Part 1: Kara Moves in the Right Direction
Dear Diary, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before, but I brought this portrait to Kara so she could see herself in our family. I explained to her this was the day Perry and I were married and made sure to point out her hot pink shoes. What I didn’t say was that it was our last day together. Kara would be kidnapped that night.
She was so engrossed in the photo, I let her keep it there at the teen center with her. Later, I noticed she kept it on the table by her bed. This gave me hope because perhaps she wanted to feel close to us, that’s why she put it in what I thought was an important place.
Not long after this, she told me she wanted to meet Perry.
When Perry and I got to the teen center, the site of Kara interacting with another girl warmed my heart. Could it be that Kara had a friend now?
She smiled a tiny bit when she saw us, then opened her mouth to speak. When nothing came out, her friend laughed, then, so did Kara. This brought an instant smile to my face. When I looked at Perry, he was grinning, too.
“Hi, Kara,” I said.
She looked at Perry, then quickly averted her eyes.
The new friend grabbed my hand, then Perry’s, giving us both a handshake.
“She’s so shy!” the girl exclaimed. “She was supposed to tell you that I’m her friend Leticia!”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Perry and I both said.
“Your parents are nice!” Leticia told Kara.
Kara blushed, her eyes appearing even bluer against the crimson in her cheeks. Her hair was neatly pinned back the way I showed her, too. Little by little, she was looking more like a young lady, and less like a frightened animal.
Leticia went on to tell us she’d been at the center for a few weeks longer than Kara, and that she expected to go home soon. She was moving in with an aunt and uncle because her mother had run off. Her father died when she was little.
It wasn’t until then I realized each of the kids in the center had a heartbreaking story. Kara’s circumstances were unusual and severe, but all the children here had lives that had gone terribly wrong. As if each one were my own, my heart broke for them all.
“I bet you wanna talk,” Leticia said. “I’m supposed to be studying.”
After we said bye to her, we turned to Kara.
“She seems nice,” I said.
Kara’s tiny smile returned, and she nodded.
After a few minutes of small talk, we all sat down and I introduced Kara to Perry properly.
“Kara, I’m sure you recognize Perry from the pictures I’ve showed you.”
She nodded again, her brows coming together in a furrow.
“Hello, Kara,” he said, his voice soft and gentle.
“Hi.” She glanced at me for reassurance, then turned back to Perry. “I have the picture of the three of us in my room.”
Perry smiled wide. “I love that picture! You were so cute with your pink shoes. Your mom didn’t want you to wear them because they were almost worn out, but you insisted. And won!”
As he chuckled at the memory, I noticed Kara’s hands relaxing more in her lap.
“You were so spunky,” Perry continued. “We’ve missed you so much.”
“You missed me?” she asked, her voice as little as she was.
“Of course, I did. I never stopped- your mom and I never stopped looking for you.”
“What did I call you?” she asked.
His eyes looked moist as he regarded her. “You just called me Perry. I could never replace your real dad. I’m like… well, I’m like an extra dad. I would love it if you called me Perry again.”
“Okay,” she said.
As we chatted, and Perry told Kara old stories about herself, her smile was more pronounced. As I watched them, I held back tears. They weren’t sad… well, they were. They were sad and happy. Sad because of the time I’d missed out on with Kara in our family. Happy because there were signs she was warming up to us.
As our visit went on, it felt more and more surreal. Kara opened up so much, it was almost as if we’d never been apart. She even giggled at a silly joke Perry told.
“It’s as if we’re becoming a family again,” I said to Dr. Erika Fellowes as we stood in her office, watching Kara in the courtyard below.
She and Leticia were playing hopscotch in the courtyard. Kara was struggling at first, but it seemed like Leticia cheered her on.
“That’s wonderful,” Dr. Fellowes said.
“Don’t you think these are all good signs? She took to Perry right away, she has a friend, she’s joining activities like we’re seeing now.”
“They are yes,” Erika agreed. “I feel like she’s moving forward more than back. That doesn’t mean there won’t be setbacks in the future.”
“Still, she could have had a bad reaction today to Perry, and she didn’t. She likes him, I can tell.”
Perry smiled as he nodded. “I felt a connection with her, for sure.”
