Finding Her Way in a Storm Ch. 13-21

Kaia was back a moment later with another towel, a blanket, and a first-aid kit. Skyler turned to look at Lisa and found her wrapped in the blanket. She could just make out Macey's face as the baby nursed her mother's breast, the act likely calming her fears as well as feeding her stomach.

Kaia was there then with a piece of gauze and a bottle of alcohol. Her cocoa-skinned girlfriend was talking to her, but her voice didn't sound right. It was much fainter than it should have been and almost drowned out by a ringing noise in Skyler's head.

Skyler shook her head as if trying to clear her hearing of whatever was obstructing it. She brought her left hand to her ear and touched it as Kaia grabbed her wrist and pulled it away.

Looking down, Skyler could see that her left palm was covered in blood.

"My eardrums are ruptured," Skyler thought to herself, remembering the intense pressure she'd felt in her head while out in the storm. The pressure was gone now, and she felt no pain, but she was obviously bleeding somewhat heavily.

Skyler began clearing away the blood on her left ear first. When she'd stemmed the flow, Skyler saw her grab a large piece of thick gauze and place it against Skyler's ear, grabbing the teen's hand and placing it there to hold it in place. Kaia then moved to the other side and began working on the other ear without saying anything that Skyler could hear.

Skyler looked across at Lisa and saw the mother smiling at her. Macey was now asleep, having spit out her mother's nipple, her little mouth still open. Skyler wanted to tell her she loved her right then but needed to be holding them both when she proclaimed it.

Skyler felt another piece of gauze placed against the ear Kaia had been working on. Again, her girlfriend gently grabbed her wrist and pulled it up until she held the gauze in place. Skyler grabbed a box and opened it, removing a roll of gauze, and began rolling it around Skyler's scalp.

When she was finished, Skyler knew she had to be a sight as she watched Kaia return to the corner and open a tub, pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. She brought them back to Skyler and began helping her out of her wet things. When she was down to her undergarments, Kaia helped her into the sweatpants first. They were a little snug for Kaia's more full figure, the top even more so. But the warmth they offered was very welcome. Kaia then wrapped her in a blanket and returned to her bin, pulling out another change of clothes for Lisa.

Skyler watched her set them beside the brunette, who was shivering despite the blanket surrounding her. Kaia gently took little Macey's sleeping form and turned to Skyler, saying something that the teen couldn't quite make out. Still, she accepted Macey and covered her under the warmth of the blanket, holding her tightly and thanking God for protecting her.

Skyler watched Kaia help Lisa change, noting the numerous cuts and abrasions on her face from coming out to save her. Skyler was sure without a doubt that she would have been dead right now if it hadn't been for Lisa.

Once they were all dry and reasonably warm, Kaia placed the lids back on the buckets in question. Each screw-on top had a cushion, and when Kaia had three of them, she lined them against the far wall so that they could all snuggle together safely.

And for the first time in a while, Skyler's mind turned to thoughts of parents.

Epilogue: Five Years Later

Bree Ann

Bree Ann Grace stood outside her granddaughter's school, waiting on Macey's first-grade class to be released. The weather outside as she stood by her car was pleasant, but then it always was here in San Diego. That was apparently one of its many drawing points, along with the beautiful Pacific Ocean.

Bree Ann missed the change of seasons, though. Not so much the oppressive heat of summer, that she was just fine without. But the Georgia spring coming out of a chilly southeast winter, that she missed. And then there was fall, her absolute favorite time of the year. The falling leaves and cooling temperatures always made Bree Ann happy. As much as spring represented new hope to her, fall forever made Bree Ann appreciate life and all it had to offer.

Plus, fall was college football time, and even that was a cheap imitation of the real thing out here.

But San Diego did have one thing that Georgia didn't. It had her three daughters and Macey. And soon, there would be two amazingly wonderful new additions joining the Grace clan.

Skyler might be her only naturally born child, but Kaia and Lisa had become every bit as important to Bree Ann. Her heart filled with love for them every time that she was in their presence.

The doors to the exclusive private school opened up, and the sound of giggling and rambunctious children reached Bree Ann's ears. This had rapidly become her favorite time of the day since the start of the school year. The sight of Macey coming through that door always managed to lift her heart, even on days she felt tired or down low.

