Rhapsody

by Heather McKenzie

  As time crawled by, I’d thought of Oliver. More than I’d cared to. The nights alone in my room and the days jammed full of flying lessons and anything else that John could do for me that he couldn’t for his long-lost daughter, Oliver was always in the back of my mind. I wished I could have told him how I was weaseling my way into the old man’s heart and gaining his trust. I wished I could have told him that I loved him, and I missed him. That I hadn’t taken off the wedding ring since the day he placed it on my finger. But as Daddy always said, wishes were like fishes; you either caught one or ya didn’t.

  When the clouds drifted off revealing nothing but blue sky, that’s when I saw her. Climbing up to where I was waiting, tanned skin, hair braided and hanging down her back, with green eyes big as saucers, was Kaya Lowen. She scanned the area before noticing me, and my awestruck body had a tough time getting upright. She had survived.

  We ran to each other, and I squeezed her so tight I thought I might break her.

  “You’re so skinny,” I said, holding her at arm’s length a moment.

  “And you’re… a pilot?” She smiled, holding my hands, then stepped back to assess that I was completely in one piece. “Apparently you weren’t locked up in that room for long.”

  “Nope. And I acquired some handy new skills.”

  “Oh, I missed you, Marlene.”

  We held each other for a long time until I finally had to pull away. I didn’t know how to ask her about Luke and Thomas, and I knew there was no way Oliver survived. But before I could find the words, Kaya cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled into the wind, “All clear.”

  Thomas popped his head up and came over the ridge first, then reached down to help Luke. When they were both on their feet, Thomas reached for Luke’s arm and pulled it over his shoulder, helping his obviously injured friend stand.

  “Well, that’s weird,” I said, completely dumfounded at the turn of events between the two men. I figured for sure one would have buried the other. “Has it been that long or am I in an alternate universe?”

  “Marlene!” Thomas couldn’t get to me fast enough, leaving Luke to lean on Kaya. I realized then just how much I missed him when I was pulled into a familiar bear hug. Smoke and earth and sunshine clung to his skin. His hair was long. His eyes more lined. It suited him.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, his filthy hands rubbing my cheeks as if making sure I was real.

  I nodded.

  “I bet you missed my pretty face,” he said.

  I nodded again.

  He broke into a huge smile, and gross as it was, kissed me on the mouth before backing up and pumping a fist in the air. “Freedom,” he howled.

  Luke gently put forward a badly scratched hand for a polite shake. “Good to see you too, Marlene.”

  He seemed happy despite the obvious pain he was in.

  “What happened?” I asked, noticing his bandaged leg.

  “Wolf,” was all Luke said.

  Thomas shook his head and laughed. Kaya giggled.

  “He means a wolf spider,” Kaya clarified with a teasing grin. “One tried to attack him, and he fell and twisted his ankle. He won a fight with a bear the week before, but lost to a spider. Go figure.”

  “The rocks were slippery,” Luke said defending his wounded pride.

  I watched my friends in awe. I had been expecting dreadfully greasy hair, vacant eyes, missing teeth, and limbs even… but they all seemed like they had not only been surviving, but also thriving.

  Except, there was one person missing. Kaya caught my longing stare at the ridge.

  “Did he die in pain?” I asked, bracing myself for the worst.

  Kaya and Luke gave each other odd looks I couldn’t decipher, and Thomas’s mouth turned up at the corners. Without answering me, they both turned to the place they’d just climbed up, and there, looking like he could have leapt from the bottom to the top without breaking a sweat, was Oliver.

  My breath caught in my throat. He looked incredible. When he saw me, he took determined strides in my direction while I remained planted to the earth, doubting if my knees would hold me up much longer. My chest tightened. Was this real? He’d been so sick…

  Not bothering with hello, he reached for my hands.

  “How—?” I faltered.

  “Takes more than a little cough to kill me,” he said with a wink.

