Authors: Louise Behiel
She searched the woman’s face for a sign, any sign, as she nodded. “Come this way. The doctor will see you now.”
Motioning to Bonnie to keep an eye on the kids she walked down the long, dark hall to a row of curtained cubicles. The nurse pulled one aside. “Right this way.”
She brushed his matted hair aside as she searched his gray face. His usually tanned arms and hands were resting on top of the sheet. They looked washed out and pale.
“Gray?”
His eyes flickered open as she neared the bed. A weak smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “Andie. You’re here. Are the kids okay?”
She nodded as she took his hand. His cold hand.
“Oh Gray,” she spluttered as tears broke free.
“Sshh, it’s okay sweetheart,” he slurred. “It’s going to be fine.” His eyes closed and his hand went slack.
“Mrs. Mills?”
“I’m Ms. Bowen, Gray’s fiancée,” Andie explained without shifting her gaze.
“Mr. Mills is going to need some surgery.”
Her heart stopped and she whipped her head around. “Why?”
“Come outside and I’ll explain.” He held the curtain aside for her and led the way to a small station. “The bullet went into his leg, and didn’t come out. We’ve stopped the bleeding but the bullet’s resting pretty close to the femur.”
He flipped on the light of the view box and pointed to an x-ray. “Here’s what I mean. We can’t leave it.” He outlined the cylindrical bone and the bullet. As she realized this was Gray’s leg, nausea almost overtook her. She fought for control then took another look.
Even to her untrained eye, the bullet seemed awfully deep in his thigh, almost resting against the bone.
“He’s lost a lot of blood, but he’s a big strong guy. I’m sure he’ll be fine.” The doctor snapped off the light. “Nothing to worry about.”
“Andie? My God what happened?”
Dina ran through the waiting room and grabbed her in a hug. “Bonnie called me. How’s Gray?”
“They’ve taken him to surgery. Apparently the bullet didn’t come out, so ....” She shuddered as she thought of them cutting into his flesh.
“Is he going to be okay?” Bonnie asked tremulously.
“Oh honey, he’ll be fine.” Andie took her daughter in a big hug. “None of this is your fault, okay?” She looked down at the beautiful daughter who had shared her life for so long. She shook her lightly. “Okay?”
Bonnie’s nodded slowly but at least she agreed. They could deal with the ramifications of all this after Gray was out of surgery.
Dina put an arm around her waist. “Let’s go get a coffee while we wait.”
“I don’t want to leave,” she replied looking over her shoulder. “In case there’s any news.”
“I asked when I came by the nurse’s station. He’s going to be at least another hour. We won’t be that long. A hot coffee will perk you up while you tell me what happened.” She turned to the children. “Come on, let’s get something to eat.”
The coffee shop in the hospital was bright and sunny and a short walk from emergency. Dina chattered while she poured coffee and cold drinks. She helped the little ones choose and waited while Billy placed his order.
Lifting the tray Dina nodded to tables by the window. “Let’s sit there,” and led the way. She organized the little kids at one table and set the three of them at the other.
“Okay, tell me what happened.”
“Right after we moved, I was at work one night and who walked by but my mother.” Bonnie took a sip of her cola. “She played it cool but waited for me after my shift.” Bonnie shuddered. “With Sean.”
“They’d re-connected a few years ago and were hanging together, I guess.”
Andie took Bonnie’s hand in hers.
“I felt so embarrassed. They’re such bottom feeders and I hated knowing they were relatives of mine.”
“Perfectly understandable. Who would feel any different?” Dina’s blunt assessment of the situation brought the ghost of a smile to Bonnie’s lips.
“They wanted money, but I didn’t have much, so they told me to get it from you or they would.”
She fiddled with her glass. “I didn’t meet them like they wanted and then the brick came through the window.” She looked up. “You have no idea how hard I prayed after that. My family was the very thing the neighbors were so afraid of.”
Andie squeezed the teen’s hand. “They were wrong. We haven’t seen hide nor hair of your mother for five years. It was a fluke she saw you at the mall.”
“She worked there – as part of the cleaning crew.”
“Do you have any idea why the note was on the brick?
“Oh
God, that’s my fault too.” She started crying, the tears flowing from already red eyes.
“When she said she would start coming around to bother you, I remembered about the petition and I was scared about the trouble she’d cause. So I told her I’d try to get her some money. She wanted to know why I’d changed my mind so quick so I told her about the neighbors.” She shuddered.
“I felt sorry for her, you know?” She looked beseechingly at Andie. “I thought if she realized we’re an ordinary family with problems of our own, she’d leave us alone. I mean she had to know you don’t have hordes of money.”
“To Sean and your mother, we probably seem to have lots. We live in a nice house and drive a relatively new vehicle. Compared to their life, ours is pretty good.”
“But theirs could be as good. Sean could get a job. Or go to school and get an education.” She broke down sobbing. “That won’t happen now, will it? My mother will disappear again and he’s going to prison.”
Andie rubbed the back of her neck. She wasn’t going to make any guesses about the future for Bonnie’s mother or her half-brother. It sounded as if the woman had sunk pretty far into her addiction. “That’s very likely. He committed a crime in front of lots of witnesses. Shot a man.”
Bonnie looked up through bleary eyes. “Gray will never forgive me.”
“I doubt he’ll blame you at all.”
“I agree with my little sister on that call.” Dina took Bonnie’s other hand. “If you doubt it, maybe you should talk to him.”
Andie looked at her watch and jumped up. “I’ve got to get back. Gray should be coming out of surgery any minute.”
Dina rose. “Come on kids, I think we can find a playground if we look hard enough.”
The four of them trouped out of the sliding doors and turned right. Dina would entertain the younger kids while she and Bonnie waited for news of Gray’s condition.
