by Sarah Markel
“Kevin, can I come in?” Kelly asked gently as she knocked on the bathroom door. “I had an accident.” the boy sobbed. Easing open the door, she offered the boy a smile and knelt down in front of him. “It’s okay little man, everyone has them once in a while.” she said, ruffling the boy’s hair. “Why don’t we get you in the bath, and I will get you some clean clothes?” When Little Kevin smiled, Kelly reached over and started the bath water. Once she had the child in the tub, Kelly stepped out and pulled Zane aside. “Son, I know you’re a lot bigger than him, but do you have anything he can wear until his parent’s wake up?” she asked quietly. Thinking for a moment, Zane nodded and went to his closet. Rummaging around in a box that was in the corner, he came up with his old baseball uniform. “I have all of my old uniforms, but this one will probably fit him the best.” he said, handing the clothing over. Thanking the boy, Kelly went back into the bathroom and helped her younger brother get cleaned up.
*****
“Well, look at you!” Kendall said when Kelly and the boy walked into the kitchen. Kendall and Kevin had come downstairs a few minutes before and Alex had explained what happened. “Shay letted me borrow his baseball clothes!” Little Kevin informed them proudly, mispronouncing Zane’s name as he had since their arrival. At first, everyone had tried to correct him on it, but at dinner the previous night, Zane had told them all just to let him be. Picking his son up and hugging him, Kevin admired the outfit. “Did you thank him?” he asked. Nodding, the boy offered his fist to Zane for a fist bump. Chuckling, Kevin set his son down at the table and gave him a bowl of cereal. Ruffling her son’s hair, Alex whispered to the boy “That was awful sweet of you, son.” Smiling, Zane whispered back “He seemed so upset about the accident, I felt bad.”
Once the children had been fed, the adults got back to work on preparing the Thanksgiving meal. When the food was ready, the family gathered in the dining room to enjoy their holiday feast. As they ate, the adults chatted about the kids, and the kids chatted about their friends and schools. After the meal was over, Kevin and Alex took the kids outside to play catch while Kelly, Karen, and Kendall handled the clean-up. “Wow, it didn’t seem like we used that many dishes.” Kendall observed with a chuckle. “Alex’s mom does this three times a year and every other Fourth of July, for like thirty people. I don’t know how she does it! She doesn’t have a maid or a cook or anything, all of the adults help make the food, but she usually does the clean-up.” Kelly replied as the three women scraped and rinsed the dishes.
“They seem to be getting along well.” Kevin said, sitting in the chair next to Alex. The kids had gotten bored playing with the adults, so they had broken off into pairs to play by themselves. Nodding, Alex sipped her beer and watched the kids play. Dej had taken Kylie over to the playhouse where the two were playing dolls, and Zane had taken Little Kevin over to the basketball court. “I’m happy that we were all able to spend some time together. I was so happy that Kelly was willing rekindle our relationship, and the kids were excited to meet their niece and nephew.” the man said casually. Smiling at him, Alex assured Kevin that she was just as happy. “When I met Kelly, I fell instantly in love with her. I did my best not to, because I was worried that I would be betraying my late wife’s memory. But the more I got to know her, the deeper in love I fell. From day one, she was great with my kids and it didn’t take any time at all for them to develop feelings for her. After I explained about Dej’s medical conditions, Kelly went and did research for days just so she wouldn’t do anything that could hurt her. After the shooting, I watched how Kelly interacted with Zane and I saw how she took charge with the doctors and nurses. She has been referring to the kids as ours since right after we started dating, and it was the kids who asked if they could call her mom. When my wife died, I never imagined that I would find the kind of love that I had lost ever again. I had pushed away the hopes that I would ever find someone who would love my kids the way I do, love me regardless of the fact that I will always love Callie, and who wouldn’t be scared away by the fact that keeping her memory alive is so important to me. Kelly told me from the beginning that she doesn’t mind, and has even gone out of her way to help me with that.” Alex explained, feeling a small lump form in her throat.
