A Brief Moment in TIme (25 page)

She knows me!
Electricity surged through him.
She’s been experiencing the same kinds of things I have. No wonder she feels so real to me.
He was elated at the idea of her being more than just a dream. She was a woman who had shared exhilarating and intimate adventures with him, someone he could now talk to about those memories—if indeed Adele was right and his presence in Kate’s life would bring her back.

Adele seemed confident that she could arrange for him to see Kate. Gavin had no idea how, but he had to trust that the details would work themselves out. He didn’t know how long it would take, either, and not knowing was the hardest part. Meanwhile, he needed to find a way to tell his family about her. He’d shared a little with his mom about a psychologist named Kathryn Harding, what he’d learned about her work on the Internet, and his desire to meet her. Now his mom deserved to hear the rest. He just hoped she wouldn’t find it too strange.

He offered to help with lunch dishes the next day. That in itself wasn’t unusual, but his mom must have sensed he wanted to talk, because she asked him what was on his mind.

“You know me too well,” he teased, trying to be casual but feeling the tension in his stomach.

“You’re easy to read,” she smiled.

“Do you think it’s possible,” he began, “to connect with someone you’ve never met, never even talked to in person?”

“Maybe,” she frowned. “I don’t like to rule things out. Just because I don’t know something doesn’t mean it’s not possible. Why do you ask?”

He told her about his experience in the infirmary, and she looked taken aback. Gavin hoped she wasn’t offended that he hadn’t shared it with her sooner.

“So that’s what sparked your interest in this woman’s work?”

“Yeah, that’s what triggered it, but I think if I’d come across it any other way, I would have been just as intrigued by it. It’s really helped me.”

“I know it has, dear,” she smiled. “From what you’ve told me, I can understand why. It’s quite an amazing teaching. It’s even challenged some of the things I believe and helped me to be more open minded.”

“That’s good,” Gavin laughed uneasily, “because I just learned something that’s pretty mind blowing. Kate was in a car accident right around the time I got sick. She’s still in a coma—on life support.”

“Oh, dear,” Carol exclaimed.

“I met with a friend of hers yesterday. Her name is Adele. She...um...flew out here to talk to me.” Gavin stopped to gauge his mom’s reaction. “She told me that Kate’s family wants to take her off life support, but Adele is convinced that Kate has been trying to communicate with her and…” he swallowed hard. “This is the really strange part...”

“Gavin, I’ve never seen you so nervous. What on earth is this about? You’ve always been able to talk to me. You know I won’t judge you.”

“Thanks,” Gavin exhaled. “I really appreciate that. It’s just...this is something I can’t explain. It’s...paranormal, and I didn’t know what you’d think of that kind of thing.”

“What do you mean by paranormal?”

“Mom, Kate knows me, too. I don’t know how it’s possible, but we’re pretty sure that she’s been having an experience similar to the one I had. Somehow we’ve connected and experienced things together on some level. The nurse heard her say my name, and Adele found a picture of me—of our family—among Kate’s things. That’s how she was able to track me down, and now she thinks that Kate is trying to communicate with us both. She wants me to go and see her…to see if it might...” Gavin’s words trailed off as he noticed his mom’s reaction.

She’d turned from the sink, and soapsuds were dripping on the floor. “But how on earth…?”

“That was the same reaction I had when Adele told me,” he laughed again, hoping to break the tension. He really didn’t want to mention his mom’s handwriting on the back of the picture.

Carol wiped her hands on her apron and walked into the living room. Gavin followed with no idea what she was up to. She pulled a box from a cabinet and took it over to the sofa. “I had a dream,” she explained. “It made no sense at the time, so I dismissed it, but now I wonder…”

“Wonder what?” Gavin asked as he watched her flip through loose photos in the box.

“A few weeks ago, I dreamed I was looking for that picture of all of us we had taken at your last birthday. Someone wanted to see it. I don’t know who, but I remember searching for it.”

She continued flipping through the pictures and then frowned as she looked up at her son. “It doesn’t seem to be here. I wonder where else I could have put it. This is where I keep my photos till I get a chance to put them in an album. I got caught up over the winter, so I don’t have many left in here.”

A knowing seized Gavin as more pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Kate had acquired the picture so she could have Adele find it; he was sure of it. He was also confident that his mom’s search would be futile.

“Did you actually see the picture?” Carol inquired. “Was it that one of the four of us...taken at the prison?”

Gavin nodded.

His mom was silent, and Gavin couldn’t interpret her expression. He assumed she was trying to process the astounding things she’d just heard.

“So Kate’s been trying to contact you,” she stated calmly, indicating she’d fully accepted the strange set of circumstances.

“You’re okay with this? I mean...it’s so bizarre.” Gavin was stunned at his mom’s ability to accept it without question.

“God works in mysterious ways,” she replied. “It’s not for me to ask why.”

Gavin suddenly had a déjà vu moment. He’d heard his mom use the common phrase often, but this time the words and the way she’d said them sounded familiar. Gavin was sure they’d had the same conversation before. It was eerie but powerful, and Gavin wondered what it meant.

Moving on, his mom began to speculate about how he’d get to see Kate. “You can’t travel. They wouldn’t make an exception, would they?”

“Adele thinks they might; she’s working on it now.”

“Gavin,” Carol squeezed his arm, “I’ve learned to trust my feelings over the years. It’s served me well. I have a feeling about this.”

Gavin had heard his mom say those words many times before, too, but he had never fully understood the significance until that moment. “That’s what Kate teaches!” he exclaimed. “That’s our emotional guidance system. It’s trusting how we feel and following what feels best.

