Page 65 of Dreaming Without Heartache

“No!” Maisie yells loudly.

Judy’s face scrunches in disdain as if she’s about to scold Maisie’s behavior. But Kara grabs Maisie’s hand, pulling her against her body protectively.

“Judy,” I say, stepping forward. “I appreciate all you’ve done for Kara. You were there for us when things got complicated, and I’ll always be grateful for that. But Kara and I have had a long talk, and we’ve decided that she should come home. Things are going to change.” I look at her sternly as she nods her head in agreement. “We talked in the car on the way home. She’s promised that moving forward she will start therapy, and we will have an open communication.”

“I will,” Kara agrees, rejuvenation in her voice.

Judy opens her mouth, likely to object, but Kara takes her hand gently.

“I love you, Gigi. I love spending time with you, but this is my home. Here with Maisie and Aunt Allie.” Her voice trembles with courage she’s pretending to have. “I wasn’t in a good place for a little while, but I know where I belong. I want to make Mom and Dad proud. I hope you can understand and be proud of me too.”

My girl said it perfectly. Judy’s shoulders drop as her posture eases. The sharpness in her eyes softens a little, letting me know that Kara’s words hit their mark. My chest swells with pride. She stepped up knowing how hard it could possibly get. I also know she did it for Maisie and me.

Judy’s silence says a lot. Beneath her hard edges, there’s a softness. Bill was the only person who seemed to be able to reach it. And now, somehow, Kara does too. He passed that torch on to her.

“I was thinking the girls need to spend more time with you, Judy.” I want to ease her aching heart. “They love their outings with you, and you’re welcome here anytime. You’re family.”

Judy looks around at everyone before nodding. “I’d love to spend more time with the girls.”

“Hot damn!” Steven claps his hands. I’m sure his nerves are getting the best of him at the moment. “Who’s ready to eat?”

I laugh along with everyone else, tension seeming to ease. “Judy,” I say, “would you like to join us for dinner?” I genuinely mean it. “The girls love and need their Gigi.”

Judy looks down at the girls, smiling faintly. “Sure, I’d love to.”

“Perfect,” Sam chimes in. “Luke’s brought food. We have brisket, barbecue pork, chicken, and enough sides to feed a small army.”

“Great.” Judy smiles, letting the girls lead her inside. “Come on, darling.” She motions toward Olivia. “You must be my granddaughter’s best friend that I’ve heard so much about.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Olivia beams, hurrying to catch up.

Steven lingers beside me as we watch everyone disappear through the door. “That was intense,” he says, wide-eyed.

“This whole day has been intense,” I reply.

“You’re not lying.” Steven shakes his head. “But we got our girl back and it seems in more ways than one.”

I nod, exhaling. “We talked it out. I’ll tell you…it was hard. I’m glad she finally opened up to me. I think we can move forward now.”

“That sounds like a plan to me,” he says.

* * *

The crickets chirp in the exceptionally warm night air. Their soft hum eases around us. Everything feels like it’s finally coming together. Well…almost everything.

The kids are inside watching a Halloween movie while the adults sit around the fire outside. They swore it’s nothing too scary because Kara knows Maisie can’t handle it. Dinner’s over. Judy’s gone. Oddly, Judy was pleasant, engaging with the kids about their interests. It was wonderful seeing Kara smile, talk, and eat, more like herself than I’ve seen in a while.

“I’ll start clearing the dishes,” Sam says, tossing the blanket off her lap.

“No, no, no,” Steven says, jumping to his feet, dragging Luke with him. “Luke and I will take care of it. You two stay put. You’ve done enough today.”

Sam shrugs. “I’ll never argue with someone else cleaning up. Thank you.”

“Yeah, thank you,” I add, glad for the help.

Steven blows us a dramatic kiss. “We love you both!”

Luke shrugs. “Guess the boss has spoken.”