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Melissa sat back in her seat, dumbstruck. She’d had no hand in raising this child, but in this moment she was more than proud of the selfless young woman the daughter she’d borne was becoming. Not that I’ll allow such a thing.
She reached across the table, held out her hands, and waited for Kinsley to lay hers in them. “Is that why you came?”
Kinsley nodded. “I had to come back in the house for something after I left Saturday. I heard you guys and my parents talking about it. Keith said I could save your life. It’s all I’ve been able to think about, but no one will talk to me. No one thinks I’m old enough to make that sort of decision.” She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin defiantly. “They’re wrong. I looked the disease up on Google, and I looked up facts about the surgery. I know I can live a perfectly normal life with one kidney. I can get married, and I can have babies.”
She looked down at the table, and Melissa saw pink stain Kinsley’s cheeks. “I had to make sure of that because Benjamin... Well, it’s not like we’ve talked about it, but someday he... I’m pretty sure he’s going to want kids.” Kinsley shrugged. “Anyway, I heard Keith say you guys were having trouble finding a donor and that the tests I had a few weeks ago show that I’d make a good one.” Sincerity filled Kinsley’s eyes. “I just found out about you, and I don’t want to lose you. Please let me help.”
Oh, you sweet, precious child. Melissa squeezed Kinsley’s hands. “Thank you.”
“You mean you’ll let me do it?”
Melissa bit her lip, touched by the hopefulness of her words and very well aware of the fear that trembled beneath them. “It’s not my choice to make, you’re—”
“You can’t say no. I know I can make Mom and Dad understand. I can make them listen, but I had to talk to you first.”
Melissa heard the beginnings of desperation in Kinsley’s voice. “Take a breath.”
Kinsley disentangled her fingers, sat back, and did as she was told.
“What I started to say is that it isn’t my choice because you’re too young.”
“But I’m—”
Melissa stopped her with shake of her head. “Sweetheart, you’ll never understand what your offer means to me, but I couldn’t accept, even if I were inclined to.”
“I don’t understand. I have the thing you need, the thing that could save your life.”
Melissa pulled in a deep breath. “If you’d eavesdropped a little longer or googled a little deeper you’d have found out that you have to be eighteen to be a donor.”
Petulance replaced desperation. “Then why would Keith even bring it up?”
“Because he feels like he’s out of options. Because there have been rare exceptions and he’s sure they’d make one here if everyone were in agreement.”
“Then we should ask.”
Melissa heard a car in the drive and stood. “Our dinner is here. Let’s put all this away for now and focus on enjoying each other’s company for the evening.”
“Will you at least promise to think about it?”
“Are all teenagers as single-minded as you?”
Kinsley smiled. “Only the successful ones.”
Melissa stooped, cupped Kinsley’s face in her hands, and dropped a quick kiss on her forehead. “I’m glad you came.”
***
“YOU GOING TO BE OK?” Jason asked.
“Yes, go. Chief Black’s been more than fair with both of us lately. He wouldn’t have called you in if he weren’t desperate. Kinsley’s safe. That’s the most important thing, and there isn’t anything more either of us can do tonight.”
Jason tipped her face up and dropped a kiss onto her lips before wrapping her in a hug. “Sweetheart, we’re going to get through this. I know you feel like things are falling apart, but God has a plan for our family, even when we can’t see it. We just have to trust Him.”
Charley thought back to her earlier discussion with God and her plea to restore their normal. That didn’t appear to be an option. She hugged him back before stepping away. “Be safe.”
After he left, she leaned against the door, folded her arms, and rubbed them with cold fingers. Despite the August temperature there was a chill in the air, one magnified by the solitude of the house. She pushed away from the door, pulled a sweater out of the hall closet, and shrugged it on.
