A New Hope (The Second Chance Series Book 2) (5 page)

The next afternoon Elliot was sitting alone in his room at the house he grew up in. He was thinking about his dad and Nana and remembering all the times they came in here at night and tucked him in when he was little. One particular time came to mind as he sat there.

He was about six or seven years old and his dad had been gone all day. He couldn’t remember where, but he remembers that when his dad got home he was already in bed. His dad came in and sat on the bed with him and a few minutes later his Nana came in. They sat on either side of him and both read to him. They had always read to him, but never like this and never together.

As he sat there and remembered he was transported to another time. He remembered a conversation between his Nana and dad.

David, you cannot let her see Elliot. She didn’t want him when he was a baby so why does she now?

Mama, I don’t know what’s going on in her head, but she is his mama and I don’t see what it’d hurt for her to see him. It isn’t like I’m gonna leave her alone with him.

I just don’t like it David. I think she’ll cause more harm than good.

Well mama, it ain’t your decision. Elliot is my son and I think he needs to see his mama. Maybe she’s grown up some and is gonna try to be there for him and Karla.

Maybe I’ll win the lottery, but I don’t see it happening. Son, Diane is not the girl we thought she was. Remember what she did to Karla’s daddy?”

I remember mama. I never thought she could do that to anyone. Okay, I’ll admit that she ain’t the person I thought she was, but I still think she needs to see Elliot if she wants. It ain’t right to keep a kid from his mama.

Okay David, I’m done arguing with you about this. Do what you feel is best. I’ll be here to help clean up the mess she causes.

Elliot was pulled from his thoughts by a soft knock on the door. “Elliot,” Leslie said hesitantly, “I don’t want to disturb you, but I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“You can come in.”

She opened the door and poked her head in. “How are you holding up?”

“I was just remembering a conversation I overheard between Nana and dad. At some point my mother wanted to see me, but I don’t know when that was. Dad was okay with it, but Nana didn’t like the idea. She said that my mother wasn’t a good person.”

“Elliot, I never met Diane, but I know she hurt Karla, and let other people hurt her, for a really long time. I have to agree with your Nana, she wasn’t a good person. If you have questions about her you may want to ask Karla. I’m sure she can answer at least some of them.”

“Do you think she would?”

“Yes, I do. All you have to do is ask her.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Peterson. I will ask her, just not tonight. I think I want to go to the hotel and get some sleep. It’s been a really long day.”

“That sounds like a plan to me. On the way back tomorrow we will pick up some boxes so we can pack up your room and have everything shipped to our house. Maybe surrounding yourself in your own things will help you settle in better.”

Elliot’s face lit up in a huge smile. “I love that idea.”

“Okay. Let’s go get Andrew and Karla and get out of here for the night.”

She grabbed Elliot’s hand and led him from the room. They found Karla and Andrew in the kitchen pulling down dishes and cleaning out the refrigerator.  “Hey you two, Elliot and I think we should go to the hotel and relax for the rest of the evening. Then we can get an early start on all of this in the morning.”

‘That sounds like an excellent idea.” Karla said as she sat a stack of plates on the counter. “It has been an exhausting day.”

“I completely agree.” Andrew said as he dropped something into the trash can and turned around. “We need to find a place to send all of this food. Some of this stuff will expire soon and I absolutely hate wasting food.”

“We’ll figure everything out tomorrow Andrew.” Leslie said with a pointed look. “Now I think we need to go to the hotel and relax for a bit. Elliot, do you have a swim suit?”

“I do. I will run and get it really fast.” He darted into his bedroom and as back out within seconds.

As they loaded into the car Elliot thought to himself,
I may not have dad and Nana anymore, but I do have family and with their help I will be okay.
 

The next two days passed in a blur of activity. They got everything Elliot wanted to take with him packed up and shipped to Tennessee. They also got a great deal of the things Elliot wanted to keep boxed up and put into a secure, climate controlled storage facility. They decided to leave the furniture for now and come back after they took possession of the property to decide what to do with it. Andrew had also called his lawyer and had papers drawn up about the farm. He wanted to make sure everything was in order when they took possession of it.

Now it was Sunday, their last day in Texas, and Elliot was sitting at the table in the kitchen watching Leslie and Karla cook. Leslie decided to make roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, sweet baby carrots, green beans and biscuits for dinner with an apple pie, which Karla made, for dessert. His mouth was watering from the smells surrounding him.

The Robertson’s were supposed to be here at 5:30 and it was 5:15 now. “Elliot,” Karla said, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Yes, Karla?”

