Open Arms

by Traci DePree

Finally Kate heard the girl’s sweet voice on the line. “Hello?”

  “Ashley,” Kate began. “It’s Kate Hanlon. I was just thinking about you, so I thought I’d give you a call to see if you’re feeling better.” Kate hoped she didn’t come off as too intrusive.

  “Oh, thank you,” Ashley said. “I’m feeling much better. It’s so sweet of you to call. I’ve always had a weak stomach. But I feel much better now.”

  “Oh good,” Kate said. “Also, have you heard about the afterprom party that Faith Briar is hosting this year?”

  “Everyone’s heard about it; should be a great time. It’s wonderful that the church is doing that for the high schoolers.”

  “I’ve been trying to drum up some younger volunteers to help out with decorating and the car wash, that kind of thing.”

  “You know, it’s funny you should mention that,” Ashley said. “I’ve been thinking of ways to get more involved in the community. Carl said that he was making the booths.”

  “Carl?” Kate said, a bit surprised at how easily his name fell from her lips.

  “Yeah. You know, my folks have been nagging me to get out more. They say I spend too much time taking care of them.”

  “You take care of your parents?”

  “They’re getting on in years,” Ashley explained. “I came along when they were pretty old already, and since I’m an only child, everything falls on me. Dad has Parkinson’s disease, and it’s getting harder and harder for Mom to take care of him. We want to keep him out of a nursing home as long as we can.”

  “Bless your heart,” Kate said.

  “Thankfully the disease is progressing at a fairly slow rate. It can turn bad quickly for some folks, you know.”

  Kate felt an immediate affinity for the girl. To care so willingly for her parents and not think of herself.

  “So,” Ashley was saying, “When is the next meeting? I’d be happy to come.”

  “It’s next Tuesday at five o’clock at the church. Faith Briar up on Mountain Laurel Road.”

  “I know where it is. I’ll be there, and thanks, Mrs. Hanlon, for everything.”

  Chapter Eleven

  The next morning as Kate read her Bible a verse from Proverbs gave her pause. It read, “I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.”

  Kate chuckled at God’s sense of humor. The path to finding Mouse had been all but straight. Yet she knew that God had a purpose and would provide the wisdom she lacked. She closed her eyes, her heart heavy for the girl, and prayed. In the midst of her prayer, a thought came to her, an echo of her words from the night before.

  AS SOON AS she was sure Livvy was up and getting ready for work, Kate dialed her friend at home.

  “Do you have church directories at the library?” she asked without preamble.

  “I...uh...,” Livvy stammered. “Yes, we have some.”

  “How about Faith Community in Pine Ridge?”

  “Yes, I think so.”

  “Okay, perfect. I’ll be by first thing to pick it up.”

  Kate arrived at the library parking lot at the same time Livvy did. Livvy’s purse was slung over her shoulder and her light jacket attested to the morning coolness that still clung to the valley.

  Livvy gave her a puzzled look. “What is this about?” she asked as they walked up to the side entrance together.

  “Just a hunch.” Kate followed her in and waited while Livvy rummaged through a metal file cabinet in the back. Finally she emerged with a thin booklet in her hands. The front bore the image of a modern-looking church building—a simple line drawing.

  Kate paged through the directory, looking for a familiar name.

  There was a single Jones—Sarah—listed as residing in the Pine Ridge nursing home. Kate pulled a small notebook and pen from her handbag and wrote down the nursing home’s central phone number.

  “Who is Sarah Jones?” Livvy asked, looking over her shoulder.

  “I’m not sure yet. I’m wondering if she’s related to Marlee.”

  Kate pulled her cell phone from her handbag and dialed the number.

  The phone rang only once before a pleasant-sounding voice came on the line. “Pine Ridge Nursing Home.”

  “Hello, this is Kate Hanlon. I’m Pastor Hanlon’s wife. I’m calling to inquire about Sarah Jones.”

  “Sarah’s doing much better now,” the woman said.

  “She has family in Copper Mill, right?” Kate asked, knowing the question was leading.

