Child of Mine (42 page)

Nattie tugged on her dad's shirt. “Dad, this is where you're supposed to kiss the girl. Like now.”

And he did. Right there in the middle of the same airport Kelly had flown out of for years, surrounded by strangers, he took her into his arms and kissed her not once, but twice.

“So . . . we washed Billy Bob,” Jack said, touching her elbow.

“And
waxed
her,” Nattie chimed in, linking her arm through Kelly's. “Just for you.”

Kelly laughed. “So where are you two taking me?”

“Where do you think?” Nattie asked. “Home, of course.”

Home,
Kelly thought, trying not to cry. “Do I ever love the sound of that.”

T
here were times over the next few months when Jack found himself staring at Kelly across the room—fixing burritos in the kitchen for the three of them while she listened to Nattie, who had a never-ending cache of stories from school; tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, though the hair rarely stayed where she'd put it; humorously wrinkling her nose at something Nattie said and catching his gaze before she erupted into laughter—and he shuddered at how close he'd come to losing her forever.

In February, he took Kelly to the setting of their first date, the Wooster Country Club, and to commemorate they ordered the same things they'd ordered the first time: Jack, the filet mignon, and Kelly, the salmon. After the entrée, Jack went down on one knee, removed the diamond ring from his pocket, and proposed.

Putting her hand to her chest, a tearful Kelly said yes and was thrilled to discover Nattie peeking around the corner, Chet and Eloise arm in arm just behind her. Kelly squealed with delight, Nattie rushed in to hug her mother-to-be, and Jack watched his two girls with glowing pride.

Nattie oohed and aahed over the sparkling engagement ring,
then joined them at their table, with Chet and Eloise settling down nearby. They celebrated with—what else?—ice cream, the only change to their original orders. With matching dabs of whipped cream on their noses, Kelly asked Nattie to be her flower girl, and Nattie giggled her yes. “I thought you'd never ask!”

In June, San made a special trip for the wedding to fulfill her role as one of Kelly's bridesmaids, as did Melody, Kelly's matron of honor. Chet and Eloise, who'd become regular visitors to Wooster, made the trip, as well. A small group of friends, family, and coworkers witnessed the ceremony at Jack's church. Afterwards Melody hugged Jack. “You have no idea how lucky you are!”

Megan's parents sent a gift—a silver tea set, along with a silk-covered memory book. Inside, Michelle had written,
“
Marriage and motherhood, both miracles to be cherished,”
and Megan had also signed her name in her little-girl handwriting. Kelly hoped that one day when the time was right,
both
of her daughters could meet.

The next week, while San caught up on girl time with Nattie, Jack and Kelly flew his Cessna 182 to a cottage on the water in Mystic, Connecticut, where they strolled the beach at midnight and dreamed of their future together.

Soon after they'd settled in to family life, Kelly asked Jack what he would have done if she'd stayed in Chicago. He'd smiled sheepishly, taking her by the hand and leading her to his office. He pulled out his drawer and reached in, removing an envelope. Inside was an expensive plane ticket to Chicago.

“I already knew where to find you,” Jack said, smiling. “Chet was a very helpful man.”

Kelly laughed. “And when you found me, what then?”

Jack shrugged. “I hadn't gotten that far.”

Kelly's eyes sparkled with amusement. “You spent a lot of money on a ticket you didn't use.”

“Worth every penny.”

Kelly waved the ticket. “Can I have this?”

“What for?”

“Our memory book.”

In August, Jack flew Nattie and Kelly to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and they stayed in Bird-in-Hand, close to the restaurant where Laura now worked.

They'd arranged, along with a little conspiratorial help from the management staff, to be seated at her table when she came over to wait on them. Laura was yards away, in fact, when she spotted them. Nattie sprang from her seat and flew into Laura's arms, and together the two of them stood in the middle of the restaurant talking in Pennsylvania Dutch, hugging and weeping for joy.

Management gave Laura an hour off, and she joined them for dinner. They talked about the past, and the present. Laura and Jonathan had married and were living in his home, taking care of Becca Lynn, and the way Laura told the tender story gave Jack shivers.

“If you hadn't seen Jonathan's market picture, who knows what might've happened,” Laura said softly, amazement in her voice. She still hadn't taken the church vow, however, and although her mother and father had warmed up to them, things were still strained. After all, they were still under the
Bann
, and in fact, Laura confided, “I guess I'm fancier than I thought. I couldn't part with my car or electricity.”

Nattie was all over that. “I told you!”

“
Ach
, you did,” Laura said and blushed.

“Come back to us!” Nattie pleaded.

Laura glanced toward Kelly and smiled demurely. “That might not be a good idea.”

Nattie spoke up. “Why not?”

Laura shrugged, embarrassed, and Kelly put a hand on her arm.
“Laura, you're always welcome in our home. You were part of Nattie's life for many years, and she misses you.”

