"I can't believe you're passing up a date with Tim to spend time with your parents!"
Jeannie remembered the incredulous look on Chelsea's face when she told her she was planning to spend the evening with her parents instead of going to a movie with Tim. Chelsea just rolled her eyes as Jeannie explained how excited her mother was after her New York trip and that it seemed the right thing to do, spend time with her ... with both of them.
"But summer's almost over," Chelsea had argued. "Tim will be going back to school soon. And you'll be be leaving, too."
"Yeah, I know," Jeannie had replied letting disappointment sneak into her voice.
Up until then, Jeannie hadn't really thought much about returning home but realized what Chelsea said was true. She would be heading back to California and probably soon. Jeannie thought how it wasn't so long ago she would have eagerly jumped at the chance to return to her life in Los Angeles, but now she wasn't so sure.
"Hey, I'm home," Jeannie shouted as she walked into the house, casually tossing her keys on the table and beach tote up the stairs, both egregious acts she knew would catch her mother's ire. "Where's everybody," she called out as she went searching for her parents. Reaching the kitchen, Jeannie suddenly stopped surprised at the sight.
There was Kim alone in the kitchen. Considering her mother's earlier jubilant mood and her obvious anticipation at seeing Shane, Jeannie had expected to find the two of them together. And she certainly had expected, at the very least, that all three of them would go out for a splashy celebratory dinner. Instead, she found Kim busy making dinner and her mood had taken a bleak turn.
"Come set the table," Kim ordered as she scurried about the kitchen deliberately avoiding eye contact with Jeannie. "I found some salad fixings and Mama stopped by with some of Pop's chowder."
"Just the two of us?" Jeannie asked with a puzzled expression.
"Yes, just the two of us." Kim knowingly anticipated Jeannie's next question so quickly offered her own explanation. "Shane has some ISA work to do."
Jeannie eyed her mother suspiciouly before saying, "I thought we'd all go out for dinner, you know, to celebrate the movie deal and everything. I thought that was why you wanted me home."
Kim sighed deeply as she continued stirring the chowder, purposely keeping her eyes on the stockpot. "Well, I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression about dinner." Feeling that she owed a reason for the obvious change, Kim put the spoon down and turned to face Jeannie. "Like I said, Shane's working and anyway, I'm tired from the trip. Probably a bit of jet lag. But I did promise Mama we'd stop by the pub for a quick visit after dinner, if that's all right?"
Jeannie looked closely at her mother, skeptical of her explanation. When she had picked her up at the airport, Kim was as excited as a kid in a toy store with a fistful of dollars. Her voice alone was filled with a vibrancy Jeannie hadn't heard in a long time. She was sure Kim would still be full of that same excitement. But here she was the total opposite; sullen, moody and tired. Not what you'd expect from someone who just found out her book was being made into a movie and going to star one of the biggest actresses in Hollywood.
"So is a quick visit to the pub okay?" Kim repeated.
"Sure, that's fine," Jeannie answered still confused by her mother's sudden change in mood. "Did Dad say something to upset you? Wasn't he excited about the movie?"
Turning away from Jeannie, Kim managed an indignant, "Don't be silly! Of course he was very excited about the movie. I told you he has work to do and I'm just tired. Now let's eat dinner so we can visit Mama and Pop soon."
Shane stood at his window, shaking his head and watching the headlights disappear down the driveway. He wondered where Kim and Jeannie were going and was sad that wherever it was, it didn't include him.
After Kim had burst into the guest house with her news, he had fully expected that he and Jeannie would take Kim out for a huge celebration. Instead, here he was alone, drinking scotch and pondering exactly what had transpired earlier that afternoon. Shane could kick himself for pressuring Kim but when their lips touched, he couldn't help himself, even though she obviously regretted the kiss.
All evening, he kept replaying the scene over and over again, remembering the hurtful words and accusations they hurled at each other. But the one comment he fixated on most was 'I can't trust you with my heart'. Swirling the amber liquid around in the glass, Shane realized that what he had feared most may be true; too much damage was done, the wound ran too deep, to hope for any kind of reconciliation with Kim. Shane took one last swig of the bitter liquid before angrily throwing the glass against the fireplace.
When Kim and Jeannie arrived at the pub, Caroline immediately latched onto Jeannie and whisked her up the stairs to the apartment. She insisted she needed Jeannie's youthful opinion on some clothes she had just bought, leaving Shawn and Kim alone in the pub.
Shawn ushered Kim to one of the smaller tables and poured them each a cup of coffee. Curious, and not one for idle chatter, Shawn immediately brought up Shane. "Kim, I would have thought you and Shane would be out celebrating this movie thing of yours."
"Shane has work to do, Pop."
"Hmm," Shawn replied not believing a word of it. "So what's happening with you and Shane?"
"We're friends. That's all."
Shaking his head, Shawn declared, "That man isn't looking at you like a friend."
"Pop, please. We're just friends, nothing more."
Shawn let out a long sigh. He could tell Kim was not going to open up to him so he decided to take a different tactic. "I read your new book Kimmie. You have a real gift. That book will help so many people," he stated, stretching the word r-e-a-l with his natural Irish brogue. Then choking back emotion, Shawn uttered softly, "I wish there had been a book like that so ... so I could have helped you deal with the abuse. I should have protected you from my brother Eric."
Smiling weakly and with forgiveness in her voice, Kim said, "I know Papa."
"Maybe if I had read a book like yours, I could have helped you or gotten you help, like the kind of help you give people who are abused. Maybe then, this thing wouldn't have stopped you from finding happiness."
Kim reached over and squeezed Shawn's hand for reassurance. "Pop, I'm happy."
Shawn's voice gained strength and with a firm tone he corrected Kim. "Not really. I'm your father and I can see you're not happy. You and Shane belong together."
Eager to change the subject, Kim said dismissively, "You don't know what you're talking about."
"I know he hurt you Kim. But girl, you have to let go of the pain. Isn't that what you preached in that first book of yours, 'to be free of pain, you have to let go of the pain'."
Kim smiled, touched that he could quote her writings. "It's not that simple Papa."
Holding his temper, Shane said, "Yes, it is that simple Kimmie, if you love him. And I know you do."
Kim was about to object but hearing laughter from the staircase, she and Shawn quickly cut short their conversation. "Your daughter has the best taste in clothes," Caroline marveled to Kim as she and Jeannie entered the pub. "She certainly knows how to put a look together." Noticing tension in the room, Caroline looked questioningly from Shawn to Kim. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes, Mama but we've got to go. It's been a long day and I'm beat." After hugs and good-byes, Kim headed out the door with Jeannie, glad to have this day finally over. She sadly chuckled to herself as she thought how this day had started so promising and now ended so discouragingly.