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In the days that followed her illicit trip to Houston, Kinsley got an up close and personal appreciation of the disease Melissa was fighting. She attended dialysis sessions on Wednesday and Friday afternoons, and the patients she met on those visits inspired her. They were filled with so much hope and determination. A determination that was stronger than any illness. It didn’t make the illness go away. Melissa would still die if she didn’t get the transplant she needed, but the hope was contagious, and it soothed the sore spot in Kinsley’s heart that had been festering ever since the day of her party.
In between treatments, Kinsley watched Melissa see-saw between pre-treatment exhaustion and bursts of post-treatment vitality. And Kinsley had to admit, selfishly, that Thursday and Saturday mornings, when Melissa’s energy ran high, had been her favorite parts of the visit.
Her parents were due to arrive this afternoon. And while she didn’t look forward to the confrontation that came with them, she was excited to see them. She’d had plenty of quiet time while Melissa rested to think about what she’d done.
Kinsley didn’t regret her decision to make the trip. She’d gotten the information she’d come for even if the results had fallen short of her goal. She’d, hopefully, proved she wasn’t the fragile baby everyone seemed to see her as. But, and here the heat of shame swamped her like a resurging tide, there had been better ways to accomplish those goals. Kinsley had already made up her mind to take whatever punishment her parents meted out like the adult she claimed to be.
She stared out at the lush landscape beyond the restaurant’s patio, determined to make this last day special. She still struggled with the thought of having two mothers. But since she couldn’t change reality, she decided to be thankful that the new woman in her life was someone she could like, a lot.
“So, what’s your pleasure?” Melissa asked.
Kinsley jerked back to the here and now. Her eyes went back to the breakfast menu she should have been studying instead of daydreaming. “Sorry, I guess I’m a little distracted by the fact that I only have a few hours left to live.”
Melissa stared at her over her own menu.
“Mom and Dad are going to kill me when they get here. The scary part is that they’ve had four days to come up with something really creative.”
“Well, in that case, you should put it out of your mind and concentrate on the present.” Melissa propped her elbow on the table and placed her chin on her fist. With her free hand, she motioned to the sun shining just beyond the awning of the restaurant and the river...bayou, Melissa called it a bayou...situated just short of where they sat. “You’ve got sun, water, and terrific food and company. That should be enough to occupy your thoughts for now. After we eat, I thought we could drive over to Galveston. We could take a walk along the beach and visit some of the quaint little Island shops. Maybe I can find something extra for your birthday.”
Kinsley sat up and fingered the single pearl necklace around her neck. “Speaking of my birthday. When you gave this to me last week”—had it really been just a week?—“you promised to tell me a story. I’d love to hear it while we eat.”
“I can do that.” She nodded at the waiter headed in their direction. “Right after we order.”
They both indulged in the restaurant’s strawberry French toast. Once it was served and they had a reasonable expectation of being left alone, Kinsley nudged Melissa back to the promised story.
“You’re like a dog with a bone,” Melissa said.
Kinsley smeared whipped cream over her toast and drizzled a tiny amount of strawberry syrup over the top. “Do you expect me to deny it?” She grinned. “Persistence is my specialty.”
Melissa answered that with raised brows and a smirk, but she leaned forward. “Do you have grandparents?”
Kinsley nodded. “Sure. They don’t live very close, though. Mom’s parents moved to Florida when they retired. I miss them a lot, but we go see them every couple of years. And since you can’t go to Florida without doing Disney World, it’s not such a bad deal. Dad’s parents live on a huge farm in Kansas. They grow wheat. The farm keeps them busy, but we see them a couple of times a year.”
“I can understand that. My grandparents lived on a farm here in Texas. They grew cows.”
Kinsley picked up her glass of milk, lifted it in a small toast, and mooed.
“You’re so funny. Anyway, Grandpa had his cows, but my grandmother liked to grow flowers and vegetables. She canned the best green beans in the world, and her sweet pickles won the blue ribbon at the county fair every year.” She stopped and stabbed a strawberry with her fork, then held it up and looked at it. “But her pride and joy, the thing she was proudest of, was her strawberry patch. She and I loved strawberries.”
