Chapter 30 The Meaning of JAZ

Hildy stood there in the middle of the restaurant looking in the direction of the woman who was no longer in the room. She had no concept of time, she remained in the spot as if in a different world. Hildy knew Kami's old lover's name was Jaz but she either was never told her full name or she did not remember what it was. But now she knew; the meaning of JAZ was Joyce Amy Zachery. It wasn't until the waiter came up to her and asked if she was OK, that Hildy pulled herself out of the daze she was caught in.

She left the hotel restaurant and began walking in a robotic way in the direction of her office. She felt a barrage of emotion and thoughts as she walked the streets of Manhattan.

"How dare this woman come back after all this time. If she feels she is going to just waltz back into Kami's life and try to take her away from me she has another thing coming!

With those thoughts Hildy took a deep calming breath and her gait relaxed as her thoughts became calmer and more focused.

"I need to come up with a plan. No, we need to, Kami and I. Maybe I should let the guys dig deep into this woman's background and see what they come up with. No wait, I should discuss this with Kami first before I bring the guys into this because this is Kami's past we are speaking about here". Thoughts were just tripping over themselves in Hildy's mind. Her internal monologue continued with, "I need to check the hotel guest list and confirm that Jaz really is a guest there. I can't believe she is here. The woman is delusional. Delusional persons can be dangerous. Ok Hildy calm down. Think this through rationally. I will not let her get anywhere near Kami, and if she does try to, I will knock her out first before I let her touch my woman".

Hildy continued walking the streets of Manhattan in the general direction of her office. Even though she knew Kami was still in her meeting with the FBI tech team and could not answer her phone, she called and left a message letting her know the meeting with the law firm client was over, but she did not tell her that the client was Jaz. Information like that needed to be shared in person.

As soon as she hung up her cell phone it rang with an incoming call from Nana.

"Hi Nana", Hildy greeted her in as cheerful a voice as she could muster.

"Hi Hildy. I just spoke to Abbi after trying to reach my granddaughter. She told me Kami's meeting should be over in an hour's time. I called to invite you both over for afternoon tea. We have not had the time to sit and chat since the few minutes you dropped by last week when you returned from England. I am doing a bit of pastry baking and thought you both would enjoy the treats", Nana said.

Hildy hesitated not because she did not want to go over to her honourary grandparents' home but because her mind was distracted.

Hearing the hesitation, Nana felt that maybe the young couple had other plans for that afternoon.

"I am sorry for bothering you Hildy, I know it is short notice and you both have a full schedule with work. Maybe another time".

Hearing the disappointment in Nana's voice, snapped Hildy out of her internal musing.

"No Nana. I am the one who is sorry. My mind was distracted", Hildy explained. Nana heard the strain in the younger woman's voice. A strain she never heard before.

"Hildy darling? What is wrong? Is it something I can help you with?" Nana asked because she began to feel concerned about her second granddaughter as she sounded unlike the way she usually did on the phone.

In that moment, the magnitude of what happened during the last hour washed over Hildy. She stood in the middle of the pavement and looked around as if she was lost.

"Hildy? Hildy are you still there?" Nana asked.

Hildy took a deep breath and pulled herself together. Her mind began to sequence what she needed to take care of in the next few minutes.

"Yes Nana, I am here. I think I will take you up with the offer for help. May I come over now and speak with you before Kami arrives?" Hildy asked.

That request made a huge red flag fly in front of Nana's face. She hoped and prayed that nothing had began to go wrong with the relationship her granddaughter and Hildy shared because Hildy's voice had a strain to it she had never heard before. She held the wave of panic at bay as she answered Hildy's request.

"Of course, my love. You can come over at anytime".

Hildy began walking towards the subway entrance at the end of the street. "OK, I am heading for the A Train now, I should be at your home in a little while. Thanks Nana", and with that Hildy disconnected the call. She then called Terry at the office.

As soon as he answered the call Hildy began speaking.

"Terry, I do not have time to explain but I need to you do me a favor. Nana invited Kami and I over for afternoon tea today. I am heading over there now, when Kami's meeting is over which hopefully would be in another hour can you personally drive her over to her grandparents' home in Brooklyn? I do not want you to put her in a cab or call a Town Car service. This is important Terry, I do not want Kami out of your sight. Please can you do that for me?"

Terry also heard the strain in his sister's voice and sensed the seriousness of the request.

"Hildy? What is going on? Are you OK? Where are you?"

"I am OK. I am walking down the steps at the Penn Station Subway to take the A Train to Brooklyn. As for what is going on … I must discuss it with Kami in person first before I share it with you. Just do me this favor please".

"Hildy does this have anything to do with the mystery client you had a 1:00pm lunch appointment with?"

Hildy hesitated for a moment and then answered truthfully. "Yes, it does, just bring Kami to Nana's home after her meeting please".

