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So why don’t I feel like my life is getting better right now? Why do I feel lost, cast adrift in a wide ocean with still no clue how to swim?
“I love you too, sweetheart, and it will all work out. You’ll see. My eyes are open. I should have been better to your father.”
“Mom—”
“No, it needs to be said, Kitty. I always wanted more. Not just for myself but,” she sighs, shaking her head, “mostly for myself. Blue collar wasn’t so bad. We were happy, all of us. I guess it’strue what they say, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.”
“Dad’s dead, Mom. I wish he wasn’t but he is. And it wasn’t all sunshine and blueberry pancakes, either. I know your marriage wasn’t perfect.”
“No, it wasn’t. But I shouldn’t have let you see that. So, from now on, it’s me and you against the world.” She draws a deep breath like she’s psyching herself up for what comes next. “I can get a good settlement from Hoover. Any judge is going to see that what he did to you was unforgivable. We’ll start over. New house, new life. You can go to community college. It’s not med school, but it’s something. We’ll be okay.”
“Yes we will.”
“Yes we will,” she agrees. “Right. That’s settled. We have a week in this hotel, so I’ll start speaking to some lawyers, get the ball rolling on a divorce. But not today, because today I’m getting one of those hot stone treatment things, and I’m going right now. You want to come?”
“No. I’m… I need some time alone. Is that okay?”
“Still missing Baby?” I nod, and she puts a hand on my shoulder. “You stay here then, but if you need me you know where I am. Yes?”
She kisses the top of my head, then heads for the door and is gone. And I pick up my phone and bring up a photo of Baby.
Martin has texted. A lot. Like, my phone was starting to slow down because of it until I blocked his number.
Does he care about me, or is he just desperate for me not to report our relationship to the church and ruin his career? Notthat I’d ever do that. I’m not vindictive. He lied to me, a lot. All that stuff about trust and then it turns out he was keeping the truth from me right from the start. But I don’t hate him, and Iwouldhate myself if I did something I couldn’t take back, just because I’m hurt.
No, he can live his life. I’ll have to find a way to live mine.
A knock at the door. I roll my eyes at the hundredth time Mom’s forgotten to take her keycard with her in the few days we’ve been at this hotel, and stand from the bed, crossing to the door.
“Did you forget your—”
I fall silent as I swing the door wide, and stare up into eyes that hold me captive like I’ve just been pinned to the wall.
“What are you doing here?” I breathe, shaking my head. “Father Martin—”
“Just Martin,” he says. “We need to talk, Kitty. Please let me in.”
For a moment I hesitate. My mind is saying no, tell him to leave you alone, but my heart… My heart wins, even if it hurts.
I step back and move my arm, letting him come past. “How did you find me?” I ask, then gasp as he walks in through the door. Carrying a cat carrier. “Oh my God. Please, please tell me that’s who I think it is—”
“Someone is excited to see you,” he says as he turns, holding the carrier out to me. “I had to smuggle her past security.”
Everything else is forgotten. My head feels light as I take the carrier, hurrying over to the bed, barely willing to let myself even hope that this is actually happening. I fumble the catch on the door twice, my fingers feeling stumpy and uncoordinated all of asudden as I hear a meow that I recognize. I really do. It’s distinct and it’s us and—
“Baby!” I cry, choking back a sob as she comes out into the room, nuzzles against my face, takes one look around and then curls up on the bed. I giggle, running my fingers through her fur over and over as she falls asleep, accepting that she’s back with me without a second thought. “How did you find her? Where was she? Is she okay? Is she really back—”
Martin reaches forward, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “She’s fine. She’s back. She was never in any danger, I promise you. Hoover…” I glance up, meeting his eyes as they go a shade darker. “My dad hadn’t taken her to the shelter. He left her with a kind old lady we used to live next door to. She loves cats, she knew it was only temporary fostering. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
I nod. I’m grinning. None of that really matters, because I have her back. My hand is still tangled into her fur as Martin continues.
“I’m here for you, Kitty. I’m not leaving without you.”
“You lied to me.” I glare at him. “You lied right from the very beginning.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” He crouches in front of me, pulling my free hand away from my side and kissing the knuckles. “Kitty, I never expected any of this. When Hoover told me to take you on and told me not to tell you who I was, I didn’t care. But I care about you. I love you. I should have told you the truth as soon as I met you, and I had a thousand opportunities to come clean—”
“So why didn’t you?”
