Gone.
Gone.

Gone.

She could be gone.

No!

She wasn’t going anywhere.

She was strong.

She was a fighter.

She was stubborn.

She was her daughter and she was too young to die.
 

Tears fell from Grace Bennett’s eyes as she sat alone in the hospital chapel. It was dark and quite in the room, but Grace could hear the sound of her own heart beating quickly. She could see her hands shaking and she could feel the regret seep into her soul.

For years the relationship between her and her daughter had been rocky. At first she had chose to blame it on teenage rebellion. When Charity came into their lives, it was just simple jealousy. Now however as Grace Bennett waited for news on her daughter and her grandchild she knew she was as much to blame as Kay.

As she closed her eyes she could see the times she had pushed her daughter away. Days when Kay had tried to make things right with her only for her to pick Charity one more time.

It hadn’t started out as anything Grace reasoned. She was simply trying to be there for her niece. When she looked at Charity she saw a fragile girl who needed her. That had been her biggest mistake. Kay was just as fragile and needed as much as Charity did. Kay’s only problem was being too stubborn to admit it.

“Please don’t let my baby die.” Grace whispered. “Let her live to raise her baby.” Her voice cried out. “I love her, I love her so much.”

“Aunt Grace.” A weak voice whispered.

“Go away.” Grace called out. “Please Charity, just let me pray.”

“Yes ma’am I understand.” The voice spoke as the chapel door slowly shut once more.

Grace closed her eyes. She hadn’t meant to speak so harshly to Charity, but it just came out. She only wanted to be alone to reflect on where she went wrong. She had to figure out why her daughter had spun out of control. In her heart Grace knew, she knew that Kay was special. She also knew that Kay wanted to be loved.

“I’ll treat her better.” Grace whispered. “I’ll show her that I love her this time. I promise if you let her pull through this I’ll do better. I can be a good grandmother, and I won’t push her aside for Charity. Please just let my little girl live.”

Grace remembered when Kay was little. She was a daddy’s girl, always a daddy’s girl. She would follow her father everywhere he went. At times she would hang on to his knees just to keep him from leaving. However, when she was sick she needed her mommy. Grace could still feel her climbing in her lap, her pigtails hanging in curls as she rested her head on her mother. “Make it better mommy’” She’d whisper with tired eyes. “Please.”

Grace wept silently as she thought of her precious child’s words. “Oh baby I want to make it better now.” Grace sobbed.

“Grace.” A voice spoke coming into the room. “Grace its Sam.”

Grace looked up into the eyes of her husband. “Sam?” She choked.

“We have a granddaughter.” He spoke taking her hands to pull her toward him. “She’s tiny, but she’s loud.” He smiled gently. “The doctors are hopeful about her. They think she’ll make it.”

“And Kay? Sam what about our daughter?” Grace questioned gripping his hands.

“They had to take the baby.” Sam explained. “And Kay is still unconscious.”

“What did the doctor say?” Grace forced. “I want the truth.”

“They want her to wake up.” Sam frowned. “They really don’t know much right now. They said something about stress and her blood pressure but I was too out of it to hear them.” He admitted. “She needs you right now Grace. She needs her mother.”

“I can’t loose her Sam. I just can’t.”

“We won’t loose her.” Sam spoke. “Do you hear me? We will not loose our little girl!”

“Is Miguel with her?” Grace questioned wishing for the first time in what seemed like years that Kay’s best friend would be by her side.

“No, he’s with Charity.” Sam answered bluntly a frown appearing on his face as sighed.

“They’re with the baby right?” Grace questioned.

Sam lowered his head. “I sure hope so.”

“I need to go to her. I need to tell her I’m sorry.”

Sam took his wife by the hand and slowly led her out of the chapel. She didn’t look at anyone as she walked quickly to her daughter laid fighting for her life. She barely heard the voices of her friends and family as the spoke words of support.

She felt as if she was in a fog as she opened the door to her daughter’s room.

Beeping.