Realizing that he was not going to get any more information now, Terry agreed to the request.

"James, I tell you something is wrong. I heard it in Hildy's voice. I just hope and pray that everything is OK between her and Kami. The Good Lord knows that Hildy is the best thing that ever happened to Kami. Whatever is wrong they will work it out I must believe that", Kathrine said in a worried voice.

She looked over at her husband who was munching on one of the hot scones that she took out of the oven just a few minutes ago. James had a look of absolute pleasure on his face and he smiled as he was eating.

"How can you eat at a time like this?", she asked her husband in a mildly annoyed tone.

"Very easily. The aroma in this kitchen would make anyone eat, regardless of the circumstances. Besides, nothing is wrong with Hildy and Kami's relationship", James said with conviction.

Kathrine looked at him and asked, "How can you be sure?"

"Very easily, I just have to look at them when they are together to know that their relationship is solid. Now I am not saying you are wrong in your opinion that something is not right with Hildy today but whatever it is, it is not the love between those two".

James walked over to where is wife was sitting at the breakfast nook and draped his arm around Kathrine and he gave her a hug as he said, "Honey, keep calm".

A while later they heard the doorbell and went to usher Hildy into the house.

After the pleasant greetings, Kathrine lead Hildy to the den that was located off of the dining room area, she took a seat next to Hildy on the love seat. Not being able to contain her curiosity, Kathrine got straight to the point by asking;

"Hildy what is wrong? I could tell by your voice on the phone earlier that something was not right". Kathrine stopped herself from asking if the problem involved Kami.

Hildy momentarily closed her eyes as the image of Jaz flooded her mind. She saw a beautiful, highly educated, extremely confident woman. Then she remembered that at one time Kami loved this woman. Not the way she loved Dexter, but her fiancée was genuinely head over heels in-love with Jaz. As these thoughts crossed her mind, her face showed anger, jealousy and fear. Without realizing it, Hildy balled her fists.

Kathrine made eye contact with James who began to frown, he pulled the ottoman towards Hildy and sat down directly opposite her. Reaching forward he took her balled fists in his large hands and held them gently.

James knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was no reason to be concerned about his granddaughter's relationship with her fiancée. But at the same time, he recognized that whatever was wrong involved Kami somehow because of the expressions that crossed Hildy's face.

James decided to use the fatherly approach in the hope that Hildy would explain what was wrong."Hildy, you know you are also our granddaughter, so tell us what is going on because clearly something is wrong, and I suspect whatever it is has some connection to Kami".

Hearing Pappy's gentle coaxing voice was the catalyst Hildy needed to begin speaking.

"I still cannot believe she had the nerve to turn up! Why now after all this time? She must be delusional if she thinks that she can just pick up where she left off! And all this foolishness about having a claim, as if she was speaking about property! The nerve of that woman! I feel to rip her face off!"

James looked at Hildy and then at his wife who looked just as confused as he did.

Hildy continued after taking a deep breath. The older couple could tell she was trying to calm herself.

"The thing is I do not know how to tell Kami. Everything is going so good between us. She is my world and I know I am hers. It is as if God's enemy felt that our life is too happy so he decided to throw a wrench in it! How will Kami react?"

Hildy looked at James and then to Kathrine, with an expression that was a mixture of worry, frustration, anger, fear and a shade of jealousy.

Kathrine and James had been happily married for so long, that they had a way of communicating with their eyes and often was able to sense what the other was thinking. In that moment however, they both were walking together down the wrong road. They misinterpreted Hildy's words and concluded that an old girlfriend of Hildy was back to town with the intent to cause trouble for her and Kami. Somehow the looks of jealousy that flashed across Hildy's face was placed at the bottom of the list of emotions they felt Hildy was experiencing.

Kathrine moved closer to her and placed her arm around Hildy's shoulder and she gently squeezed her.

"Sweetheart, Kami loves you, and knows that you love her too. No one from your past who waltzes back into your life with the intension of causing trouble will have the power to interfere with the love you both share".

Hildy looked at Nana and her eyebrows scrunched up. It took her a moment to realize that Kami's grandparents misunderstood her words.

Shaking her head to clear it she took another deep breath.

"Nana, Pappy. The person who I met today, the person who has me feeling so angry is the person who Kami use to love".

It was now the turn of Kathrine and James to scrunch up their eyebrows as they tried to make sense of Hildy's words.

James released her hands and was the first to speak and said "Hildy, I do not follow you".

In that next moment Kathrine face lost its colour and she slowly stood up as she shook her head and looked intently into Hildy's eyes. She saw in them what she hoped she would not.

"No. It cannot be".

Hildy looked at her and all the emotions began to play in her heart once more as she said: "Yes, it is".

James looked from one woman to another as he realized he was outside of the loop.

His wife sat back down with her own face darkening with anger as she said;

"Jaz"