“I feel it, too,” he added. “I don’t know how or why this all happened, but she’s become an important part of my life. She’s helped me so much, and now I want to help her...if I can.”

Carol smiled lovingly, and Gavin could see the pride in her eyes. He gave her a hug and held her for a long moment. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too, son.”

HAVING GOTTEN TO KNOW several of the nurses on Kathryn’s ward, Adele was able to call and get regular updates on her friend’s condition, which as of that morning had not changed. That link was comforting. She’d visited Kathryn every day, hoping her presence, her words, might have some effect. Now she hated being away from her but knew it was for the best; it was what Kathryn wanted.

The government official that her friend had suggested she call was away from his office on family business and couldn’t be reached. Frustrated with the delay, Adele had no choice but to leave her name and number and wait for him to return her call. That left her with nothing but time on her hands and no reason not to return home—at least then she could be with Kathryn. She’d naively hoped that Gavin might accompany her back. Now it looked as though it would be several days, maybe longer, before she could talk to the man, not to mention the time it would take to secure Gavin’s travel arrangements. The thought was disheartening.

Trusting her instincts, she decided to stay another day. She liked the idea of seeing Gavin again, of getting to know the man that Kathryn had formed such a deep connection with. She called to update him on her efforts, and he sounded pleased that she had the name of someone who could make things happen. He was eager to meet with her again, too.

As he picked her up at her hotel later that afternoon, she noted again how good looking he was and gave Kathryn a silent thumbs up for her taste in men. It was more than just his looks that made him a perfect match for Kathryn, however. He was kind and gentle and uncommonly wise for someone who hadn’t had the benefit of formal training. His knowing seemed to come from a place of connectedness, not from books or lecture theaters.

As they visited, it was clear that he was keen to learn all he could about Kathryn. After answering several of his questions, however, Adele asked why he kept calling her Kate.

“That’s how she introduced herself to me, to all of us, in her sessions at Swenton. I just assumed that’s what everybody called her. I was surprised to hear you call her Kathryn; it sounds so formal.”

“It feels that way, too,” Adele admitted. “I’ve often thought Kate suited her better.” She told him a little about Kathryn’s past and the reason for the name change. “As trivial as the change seemed to others, it was her attempt to become someone new and deal with the traumas of her childhood.”

“It’s nice to learn more about her,” Gavin smiled. “We talked so much about me in our sessions. There’s something I’ve been wondering, though. She wore wedding rings, and I felt…kind of guilty, thinking about her the way I did. Afterward when I read about her late husband’s work, I couldn’t help but wonder...did she remarry? And if so, why doesn’t her current husband have a say about what happens to her?”

“Kevin died four years ago,” Adele informed him. “And no, she’s never remarried. She’s never even looked at another man as far as I know. I’m surprised that her rings would be a part of your experience with her. It must represent something. People tried to persuade her to date again. I even encouraged it after a while, and it became a sensitive issue between us. I knew how much she loved Kevin, but I also saw how lonely and withdrawn she was becoming. She finally took off the rings just over a year ago, but it was a hard decision for her.”

“Sounds like she’s had more than her share of pain.”

“Definitely more than some, but it’s made her who she is. Kathryn’s the most giving, caring person I’ve ever known. I miss her so much…” Adele felt the dam burst. She’d tried to be strong for so long, to be there for her friend and stay positive, but with Gavin she felt she could be vulnerable. It was obvious that he loved Kathryn, too.

Gavin offered her a comforting hug, and Adele appreciated the gesture. He was choked up, too, and she felt a kinship with him. She could finally share her heart with someone who understood the pain, loss, and helplessness she’d been feeling for weeks.

“She’ll come back to us,” Gavin tried to assure her. “I can’t believe all this has happened for nothing. There’s got to be a greater purpose.”

Chapter 24

GAVIN SPENT THE next few days searching the Internet, trying to learn more about the supernatural events that were happening in both his life and Kate’s. Part of it was natural curiosity, just wanting answers, but more than anything he wanted to keep busy and keep his mind occupied as he waited, again, for a verdict from someone who held the power to greatly influence his future.

His nights were filled with confusing dreams. Some were faded reproductions of past adventures with Kate, while others were random bits of information coming at him—a word, a thought, a face, an idea—with no apparent reason, at least none that he could figure out. He tried to make sense of it based on the understanding he’d received from Kate and the information he’d gathered since.

As he lay in bed one evening, he attempted to sum it up in his mind.
I know I’m connected to something greater; I’m part of a system that perfectly supports me.
The thought reminded him of advice he’d received when he first went to Swenton: “It’s a system, kid. You learn the system and you’ll do just fine.”

Life is a system, too,
he concluded.
A set of seemingly random parts that make up the whole. But those parts aren’t separate at all; everything is interconnected and acting in a unified way. And I’m an important component in this system.

He reminded himself of the life-changing truths he’d learned from Kate.
My thoughts are creating my reality, and I have the ability to change those thoughts.
He’d experienced it more than once, and it gave him a sense of power as never before. It was the very power he’d been so desperately seeking as a teenager.

And reality...it’s not some immovable, unchangeable set of circumstances. It’s a constantly moving, constantly changing, fluid set of observances controlled solely by my focus.

So how does all this apply to Kate and her current situation?
he asked the Source of greater knowing he’d come to trust.
She’s part of something bigger, too. She’s creating her own reality just like I am. She isn’t just a victim of some drunk driver. Her ability to choose hasn’t been taken away just because she’s lying unconscious in that hospital bed.
He shook his head.
It can’t be; it doesn’t fit with everything I know and believe—everything she teaches.
Gavin continued to sort through the knowledge he’d collected and apply it as best he could to the situation.