Chapter Three-Hundred-Ninety-Seven
“Steve? Whats the matter?” Annabelle asked worriedly as she examined her boyfriend with a frown. She gently cradled his face in her hands making him look at her.
“Nothing’s the matter,” Doctor Johnson insisted and he forced her a smile. “I’m fine.”
“I may not have been with you for very long but that doesn’t mean I don’t know you. You have the look that you get when you’re missing Kayline.”
“And I have known you for very long – for as long as I can remember and have to say that she is right,” Brandon added while watching his brother with concern.
“It’s not important.”
“It is too important. If you are thinking about Kayline and you aren’t happy about it, I want to know” Annabelle insisted. “None of us want you going back to that dark place again.”
“You are just going to flinch away from me, yell asylum, and run out of this house as fast as you can with your daughter and never look back again.”
“Try me,” Annabelle persisted and she gazed into his eyes sincerely as she continued to cradle his cheeks in her hands. Doctor Johnson sat there silently looking back at her for a long moment, and then sighed heavily.
“I…think…that maybe Kayline might be here.”
“Well, that’s normal” Brandon insisted. “Bro I always want to believe that she, mom, and dad are watching over us too…it’s a common thing for people who’ve lost love ones.”
“No, I mean I really think she is here. Her presence…as a guardian angel.” When none of them replied, he continued. “I think she’s here on some sort of mission…and she’s acting through Julie.”
“Steve…” Brandon sighed skeptically. “I know you miss her…I know you two were close, and everything, and you want to believe she is watching over you – that’s fine, but this is a little extreme, don’t you think?”
“You wouldn’t be saying that if you had seen what I’ve been seeing.”
“What have you been seeing?” Annabelle asked gently making him look at her again and to his surprise; he didn’t see skepticism on her face like he does on Brandon’s.
“Lots of clues…I’ve been watching Julie and her behavior lately…because I was suspicious of her. The day I baby-sat her in the hospital…I asked her what made me so special out of all of your other boyfriends. She told me because for one, I saved you and two…her friend said I was a really good guy and should be trusted,” Doctor Johnson explained eagerly. He needs her to hear everything, and he needs reassurance that he’s not crazy. “I asked her what the name of this friend of hers was, and she told me she didn’t know. That her friend didn’t like for people to know her name. I asked her more questions, and found out she only sees this friend of hers in her sleep. I thought that was weird…and was going to ask her more but suddenly had an emergency. I didn’t think about it again until on our ride up here when she mentioned the tree house. Remember when she did that and neither of us had told her anything about it?”
“Yeah, I remember” was all Annabelle said, as she wants to hear more.
“And then when we got here, she saw Kayline’s picture…remember how interested she got? How uncharacteristically quiet she got when she found out she’s been dead for years? And then I asked her if Kayline would mind if she slept in her room, and remember what she said? She slipped up, remember?” Annabelle nodded quietly, encouraging him to go on. “And then when Brandon sent me off to tell you and Julie that dinner was almost done, I was on my way upstairs to get you when I heard singing. I heard Julie singing out on the porch,” he added, and then he turned and looked at his very worried brother. “Remember the song Mom used to sing Kayline every night to help her fall asleep?” He demanded.
“Of course I remember,” Brandon insisted. “Angels Guard Your Little Bed…”
“Well guess what, Julie was singing it to her doll.”
“Maybe…Maybe Anna has sung it to her before…or her grandmother…” Doctor Johnson shook his head furiously and Annabelle was the one to answer.
“Julie has never heard that song at all in her whole life.”
“Except recently in her dreams,” Doctor Johnson insisted. “I went on the porch and asked her where she heard the song and she told me in her dreams. I asked her what her dreams were about, and she said she doesn’t know. That she just remembers someone singing.” When Brandon didn’t reply, Doctor Johnson sighed.
“Don’t you get it Bran? Kayline is an Angel, guarding Julie’s little bed!” He demanded, needing them to get it and believe him. “I did some research about Guardian Angels online earlier, and it told me exactly how to contact them. It said if you asked them a clear question, you will get a clear answer. While I was upstairs putting Julie in bed, I asked Kayline what she is up to, and as I was walking out of the room, I heard Julie whisper I love you Stevie, be happy. I turned to look at her, and Julie was sound asleep – snoring even – a natural snore, it wasn’t fake. So you tell me how that could happen if you don’t believe me?”
