BRETT'S GRADUATION
Kayla glanced at the bedside clock. It was nearly two in the morning. She didn't know what she was worried about. Brett was a grown woman now, about to graduate college, but it didn't matter. She still worried about her baby sister. Kayla was simply relieved that she had been released from Polston two full years early so she could be there for her sister. She gave up on going back to sleep. She flipped on the bedside lamp, sat up, and grabbed a book she had been trying to read, but her mind soon wandered away.
She knew Brett had invited Frank to her graduation, but she didn't know if he would show up. He had been a constant in Brett's life throughout her teenage years, but she had lost touch with him in recent months. Although Brett hadn't elaborated, she had mentioned that she didn't think Frank worked with the FBI. She couldn't deny that she wanted to see him again. He had continued visiting her monthly at Polston until Brett turned eighteen. After that, his visits were infrequent, but he always managed to write. It was always painful reading his letters. There was still so much left unresolved. He had become so very important to Brett, but he was also still important to her as well. She had unending feelings for him, and thought of him every day.
Kayla looked up when she heard the front door opening. A moment later, Brett came into her room. "You have fun," Kayla asked.
Brett nodded. "Yup. Did you hear from Uncle Frank yet?"
Kayla shook her head. "No. I don't think I'm who he would call."
Brett smiled. "Sure he would, Kay. I think he still loves you."
She rolled her eyes. "Sorry to say, Brett, but that's ancient history. Besides, I don't even know if he's aware I'm out."
"If he didn't find out on his own, I'm sure he found out in my letter with the invitation. I told him you were out."
"You would," Kayla accused lightly. "I do hope he attends, because I know you're looking forward to seeing him again."
Brett approached the bed and sat down at the foot. "And you're not?"
She sighed heavily and ran her hands through her hair. "What do you think? Of course I want to see him, but he's gone on with his life, and I'm just not a part of that."
When Brett was old enough to understand, Kayla had told her about her affair with Uncle Frank. Since then, Brett made it a point to try and intervene between them. She wanted both of them to be happy, but to be happy together. She knew they still had feelings for each other. Of course, Uncle Frank had never come out and said anything blatantly, but the wistful way he spoke of Kayla made his feelings very obvious.
"I suppose we'll see about that if he shows up for my graduation. I'm beat, Kay. Must go to bed before I fall out on the floor."
141414
Everything in the house was packed up and ready for shipping. What couldn't be shipped would be held in storage. Donovan hated letting the house go. He had loved it here, but it was definitely time for a change. He glanced at his wristwatch, noting that his flight was due to leave in about four hours. He had some time to kill before he had to leave for the airport, but he knew he would wind up leaving early anyway. All he could do was stare down at the graduation invitation Brett had sent him. Of course, it wasn't just the invitation that had garnered the most attention from him. It was the note included. Brett had written not only to give him details about the ceremony, but also to let him know that Kayla had been given an early release. She's out of prison, Brett had written. And she now lives with me in Louisiana.
Despite the circumstances, despite the hurt, Donovan had continued making visits with Brett as often as he could manage. Once Brett became old enough to make the trip to Polston without an adult escort, his visits ceased. But it wasn't because Brett no longer needed him. He longed to go, longed to see Kayla, to be close to her in that tiny semi-private room. They often spoke of Brett during those visits, but it was also his chance to be near her. However, it had begun to be more and more difficult to make the trip to Polston, to justify his presence there.
It had been easy enough at first. The other members of the Sideshow were still loose and scattered about Chicago. If it took visits to the prison to get more information, then it was granted without question. But he never tried to extract information from Kayla. Yet, the pieces of the puzzle fell together as if all the planets were aligned for it. The remaining members of the gang tried to regroup after Carson Falcon's death and Kayla's incarceration. All of them were caught, including the new ringleader, Tom Kipplinger. They had all gone to different prison systems. The last Donovan had heard, Kipplinger had met a particularly brutal demise within months of his incarceration. He had done enough damage beforehand to cause a major disruption in Donovan's life.
Trying desperately to save his yellow hide, Kipplinger had told prison officials about Kayla's involvement with Donovan. There had been no investigations, no Internal Affairs involvement. But it hadn't faded to black. Instead, Donovan was quietly reprimanded. His superiors took the information and laid it out as an unfortunate situation where he was used for his knowledge about the case. Donovan truly wanted to argue against it, but he didn't. He had unofficially decided to continue the visits, but he was warned that if he did and was caught, his career with the FBI was finished.
To appease his superiors and fulfill his own desire to keep contact with Kayla, he tapered off on the visits, but continued writing her, always careful to keep his words focused on Brett or other topics that wouldn't arouse suspicion. He knew correspondence that Kayla received and sent was monitored, but he was trusted enough within the fold to avoid close scrutiny. It killed him to have to do this, but he followed protocol and waited for the day when Kayla would be released.
