A State of Grace Pt. 06

Kayla pressed herself against Kevin's chest, being very careful to stay away from his wounded abdominal region.

"You sing to me, and you help me fly! You play with me and tell me jokes! You laugh and smile, and tell me I'm pretty! You don't just say the words 'I love you,' you show it! I've heard other kids at school talk, so I know that a lot of kids that have Daddies at home, don't have Daddies that do those things! When I'm with you, I never feel like I'm in the way! You make me feel wanted, safe, welcome, and loved! If I could have a Daddy, I'd want him to be just like you! So let me take care of you, and show you that I love you, too!"

Kayla pulled out all the stops. Her little speech had pressed every single Mommy button I have, and I could tell Kevin was in a similar state. Her big brown eyes stared directly into his, like liquid pools of warm chocolate. She was guileless and sincere, and it went straight to my heart.

"Oh, boy," I thought silently, "When this girl starts dating, she is really gonna melt some hearts!"

Kevin turned to look at me, a silent question in his eyes. I held his gaze for a moment, then I smiled and nodded my head. He smiled back and blew me a kiss.

"Okay, Kayla my dear one, if that's what you and your Mommy want, we'll stay with you for a little while. But when it comes to taking care of me, you'll need to let Aunt Gracie help, okay? There are some things you're not big enough for yet."

"Oh boy!" Kayla said, her little face aglow. "You'll see, Uncle Kev! With all the hugs and kisses I'll give you, you'll be even better than new!"

###

We rode home with Crystal later that morning. Hannah wheeled Kevin downstairs in a wheelchair in spite of his protests. Apparently, there's some sort of hospital policy that says they have to do that, even if you can walk. Crystal pulled her Escalade up to the front doors, while our various protective officers rode behind us in a silver Suburban, except for Carmen, who was driving my Jeep for me. As we finished helping Kevin into his seat, Hannah gave Kayla an old-fashioned Nurse's cap.

"Here you go, Sweetie," she said to Kayla. "Wear this when you take care of your Uncle Kevin, okay?"

"Oh, cool!" Kayla exclaimed. "Thank you very much, Mrs. West!"

"You're very welcome, honey!" Hannah replied. Then she handed me a slip of paper. "Stay in touch, alright, Gracie? And if you and Kevin ever need me, here's my number, please call!"

"We will, Hannah," I assured her. "Thank you so much, for everything you and your family have done! We wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you!"

Hannah closed the door, and Kevin leaned back in his seat.

"Okay, I'm ready to go whenever you ladies are," he said.

Crystal smiled and stepped on the gas. After a 15-minute drive, we arrived at her condo building. (Yes, it was literally her building, as in, she owned it.) It was a rather modest-looking building on the outside. It was the first building constructed as part of the city's downtown revitalization initiative. It was five stories tall, not including the penthouse, and it had a brick exterior done in a style that would have been more at home in the South. Crystal parked in her own reserved space and led us to the front door. She scanned a magnetic badge on the reader and opened the door for us.

I was about to help Kevin in when Carmen put a gentle hand on my shoulder. When I turned my gaze to her, she grinned and pointed. Ahead of me, Mr. Bradshaw and Mr. Andrews had gone in first and were scanning the first-floor hallway.

"It's a resident only building, protected by a security door," I protested lightly. "You guys have to do that even here?"

"That's why we call it 'standard operating procedure,' because it's standard, no matter where we are," Carmen said.

"You'll get used to it, Gracie," Crystal commented. "No security system is perfect, and I don't feel like taking any more chances. Do you?"

"No," I said in a resigned tone. "I guess you do have a point."

After a moment, Mr. Bradshaw turned toward us and gave a one-handed wave, signaling all was well. Carmen and I walked with Kevin into the small lobby, followed by what I had taken to calling our entourage. Kevin was walking fine on his own, but his injured abdominal muscles still occasionally affected his balance. He held onto my arm as a safety measure. Still, I paid close attention to him. Carmen walked on his other side, no touching him, but ready to catch him if he tripped. Kayla was holding Kevin's free hand, chattering happily about how much we were going to like our room.

We made our way to the elevator, and Crystal hit the button for the fifth floor. That surprised me a little, because Crystal and Kayla lived in the penthouse, and Kayla had talked about us staying with them. When we got off the elevator (with our protective officers in the lead, of course), Crystal led us to a door with the number 502 emblazoned upon it.