“Maybe…she was dreaming about telling you she loves you and to be happy, and she was talking in her sleep.” Doctor Johnson looked away then, as tears burned his eyes.
“I’ve never believed in something as strongly as I do now in my life, Brandon…” he told him softly.
“Because you love Kayline with all of your heart and soul and you want to believe in it.”
“You love her too though…don’t you?”
“Of course I do, but—“
“—Then don’t you want to believe in it too?”
“With every fiber of my being, but someone needs to be strong for you while you are still obviously grieving.” Doctor Johnson got up and angrily stormed off toward the window and crossed his arms over his chest and stared out at it. Annabelle watched him for a couple of moments, and then she got up and walked up behind him. She slid her arms around his waist and rested her head against his back as she stood there with him quietly.
“Now’s your chance to go get Julie and run out of here and never look back,” he told her in a wounded whisper.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Annabelle insisted, and she gently turned him to face her and he looked down at her miserably. “Because I believe you.”
“Why?” Doctor Johnson wanted to know. “No one else does, not even my own brother.” He looked at Brandon then. “Are you going to go call the loony bin on me little brother?” he asked sarcastically. Annabelle gently grabbed his chin and made him turn his attention back on her.
“If anyone tries to send you to the loony bin, they might as well take me too” she insisted. “Because not only am I sticking by your side through thick and thin, but I strongly believe that I saw and spoke to her too, remember?” He nodded quietly and Julie slid her arms around his waist once more and pulled him closer and he rested his forehead against hers. “And I never met her at all before my coma, so I wouldn’t be able to make such a story up. Therefore, I believe she is near, and she is looking out for you because she loves you and doesn’t want you to be unhappy anymore.” Annabelle wiped away his tears with her finger then and smiled up at him some. “And I’ve been saying from the very beginning that someone from above must have really wanted us together. That car crash right in front of your hospital the day you just happened to be standing outside it with nothing to do? The long torturous coma that you had to watch me be in simply so you could get attached and fall in love with me. Me seeing and talking to Kayline, and then waking up with her name being the first thing I said…the way I recovered so fast when I shouldn’t have. Any skeptic in the world can call those coincidences, but I call it fate…and I know you do too, and that’s all that matters.”
“Fate…and Kayline,” Doctor Johnson insisted.
“And Kayline,” Annabelle agreed.
“But, I don’t think she’s just around to make sure we get together…because that’s already happened. She has a whole master plan.”
“She does,” was all Annabelle said. “And, I’m sure we will find out what that is when the time is right…so don’t stress out over it all right?” Doctor Johnson nodded and she pulled his mouth down onto hers and kissed him softly.
“You aren’t freaked out about it though?” Doctor Johnson asked softly when they pulled away.
“Freaked out about what?”
“That she is using Julie to get through to me?”
“I met Kayline before, remember? She was a very sweet little girl…I trust her. She’s an angel not a ghost. Its not like she is possessing her or anything.” Doctor Johnson hugged her closer.
“How will we know when the time is right?”
“I have a feeling fate will let us know.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
The next day, Ellie awoke reaching for Kevin only to find that his part of her bed was empty. She searched for anything that will reassure her that last night was really real and not just a beautiful dream, and her hands fell on the wand he’d bought her at Disney World. It’s a princess wand that glows in the dark and has glitter and water inside of it and when you shake it, the glitter floats all over. Beaming happily, she hugged the wand close to her. It was real. Summer is gone. He took her to Disney World, and then brought her home where they decided to stay instead of going to Josh’s for the night and her daddy slept with her instead. But where is he now, dagnabit?
Just then the aroma of breakfast hit her nose as if answering her question for her. She sniffed some wanting to get an idea of what they’re having. “Chocolate Chip pancakes, eggs…and is that sausage she smells?” she is surprised she is even able to smell at all. That medicine he gave her in the middle of the night when she woke up miserable must’ve really done wonders. She rolled out of bed then, grabbed her Donald Duck and kept hold of her wand and she headed on downstairs. She walked into the kitchen, and there sat her Grandmother and Uncle and her father of all people was cooking breakfast. She had expected it to be her Grandma. Its always her Grandma. Jerald and Ann watched Ellie as she walked on over to Kevin and latched herself onto his leg.
Kevin looked down at her and he smiled some at the sight of his daughter before gathering her up into his arms and snuggling her close to him as she nestled into his chest comfortably.
“Morning Princess, how are you this morning? Did the medicine help you at all last night?” he asked gently.