Those last kind didn't come along as often as they used to, but they still hit her occasionally. And when they did, Bree Ann tried to surround herself with the love of her family. It would have been easy to close herself off emotionally in isolation, but Bree Ann knew that Jonathan wouldn't have wanted that.

The thought of him brought a tear to her eyes just as a very excited looking Macey appeared through the door, spotting her Mimi instantly, one hand waving frantically as the other clutched at her backpack.

Bree Ann had never seen a picture of the child's father but suspected he had little claim on her looks. She was the spitting image of her mother. From her hair color to her skin tone and delicate facial features, Macey was a carbon copy of Lisa.

"Mimi!"

"Hi, there peanut!" Bree Ann declared as she swooped down and picked the diminutive child up in her arms, giving her an exaggerated squeeze.

"Too hard, Mimi! Too hard!"

It was their daily routine and always sent Macey into gales of laughter. Bree Ann then proceeded to smother Macey in kisses, which delighted her granddaughter even more. Bree Ann knew the day would soon come when Macey wouldn't appreciate such antics, and she dreaded when it happened.

Once she had the little girl safely ensconced in her child seat and buckled in, Bree Ann attacked her with kisses again.

"Not fair, Mimi!" Macey declared through her fit of laughter.

She listened with one ear as she drove to the child's stories of the travels and travails of being a first-grader. But Bree Ann's mind was really elsewhere. The five of them had only recently returned from Georgia. They'd flown back to put flowers on Jonathan's grave on the anniversary of his death. Since that dark night five years ago, Bree Ann had struggled at times, but throughout it all, she'd never questioned God's choice to take him. She missed her husband dearly every day, but it had been a price he'd willingly paid.

He'd even asked God for it.

She could still remember his prayer as he prayed it loudly into her ear while laying on top of her on the floor of the half-bath. Couch cushions were laying atop them to protect against falling debris, a blanket over their bodies to help protect them from the elements should the worst happen.

Jonathan's voice had been firm, his prayer earnest and fervent. He'd pleaded with God to protect the lives of all of those he loved saying that if God had to take someone, that he was ready to go in place of others.

And Bree Ann had known precisely who he was referring to. Yes, they had friends and parishioners that they both cared a great deal about. Neither of them would ever want to see any of them hurt.

But Bree Ann knew that sweet Jonathan had been speaking of her and Skyler as well as Kaia, Lisa, and little Macey. There had been no doubt in her mind.

So when the sound of their house being rendered apart had first reached Bree Ann's ears, there had hardly been time for her to be afraid. When the very walls and ceiling around them disappeared, it had happened so suddenly that Bree Ann was too stunned for fear to have the time to grasp hold of her.

But once Bree Ann felt the protective comfort of Jonathan's warm body ripped away from her, she'd instantly become terrified. He was there one second and gone the next, taken up by the powerful twister that had destroyed the home they'd shared all these years. Ripped away in the prime of his life, Jonathan would miss out on so many events the long-married couple had desperately hoped to enjoy together. He would never get to walk Skyler down the aisle to be married or hold his first grandchild. The pair would never retire and travel the country together as they'd hoped or see Skyler's children grow up.

But Bree Ann hadn't been afraid long. Because just seconds later, a wall had collapsed on top of her, knocking the Grace family matriarch unconscious. When she'd finally awoken three days later, she'd been in intensive care of an Atlanta hospital. Bree Ann had been airlifted there not long after being miraculously found alive in the wreckage of her home the morning after the storm. Church members who'd survived the calamity unharmed had performed a thorough search of the home's decimated remains long after Bree Ann had been found. But no sign of Jonathan was located.

Their local hospital had been ill-equipped to handle Bree Ann's injuries. First responders and triage medical personnel on sight had been worried about potential brain swelling, so Bree Ann had been given priority.

She'd been airlifted before first responders had ever gotten to Kaia's home. After decimating the Grace's family's block, the twister had mysteriously lifted, passing over the one Kaia's house was located on. It hadn't lowered again until it reached downtown, wiping out most of the district, including the movie theater Skyler had broken up with her last boyfriend Jacob in.