Melissa closed her eyes. “I can still see that patch out by the back porch. Lush green plants, the black dirt between the rows, and those ripe, red berries.” She lifted the one on her fork. “These are good, but you haven’t tasted the real thing until you eat them fresh off the plant. We’d go for visits in the summer, and that patch was an irresistible temptation. The grown-ups would be in the house doing whatever grown-ups did, and I’d sneak out back, lie down between those rows, and eat my weight in fresh berries.”
“Sneak? Did you get in trouble?”
Melissa smiled. “Never. Occasionally I’d stay out there too long, and they’d start looking for me. My grandma would come out on the back porch, put her hands on her hips and look right at me, but she never let on. She’d just stand there and yell, ‘Melissa Sue, are you in my strawberry patch?’ and I’d scrunch up real small and say, ‘No, ma’am.’ And she’d smile and go back in the house. That was my signal to brush the dirt off, sneak around to the front door, and let everyone know I was OK. She never ratted me out.”
“What a fun grandma.”
“That old woman was the most special person in the world to me, and I miss her more each day, not less. When she died, she left me a string of pearls that Grandpa brought home from his navy days in Hawaii.” Melissa motioned to the necklace Kinsley wore. “Your pearl came from that strand.”
Kinsley put her fork aside and fingered the pearl. “You gave me one of your grandmother’s pearls?”
“Yes. And I’ve been giving it a lot of thought. The pearl and what I wanted to say to you when the time came.” She met Kinsley’s gaze across the table. “Sweetheart, family is the most important thing we have in this world.”
“I know.”
“You have people in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Florida who love you. You can add Texas to that list. I am beyond grateful that God allowed you to come back into my life, but whatever we come to have together, however close we come to be, that will never change the fact that Charley and Jason raised you. They are always going to be your parents. I know you felt betrayed at the way things happened, but those two love you more than you will ever know. Because of that, your loyalty, and mine, should go to them first. Anything else wouldn’t be fair.
“I can’t imagine waking up one morning to find you’ve got two mothers, but that’s not the way I want you to think of me. There’s a lot of hard times, floor walking, diaper changing, boo-boo kissing, and laundry...”
Kinsley giggled.
“...that goes into the title of mother. I didn’t earn it. Charley did.”
Melissa reached across the table and tapped the pearl. “When you wear that necklace, I want you to remember the people who love you, and I want you to remember that you have one mom and one slightly older, doting”—she titled her head from side to side—“best friend. If you look at it that way, maybe things will be a little less confusing.” Melissa sat back in her seat and focused on her breakfast.
“Thank you,” Kinsley said. “That helps a lot.” She grinned. “I’m thinking that grown-up best friends with cars and money can be pretty useful.”
“You’re an imp. We—” Melissa broke off when her phone rang. She fished in her bag and finally snagged it on the fourth ring. “Hello.”
Kinsley only paid partial attention to the conversation happening on the other side of the table. This was some of the best French toast she’d ever had, and Melissa had given her new things to think about. She jerked upright when Melissa jumped to her feet so fast that it sent her chair crashing to its side.
“I’ll be there in an hour.” Melissa fumbled the phone back into her bag, pulled cash from her wallet, and tossed bills on the table. “We have to go.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I have to get to the hospital. They have a kidney for me.”
***
CHARLEY TOSSED THE worthless cell phone into the center console.
Jason glanced her way. “Kinsley told us her battery was almost dead.”
“I know. I keep hoping she’ll find a way to charge it. She’s got to be frantic by now.”
She chewed her lip as Jason pulled into the packed parking lot at the Houston hospital. Five hours had passed since Kinsley had called to let them know to come here first. Five hours for her daughter to sit alone in a strange place while Melissa was in surgery.
After six rows of cars were explored without success, Charley motioned to the front door of the hospital. “Just drop me off there and grab what parking you can. I need to get in there and be with Kinsley.”