“Look!” I exclaimed. “She’s doing it! She’s almost all the way across.”
We all paused a moment, watching Kara navigate the hopscotch board.
“She has a lot in her favor,” Dr. Fellowes said. “She has you guys, and she’s got a determination about her that won’t be stopped. I’ll admit, I’m pleased with her progress.”
“Why are you so afraid to tell me that?” I asked.
Dr. Fellowes frowned slightly. “Only because I’m afraid you’ll get your hopes up that it’s time for her to go home with you. She has so much to discover and learn yet.”
Even though Dr. Fellowes wasn’t wrong in her assumption because I did get my hopes up pretty fast, I still felt ruffled at her words. Kara was my daughter. It was hard to let someone else be in charge.
“When will she start with the tutor?” Perry asked.
We hired a tutor to work with Kara since she had never been to school before. My biggest dream would be for Kara to eventually be able to join her grade in school. I wanted to see her make friends, go to dances, play sports, or join band. I wanted her to be a typical child, to graduate with her peers.
“We’ve arranged to have her come in daily, beginning Monday,” Dr. Fellowes said. “She’s learning about everyday life right now. She knows how to use a phone, how to use the TV, and play music. Kara is also learning how to get along with other people, what proper hygiene is, how to eat a meal with other people at a table.”
“It all seems like so much,” I said, my heart sinking into my chest.
“If what I told you overwhelms you, think how your daughter feels. The good news is, she is curious, and as I said earlier, determined. She wants to know what she’s missed, and she’s eager to try things.”
That was all great, I figured, but how did we get from here to where Kara needed to be?
Part 2: Going Shopping – NOPE
Even though the months sped by, my dreams for Kara never wavered. If anything, they became stronger and more goal driven. With Dr. Fellowes approval, Perry and I began setting goals for Kara. They were small, but they were there just the same.
I was disappointed because my visits with her were shortened. She had so much schooling to catch up on, so much to figure out about life. Her learning took precedence.
During one of my visits, I brought Kara a bunch of new clothes. You should have seen how her eyes lit up as she held each item up in front of the mirror. I spent the rest of the visit showing her how to match the pieces of clothing to each other while she tried all the outfits on.
Her hair was longer now, and she kept it tidy and smooth. Every time I looked at her, I wanted to cry at how blessed I was she was back in my life. I had to make every minute with her count.
Finally, the time came when Dr. Fellowes thought it would be a good idea for Kara to expand her horizons and venture into town. Perry and I picked her up and met her and Dr. Fellowes at the front door.
“Kara! You look amazing!” I said.
She didn’t smile, and her eyes darted all around, pausing on cars driving by, people chattering as they walked along the sidewalk, and who knew what else.
“Kara, are you all right?” I asked.
For a moment, she didn’t respond, and I grew worried. It wasn’t until I touched her elbow that she jumped a little, then looked at me.
“I don’t think I can do this.”
Although disappointment filled my heart, I tried not to let it show on my face. I’m not sure how successful I was.
“Are you sure?” I asked. “Perry and I would like to take you to a movie. And I thought we could get our nails done.”
Taking a few steps backward, she said, “My stomach hurts.”
Dr. Fellowes said, “It’s okay, we can try again another day.”
Perry smiled at her and said, “Yeah, we can visit with you here today and try some other time. Don’t worry about it.”
Kara chewed on her lower lip, then met my eyes with hers, a question in them.
I forced a smile and nodded at her. “The important thing is that we get to see you, it doesn’t matter where it is.”
But it mattered. My heart felt as crushed as my plans.
Part 3: The Boys Have an Opinion
“We gave up too easily,” I was saying as Perry and I entered our house later that day. “Dr. Fellowes is too soft with her. As it is, I think we took several steps back today!”
“Better a few steps back, then not wanting to try at all. She went all the way to the sidewalk before it overwhelmed her. She’ll get further next time. We have to be patient.”
I growled my response at him. “That’s what everyone says! Be patient! Go slow! Give her time! This snail pace is excruciating!”
“Hi, mom, hi, dad,” Andy said.
It was the first I realized the boys were there.
“You’re supposed to be at Karen’s playing with Teagan,” I said.
Joey said, “We saw your car go by, so we headed home.”