"This condo has been vacant since we built the place," Crystal said. "I'm not really sure why that is. It's got the same amenities as any other condo in the building. The asking price is the same. The view is nearly the same. But at any rate, it's yours until such time as you're ready to leave. Or for that matter, you two can buy it if you like!"

"Oh, wow, Crystal," Kevin said, looking around the beautiful space with wide eyes. "I can't thank you enough-"

"No need for all that, silly!" Crystal said, smacking his ass lightly. "You and Gracie are my family, and we have to take care of each other!"

She gestured around the condo.

"I had a little furniture in storage. We usually use it to set up condos for showing to potential buyers. I'm afraid none of it is top-of-the-line stuff, but it will get you by. I managed to find a decent bed, sofa, recliner, and dresser set for you, at least."

Crystal handed me two magnetic key cards that were almost exactly like what you'd get at a hotel.

"These will open the outer security door, the gate to the underground parking garage, and the door to your condo," she said. "No one other than the two of you and your protective officers has access to your condo. I have a master key in the safe in my penthouse, but that's it. I won't enter without your permission."

Crystal showed us around the place with obvious pride. I was very impressed! It was by far the nicest place I'd ever been in, aside from my parents' home. It had all the basics and some extremely nice extras! I noted with special eagerness, the size of the tub in the bathroom! There was much potential for fun to be had there, I thought silently to myself.

Next, Carmen and Mr. Bradshaw (who finally told us to call him Keith) showed us how to use the security panel to buzz guests into the downstairs lobby. There were other features to be covered as well, but it only took him a few minutes to cover them. When he finished, he handed me my car keys and told me the number of the parking spot where he'd put my Jeep. Then he handed Kevin a small cardboard box.

"What's this, Keith?" Kevin asked, taking it.

"That's your best friend," the protective officer replied, grinning wryly at him.

Kevin opened it, and saw his pistol, along with his spare magazines, and his holster.

"Thank you," he said, quietly.

"You're very welcome," Keith replied. "Chris West gave it to me at the hospital. He cleaned and oiled it for you. He also replaced the rounds you used up. He figured you might not have time to go buy more for a little while."

"Oh, speaking of guns," Crystal said, "I did install a gun safe in the den, but none of your guns survived the fire." I had my people salvage your safe from the house, but when they finally cut it open, they found that your guns were slag. I'm sorry."

Kevin shrugged. "That's alright. They're just things, and things can be replaced, in time," he said. "But if that's the case, then what was the safe that Special Agent Paulson was talking about, the day I woke up?"

"Oh, that was the safe in Trent's office," Crystal replied. "Your cousin Elizabeth is holding onto it for now. I can have some people crack it open if you like."

"It's not my property," Kevin replied. "But, I'll let my Aunt Lily know about your offer. She will probably take you up on it."

Kevin winced and dropped one hand to press against his flat belly.

"Umph," he grunted, painfully.

"Okay, how about you sit for a little while, okay, Kev?" I said, guiding him over to the couch.

"Sounds good to me," he said, sitting down heavily.

He sighed in relief as he settled back and took the strain off of his sutures.

"If you folks don't mind, I'm going to tune out for a little bit," he said, laying down and stretching out his full length on the big couch.

"Go ahead, Kevin," I said, leaning down and kissing him.

Kayla hurried over with a light cotton blanket and carefully placed it over him. She fussed over him as she tucked it securely around his hips and shoulders. Then she kissed his cheek.

"I'll be right here if you need anything, Uncle Kevin," she said softly.

She returned to her mother's side, but her eyes were still fixed on where Kevin laid with his eyes closed on the couch. Crystal stroked her daughter's neck and shoulders tenderly. After a few minutes, she sent Kayla upstairs to the penthouse with her protective officer, telling her to get cleaned up for supper. She then invited Kevin and me to come up for supper, which I gladly accepted.

I couldn't help looking at the door through which little Kayla had left. The burgeoning psychologist to be within me was twigging to something about her.

"Crystal, about Kayla..." I began.

"Yes?" Crystal asked.

"Well, she's awfully small for her age," I said. "And she seems so worried about Kevin."

