Kris couldn’t help blurting out, “What an incredibly selfish thing you did…”
It was an emotional reflex when Jack reached out to touch her hand; the correctional officer’s slight movement and grunt quickly reminded him of the prison’s “no touching during visitation” rule.
Jack withdrew his hand, which trembled now against his will. “Yes… it was… it was a very selfish act on our part, but you have to realize that we were desperate… so very desperate to be a family before Susan died. We both knew she didn’t have long. She actually lasted longer than I thought she would; her cancer was so far advanced by the time they discovered it. Anyway… I really thought that we could take the baby, pretend to be a family for a couple of months, and then… I don’t know… return her to you… or to a church, or a hospital. We really did not plan it out all that carefully, other than to move to Tampa right away. I see now, in hindsight, that we probably should have left Florida altogether, but…”
Kris interrupted him. “That day in December… when Amanda and I came to your house… to Amanda’s house… I still can’t believe that I was within arm’s distance of my baby.”
Jack nodded. “I actually thought we had been found out when I saw the two of you standing at the door. I had already made my peace with God about it and hoped for mercy on the court’s part. I was in total disbelief when I didn’t see any police cars with you that day. I think we convinced ourselves that day that it must be God’s will for us to keep the baby rather than return her to you.”
“The baby was sleeping that day,” Kris remembered. “I couldn’t see her face, but I remember the head full of black hair. Amanda and I talked later about the baby being small for her age. I think I was still in a state of denial back then, and all I wanted was to get as far away from your baby as possible. It was too painful a reminder of what I had lost, or rather, what had been taken from me.”
There was a moment of silence between them before Jack spoke again. “I’m very sorry for that…” his voice cracked as tears formed in his eyes. “What we did to you was a horrible, horrible thing. No parent should ever have to go through something like that. If I could turn back time, I would never have allowed it to happen. You know… it wasn’t even Susan’s idea. In fact, she fought me on it at first, but I managed to persuade her that we would be doing what was right for the baby… that the baby needed her more than it needed you, and quite frankly, in her condition… well, it wasn’t hard to convince her that it was the right decision.” A lone tear rolled down Jack’s face. “Please, Miss DeVone… I’m sorry… Mrs. Hall. Please don’t think badly of Susan. All she ever wanted was to be a mother. She was a good person, truly she was…”
Kris remained silent and watched as the tears flowed down Jack Peterson’s thinning face. He had aged considerably since she had last seen him in the courtroom. She could only imagine what prison life must be like for someone like him. She continued to watch him and tried to rebirth the revengeful feelings she had when Charlotte Grace had first been abducted; but, those feelings of hate, anger, and revenge were gone. She knew in her heart that God had taken them away. She had prayed time and time again for that to happen.
Jack’s folded hands trembled upon the prison table.
Kris slowly reached out and placed her hand upon his. She saw, out of the corner of her eye, the guard move in their direction. She looked over at the guard with a silent plea evident in her eyes. They stared at each other for a moment before the guard nodded and moved back to his position at the door.
Kris enveloped Jack Peterson’s hands, within her own, and felt them tremble. She had no way of knowing that this was the first kind touch he had received since Charlotte Grace had released her grip on his finger eight months ago. “I believe you, Mr. Peterson…”
Jack opened his eyes and stared into the forgiving eyes he never expected to see. He was overwhelmed with emotion at the genuine kindness in her voice. “You do?”
Kris nodded. “Yes, I do. Your wife was a very sick woman. You loved her more than you cherished your own life. For the first time in my life, I understand that kind of love… I would do anything to protect my child and my husband.”
“You have every reason to hate me,” Jack cried openly. “I have prayed for your forgiveness from the moment I knocked you down in the parking lot that day… I don’t deserve it.”
“Maybe you don’t,” Kris answered back. “But I’ve been praying for the strength to forgive you. I honestly didn’t think I had it in me to forgive you for what you did. I wanted you to rot in jail for what you put me through, but…”
Jack shook his head, “Oh, no… you’re right to think that. I should rot in jail for what I did. I deserve this punishment. I only hope that God forgives me and that I am not condemned to Hell for what I did.”
“Well…” Kris sighed. “I’m pretty new to all this God and religion stuff, but the God I’m learning about is not a vengeful God. If you have truly prayed for His forgiveness, I don’t think you have to worry about going to Hell.”
“God’s forgiveness is what’s most important to me…” Jack agreed. “But, I had also hoped that one day you might be able to forgive me… and Susan, for what we did.”
Kris stared at Jack Peterson for several moments before, finally, releasing the tears that she been holding in. “That’s why I’m here today, Mr. Peterson. I needed to let you know that I do forgive you, and I forgive your wife. I… uh… also want you to know that I intend to speak to your attorney before I leave town. I want him to know that when the time comes… when you come up for parole… that I will be willing to stand on your behalf in front of the Parole Board.”
Jack was dumbfounded. “You would do that?”
“Yes… I will do that,” Kris smiled back at him. “I… I also have something for you.”
Jack used the back of his hand to wipe away his tears. He sighed deeply as a sense of peace and hope came over him… the first feeling of hope he had experienced in months. “For me?”
