Kelly had to smile, but her heart was breaking.
“I grew in my mom’s heart,” Megan added. “That’s better than her belly, you know.”
“It is,” Kelly said. “Although you can have both, you know.”
“I know,” Megan said, sipping on her Coke and looking thoughtful. “You and Mom could be friends.”
“I think we are.”
“She likes you,” Megan said. “I can tell by the way she says nice things about you.”
“I like her, too.”
When they pulled up to the Sparkses’ lakeside mansion, Megan asked Kelly to wait while she ran inside to ask permission. She came out minutes later. “My mom says it’s okay!”
Kelly gave Megan her cell number.
“See you later!” Megan announced, skipping back up the stairs and bounding inside, and Kelly’s heart constricted at the bond they’d forged in such a short time. My daughter.
The following weeks were hectic, as usual, as Nattie dove back into school—“Fourth grade is so much harder, Dad!” At home, Nattie did her homework on the table while Jack read, surfed on his tablet, or gave her assistance. In spite of the tumultuous summer, the tears and fears of last year had all but dissipated. “Nattie’s more resilient than we think,” Laura had told him.
They still ate popcorn on Friday nights during their movie date, continuing their tradition, no matter how many school friends vied for Nattie’s attention, but it felt bittersweet. Kelly’s absence was keenly felt, and Laura’s presence seemed to linger in the atmosphere.
For a while after Kelly’s departure, Jack had been given Bear Bear to sleep with, until Nattie decided he didn’t need him anymore. These days, he’d been sleeping with Jeffrey the Giraffe because, according to Nattie, Jack “needed to lighten up.”
But one night, Nattie turned a corner.
“You know, Dad. You’re too old to sleep with stuffed animals.”
“Hmm.”
“You should go cold turkey.”
“I’m willing to try.”
“They’re not real, you know.”
Jack shrugged, and Nattie gave a giggle.
———
Things were settling for Jack, as well, sifting to a final realization, as if everything had been tossed in the air and was only now landing in some semblance of order.
He still worried for Laura and wondered how things were turning out. And as they waited for a letter, they prayed for her nightly.
Truth be told, he missed her, and yes, he loved her dearly. He doubted he’d ever forget the day when Laura had gone fancy. For a moment in time, she’d joined their world. But Laura had been right: He’d never truly joined hers, and theirs wasn’t the kind of love to build a marriage.
In time, it was Kelly and those sparkling blue eyes who haunted his sleep. How many times had he been tempted to text her, only to resist?
Give her more time, he thought.
Once a week, Nattie commandeered Jack’s tablet to video chat with San, and boy, if San wasn’t excited. “New York is treating me very well!” she exclaimed. “But I miss you guys to death. And . . . uh . . . Jack?”
“Yes, sis?”
“That shirt does not go with those pants.”
“I told him,” Nattie whined, “but he doesn’t listen.”
Chet called Jack a few weeks after their serendipitous meeting at the airport, and they discussed aviation for nearly an hour. Eventually, Chet answered his unspoken question. “She’s doing fine, Jack, in case you were wondering. She and her daughter are getting on famously.”
“I was curious,” he replied. “Thank you.”
In the end, Jack referred Chet to another capable CFI a mere five minutes from his home, filing Chet’s number in case he might need it again. Jack even followed up with Chet after making his recommendation, just to make sure Chet was being treated well. Having flown twice since their last conversation, Chet was thrilled, if that was a proper way to describe a very enthusiastic Texan.
“This is better’n golf,” he told Jack, and Jack agreed.
A month after he’d said good-bye to Kelly in that Akron airport, he and Nattie finally received a letter from Laura.
He’d placed it, unopened, on the dining room table, waiting for Nattie to get home from school. When she finally spotted it, her squeal nearly shattered the windows.
Dear Nattie and Jack, they read together, and Nattie smirked. “Notice she put my name first.”
“She always did like you best,” Jack agreed.
“Are we going to read it or not?”