  “Oh yes. Her son David, and her granddaughter. Marlee is her name. Sweet girl.”

  Kate lifted her face to Livvy and nodded.

  “Is Sarah up for visitors?”

  “Sarah loves visitors.”

  PINE RIDGE WAS A BUSTLING TOWN. It boasted a SuperMart and a college, with many of the amenities that came with having a school. Kate made her way through the streets, stopping at a red light before pulling into the Pine Ridge Nursing Home community’s parking lot.

  Kate reached for the bouquet of flowers she’d picked up as a gift for the elderly woman, then made her way to the front desk. A petite redhead lifted her face to Kate and smiled.

  “How can I help you?” she said in the same perky voice Kate had heard on the phone.

  “I’m the one who called earlier about Sarah Jones.”

  “Oh yes.” The woman rose to her feet and motioned for Kate to follow her. “She should be in her room,” she said over her shoulder.

  They passed a large, empty dining room, where women in hairnets were clearing dishes from the tables, and entered a tiled hallway, where a lost-looking man wandered between the rooms, muttering something under his breath. Kate said hello to him and offered a kind smile.

  The redheaded receptionist paused in front of a room and knocked as she slowly opened the door.

  The room was dark, save for the blue light of a television.

  “Sarah,” the woman said, “you have a visitor.”

  Kate stepped inside, her eyes adjusting to the subdued lighting. A thin form lay beneath white blankets, barely making a bulge in the bedding.

  “Sarah,” the woman repeated. “You have a visitor.”

  The silver-haired woman turned her face toward them and looked at Kate. “Do I know you?”

  “We’ve never met, no. I’m a friend of your granddaughter Marlee’s.” Kate came alongside the hospital bed and set the bouquet of flowers on the bedside table.

  “They’re beautiful,” Sarah said. She patted Kate’s hand. “Any friend of Marlee’s...”

  “I’ll head out,” the receptionist said. “Do you want me to send someone in to get you out of bed, Sarah?”

  “No,” Sarah said, her gaze still on Kate, “I need my rest. We’ll have a little visit right here. Is that okay?”

  “Of course, it’s okay,” Kate said.

  Before she left, the redhead pulled a folding chair from Sarah’s closet and set it up for Kate alongside the bed. Kate thanked her and then turned to the elderly woman.

  “So, how do you know my Marlee?” Sarah said.

  “She comes to the youth group that my husband and I lead in Copper Mill.”

  “Has my Marlee been okay lately?”

  Kate was surprised at the question.

  “Why do you ask?”

  “She hasn’t been acting herself.” Sarah shook her head. “Poor thing. She gets so upset sometimes—and who can understand the mind of a teenager? I worry about her, without me there when she gets home from school...”

  “So you live with Marlee and her dad?”

  “Oh yes. Well, I did. Ever since her mother died. I don’t think David would’ve been able to manage without me there. Now that I’m in this place...”

  “Do they have a home church that can help them?”

  Sarah shook her head, sadly. “David stopped going to church when his Maridee died. They had come to Faith Community with me before...but no more.” She inhaled a heavy breath. “That’s why it’s so good she’s at l
east coming to your youth group.”

  “It sounds like you’re worried about her.”

  The woman nodded. “Yes, I worry about Marlee a lot.”

  TALKING TO MARLEE’S GRANDMOTHER had only been a hunch, Kate reminded herself as she made her way to the clinic on the other side of town. But she needed to dig deeper. Mouse had said that she’d finally gone to the doctor for confirmation of her pregnancy. Kate knew that the likelihood of anyone at the clinic sharing information with her was nonexistent, but she had to at least make the effort. Maybe there would be some sign there to point in the right direction. What that would be, Kate wasn’t quite sure yet.

  When she reached the clinic, a man greeted her at the check-in desk. “Can I help you?” he said.

  “Yes,” Kate began, speaking low so no one else in the waiting room would hear her request. “Yesterday, I think it was, a girl came in for a pregnancy test...” She prayed the man would pick up the conversation. Instead, he gave her a blank stare.

