bride.
Kate found the name and likeness of Sonja Evans, Callie’s mother. Callie said she hadn’t seen her in over a year. Maybe… Kate clicked through link after link and eventually found her way to another likeness, a mug shot from the sheriff’s department of Pierce County, Washington. Even in the mug shot, the woman scarcely resembled a hard-faced criminal. In fact, she looked remarkably pretty, soft and vulnerable.
Kate felt a little queasy. Sonja Evans had been arrested for theft and was serving time at the Washington State Correctional Center for Women in Purdy. I’m so glad they locked you up, she thought. You don’t deserve to be called anyone’s mother.
She put her things away and went to find Callie. The girl was seated at a table, paging through an oversize book. “Find anything interesting?” Kate asked.
“A book about Cake—that’s my favorite group. I’ll put it back on the shelf.”
“You can check it out if you want.”
“I don’t have a library card.”
“No problem. We’ll get you one right now.”
A short time later, when they left the building, Callie held a temporary card in her hand, cradling it as though it was fragile. When she saw Kate looking at her, she gave a fleeting smile. “I’ve never had a library card before.”
Kate had a powerful urge to hug her, but held back. Callie didn’t seem comfortable with hugging. They went outside into the sunshine. Kids were testing their paper airplanes on the lawn, and they stood watching while Aaron flew his again and again.
“I looked up Millennium Commune,” Kate said. “In there, on the Internet. I hope you don’t mind. I was…curious.”
“It’s not like it was a secret or anything. It was in the papers in California.”
“It’s awful, Callie. If there’s anything I can do, if you just want to talk—”
“I had counseling and all that crud,” she said with a dismissive shrug.
Kate gently touched her on the shoulder. “You didn’t tell me about your mother.”
“Oh, gee, sorry,” she said sarcastically. “That’s usually the first thing I tell people, that my mom’s in the slammer.”
“Are you allowed to visit her?” Kate asked.
“Sure. Not that I do or anything.”
“I could take you there,” Kate suggested. “If you wanted to, that is.”
“Nope.”
Kate dropped her hand. “Sorry. What I’m really sorry about is that you didn’t do anything to deserve this.”
“What makes you so sure of that?”
“Because you deserve better, Callie. You’re young and incredibly smart, and you deserve the best life has to offer.”
She regarded Kate with incredulity. “God, are you for real?”
“Do you have a problem with me wanting the best for you?”
“Just seems kind of pointless,” Callie muttered.
“I disagree. What if I had decided there’s no point in thinking I could write an article for a national magazine?” Kate persisted. “What if I hadn’t even bothered to try? Then I’d still be rattling around at the cottage, convinced I had no future as a writer. It’s not a bad thing, wanting something and thinking you deserve it. So what do you want?”
“A different life,” Callie blurted out. “To be a different person, not some fat loser with zits.” Callie stared at the ground. “I can’t believe I said that.”
It wasn’t quite what Kate had in mind. Teenagers, she thought, glancing over at Aaron and the other kids playing on the lawn. “I don’t want you to be a different person, and I bet you don’t, either. Not really.”
“Yeah, everything’s just peachy.”
Kate refused to get annoyed. “For what it’s worth, I thought I was a loser when I was your age. Dated the same guy all through college because I thought Nathan was as good as I could ever get. He wasn’t such a great catch, but I thought, hang on to him, Kate. If he dumps you, you’ll have nobody. And of course, he dumped me. Never even saw Aaron.”
“What a jerk.”
“Took me years to
Kate found the name and likeness of Sonja Evans, Callie’s mother. Callie said she hadn’t seen her in over a year. Maybe… Kate clicked through link after link and eventually found her way to another likeness, a mug shot from the sheriff’s department of Pierce County, Washington. Even in the mug shot, the woman scarcely resembled a hard-faced criminal. In fact, she looked remarkably pretty, soft and vulnerable.
Kate felt a little queasy. Sonja Evans had been arrested for theft and was serving time at the Washington State Correctional Center for Women in Purdy. I’m so glad they locked you up, she thought. You don’t deserve to be called anyone’s mother.
She put her things away and went to find Callie. The girl was seated at a table, paging through an oversize book. “Find anything interesting?” Kate asked.
“A book about Cake—that’s my favorite group. I’ll put it back on the shelf.”
“You can check it out if you want.”
“I don’t have a library card.”
“No problem. We’ll get you one right now.”
A short time later, when they left the building, Callie held a temporary card in her hand, cradling it as though it was fragile. When she saw Kate looking at her, she gave a fleeting smile. “I’ve never had a library card before.”
Kate had a powerful urge to hug her, but held back. Callie didn’t seem comfortable with hugging. They went outside into the sunshine. Kids were testing their paper airplanes on the lawn, and they stood watching while Aaron flew his again and again.
“I looked up Millennium Commune,” Kate said. “In there, on the Internet. I hope you don’t mind. I was…curious.”
“It’s not like it was a secret or anything. It was in the papers in California.”
“It’s awful, Callie. If there’s anything I can do, if you just want to talk—”
“I had counseling and all that crud,” she said with a dismissive shrug.
Kate gently touched her on the shoulder. “You didn’t tell me about your mother.”
“Oh, gee, sorry,” she said sarcastically. “That’s usually the first thing I tell people, that my mom’s in the slammer.”
“Are you allowed to visit her?” Kate asked.
“Sure. Not that I do or anything.”
“I could take you there,” Kate suggested. “If you wanted to, that is.”
“Nope.”
Kate dropped her hand. “Sorry. What I’m really sorry about is that you didn’t do anything to deserve this.”
“What makes you so sure of that?”
“Because you deserve better, Callie. You’re young and incredibly smart, and you deserve the best life has to offer.”
She regarded Kate with incredulity. “God, are you for real?”
“Do you have a problem with me wanting the best for you?”
“Just seems kind of pointless,” Callie muttered.
“I disagree. What if I had decided there’s no point in thinking I could write an article for a national magazine?” Kate persisted. “What if I hadn’t even bothered to try? Then I’d still be rattling around at the cottage, convinced I had no future as a writer. It’s not a bad thing, wanting something and thinking you deserve it. So what do you want?”
“A different life,” Callie blurted out. “To be a different person, not some fat loser with zits.” Callie stared at the ground. “I can’t believe I said that.”
It wasn’t quite what Kate had in mind. Teenagers, she thought, glancing over at Aaron and the other kids playing on the lawn. “I don’t want you to be a different person, and I bet you don’t, either. Not really.”
“Yeah, everything’s just peachy.”
Kate refused to get annoyed. “For what it’s worth, I thought I was a loser when I was your age. Dated the same guy all through college because I thought Nathan was as good as I could ever get. He wasn’t such a great catch, but I thought, hang on to him, Kate. If he dumps you, you’ll have nobody. And of course, he dumped me. Never even saw Aaron.”
“What a jerk.”
“Took me years to
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