“You read it to me.”
Nattie did, and when she was finished, she broke into tears. Jack put his arm around her. They could barely speak.
They read the letter again, from the very beginning, and it read like a fairy tale. An Amish fairy tale.
Once upon a time, a brokenhearted young Amishman by the name of Jonathan Glick, who had never married, couldn’t believe his good fortune when the love of his life—a woman he thought he’d lost forever—just happened to show up at the market where he worked. . . .
“I wish I could have seen that,” Nattie said.
“She’s happy,” Jack whispered.
“Of course she’s happy,” Nattie said, holding the letter. “She’s in love.”
Chapter 41
With Megan safely back inside her parents’ home, Kelly put the car into drive and headed down the long tree-lined path that led out of their ten-acre estate.
It was only three days later when Megan’s text turned into a phone call. And Kelly could tell she’d been crying.
“What’s the matter, sweetie?”
“Can I ask you a question?”
Kelly held her breath. “Sure.”
“Remember those pictures we took?”
“I do.” Kelly cringed.
“Well . . . you look like me, you know?”
“I know.” They were ahead of the plan, but there was nothing she could do about it.
Silence.
She heard a sniff. “So . . . are you my mom?” came Megan’s voice finally, sounding tiny and unsteady.
Kelly wasn’t sure how to continue. They’d already agreed that if Megan should ask, Kelly was permitted to be honest. “I gave birth to you, honey.”
Once again, Megan didn’t say anything.
Kelly broke the silence. “How does that make you feel?”
Another sniff. “Scared.”
“I don’t blame you. And . . . I understand, honey.”
“Are you going to take me away?”
“No, Megan.” Kelly brushed at her own tears. “You know what? I’m so happy that you have two wonderful parents who love you very, very much.”
“Sorry, but I have to go now.”
She’d hung up before Kelly could say good-bye. Kelly wept off and on for the rest of the night, not just for what she’d lost, but for what she was about to do, for what she’d been contemplating for several days now.
From the very beginning, she had compared Megan to Nattie, and while any comparison was unfair, she couldn’t help it. They were two delightfully different girls, both big-hearted and kind, but she couldn’t forget what Megan had said: “I grew in my mom’s heart.”
Just as Nattie had grown in her own.
God had answered Kelly’s prayers, helping her find her daughter, but also by keeping Megan safe, providing her with a wonderful home, with doting parents. It didn’t matter that Megan was rich, but it did matter that her mother and father both loved her beyond measure.
And it came down to a simple fact: Kelly was about to irrevocably alter a family, unwittingly perhaps, innocently, yes, but all good intentions aside, the result would be the same. Tearing lives apart, changing things in a way that might not make it better for the girl they all loved.
On the night Kelly had decided, she’d almost called Jack, yearning to hear his voice, desperate to share her feelings and get his opinion. She missed their talks. He�
�d always been a good listener, skillful at reading her heart. Until the end . . .
But she couldn’t blame him, and she would never forget that sendoff at the airport, the providential meeting, like God was telling her to bid farewell to her past.
She called Chet instead, and surprisingly, he fully supported her decision. “I understand,” he told her. “Are you sure about this?”
She was, and he agreed to call the attorney to begin the process.
The following Saturday, Megan came running out to greet her. “Mom says you’re going away?”
Kelly got out of her car and hugged her little girl. “I have to go home for a while.”
“Are you coming back?”
Kelly nodded. “I’ll come to see you, yes.”
Megan seemed a little relieved. And Kelly guessed they might work their way toward each other in the years to come. Someday, Megan might even ask Kelly, “Why did you give me up?” Or Megan’s parents might tell her the truth, or she might even discover it for herself, on the Internet.
And how would Megan handle that? Kelly didn’t know; no one could know. But whatever happened, she’d be available to Megan.
Kelly leaned over, eye to eye with her daughter. “I’ve loved getting to know you, honey. I’m going to miss you.”