“I hope you told Karen first,” Perry said.
“Yep, sure did,” Andy answered.
“What’re you guys fighting about, anyway?” Joey asked.
Perry and I glanced at each other, then he said, “We weren’t really fighting. It was more like we needed to work off some steam.”
“I dunno,” our youngest child said, his bright blue eyes full of suspicion, “sounded like a fight to me.”
“Yeah,” Andy echoed. “An extra loud one.”
“Were you fighting because of Kara? Didn’t you have fun today?” Joey asked.
I glanced at Perry again. “Well, we didn’t go, and I guess I’m kind of upset about that because I was hoping- ” I stopped, trying to gather my thoughts. What had I hoped for? “I was hoping the next step would be for her to come home.”
It was the boys’ turn to glance at each other now. That’s when I found out they’d been talking about Kara more than I thought.
Perry caught on about the same time I did. He said, “What’s going on? Something on your mind?”
“Well, Kara knows about us, right?” Andy asked.
“Of course,” I said.
“But she doesn’t even know us.”
“Yes, because we thought it was better for you to meet her when she was having outings away from the- away from where she’s staying right now,” I said.
It wasn’t that I was ashamed of where Kara was, we just didn’t know how the boys would react to seeing their sister in a locked down situation. So, we thought it would be better for them to meet her at a restaurant for lunch or something, when she was ready.
Our boys nudged each other, then Andy, as the oldest, finally continued.
“We think we’re the best part of living at home. I mean, we love you guys and everything, but you’re not as much fun as we are. If she met us and saw how cool we are, she’d wanna come home right now.”
I was so glad there was nothing wrong with their self-esteem!
Perry smiled and tousled both of their heads at the same time. “You guys might be on to something! Mom and I will talk about it, okay?”
Satisfied with that answer, the next item on their agenda was dinner. As usual, they were both starving.
Part 4: Ellie’s Strange Behavior
After dinner, Perry and the boys did the dishes which gave me a reprieve. I went to my room and stared out the window. When I heard the door open behind me, I thought it was Perry.
“Dishes done already?” I asked, my voice tired.
“It’s me, Bea,” Mom said.
All at once, I felt the weight of the world press my shoulders down. Since our fight months ago, we’d been cordial, but I avoided her when I could.
Turning around, my eyes grew huge. She was wearing a short, black cocktail dress. I wanted to be snide and ask her why she put that ridiculous dress on. She would have done that to me. Something held me back.
“Your father loved my legs,” she said. “I don’t know why I bought this today… I miss him so much.”
That’s when I realized what horrible daughter I really was. Today would have been their wedding anniversary. Tears sprang to my eyes even though I tried my best to hold them back.
“I miss him, too.”
Tears streamed down her face, her shoulders heaving as she cried. I moved forward to hug her, but she waved me away. I was sad we weren’t on good terms.
“Mom, I’m sorry about everything. I never should have yelled at you the way I did.”
“Oh, stop,” she said between sobs. “I deserved it.”
“Don’t say that. Come sit down.”
Once we were seated, she began talking, her tears subsiding.
“Your father was the most wonderful person I ever knew. He was a good husband and a good father.”
I closed my eyes, wishing he was here with us now.
“I wasn’t always like this, you know,” she said. “All prickly and difficult to get along with. Once upon a time, I was a sweet young girl full of dreams and hopes.”
Looking at her now, sitting in the chair near me, it was hard to imagine her as a young girl with dreams. To me, she’d been a bit on the harsh side, always criticizing my appearance.
“I know you can’t believe it, but it’s true. My parents were killed when I was young, and your dad’s great-uncle Leo along with his wife Wilda had an orphanage of sorts. It meant moving off the mainland to a secluded island community.”
“I read the previous heirs’ journals, so I’m familiar with Winchester,” I said.
“Oh, yes, of course. Well, I think it was living in Winchester that saved me. Losing my parents all at once was devastating. I was alone in the world. Our house burned down, so I also didn’t have any belongings. No photos… nothing. Can you imagine?”
I shook my head, my throat too constricted to answer aloud.
“If it hadn’t been for Leo and Wilda, I might’ve become the way I am now sooner.”