With her hands jammed in the pockets, Charley wandered the house. Many a night she’d wished for just such an opportunity. A little peace and quiet to read a book or watch a movie. Those things held no appeal tonight. Whoever said silence was golden hadn’t spent any time in a house missing its heart. That’s what Kinsley was, the heart of their home. The reason Charley did what she did day after day. With Kinsley gone and Jason at work, Charley found herself with plenty of solitude but no purpose. No one to cook dinner for, no one to clean up after, no one to nag about homework or chores, no one to laugh with, no one to love.
You’re overreacting.
Why did that little voice in her head have to be so calm and reasonable? She settled on the sofa, feet pulled up beneath her, knees under her chin. Pity parties had their place, and if she wanted to indulge in one, she certainly had cause.
Why hasn’t Melissa called me back? The question was barely a thought when the sound of a strumming guitar broke the silence. Charley snatched up the phone. “Melissa.”
“Hi, Charley.”
“Thank God. I was going a little crazy, thinking you weren’t going to call tonight.” Charley ran a hand through her shaggy blond hair. “Is she OK? Has she opened up to you? Has she explained what drove her to pull such a dangerous stunt?” Charley swallowed back resentment at the thought of Kinsley confiding in someone else. This is so wrong.
“Kinsley’s fine. We had dinner, and she’s in the shower. We had a long talk, and I gotta tell you, you and Jason have raised an amazing young woman.”
Charley closed her eyes, resisting the mental image of pulling Melissa through the phone to get the information she wanted. Instead she counted to five before speaking. “Please tell me what’s going on.”
“You aren’t going to like it.”
“I already don’t like it.” The words were harsh, and Charley couldn’t work up the energy to care. “Quit stalling, and cut to the chase.”
Silence filled the connection for a couple of heartbeats. “She...ah...came out here to tell me that...” Melissa cleared her throat. “That she wants to give me a kidney.”
Charley sank back into the cushions and did her best to absorb Melissa’s words. “Of all the...no. I mean, you told her no, right? What put an idea like that in her head?” Her eyes went to slits in the dark. “Did your husband—?”
“Keith is out of town for a few days.” Melissa filled her in on the fact that Kinsley had overheard their final conversation on Saturday. “We had a nice long talk about the realities of the donor program. I didn’t want her to think I was blowing her off or make it seem like I didn’t appreciate the offer she was so sincere in making. I know you’re ready to strangle her, but I’ve never had anything touch me so deeply. We were both in tears before we finished. I think I got her to understand that noble as her plan was, it wouldn’t work for a number of reasons.”
Charley closed her eyes. She’d overheard them? No wonder her daughter had seemed so distracted the last few days. “Melissa, I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but your husband is still high on my hit list.”
Melissa’s sigh rattled through the phone. “Trust me, the feeling is mutual in this situation. But when you think about it, as misguided as their efforts are, Keith and Kinsley are on the same page. They both want to help, and they’re grasping at straws to get it done.”
“True.” Not that it changed anything.
“So, what happens next?” Melissa asked.
“Jason and I will come get her.”
“Can I ask you for a favor?”
“You can ask.”
“Well, since she’s here, I was wondering how you’d feel about letting her stay...”
Charley’s insides knotted at her old friend’s words.
“...for a couple of days.”
Charley took a deep breath. Calm...just be calm. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t like the idea of rewarding her for her actions, regardless of her motivation.”
“I understand, but if you allow her to stay, I think I can help her get a better understanding of some of the issues we talked about earlier. And I really would love the chance to get to know her better now that she’s here. What do you think? You guys could come get her on Saturday.”
Charley mulled the request. Every selfish bone in her body screamed no, but wouldn’t denying this simple request push Kinsley toward Melissa even more? Could this whole thing get any more impossible? The sigh that escaped Charley’s lungs seemed to deflate her all the way to her toes. “I’ll talk to Jason and get back with you. Give my daughter a kiss for me.” She hung up the phone before Melissa had a chance to respond.
