Kim knocked lightly on the door to Steve and Kayla's apartment. With Shane gone, most likely doing something dangerous, she had decided to pay her sister a visit. She had a sneaking suspicion that Kayla might need some company as well.
After a few moments, the door opened and Kayla smiled in surprise. "Kim! What are you doing here?"
Kim returned the smile and walked into the apartment as Kayla held the door then closed it behind them. "Well, I didn't feel like rambling around that big, empty house by myself tonight, so I thought I'd come bug my baby sister."
"I'm glad you did," Kayla said, hugging Kim.
Stephanie was sitting on the living room floor, playing with her toys. She smiled up at Kim and pointed saying something that sounded close to "Aunt Kim." Kim smiled at her niece, leaned down, and kissed Stephanie's cheek.
"I can't believe how big she's getting," Kim said as she stood back up. Then she looked around. "I take it Steve's not here?"
Kayla shook her head. "I was hoping he was at your house, but obviously that's not the case."
"He didn't tell you where he was going?" Kim asked, surprised. She took off her coat and hung it on the coat rack by the door.
"I didn't talk to him." Kayla walked to the couch and sat down. "I had to go to the hospital for a few hours this afternoon to take care of some paperwork. Steve called and left a message for me there. He said he had to go meet with Shane and John, and he didn't know what time he would be home."
Kim followed Kayla to the couch and sat down beside her. "When I got home, Shane and John were there, but I never saw Steve. Then they left in a hurry after Shane got a phone call."
Kayla sighed. "What do you want to bet the call was from Steve?"
"I'm sure you're right," Kim agreed. "Which means the men we love are off doing something we probably don't want to know about."
"And that something probably has everything to do with Lawrence Alamain." Kayla finished Kim's thought. "You don't know how much I wish I had never heard that name."
"Oh, I think I do," Kim countered. "It's exactly as much as I wish the same thing."
Kayla looked at Stephanie playing for a moment. "Look at that little girl. She doesn't have a care in the world. I don't remember the last time I felt that way."
Kim couldn't disagree with her sister. But she had to believe that they would all find that peace again someday. "Come on, Kay," she finally said. "You were always the optimistic one in the family. We'll get through this challenge just like we've gotten through all of them."
Kayla looked at Kim curiously. "You really believe that, don't you?"
Kim offered a wan smile. "I don't have any choice. I finally got my family back together. . . . I have to believe it's not going to be split up again."
"I wish I could find that faith. It's just so hard to sit here and wonder what might be happening with Steve . . . and Shane and John, too."
Kim chuckled quietly. "I remember a time not that long ago that neither one of us would have been waiting to find out. We'd have been out there looking for them." She looked at Kayla. "What happened to those Brady sisters?"
Kim returned the chuckle and pointed at the Stephanie playing on the living room floor. "That's what happened. We got married and had kids."
"It does change things, doesn't it?"
"It changes everything." Kayla leaned back on the couch, seemingly lost in thought. "After we thought Steve died, I was so consumed with anger - and a desire to see Alamain pay - that I lost sight of my real responsibility."
"What do you mean, Kay?"
Kayla looked down for a moment before answering. "When Shane figured out that Lawrence was behind Steve's death, I insisted on going to Lawrence's country with him. I left my baby girl here and traveled halfway around the world. I was determined to see Lawrence pay for what he had done."
"You were hurt and angry, just as you had every right to be," Kim said. "Anybody would have done the same thing."
"Maybe. . . ." Kayla shrugged. "But all I got for my efforts was to find myself trapped in caved in tunnels under Alamain's house. And when we were down there, wondering when or if we would get out, I realized what a fool I'd been." Kayla looked at Stephanie again. "I could have been killed and that would have left my baby girl without her father and without her mother. As much as I wanted to see Lawrence pay, Stephanie should have been my priority."
Kim leaned over and put her arm around Kayla's shoulders. "I think you're being a little hard on yourself. . . . We're all just human. You didn't know what kind of danger might be lurking in Alamain's country." Kim thought about her own past. "Lord knows, I've taken some chances that could have ended badly. But it doesn't mean I wasn't thinking of my children."
"Of course not," Kayla said quickly. "I didn't mean that." She sighed. "I guess I'm just realizing that it was a lot easier to go running off on adventures before. Not just because of being a mother, but because I never really believed anything bad would happen back then."
"And now?" Kim asked.
"And now, after losing Steve for all those months, I know it can." Kayla took a deep breath. "It's not that I was never afraid before. But it's so different now."
"I do know what you mean," Kim said quietly. It was hard not to picture that airplane hangar and Shane struggling to breathe after being shot. She forced the image away. "But all we can do is 'have a little faith' just like Mama always said."
Kayla nodded. "I think Ma also used to say something about ice cream helping during a crisis. How about we share some?"
Kim laughed. "That sounds perfect."
Kayla stood up and then seemed to stagger slightly, grabbing the arm of the couch.
"Are you okay, Kay?" Kim quickly moved to Kayla's side.
Kayla nodded and took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just got a little dizzy for a moment." After a few more seconds, Kayla smiled and headed for the kitchen to get the ice cream.
Kim watched her sister carefully. She was sure there was more going on than Kayla was letting on - and Kim fully intended on finding out exactly what it was.