A/N: A while back, a certain Awian asked me how Katrina's bear got his name, so in case anyone else was wondering, you'll find out in this chapter lol
Until 27! Wow, this story is getting longer:)
Changes – Chapter 26Katrina insisted on carrying the basket of muffins her mother had made for Violeta on the walk to her house. Alison didn't seem to mind. It left her hand free so that she could hold Rafe's. When was the last time the two of them held hands and went for a walk? She couldn't remember, but it was really nice.
When they arrived on the front step, Katrina knocked on the door excitedly. "Hello?" she called out. "Anybody home?"
A few moments later, footsteps were heard, and Violeta opened the door. She smiled at the sight of Katrina's granddaughter, thinking of how in little ways, she could see Katrina in her smile.
"Hello, dear! It's so good to see you!"
"Here! We brought these for you! Mommy made them!" Katrina held up the basket of muffins.
Violeta took the basket, graciously accepting them. "Why thank you! That was so thoughtful of you." She gave Alison a smile. "I'm so glad you came for a visit." Violeta looked over at Rafe. "And you, well you haven't changed a bit since the last time I saw you!" she said as she greeted him with a hug.
"Hello, Violeta. It's good to see you."
"Please, come in." Violeta moved aside to let the three of them into the house. "I was hoping you would come for a visit soon. You have perfect timing. I just made some tea."
"Ooo, like a tea party?" Katrina asked excitedly.
"Sure, why not? Would you like to come help me get some plates and cups from the kitchen?"
"Yeah!" Katrina said.
"Make yourselves at home," she told Rafe and Alison. "We'll be right back."
Alison took a seat on the nearest chair while Rafe walked around, admiring pictures and knickknacks on the shelves.
"I remember these things," he said, picking up snow globe and giving it a shake.
"Did you come here a lot?"
"I'd come over here with my mother sometimes." It was at that moment that he saw a picture of her. He picked it up and smiled.
"That's my favorite picture of Katrina, the one of her and my Hannah," Violeta said, walking into the living room. Katrina followed, carrying some plates. "Sit those down on the table, dear," she said. Katrina did just that.
"It's one of my favorites too," Rafe said, putting the picture back on the mantle.
"I wanna see the picture of Grandma!"
Rafe picked the frame up again, giving it to Katrina. "Be careful with it Princess. Don't drop it."
"Grandma Kat's so pretty. Who's the other lady?"
"That's my daughter. She and your grandmother were friends."
"How come Grandma's not wearing her white dress in this picture?"
"White dress?"
"Yeah. Grandma always wears a white dress."
"Hmm, well, I suppose Katrina did wear a lot of white," Violeta said with a laugh.
Rafe smiled, taking the picture and placing it back where it belonged.
"Hey, let's eat some muffins!" Katrina said, suddenly remembering the basket they had brought over.
Violeta said that was a great idea. Katrina helped pass the plates and muffins out, while she poured the tea.
Alison had worried that Katrina might get bored, as children usually do when adults just sit around and talk. But she was pleasantly surprised when Katrina joined in on the conversation, asking Violeta question after question after question. She was curious about how Violeta knew Grandma Kat, and she was delighted to hear stories of her daddy when he was just a young boy.
When the subject of the house came up, Violeta was thrilled by that news that Rafe had changed his mind about selling.
"So what will you do with the house now?" she asked.
"I'm not sure yet. But I do know that I want to keep it. I just can't imagine letting it go."
"Well I'm glad to hear that. When I heard you were selling it, I couldn't help but feel a little sad. For as long as I've known, there's always been a Kovich living in that house. Ever since you left, the house just seemed so forgotten."
Rafe thought about her words. Forgotten. He hated to admit it, but he had neglected the place his family had called home for generations. It had felt so empty when they arrived, but that had changed in the last week. "Well I can promise you this, Violeta. I don't have any intentions of it being forgotten again."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Violeta stood in her doorway, waving as the three of them began their walk back home. "Come again and see me!" she said,
"Bye, Violeta!" Katrina waved happily.
Rafe and Alison waved goodbye, then started walking towards home.
"I'm really glad we came for a visit," Rafe said. "I wish we would have gone sooner. I'd forgotten how close Violeta and my mother once were."
"I feel a little sad for her. She just seems kind of lonely, you know? With her family living so far away and all."
"Yeah, I know."
"Hey, Daddy?"
"Yes, Princess?"
"Maybe Miss Violeta can move into the house!"
"Well she has a house already, Princess."
"Yeah, but there's tons of tons of rooms there! She could pick whatever room she wanted! And if she moved in, she would be there and we could come visit her so she wouldn't be lonely anymore."
Rafe gave his daughter a smile. "Well, I don't know if Violeta would want to live in a house that big, but we can definitely visit her again."
Katrina smiled back at her father, then slipped her hand into his. Her other hand reached for her mother's, and they all walked hand-in-hand back to the house.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As Rafe walked down the hallway to tuck Katrina in, he was surprised to hear her moving about in her room. Rafe stood in the doorway, watching her lift the covers off her bed as if she were looking for something.
"Hey, why aren't you in bed, young lady?" Rafe asked, pretending to put on a stern voice.