My curiosity was definitely piqued. I didn’t remember dad’s diary saying anything about Mom changing. Mostly, he only spoke about how much he loved her.
“What happened, then?”
Her eyes closed, and she took a deep breath. ” Someone shot your father on our honeymoon. And, that changed a lot of things, myself included.”
“I remember that- reading about it, I mean.”
“He could have died. He very nearly did. I was pregnant with you. Even though his family was there, I felt so much pressure. Suddenly, I was by myself, trying to decide what to do about money, work- I was afraid I would be a widow, and it was too soon. We should have had years and years in front of us.”
“He lived,” I reminded her. As if she needed me to say that.
“Yes, and I was so relieved. I knew without him dancing, we couldn’t afford to continue on in the brownstone, so Aunt Rosetta bought our half. With that, I moved to the house you grew up in. All the while, I wondered what your dad would think. He was already slipping into a deep depression because he couldn’t walk.” She took another deep breath, her hands shaking as she rested them in her lap. “When he came home, he was bound to a wheelchair. He had awful, debilitating headaches. He was angry he couldn’t take care of you properly. He resented his parents who stayed with him while Aunt Rosetta and I were working.”
“He was a beautiful dancer,” I said. “I’ve watched him dance so many times on YouTube. It wasn’t his fault.”
“No, it wasn’t his fault. I knew that, of course, but it was hard for me not to blame him. All I wanted was for him to snap out of it, and as patient as I tried being, I wasn’t ever patient enough. Because life goes on and you have to deal with it. It hardened my heart, Bea. My soul… it’s calloused. I allowed it to get that way.”
I stopped to ponder what she was saying. There was something in all of this she was trying to tell me.
“Sometimes,” she said, measuring her words, “it’s easier to cope if you build a wall so nothing else can ever hurt you again. When you yelled at me, I was forced to take a long look at myself. I don’t like what I’ve become. And, I want to change that. I want us to be closer and have the kind of relationship we always should have had.”
That lump in my throat felt four times bigger, and I wiped tears away. “I want that, too,” I choked out.
“Then you have to promise me something. Don’t do what I did. I see you heading down the same road and it terrifies me. Don’t let it happen to you.”
That’s when I broke down into a sobbing mess. It was true, she was right. When I learned Jem committed suicide and Kara couldn’t come home, I felt a molten steal harden inside me. I could actually pinpoint the moment it happened.
Looking now at my mother who had never bared her soul to me before now, I knew it took everything she had to have this talk with me. She sacrificed her own comfort to make sure I didn’t do the same thing she did.
We both stood at the same moment, and I didn’t let her wave me away this time. Instead, I pulled her into my arms, still sobbing like a child. She put her arms around me and held me tight as if it was the most natural thing for her to do.
While we embraced, I felt a comfort from her I never had before. It engulfed me in soothing waves until I was certain everything would be all right again.
Notes
I apologize for the length of this one. I usually don’t publish such long chapters. There was so much I wanted to fit in, and we’re nearing the end of the generation (sort of), so I decided to go with it. I’m sorry if that put you on overload.
Once again, I’d like to thank Bee (Poses by Bee, Stories by Bee) for the youth center she built for me. She is a life saver since, as you’ve heard me say a million times, I cannot build to save my life! lol
As always, thank you for reading, liking, commenting, and lurking. I appreciate your support!
Baby steps. At least, Kara is making the attempts. She’ll get there.
It’s a good thing Bea and Ellie managed to have that talk. Maybe they can be closer now?
Thank you 🙂 And, yes, that’s true about bay steps.
I think Bea and Ellie will be much closer now that the air is cleared. There’s a deeper understanding between them now.
I didn’t mind the length of this chapter at all! In fact, I like longer chapters, to be honest.
It’s great to see Kara warming up to her family, and she seems to connect well with Perry. It was sweet how the boys wanted to meet her and show her how cool they were. That really made me smile.
I can understand the frustration of going backward a bit. You want it all to go smoothly and fast, but in reality, it takes time. Patience is a virtue, which is something I don’t have. LOL! So yeah I can understand Bea’s frustration. Still, she needs to think of her daughter and realize that things can’t be forced. It will come in time, and I surely hope they all reap the rewards of the patience they need to exercise.