Tears glistened in Laura's eyes, and she brushed them away. “I'm forever grateful, to all of ya, for everything.” She smiled and then blushed. “While we'd love to come visit, I'll soon have my own family to care for.” When realization dawned, congratulations echoed all around the table, and Nattie's eyes grew saucer sized with excitement.

Later in the meal, Kelly and Nattie left the table for the restroom, leaving Jack alone with Laura.

“So what is it like to be back in Lancaster?”

She looked out the window at the parking lot and the farmland beyond. “I missed this place, but you know . . . sometimes you really can't go home again.”

“Are you happy, Laura?”

A humorous glint shone in her face. “I am, Jack. I have my dear Jonathan, and you to thank for it.”

Jack chuckled. “It was Kelly who got the whole thing started.”

“Jah,”
Laura whispered. “Thank God for Kelly.”

Nattie was ten when she started fifth grade and—as San might have said—ready to put childish things behind her. Her DVD tower of favorites had long since fallen into disuse. “I've
seen
them all,” she complained.

Finding Nemo
was now for babies, and Nattie rarely created favorites lists anymore. Pop-Tarts wouldn't have even made the top ten, and she preferred swimming to swinging, but she wasn't too old to be tucked in by her favorite dad and her favorite mom—although she hadn't handed Jack a stuffed animal in over a year.

“You have a
real
person now,” she informed Jack, pointing at Kelly. “You don't need a stuffed animal.” And at that, he agreed.

Jack heard a soft meowing behind him, and Nattie leaned up, tapping her mattress. “Come on, Felix!”

Felix sprang up onto Nattie's bed, and Nattie swallowed Kelly's cat into a giant hug. Felix soaked it up, purring magnificently.

They prayed together, thanking God for His many blessings and submitting new requests, usually for Laura's family situation and for Nattie's teachers to be nicer, and sometimes for God to convince Dad that she
really
needed a cell phone.

“We'd lose you for sure,” Jack said one night, after they'd finished their prayers.

Nattie turned her pleading eyes to Kelly. “What do
you
think, Mom?”

Amused, Kelly glanced at Jack. “I think she's getting the knack of having two parents!”

“Didn't take long,” Jack agreed.

Kelly leaned over and kissed Nattie on the cheek and whispered, “I'll work on him.”

“Thank you!”

Jack laughed. “I heard that.”

Standing, Kelly tugged at Jack's shirt collar. “C'mon, my love. Time for bed.”

“Eww!” Nattie whined, putting her hands on her ears but grinning all the same.

Kelly and Jack retired to their room, now fully feminized, with new drapes at the windows, soft lighting, and a picture of both his father and his mother framed on the wall.

One cool fall evening, while holding each other and recounting their day, Kelly casually asked Jack when he thought Nattie might be ready for the truth.

Jack considered this and asked for her opinion.

“Well . . .” Kelly began tentatively. “Maybe when Nattie starts asking again, but only after San gives permission.”

That made sense to Jack, and after another minute or two, he whispered, “San gave up a lot for Nattie's sake.”

“She did,” Kelly agreed. “But that's what mothers do.”

Jack nodded in the darkness. “I love you, Mrs. Livingston.”

Kelly snuggled into his arm contentedly. “I love you more, Mr. Livingston.”

Jack kissed her nose. “Care to wager on that?”

“How much are you prepared to lose?”

Jack paused. “Hmm. Perhaps I might reconsider.”

Kelly laughed softly. “Perhaps you should.”

He kissed her, and she kissed him back. Jack snuggled her in closer, and she murmured approvingly. They listened to the night sounds for a while before Jack broke the stillness. “What do you think is in our future?”

“Hmm,” Kelly considered. “I think our future is like an empty table . . . about to be filled with the most delectable of foods.”

Moments later, they heard a knocking against the door.

Jack called, but Nattie didn't come in.

“Is it safe?” she asked cautiously.

Kelly laughed. “It's safe, honey.”

Nattie peeked her head in. “I can't sleep. I'm going downstairs for ice cream. You guys want some?”

Jack shook his head in disbelief. “Excuse me?”

“It's Saturday night.”

“So?”

“Actually . . .” Kelly began, pulling off the covers. “I have a hankering for something chocolatey.”

Nattie jumped on the bed, springing up and down. “That's what
I'm
talking about!”

Kelly was already up, putting on her robe. She looked over at her husband. “C'mon, sleepyhead.”

Nattie and Kelly were already gone by the time Jack put on his robe. He could hear giggling downstairs, the opening and shutting of the freezer, the clinking of silverware.

“Da-ad! C'mon!”

He turned on the dresser lamp and gazed at his mother's picture on the wall, tracing the outline of her face, recognizing Nattie's eyes shining back at him.

Jack smiled, warmth filling his heart. He turned off the light and headed downstairs to fill up on ice cream with his girls.