us walked down the sidewalk back to the shelter together. I’m sure it was a strange sight for everybody who saw us. A younger man with an older woman accompanied by a multi-millionaire. A strange combination even in a city like New Gardens.
Noah held my hand in his as we walked. We’d gone a few blocks before I finally decided to ask him.
“What was it you two were talking about?” I asked.
I looked at Noah then at Lee. Neither of them said anything at first.
“You have to tell me,” I said.
“Well,” Noah started. “To tell you the truth, we haven’t talked very much over the years. But you were right. It’s about time we did.”
“I told Noah the truth,” Lee explained.
“The truth? The truth about what?”
“The truth about his mother. The truth about me. I didn’t know how he was going to take it. That didn’t matter. Just as long as he knows everything instead of the details he gleaned over the years. He deserves to know.”
“Yeah… Yeah, he does.”
W
e walked the rest of the way without saying anything else. Each of us had a lot on our minds and the sun was already making it too hard to think. When we arrived back at the shelter, Lee looked up at the sign hanging from above.
“I suppose it’s time for me to provide a private donation as well,” he said. “Now that one of this city’s major ills is cured.”
“You don’t have to,” I said.
“I know. But it’s the right thing to do.”
Lee turned his attention to Noah, who was standing next to me with his arm around my shoulder.
“I don’t expect you to forgive me for what I did,” he said. “Maybe if things were different your mother would still be here and you wouldn’t have had to go through what you did. For that I’m sorry. But I’m here now. I’m always here if you need me. I’m just a phone call away.”
“Yeah,” Noah said.
“We should get together some time. Maybe have dinner.”
“Yeah… Yeah, that’d be nice.”
Lee looked at me. His eyes shifted up and down like he was examining me.
“You make a good couple,” he said with a chuckle. “I suppose things worked out for the best. You know, if you two end up getting married, I’ll be your father-in-law. You think you can handle that, Sheila?”
“I never thought of it that way,” I responded. “But yeah. I think I can. I’ve already been hating you for the past twenty years.”
“Ha!”
Lee burst into laughter and Noah did the same. It was a nice feeling having them both with me, smiling and having a good time. Just then, a white limo pulled up alongside the curb in front of the shelter.
“I suppose I should be going now,” Lee said. “A lot of work needs to get done. Have a good day, Sheila.”
He reached his hand out to Noah.
“I’ll talk to you soon, son.”
Noah looked down at his father’s hand for a moment before shaking it.
“Yeah,” Noah said. “I’ll see you around… Dad.”
Lee nodded his head to him then disappeared into the abyss of the limo. The white limousine turned everybody’s heads as it moved down the street before turning around the corner.
Noah turned his attention to me. He leaned his head down, kissing my lips softly before whispering to me.
“I love you.”
I looked up into his eyes and knew he meant it.
“Yeah… I love you, too.”
Epilogue: A New Dawn
One week later…
I dug into the soil, feeling it give as I pushed my spade into it. It brought back fond memories of a time long ago but still fresh in my thoughts.
“Don’t work too hard now. It’s your first time.”
“It’s not my first time.”
I looked up at Max and saw him observing me like an old sage, his arms crossed and his fingers touching his chin. I chuckled softly at him then turned my attention back to the dirt.
“I was in China,” I said. “It was a small town. A village. They were farmers. I watched them work. These days everything is automated. They’ve got machines and robots that do all of the work. These people were different though. They did it the old-fashioned way.”
“That’s how you gotta do it sometimes. There’s nothing quite like getting your hands dirty.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice.”
“Once the summer’s over, we’re gonna have a real nice harvest in the fall. Some real nice fruit and vegetables. Maybe we’ll even have some pumpkins in time for Halloween.”
“I guess we’d better hurry up then. There isn’t much time and they’re going to need a lot of it to grow.”
“Patience, Sheila. We’ll get there. With enough hard work and care, we’ll have a full garden. The best garden at any shelter. Hell, the best garden in any part of the city.”
“Let’s make it happen.”
Max finally decided to join me in tilling the rest of the soil. Some of the other residents were just beginning to plant their seeds. Others were watering and maintaining that which had already started to grow.
It was the middle of the summer. It was easy to tell just from how much everybody was sweating. But nobody was complaining. There were determined looks on everybody’s faces. Smiles, too. Conversations were light-hearted and friendly. You wouldn’t have known these people were down on their luck and down in life. Being around them made me realize what was important.
“Sheila.”
I looked up when I heard my name. Marie was standing near the doorway to the entrance back into the shelter.
“Hey, Marie,” I said with a smile. “How can I help you?”