I loved the talk with Bea and Ellie. I always did like Ellie, and it made me kind of sad when Ellie started becoming a prickly old woman. She wasn’t winning any favors with her daughter, but I’m glad she realized what the problem was and stepped out of the box to try to fix it. I think things will go much, much better now between mother and daughter. It’s great because one day Ellie will be gone, and they won’t get that chance after that..
I’m so glad the length didn’t bother you. I try to keep them a certain length, but sometimes, it’s not possible.
I’m glad that made you smile. The boys were like, “Duh, we should meet her.” haha And, Kara really seems to like Perry. But, then, she did before, too. She just doesn’t remember that.
Patience is something I never ask for. LOL Bea is definitely struggling right now because she feels so out of control. You’re right, it will all come in time and she needs to roll with it. lol
I think the talk with Ellie and Bea had to happen. Ellie didn’t start out that way, but it’s understandable how she got there. I think things will go much better for the two of them now, too.
I don’t know if Kara will ever be where Bea wants her to be. She should be more accepting of who her daughter is right now, and not who she thinks Kara should be. You can tell Kara knew that she disappointed Bea by not going out.
The boys have a great idea, and they shouldn’t be kept from meeting their sister.
I’m glad Ellie talked to Bea about that. It’s funny, because it really is hard to imagine your parents before they were parents, lol.
Thank you, Heather 🙂 I know what you mean about that. Bea’s expectations may never be realized as far as what Kara might achieve. I think Kara knew Bea was disappointed, too. Bea is going to have to work on that because I think Kara can easily be hurt by such things.
I agree that the boys should be taken to see their sister. Bea has this thing about always waiting for the right time. Chances are, it may never be the right time; she just needs to get it done regardless.
I’m glad you’re glad Ellie had the talk with Bea. I think in the long run, it will help their relationship. That is funny, for sure. 😀
I think i’m as impatient as Cara’s mother 🙂
Thank you, Jina 🙂 Right? Me, too! lol
Such a heartwarming chapter. kara is making huge progress even if poor Bea is frustrated. Is she going to be the heiress? Getting inside her head will be fascinating, if so!
Thank you so much 🙂 I’m glad you found this chapter heartwarming. Yes! Kara is the heiress. I wanted to give her a situation to deal with that no other heir has had to face before.
Yay!! I’m soooo happy and excited that Kara is showing so much progress – it’s not an easy task if you imagine the circumstances she grew up in..! But of course Bea is getting ahead of herself again. I can’t really blame her though, in her head the first priority is to make up for the lost time. But fortunately there’s Perry, the voice of reason, by her side 🙂 The scene with Kara and Perry was super sweet by the way ^_^ <3 As was the one with Bea and Ellie – it warmed my heart and I was so happy to finally see them reconcile 🙂 I hadn't realized that the moment of Holden's shooting was the one when Ellie started to change – makes perfect sense though!
Looking forward to what's coming next, that was great! <3
Thank you so much 🙂 Bea always seems to get ahead of herself, doesn’t she? lol I’m glad you can see her point of view and how hard this is for her to cope with. It’s a good thing Perry is calm and reasonable. lol
I’m glad you enjoyed seeing Perry with Kara, and then Bea with Ellie. That reconciliation was a long time coming. i tried to portray Ellie as changing then, when Holden was shot, but in a gradual way as the responsibilities weighed on her more and more. 😀
So glad that Kara is warming up to her family and that Bea’s mom opened up about her past. Hopefully there will more warm and fuzzy family moments <3
Thank you so much, Raymond 🙂 It would be really nice to have more warm, fuzzy family moments, I agree. ❤ ❤
I’m so glad Kara has a friend!
“We think we’re the best part of living at home. I mean, we love you guys and everything, but you’re not as much fun as we are. If she met us and saw how cool we are, she’d wanna come home right now.”
HA!! You tell ’em, boys lol.
“It hardened my heart, Bea. My soul… it’s calloused. I allowed it to get that way.”
*snort* Yeah, you sure did. I guess I forgive you LOL. I’m glad their relationship is going in the right direction now.
Thank you, Jess 🙂 LOLOLOL @ you’re reaction to Ellie’s confession. I am glad you forgive her. Is she still on probation, though? 😀
Oh, she’s totally still on probation! She can’t get off that easy.