“Would you mind helping me set the table?” She asked tentatively, not sure if he was up to helping or not.

“Sure, I’ll help. I used to set the table every Sunday for supper.”

As they pulled out everything needed to set the table Elliot escaped into his thoughts again. He remembered the last time he sat at this table with his dad and Nana. It was at breakfast the morning his dad was killed. They ate omelets and talked about what they had planned for that day. He couldn’t remember the words they said, but he remembered the love that surrounded him.

He was pulled from his thoughts by a knock on the front door. Leslie pulled the oven mitt from her hand and went to answer it. A moment later Hank walked in, followed by his mom and dad.

Karla looked up from setting the last of the forks on the table and smiled. “Hello everyone.”

“Hello Karla.” Hank said with a smile of his own.

Just then Andrew walked in from the office and greeted the new arrivals. As they sat down Karla and Leslie put all the dishes on the table. When they were seated too, Andrew started passing the dishes around and everyone loaded their plates.  

During dinner the conversation centered around Elliot and Hank. They talked about how long they had been friends and all the mischief they had gotten into throughout the years. They remembered the time the boys decided to stay in the hay field one night, but got scared by all the sounds and ran for Elliot’s house. By the end of the meal Karla was feeling a little envious of Elliot’s childhood.

“May I be excused?” Karla asked Leslie quietly.

“Sure honey. Is everything alright?” Concern laced Leslie’s voice.

“Yeah, I just need a minute.”

“Okay honey. If you need to talk you know I’m here.”

Karla nodded, got up from the table and walked out the front door. She sat on the porch swing and closed her eyes.

After she was gone Elliot looked at Leslie and asked, “Is Karla okay?”

“Yes, she just needed a couple minutes to herself. I think being in Texas is bringing up memories she had buried long ago. Memories of her life before Diane.”

“Maybe I should go talk to her.” He said worriedly. Karla always seemed so strong, but when she left the table he saw a sadness in her eyes that he had never seen before.

“If she doesn’t come back in by the time we finish dessert you can go out to her. How does that sound?” Andrew told him.

“I guess that’s okay.” He answered, sounding slightly defeated.

“I know you’re worried about her, but Karla sometimes just needs a few minutes alone to pull herself together. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t need us.”

“It seems like it’s my fault somehow. She looked sad when she left.”

“It isn’t your fault, Elliot.” Karla said from behind him, making him jump. “I was just feeling a bit envious of your childhood and needed to process why. I’m alright now. I promise.”

“Will you tell me about your life with our mom someday? Elliot asked with more confidence than he felt.

“I will, someday.” She answered. That’s one conversation she did not want to have, but she knew that he needed to know.

He smiled shyly at her, but didn’t say anything else. The rest of the meal passed quickly and when they were finished they cleared the table and Elliot pulled down the Monopoly game. “I want to finish the game we started before dad died. Andrew can step in and play Dad’s, if he wants, and Karla can play Nana’s.”

“Are you sure, Elliot?” Karla asked tentatively. “I know you mentioned it the other day, but before we start you need to be sure.”

“I’m sure. I think Dad and Nana would want us to finish it.”

“Then I’m in.” She said with a smile. Elliot had more strength than any of them realized.

For the next couple of hours they played and laughed together. When the game ended, and Karla had won, Elliot and Hank said a sad goodbye and the Robertson’s left.

After they cleaned the kitchen and put everything away they loaded into the car and went to the hotel. They had an early flight in the morning so they said their good nights and went to bed. Once in bed, Elliot laid awake and stared at the ceiling, unable to shake the thought that this was his last night in Texas. When sleep finally found him his dreams carried him back to before his dad and Nana died, to a time when he wasn’t sad.

The next morning as they boarded the plane Elliot asked, “When the farm becomes yours can I come back with you?"

“Of course you can, and the farm will become ours, Elliot. You will own it, we’ll just be responsible for it until you turn twenty-one.” Andrew told him as they took their seats.

Elliot beamed a smile at him and buckled his seat belt. Karla and Leslie were in the seats directly in front of them and Karla turned around to look at him for a second. “When the farm is ours, I’m coming back with you, too. I think we all should come.”

“I agree.” Leslie said from beside her. “I think a couple of weekend trips in August should be enough to get everything else sorted.”

“Me too.” Andrew agreed with a smile.

The rest of the flight was uneventful. Karla read while Andrew, Leslie and Elliot talked about Tennessee and all the things Elliot liked to do.

