A Brief Moment in TIme (23 page)

News of their engagement could wait. They’d set the stage for it and no longer had to hide their feelings. For that, Kate was extremely grateful, not to mention relieved. She was bubbling over with emotion—emotion that was so far off the end of any scale she’d ever known, proving what she’d read and believed but never experienced, that even joy has no limit.

She thanked Sandra for her loving words and then thanked Gavin’s parents for their kindness. “I never thought I’d fall in love again...after my husband died,” she confessed. “But I can’t deny how I feel about Gavin. I’ve never met anyone like him. He’s wonderful.”

“We think so, too,” Carol beamed.

The rest of the meal was filled with laughter and questions, both about their relationship and about the program she and Gavin were planning to implement at Swenton. Kate happily answered, occasionally bowing to Gavin as he responded, even to questions about their work. She was thrilled that he’d become knowledgeable on a subject so dear to her heart, and that he already had a clear vision for the project they were about to undertake.

The evening unfolded exactly as Kate had imagined. The McDermotts were a close family, embracing newcomers as their own. It was late when Kate finally decided to pull herself away from possibly the most fun she’d had in years, if not ever. Sandra and her girls had already left, and Kate was enjoying a discussion with Gavin’s dad. He was quiet in the group, but one on one, Kate discovered him to be intelligent and full of insight. He was open minded, too, and Kate could readily see that Gavin had received some of his personality from his father.

Gavin emerged from the kitchen. “It’s a beautiful evening,” he smiled at Kate. “Would you like to go for a walk?”

She couldn’t refuse; the thought of it was irresistible. Outside, Gavin took her hand and they walked silently for a few minutes, the dog following at their heels. It was easy to enjoy the quiet, peaceful country setting. Having always lived in a big city, it was a decadent treat for the senses. Kate had never seen such a magnificent view of the heavens. As they moved away from the lights of the house, the sky came alive. The stars seemed to dance, and the constellations that enveloped them looked like a milky haze curving gracefully across the sky, put there by an artist’s brush.

Familiar with the surroundings, Gavin led the way through the darkness and brought them to a bench just below the garden. A warm summer breeze carried delightful fragrances both from the garden and the creek below. Kate wanted the moment to last forever as Gavin put his arm around her and held her close.

“Mom said to tell you that you’re welcome to stay…” he whispered, as if the sound of his voice might take away from the magic around them.

The invitation came as a complete surprise; she hadn’t given thought to staying overnight. She had a meeting in the morning with administration staff at the prison, although it wasn’t until ten o’clock.

“I’d been thinking about it,” he continued, “but I know we didn’t plan for it, and besides, I wasn’t sure my parents would be comfortable with the idea.”

“Are you sure she wasn’t offering me the spare bedroom?” Kate asked cautiously.

“No, I made sure we were on the same page.”

“What did you do, tell her you want to have sex with me?” Kate laughed.

“Not in so many words, but she got the idea. She’s pretty cool.”

Kate could tell that Gavin was smiling, and she snuggled closer.

“In some ways I think she still sees me as her little boy. Other times I can share my thoughts and feelings like she’s a close friend rather than a mother. I don’t know how I’d have made it through the past eighteen years if it hadn’t been for her.”

“Your family’s incredible, Gavin.” Kate looked up at the man she loved, the outline of his face slightly visible in the moonless sky. “I thought a family like that only existed in books and movies. Now I’m looking forward to becoming a part of it.”

“You already are.” He found her lips in the dark.

His words more than just moved her; they helped her realize that she was a part of his world. By becoming intertwined in Gavin’s life, she had inadvertently created a fabulous family for herself, too.

“Do you feel comfortable staying?” he asked softly. She could hear the desire in his voice.

“I think so,” she replied. “I mean, I want to. I’d love to stay with you. I just don’t want to make your parents uneasy. This has all happened so suddenly that we barely understand it; I can’t imagine how it must seem to them.”

“You’re not still worried about that cougar scenario, are you?” He ran his fingers through her hair. “I’m sure they’d never look at it that way.”

They spent more tantalizing moments under the sparkling canopy before going back inside. Gavin’s parents had gone to bed, leaving a trail of lights so they could find their way to the basement. In Gavin’s room, Carol had placed a robe and slippers, clean towels, and a selection of toiletries. Her thoughtfulness was appreciated and so was the silent message letting Kate know that staying in her son’s room was acceptable.

It was heaven to crawl into bed beside Gavin and know that their time together wouldn’t have to end soon. As Kate relaxed on the soft mattress, she felt a fluid motion as she rolled toward Gavin. “A waterbed?” she laughed.

“I know,” he responded, sounding embarrassed. “The whole room needs a makeover. You probably noticed the Van Halen poster on the wall, too; I’ve been meaning to take that down. My bedroom stayed in the eighties while the rest of the world advanced into the twenty-first century.

“Mom insisted on ordering a new bed. It should be here next week. I tried to tell them not to go to too much effort or expense,” he explained. “I don’t know how long I’ll be here. It’s kind of weird living at home with my parents when I’m thirty-six.”

“You don’t have to stay here, do you?” She was suddenly curious about the conditions of his parole.

“I talked to my parole officer about it. He’s a really nice guy, by the way. He said the conditions are somewhat flexible. He figures that if I was to get work in the city, I could get a place there.”