“I smelled breakfast an’ came to investigate,” She told him as her answer and he kissed he top of her head.
“Well, you are in luck little one. Daddy is making you Mickey Mouse Chocolate Chip pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Toast, and Sausage patties.” Ellie gently brought her hand up to his face and cupped one of his cheeks in her hand before leaning up and kissing the other. “And then after breakfast, daddy is going to get you dressed and we’re going to go grocery shopping. Because, we need more groceries. We tend to run out fast these days.”
“An’ then what’s” Ellie wanted to know.
“And then…we will do whatever your heart desires.” Ellie slid her arms around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder and she nestled into him comfortably as he continued to make breakfast.
Later on after breakfast and after having a bubble bath with Ellie and getting them both dressed afterwards, Kevin walked downstairs where he found his mother and Jerald together – as they usually are he thought to himself bitterly at the memory of them betraying him.
“My, don’t you look beautiful this morning” Jerald praised Ellie when his eyes fell on her and he saw that Kevin had gone out of his way in dressing her up today. He put her in a blue three tiered dress with an all over print of red, pink and yellow flowers and green stems and leafs. She has on white tights and little white church shoes – her Sunday best. He even went as far as curling her hair again and putting half of it up in blue ribbons.
“Getting a head start with her spring attire, Kev?” Ann asked while standing there admiring her granddaughter. “It’s not even Sunday and here she is dressed like she is going to church.”
“She really wanted to wear this dress,” Kevin insisted. “So I put it on her. I just missed being able to pamper her and dress her up so I’m taking advantage of it.”
“Well, she looks very beautiful nonetheless,” Jerald insisted while leaning forward to kiss his niece on the cheek as she sat there with her nose slightly up in the air as she clearly feels beautiful which is what really matters. She’s been feeling so icky lately, she deserves a day to feel like a princess and he’s glad his brother recognized that.
“Well, Ellie and I are going shopping” Kevin announced while walking over to the key ring and picking up the key that had the car it belongs to labeled on it – courtesy of a very organized brother of his. “If either of you are going, you best hurry up cause the van isn’t waiting” he insisted and he walked out the door. Jerald looked at his mother then and sighed.
“Ma, how long is he going to keep this surliness up? We can only apologize so much and it’s really getting on my nerves.”
“You know your brother as well as I do,” Ann told him quietly as they headed out the door. “Just give him sometime to be upset and angry…he’ll eventually remember how much he cares about you and calm down.”
“Lets just get one thing straight here, little brother” Jerald announced after climbing in the back next to Ellie and allowing his mother to take the front seat and Kevin arched his eyebrow as he looked back at him through the rearview mirror. “We’re not coming a long to baby sit you, we’re coming a long because we love you and want to be with you. Is that understood?” He asked, mocking Kevin’s surliness.
“Fine. You are coming because you love me. Good for you,” Kevin replied while starting up the van and backing out of the driveway.
“Good. I am glad that is out in the open. Now please keep your surliness to a minimum while driving eh? I don’t want to die in a car wreck.”
“What does surliness mean?” Ellie asked curiously as she sat there gazing out her window.
“Rude, bad-tempered, unfriendly, irritable, hostile….” Jerald listed as he held Kevin’s eye contact in the rearview mirror evenly.
“Daddy isn’t surliness…” Ellie insisted protectively. Jerald couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at her bad use of the word, finding it highly adorable.
“Oh, he isn’t?”
“No he is not.”
“Then what is he?”
“Hurt, sad, heartbroken…” Ellie listed.
“And betrayed,” Kevin added, still holding Jerald’s gaze. “Confused, frustrated, lost…yes that about sums it all up.”
“I loves you daddy,” Ellie insisted quietly.
“I love you too princess,” Kevin told her gently. When they finally arrived at the store they all got out of the van and as soon as Kevin had Ellie out, he started off toward the Wal-Mart Super Center whether his mother and Jerald were following him or not. When he had a cart he went to put Ellie in the front of it, only to have her cling to him.
“No daddy I wanna walk!”
“All right, hold onto the cart then. The moment you let go you go right in the cart” he told her before setting her so her feet were on the ground. She obediently grabbed on and Kevin set off to do his shopping with his daughter walking beside him purposely making click-clacking sounds with her shoes. In doing so, she managed to draw the attention of everybody she walked by and they would smile at her and mutter to their friend or family member how cute she is, and Ellie would smile back sweetly, taking it all in. Jerald and Ann silently walked behind them watching her with amusement.