Katrina looked up at her father rather desperately. "Daddy, I can't find Bernie!"
"Hmm, well he has short legs, so he couldn't have gotten very far," he said with a laugh. "Let's check under these covers."
"I already did."
"Let's look again. Sometimes we just need to double-check."
Katrina watched as her father turned down the bed covers and looked under the sheets. When there was no sign of him, he checked under the pillow.
"He's not there," Katrina said sadly.
"He could be hiding under the bed. Did you look there?"
Katrina shook her head no.
"Let's have a look." Rafe kneeled down and took a look under the bed. Katrina did the same. But Bernie wasn't hiding there.
"He's not there, either!"
"Don't worry, Princess. We'll find him. I'm sure he's around here somewhere."
They searched the whole room. They looked in the closet, they looked in the drawers. They even searched under every pile of clothes on the floor. They turned up nothing.
"He's lost, Daddy!" Katrina sobbed.
Rafe looked down at his little girl, her face full of sadness. He knew she couldn't sleep without that bear. "He won't be lost for long. Come on, we'll search this entire house if we have to."
Katrina took her father's hand, hoping he was right. She knew somewhere, Bernie was out there, alone and scared.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Downstairs, Alison had dozed off on the couch and would have probably slept longer if it hadn't of been for Rafe and Katrina. She opened her eyes, wondering what all the commotion was about.
"Bernie!" Katrina called out, as if the stuffed bear could really hear her.
"Bernie? You silly bear, where have you gone off too?" Rafe asked, then wondered why he felt the need to talk to something that was obviously not going to answer him back.
Katrina followed her father into the living room.
"Where were you playing in here, Princess?"
"Under the table."
"Go check there."
Alison moved to sit up on the couch, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "What's going on?"
"Bernie's missing in action."
"Oh no."
"He's not here, either!" Katrina cried. She ran to her mother, burying her face into her mother's chest and soaking her shirt with her tears. "I can't find Bernie, Mommy! He's gone forever!"
"Oh, no baby," Alison soothed. "Bernie's not gone. We'll find him. Don't you worry."
"But we looked everywhere!" she sobbed.
"Well you'll just have to retrace your steps. You'll have to look all the places you played today. You checked everywhere in your room, right?"
Katrina nodded. "Yes."
"And upstairs?"
"We checked all the rooms," Rafe said.
"Did you check the den, baby?
Katrina nodded.
"The kitchen?"
"Yes."
"How about outside? I know you were playing with Bernie outside today."
Rafe suddenly had an idea. "I got it. I think I know where Bernie is!"
Katrina looked up hopefully as her father left the room in a hurry.
"Don't worry. Daddy will find him," Alison promised.
Rafe stepped out on the back porch, glancing around the chairs and tables. At first, he didn't see him, but suddenly some clouds moved, revealing the brightest moon.
And there was Bernie, basking in the glow on the porch step. Rafe picked up the bear, dusting the dirt off him. He had to laugh, thinking of how they turned the house upside down looking for him and he had been out here the whole time.
Back in the living room, Katrina kept her eyes on the hallway, waiting for her father to come back. Finally, she heard his footsteps, and moments later, he appeared in the doorway.
"Look who I found." Rafe held the bear up.
Katrina ran to her father excitedly. "Bernie! You found him! You found him! You found him!" Katrina grabbed the bear, hugging him tightly.
"Where was he?" Alison laughed.
"Outside on the porch step."
"Oh, Bernie, I'm so sorry!" Katrina said to her bear. "I'll never leave you again, never ever! You must have been so scared."
"Oh, but he wasn't scared when I found him, Princess."
Katrina looked up at her father. "Really?"
"Sure. He was outside looking at the moon. It's really beautiful tonight."
"I want to see the moon!" Katrina begged.
"Another night. It's way past your bedtime."
"And Bernie's too," Alison added.
"Come on, Princess," Rafe said, scooping her up into his arms.
Alison rose from the couch and followed them up the stairs. Rafe placed Katrina in her bed and Alison helped him fix the covers that had been strewn in the search for Bernie.
"Tuck me in really tight!"
Rafe pulled the covers up.
"Tighter, Daddy! Tuck me in so me and Bernie can't wiggle out!"
Rafe laughed, tucking her in tighter so that only two heads could be seen, hers and Bernie's. "Do you think you can sleep now, Princess?"
Katrina nodded, giving her father a big smile.
"Goodnight. I love you." Rafe kissed her cheek.
"Goodnight, sweetie," Alison said, kissing her too.
"Goodnight! I love you Mommy and Daddy!"
Alison joined Rafe at the door as he turned off the light. The room was suddenly illuminated by the bright moonlight from outside. They stood at the door for a moment longer, until they were sure that Katrina was all set for the night, then quietly closed the door behind them.
"Good thing I found that bear, huh?"
"Or she would have never gone to sleep!" Alison laughed, walking towards theirroom.
"Hey, Alison?"
"Yeah?"
"How did she come up with the name 'Bernie' anyway?"
"I think she was watching Bernie Mac reruns over at Jamal's," she said with a laugh.