“Maybe now we can get a place together,” Kate suggested. “Swenton offered me a year to set up the trial program and the possibility of two more years if all goes well. I was going to start looking for a place before I go…I have to go back home,” she explained, “to take care of some things and pack up my stuff. I might be gone a few days.”

“I’m missing you already,” Gavin sighed, pulling her close. “But I love the idea of getting a place together. We can always fix up this room and spend some weekends here too.”

Part 4

~
Adele
~

This time-space reality that everyone is perceiving is nothing more than vibrational interpretation.

Chapter 22

THE PHONE RANG, waking Gavin from a deep sleep. He wasn’t expecting a call so he let it ring, assuming his mom was upstairs and would pick up. By the fourth ring, Gavin had to conclude that his mom was in the garden. He reluctantly answered the phone, not really in the mood to make small talk with a friend of his parents or inform another overzealous telemarketer that they didn’t need their carpets cleaned. What he heard instead was his name and a woman’s voice he didn’t recognize.

“Hello...Gavin?” the woman asked. “Is this Gavin McDermott?”

“Yes.”

She introduced herself as Adele Burgess and after a long pause, blurted out, “Gavin, I’m a friend of Kathryn Harding. I know this is a long shot, but I was wondering…is that name familiar to you? Do you know her at all?”

“I…um...” Gavin stammered, seriously questioning if he was still dreaming. He quickly stood up, feeling the coolness of the tiles under his bare feet. He looked in the mirror, rubbed his eyes, and ran his free hand through his hair—all in an attempt to assure himself he was sufficiently awake before asking, “I’m sorry, what name did you say? I don’t think I heard you correctly.”

“Kathryn Harding. She’s a psychologist. Do you know of her?”

“Um...yes...” he answered tentatively, still not sure he was awake. “I’ve...heard of her. Why?”

Adele went on to inform him that Kathryn had been in a serious car accident and was now in a coma. She seemed reluctant to tell him more over the phone, and Gavin could hear desperation in her voice.

How on earth could she possibly know that I have any connection to Kate?
The question screamed to be asked, yet Gavin remained silent as Adele told him she’d like to meet with him in person. He vaguely remembered agreeing to meet with the strange woman; he was still trying to digest the things she’d said.

Kate’s in a coma
. The news had come as a shock, but the fact that her friend was willing to travel across the country to meet him left him reeling. She was flying in later that day and asked if he could meet her. The hours dragged and questions continued to mount in his head as he waited to learn what the woman had to say.

Maybe Kate’s been dreaming of me, too,
Gavin speculated. The thought uplifted him for a moment, and then more questions emerged.
But if she’s been unconscious, how would her friend know anything about her dreams? Is the woman psychic?
It was a definite possibility, but it fell far short of explaining the incredibly odd circumstance he found himself in. He twisted it around in his mind a while longer, trying to make sense of it, but it was no use; the situation was too bizarre. All he could do was trust that it would lead him somewhere and that the host of questions would soon be answered.

That evening, as he stood in the airport waiting for her to arrive, his apprehension accelerated. The absurdity of the situation hit him, and he began to have serious qualms about how their meeting would unfold. He’d been mystified, wanting to know how Adele had found him, but what he suddenly realized was that now he’d have to explain his unorthodox relationship with Kate, and he didn’t know where to begin.

Gavin had yet to tell anyone about his supernatural experience in the prison infirmary or his ongoing dreams about Kate. He felt guilty sometimes, but what he’d experienced was so far beyond what he could understand, let alone explain, he wasn’t sure how to bring up the subject. And if he did, he wasn’t sure how his family would receive it.

He’d been home almost three months. At the beginning he’d tried for the sake of sanity to wipe the memory from his mind, but he’d been unsuccessful. Kate was as real to him now as she had been when he’d first met her in his dreams. She was his teacher and guide, and often his lover, and sometimes he could feel her presence—like the time his sister had taken him to Starbucks. It was soon after his release and his first time ever in the now-popular coffeehouse, but he’d had an overwhelming feeling that he’d been there before, and that feeling was linked to Kate.

He’d tried to determine what she represented to him and why she had been in the past and was still such a significant part of his thoughts and dreams. He couldn’t help but wonder if they were of a paranormal nature, if he was actually connecting with her in an alternate reality. There was no other way of explaining how he could dream about something he knew nothing of, a woman he’d never heard of—but one that, he’d discovered since, did exist and taught the very things he now knew.

Once he had a computer of his own, unrestricted use of the Internet, and the freedom to use his time in whatever way he chose, he was shocked to discover the truth. He learned a great deal about Kathryn Harding, the woman he knew as Kate. He found a picture of her and read that her work, along with her husband’s, was renowned. He continued to study and learn all he could because the subject fascinated him and because his hunger to learn and grow in those areas was strong. But it was more than that. The woman had some kind of spell over him and he didn’t understand why.

She had been more to him than a nonphysical teacher. He was grateful for the teaching; it had helped him immensely. She’d drawn him to a place he’d never been before and shown him a part of himself he never knew existed. Moreover, she’d so indelibly impressed herself on him that he couldn’t look at another woman without comparing her to Kate. She’d set the bar high, and he didn’t want to—couldn’t really—lower it.

He’d been dreaming of her when Adele called that morning. But unlike recent dreams, the encounter had been incredibly vivid and the details crystal clear. She’d been at his home and met his family. Not only that, but it seemed perfectly natural that they were planning their future together. His family had been more than accepting of their relationship; they were extremely happy for them.