I noticed something strange. Marie had two moods. She was either wildly excited because something good had happened. Or she was stern and stone-faced like a parent. Right now, she was neither of those.
I walked up to her and noticed the concern on her face. I wasn’t sure what to make of it.
What is it this time?
“There’s someone here to see you,” she said.
“Who?”
“I don’t know. He looks like a cop.”
“A cop?”
I couldn’t imagine why a cop would need to speak to me. The Castle incident was over. I could only assume they wanted to talk to me about my potential testimony but that was months away.
“Where is he?” I asked.
“He’s out front. He’s waiting near the entrance.”
“I’ll go see what this is about. Relax, Marie. It’ll be fine.”
I made my way through the shelter, wondering what it was this time. When I got there, I saw an officer in his uniform standing with his back turned to me. I approached him and he turned around. A sense of relief washed over me when I realized who it was.
“Officer Dion?”
It was hard to recognize him. The swelling on his face had gone down just enough for me to see the same face that had been following me while everything was happening. His arm was in a sling. Despite his state, he looked well, all things considered.
“Miss Cooper,” he said as he nodded his head. “It’s good to see you.”
“Yeah… It’s good to see you, too. I’d give you a hug but I don’t want to mess anything up.”
“That’s all right,” he said with a smile. “I understand.”
“How are you doing?”
“Well,” he sighed. “I got lucky. Those guys, those bikers, got me to the emergency room just in time. I was in surgery for awhile but they managed to save me.”
I looked down at the ground, remembering the moment it happened.
“I’ve never seen it before,” I said. “I’ve never seen someone get… shot. I don’t think it’s something I could get used to.”
“It’s not something you’re supposed to get used to.”
“Yeah,” I said, turning my head back up. “You know, I really thought you were a goner there.”
“Me, too. Everybody made it though. Even Detective Holmes. I figure we’re all still alive because our job isn’t finished.”
“You have to go back to work? Like that?”
“Nah,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve got some time off to recover. After that, it’s desk duty for a few months. I’m gonna be pushing pencils for a good amount of time. No active duty for me.”
“It sounds like you’re gonna enjoy it.”
“I think you’re gonna enjoy it even more. You probably won’t have to deal with me stalking you again.”
“Yeah… I suppose that’s a good thing.”
He smiled politely at me. Officer Dion had been through as much as I had. He was on the right side. He was one of the good guys. I was glad he’d been there.
I moved forward and gently wrapped my arms around him, trying not to squeeze any of the injuries he had.
“Thank you,” I whispered into his ear.
I pulled away from him and saw him smiling politely at me.
“Oh, before I forget, there’s someone her
e to see you.”
“Oh? Who is it?”
“I was at the hospital and they needed a ride. I figured I was heading in this direction anyway, so…”
“And?”
“They’re waiting outside for you.”
Officer Dion turned around to walk outside. I followed just behind him, wondering who it was. I was greeted by a blinding sun. It was so bright I almost didn’t see her.
A young girl stood near the police cruiser in front of the shelter. She stood there sheepishly like she always was. Her eyes were wide open, a subtle smile on her face.
Officer Dion stepped to the side as I slowly approached the girl. It was like seeing a ghost.
“…Kimmy?”
“Hi, Miss Cooper.”
The sound of her voice was surreal. I blinked my eyes to make sure I wasn’t hearing things. I didn’t know how to respond. I just stared at her, trying to make sure she was real.
“Kimmy? Is it… Is it really you?”
I reached forward and put my hands around her. I squeezed her tight. Despite her pale appearance, she was warm and full of life. I sighed a deep breath as I hugged her, still unable to comprehend everything that had happened.
I pulled away from her and looked her in the eyes, my hands around her arms.
“What happened?” I said. “You were still… You were still asleep.”
“The doctors have been monitoring me for a few days now since I woke up. They said everything should be fine. I can only visit you for a few minutes before I have to go back. They said they want to do a few more tests. They said I need to get my health back up.”
“You were gone for a long time.”
“I know… I feel fine and they say I’m fine, so it looks like I’ll be back at the shelter in a few days.”
“I’m… I’m so proud of you, Kimmy.”
“Miss Cooper?” she asked.
“Yes? What is it?”
“I’m… I’m sorry. I’m sorry about what happened. I’m sorry that I worried you.”
“Oh, Kimmy…”
I reached forward again and wrapped my arms around her. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. I squeezed my eyes shut as they began to glaze over.
“It’s not your fault,” I whispered to her. “It was never your fault. Everything is going to be okay from now on. I’ll always be here for you.”
I looked at her. The innocence on her face made it hard for me to look her in the eye. But knowing she was all right filled me with an indescribable sense of relief.