“She is definitely your daughter all right,” Ann told Kevin after catching up to him and wrapping her arms around him in only a way a loving mother would. “She loves the attention just as much as you do.”
“What are you going to do, enroll her into child modeling the moment you get the chance?” Kevin asked her in a slightly grumpy tone.
“Kevin Scott Richardson, I am your mother. I know you aren’t happy right now but that doesn’t give you a right to take that tone with me.”
“Incase you haven’t noticed mother, I’m a grown man now. Stop treating me like I am eight.”
“I will when you stop acting like it.”
“Hmph,” Kevin responded angrily, and he pulled away from her as they came across the isle with the tuna in it and he began pulling the brand he likes off the shelf and began putting it in the cart. Ann and Jerald stood there watching him for a long moment, and when he had about five cans in there, Jerald spoke up.
“I think we’re good. They aren’t going to run out of tuna anytime soon bro, no need to stalk up.” Ann looked back at her eldest son then, casting him a not helping glance before turning her attention back on Kevin. Jerald sighed heavily, gathered Ellie in his arms and he kissed the top of her head.
“Come on sweetheart. Uncle Jerry will let you loose in the candy isle for awhile, how’s that?” he asked while walking off with her.
“Yay!” Ellie exclaimed happily as Jerald rounded the corner and they were gone. Kevin stared after them with irritation written all over his face.
“Why did he do that? Why did he just leave with my daughter? He didn’t even ask for permission!” Kevin exclaimed, while tossing a can of spaghetti O’s in the cart with a loud thump. Ann closed her eyes briefly at the sound, and shook her head.
“That is why,” she answered. “Do you really want her around when you are on the verge of a tantrum?” Kevin scowled, grabbed onto the cart and walked off seething and Ann followed him, keeping his pace. “You are pissed off, hurt, and upset. I get that. So why don’t you just let me have it all ready and get it over with?”
“Why mother?” Kevin asked after a long moment, and he stopped the cart abruptly and looked at her. “Why did everybody know about what was going on with my little girl except me?!”
“I thought Jerald told you this already…”
“Did you really honestly believe that your son would accuse his brother of child abuse?”
“We didn’t know what you would do honey, you were very unpredictable.”
“You are supposed to be my mother. I thought you of all people would know better then to think so low of me! So what if I had accused Jerald? Couldn’t you all make me see the truth?”
“Judging by the way you reacted when we told you the truth with proof do you really think we would’ve been able to make you see reason?” Kevin looked away from her stubbornly and crossed his arms over his chest as tears threatened to form in his eyes. “You just need to accept the truth no matter how hard it is. You weren’t yourself at all and we were only doing what we thought was best…we didn’t mean to hurt you and god knows how sorry we are. So be angry and upset all you want, but eventually you need to let it go because we’re human and we make mistakes sometimes.” She reached out and cupped his cheek then and gently made him look at her.
“Jerald a long with Ellie suffered through this whole situation the most. He felt hurt and abandoned, and he missed you and all he wanted was his brother back. He felt responsible and guilt ridden for Summer…he understands that you are upset with him and he’ll wait for as long as it takes for you to get over it. He knows he has to pay the consequences but don’t be mad at him forever and push him out of yours and Ellie’s life because he’s your brother and he loves you.”
“I thought that he knew I love him too. Why did he think I asked him to move in with me?”
“Think back to the past and how your relationship with your brother was sweetheart,” Ann insisted gently. “Not just with him, with everybody. Jerald, your family, your friends…Push all of your anger toward him to the side, and focus on yourself…and the person Summer turned you into.”
“I already know the kind of person I was, nobody ever let me forget. I was such an asshole that I fired Q…remember?”
“So…can you maybe open your mind a little bit and understand why everybody was wary of how you would react?”
“Why did Ellie have to suffer though?” Kevin wanted to know. “You all knew she was abusive…how could you and Jerald walk out of that house the other day knowing that Summer could get her hands on her?”
“We couldn’t see any other way to get the proof...you have to know it killed us knowing that. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do…I detested the plan from the beginning.” Kevin shook his head refusing to understand and he grabbed hold of the cart again and carried on with his shopping in silence and Ann remained at his side helping him. Eventually Jerald returned with Ellie, the both of them with at least three bags of different kind of candy in their hands and a big smile on their faces. Jerald lifted Ellie up and gently placed her in the cart and he opened up his bags of lollipops, handed her one, and then took the rest of the candy from her and he placed it all in the front of the cart. Kevin watched Jerald interact with his niece in silence for a long while and upon witnessing his undying love for her for the first time…since…well, Summer…the weight on his heart lifted a little bit and there was almost a smile on his face when he spoke up.