  “I’m wondering if you can help me locate her,” Kate went on.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am, but because of privacy laws, I’m not at liberty to give out any information about our patients. Are you her mother?”

  “No. Would it make a difference if I was?”

  “I’m afraid not.”

  “This girl sent me a couple of anonymous messages—pleas for help. I was just hoping you could point me in the right direction. I’m not trying to interfere. I want to help her.”

  The man sighed, and there was a long silence as he glanced around the room.

  “I won’t tell her family or anyone she doesn’t want to know,” Kate promised. “I’m just concerned about her.”

  “If she wanted you to know who she was, she would’ve told you,” the man said.

  It wasn’t as if that same thought hadn’t occurred to Kate before.

  “I think she’s too afraid to tell me,” Kate said, though she knew that he was speaking the truth. “But she’s trying. That’s what her messages are about. She’s searching for someone who will care enough to help her.”

  “I appreciate your concern,” the man said. “It’s simply out of my hands.”

  Kate breathed deeply, feeling a sense of sorrow overcome her. So this was how it worked? Her heart ached for what this girl was going through alone.

  “Well, thank you for your time,” Kate started.

  “I’ll only say,” the man drew closer to her and lowered his voice.

  Kate leaned forward, not wanting to miss a word he was about to say.

  “She was from Copper Mill and too young to be having a baby.”

  “Oh. Okay,” Kate said, feeling deflated that he hadn’t offered her anything she didn’t already know. She thanked him, then turned to leave. So much for narrowing down her options.

  KATE MADE IT BACK to Copper Mill around noon, feeling tired and needing to rethink her strategy. She checked her e-mail on Paul’s desktop computer, and then her FriendsForever messages to see if Mouse had answered her posting.

  There were no new messages of any importance, though most of the teens she’d invited to be her friends had signed on. It was silly, but seeing their names alongside hers with the tab My Friends made her feel good. She supposed that was why people were so into this kind of thing—the feeling that others wanted to be their friend, that they mattered.

  She decided to write a message on her bulletin board, which was an open posting spot, as opposed to her in-box, which was private.

  Kate wrote, Thanks to everyone who’s signed on to be my friend. It feels good. I want to invite you to youth group this Sunday evening and invite your friends. It would be great to see you; I promise, you’ll have fun! Kate.

  When she signed off, she glanced down at her day planner, which lay open on Paul’s desk. Sunlight streamed in through the window, warming her. She turned to the next week, noting Kim and Chad Lewis’ next counseling session for the following Monday.

  She wondered how the couple was doing. Had they taken to heart Paul’s words? Had they followed through and made a set of ground rules to abide by? Kate hoped so, for their sakes. No matter how difficult it might be, the reward in the end was worth it.

  Kate closed her eyes and prayed for the couple.

  KATE DECIDED TO HEAD to the vet clinic again just after lunch. While her thoughts stayed with Marlee, she also kept imagining Ashley bent over that wastebasket.

  The dark-haired girl raised her head when Kate came in. “Mrs. Hanlon, what brings you here?” Her smile was genuine, like everything else about the girl, and her eyes sparkled.

  “I’ve been thinking about you ever since yesterday. I thought I’d stop in and say hello.”

  “I’m fine, really. Thanks for calling last night, by the way. That was sweet of you.”

  “It was my pleasure.” Kate paused, hoping her next question wouldn’t seem strange. “So, Ashley, out of curiosity, what are your plans for the future? Have you been to college?”

  The young woman shrugged. “No, not yet. I’ve thought about it. I still might go, actually, but it’s hard to say. I’ve always thought about becoming a dental hygienist; they can find work anywhere. Kind of like a teacher. I enjoy helping people.” She shrugged her shoulders. “But I’m happy where I am for now.”

  In the short time that they’d been talking, Ashley’s complexion had gone from rosy and healthy looking to ashen and pale. Ashley touched a hand to her perspiring forehead.

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  “Are you okay?”

  Ashley reached into a drawer and pulled out a granola bar that she had stashed there. “Lately...” She let the sentence drop, and she placed a hand on her chest as she closed her eyes.

  “You feel nauseous again?”