Megan smiled. “My mom loved her birthday gift. And um . . . thanks for coming to meet me . . . for finding me, you know.” She looked up shyly. “Can I still text you?”
“Absolutely.” Kelly paused, thrilled that they would keep that connection and trying to hold her tears in check. “And, Megan? What you have here . . . is really wonderful.”
Megan nodded, then held out her arms as Kelly hugged her again.
Megan stepped back. “Well . . . good-bye.”
Her daughter ran up the steps to where her mother would be waiting. Kelly had expected to be devastated today, but she wasn’t. She was sad, sure, but there was peace in her heart. Perhaps later it would hurt terribly, but for the moment she was thankful. Megan seemed relieved, and for that, Kelly was glad.
Kelly was rounding the corner of her car when the front door opened again. She figured it was Megan running out for another hug, but it was Michelle.
“Wait, Kelly.” Michelle descended the steps and extended her hands, warmly holding Kelly’s in hers. There were tears in her eyes. “You didn’t have to do this.”
Kelly nodded, smiling. “Yes, I did.”
“We’ll take good care of her.”
“You already have,” Kelly said.
Michelle promised to send Kelly updates as often as possible. “And come visit us anytime, really.”
Kelly hugged her again. “Megan loves you, Michelle.”
Michelle burst into tears. “And I love her so much, you just don’t know. . . .”
I do, Kelly thought.
She got into her car, said good-bye, and as she made the curve, waved. Michelle was still standing there, waving back.
Megan was right—in another time, under different circumstances, she and Michelle could have been friends. And perhaps there would be a time for that down the road.
Kelly had no idea how the future would play out, but she had no doubt she’d done the right thing for her little girl.
Kelly drove back to the long-term rental agency, then took a shuttle to the airport, arriving three hours before her flight. She sat in a lounge, watching as others drowned their anxieties and boredom in alcohol while she tried to come to grips with what she’d just done. To anyone else, it would have seemed as if she’d just thrown away everything she had been trying to find for the past eight years.
But to her, it felt right.
Besides, what if Bobby hadn’t kidnapped Emily? What if Bobby hadn’t killed himself? What would their life have been like?
Dreadful, Kelly thought. Parents fighting. A mother living in fear. A father incapable of love. A likely divorce. Joint custody. A little girl torn between two families.
Shaking her head in wonder, Kelly was overcome with gratitude to a God who had made something good out of something so horrific. He hadn’t just kept her baby safe, but He’d rescued Emily, placing her with two loving parents who could give her even more than Kelly had offered. Any good mother would sacrifice her own life for her daughter . . . and really, wasn’t that what she had done today? In a way, she’d sacrificed her own motherhood to give Emily—now Megan—a bright future ahead.
Chet texted her in the middle of her iced tea: How you doing, kiddo? You okay?
I’m actually doing pretty good, she texted back.
You’re not trying to con a con man?
Nope, she replied, adding a smiley face.
Chet let her know he wouldn’t be able to meet her at the airport, but he’d made special arrangements for her transportation back to her apartment.
Kelly texted back: I can always take a cab.
Nonsense, he texted back.
Thank you, Chet.
She tried texting Melody but didn’t get a response. No matter. Kelly smiled through her happy tears and thought of Jack and Nattie again. Although her sadness had lessened considerably, and she still regretted how things turned out, her mistakes couldn’t haunt her anymore. She had the rest of her life, and she knew she could trust God to lead the way. He had something marvelous planned for the second act of her life. And she couldn’t wait.
Kelly’s flight landed just after six. When the wheels touched the tarmac, she breathed a sigh of relief. On Monday, she would begin her old job again, and Melody’s father was thrilled to have her back after her month-long hiatus. Kelly walked down the jet bridge, heading to baggage claim to pick up her bags, passing a dozen gates as she did so, lost in thought and feeling a little adrift but glad to be back. She’d flown out of this airport a hundred times before. In a way, this airport meant home to her and represented hope, as well. She smiled at that, because her airport days were definitely over.