  To confirm he was there, I placed my palms against his chest, feeling the strong, clear intake of air going into his lungs. I had so many questions, but when he inched closer, I forgot them all. “Thanks for the pancake mix,” he said, still holding my hands, noticing the ring.

  Sweat was beading uncomfortably on my forehead, and my stupid lip was quivering—which was fine—but if any tears fell, I’d kick myself over the edge. “I wasn’t sure what kind of syrup you liked,” I said softly.

  He smiled. “I missed you, too.”

  Then he leaned in and kissed me. Full on mouth-to-mouth contact. I was shocked by his audacity, but even more shocked that I didn’t want to punch him in the throat. Instead, I wound my hands up behind his neck and pulled him tight, kissing him back and hoping my actions would tell him everything I could never say before.

  I was embarrassed when I realized everyone was watching. Pulling away, he held my cheeks in his hands, breathing deeply, as a heavy sigh came from his throat. “I’m going to marry you for real,” he stated.

  “You better.”

  His smile was accompanied by a whimper.

  A whimper?

  Confused, I heard it again. A small voice came from behind him. When I realized Kaya, Luke and Thomas were all staring at me with smiles wider than the Grand Canyon, I beheld Oliver’s pride-filled expression and slowly stepped around him.

  And there, strapped to his back, just waking from sleep, was a—

  “Oh my God!” I was unable to stop the tears now. They poured because staring back at me with eyes as blue as the summer sky and a mop of thick black hair, was the most beautiful baby girl I’d ever seen.

  “Marlene, meet Stephanie Faith,” Kaya said. “Nine months old today.”

  A little hand reached out to grab my finger, and my heart almost blew clean out of my chest. She was the most perfect little person, chubby and healthy and obviously incredibly loved by the way Thomas unstrapped her carefully from Oliver’s back and handed her to Luke, who promptly cradled her against his chest. I couldn’t do a thing but stare in awe as he patted his child’s back and got down on his knees next to Kaya.

  “She’s going to have to be fed before we take off,” he said to her.

  Kaya nodded and plunked down next to him, reaching for the baby now cooing and grinning madly at her.

  This was incredible.

  “Since we have a moment,” I said after a while, still not trusting my eyes. “We certainly have a few things to celebrate today, and I brought something just for the occasion.”

  Oliver lit the candles I had poked into the cake, and while we all sat cross legged in a circle on the edge of a mountain, we sang ‘happy birthday’ to Kaya and happy nine months to baby Stephanie.

  “Make a wish,” Oliver said afterward, lighting a candle just for me.

  I guess I could cast in a line and see what I pulled out, so I did. And I wished that we could all stay together as family. I wanted that more than anything in the entire world. I repeated it as I cut the cake, placing massive slabs of it in dirty hands.

  “Wait,” I said as Oliver was about to stuff his mouth. “I have something to say.”

  I stood, receiving their full attention. “First, congratulations, Kaya. Under the circumstances, it’s incredible that you made it to twenty-one. John has the papers waiting for you at his home, and an hour from now you can officially keep your promise and sign everything over to him. You can have your life back.” I felt the threat of tears again but held them at bay. “So, cheers. Here’s to freedom.”

  I lifted a piece of cake as if it were a glass of wine and every
one followed suit. Except Kaya.

  “I’m not signing anything,” she said.

  It was clear by everyone’s shocked expression that this wasn’t expected.

  Kaya stood, the baby in her arms toying with a long strand of her hair. The wind picked up briefly, then stopped. The birds stopped, too. The mountain, it seemed, also wanted to hear what she had to say.

  “After I take back what’s mine, I’m going to get to work. The earth has been good to me, and I am going to do everything in my power to look after it. That means using Eronel to find a way to get rid of the pesticides still in the soil and create cures for the diseases it’s caused. I have enough money to do some good in the world, so I’m going to invest in our environment and keep the money out of the hands of people who could use it to mess it up—like Henry and John Marchessa.”

