A New Beginning (Second Chance #1) (10 page)

            
 
Over the next week and a half everything was a basic routine. After school Karla’s friends came over and they’d work on their project. They had decided to do a video about George Washington leading the American troops during the American Revolution. Karla had called Mrs. Jones and was going over for a visit after the project was completed. She’d had two Skype calls with Kiara and Manuel, they were putting together the photo album they had discussed and were sharing stories of their father.

              The only low point was a call from Captain McGraw. He’d called Tuesday night to tell her that Diane would be getting out of jail on Saturday if she could make bond and that they had yet to locate Garrett. Karla was scared she’d get out, but knew it really didn’t matter because she would choose to stay with Leslie and Andrew no matter what. They were her family now.

              On the day the project was due Karla was extremely nervous. They had picked her to do the presentation before they played the video. Conner worked the laptop that played the video and Callie was in charge of operating the projector. Rylee had narrated and recorded the video so that left Karla to present it. She hated public speaking.

              After the project was presented and class was dismissed they sat at their usual table in the cafeteria. “I am so glad that’s over.” Karla said, relief filled her voice.

              “You did great Karla. I’m sure no one could tell you were about to throw up.” Conner teased. “Plus you look amazing today. The red, white and blue theme of your outfit played well with the video.”

              Callie playfully punched her brother’s arm. “You’re a meany, Conner. Karla, you did a great job. Conner was right about one thing though. You do look great in that outfit.”

              Karla smiled shyly. “I did feel like I was going to puke.” She admitted and they all burst out laughing.

              “So,” Rylee began, “what’s everyone’s plans for this weekend?”

              “Oh, I forgot.” Callie said as she smacked her head. “Dad’s grilling out tomorrow and mom invited you and Karla if you want to come.

              “Of course I want to come. I’ll do almost anything to get away from the madness of my house. Even though Jason is gone; Jess, Jenn, Ryan and Harper are still there.”

              “Karla, what about you?”

              “I just sent Leslie a text making sure it’s okay, but I want to go so I’m sure she’ll be fine with it.”

              Less than a minute later Leslie’s reply came in.

              “I’m in.” Karla told them with a grin.

              “YAY!!” Callie clapped her hands and bounced in her seat. “This is going to be so much fun.”

              They all burst out laughing at her. They were still laughing when the lunch bell rang a few minutes later.

              The rest of the day passed quickly. By the time they got on the bus they were all tired from the volleyball game they’d played in P.E. and the ride home was quiet.

              When Karla walked into the house Leslie and Andrew were waiting for her in the family room. “Hey.” She greeted them, slightly confused. “What’s going on? You’re never in here when I get home.”

              “Karla honey sit down and we’ll talk.” Once Karla was seated Leslie continued. “Captain McGraw called me a couple of hours ago. It seems there was an incident at the jail and somehow your mother got ahold of some pills. She took several different kinds of narcotic level prescription pain pills. They took her to the emergency room and pumped her stomach, but now she won’t wake up.”

              “I went and checked on her myself right after Leslie called me. I was in a meeting when she was brought in and I didn’t know anything about it until I got Leslie’s call, but I reviewed her charts and it doesn’t look good Karla. Her heart rate is irregular and she isn’t breathing on her own.” Andrew told her “What I’m trying to tell you is that she probably won’t wake up. I don’t think she’ll make it through the night.”

              Karla sat there quietly for what felt like hours, but was actually only a few minutes, and thought about what they had just told her. Diane had terrorized her since Pops had died and she truly hated her, but to be told she was dying, Karla didn’t know how to wrap her head around it.

              “Can I go see her?” Karla asked hesitantly. She already knew the answer, but had felt the need to ask anyway.

              “Of course. Why don’t you take your things upstairs and then we’ll go?” Andrew said calmly. Not sure how to handle Karla’s calmness. In the short time she’d been there he’d grown to love her like a father loves a daughter and he did not like this eerie calm that had settled over her.

              When Karla was upstairs Andrew turned to Leslie. “How do we help her through this? I help people every day, but I don’t know how to help her.”

              “Andrew honey, all we can do is be here for her and love her. We’ll help her deal with this and anything else life throws at her.”

              When Karla came back downstairs a few minutes later she had changed clothes. Instead of the patriotic tunic and blue leggings she’d worn to school, she was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a solid black t-shirt. “I’m ready.” She announced and quietly walked to the garage door.