Crystal sighed and closed her eyes. After a moment, she sat down heavily in the recliner. Finally, she turned her face towards me again.

"Kayla is certainly petite, even for her age," Crystal said, acknowledging my point. "Her earlier illness took a toll on her little body, and that's part of it. But another part of it, is that she needs something I just can't give her."

"What?" I asked, surprised. With Crystal's wealth and resources, I couldn't think of anything the child could need that she couldn't provide for her to the point of lavish excess!

"She's starving for male affection," Crystal said. "She wants a daddy. She wants it so terribly, she doesn't know what to do! She's been talking about it for the last couple of years, but it's been getting more insistent lately. The more time she spends with Kevin, the more she talks about wanting to have a Daddy of her own. In fact, she actually asked me if she could ask Kevin to be her Daddy."

"Oh, my," I whispered, feelingly. I had wondered if it might be something like that. Her love and affection for Kevin were much deeper than what you could expect from a simple family friend. I should have recognized the signs.

"You've seen with your own eyes, how she flourishes under Kevin's attention, Grace," Crystal continued. "Her little speech in the hospital was from the heart. And be fair, Kevin treats her like a daughter."

"Yes, he does," I said. "He loves that little girl very much."

"I know he does, and she loves him," Crystal replied. "I wish I could have made it work between any of those guys I used to date. It would have been nice to have a husband for me who could also be a father to my baby girl. But I just-"

Yeah. She just. Crystal had sabotaged every romantic relationship she'd ever had, one way or another. In my opinion, Crystal was also starving for male affection, if of a different sort than what her daughter was seeking. I dropped to one knee next to the recliner and wrapped my arms around my dear friend and hugged her tightly.

"Don't worry, Crystal," I said, after kissing her cheek gently. "I can promise you that, even when we have a baby of our own, there will always be room in our hearts for Kayla - and for YOU! As long as we live, you will forever be a part of our family circle!"

I spent a few moments holding my dear friend, giving her what comfort I could. I could tell she needed the comfort of a loving touch. Crystal had all the material things a person could ever want, but she couldn't buy the kind of love I had in my life. She clung to me, relishing the emotional warmth and love I offered her. I could almost feel her absorbing it and basking in it, like a cat basking in a beam of sunlight on a warm summer day.

"Thank you so much, Gracie," she said when I released her. "You'll never know how much it means to me to be loved by you! I've never had a friend like you before, and I doubt I ever will again!"

"You're always in our hearts, Crystal," I said.

"There are days when I really need to hear that, Grace," Crystal admitted, with a sad smile. "Why don't you two come on upstairs in about a half-hour? I'm ordering pizza!"

###

The next two weeks flew by so quickly, it was hard to keep track of the days! I went back to my classes just in time for final exams. On top of that, there were numerous interviews with Special Agent Paulson and his investigative team. Kevin finally got his sutures removed, which was a relief to the both of us! He'd always been a quick healer, and fortunately, this case was no exception.

He too had returned to class. Of course, he could - and did - take several of his courses online. That gave him an advantage over me. A downside, though, was the fact that he no longer had a vehicle of his own. Keith was happy to drive him wherever and whenever he needed, but I knew not having a car was cramping his style. Unfortunately, we didn't have the cash to buy another car at the moment, and probably wouldn't until he was well enough to return to work.

The only other frustration in my life at that moment was the lack of sex! It had been far too long, and my needs were rapidly building up past the point of containment! Hannah assured me that he'd be healed up enough to take care of me very soon. I certainly didn't want him to harm himself! But by the same token, I hoped the day came soon, so I could!

Then, about three weeks after Kevin was released from the hospital, Elizabeth and Fleur came over. I buzzed them in, and waited at the door to our condo for them to arrive. As soon as they stepped in and I closed the door, Elizabeth wrapped me up in a powerful bear hug.

"Today's the day, Gracie!" she cried, her voice full of a combination of excited anticipation, and anxiety.

"What do you mean, Liza?" I asked her, as soon as I could breathe again.

"I don't think you told her, Love!" Fleur said, after giving me a somewhat more sedate greeting.

"Oh! You know, I think you're right, honey, I don't think I got around to telling her," Elizabeth said, looking chagrined. "Alright, let me start over: Gracie, Jack is getting released from prison today at noon!"