  A light radiating wisdom and strength shone in her eyes. She was captivating, and the smile she cast in Luke’s direction affected him deeply.

  “This is my life,” she said to him, to me, to Thomas, to Oliver hanging on her every word, and to the baby in her arms. “I’m in control of it now for the first time, and I know for certain that what I love and cherish most in the world, is right here—” She acknowledged each one of us. “I will protect you, my family, and fight for the future of our children on this planet. I am not handing anything over. I am not signing my life away. I am taking control.”

  Luke beamed with so much pride for her my heart hurt. Thomas beamed, too. But Oliver was watching me, waiting for my reaction; he was wondering where my loyalties were. None of them had any way of knowing that I’d been playing the old man for two years so that when this day came, I would be prepared.

  “Good,” I said, and Oliver broke into a wide grin. “Because while you losers were all playing house, I was busy coming up with a game plan because I knew—don’t ask me how—but I knew Kaya wasn’t going to walk away. So, the men who were supposed to go with me and make sure I brought you back, are having very long drug-induced naps, and I have their guns and ammo if we need it. John wouldn’t dream of me doing anything behind his back, because I’ve weaseled my way into his brain so deeply he wants me to change my last name to Marchessa. He’s busy making sure the catering and decorations are exactly right for your return, so we have lots of time to get away safely. Also, I made sure Lisa and Louisa are safe. They are with Regan, who has room for us and is anxiously awaiting our arrival. So in other words, we are good to go.”

  Oliver eyed me longingly, holding up the cake in his hand. “Can we eat now?” he said, grinning.

  Apparently, I caught a wish. Or two. “Cheers. To family.”

  Beautiful faces, all beaming, replied in unison. “To family.”

  I assumed that the time spent living in the forest would have prepared me for this, but no. The mud was still infuriating and difficult. It formed into cement-like blocks and fused to my feet. Struggling to lift them one agonizing step at a time, I refused the outstretched hands and offers of help. I even blocked out the encouraging words. Because even though this was hard, I knew I could do it. If there was anything the years on the mountain had taught me, it was to trust in myself.

  Finally getting through the bog and collapsing on the grass in a muddy heap, I didn’t dare cry over my exhaustion or my stinging muscles. I got up, wiped myself off, and got back to running. Tenacity; another thing the mountain had taught me.

  As the path narrowed and night came, the number of runners in the Death Race dwindled. My feet throbbed, my chest ached, and my partner looked a little worse for wear. I slowed for him. He slowed for me. And never once did we leave each other’s side—not this time.

  I reflected on the past that disappeared in the blink of an eye as I ran through the dark and breathed in the cool scent of fall. Would I change any of it? No. I never would have met Luke or become part of a new family that genuinely cared about me. What was born of my trials and tribulations had become my strength and harmony. Every second of it was worth it.

  When the sun started poking through the trees, I thought of the future. My plans for tomorrow were something I never imagined I would be writing down in a day timer; talk to Regan about his breakthrough in the new Eronel lab, take Marlene wedding dress shopping, be at the pool no later than seven for an after-dinner swim with Luke while Lisa babysat Stephanie. My life was the stuff dreams were made of. Every day, the tiniest moments were pure bliss—who would have thought my pencil could ever have written that?

  I could see my loved ones now at the finish line. Thomas was jumping up and down madly, and Marlene was holding up a sign that said ‘Go Kaya’—having my real name displayed for all to see was so immensely satisfying. Luke and our baby girl were beaming ear to ear and waving, and I kept them in focus as my body was close to collapsing. Vision blurry with tears of victory, I realized this was it—I was finishing what I started. I reached for Oliver, who was beside me sweating bullets. There was no one else I’d rather cross the finish line with.

  “I knew you could do it, Kaya,” he said, breathless.

  I squeezed his hand tight, and not because I needed a hand to hold, but because I loved him. “I never doubted you either.”