              The fifteen minute ride to the hospital was made in silence. Andrew spent more time watching Karla through the rearview mirror then he did watching the road. When he pulled into his reserved parking spot and stopped the car Karla looked up and met his eyes in the mirror.

              “Before we go in I have to tell you two something.” She started then stopped, took a deep breath, and continued. “I love you both. I know I’ve only known you for a few weeks, but in that time you have shown me the true meaning of family. You have shown me what my life would have been like had I been born to anyone else. I wanted to come see her so I could tell her goodbye and close that chapter of my life, but once I leave here a new chapter begins. One filled with love and happiness, not fear and hatred. Let’s go in and do this so we can go home and start that new chapter.”

              Leslie’s eyes filled with tears as Karla spoke. “Oh honey, we love you too. These past few weeks with you have been the best weeks of our lives. Let’s do what you need to do.”

              When they got out of the car Karla stepped between them and took each of their hands. “Thank you both for coming with me.”

              “Karla we will always be with you whenever you need us, and probably a lot when you don’t. You’ll never be alone again.” Andrew reassured her as they walked onto the elevator, still holding hands.

            
 
Karla stood in front of Diane’s hospital room door with Leslie and Andrew. There was a guard from the jail there, but other than him the hall was empty. She was still holding their hands, but knew she had to do this alone. When she released their hands they both looked down at her. “I need to go in alone, but I also need to know that you will be here when I come back out”

              “We aren’t going anywhere. You can count on that.” Andrew assured her before him and Leslie took a step back and grabbed hands.

              Karla took a deep breath, grabbed the doorknob, paused, then turned it, opened the door and walked into the room.

              As she approached the bed she realized that this could be the last time she would ever see her mother alive. When she got to the foot of the bed she looked at her mother. “Diane, yes I’m calling you by your name instead of mom now, in these past few weeks I have learned what having a mom is really like. Her name is Leslie and she loves me. She has never once raised her hand to me and she would defend me if anyone else ever did. You are nothing to me anymore. You may have given me life, but you also made me wish for death on a regular basis over the past six years.”

              Karla stopped when she realized there were tears running down her cheeks. She grabbed a tissue from the table and continued. “When I was younger I knew nothing but love from Grams and Pops, but after they died love was something that only existed in the books I read. You used to talk down to me about reading, but that
waste of time
as you called it is why I am in the Advanced Program at school now. Speaking of school, you said that was a waste of time too, but I love it. I have friends now. We were never in one place long enough for me to make friends, and I couldn’t anyway because of the bruises, but now I have three really good friends.”

              She stopped again to get another tissue, she was crying more than usual and couldn’t figure out why. Suddenly it hit her, she was sad because she had always wanted a real mother/daughter relationship with her mother. She had never gotten what she wanted with Diane, but she had it with Leslie. She knew what she needed to say now.

              “I came by to tell you goodbye so I could close the chapter of my life that had you in it, but now I’ve realized that I can’t close that chapter. Everything you did to me, or allowed others to do to me, molded me into the person I am now. No matter where I go or what I do I will always be your daughter. I will always have part of you with me. I will never love you the way a daughter should love her mother, but that isn’t my fault, it’s yours. You made me feel the way I do about you, but you also taught me something. You taught me how not to treat people. Despite everything you did to me I am not like you. I know how to love and how to accept things I cannot change. Thank you Diane, for making me strong, for making me self-reliant, for making me a better person than you ever were.”

              Karla started walking toward the door, but stopped and turned back. “Goodbye Diane.”

              This time she walked out the door with her head held high. When she closed the door behind her she immediately saw Leslie and Andrew. They were waiting for her, just as they said they would be.

              “Can I ask for something?” She asked Andrew with tear filled eyes.

              “Anything Karla, you know that.”

              “I remember Grams once told me that Diane’s favorite color was purple. Can we buy her a purple casket to be buried in? I know that won’t matter to her at this point, but it matters to me.”

              “Of course we can honey.” Leslie answered as she pulled Karla into her arms. “Is there anything else?”

“I want her to be buried someplace nice, someplace I can visit when I’m older.” Karla answered as she clung to Leslie. “I can’t forgive her right now, but I think I will be able to someday and when that day comes I’d like to visit her grave and tell her.”

“We can do that. I’ll see to the arrangements when the time comes.” Andrew answered as he wrapped his arms around her and Leslie and pulled them close. “I think you’re making a very grown-up decision here. I am very proud of you.”

“It’s the only thing I can do for her right now. It’s what my heart’s telling me is right.”