LOL She will have to prove herself over time, I reckon. 😀
Yep!
LOL
It must be so hard, for Kara and those who love her, wanting her to keep moving forward but needing more patience because it’s such a long, difficult process. But it does sound good that she’s curious, she wants to try, she wants to know what she’s missed and be involved in her world again. I felt bad for Bea though, not realising how much her mum was hurting; recognising not just her own grief over her dad but her mother’s loss, too, but feeling that rift between splitting them apart. It just goes to show what honesty and letting down barriers can do for relationships, with her mum talking about her past like that. As her mum said, “it’s easier to cope if you build a wall so nothing else can ever hurt you again”. But obviously in doing that, it can push those you love away. I’m so glad she took the risk to open up so they could reconnect properly. Another great instalment!
Caz xxxx
Thank you so much, Caz. 🙂 I think Bea was about done with patience before speaking with her mom. lol You’re right in that it’s helpful and good that Kara is curious and wants to be involved in her world. I’m glad you had a real sense of where Bea and her mom were, you’re very perceptive. It’s good that Ellie realized what she did about herself and building walls; how she pushed her loved ones away and didn’t want Bea to do that, too. xo
Wonderful progress … loved the ending <3
Thank you so much, Lisa! I’m glad you liked it. ❤
the whole thing was nice .. I admit I have never been a huge Perry fan but today I softened quite a bit towards him. He had good wisdom.
Oh, how interesting! 😀 I’m glad you’re warming up to him. 😀
OH I never disliked him .. just was not a Xalen for me .. but his character evolved a bit for me <3
I think that’s great. 😀 Xalen is going to be hard to beat.
Yes … of all the heir spouses he is my fav fav fav
You’re not the only one who thinks so. 😀 I miss him.
Aww I’m glad Bea reconciled with her mother. Maybe now she can be more cautious when it comes to Kara. I don’t mind long-length chapters. As you probably saw, mine can be quite lengthy! Lol. Great chapter!
Thank you, Stormy 🙂 I’m glad Bea reconciled with her mother, too. I definitely think you’re right in that it will slow Bea down where Kara is concerned. I’m also glad you didn’t mind how long the chapter was. 😀 I never thought of yours as lengthy; probably because I enjoy them so much. 🙂
This was so emotional for me. I think it was essential to have all four parts in this chapter. That last part–so good! Bea needed to hear that and feel her heart soften.
Also, I think Bea needs education and training in PTSD and trauma-informed care. She seems clueless about her daughter’s neurology and with her intellectual approach to life, I feel a little education would go a long ways to help her provide a more sensitive and supportive approach with her daughter.
Thank you, CT 🙂 I’m glad you thought the four parts of the chapter were necessary. I was afraid it was too much at once. I agree that Bea needed to hear what Ellie was telling her. Hopefully, now, Bea will turn back to that soft side.
And, I LOVE what you said about Bea needing education and training in PTSD and trauma-informed care. Yes! She’s definitely clueless about Kara’s neurology, it’s true. I agree this would help a great deal.
I loved this chapter and it certainly wasn’t too long. There was indeed a lot to get to. Kara warming up to Perry, having a friend and thinking about going out…that’s huge. And I understand Bea wanting to take her home, but, yes it’s too soon. But I hope she does consider taking her brother’s to meet her. They are doing so well with this whole thing.
And Ellie! It was so heartwarming for her to admit how hardened she had become and try to prevent that same thing from happening to her daughter. I’m glad she spelled it out for her. I miss Holden! 💔 Oh my!
Thank you so much, Audrey 🙂 I’m so glad you loved this chapter and didn’t think it was too long. 💔 Kara did take some huge steps, that’s true, even if she didn’t make it all the way off the property. lol I’m glad you can understand Bea, too. I think it would be a good idea to have the boys meet Kara even if it’s at the center. Hopefully, the boys will continue to do well with it all. I’m sure they’ll have their ups and downs.