***
CHARLEY TRUDGED UP the stairs to the workout area Wednesday morning, just a little late. Gone was the nervous and pre-occupied version of herself from the morning after Melissa’s first call. The happy version who’d wept tears of joy at the doctor’s report? Nowhere to be found. And the angry version who’d pummeled her fists into a bloody mess at the idea of inviting Melissa to Kinsley’s birthday party? Charley snapped her fingers. Gone. Now she was just resigned, and resigned equaled helpless, and helpless reeked worse than last week’s garbage.
She would have paid money to skip the exercise class this morning, but Jason was sleeping in after his late shift, and the silence of the house was making her nuts. The fact that the house would be quiet even if Kinsley were home was irrelevant. A mother knew the difference between gone-to-school quiet and inching-her-way-out-of-your-life quiet.
Charley paused on the top step. She’d talked to each of her friends by phone last night, explaining the situation and letting them know about Melissa’s request. She’d done this in the hope that when she saw them today she wouldn’t be met with questions and sympathy. Sympathy was worse than helplessness. Maybe sneaking in late would reinforce the fact that she didn’t want to talk about it.
Yeah...that’ll happen.
She pushed the door open and stuck her head inside. The peppy praise and worship music that they all preferred for these sessions blared out to greet her, but her five friends weren’t busy working up a sweat. They huddled around a small table at the far end of the room studying something she couldn’t see.
Mac looked up with a brilliant smile and motioned her over. “Come over here. Hurry, hurry.”
Curiosity got the better of Charley, and she crossed the room. “What’s up?”
Mac bounced on her toes. “You’ll never, ever guess.”
Charley looked from one woman to another and craned her neck around to see what had their attention so riveted. She frowned when she saw it was a calendar, then shrugged when Mac looked at her expectantly.
Mac threw her arms around Charley’s shoulders. “Dane and I set a date last night!” Her voice was an excited squeal. “Seven months from now. Well, seven months and three weeks, February twenty-eighth, I’ll be Mrs. Dane Cooper.” She released Charley and took a step back. “We thought about Valentine’s Day but decided that was cliché. We’ve got so much to do between now and then. Expect to be imposed on...horribly.”
The news actually produced a smile. Charley returned her friend’s embrace. “It’s about time. He proposed more than a year ago.”
“I know,” Mac said. “But it’s been me holding up the show, not Dane. As much as I wanted to get married, there’s been so much to work through.” Her face went dreamy. “And I’ve loved just being engaged. The romance of it all.” She sighed. “I feel like a big sponge, just soaking it all in.”
Charley thought back to all she knew about the cult Mac and her son had escaped from and the arranged marriage she’d been forced into on her eighteenth birthday. Mac had a right to take all the time she wanted. “I’m so happy for both of you. You know I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”
“Can I get that in writing?” Mac asked. “Just in case you feel the need to kill me later?”
“We don’t kill brides.” Alex stepped into the conversation. “Even ones that try our patience. We got Randy to the altar, on time and in one piece, and we’ll do the same for you.” She rubbed Mac’s arm before turning her attention to Charley. “It’s good to see a smile on your face for a change.”
The words hammered at the fragile wall around Charley’s emotions, and she struggled to keep her smile in place. “I’m good.”
“Did you have a chance to talk to Jason?” Jesse asked.
So much for wishes. They weren’t being insensitive or nosey, Charley reminded herself. These women were a part of each other’s lives, more sisters than friends. They wanted to help, and she needed their support now more than ever.
“Just for a second, before he crashed,” Charley answered. “We’ll drive down to Houston Saturday morning and come back Sunday.”
“Quick trip,” Syd said.
Charley only shrugged, certain that if she spoke, she wouldn’t be able to keep the wall surrounding her feelings in one piece.
Randy elbowed through the small knot of women. “Let’s get this workout started. I have a job to get to.” She put an arm around Charley and led her out onto the mats. “Charley knows we’re praying, and she knows we’re here for her. I’m sure she’ll keep us in the loop, but for now, I think our friend needs a little space.”
The women took their spots as Mac boosted the music and clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. Grateful for Randy’s reassurance and diversion, Charley mouthed a thank-you in her friend’s direction and lifted her hands over her head to begin the first set of stretches.