They had been standing there for only a few minutes when the doctor taking care of Diane approached them. “Excuse me Dr. Peterson, I was told to inform you if there was any change in Diane Hall’s condition.” When Andrew nodded he continued. “I’m sorry to tell you, but she just passed. She never woke up so she wasn’t in any pain.”

“Thank you Dr. Mitchell. We’ll take care of everything.” When Dr. Mitchell walked off Andrew turned to Karla. “Are you okay honey?”

“Yeah. I’m okay. I just want to go home.”

“Anything you want sweetie.” Leslie answered as she took Karla’s hand and led her down the hall to the elevators.

When they stepped into the parking garage Karla took Andrew’s hand in her free one and they walked to the car as a family unit.

On the way home from the hospital they stopped and picked up Chinese takeout and when they got home Karla set the small table in the breakfast nook. Once they were seated and eating she looked at Leslie and Andrew. “I think it’s time for me to tell Rylee, Conner and Callie about my mom.”

“Are you sure honey?” Leslie asked, concerned.

“Yes. They need to know where I come from and I’m wanting them there with us when we bury her. I don’t think we need to have an actual funeral, but can’t they do something where they say some words at her grave side before she’s actually buried?”

“It’s called a grave side service and yes, if that’s what you think is best that’s what we’ll have done. Let me call one of the funeral homes and see what I can get set up. When are you wanting it set for sweetheart?”

“I have a cook-out tomorrow at the Newberry’s and I doubt everything could be planned by then anyway. Plus I need to talk to my friends. I think Sunday or Monday afternoon will be best. What do you think?”

“I agree that we wouldn’t be able to get everything set up by tomorrow. I’ll call around after dinner and see what I can get set up for Sunday.” Andrew said.

Karla stood, walked around the table and wrapped her arms around Andrew. “Thank you for all of this.”

“Karla honey, there isn’t anything we wouldn’t do for you.”

“You two are the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“And you are the best thing that has ever happened to us Karla.”

When they were finished eating Karla went upstairs and showered. When she was done and in her pajama’s she sent Rylee, Conner and Callie a text letting them know that she needed to talk to them tomorrow before the cook-out.

Rylee was the first to respond.
Everything okay? You can call me if you need to talk tonight.

Karla:
No, I’m okay for tonight. I want to tell all of you together.

Rylee:
Okay, if you change your mind I’ll be up for awhile

Karla:
Thanks Rylee. You’re a really great friend

Rylee:
So are you Karla. Are you sure you’re okay? I can come over if you need me too.

Karla:
I’m okay Rylee. I promise.

Rylee:
Okay. If you change your mind just text me and I’ll come over.

Karla:
I will. I promise. Good night,

Rylee:
Good night. I’m here if you need me.

A few minutes later Conner responded.
Hey, what’s up?

Karla:
Not much, just need to talk to all of you tomorrow before the cook-out. Think we can meet up a little early?

Conner:
We can definitely met early. Everything okay?

Karla:
Not really, but I’ll explain tomorrow. Can you text Rylee and see if she can be there about ten tomorrow? I think I’m going to sleep now. It’s been a really long day.

Conner:
Yeah, no problem. I’ll let Callie know not to text you back. She’s in the shower at the moment. Lol!

Karla:
Well I’m lying in bed trying to keep my eyes open. Night Conner.

Conner:
Night Karla ;)

Karla plugged her phone up, crawled out of bed and walked down stairs. She found Leslie sitting in her usual spot at the bar. When she walked in and sat next to Leslie she laid her head on Leslie’s shoulder. She stopped working and wrapped her arm around Karla’s shoulders. “I’m scared Leslie. I know I need to tell them about my mom, but I’m scared to tell them everything. I will, I just hope they’re still here after I do.”

“Karla, I want you to listen to me for a minute. I have met these kids and I can tell you that they all genuinely care about you. I think they’ll still be here after you tell them.”

“I hope you’re right. School will be a nightmare without them.”

“Honey you’re going to make yourself sick if you don’t stop worrying about this. I think you should get some sleep and we’ll see what happens tomorrow. I love you and Andrew loves you. We will always be here for you, no matter what.”

Karla hugged Leslie tight and kissed her cheek. “Thank you Leslie. I’ll see you in the morning. I love you too.”

When Karla walked back upstairs and climbed into bed she saw that she had a text. She opened it and smiled. It was from Rylee.
Smile because I love you :-D!!

Karla smiled again and closed her eyes, falling asleep instantly.