by Jane Keeler
Sarah took Karlee’s hand and held it, squeezing gently, willing some of her own strength into the grief-stricken girl. Karlee held on to the lifeline, her shoulders relaxing slightly. Gabe pulled the girl closer and kissed her hair.
The four of them were silent on the ride back to the hotel. Karlee kept a death grip on Sarah’s hand the whole way. Since Karlee didn’t want them to be separated, Sarah invited them all up to her hotel room.
Gabe got a bottle of water out of the fridge and poured Karlee a glass; Sarah mixed in hawthorn, skullcap, and ghost pipe tinctures and handed it to Karlee, then sat down and rubbed her back as she drank it. Karlee sighed and took off her sunglasses. Sarah controlled the impulse to gasp in pity and concern when she saw the girl’s face.
“Karlee dear, I’d like to try something that might help you feel better.”
Karlee sniffed.
Sarah took her hand and led her to the bed. Sarah sat down cross-legged, lap padded with pillows, and beckoned to Karlee.
“Lie down on the bed face-up and lay your head on the pillow.”
Karlee lay down as instructed and looked empty-eyed at the ceiling.
Sarah slid her hands under and around to cradle the girl’s head. She concentrated on feeling the subtle flow of movement in Karlee’s skull. In a healthy person the bones moved in a subtle rhythm with the person’s breath, but a swirling tension covered Karlee’s head where it wasn’t disturbingly still. Gabe said that for the last several nights she hadn’t been able to sleep without pills. Sarah could probably do something about that, at least.
Sarah untangled the chains of tension that imprisoned the girl, releasing them so that Karlee’s grief could take its natural course, ebbing and flowing instead of remaining stuck in a bitter black ball around her heart.
To Sarah it was like listening with her whole body. She realized that Karlee was holding on so tightly to her grief because it was all that remained to her of her mother. Images flashed through Sarah’s mind. She saw a red-haired toddler climbing into a red-haired woman’s lap. She saw a withered husk in a hospital bed. A book. A twisted branch. A bird flying away into the deepening dark.
The images reminded her of nothing so much as the odd, intense pictures that formed in the moments just before sleep, except Sarah was fully awake. She watched them come and go, observing without prejudice. It wasn’t for her to say how Karlee should handle her loss. Deep inside of herself, Karlee knew the right path to take. It wasn’t about stopping Karlee’s grief, but helping her manage it so it didn’t cause her so much pain.
Karlee fell asleep with her head in Sarah’s lap. Sarah continued to sit quietly, holding the girl’s head and breathing with her.
Gabe and Westley sat on the couch, watching them in silence. She signaled to them with her eyes that everything was fine and nodded towards the door.
She stayed there for an hour, holding a safe and peaceful place where Karlee could heal. Sarah had talked to Fenton about it once—he had a touch of the gift himself—he’d called it a ‘reboot’. When the system got itself tangled and started going round and round and round and round, stuck in the same mistake, sometimes the most productive thing to do was shut it all down for a moment. When it restarted it often returned to a healthier state.
Karlee would grieve for a long time: that was only natural. She and her mother had been very close. What Sarah could do was prevent that grief from becoming a poison in the girl’s mind. In order to heal, Karlee had to let it flow through her instead of trying to hold it still.
Sarah remembered the first time she’d done a healing. She had been nine years old and her dog Murphy had developed a dreadful fear of thunderstorms. He’d howl and scream and pee absolutely everywhere. Mama had threatened to put him outside when he did that. She liked the old mutt well enough, Mama had explained, but the smell of dog piss was really hard to get out of the cushions.
Grandmama showed her what to do—well, not exactly. Grandmama had shown her how to do it. Sarah’s remembered the feeling of her granny’s hands, thin-skinned and soft, as the old lady placed them over Sarah’s smaller ones. Then she somehow molded their hands to Murphy’s head.
Murphy’s tail thumped against the floor. He loved attention, and now that the horrible loud scary noise had stopped he was a happy dog.