Kris stood up and retrieved an envelope from her jacket pocket. She looked over at the guard and waited for his nod of approval. “I thought this might help you get through the next few months. I’ll send you some more later on… until you get released.”
Jack looked at the offered envelope. He reached across the table and took it from Kris. He didn’t think he had any tears left but he was wrong. He cried openly when he pulled the picture of Charlotte Grace from the envelope.
“It was taken this morning,” Kris said. “My daughter and I were baptized this morning.”
“Oh, that is wonderful news…” Jack cried. “Look at her, how big she’s gotten. She is so beautiful…” He stared at Kris and smiled, “Just like her mother…”
Kris wiped away her own tears. “I thought it might help. I want to thank you for taking such good care of her while you had her.”
“She’s going to grow up to be a very special person…” Jack whispered.
“She already is,” Kris smiled.
A brief, but comfortable, silence followed before Kris continued. “There is one more thing, Mr. Peterson… something else I have prayed about. If you want to, I’d like for you to be a part of Charlotte’s life, to watch her grow up. I know a lot of people would think I’ve lost my mind to offer you an olive branch like this one, but I think it’s what God wants me to do.”
Jack put his head on the table and did not try to repress the giant sobs that shook his entire body. “I don’t deserve this…” he choked.
“Maybe not,” Kris answered back, suppressing her own sobs, “Maybe not… but I think Charlotte and Susan deserve it…”
There was another comfortable moment of silence between them before Kris cleared her throat.
“You know, an old man… his name is Amos… told me a few weeks ago that people come into our lives for a reason… some for a reason… and others for only a season, I believe he said. He told me that you and your wife came into my life for a reason
. I believe, now, that had you not taken my baby from me that day, I never would have found my way to God. I truly believe that’s the reason it all happened the way it did.”
Jack reached across the table for her hand and smiled. “Would you pray with me, Mrs. Hall?”
Kris returned the smile. “It’s Kris… you can call me, Kris.” She stood up and walked around to his side of the table. She watched the correctional officer watching them and nodded silent thanks to him while the unlikely duo knelt side by side, holding hands inside a prison visitation room, and prayed to their God.
When Kris stood to leave, she reached over and hugged Jack Peterson. “Take care of yourself, Mr. Peterson.”
Jack released her hands and held Charlotte’s picture close to his heart. “I will, Kris. God bless you…”
Kris looked back at him as she turned to leave. “He already has.”
CHAPTER 39
Farewell Celebration
Dean and Kris rode in companionable silence after they left the prison.
He knew that she needed some time to herself, to digest everything that had happened in her meeting with Jack Peterson. He turned on the radio and rolled down the window. The warm October air felt good blowing against his face. He glanced upward at the clear sky and offered God a silent prayer of thanks for this particular day. His wife and daughter had been baptized and officially welcomed into the family of God; that event had been heartfelt enough, but he knew that an even more emotional time was awaiting them. They would be gathering at the Heavenly Grille to, not only celebrate the baptisms, but to also say their good-byes to friends who had become like family to them over the past few months. That would be a very hard thing to do.
They were within a few miles of the café when Kris turned to look at her husband. “I forgave him, you know?”
Dean nodded. “I know. I thought you would. It was the right thing to do, Kris.”
Kris smiled and looked down at her folded hands. “I did something else… something you might not be too thrilled about.”
Dean raised his eyebrows and grinned. “I’m listening…”
Kris took a deep breath, still in a state of shell-shock herself, “I told him I wanted him to be a part of Charlotte’s life when he gets out…” When he didn’t reply and she couldn’t read the expression on his face, Kris continued, “Dean? Say something… please…”
Dean rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand. “Well,” he sighed, “I guess that depends on how much a part of Charlotte’s life you intend him to be. I mean… should I be clearing out the room that’s going to be my office and turning it into a spare bedroom for him…” He tried to convey a serious expression, but the upward curve of a smile gave him away.
Kris slapped him on the arm. “No, silly! I mean, I don’t know what his plans are when he’s released, but wherever he is, I want him to know that he will be welcomed in our home to visit her any time he wants. I intend to send him regular pictures of Charlotte so that he can watch her grow up.”
“I think that’s very… generous… of you, Kris. Have you given any thought to whether or not you’ll ever tell Charlotte about what happened to her… tell her the truth about Jack and Susan Peterson?”
Kris nodded. “I probably will, when she’s older. I’m not sure how she’ll feel about the whole thing, but I’m hoping that by then, she will have come to know Jack Peterson better. I want to get to know him better, too. Does that make me some sort of sicko, or something? I mean what person in their right mind would want their kidnapper to be a part of their lives?”
“Well,” Dean smiled. “It’s definitely not the typical reaction you’d expect from the mother of a child who had been kidnapped, but… well, you’ve come a long way, spiritually, in the last few months, Kris. I’m very proud of you. I can honestly say, though, that I don’t know if most women, put in your shoes, could be as forgiving.”
“I can’t worry about what other people will think; that will be their problem. It’s just that, well… something about the man just screams out to me. I don’t know how to explain it. I mean, he has no one in his life… no one. That was me a year or so ago. It was an awful, awful feeling, and I wouldn’t wish that feeling on anyone.”