As the plane descended in Nashville Elliot started to get nervous. He wondered what their house was like and if there were kids his age in the neighborhood. He also worried about meeting Karla’s friends. He remembered what she told him, but he still worried that they wouldn’t like him.

As they got off the plane Karla took his hand and led him through the busy airport to the luggage pick-up. They were standing there together while Andrew and Leslie got their luggage when Elliot heard Karla’s name being yelled over the noise. “Karla, do you hear that?”

“Hear what?” She asked just before her name was yelled again. She heard it this time and her face lit up in a huge smile. “I hear it now. That’s Rylee’s big mouth. If she’s here then they all are.”

Elliot watched as Karla turned around just as a girl with red hair reached them. A moment later another girl and a boy, both with thick, almost black hair joined them. Karla was smiling from ear to ear as she grabbed his hand again and pulled him into the circle of her friends. “Wow. I wasn’t expecting all of you to be here. Who brought you?”

“Mom and Dad brought us. They brought both vans.” The girl with dark hair said and her blue eyes lit up when she looked at Elliot. “You must be Elliot. I’m Callie, this is my twin brother, Conner, and the ball of energy over there is Rylee.”

Elliot stared at her for a minute, trying to figure out how much they knew about him, when Karla spoke up. “Hey everyone, give Elliot a little space. He has been through a lot over the past few days and needs to get used to all the changes in his life.”

“No, Karla, they’re okay.” Elliot told her, slightly shocked that she would stick up for him even after what she told him. “Yes, I am Elliot and it’s nice to meet y’all.”

Andrew and Leslie walked up just them and Leslie rolled her eyes, “Why am I not surprised to see all of you here?”

“Leslie, honey, I think we’d be more surprised if they weren’t here.” Andrew said with a laugh.

Conner grinned at Andrew then turned to Elliot. “I was thinking all of us could ride in the van with Mom and Dr. and Mrs. Peterson could ride with Dad. How does that sound to you?”

Elliot was surprised by this and immediately looked to Karla for help. “I will ride with you Elliot, no matter where you ride.” She said in answer to his silent plea.

His face lit up at her words and he looked at her friends. They were all smiling too and he knew exactly where he wanted to ride.  “Conner, I think that is a great idea.”

“YAY!!” Rylee yelled as she bounced over to him and embraced him in a welcoming hug. “Welcome to the family, Elliot.”

When she let him go Callie walked over to him and hugged him too. “I didn’t need another brother, but at least you’re younger than me.” She said and ruffled his hair.

When she let him go Conner walked up and stuck out his hand, “I figured you had enough hugs from these three,” he said as they shook hands. “Welcome to the family.”

Andrew beamed a smile at Karla’s three best friends and said, “Okay, enough mushy stuff. I’m ready to go home. I miss my own bed.” They all burst out laughing and walked to the waiting vans.

On the ride home Karla’s friends got to know Elliot a little and once they arrived they asked if they could all stay for a little while.

“Of course you can.” Leslie answered. “You three know that you are always welcome here. I have to warn you though,” she said with a pointed look at Conner, “we don’t have any food in the house yet.”

Conner laughed out loud and said, “That’s alright Mrs. Peterson. I’m sure we would all be okay with pizza.”

Leslie laughed at the expression on his face and the tone of his voice. “I’ll see what I can do. Now why don’t you three show Elliot to the guest room? He’ll sleep there tonight and when his things arrive tomorrow we will get his room set up.”

“He’s going to be in the room next to mine right?” Karla asked just to make sure.

“Yes he is.” Andrew answered. “I think we will have time to move the furniture out of there in the morning before his things arrive. I have to check in at the hospital, but after that, and if I can get some help, we can get some of it moved today.”

“You know I am always willing to help.” Conner spoke up.

“Con, you do know that you don’t have to work to get on Dr. Peterson’s good side right? He already likes you.” Callie teased her brother and everyone in the room started laughing.

Andrew stopped laughing and gave Conner a stern look, “Just don’t hurt my girl here and we’ll be just fine.” Andrew smiled when Conner’s face changed from humor to shock and when Karla started laughing he couldn’t stop himself from laughing too.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly. They got a lot of the furniture moved out of the room Elliot was going to be moving into and they had a very loud dinner of pizza, cheese sticks, wings and sodas. Just when it started getting dark Andrew took Callie, Conner and Rylee home and when he got back they all settled in for the night with a movie and popcorn. Half way through the movie Leslie, Elliot and Karla fell asleep. When the movie ended Andrew looked at his sleeping family and thought;
thank you God, for bringing them into my life.
Then he gently woke them up and they all went to bed.