Page 35 of Key West Promises

Chelsea laughed. “Leave it to Kaitlyn to come to three childless women for advice.”

Leah chuckled. “You’ve got a good point there. I guess she gets all our undivided attention because of that. Kaitlyn’s the daughter we never had.”

“Have you called her?" Chelsea asked, though she already knew the answer. None of them had responded to Gretchen's increasingly frequent attempts at contact.

"What would I say? 'Hey sis, remember all those times you talked about honesty and family? Funny story…'" Leah shook her head. "I'm not ready."

Chelsea shrugged. “Well, by now, she’s got to realize that we all know the truth. She’ll be in Key West any day now. You mark my words.”

Chelsea and Leah watched as a delivery truck backed up to Paradise Harbor House. The shelter was coming back to life after yesterday's air conditioning crisis, its routines returning to normal even as their family's foundations shook.

Leah nodded toward the street where Will approached with his camera equipment. "Kaitlyn agreed to let him document some of Paradise Harbor House’s programs today. Elena thinks it'll help with grant applications."

Will waved to them as they watched him set up his tripod, his movements careful and precise. Kaitlyn emerged from the house, and even from the porch, Chelsea could see how her niece's whole demeanor changed around him—softening, opening up.

"He's good for her," Chelsea observed. "Her face lights up when he smiles at her."

"Wouldn’t you if you were her? The guy is gorgeous, and sweet," Tess said, joining them with a plate of Cuban bread from the bakery. “Will gets her. He’s kind and patient with everyone. You should see how he handles the shelter residents—always asking permission, always making sure they're comfortable with being filmed."

Kaitlyn looked more put-together than she had yesterday, though shadows still lingered under her eyes.

"Morning," she said cautiously, her gaze flickering between her aunts. "Will's going to interview Carla today. She finally agreed, as long as we don't show the kids' faces."

"That's huge," Tess said. "She hasn't wanted to talk to anyone about her story."

"I know." Kaitlyn's pride was evident. "She's starting training at Harbor Lights today too. Jamie created a position specifically for her."

Chelsea raised an eyebrow at Tess, noting her sister's slight blush at the restaurant owner's name. Clearly, there were other developments she needed to catch up on.

“Who’s Jamie?” Chelsea asked, staring at Tess, who blushed and walked away.

Leah smiled. “That’s a topic for another day,” she whispered so she didn’t disturb Elena’s phone call.

"Yes, I understand the importance of proper permits," Elena said, her tone professionally pleasant despite the tension in her shoulders. "But surely there's some way to expedite…I see. Yes, thank you anyway."

She hung up, managed a smile, and said, "Good morning, everyone. Will, Carla's ready whenever you are. She's in the garden with the children."

As Will and Kaitlyn headed toward the back of the house, Chelsea found herself drawn to the bulletin board in the common room. It was covered in success stories—photos of women holding apartment keys or job offers, children's artwork, thank-you notes written in various hands. All these lives touched by this place, all these stories of healing and hope.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Elena appeared beside her. "Sometimes I look at this board when funding falls through or bureaucracy gets overwhelming. Reminds me why we keep fighting."

"Is that what the phone call was about? Fighting bureaucracy?"

Elena sighed. "Building permits for some necessary repairs. Everything takes twice as long and costs three times as much as it should. But we'll figure it out. We always do."

Through the window, they could see Will setting up his equipment in the garden. Carla sat on a bench nearby, watching her children play while answering his preliminary questions. Her posture was tense but determined.

"She's come so far," Elena said softly. "When she first arrived, she wouldn't even let us take her photo for our files. Now she's willing to share her story to help others."

In the garden, Dominic was showing Will his collection of toy cars, explaining something with great enthusiasm while his mother looked on with a mixture of pride and protective concern. Christina helped Jack arrange his blocks, her natural caregiving instincts evident even in play.

"Jamie's taking a risk," Elena continued. "Training someone with no restaurant experience, working around school schedules for the kids. But he believes in second chances. She’ll start tonight, and I know everything will work out for her and her family with all of us helping and believing in her."

"Seems to be a lot of that going around," Chelsea observed, thinking of her sisters' own journey of reinvention. “Jamie? Is he a good guy?” she asked, wondering how important he was to Tess.

Elena nodded. “One of the best. Jack’s a good man too. We’re lucky to have such support.”

Inside, the shelter hummed with activity. Women attended job training workshops, worked with counselors, or simply found quiet moments to breathe and plan. Children’s laughter echoed from the playroom where volunteers led activities. It was organized chaos, but chaos with purpose.

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