And now, today, it mattered little what he did, where he went, or whom he chose to see. He hadn't heard directly from Kayla for a long time, but Brett often kept in close contact. There were no rules when it came to Brett. He could contact her as often as he liked, and did so with regularity up until a few months ago. It had been eight long years since Kayla was locked away. Now both of them were free with no constraints. Dare he try to see her or should he simply allow her to live her life without his presence and further interference? He would soon learn that the decision was completely out of his hands.
141414
The next morning, Brett was sprinting across campus when she heard her name called. She stopped and turned around. When she recognized the owner of the voice, she smiled broadly. "Uncle Frank," she cried. She went to him and hugged him fiercely. "You made it," she said as she released her hold on him.
He smiled down at her. "Of course I did. I wouldn't think of missing your graduation."
"How did you find me here?"
"I tried your apartment first, but no one was home. I had an appointment here, and I just ran into you as I was leaving."
"An appointment? Here," she asked in confusion.
He nodded. "Yes. I'm relocating from Illinois. I'll be teaching here in the fall."
"That's great." She took his hand. "Come with me. I was just heading out for a cup of coffee."
She gave him no time to protest. He allowed her to drag him across campus to a small diner. The sign outside said Hughie's. He had no idea why she brought him here until his eyes fell on the waitress behind the counter. Kayla. She hadn't noticed him yet, and he took the time to look at her without her knowledge. Time had been kind to her. Although she had aged some, she basically looked the same. Her hair was still bright, shiny, and shaded honey blonde. There were a few tiny lines here and there, but she was even more beautiful than he remembered.
Kayla turned when Brett called out to her. The moment she saw Frank, she drew in a shocked breath. He was gazing at her steadily. There was a little more gray in his hair, but other than that, he hadn't changed much. In fact, she thought he looked better, more relaxed, and even more appealing than ever before. She afforded a brief glance in Brett's direction. Her sister was smiling, her eyes glinting mischievously.
The two of them approached the counter. Before either of them could sit down, Brett turned slightly. "Oh wow. Imagine that. I know that guy over there. If you'll excuse me."
Both Kayla and Donovan watched Brett flounce away with smiles on their faces. "Yes," Kayla said wryly. "Imagine that."
Donovan turned to look at Kayla. "She's a great kid."
His eyes. They were still do deep and expressive. "That she is. You are a great influence on her, Frank. She really wanted you to be here." So did I.
How about you? "I wouldn't have missed it for the world." Shifting gears, he said, "You look really good. I had no idea you were being released early."
She nodded. "Yeah, I've not been out long. And you look really good, too." Nervously, Kayla fiddled with a container of sugar. She stopped before she dropped it. "What are you doing now? Same thing?"
He shook his head. "No. I left about a year ago. One of my colleagues was killed in the line of duty. After that, it wasn't the same. I've relocated here. I'll be doing some teaching at the university where Brett attends."
Kayla longed to ask if he had done so to be near, but she shook it away. Why would he relocate for her? It was a ridiculous thought. "I'm sorry to hear that one of your colleagues was killed. That's terrible. As far as your new job, you might run into Brett occasionally. She's going to graduate school."
"What about you?"
She shrugged. "Not much. I work here now and I'm trying to save enough to go to college myself. I never went." She bit her lip. She didn't want to lie, but she also didn't want him to know she was pining away, even after so much time had passed. "I'm engaged to the owner."
Donovan nodded almost solemnly. Why did her words seem to cut him open? "Congratulations," he said. "I'm married and I have two small children."
Oh kill me now. "That's great, Frank. You truly deserve to be happy." Why had he not told her about his marriage? Why had he not at least told Brett? "I really need to get back to work. It was nice seeing you again."
When Brett saw Donovan leaving the counter, she went over to him and walked him out. "How did it go," Brett asked once they were outside.
He smiled down at her a trifle sadly. "You are a sneaky little busybody, aren't you?" He shook his head. "I don't know. I messed up. She told me about her engagement, and I told her I was married with two children."
Brett gave him a confused look. "Kayla? Engaged?"
He nodded. "Yes. To the owner."
She shook her head and laughed. "Oh. That's rich. The owner prefers lovers of his own gender. She was a little dishonest. She didn't want you to know that she still has feelings for you. And you told her you were married? What's wrong with you guys?"
Donovan sighed. It was much too late to go back. "It's complicated."
"I know. What do you think I've been hearing since I was old enough to get it? Hell, I knew something was going on when I was fourteen. Look, you big dope," she began. "The ceremony is going to be held outside. When it's over, take my sister for a walk. Tell her the truth. You've both waited long enough, and now it's time to resolve this."
"Brett, it's not so easy. You can't know everything that happened."