Jason nodded and steered toward the entrance. Charley threw her seat belt to the side, reclaimed her phone, and reached for the door before the wheels stopped turning.
“Wait,” Jason said, reaching for her hand. “Let’s say a prayer before you go in.”
Impatience tugged, but Charley sat back in her seat, closed her eyes, and let Jason take the lead. Her mind was too jumbled to think of anything except her daughter.
“Father, first of all we’re thankful that You got us here in one piece. Lord, please be with Melissa. Guide her doctors through every step of this process. You’ve provided a donor. Let this be the miracle Melissa needs. Calm Kinsley’s heart as well. She’s had a lot dumped on her in the last few days. Put Your strong arms around both of them right now.
Charley mumbled a hasty “amen,” dove from the car, and lifted her phone over her head as she sprinted for the door. “Call me once you park. I’ll tell you where to find us.” She pushed through the door, skidded to a stop at the information desk, and bounced on the balls of her feet while two little old women in pink jackets helped the three people ahead of her.
Finally, they directed their smiles at Charley, and she edged up to the desk. “I’m looking for Melissa Emmerson.”
The gray heads huddled over the computer for a few seconds as age-gnarled fingers tapped on a keyboard. One of them, Hilda, according to the name badge pinned to her smock, looked at Charley, her penciled in brows elevated. “She’s in surgery. Are you family?”
“Yes.” Charley stared into the moist blue eyes of the senior citizen with no hesitation and not a twinge of guilt. Charley and Melissa had been college roommates, and now they shared a daughter. If that didn’t make them family, she didn’t know what would.
Hilda nodded. “Take the elevator up to the fifth floor. If you’ll check in with the nurses at the desk, they’ll show you to the family waiting area. You can expect Mrs. Emmerson’s surgeon to meet with you there after the operation is complete.”
Charley thanked them and crossed to the bank of elevators. The door was closing when she saw Jason enter the lobby. She hit the open button. “Jason.”
He hurried in her direction. “I figured you’d be with Kinsley by now.”
“So did I,” she said as the door slid shut. The elevator rose, stopping at each floor along the way but on-loading no more passengers. The third time the door opened and closed without a soul in sight Charley rolled her eyes and stabbed at the button for the fifth floor. “Come on already.”
When the door opened on five, Charley grabbed Jason’s hand and pulled him to the busy nurse’s station. “We’re family,” she whispered.
“What?”
“Don’t ask.” Charley flagged a nurse. “Could you tell us where to find the family waiting room? I’m Melissa Emmerson’s sister. She’s having a kidney transplant.”
“Certainly.” The nurse backtracked a few steps and pressed a button that released a heavy wooden door at the end of the hall. Charley saw a second nurse’s station through the opening.
“Surgery suites are through those doors. Family waiting is the first door on the left. If you need anything be sure to let one of the nurses know. Good luck.”
“Thank you.” Charley tugged Jason through the door. They entered the waiting room and found Kinsley alone in the brightly lit space, huddled in a corner chair.
“Baby,” Charley whispered.
Kinsley jerked upright and scrambled to her feet. She launched herself at them. “I didn’t think you’d ever get here.”
The family stood in a three-way hug. Kinsley had started to cry. Charley rained kisses on the top of her daughter’s head, and Jason patted their backs while shepherding them to a sofa.
Charley plucked a tissue from a box on a side table and mopped Kinsley’s face. “Hush now. We’re here. Tell us what’s happening.”
Kinsley took the tissue and blew her nose. “Everything happened so fast, or at least it did at first. We got here right after I called you, and they hustled Melissa away before I could even say bye. Some of the nurses brought me in here and told me to wait, that the doctor would be in before the surgery started to answer my questions.” She crossed her arms and stared at her parents. “I’d been here about an hour when this old guy comes in. He had on those baggy, green doctor clothes and said he was Dr. Williams. He told me that Melissa explained who I was and asked him to come talk to me. He was really nice and said that Melissa was in great health except for the kidney thing and he expected this to all go fine, and he’d come back once it was done to talk to me again. That was four hours ago.”