"Oh!" I said, excitedly. "Can Kevin and I come with you to get him?"

"Yes! In fact, I was really hoping you'd want to join us!" Elizabeth said.

"When do we leave?" I asked.

"As soon as possible," she replied. "It's about an hour's drive to the prison, and I really don't want to be late! He's been waiting in that horrible place more than long enough, already!"

A few minutes later, Kevin and I (along with Keith and Carmen, of course) were in the Jeep, following Fleur's Trailblazer out to the prison. Special Agent Paulson was following along, and he had Jack's new court-appointed attorney with him, just in case there was some kind of problem. Crystal had come along as well, probably from boredom more than anything else.

My emotions were generally high. I was excited that my cousin was finally going to be released from prison. The discovery that he had been innocent of any crime all along had been shocking, but it hadn't affected me as much as it might have. I barely knew cousin Jack before he'd been sent up the river. I was pretty close to Elizabeth (she had frequently watched me when I'd been young enough to need a sitter), but I'd never really forged a connection with Jack.

Still, I was glad he was being freed. No one deserved prison when they hadn't done the crime! My nervous feeling was more a fear of the unknown than anything else. I'd heard things about how being in prison changed people. Jack was a good person when he went in, but what kind of person would he be when he came out? There was no way to know. Of course, the closer we got to our destination, the closer we got to finding out!

When we finally arrived a the prison, we were shown where to park and told to wait in our cars until Jack came out. We didn't have long to wait. We'd only been there a few minutes before a group of three guards brought out a tall man, who was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. He carried a small duffel bag in one hand. He was at least an inch taller than Kevin, and obviously spent a good deal of time at the weight bench. His arms were thick and powerful. His waist was lean, and his face had a wicked scar on the left side, that ran from below his eye, all the way to his jawline.

"Damn," Kevin whispered. "Jack is fucking huge!"

We all stepped out of our vehicles as the gate in the fence line opened and Jack stepped outside. His face split into a wide grin when he saw us.

"Hey, Mom," he said, quietly.

He gave Lily a tender hug, before kissing her cheek. He released her and regarded the rest of us. His eyes lit up when he saw Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth, oh thank God!"

He took his little sister into his arms and lifted her off the ground, gently twirling her around. He covered her face with kisses and held her as close as he could to his powerful chest.

"I'm so sorry, Elizabeth!" he cried, tears streaming down his face. "I did everything I could to stop him! I wasn't strong enough! I wasn't fast enough! I tried to stop that monster from...doing what he did to you and Mom! Please forgive me! Please!"

"Jack, it's okay, big brother!" Elizabeth said. Her eyes filled with tears as well, as she saw the pain on Jack's face. "I don't even remember what happened that night. But I do know, from what Kevin found out a few weeks ago, that you tried to help me, and Dad punished you for it! You did everything a brother could! I will always love you for that! As far as I'm concerned, you've done nothing that I need to forgive you for!"

"Elizabeth, my dear, sweet, baby sister, I love you so much!" Jack said tenderly and kissed her one more time. Then he carefully set her back down on her feet.

I took a closer look at my cousin's face. Based on how old he'd been when he went to jail, he was only 31 years old now, but his face looked a lot older than that. It was lined with tension and care. His eyes had deep crow's feet, and there were worry lines as well. He had a bit of what Chris West might call a 'thousand-yard stare.' But, I imagine that was normal for someone getting their first taste of freedom in literally years!

Jack noticed me studying his face and turned to face me fully. After a moment, he gave me a crooked grin.

"No way," he said quietly. "Little Gracie, is that you, sweetie? Er, sorry, you probably prefer to be called Grace, now! You obviously aren't the little girl I remember. Wow, look at you! Nope, not a little girl at all!"

"Hello, Jack!" I said, smiling and accepting a gentle hug from my cousin.

He kissed my cheek and released me.

"So I guess you must be Kevin, then?" he asked, holding out a hand to Kevin.

Kevin smiled and shook his cousin's hand warmly.

"Hey, Jack, good to see you, man!" Kevin said.

"Jack," Elizabeth said, reclaiming her brother's attention. "I'd like you to meet someone very, very special: my fiance, Fleur Brandt!"

Jack smiled at Fleur and took her outstretched hand in both of his. He raised her calloused hand to his lips and gently kissed the back of it.