Dean reached over and took her hand. “You will never walk alone again, Kris… never.”
They pulled into the parking lot of the Heavenly Grille and Kris leaned over and kissed her husband. “What did I do to become so lucky… I’m going to hold you to that promise, you know!”
Dean laughed. “What makes you think luck had anything to do with it all? I knew from the first moment I saw you that I wanted you in my life.”
Kris’ shocked expression was genuine. “You’re kidding! Now wait a minute; if I remember correctly, I was ragged-looking, crying, abandoned, and seven months pregnant at the time.”
Dean nodded. “Yep… you were… and you were absolutely the most beautiful person I’d ever seen before in my life.”
“Now, who’s the sicko! Remind me to keep you away from pregnant women!” Kris laughed as she kissed him again. “Come on, let’s get inside. Our little girl is waiting for us.”
A festive, celebratory mood filled the Heavenly Grille café this particular Sunday afternoon.
Charlotte Grace was relatively new to walking and, at times, still preferred to crawl; she got to where she wanted to go, quicker, that way. She was crawling around the dining room, pulling herself up at each and every booth she came to. Every so often she would look back to make sure her Aunt Amanda was within sight.
Amanda was on her own knees, following the baby’s every move to make sure she didn’t fall too hard. Charlotte Grace laughed out loud every time Amanda crawled toward her. She evidently thought it was a game.
Doug was behind the counter blowing up what, seemed to him, must be hundreds of blue and white balloons. Naturally, he never ran out of air, so the mountain of balloons grew quickly. He kept one eye on the balloons and another on Charlotte Grace, the little girl who had captured his heart from day one.
Ever since they had brought her home six months ago, Doug had not been far from her side. He felt the strangest connection to the baby and knew instinctively that God intended for him to be her guardian angel through life, and beyond. He wasn’t sure how he would pull it off as the years went by, but he was equally confident that he would find a way to be a constant source of influence in her life. He may have to learn how to apply makeup in order to appear older as the years went by, but he knew he would find a way. Given permission to do so, he might even be able to tell her the truth about who he was.
Amos Brown was carrying paper plates and cups to the long table set up at the far end of the room. He was watching Doug watch the baby, and smiled his toothless grin. “She gonna be a hand full, that one is…”
Doug grinned back at him, wondering how long the old man had been watching his reactions to the baby. “She’s already a hand full, Amos.”
Amos stopped beside Doug on his way back from placing the plates and cups. “You thinks she’ll ever guess the truth about you, Mr. Doug?”
Doug smiled. “What do you think, Amos?”
Amos looked over at the precocious one-year old. He raised his eyebrows in shock when the child suddenly turned and seemed to stare directly into his soul. When she giggled and moved on to the next booth, he looked back at Doug. “Well, sir… somethin’ tells me that child may already knows the truth… yessirree…”
Doug glanced back at Charlotte Grace and could have sworn the child winked at him. “Oh my, God… you may be right, Amos…”
The two men laughed in unison as Amanda caught up to Charlotte Grace and tickled her relentlessly.
Bertie sashayed from the kitchen carrying a large pan of Max’s custard-bread pudding. She placed it on the table next to the plates and cups. On her way back to the kitchen, she made a quick detour, swooped up Charlotte Grace, and danced around the room with her.
Charlotte Grace laughed ou
t loud as she was twirled around and around. Her chin-length red curls bounced around her head as she held tightly to Bertie’s extended finger.
Kris and Dean sat shoulder to shoulder in their favorite booth by the front door. Kris looked down at the gold wedding band on her left hand and closed her eyes in quiet satisfaction. It seemed like everything had happened so fast.
Dean’s proposal had come almost immediately upon Charlotte Grace’s safe return. Kris never hesitated in accepting that proposal; and, their friends all gathered to celebrate their marriage two months later.
Dean subsequently began the process of formally adopting Charlotte Grace as his own child, with hopes that she would have at least two or three more siblings to boss around in the years to come. His request for a transfer to Tampa had been approved, and he considered himself to be the luckiest man alive.
Mrs. Brooks stood beside Max in the kitchen and admired his cooking skills. She was taking notes on how he prepared his country ribs and sauerkraut. She didn’t even mind the out-of-tune whistling she had to endure while taking notes. “I hope you don’t mind me watching you cook, Max,” she smiled up at him. “It’s just that I’ve never had ribs and sauerkraut cooked together like this, and it smells absolutely heavenly.”
Max stopped whistling and grinned as he handed her a large spoon. “Here you go, Ida. Why don’t you take a little sample and let me know what you think.”
“Oh, my goodness,” Ida laughed, “Well, I don’t mind if I do.”
Back in the dining area, Kris looked around at all the people who had come to mean so much to her and Charlotte Grace. Her life had changed so much in the past year. She felt like pinching herself to make sure that this was really her life she was experiencing. She didn’t know what she had done to be so lucky in God’s grace, but she never failed to count her blessings each and every day. She sighed and laid her head on Dean’s shoulder. “I’m going to miss all of them, and this place, so very much.”
The Heavenly Grille Café Page 24
