Page 9 of Double or Nothing

After everything that’s been going on lately and how stressed and exhausted Kat is, I devised a plan. It’s not much as far as plans go, but it requires preparations to be made in order to pull it off, so to me, it’s a plan.

“You know as well as I do that nothing can get Kat to relax,” Liz says.

She’s right. Kat is high-strung on a good day. Everything going on with her mom has only made it worsen exponentially. I wish I could take some of the worry from her, lessen her burden in some way but I know that I can’t. What I can do is be by her side. Offer her one night to cut loose and enjoy herself. To help her forget, if even for a moment, that she is still very much alive and there is a whole world out there for her to experience.

As much as I love her, I know she’s forgotten that. Yes, she goes to school and comes to my shows, but Christ, the girl spends every other waking moment taking care of her mother. Something I know Mrs. Keller hates but allows because she knows it’s what Kat needs in order to process all of this.

When I approached Mrs. Keller about tonight’s surprise, she was elated. So much that she sprung for the hotel suite rather than the room I booked for us.

Now comes the hard part of convincing Kat. And getting her to relax.

“But,” Liz continues, “we’ve put everything in place that we can to make her feel at ease. My mom is super excited to help out and hang with Mrs. Keller.”

I don’t think Kat’s been away for a whole night since her mom got sick. Even before she began to deteriorate.

Scrubbing my hands over my face, I begin to pace the room. “You’re sure?”

Liz grabs my shoulders. Her five-foot nothing body stopping me in my tracks. “I love that you want this to be perfect for her. And it will be, but I think you’re the one that needs to relax.”

Sure. Relax. Sounds easy enough. Maybe that would be an option if Kat weren’t one of the most stubborn, pigheaded persons that I know. There is every chance in the world that this blows up in my face and she just flat out refuses to go.

“There is no way that girl can say no to you.”

I hope to God that she’s right.

***

When I show up at Kat’s door, Liz’s mom is already there. I see her and Mrs. Keller sitting on the couch, talking and laughing.

“Sutton,” Kat exclaims. “What are you doing here?”

I told her I had to work tonight at the shitty part-time pizza delivery job I have. I didn’t like lying to her, but if I hadn’t, she would have invited me over. And she already knows I would never turn her down.

“I’m here to whisk you away for the night,” I reply, a shit-eating grin on my face.

“What? Where?” Immediate excitement tempers by the realization of what my words mean. For the night. The entire night. Her shoulders slump as she sighs. “You know I can’t.”

“Oh, yes, you can,” Mrs. Keller says from behind her.

“Mom…”

“Don’t mom me. Patricia is here and we are having a great time. She’s going to stay with me tonight and you… you are going to go out with your boyfriend and your friends, and you’re going to have fun.”

“But…”

“No buts, no arguments. Grab your bag and go. Now,” her mother directs her.

“What bag?” Kat asks.

“The one I packed for you,” her mom says with a smile.

Kat’s eyes drop to the overnight bag by the door, then flash back up to her mother. “How?”

“None of your business. I am still your mother, little girl. Now, do as I say and go have fun.”

Kat runs to her mother and gives her a hug and kiss before grabbing the bag and heading out the door.

“I’m nervous,” she admits once we’re out of the house.

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