Chapter 8: A Parent's Love

Kimberly woke up early in the morning and she pulled on her tank top and jogging shorts. She checked to see if Hannah was still asleep before pulling her hair in a ponytail and leaving the room.

She was jogging through the park when everything that happened to her during the past ten years came back at her in full force. With every step she took, more pain ran through her heart. She stopped and leaned against a nearby rock.

(Flashback)

Kimberly was sitting in the galley when Dana came in. "Hey," she called. Kimberly glanced at her and Dana saw the tears in her eyes. "What's the matter?" She asked. She sat down across from her. Kimberly sighed and wiped the tears from her face. "Is it about Tommy?" She asked. She didn't answer her. "Do you want to talk about it?" Dana asked.

"No I don't want to talk about it," Kimberly replied.

Dana sighed and Kimberly regretted snapping at her. "Sorry," She murmured. Dana shook her head.

"No it's okay," she answered.

Kimberly played with her bracelet that Hannah had made for her. She closed her eyes for a brief second and wiped a stray tear from her face. "Have you ever been in love Day?" She asked. Dana stared at her quizzically.

"I can't say that I have," Dana replied.

Kimberly wiped the tears from her face again. "Every moment that Tommy's not here, the more I feel like I'm dying. The more I get news that no one knows where Tommy is the more I feel like I've let my daughter down…" she trailed off. Dana shook her head and placed her hands on her sister's.

"Listen to me, Kim, you could never let your daughter down, not after all you have been through to even keep her," she answered.

Kimberly kept her head lowered. Dana got up from her chair, walked over, and hugged her. "Everything's going to be okay," she assured her.

(End Flashback)

Kimberly shook her head slightly and jumped when her cell phone rang. "You've got her," she answered.

"Hey, sis, guess where I am," Dana informed.

"Dana? Where are you?" Kimberly asked.

"Carter and I are in Miami."

"No you're not!"

"We are. We're at the airport now."

"Oh my gosh! Um…I'm in the park, how about I meet you guys for breakfast?"

"Sounds like a plan."

Kimberly hung up and looked at herself. "Oh my gosh, I can't go looking like this…" she muttered. She got up and ran back to her and Hannah's apartment.

(Café)

Dana and Carter were sitting in the café when Kimberly came in. "Dana! Carter!" She called. Dana got up and Kimberly embraced her sister with a shriek. "What are you guys doing here?" She asked. Carter stood up and hugged her once Dana let her go.

"Tommy told us what you were thinking about doing. Came to see if you could use any help," he replied.

"I can't tell Tommy anything anymore."

She sat down in the chair across fro them. "How's Hannah?" Dana asked. Kimberly pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You tell me. She's eighteen, pregnant, and the father's in jail," she replied.

Dana bit her lip and Carter held her hand. "How's Conner doing? I mean despite the fact that he's being framed for attempted murder," Dana stated. Kimberly shrugged.

"Last time Hannah saw him, he had a black eye and a busted lip," she answered.

"Oh God…" Dana trailed off.

"Coach Schmidt still isn't awake?" Carter asked.

"If he was, Conner would've been out of jail already," Kimberly replied.

She rubbed her forehead. "Hannah's falling apart and I'm doing all I can but I feel like it's not enough," she added. Dana placed her hand over Kimberly's.

"Kimberly, you've done great with these kids for years. They know you're trying everything," she answered.

"I mean if it weren't for Conner's freedom, I would care less about Coach Schmidt. The man came to my hospital room a day after I came out of my coma and had just found out that I was pregnant and asked me if I would come back to training."

(Flashback)

Kimberly watched as the doctor left after taking an ultrasound of the baby. He had informed her that the baby was fine and she was able to relax after hearing that news. Even though she was afraid that the baby wasn't Tommy's. She looked up when there was a knock on her door. "Come in," she answered. Coach Schmidt came in.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"Hey," she answered.

"Doctor told me you'll be able to get out of the hospital any day now. Ready to come back to training?" He asked.

Kimberly gave him a quizzical look. "Didn't the doctor also tell you that I'm pregnant?" She asked.

"Minor detail," he replied.

She looked at him with a shocked expression. "Minor detail? A baby isn't a minor detail!" She exclaimed.

"Yes because it could easily be taken care of," he answered.

Kimberly suddenly felt sick to her stomach and knew it wasn't morning sickness. "I can't believe you'd even think I'd do something like that!" She snapped.

"You have worked too hard to let a baby get in your way," he answered.

"Okay if I could control morning sickness I'd do it on you right now."

She glared at him. "You know what, don't even worry about me coming back because guess what? I quit!" She snapped. She sat up straight in her bed. "And you know what? Get out!" She added.

(End Flashback)

Kimberly rubbed her forehead. "It was so frustrating! That man was actually expecting me to have an abortion!" She hissed. She shook her head. "And then I let my daughter get mixed up in his training…" she trailed off. Dana shook her head.

"You didn't think he'd try to push Hannah," she answered.

"Yes I did know. I did know what he was going to do, because he played the same damn tricks on my child as he did with me."

Kimberly sat back. "I let my daughter's life get ruined! I had to make her think that my dreams had to be her dreams…" she trailed off. She wiped the tears from her face.

"Kimberly, Hannah loves you. You know as well as I do that Hannah can make her own decisions. If she didn't want to be a gymnast, she wouldn't have trained so hard to become one," Dana answered.

Kimberly sighed and closed her eyes. "Those kids love you Kimberly. Two of them almost died trying to protect you," Dana added. Carter nodded his head slowly.

"Those kids speak so highly of you when you're not around. You're all they talk about. Hunter tells his and Tori's son how great you are. They love you and they would do anything for you," he agreed.

"Why?" Kimberly asked.

"Kim, when those kids first came into your life, Hunter, Blake, and Hannah were three children who had absolutely nothing! You gave them something, you gave them reasons to live," Dana replied.

"Why do I feel like I failed them?" She asked.

Dana got up and sat next to her. "Every parent feels like they've done something wrong when they see their child miserable. Carter and I have been there too. You're not alone in this feeling. We love Hannah just as much as you do," she explained. Carter nodded.

"We want Hannah to be happy, which is why we're here to help you both," he put in.

Kimberly smiled and her cell-phone rang. "Kim," she answered. Her eyes widened. "We'll be right there," she informed. She hung up and looked at Carter and Dana. "Coach Schmidt is awake," she told them.