Page 54 of Key West Promises

After Melanie and Hailee left, Kaitlyn and Gretchen remained on the bench in the courtyard.

"That was beautiful," Gretchen said softly. "The way you handled the interview. You knew exactly how to make her feel comfortable, how to let her story unfold naturally."

"Thanks, Mom. I appreciate it."

"Kaitlyn…" Gretchen's voice caught. "I owe you an apology. A real one."

"Mom—"

"Please. Let me say this." Gretchen turned to face her daughter fully. "I was so busy trying to protect you that I forgot to listen to you. To see you. I thought if I could just control everything, keep all the messy parts of life away from you…" She shook her head. "I became exactly what I swore I never would."

"Like Grandma," Kaitlyn said quietly.

"Yes. Making choices for everyone, thinking I knew best." Her voice trembled. "I'm so sorry, honey. For all of it."

“I’ve spoken with your father, and it looks like he and Sarah will come to Key West right after the fundraiser. How do you feel about that?”

Kaitlyn nodded. “I think I’m ready, or at least I will be after all this is done. I think I felt a bit overwhelmed with everything happening at the same time.”

Kaitlyn was quiet for a moment and then sighed. "Mom, do you know what hearing Melanie’s story made me realize? How incredibly strong you were. Going through the divorce, dealing with Dad's betrayal, raising me alone, and you never let me see how much you were hurting."

"That was my job as your mother."

"No," Kaitlyn interrupted gently. "That was you trying to carry everything alone. And I didn't help, did I? Running around focused on my social media perfect life, never seeing what it cost you to maintain the facade of everything being okay."

"You were being a teenager," Gretchen said softly. "That was your job, by the way."

"I was old enough to see that you were struggling. I just didn't want to." Kaitlyn's voice caught. "It was easier to be angry, to blame you for Dad leaving. I'm so sorry, Mom. For not understanding how hard it all was. For not being there for you the way you were always there for me."

"Oh honey." Gretchen reached over, taking her daughter's hands. "You were dealing with your own pain. Your father left both of us."

"But I made everything about me." Kaitlyn's voice cracked. "After high school, I refused to go to college, ran away to Aunt Chelsea on Captiva instead. Even when you came to live with Aunt Tess and Aunt Leah last year—I barely called. I was so wrapped up in my own life, my own drama." She squeezed her mother's hands. "You were so brave, Mom. Trying to save your marriage even after you knew about Joanna. Trying to keep our family together."

"Not brave." Gretchen shook her head. "Terrified. Of losing everything. Of failing you."

"But you didn't fail me, Mom. You protected me the only way you knew how." Kaitlyn's voice softened. "I understand that now, working here. Sometimes people make choices out of fear, out of love, out of desperation—and they're all tangled up together. I think you and I aren’t that different after all."

“How do you mean?”

“The passion you had to keep our family together is the same passion that’s inside me. I think it’s why it’s so important for me to meet Sarah. She’s my sister and I want to be in her life and share my life with her.”

"When did you get so wise?"

Kaitlyn shrugged, tears glistening in her eyes. "I'm not so wise, but I'm starting to understand the choices women have to make in the name of love. I hope I'm half the woman you are in my life."

Gretchen watched her daughter, feeling the weight of all they'd been through. Though she hated what Jeffrey had put them through, she was grateful for the struggle that had brought her daughter back to her—not just as her little girl, but as a grown woman with an incredible heart.

Whatever the future held, their relationship had evolved into something deeper: a friendship built on understanding and truth.

CHAPTER 22

Inside the community room at Paradise Harbor House, Elena, Kaitlyn, and Will sat around a table, reviewing the footage from the interviews earlier in the day.

“That was amazing,” Kaitlyn said as the last clip played. “Melanie told her story so beautifully. It felt real, honest.”

“She did great,” Will agreed, clicking through his editing software. “I’ll clean up the audio and add some soft background music, but the footage is solid. We’ll have it ready before the fundraiser tomorrow.”

Elena leaned back, nodding in satisfaction. “This is exactly what we needed. The community needs to see the heart behind Paradise Harbor House, not just statistics. Real stories connect people.”

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