“Sounds like we should be hearing something soon.” Jason patted Kinsley’s knee. “I’m proud of you, sweetheart. You’ve been a trooper so far. Are you hungry? I can go get you something. I’m sure they have a cafeteria somewhere.”
“No, thanks. I’m too antsy to eat.”
Charley took her hand. “Antsy about what?”
“I don’t know. I just...Melissa and I had such a good time over the last few days. I want her to be OK. I want to build on what we’ve started. It’s been longer than Dr. Williams said. What if—”
Build on what they’ve started? The ball of jealously in Charley’s throat threatened to choke her. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. She has a habit of landing on her feet.”
The statement earned a frown from Kinsley.
“Where’s Melissa’s husband?” Jason asked as if just now noticing his absence.
“New York, remember?” Charley answered. “Melissa told us he’d be gone to some conference the rest of the week. It was part of the reason we allowed Kinsley to stay until the weekend.”
“He’s on his way,” Kinsley said. “Melissa talked to him while I talked to you. He said he was getting the first flight home. He’ll be here later tonight” She returned her gaze to Charley. “You don’t like Melissa very much, do you?”
Charley sat back. “She’s one of my oldest friends.”
“That’s what you keep saying,” Kinsley said. “She’s an ‘old friend,’ and she gave you ‘a gift.’” Her words held a mocking tone. “I know you guys have a lot of history, but you don’t like her. There’s no other reason for that look you get when I talk about spending time with her.”
A dozen things popped into Charley’s mind, and she swallowed them all back as her daughter’s words slapped truth into her face. “Kinsley, it’s not that I don’t like her. It’s just that she’s a...” The word threat danced on the tip of Charley’s tongue, but she paused, looking for an alternate word.
“A what?” Kinsley demanded, climbing to her feet and facing her mother with her hands fisted on her hips.
Charley met her daughter’s angry gaze, at a loss to put what she was feeling into words that wouldn’t aggravate the situation.
“Talk to me,” Kinsley demanded. “I’m not a five-year-old. If Melissa is such a friend, if I’m such a gift, then why do you get all bent out of shape every time someone mentions her?”
Indignation washed over Charley. “Bent out of shape? Me? How about you, young lady? Maybe you need to examine your own behavior.” She ran a trembling hand through her hair, glanced at Jason, whose look was impossible to decipher, and forced some calm into her voice.
“Sweetheart, I loved Melissa like a sister. I am eternally grateful to her for you, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t resent the way she and her husband have turned our lives inside out over the last few weeks. I know she said the whole Instagram and donor thing was Keith’s doing, but the more I think about it, it all just seems a little too convenient.”
“You don’t believe her?”
“It just seems like she used her illness as a way to worm her way into your life. I don’t know what they want, but—”
“That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard you say.”
“Kinsley, apologize to your mother,” Jason’s voice brooked no argument.
Kinsley stood her ground, facing her mother with angry, narrowed eyes. “Other than the kidney I couldn’t give her, what could she possibly want?”
“You.” Charley’s answer was anguished. “And I will fight for you with my last breath. I will not let her tear our family apart.” There, she’d said it. “I just want our lives to be normal again.”
Kinsley fingered the pearl at her throat and stared at her mother. “Well, maybe you’ll get lucky,” she hissed. “And she’ll die. That’s the only way to go back to the normal you mean.”
Before anyone had a chance to respond, the waiting room door swooshed open and a tall man in green scrubs walked through. He paused in the doorway before extending his hand to Jason. “I’m Dr. Williams.”
“Jason Hubbard.” He clasped the doctor’s hand. “This is my wife, Charlene. We’re Kinsley’s parents.”
The doctor nodded and shook Charley’s hand as well.
“Is it over?” Kinsley’s voice shook with a combination of anger and fear. “Is Melissa OK?”
The doctor turned to the anxious teenager, and Charley caught a glimpse of something in his eyes that chilled the heat of the argument he’d interrupted. He put a hand on Kinsley’s shoulder and steered her to a chair. “That’s why I’m here. We need to talk.”