One of their rescuers had noticed the giant oak that had once stood in the front yard of Kaia's home laying against the storm cellar door. When they couldn't raise anyone inside the house, chainsaw crews had been called in to help clear the tree away from in front of the steel doors.

Inside the storm cellar, the three women and Macey could clearly hear the chainsaw engines just outside their shelter. They'd spent countless hours trying in vain to open the doors to no avail, finally giving up to conserve their energy.

Thanks to the supplies Kaia had laid aside, they had waited in relative comfort. One of the buckets had been ceremoniously emptied of its valuable contents and used by all three women as a makeshift toilet. The most significant distress they had to deal with during that time was in locating an airtight container to stash a stinky diaper. Kaia had later sworn that its smell burned her eyes worse than the tear gas exercises she'd undergone in Marine basic training.

Skyler's shock had begun to wear off by then. The ringing in her ears was still profound, and her hearing no better. The pain from her head wounds had gone from a dull ache to becoming a constant source of irritation. What's more, her right shoulder had begun to ache to the point Skyler couldn't move it without significant discomfort.

When the four had finally been freed, medics had quickly been called to assess Skyler's injuries. Kaia and Lisa had been so concerned with Skyler's health, neither of them had even noticed that Kaia's home was relatively untouched by the destruction. The tree had scraped the paint on the siding, tearing loose a couple of boards and breaking one window. Otherwise, Kaia's hard work had endured.

In all, thirty-two people had lost their lives to the horrific storm, with more than three hundred injured. Most of the injuries consisted of little more than lacerations from flying debris or broken bones. But God had spared Jonathan's church and those he loved, taking him in their stead.

Skyler had suffered ruptured eardrums and a torn rotator cuff in her shoulder. She also had suffered a mild concussion and corneal abrasion of the right eye. The doctors had told her the eye would heal in just a few days, but her eardrums were a more pressing concern. The Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist who tended to Skyler's wounds said that the rupture was significant, and he was concerned that she might suffer at least a partial hearing loss.

Bree Ann was so thankful that Kaia and Lisa were by Skyler's side when she learned that her mother had been airlifted to Atlanta in severe but stable condition. When she'd asked about her father, no one had been able to give her any news.

Lisa had stayed with Skyler as the doctors fitted her injured arm in a sling to help remind her not to move it for a few days. They'd given her eye drops for her right eye and written instructions for the care of her wounds along with the name of an orthopedist that could repair her injured shoulder.

While all of that was happening, Kaia had used military contacts to circumvent HIPPA laws and get an update on Bree Ann's medical condition. At the time, she'd been in surgery while doctors drilled skillfully into her cranium to remove the pressure on her brain. Her prognosis wasn't a sure thing, but doctors were hopeful that she would recover completely in time. The MRI they'd done hadn't shown any evident damage other than the swelling and concussion.

The collapsed wall had also bruised her left kidney and broken her right arm in several places. Surgery would be done to repair the injured arm later that night when they were no longer concerned with the injury to her brain.

Less than an hour later, the three women and Macey were headed north on I-85 towards Atlanta with Kaia behind the wheel of Lisa's rental car. Skyler, Lisa, and a sleeping Macey sat in the back of the luxury sedan. Lisa had later told Bree Ann that Skyler had prayed the entire way to the hospital she was being treated at.

Bree Ann knew that the next three days had been horrible for Skyler as she'd sat by her bed, holding her unconscious mother's hand. Despite the doctor's reassurances that they were hopeful, Lisa told Bree Ann that her daughter had never stopped praying or left her side.

Kaia had gotten a hotel room within walking distance of the hospital. She and Lisa took turns getting rest and staying with Macey, but one of them was always there with Skyler.

Bree Ann could still remember the dreams she'd had while the doctors kept her in a temporary medical coma. Her brain was working overtime while it healed, supplying Bree Ann with the most surreal nocturnal visions of her life.

She'd dreamed of Jonathan non-stop while sedated, but it was the final one she'd had before waking that stood out the most. The two of them were walking in the mountains hand in hand, something they did in the fall every year without fail. The couple had always taken the second week in October to travel up near Helen, Georgia. Friends at church had a luxurious cabin there that Jonathan and Bree Ann had regular use of that time of year.