"No," she said. "You're right. But I know enough. You've both suffered tremendously because of this, and I'm tired of seeing the two most important people in my life in pain. Just take a walk with Kayla and talk to her. Please, Uncle Frank, just try."
He chuckled and shook his head. "You're quite persuasive, Brett Falcon. Have you thought of going to law school?"
She smiled and gave him a wink. "I start in June."
141414
Although Kayla had promised herself that she wouldn't cry, she couldn't keep the tears from falling when Brett accepted her degree. All she could see was that deathly ill little girl she had once been. On automatic now, Kayla reached over to Frank sitting beside her. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it. If it hadn't been for him, Brett wouldn't have made it this far. She again wondered how she was ever going to repay him. She felt her tears welling again when he squeezed her hand in return. She looked at him and mouthed a silent 'thank you.' He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it briefly.
When the main ceremony was over, Brett remained within a group of her friends. Kayla was about to approach her sister, but Frank stopped her. She gazed at him quizzically. "Walk with me," he said. "Brett will be tied up for hours."
Knowing that he had a point, Kayla nodded and silently fell in beside him. They walked slowly, deliberately. Kayla caught herself glancing sideways at Frank every so often. He seemed to be lost in thought and she wanted to speak to him, but she didn't know what to say. There was so much to say, she wouldn't know where or how to begin. So she said nothing. She simply walked along beside him and took in the scenery. The campus was beautiful and very green. It was still technically spring, but the weather was already warm and humid. Kayla was almost tempted to ask him why he hadn't brought along his wife, but she bit her tongue. She didn't want to see him with his wife or children. She couldn't take it.
"You shouldn't have thanked me," he said suddenly. "I don't deserve any more praise or credit than you."
He smiled inwardly when Kayla nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. It was one thing about her that would never change regardless of her age. It was still an endearing trait. How he longed to tell her he was sorry...for everything. How he longed to erase the past.
"Frank, if you hadn't intervened in her life eight years ago, we wouldn't be here right now celebrating such an incredible achievement. You didn't have to do any of this, and it amazes me how much you care for her to help her like this. As I've told you before, any other man in this situation would have turned his back. But you didn't. She is who she is today mostly due to your influence. I was away in prison and I could do nothing for her, but you did. I'll never forget what you've done for her."
"I did it for you, too, you know," he said. They stopped walking at that point so they could face each other. "You made a huge sacrifice for her, Kayla. She's very lucky to have you...someone who loves her so much that she was willing to offer her freedom in exchange for her sister's life." He grew silent for a moment to garner enough courage to finish his thoughts. "The note you left two days before your arrest...do you remember what you said?"
She nodded, feeling fresh tears welling in her eyes. "Every word."
"I do, too, Kayla. I never thought I'd understand, but now, I do. I don't know if I would have had the courage to make the choices you did. I can't even say it was wrong, not anymore. What I do know is that you filled my life with so many incredible gifts. You allowed me to touch a piece of your past. You allowed me to know true love. And you allowed me to be in your life even after I aided in its ruination. For that, I owe you."
She fought her tears away. She had never cried so much in her life. "I've told you before, and I'm telling you again, I don't blame you for anything, Frank. Always know that. You have given me the same gifts and the most precious one of all is the woman that Brett has become. And it's all due to you. You are the most incredible man I have ever known. I only wish I could have always known you." She sighed shakily. "I lied to you, Frank. I'm not engaged. I don't even know why I said that."
He smiled a little. "Brett told me. I think I know why you said it. Probably for the same reason I did. I'm not married. I don't have children."
Kayla laughed. "What a stinker my sister is. She worked really hard to throw us together like this, didn't she? And speaking of Brett, I really should get back."
He said nothing. He stood back and allowed her to move a few steps toward the graduating seniors. "Kayla." She stopped and turned around to face him. She waited expectantly. "Eight years ago, you said yes. You thought I was asleep, but I heard you. I always wanted to ask you about your words. Circumstances didn't quite allow it."
"No. They didn't." Kayla looked down for a moment before meeting his steady gaze again. "Frank, do you believe in giving people second chances?"
Her question was tentative and completely unexpected. "I don't know," he said. "The opportunity has never presented itself until now."
She approached him again and stood before him. "Would you consider a dinner invitation? I can still cook a mean dish of chicken and dumplings."
His smile returned and broadened. "I'd love to."
"Now I think I should really get back."
She attempted to move away again, but he took hold of her hand. She gazed up into his lovely, lovely eyes. She said nothing, but she knew what he was going to do, and absolutely couldn't wait. The moment his lips touched hers, it felt as if no time had passed. His kiss was gentle, but still so very sweet and passionate. Although it appeared as if they were starting anew, it truly felt as if they never parted.
To be continued...