Checking her cell for the time, she decided to grab a sandwich at the deli. She was no more than a few yards away when she felt a tug on her blouse. She turned and nearly gasped.
It was Nattie, mischievous eyes looking up at her.
Kelly broke into a wide smile. “What are you doing here?”
Nattie gave her the sweetest yet coy smile in return, and without saying more, Kelly enveloped Nattie, hugging her tightly, and then held her at arm’s length. “You are such a sight for sore eyes, kiddo.”
“How was your trip?” Nattie asked.
Kelly paused for a heartbeat. “It was good,” she said sincerely.
And then she saw Jack, standing behind Nattie, watching them with a look of bemusement.
“I hope you don’t mind,” he said. “Chet called.”
Until that moment she hadn’t fully put it together. Jack and Nattie didn’t just happen to be here—they were here for her.
Jack stepped closer. “I must have called Chet a dozen times wondering when—if—you were coming back.”
She bit her lip. “You did?”
“At least a dozen times.” Nattie giggled. “Probably closer to a thousand.”
Jack’s eyes softened. “I was an idiot, Kelly. . . .”
Kelly moved closer and put her fingers to his lips. “Shh. So was I.”
Nattie tugged on her dad’s shirt. “Dad, this is where you’re supposed to kiss the girl. Like now.”
And he did. Right there in the middle of the same airport Kelly had flown out of for years, surrounded by strangers, he took her into his arms and kissed her not once, but twice.
“So . . . we washed Billy Bob,” Jack said, touching her elbow.
“And waxed her,” Nattie chimed in, linking her arm through Kelly’s. “Just for you.”
Kelly laughed. “So where are you two taking me?”
“Where do you think?” Nattie asked. “Home, of course.”
Home, Kelly thought, trying not to cry. “Do I ever love the sound of that.”
Epilogue
There were times over the next few months when Jack found himself staring at Kelly across the room—fixing burritos in the kitchen for the three of them while she listened to Nattie, who had a never-ending cache of stories from school; tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, though the hair rarely stayed where she’d put it; humorously wrinkling her nose at something Nattie said and catching his gaze before she erupted into laughter—and he shuddered at how close he’d come to losing her forever.
In February, he took Kelly to the setting of their first date, the Wooster Country Club, and to commemorate they ordered the same things they’d ordered the first time: Jack, the filet mignon, and Kelly, the salmon. After the entrée, Jack went down on one knee, removed the diamond ring from his pocket, and proposed.
Putting her hand to her chest, a tearful Kelly said yes and was thrilled to discover Nattie peeking around the corner, Chet and Eloise arm in arm just behind her. Kelly squealed with delight, Nattie rushed in to hug her mother-to-be, and Jack watched his two girls with glowing pride.
Nattie oohed and aahed over the sparkling engagement ring, then joined them at their table, with Chet and Eloise settling down nearby. They celebrated with—what else?—ice cream, the only change to their original orders. With matching dabs of whipped cream on their noses, Kelly asked Nattie to be her flower girl, and Nattie giggled her yes. “I thought you’d never ask!”
In June, San made a special trip for the wedding to fulfill her role as one of Kelly’s bridesmaids, as did Melody, Kelly’s matron of honor. Chet and Eloise, who’d become regular visitors to Wooster, made the trip, as well. A small group of friends, family, and coworkers witnessed the ceremony at Jack’s church. Afterwards Melody hugged Jack. “You have no idea how lucky you are!”
Megan’s parents sent a gift—a silver tea set, along with a silk-covered memory book. Inside, Michelle had written, “Marriage and motherhood, both miracles to be cherished,” and Megan had also signed her name in her little-girl handwriting. Kelly hoped that one day when the time was right, both of her daughters could meet.
The next week, while San caught up on girl time with Nattie, Jack and Kelly flew his Cessna 182 to a cottage on the water in Mystic, Connecticut, where they strolled the beach at midnight and dreamed of their future together.
Child of Mine Page 36