  We stumbled over the yellow line into open arms. Luke smothering me with kisses and worried looks as I collapsed against him. Oliver tackling Marlene to the ground in an exhausted and elated tumble. My baby girl was calling my name, clapping excitedly, and for a blissful second, I had the confirmation that I was raising her right and teaching her by being a good example.

  “Momma did it,” I said, kissing her chubby cheeks.

  “Good running, Momma!” she beamed.

  Regan dove in and swept her out of my arms. “All right, off to the playground,” he said enthusiastically. “Your momma needs to rest. And have a shower. Or two.”

  With a quick kiss on the cheek, he was off with Louisa and Brutus close behind.

  “Good job, Kaya,” Lisa said with a warm hug. “You rocked it. Now, don’t worry about Stephanie. Regan and I have it all taken care of. You just chillax for the rest of the night, okay?”

  “Heck no,” Oliver said, pumping a fist in the air. “Now, we barbecue!”

  The thought of moving an inch, even for food, was too much. I made it a few steps toward the parking lot, then bent over at the waist to catch my breath. When I finally had the energy to stand, there was a bouquet of flowers thrust in my face.

  “I knew you could do it too,” Thomas grinned.

  Perfect red roses. A dozen. Admiration shone in his eyes as he placed them in my hand. “You never cease to amaze me,” he added, staring a little too long with that cocky grin on his face. I braced myself for what I knew was coming…

  “Good job.” He pressed a sweet kiss on my cheek, then with a wink, turned and walked off. “Stop admiring me from behind,” he yelled back over his shoulder.

  Luke just shook his head and gently plucked the flowers from my hand. “Do you want a lift?” he asked, motioning to pick me up. “It will be like the old days.”

  This man had captured my heart. Fully and completely. And I could tell by everything he said, and everything he did, that I had his as well.

  “I got through twenty-four hours, I can get through another ten minutes,” I said stubbornly.

  He pulled me close, blue eyes beaming with pride. “Those were the longest twenty-four hours of my entire life,” he said. “I don’t want to be away from you for that long again. Ever.”

  I could have stayed in his arms, right where we were, until the world ran out of time.

  “Hey. Could you spare her for a second?” asked Marlene. “We need to talk. Besides if I have to watch any more mushy stuff, I might throw up.”

  Luke sighed. He kissed me fiercely—in that way that he did that always took all the breath from my lungs—and it seemed he needed all his strength to let go. “I’ll go pull up the car, so you don’t have so far to walk. Meet you in the parking lot, my love.”

  Ma
rlene put an arm around my waist as we watched him jog ahead. “You are one crazy chick,” she said with a smile.

  I limped along beside her. “I feel like garbage,” I admitted.

  “Smell like it too,” she said with a laugh, then grew serious. “Listen, Kaya, while you were in the race last night, something happened.”

  She didn’t have to say it. At one point when the moon was full in the sky, I had felt a shift in the universe.

  “Henry died,” she continued.

  I kept walking, one agonizing step after the other.

  “Everyone wanted to wait until later to tell you, but I knew you would want to know right away.”

  She was right. “How?” I asked.

  “They’re saying it was a heart attack. But we both know better.”

  Georgia and Dan had taken Henry in when he had nowhere to go. I had ripped the carpet out from underneath his feet, obliterated his research, and taken back the estate, and the mighty Henry had fallen. Hard. His health began to deteriorate. It was slow. Agonizing. And I suspected that through poisoning, Georgia had gotten the revenge that so many wanted.

  “I guess I better start making funeral plans.”

  Marlene tightened her arm around me. “It’s done. I organized everything this morning.”

  We made it to the parking lot. There were people everywhere, some crying, some laughing with joy and exhaustion, some sound asleep on the hoods of their cars. I felt a slight sadness for the death of the man who for a long while had made my life a living nightmare. Without him, none of this would have happened. My life wouldn’t have been blessed with Luke, who was swearing at the fact he’d misplaced his keys again, or Thomas wouldn’t be good naturedly mocking him in fits of laughter.