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“Yes. I’m not gonna lie, it hit me like a Mack truck. I’m still figuring shit out, but right now, my first priority is helping Remi.”
“Remi?” Mom asked. “That’s a unique name.”
Kat cleared her throat.
“Her name is Remilia Victoria. After you and Teagan’s mother, Mom.”
“How… wonderful!” My mother was a bit stunned; her eyes flooded with tears and she covered her mouth with her hand. “It’s a beautiful name.”
“She’s a beautiful child. It suits her.” I pulled out the pictures and handed them to her. My dad looked at them with her as she shuffled through them one-by-one. The picture that Teagan showed me at the airport was among them.
“She has your eyes,” my dad said. He wasn’t one to get emotional, but he was not left unmoved.
“Yeah. Yours too. She’s amazing. Sweet and smart, and so brave.” I could feel my voice begin to crack and I cleared my voice. “She’s been through so much, and she’s still happy. Teagan is a very good mother, and Jensen loves her as his own.”
“How can you say anything nice about that bitch after what she did to you? Or that no-good friend of yours?” Kevin hissed angrily.
“Kevin!” My mother’s voice was as harsh as I’d ever heard it. “Chase needs our support.”
“Who said I wasn’t supportive? But keeping him in the dark about his kid? That’s unforgivable.” He shook his head in disgust.
“It does no good to talk like that, Kevin. Chase has enough to deal with,” my father’s voice was stern.
My mother stood and came to me, putting her arms around me, concentrating her gaze on my face. “Chase, I’m sure it does hurt.”
“It does. I can’t deny that.” I accepted her hug but then stepped back. “The thing is; when I walked in to meet her, Remi knew exactly who I was. Teagan and Jensen told her the truth all along. She had pictures of me and her mom by her bed in the hospital; she called me Daddy as if I’d always been with her.”
“Well, that’s… pretty unexpected.” My mother’s face was perplexed.
My emotions would not be held at bay and I broke down, tears starting to stream down my face. “She’s the most amazing thing to ever happen to me, and I love her dearly. Teagan wasn’t a match for her marrow, and so she called me to see if I could be. Thankfully, I can give to her and the transplant is scheduled for tomorrow morning. I wanted to tell you because the minute I check into the hospital tomorrow, the press will be on me. I’m sure it will be all over the web before I’m even out of surgery. I didn’t want you to find out that way.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and sat down next to Kat. Immediately her arm came around my shoulders, and she dropped her forehead to my shoulder.
“I notice you’re awfully quiet, Kathryn,” Kevin accused. “You knew, didn’t you?”
“For a while. I didn’t know what to do. Chase seemed to finally be happy and that’s why I didn’t say anything. There is more to the story, and Chase doesn’t need you to hate on Teagan, right now. She thought she was backing off so he could have his dream career.”
“When you left for a week, that’s where you were? In Atlanta?” Clearly, my mother was hurt that no one told her.
“Yes, Mom. I’m sorry,” Kat admitted. “I didn’t know if Chase would be there, and Jensen was traveling. Teagan needed my help. I couldn’t tell you about Remi because it was Chase’s place to do that. I gave Teagan his number so she could tell him, and I thought they needed time to work it out before the family was told. Please don’t be upset.”
“Well, what’s done is done. What can we do for you, Son?” Dad’s voice was comforting. He’d always been the voice of reason; ready to deal with shit that can’t be changed. “Do you want us in Atlanta? We should be there.”
“Remi has to have massive radiation to kill her own defective bone marrow before she receives the transplant. It’s extremely dangerous she’ll be extremely susceptible to infection, so no visitors will be allowed to see her; not even Teagan or me. At least, not until we see if the transplant is working and the doctor gives the okay.”
“Oh hell,” my dad said.
My mother, now back sitting next to him gasped loudly. “Will this cure her?”
“No guarantees.”
“Damn, that’s rough,” Kevin added. “I’m sorry, Chase.”
“This is the last shot. It has to work.” My heart was aching in my chest. I hadn’t admitted that to anyone before, not even Teagan. Remi might not make it. I had to be strong for Teagan, but in that moment, I was helpless to my own grief.
“Oh, my god!” My mother sat with a look of stunned disbelief on her face. She quickly brushed a tear away in an attempt to keep me from noticing she was crying.
My dad came to sit beside me and took me into a strong embrace. He patted my back hard. “Remi will be fine. She’s got one hell of a father. You don’t lose, Chase. You won’t lose at this.” He patted my back again and I hugged him back hard. It was all I could do not to lose it, my hands fisting in the back of his company work shirt. “And a Granddad wants to meet his new baby girl.”
