Page 7 of Drake Eternal

She was too wonderful.

“I hate leaving you and Sophie,” I said, exhaling heavily.

“We’ll be fine. You call Michael right back and tell him you’ll be there as soon as you can pack a bag and catch a flight. I won’t hear of you saying no. I couldn’t live with myself if it was over me.”

“You are amazing.”

She laughed. “I am. You better remember that and treat me like a queen when Sophie and I arrive when I’m done at the paper.”

“I will. Thanks, Kate.”

“You’re welcome. We’ll miss you, but we’ll keep ourselves amused until we can fly there.”

We ended the call, and I called Michael right back.

“Drake,” he said, his voice hesitant. “What was the verdict?”

“I’ll make arrangements and I’ll be there on the first flight out of New York.”

Michael sighed heavily. “I knew I could count on you. Believe me, I hesitated calling. I know you have a busy life there with your two kids and Kate, plus your practice. I was going to ask Franklin in Boston, but you’re the one I trust the most.”

“No, I understand. I have experience there and have just about started a few months leave from NYP. I know the hospital in Nairobi. I’ll check flights and call you back with the details.”

“Thanks, Drake. You don’t know how much weight this takes off my shoulders.”

I ended the call and opened a browser in my laptop and started a search for a flight to Nairobi, Kenya. I saw the airline I preferred, British Airways, with a one-and-a-half-hour stopover in London, and then would arrive the next day in Kenya. It was a Boeing 777, and I couldn’t resist their first-class business suite. The flight left at night, and I would arrive in Kenya the following evening.

After a few clicks, I had my ticket.

I leaned back in my seat and exhaled. I’d miss Kate and Sophie, but we’d be reunited within a few days. A week at most.

Besides, by helping Michael Owiti, to whom I owed so much, I’d get a chance to use my skills in a way that helped innocent children in an emergency.

That would be more than worth the disruption and change in plans.

CHAPTER 3

Istopped and sat on the park bench, watching while Sophie played on the swings. She was doing what I used to when I was her age — lying on her stomach and swinging that way, rather than sitting in the normal position. For some reason, watching the ground moving so quickly beneath you was both exciting and interesting.

She was a lot like me.

I smiled to see her so happy and thought about Drake and his impending flight to Nairobi. When I told her that he would be leaving us for a couple of weeks, she seemed unconcerned.

“He’ll be in Africa?”

“Yes. He’ll be in Africa. When I’m done my article for the paper, we’ll fly there and meet him. Then, we can go see the giraffes. Would you like that?”

Her smile was huge. “Giraffes! Giraffes!”

Seeing actual giraffes made her even happier.

Although Drake and I had made a promise to not ever be separated again, sometimes life threw you a curveball and you had to adjust or regret it. We would be together soon enough. I’d read about the devastating floods in Kenya and how officials were afraid of crop failures and famine, let alone the hundreds of deaths the flooding caused directly. It was an emergency.

I couldn’t say no to Drake’s plan to go and help Michael, knowing that. Besides, Michael had been so good to Drake and me over the years. Drake showed enough concern for me to ask, and I hope he knew that I would say yes.

We spent the morning in the park, and then came home just as Drake was arriving home as well, his limo driving up to the front entrance of the building.

“You’re home early,” I said and kissed him as we walked towards the doors.

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