“I’m fine, would you quit worrying?” Gray pulled Andie close and quickly kissed her. “Come sit with me. It’s boring lying here alone.”
“I don’t think you’ve been alone for five minutes since we brought you home.” She shot a meaningful glance at the roomful of children. “But you insisted on laying out here.”
The doorbell rang, interrupting her. As she rose, she admonished Billy, Chloe and Jamie, “Gray is supposed to be resting. You have to be quiet and let him sleep.” From the giggles following her out of the room, she assumed they didn’t agree with her.
“He asked us to come in, Andie.”
She never had to worry about Chloe straightening facts out.
When she pulled open the door two elderly people stood on the step. “Yes?”
The gentleman extended his hand. “We’re Mr. and Mrs. Mills, Gray’s parents. I wondered if my son might be here.”
Andie looked over her shoulder at the silent living room. Gray struggled to sit up. He nodded as he straightened the blanket around his legs. “Let them in.”
“Of course. Come in.” Andie stepped back and made room for them to come into the hall, then indicated the front room. “Right this way.”
“Hello Ma. Hi Pops.” His face was a study in neutrality. “Pops you didn’t have a chance to meet my fiancée, Andie Bowen. Sweetheart these are my folks Ida and Jim Mills.” He took her hand, pulling her down beside him. There wouldn’t be any confusion about their relationship or what they meant to each other.
“Hello - .” His mother spoke to Andie while studying his face. “What’s happened, son? Are you ill?”
“I had a bit of an accident.”
His mother’s gaze raked up and down him. “When?”
“Last week.” He sighed. “Nothing too serious, Ma. We had a prowler who managed to get off a shot before I took him down.”
“A prowler? Shot. You mean he had a gun?” Ida Mills’ voice rose louder and louder.
“Nothing serious. The bullet nicked me. And then the police arrived. It didn’t even make a big splash in the news.” Mostly because Bonnie’s still a minor, although he wasn’t going to say anything about that particular little detail.
She fisted her hand to her heart. “My God you could have been killed.”
He hoped she didn’t get carried away. He finally understood her over-protectiveness but it had been difficult in his teen years and he certainly didn’t need it as an adult. Especially now that he knew the truth.
“Ida, the boy’s okay. Relax a bit.” As always, Pop’s voice carried the gentle tones of reason.
Ma drew a shuddery breath. “Maybe we should come back another time, when you’re feeling better.”
“Since you came all this way, and I know you don’t like to travel, Ma, you’d better tell me why you’re here.”
He watched them both, his fingers laced with Andie’s for strength. He hoped Ma had finally decided to explain and help him understand why she’d snatched him. He needed to hear it from her, if he was ever going to come to terms with what she did.
His mother settled into the armchair across from the sofa. “Your papa...Pops...my husband...he feels I have to explain to you what happened and why I did what I did.”
“Why did you? How do you feel?”
Silent for a moment, her eyes blazed defiance, but then they softened. “Grateful you’re alive. Proud of who you are. Amazed at your strength of character.”
Gray was surprised. He’d expected her to go into a tirade, but he appreciated this softer, gentler woman. This was a different side to her than he’d seen before. He didn’t know what to feel or think, since she’d ever come close to expressing this kind of sentiment.
She took a deep breath. “It was like your Papa told you. We knew your family from church. They were a poor family, struggling to make ends meet.”
“Decent, hard working folks.” Pops voice chimed in.
Searching his eyes, she continued. “I hope you understand. I wanted children. Lots and lots of children. I loved them. Always had. When I couldn’t...when your Papa and I couldn’t have a baby of our own I became obsessed. I couldn’t think about anything else.”
He couldn’t imagine his cold, formal mother out of control about anything.
“It scared me sometimes, to want something so bad and know I could never have it.” She looked up and away as if remembering a difficult time.
She had demolished the tissue in her hand, tearing it into small strips, one piece at a time.
Looking at him, she seemed to shake off the memories. “I’d seen you at church. You were such a cute little boy. So much like the boy in my fantasies. Active and bright and full of smiles.”
“But then your papa’s term in the Seattle office ended and we had to come home. I knew I’d never see you again, and it broke my heart. So I decided to go back one more time and catch a glimpse of you. One little look while your father finished up his duties at the office.”
Andie passed her the box of tissues when she’d finished shredding the one in her hand.
“I knew it was wrong. All the while we were driving home, I knew I shouldn’t. That I’d have to give you back. But I couldn’t seem to stop myself. You were asleep on the floor of the car and I picked up Jim and we left.”
The room fell silent as she struggled to bring herself under control.
“Before I knew it, we were back in Canada. I’d become a kidnapper who’d made my loving husband an accomplice to an international crime.”
She straightened her back. “Taking you was wrong. Terribly wrong. I have always known it. But rash deeds have long lines of accountability and I didn’t know how to change them.”
“Your Papa wanted to take you back. I refused. The thought of jail terrified me. I knew he’d go to prison as well and I couldn’t stand that.”
She took a deep breath and blew it out. “So I convinced him. I begged and I pleaded and I cried. I told him how much better off you’d be with us. How you’d forget and they’d forget and life would continue for all of us. And you’d have a better life and we’d be a family and who would it hurt in the long run?”
She shook her head and dropped it to her chin. “I was so wrong. Your mother must have grieved for you all these years.”
“How do you know that?” Gray asked, concerned she’d contacted his other family.
“Because these last few weeks have been awful. I didn’t think I would survive. Wasn’t sure I wanted to.” She took another deep breath. “For the first time ever, I know what your other family experienced and I’m the cause of all their pain.”
Gray nodded. He had never seen his mother like this and it bothered him. She’d always been forceful and direct. Today she looked beaten and old. As if her strength has been completely sapped.