Sarah didn’t feel anything at first. Murphy’s head was furry as any dog’s, but gradually she noticed a very subtle movement. It was almost like standing in the creek and feeling a fine, slow, soft current.
Murphy’s tail stopped thumping and he started snoring little doggy snores. Sarah followed that flowing sensation to its source. She looked at her grandmother—now what?
“Now we wait,” Grandmama had whispered.
In about fifteen minutes Murphy twitched and stopped snoring. He got to his feet and shook himself all over. Then he tried to lick Sarah’s face.
The next time there was a thunderstorm he howled, but he didn’t scream like a baby crying. He didn’t pee everywhere. That counted as a win in Sarah’s mind.
She turned her thoughts back to Karlee, and then let them go. She followed her own breath in and out and waited.
An hour later Sarah moved her hands smoothly and slowly out from under Karlee’s head and wriggled out from under the pillow. The girl stirred and mumbled something, but went right back to sleep. Sarah covered her with a sheet and wrote a note for the girl to look for them in Gabe’s room when she woke up.
Sarah put her shoes back on and took her leave, closing the door quietly behind her. She stood out in the hall, stretching and swinging her arms and shaking her hands to get the blood circulating again. Sitting like that for an hour was always demanding on the body. She knocked on Gabe’s door.
He answered and asked how Karlee was doing.
“She’s asleep.”
“That’s great! She takes a bunch of pills and they knock her out, but when she wakes up she doesn’t seem rested at all.”
“She should feel better now.”
Westley joined them. “I’m glad to hear that. It’s disturbing to see her like this. She’s such a brave young woman.”
“If she can sleep naturally, it will help a great deal,” Sarah said. “I’ll make up a remedy for her and some tea as well.”
“I hate feeling so useless,” Gabe said.
Sarah hugged him. “I’ll mix up something for you, too, if you like.”
They sat quietly, just enjoying each other’s presence for a while. Slowly they started chatting: Westley began by telling Gabe about his plans to investigate Hannah’s Branch as the site for their first fuel cell plant.
“Sarah has promised to facilitate introductions to the people of the town. Of course, the factory positions will require highly skilled workers, but there are many jobs the locals can fill. We can set up training programs, too.”
“It would be a Godsend for the town,” Sarah said. Westley smiled at her and briefly covered one of her hands with his.
Gabe’s eyebrows rose until they were practically in his hairline. “Um, sure, that sounds like a great idea. I think North Carolina gives some sweet tax breaks for new businesses, too.”
They discussed the particulars of setting up the new plant, Sarah asking what they would need so she could suggest suitable sites. Gabe’s eyebrows got a lot of exercise, but Sarah and Westley ignored them. At least speculating about their relationship took his mind off his worries about Karlee.
A few hours later they heard a knock on the door and Karlee came in. Her hair was flat on one side and stood up in spikes on the other, but she looked much better than she had earlier. Color bloomed in her cheeks and her eyes were alert. She went up to Sarah and hugged her, clinging for a few moments.
“Can you eat, honey?” Gabe asked.
Karlee smiled. “I’m actually hungry.”
Gabe grinned at her. “Do you want to go out or order in? Room service isn’t bad.” He turned to Westley and Sarah. “Hey guys, do you want to eat with us?”
They ordered room service and chatted, keeping the conversation very light at first. Everyone was careful around Karlee, since they didn’t want to trigger another savage crying bout, but she seemed to be doing better.
Gabe told her about the new factory plans and she said, “Sounds like there’s a good story in that. Please keep me in the loop. I’d like the chance to visit sometime, too.”
Everyone relaxed after that. Karlee was a great reporter; if she had regained interest in her job, she was definitely feeling better.
When they said goodnight, Sarah put her hands on either side of Karlee’s face and looked deep into her eyes. The girl had lost her hopeless look. She was still sad, but now she was able to turn outward and receive the love and care of those around her. Sarah smiled and kissed her on the cheek.