All she heard was beeping as she stared at the pale girl that was suppose to be Kay. She closed her eyes and let out a gasp. That wasn’t Kay; she looked so frail and weak. No, her Kay was strong and loud. Her Kay would fight to live; fight to see her baby girl. Her Kay would fight to live just so Charity would never raise her child. The girl lying in the bed couldn’t be her Kay.

“Kathleen.” Grace whispered. “Kathleen Elizabeth Bennett, you have to fight this.” Grace’s voice was more demanding as she stared at her daughter. “You can’t leave us now, you can’t leave that little girl.”

Nothing.

Nothing but the sound of beeping.

“If you wake up you’ll hear me say the words you’ve wanted to hear for so long.” Grace tried. “I was wrong Kay, I treated you so wrong.” Tears fell down Grace’s face as she took her daughter by the hand. “You are my daughter and I treated you like an outsider. You deserve a much better mother, but I’m it Kay, I’m the mother your stuck with.” Grace frowned. “So wake up and listen to me, fight it out with me please.”

Gently Grace felt Kay’s hand move, as she looked down to see her daughter squeezing her hand. “That’s it Kay, now open you eyes and look at me. I love you so much Kay. You are my daughter, and I love you dearly do you hear me? I love you.”

Grace watched tears streaming down her face as her daughter’s eyes fluttered open and then closed again. “No Kay! You have to stay with me. We are going to work things out. I’m going to make it right this time. Be the Kay I know and fight.”

Grace felt her heart race as Kay’s eyes once again opened. Kay’s lips moved slightly but no words came.

“Mommy.” She finally whispered. “Mommy make it better.” And with tired eyes she looked at her mother. “Please.”

A smile rushed to Grace Bennett’s face. “Oh Kay, I’m going to, I’m not going to let you down again.”

“My, My baby.” Kay whimpered. “My baby.”

“You have a daughter sweetheart, a strong little girl just like you.”

“I knew it was a girl.” She managed. “She’s ok?”

“She will be, when she sees her mommy she’ll be fine.”

“I’m scared.” Kay spoke in a bare whisper, “So scared.”

“I know baby, mama knows.” Grace soothed kissing her daughter’s forehead.

Silence.

Suddenly Grace heard nothing but silence as she looked at her daughter.

It was in that silence that she felt her daughter clutch her hand, and she saw a tiny smile appear on the face her beautiful daughter. Her heart became warm again as Kay looked over at her with those tired blue eyes she remembered from so long ago.

“I love you.” Kay whispered her voice low but honest. “I do.”

They were going to make it. Grace knew as she looked at her daughter that everything was going to be ok. At that moment neither of them cared what Charity or Miguel was doing. All that mattered was the love they felt for each other. It would be that love that helped Grace show her daughter how to be a mother. That love they carried inside of them would wash away all the hate that had filled them for so long. Tears rushed down both of their faces as they held on to each other.

Suddenly Kay’s tears stopped as she stared up at her mother. “Miguel won’t take her will he? My baby girl?” She was so tired as she spoke. Her eyes closed for a moment before she forced them open again. Fighting to stay awake she glanced at her mother.

“No of course not.” Grace smiled. “He’d never do that.”

“He could give her a good life with Charity.” Kay whimpered. “And he would do it.”

“But he won’t.” Grace promised. “Because I wouldn’t let him.”

“You mean it?” Kay smiled.

Grace nodded her head. “You’ll give her a good life. Your father and I, we’ll be right there with you.”

“I wanta be good mom, help me be good again.” Kay whispered.

“Only if you promise to help me.” Grace answered back. “But now you need to rest and I should get the doctor.”

“Mom.” Kay whispered as her mother stood up. “I’m sorry.” Her eyes closed once again as she prepared to drift to sleep.

Grace Bennett simply smiled as she stood by the door. “”Thank You.” She whispered looking upward. With those words spoken she quietly turned and walked out of the room ready to make all her promises to her daughter become reality.