“Come on, I want to show you something.” she said, leading Kevin toward the gazebo. “When Callie and I got married, my father commissioned an artist to make these butterfly lights as a wedding present. Before he died, no one ever thought to ask him who had made them. A few weeks before the shooting, Lilly lied her way into the community and broke into my yard. She destroyed all of the lights, which had been hung out here by Callie after we finished building the gazebo. Kelly had the brilliant idea to take pictures of them before the police took them into evidence, and she managed to find the artist. She got the woman to make a whole new set of butterflies, and the baseball light in Zane’s room, so that I still had something to remind me of Callie. That’s the kind of woman your daughter has become, Kevin. Her happiness is the only thing that matters to me, aside from the kids. If having you and your family here in our home makes her happy, then so be it. I never want to be that person who doesn’t do everything in their power to please their spouse.” she finished, wiping a tear from her eye. Smiling and wiping away his own tear, Kevin pulled her into a hug. “That’s all I could ever ask for as her father. I am happy to have you and the kids join our family, and I can only hope that we are able to spend more time together. You are everything I have ever wanted for Kelly, and I am so glad she found you.”
A few hours later, after a tearful goodbye, Karen had taken Kevin and his family to Portland for their last night in Oregon. Kevin had reserved a room at the airport hotel so that they didn’t have to bother anyone for a ride to catch their flight at four a.m. As the car left, Alex, Kelly, and the kids stood on the front porch and waved until they were out of sight. Placing her arms around Kelly's shoulders, Alex asked quietly “Baby, are you alright?” With a nod, Kelly smiled and the group went inside. Once back inside, Alex suggested a movie to help keep the feeling of sadness at bay. Settling into their favorite position on the couch, while the kids shared the love seat, Alex and Kelly both sighed heavily. “Are you sure you don’t want to go visit them for Christmas, Babe?” Alex asked quietly. Shaking her head, Kelly replied “No, not this year. If my dad is going to be a part of our lives, he’s going to have to share us with your parents. It’s not fair to your family if we spend all the holidays with mine.” Placing a kiss on the back of Kelly’s neck, Alex smiled and the pair sat quietly and watched their movie.
CHAPTER 16
On Monday, Alex and Kelly arrived at Dr. Peck’s office after dropping the kids off at school. “Baby, you don’t have to stay with me if you don’t want to.” Alex said as the women checked in with the receptionist. “Are you serious right now? The woman I love is having a surgical procedure done, I don’t care how minor the procedure is, and I am not going to leave you here by yourself! Plus, you need someone to drive you home.” Kelly replied, hurt evident both in her voice and on her face. Apologizing, Alex took Kelly’s hand and brought it to her lips. “I love you, Kelly.” she said as the nurse called her back. Kissing her lover goodbye, Alex stood and followed the nurse.
While Alex went through her pre-op routine, Kelly settled into a chair in the surgical waiting room and took out her phone. Busying herself by checking in with the nursing staff at Serenity Home, she did her best to pass the time quickly. “How long has she been back there?” a voice said, startling Kelly. Looking up and seeing her mother, she checked her watch. “About twenty minutes.” she replied, moving over to let her mother sit. “Okay so I’ve got about thirty minutes to waste before they call me back.” Karen said, her demeanor betraying her nerves. Taking her mother’s hand, Kelly tried to reassure the woman. “Mom, there’s nothing to worry about. Once they are done with Alex, she will be taken to recovery and you will go in for your infusion. It will only take about half an hour on your en
d, and you don’t have to go under.” Looking at her daughter with resignation, Karen replied sadly “But Alex will get to go home today. I won’t get to go home until after the first of the year.” Taking her mother’s feelings into account for the first time, Kelly realized how scared the woman must be. She was three thousand miles from home, and had been for several months, with only her suspicion filled daughter to turn to for support. Feeling like a selfish fool, Kelly pulled her mother into a hug. “Mom, I’ll come by to see you every day. You’re not alone in this, and once you’re released, you’ll come stay with Alex and me until you’re cleared to go back to Florida.” she said, filled with determination to be there when her mother would need her the most. Smiling, Karen thanked her daughter and the two chatted about how different the weather in the Northwest was from Florida. Standing and hugging her daughter again, Karen followed the nurse when her name was called.
*****
“Alex?” Kelly asked, knocking on the door frame before stepping through the curtain. Feeling her heart soar when she saw the woman sitting up in bed with a smile on her face, Kelly hurried to her bedside. She had spent the last hour and a half in the waiting room, worrying about all the things that could have gone wrong. Despite her knowledge of medicine, Kelly couldn’t help but imagine the worst. Ever since the two had met, Kelly’s logical side had given way to her more emotional self and she frequently found herself afraid of the what-ifs. When the doctor had come out and let her know that Alex was awake, Kelly had nearly cried with relief. Leaning down to kiss the woman on the forehead, she held Alex close. The pair sat in silence for several minutes before the nurse came in and gave Alex permission to try and speak. After a few failed attempts, and several coughing fits, Alex finally whispered “Karen?” Taking the seat next to the bed, Kelly explained that Karen was doing well, but would be in isolation for a few days.