“Sarah?”
“Dear?”
“Will you have lunch with me tomorrow?”
“Of course I will, dear.”
Chapter 6
Westley knocked on Sarah’s door early the next morning and looked away quickly when she opened it.
“Oh dear, I am so sorry. It’s eight o’clock; I thought you’d be awake by now.” He kept his eyes studiously averted.
“What is wrong with you?”
“You’re not… not wearing… any, um, any clothes.”
“Don’t be silly. I’m perfectly decent. Come in.” She opened the door.
Westley glanced at her sheet-wrapped form. He supposed she was ‘perfectly decent’ as she’d said—the sheet covered everything. He was just really conscious of her naked body underneath it.
“Is it eight o’ clock already? I slept late. Musta been tired.”
“I wanted to invite you to breakfast.”
“That’s right nice of you.”
“We could order room service if you don’t feel like going anywhere.”
“Sounds like a great idea! Let me get dressed.”
“What would you like?”
“Oh, order whatever you want. I’m sure it’ll be good.”
Westley pretended to peruse the hotel menu as he watched her hips sway to the bathroom. He heard the shower start and did his best not to imagine Sarah bathing, suds dripping down her glistening breasts as she soaped—okay, breakfast, yes.
He ordered eggs Benedict for both of them, along with the fruit plate and glasses of apple-watermelon-ginger-lime juice. And, of course, coffee.
It had been so long since he felt like this. He supposed part of the reason for his rampaging libido was the fact that he hadn’t had sex in years. Still, there was something about Sarah. She seemed to live in a world above—or maybe outside of—the mundane concerns that occupied most people’s minds most of the time.
It was exciting.
She was out of the shower and dressed now, smiling as she approached him. Breakfast had arrived and was laid out on the table. They ate in companionable silence until they had finished their coffee.
“I’d like to ask you something,” Westley said.
“Sure.”
“What did you do with Karlee last night?”
“I guess you could say I brought her back to herself. She was lost inside her grief.”
Sarah looked Westley straight in the face as she said, “Sometimes, when someone we love dies, a part of us tries to follow them. We walk around with pieces missing. One of the things I do is help people call them back.”
“I see. And this is your profession?”
“It’s more of a calling, really. Some people back at Hannahs Branch would call me a professional busybody. It’s a poor town. Lots of people can’t afford health insurance—hell, they can’t afford gas to drive the thirty miles to the nearest hospital. I know something about herbs and I talk to people and I use the gifts the Good Lord gave me.”
Westley touched her hand. “Forgive me if I sounded condescending. I think it’s very noble of you. Karlee certainly appears to be much better.”
She gave him a half-smile and drank the rest of her juice.
The rest of the conversation was light and general. Westley, in an effort to atone for his earlier faux pas, was at his most charming. He was able to bridge the momentary distance between them and they were soon smiling and chatting as before.
When Sarah excused herself to keep her appointment with Karlee, she leaned up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Sarah and Karlee decided to have lunch at a fondue restaurant that served cubes of meat and vegetables with slices of crusty bread, along with traditional cheese fondue and a variety of dipping sauces. Karlee was a little subdued, but much more like her old self.
“So,” Karlee said, “I seemed to notice a little-” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. “-between you and Westley last night.”
Sarah studied her sirloin tip pieces with intense interest, but it didn’t do any good—she could feel the blood rising in her face. “I admit I haven’t met a man who could make me feel this way since Charlie died.”
Karlee leaned forward. “You’re blushing!”
“He showed up at my home with his fancy suit and his fancy car and his fancy airplane—and his simple heart. I’m not ashamed to say that I do like him.”
“But…”
“I feel like such a backwoods hick around him! He probably goes abound with women whose clothes cost more than my house! Fashionable women. Beautiful women.”
“Westley doesn’t go around with women. Gabe says he hasn’t dated anybody in years.” Karlee ate a piece of lamb in a single bite. “Besides, Sarah, you are beautiful. You have cheekbones I would kill for and you move like a cat.”