“You’re paying for all of those bags of candy bro, right?”
“Yes I am, they’re on me.”
“Okay then,” Kevin replied. “Why don’t you give her a Peanut Butter Cup too? Those are the best kind after all, don’t deprive the child” he insisted, and Jerald looked at him curiously and as he watched his younger brother walk off, he saw a small smile spread across his face. Jerald looked at his mother then impressed as they hung by the cart to keep watch on the chocolate-faced child sitting inside it.
“Don’t look so surprised, I’m his mother. I know what I’m doing.”
“Yes, but even before the whole Summer thing, Kevin detested the idea of Ellie eating candy.”
“Maybe it’s his way of showing you that he wants to fix things with you. Go with it and stop complaining. I worked hard for that.” Jerald looked across the way to see what Kevin was up to anyway, just on time to see Kevin cry out in surprise, and crash right into another person sending them both flying backward to the ground. The five different kinds of food items that were in both his and the other person’s hands went flying in all different directions and eventually dropped onto the floor around them. Hearing the crash Ann whirled around to look in Kevin’s direction in surprise, Ellie peered out through the cart, and Jerald burst into laughter.
“Oh man…I’m so sorry miss, are you okay? I totally didn’t see you behind me” Kevin insisted apologetically. He twisted himself around to get a good look at her then, and to his surprise there sat the beautiful waitress from Denny’s behind him.
“It’s okay,” Kristin laughed. “I didn’t see you either.” Kevin’s eyes grew big and he scrambled to his feet and instantly held his hand out to her for her to take it. Kristin did just that and Kevin helped her up before moving to pick all of her groceries up.
“I’m so sorry…Kristin is your name right? I can be such a klutz sometimes…” he apologized again.
“It’s okay, really I promise” Kristin insisted not hiding her surprise that he’d remembered her name. “I’m a quite the klutz too actually. I’m always running into things. Sometimes inanimate things even. Doors, walls, chairs…I’ve tripped over things quite a bit in my lifetime too. Its all good” She smiled.
“At least noting that we were holding broke,” Kevin pointed out when the two of them got the last of their groceries gathered up. “I don’t think the people in the store would be very pleased with us."
“I was holding Jelly actually,” Kristin admitted. “I caught it just on time though so it didn’t break.”
“That’s interesting, I was holding Jelly too” Kevin chuckled. “What flavor you have?”
“Strawberry,” she answered as she held her jar out and Kevin did too only to realize they’d grabbed the same flavor.
“Me too,” Kevin told her amusedly. “It’s my favorite,” he added just as she had in unison and the two of them laughed nervously. Just then Ann and Jerald approached with the cart and Kristin looked at them.
“Hey Kristin, what a pleasant surprise” Ann smiled.
“Hey Ann, how are you?”
“I’m doing good, how about you?” Ann replied while grabbing the groceries from her son’s hands and placing them in the cart next to Ellie who stood there holding onto the side of the cart and listening happily.
“I’m pretty good actually, I’m just enjoying my first day off in quite awhile – I was a little annoyed I had to do grocery shopping today, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be…” Kristin answered while looking at Kevin.
“Soo…then how abouts you come ice skating with me an’ my daddy?” Ellie offered hopefully and Kevin arched his eyebrow and looked at her.
“We’re going ice skating? Since when?”
“Since you tolds me we could do whatever my heart desires after shopping…an’ it desires ice skating daddy.”
“Is that right?” Kevin asked and he leaned over and rested his forehead against hers playfully. “Chocolate face?”
“Yes it is very right. ‘An, I think Kristin should come – least we can do after you knocked her over an’ all daddy, right?” Kevin chuckled and looked at Kristin then who stood there blushing slightly.
“What do you say Kristin? Would you like to go ice skating with us?” he asked and to his surprise, he found himself hoping she’d say yes.
“Well…”
“Please Kristin, please?” Ellie pleaded eagerly, and one look into those little eyes, Kristin knew she was hooked.
“Sure,” She smiled. “I don’t have anything else to do and it could be fun…”
“Yay!” Ellie cheered and clapped her hands excitedly and she did a little dance inside the cart. Life couldn’t get any better for her just now.
Author's Chapter Notes:
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