An hour later, after having been released and checking on Karen, Alex and Kelly arrived at Angie’s house. “Wow Sis, you look like shit, how do you feel?” Angie said bluntly when the women walked inside. Flipping the woman off with a smile, Alex sat at the kitchen island and sipped on her bottled water. Raising her eyebrow at her sister, Angie addressed the woman. “Well I guess that answers my question.” she said with a chuckle. Snorting into her water, Alex winced and rubbed her throat. “Angie, do you have any tea and honey?” Kelly asked. Pointing out the correct location of the items, Angie told her to help herself. While Kelly busied herself making the tea, Angie asked “So how’s your mom doing?” Replacing the containers back in the cupboard, Kelly said “She’s doing okay I guess. Dr. Peck said she would be in isolation for seventy-two hours, but after that we can come see her. She’ll be in the hospital, under observation, until the first of the year to make sure the transplant is working. After that, provided she is stable enough, she’ll come home with us until he gives her the all clear to go back to Florida.” Choking on her water, Alex stared at the woman. “She will?” she sputtered through a coughing fit. "Uh oh. I'm going to leave you two alone and go... somewhere else." Angie said, quickly leaving the room. Sitting on the stool next to Alex, Kelly took the woman's hand. "She's my mother, Honey. She's going to need someone to care for her after she leaves the hospital, and I think I should be the one to do it." She explained. "Babe, I think we've done a lot for her. I understand your desire to help your mom out, but don't you think we should have discussed this first?" Alex asked between coughs, her voice deep and gravelly.
“What is there to talk about, Alex?” Kelly asked. Taking a sip of her water to soothe her raw throat, Alex replied “Well, for one thing, you want to move someone into my house, with my kids, without discussing it with me.” Kelly stared at Alex in disbelief. “She’s my mother. She’s sick, alone, and if this transplant doesn’t work, she’s going to die. I already had to bury my sister, and even though my mom and I have spent most of my life not speaking, she’s still a part of me. Just like Kristen was.” Getting to her feet, she added “But, you’re right, I should have asked before inviting my mother into your house, with your kids. My apologies, it won’t happen again.” Seeing the look of hurt and anger on her fiancée’s face as she stomped out of the kitchen, Alex tried to stop her. “Baby, come back, I didn’t mean it that way.” she pleaded. When she heard the front door slam, Alex huffed out a breath and went to gather up the kids.
*****
“Are you not speaking to me now?” Alex asked on the drive home. Kelly had not said a word since the group left Angie’s house, ten minutes earlier. When she didn’t answer, Alex huffed out a breath and stared out her window. “Looks like moms are fighting.” Dej whispered to her brother. Before the boy could answer, Kelly spoke up. “We are not fighting. We’re just not talking right now.” she said, keeping her eyes on the road. Leaning over to whisper in his sister’s ear, Zane said “Ten bucks says this goes on all night.” Smirking at him, Dej whispered “You’re on. I bet Mom tries to get Mommy to talk to her at least once before we go to bed.” Offering his hand, the two children set their bet and sat back as they rode the rest of the way home in silence.
Later that evening, after Zane had paid his sister the money she won when Alex tried, unsuccessfully, at dinner to speak to Kelly, the two women tucked the children into bed. “Baby, come on. Just talk to me.” Alex begged, following Kelly into their bedroom. Keeping her back to the woman as she changed into pajamas, Kelly let out an irritated sigh. “There’s nothing to talk about. You’ve made your opinion very clear, and I will just have to rent an apartment when mother is released.” she said, grabbing a pillow from the bed. “Where are you going?” Alex asked, grabbing Kelly’s arm when the woman walked past her without another word. “I’ll be back to check on you throughout the night to make sure you’re breathing okay. Goodnight, Alex.” she replied, pulling her arm away and walking toward the guest room. Throwing up her arms in frustration, Alex stripped off her clothes and crawled into the cold, empty bed.