“That’s very kind of you to say, I’m sure.”
“Very kind, nothing!” Karlee finished the last of her food and sat back with a sigh. “That was yummy… Anyway, you’ve been so good to me, and I want to do something for you. I know this guy…”
The upshot of it was that they ended up in a taxi headed to the salon of someone Karlee described as “an absolute miracle worker, you’ll see.”
The miracle worker was a short, dapper man with a sleek salt-and-pepper goatee. He ran his fingers through Sarah’s hair and exclaimed over its thickness and body. He made a number of suggestions and she submitted herself to his ministrations with a feeling of breathless anxiety and anticipation.
His minions applied powder and polish; one lady sat down with Sarah and explained what clothes she should wear to accentuate her figure. Since Sarah mostly worried about whether her clothes were clean and free of holes in conspicuous places, this was a new approach. She allowed it might be useful for special occasions.
Karlee sat there throughout the entire operation, watching with great interest. She wanted to take a series of photos and post them to her Instagram. People would find it interesting, she said.
Sarah was forced to threaten her with the curse of the Boo Hag, who would climb in her window at night, tangle her hair, and loosen the caps on all her bottles. Her cooking would be a salt and pepper Armageddon. Her hair would look like a family of possums had been nesting in it for days.
By then Karlee was laughing too hard to take any more pictures, so that was all good.
When they finally let her look in the mirror, Sarah hardly recognized herself. Her hair had been colored a warm brown with caramel highlights. The cut made it swirl in soft waves that fit her head, instead of sticking out in all directions. Something about the shape emphasized her cheekbones and the color brought out the golden sparkles in her brown eyes.
The makeup artist had groomed Sarah’s eyebrows, highlighted her cheekbones, accentuated her generous mouth, and wisely left everything else alone. Sarah kept turning her head back and forth in the mirror, fascinated with this new image of herself.
Karlee came up beside her and linked her arm through hers. “Still feel like a backwoods hick?” she said, and grinned.
“I never thought I could look like this,” Sarah said.
“C’mon, we’re meeting Gabe
for ice cream.”
Gabe waved when he saw them and gave Sarah a thumbs-up. He was waiting at one of those ice cream shops where they mix up your choice of flavors and toppings on a cold stone. They could feel the outside heat baking in through the store’s windows and Sarah’s cup of French vanilla butter pecan with caramel clusters really hit the spot.
Karlee went quiet. “Mom used to take me here whenever I got an ‘A’ in school.”
Gabe put an arm around her and she sniffled into his shoulder for a while. Sarah gazed at the young people with warmth in heart. You could tell how much they loved each other. She touched Karlee’s arm and concentrated on projecting emotional support.
After a few minutes Karlee wiped her eyes and ate another spoonful of her ice cream. She sat cuddled up with Gabe and told them about her mother. Emily Gold had been a single mom—her job as a schoolteacher made enough for them to live on, but didn’t provide many luxuries. The ice cream interludes were a special treat, and Karlee had valued them all the more for that.
Talking about her mom seemed to make the young woman feel better, and by the time they were ready to leave she was back to her old animated self.
“Now for part two,” Karlee said. “Gabe is taking us shopping.” She slipped her arm through Sarah’s. “Don’t say no. He wants to show how thankful he is for the help you’ve given all of us.”
Gabe gave Sarah a brilliant, charming smile and her resistance melted. She was enjoying this adventure too much to stop now.
The boutique they stopped at was so high-end Sarah thought it might give her a nosebleed. The shop assistants were all smiles when they saw Gabe, though. He and Karlee picked out some clothes for Sarah to try on. One of them was a wine-red tunic with gold embroidery down the front and at the collar and cuffs. It came with slim black silk trousers and Sarah fell in love at first sight.
She couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she posed in the mirror.
“I believe we have a winner,” Gabe said with a smile.