  “A little. Nothing a little food in my stomach won’t cure. This time of day is always the worst.”

  The phone rang, and Ashley reached for it, saying in a weak voice, “Veterinarian’s office. Can I help you?” Then she mouthed to Kate, “I’ll be okay.”

  Kate hated leaving her in that condition, but the girl waved good-bye and turned her attention to her work. Kate stood there for a few moments, trying to decide what to do. As she stared, she noticed the notepad on Ashley’s right. It was covered in drawings, some of them quite good.

  A client came in with a gray and white domestic shorthair cat, bringing it to the high counter. He glanced at Kate and then at Ashley, who lifted a finger to tell him it would only be a minute.

  Kate waved good-bye and stepped out into the sunshine.

  She was worried about the girl, so she lifted her face and closed her eyes. Lord, she prayed silently, something isn’t right with Ashley. Help her. You saw the way she looked. If she is Mouse, please help me to help her. If it’s Marlee or Ronda at the beauty salon, Lord, please show me.

  Chapter Twelve

  Kate stopped by the beauty salon to make an appointment with Ronda, but the next available slot wasn’t until the following Tuesday. With an afterprom meeting scheduled for that evening, Kate knew it would be tight, but she went ahead and made the appointment anyway.

  Then she went home where she called Brenna Phillips. The girl sounded winded, as if she’d had to run to get to the phone.

  “Hi, Brenna, this is Kate Hanlon.”

  “Hi, Mrs. Hanlon! What’s up? I just got home from school.”

  “Oh perfect. Do you have time to chat?”

  “Sure.” There was a long silence.

  “I mean.” Kate cleared her throat. “Could I meet with you? Maybe by the swings at Copper Mill Park. It’s such a nice day.”

  “Okay,” she drew the word out, obviously leery of an adult wanting to get together to talk, but she agreed to meet Kate at three thirty nonetheless.

  BRENNA WAS SWINGING on one of the swings in the park when Kate arrived. It was a warm day for early April. Still, Brenna was wearing a red hooded sweater with the Copper Mill High School logo on the front. A white T-shirt was p
eeking from the neckline, and her hip-looking jeans were tucked into brown knee-high boots.

  “I hope you don’t mind coming to meet me,” Kate said, leading her to one of the benches that faced the play area.

  “I wasn’t doing anything right now anyway,” Brenna said.

  Kate wasn’t sure where to begin, so she decided to go with the innocuous. “I heard that you and Marlee were chosen to be prom servers,” she said.

  Prom servers were high-school students who were too young to attend prom but were selected by the juniors and seniors to serve punch and food and thus partake of the festivities.

  Brenna’s face lit up. “I’m so excited. Marlee and I have been studying every dress catalog we can get our hands on!” She laughed. “Did you go to prom, Mrs. Hanlon?”

  “Oh yes,” Kate said. “I’m the one who asked my date to go, which was unheard of in my day.”

  Brenna’s eyes grew large with that bit of information.

  “My date had a golf meet the afternoon before prom,” Kate went on, “and ended up missing the grand march! I wasn’t happy about coming out unescorted, and I didn’t let him forget it. Poor guy.” Kate laughed at the memory.

  Brenna covered her mouth as she giggled. Then she asked, “It’s okay that Marlee and I are coming to the afterprom party even though we’re technically too young to go to the prom?”

  “Of course, it’s okay. It’d be wrong to ask you to help and then not let you attend,” Kate said.

  Brenna smiled. “We wouldn’t want to end the evening too early, you know?” She looked at Kate.

  The conversation ebbed, and Kate knew she needed to bring their talk around to the reason she’d come in the first place.

  “There is a reason I asked you to meet me,” Kate confessed.

  Brenna sat up straight.

  “I wanted to ask you some questions about Marlee. How well do you know her?”

  “She’s a good friend.”

  “I heard that her mother died.”

  “When she was little.” Brenna nodded. “It was so hard for her. That’s how we became such good friends. I could relate to having only one parent.”

  Kate looked Brenna in the eyes. “Has she been acting...odd lately?”