Bree Ann could still remember the way Jonathan's hand had felt in hers. His grip had been warm and firm, holding her possessively like he was afraid to let go.

The couple reached the peak of the narrow mountain trail they'd been steadily climbing and walked out into a clearing that overlooked the valley below. The mountain foliage had been in full bloom beneath them, the town of Helen seeming tiny from that height. The late afternoon sun had only added to the glorious shades of red and orange that littered the mountainside and surrounding terrain.

Jonathan had turned to Bree Ann at that moment, his eyes appearing sad and intense. He'd told her that it was time for him to move on to the reward he'd spent his entire adult life preaching about. Even then, Bree Ann had known he was already gone, but she'd still begged the dream apparition of her husband not to leave her.

He'd cupped her cheeks and softly kissed her lips one last time, telling Bree Ann that she still had a growing family that needed her guidance and help but that he would be awaiting her when Bree Ann's time finally came.

Bree Ann had been crying heavily by then, but not for her husband. She couldn't begin to imagine how hard Skyler would take the loss of her father. But Jonathan was right; their daughter would need her just as Skyler would need Kaia and Lisa. But Bree Ann had known even then that Skyler came from sturdy stock. It wouldn't be easy, but she would survive with the help of those she loved.

And so would Bree Ann.

She'd awoken to find her vision blurred, the room she was in dark and indistinctive. But it wasn't until she heard Kaia's speak that Bree Ann knew she wasn't alone. And if Kaia was there, that meant Skyler was too.

"Sky! Wake up, Sky. She's coming out of it. Her eyes are open!"

And then Skyler was there, Kaia by her side. It was clear from the look of her daughter that Skyler hadn't escaped unscathed. Her right eye was blood red, and even in the low light, Bree Ann could see that something wasn't right about her daughter's ears.

Skyler's voice had been hoarse from all the tears that she'd cried as she'd leaned over Bree Ann. She'd tried to speak to her daughter but found her voice uncooperative. Bree Ann had been briefly aware of Kaia leaving the room as Skyler encouraged her not to try and talk. That was followed quickly by a sudden flurry of activity as medical personnel began to flood the room to check on Bree Ann's condition.

The days that followed had been tough emotionally for everyone involved. Bree Ann had tried to prepare her daughter for the worst, but Skyler had still remained hopeful despite all evidence to the contrary.

Bree Ann had been given a chance to speak to Kaia in private when Lisa and finally managed to talk Skyler into returning to the hotel for a shower and a nap. The dark-headed beauty had even managed to go shopping and buy all three of them several changes of clothes.

While they were alone, Bree Ann had told Kaia what had happened that night. Her heart had been touched by the sight of the tough former Marine as she cried openly after hearing Bree Ann recounting of Jonathan's final prayer.

She'd begged Kaia to help her prepare Skyler for what was coming, telling one of the women her daughter loved that one day soon they would find her father's body. Bree Ann feared the longer her daughter held out hope, the worse Skyler's anguish would be.

Kaia had promised Bree Ann that she would take Skyler aside later that night and try to soften the blow of what Kaia now knew was inevitable.

But that chance never came.

As soon as the local police chief and the church's associate pastor had stepped into Bree Ann's hospital room, she and Kaia had known instantly that the search for Jon's body was over.

Bree Ann had been relieved more than anything. She'd already accepted the reality of her husband's death; at least now she had a body to bury.

Kaia had called Lisa at the hotel and told her that Bree Ann was okay, but they needed Skyler to return to the hospital. Kaia hadn't given a reason, but Lisa had later told Bree Ann that she'd known from the sound of Kaia's voice.

Kaia had met the two women in her life in the hall, Lisa holding her child in one arm and supporting a scared-looking Skyler with the other.

Skyler had entered the room and taken one look at her mother and other people present and instantly known. She'd wailed the word no and then collapsed, only Kaia's strong arms keeping Skyler from hitting the floor.

It was another week before Bree Ann had been given clearance to leave the hospital. There had been an outpouring of support from their congregation, with countless offers of a place to stay for Bree Ann and Skyler once they returned home. But Bree Ann had never given it a second thought as to where she wanted to be. With Jonathan gone, Skyler, Kaia, Lisa, and Macey were now her family. And Bree Ann would cling to them for whatever support she needed.