Yes, Ellie! She pulled through when she needed to. lol I miss Holden, too, so much. 💔💔
I didn’t realize I was using broken hearts! Doh! LOL 😂😂 Sorry about that, Audrey! xo
I couldn’t agree more with what everyone has said so far. This is a very sensitive chapter. I like that Ellie took that risk. It was good for them both as well. Bea wouldn’t remember how it was in those days for her mom or dad, so it was good to be reminded. Those boys are intuitive and spot on. I am so glad Dr. Fellowes reminded them that she was was having to learn, not only school, but the basics of everyday life. That, in itself can be overwhelming. What is sad is that she was prevented going through the normal developmental stages of learning a child goes through by age 6 and as a child gets older, it gets harder for them to learn. So, even more important for patience. It’s a good thing she’d had some early nurturing, even though she doesn’t remember.
I remember coming upon a cluster of children who had been taken to the wild. It was horrible. A fire had broken out and they called 911. I was a Red Cross volunteer and we are always called out. I found the little girl (about Kara’s age) and it was emotionally tough. I never found out what happened to the father, but the children were taken in protective custody. The road to their place was nearly impassable, we had to abandon one of our units to even get there. I don’t know why I suddenly remembered it. There are details I can’t divulge but it can be far sadder than you know.
Thank you, Jolie 🙂 I’m glad you liked the chapter. Hopefully, now that Bea and Ellie have talked so openly, things will be better. I like the points you brought up about children learning different things at different ages. Kara has probably missed a lot of those mile stones children normally have. I think it’s good she had early nurturing, too. I can’t imagine the things you saw as a Red Cross volunteer. That must have been so difficult seeing those children and just trying to get to them to help. I appreciate the work you’ve done.
While I was reading Ellie’s confession, I was thinking maybe it would do Kara some good if it was her grandmother, of all people, who paid her a visit. Ellie lived on a secluded island for long, and I remember Holden finding out she’d moved in to a city. I think while her experiences in readjusting might be different to Kara’s, it could be very reassuring and therapeutic for them to share a talk. I was almost certain Bea would notice that, too, during their talk, but of course she was too focused on her mom opening up to her. But I think they should consider it.
Thank you, Jowita 🙂 I love where you’re going with this idea! Brilliant! 🙂 As you said, Bea was focused on the situation at hand with her mom and how it related to her. But, you’re right in that Ellie’s experiences are more similar to Kara’s than anyone else in the family. There are a couple things that are going to happen as a result of this talk, and that might just be one of them! 😀
Wonderful addition to the story. I love where the characters are going.
Question: I’m writing a thriller about a sentient AI who spends much time in Second Life–a virtual reality where he can have all the experiences you share in this story. But, Second Life might be dated. Do you know of a similar virtual world that is more relevant? Would love to hear!
Thank you, Jacqui! I appreciate your encouraging words so much.
Wow! The thriller you’re writing sounds exciting! I’m familiar with Second Life, but am not sure about other virtual worlds that may be more relevant. I will ask around, though. 🙂
I’m pretty sure Second Life is still going strong. Some of our Simming friends still use it. Also MMORPGs like Elder Scrolls Online and World of Warcraft or League of Legends have millions of global users. It’s fascinating to think about the interaction of players, NPCS (who can run on the game’s AI ) and an actual AI infiltrating the game! I’d love to read that! I’m super into ESO right now, so if you want to talk with someone about what it’s like to be immersed in the game, I’m happy to share. I also have some ESO based fiction and poetry (as does another Simming friend of ours) that I could point you toward.
Thanks, CT! 🙂 I am glad you saw this. 😀
Aaaw, you can really tell Kara is warming up to her family, and especially to Perry. 🙂 It’s sooo sweet that she’s kept the wedding photo by her bed.
And I teared up at the last part of this. The mother-daughter heart to heart was so sweet and I’m so glad that Ellie opened up – always knew she’s a good person deep down. That bit has got to be one of my favourite bits of writing from you. 🙂
This chapter was wonderful, Kym. 🙂 <3
Thank you, Louise 🙂 That’s so sweet of you to say. I’m glad you liked the bit between Ellie and Bea. It’s been a long time coming, hasn’t it? ❤
You’re right in that Kara does seem to be warming up to her family, especially Perry. I keep trying to imagine what it was like for her to see herself as a toddler, looking so happy in her pink shoes, in that photo. 🙂