Walking along the wharf, a flood of memories engulfed her. Before arriving in Seattle yesterday for the child welfare conference, Kimberly had been adjusting, establishing a new routine in California, managing to ignore the lingering thoughts of Shane during waking hours. Now, sipping her store-bought tea, Kimberly tried to focus her mind on the agenda for this week's conference. She glanced at her watch, wondering what neighborhoods Kayla and the children were exploring that very moment. Since coming to California last month, Kayla and Stephanie had made California feel more like home to Kim, Andrew, and Jeannie. The tension of the last year between them was gratefully a distant memory. Kayla was quite frank with Kimberly about her break up with Shane, explaining quite matter-of-factly that both of them had known true passionate love once, and what they shared couldn't compare. When pressed by Kim, Kayla admitted these had been her words, but Shane hadn't protested. The sisters were now searching for a home together in a neighborhood with good schools. Their bond, stronger than ever, buoyed their resolve to make a happy life for their children. Actually, Kim marveled that in a shorter period of time, Kayla seemed to make the adjustment to West Coast life more easily than she. In truth, Kim realized as she turned the corner to her hotel, a part of her would always be in Salem as long as Shane was there.
Now two years later, Kimberly still could not fathom the unsettling change in Shane that compelled her to leave Salem then. Change, actually, was too benign a word, she thought. The transformation on the heels of his amnesia made Kim even wonder if there had been brain damage that could have rendered the man who had loved her so completely a shadow of her husband. True, they had enjoyed a brief blissful reunion, but Kimberly's pregnancy and the possibility of the child being Cal's turned Shane to stone. The ever-present pain over the loss of their daughter a few years earlier compelled Kimberly to leave Shane, once his newfound cruelty threatened this new life. Kim was willing to accept part of the blame for all the ugliness that had transpired since her decision to leave and have Jeannie far away from Salem, from Shane, and from the uncertainty of her paternity.
It had been five months now since she had left her hometown, surrendering to the reality she had been reluctant to accept for more than a year—Shane no longer loved her. It seemed impossible even now that their love hadn't survived. He listened stoically and unmoved in January as she had confessed her love once more. This time she hadn't expected, as she had hoped during her last few months in Salem, that his stony exterior would melt to reveal the man she loved. Sadly, Kim had become accustomed to the almost robotic responses that emanated from the man who had once loved her with such passion and intensity. She had made this final declaration, knowing he said his future was with Kayla, but still incredulous that this wasn't a nightmare she was reliving on a dark, stormy night. Now as if on cue, a light rain began to fall, and Kimberly ran the last two blocks to her hotel.
The front desk had only one message for Kimberly Donovan. Smiling, the clerk handed Kim the memo.
"Thank you," she replied, scanning the note to read that Kayla had found two promising homes in today's search. Don't worry about us. Andrew and I have rented Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, and once the girls are asleep, we're all about the popcorn. Talk to you tomorrow. Kay
Kim sighed, grateful that the children were in Kayla's capable and loving hands, considering this was her first time away from them. Andrew, especially, was having a tough time of late, adjusting to California and worrying about Shane's paralysis. At one time Kim would have moved mountains to help him in whatever way she could as he had helped her contend with blindness and Emma's murder trial. Crossing the threshold of her hotel room, Kim chastised herself, Enough, Kimberly. Don't rehash the past. You have plenty of things to do tonight to prepare for tomorrow's sessions.
All at once before she even had a chance to turn on the lights, Kimberly heard the crescendo of breath coming from the dark corner of the room. She felt goose bumps dot her arms, her body recognizing the scent and sound before her mind. The breathing had a familiar cadence; she felt an ache as her body realized what had long been absent.
"Who's there?" she asked, her heart and senses already cognizant of the answer in the darkness. Her mind still could not fathom the reality, so she stepped closer to the shadow who sat immobile in the rattan chair where she had lain her nightgown just hours earlier.
He let out a deep sigh, running a hand through his dark curls. "Kim," his voice faltered, revealing the magnitude of his emotions. He rushed towards her, clasping her in his arms. "I've waited so long for this moment," he gushed, pulling her into a passionate kiss. Her lips responded automatically to his. Despite their many months apart, their bodies anticipated the other's next move. Kim, at first, made no protest, knowing innately upon hearing his breathing, that it was Shane. That the man she had loved had returned. Pulling away from him long enough to catch her breath, Kim gaped at the sight of him, his legs perfectly planted beneath him. Stunned back into the reality she had known for the last year, Kim broke free from his embrace. "What the heck are you doing, Shane?" she implored.
Stunned, Shane couldn't take his hands off of her. His eyes were sponges, trying to soak in every last inch of her face. It had been a little more than two years since he had last seen her. Not speaking, he slowly guided her to the bed, making her sit and kneeling by her side. "Kimberly, darling," he began softly, "I'm not sure where to begin." A thousand questions swarmed in her head, and she stared at him as he removed the walkie-talkie from his pocket and murmured, "I've made contact. Guarantee me a few hours, Collier. I'm counting on you."
"Captain, our surveillance shows nothing suspicious. I'll contact you if things change."
"When things change—it's bound to happen, Collier."
"Get back to your wife. Explain this nightmare. Out." The other voice on the other end of the walkie-talkie vanished, and Shane turned to face Kimberly, who eyed him suspiciously. Taking her hands into his, he stood and sat by her side on the bed. Kim knew something about him was different. The look in his eyes spoke to her in a way they hadn't communicated since before she had left him two years ago. Still, she couldn't reconcile this man with the stone of a man who had broken her heart and spirit.
"Kim, I need you to trust me implicitly. We don't have much time. I'll try to answer all your questions, but there's one irrevocable fact you have to accept—I love you. I've never stopped. Everything I've done the last two years was to bring us here at this moment." He stroked her face, moving blond wisps of hair.
Tears stung her eyes, yet ignoring this declaration of love, Kim pressed him, "Shane, what is going on? Who were you talking to? What's going to change?"
Taking a deep breath, feeling the gravity of this moment, knowing that two years of loneliness and plotting had reached its climax, Shane plunged into his tale: "I killed Drew. I had to. And our lives will never be the same."