*****
“I’ll be back to check your throat around noon. If you have any problems swallowing or breathing, call me right away.” Kelly instructed the next morning. Taking a sip of her coffee, Alex nodded without a word. The morning had been tense and the kids had kept their distance from the women, waiting in their rooms until it was time to leave for school. “Kids, let’s go.” Kelly called up the stairs, after she had gathered her things. Once the kids had said their goodbyes, the trio went outside and loaded into Kelly’s car. She had decided to use her own car, for the first time in months, just so she didn’t have to ask Alex for the keys to the SUV. Watching the car pull away, Alex shook her head in irritation and when the car was out of sight, she stomped upstairs. Around noon, Kelly did as promised and returned to check on Alex. “Is it still sore when you swallow?” she asked, looking into Alex’s open mouth. Shaking her head no, Alex laid her hand on Kelly’s. “Have you been coughing much since I left?” she asked, easing her hand away. “No. Baby, we need to talk.” Alex said, looking the woman in the eye. “There isn’t anything to talk about. You made yourself clear last night.” Kelly said, raising her hand to stop Alex’s protest. “I’ve decided to move back into my house until I can find an apartment.” she added, pulling her purse onto her shoulder. Without another word Kelly walked out the door, leaving Alex to stare after her with a dumbfounded expression on her face.
CHAPTER 17
“I just don’t know what to do, Sis.” Alex finished, running her hand through her hair. She had spent the better part of the last half hour ranting to Angie about her situation with Kelly. The pair were sitting in Angie’s living room, and Alex appeared to be losing her mind. It had been two weeks since Kelly left, and aside from when it was absolutely necessary at work, the two women hadn’t even spoken to each other. With Christmas only days away, she felt as though her relationship with Kelly may be over. “Well Alex, what did you expect? First, you help her mother out by donating the bone marrow, then you tell her that taking care of her mom should have
been a joint decision. I mean, would you have reacted any differently if the situation had been reversed?” Angie asked. Before Alex could respond, she added “Besides, I’d be pissed off at you too if you had said the kids and house were yours instead of ours, especially after all you two have been through.” Punching the couch in anger, Alex retorted “I didn’t mean that the way it came out, Angie, and you know it!” After a moment, Angie responded gently. “Alex, I know you didn’t, but think about it. Ever since the shooting, you have been so damn proud of the fact that Kelly claimed and accepted the kids, then you go and make a statement like that. How did you think she would take it? Try and see that from her perspective. First, you are more than happy to let her claim them, even going as far as using them to see what her mom was really up to. Then when this comes about and it involves her very sick mom, you pull the mine card, which makes it sound like you are trying to make her choose between you guys.” Hanging her head and fighting back the tears of realization, Alex conceded. “You’re right, Ange. I should have chosen my words more carefully. How do I get her to talk to me so I can apologize?” Chuckling, Angie replied “The only advice I can offer there is to suggest that tomorrow at work, call her into your office and have lunch waiting, tell her you two need to talk and then apologize.” Sitting back on the couch, Alex mulled over her sister’s suggestion.
*****
“Daddy, was I wrong to be upset with her?” Kelly asked, once she had explained the situation to her father. When she had arrived at work, Kelly was surprised to see that she had no appointments scheduled for the day. Deciding to stay and catch up on her paperwork, she had become distracted by her situation with Alex and reached out to her father for advice. “Sweetheart, listen to me. I know I haven’t been there for you in the past like I should have been, but take it from someone who has dealt with an upset woman or two in his life.” Kevin said. Sitting down in her chair, Kelly listened as her father explained. “What Alex did for your mom was way above and beyond what anyone could have expected from their significant other. She went through a painful procedure to give Karen what she needed to beat the cancer, and instead of waiting until she was up to discussing anything, you just kind of took it upon yourself to open the home that you two share. You’re partners now, not individuals, and any big decision like that should have been made mutually. Even though you’re talking about your mother, you gotta think about how this must have seemed to her. Alex has spent the last several years doing everything by herself. Then you come along and she willingly shares her home and kids with you, and you guys start making all of the decision regarding both together. Then all of a sudden out of the blue, the family that she knows next to nothing about appears. Making the decision to donate was on Alex. But deciding to open your home to someone who treated you like you didn’t exist until she needed something, should have been made together. Karen doesn’t have to be in your home in order for you to take care of her, Sweetheart.” Sighing deeply, Kelly acquiesced. “You’re right, Daddy. Any idea how I can get her to let me apologize? We aren’t exactly on speaking terms right now, and I don’t think she’s going to let me explain myself.” Laughing into the phone, Kevin assured her that with a little time, and a display of sincere regret, Alex would come around. After hanging up with her father, Kelly sat back in her chair and blew out a breath before getting back to her paperwork.