Page 63 of Key West Promises

"Oh, honey." Gretchen moved to sit beside her daughter on the steps. "You already are. I saw you last night at the fundraiser. I saw how you talked to those donors, how you made them understand why Paradise Harbor House matters. But more than that, I've seen how you are with the women and children there. You don't just help them—you see them. You make them feel worthy of being seen."

Her mother turned to her fully. "The question isn't whether this fits the plan you made months or years ago. The question is—does this make you happy? Does it make you feel like you're making a difference?"

Kaitlyn swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yeah. It does."

Gretchen smiled, the porch light catching the moisture in her own eyes. "Then maybe that's all that matters."

They sat in silence for a moment, listening to Ernest scratch at the ground nearby, before Kaitlyn murmured, "Would you be disappointed if I stayed?"

Gretchen reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. "Honey, I will never be disappointed in you following your heart." She wrapped an arm around Kaitlyn's shoulders. "Besides, Key West isn't so far from Captiva. And something tells me you won't be alone here."

Kaitlyn thought of Will, of Tess and Leah, of Elena and all the people at Paradise Harbor House. She thought of the way this place had started to feel like home when she wasn't looking.

“Honey, I hate to add one more thing to your plate, but I’ve just gotten off the phone with your father. Apparently, they’re not coming to Key West after all.”

“What? Why not?”

“He said something about visiting colleges this summer and it would be too much for them to come down here right now.”

Kaitlyn hung her head and stared at the floor. “So, I won’t get to see Dad.”

It was the first time she’d openly voiced her disappointment in not seeing her father and it was painful. It was the kind of pain she’d stuffed down deep inside, not allowing her feelings to surface. She suddenly felt like a little girl again. The sadness enveloped her, and she let the tears fall.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” Gretchen said, wrapping her arms around Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn let out a slow breath, leaning into her mother's embrace.

“Why doesn’t he love me?”

The small tears turned into deep sobbing and Gretchen’s heart broke into a million pieces. She and Jeffrey had made such a mess of things that it all had come to bear in this moment between her and her child.

Kaitlyn had shown herself to be such a strong and capable woman, that Gretchen let herself forget that her daughter was still a child, one who was broken and lost.

Kaitlyn had gravitated to a position at Paradise Harbor House because of an empathy that had long developed from personal experience. Gretchen finally saw her daughter with a mother’s eyes, and a woman’s heart, and she vowed to make things right.

They stayed in that position for several minutes before Kaitlyn pulled back and wiped her eyes.

“Dad doesn’t know what he’s missing, not seeing me.”

Gretchen smiled and pushed hair from her daughter’s face, now wet with sweat and tears. “No, he doesn’t.”

CHAPTER 25

Chelsea sat at the kitchen table, laptop open to check her email. Ernest strutted past the window, pausing to eye the scene with his usual literary scrutiny, as if sensing the drama about to unfold.

Gretchen filled her suitcase with a few souvenirs from her stay in Key West as she continued packing for her trip back to Captiva. She sorted through the clothes she'd brought to Key West, when her phone rang.

The name on the screen made Gretchen's heart stop: Jeffrey.

"Jeffrey?" Her voice came out steadier than she felt. Chelsea's head snapped up at the name.

"Gretchen." His voice was tight with panic. "Sarah's gone. She left a note—she's driving to Key West to meet Kaitlyn."

"What do you mean she's gone?" Gretchen gripped the phone tighter, sinking into a kitchen chair. "How could you let this happen?"

"Let this happen? She snuck out, Gretchen! She left a note and took off in her car."

"This is exactly what I warned you about!" Gretchen's voice rose. "When she first asked to come meet Kaitlyn, I told you how much it meant to both Sarah and Kaitlyn. But no—your wife decided it wasn't a good idea, and you, as usual, went along with whatever she wanted!"

---