The Healer

  Since Kate’s conversation sounded like it would take a while, Marcus stepped into the kitchen and raided the cupboards. The smell of tuna fish turned the ambivalent cat into his new best friend. Marcus admired the rascal. This family had a habit of adopting pets that were…interesting. He fixed himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and made a mental note to get Kate a new calendar. She was still on last year.

  “Bring me something to eat, will you?” Kate called from the living room.

  Marcus fixed her a sandwich and himself a second one. He carried the plate and two glasses of milk into the living room and set them on the end table.

  She had collapsed facedown on her couch. He tickled the bottom of her foot. “Who else is coming over tonight?”

  Kate leveraged herself up to reach for the late dinner. “Stephen was going to come by after his shift. Jack and Lisa are working. I didn’t want to bother Rachel. She desperately needs a night off.”

  Marcus sprawled in the corner chair. “What decisions need to be made?”

  Kate reached for her Bible and retrieved the envelope inside the cover. She handed over a small slip of paper. “Jennifer found it in the old scrapbooks.” Marcus read the list and was smiling as he got to the bottom.

  Lisa had been scribing during the family meeting where they chose a last name. Her handwriting had been legible in those days. They had settled on the name O’Malley, and in the margins she had scrawled a note about their twenty-fifth family anniversary.

  “We should move up the anniversary celebration.”

  Marcus looked at Kate. He folded the note and handed it back.

  “She’s not going to get another remission, Marcus.”

  “I would not bet against Jennifer. She’s been beating what her own doctors thought was possible time and time again.”

  “I want us to have one final celebration as a family before we face losing her. This would be perfect. I’m worried about how everyone is going to react to her death, and a gathering like this would be a good thing.”

  “Stephen is the wild card,” Marcus agreed.

  Kate picked up her cat and Marvel sprawled on the couch, taking a full cushion. “Stephen has nowhere to put the pain he feels. It’s bottling up in him.”

  “He’s going to retreat emotionally,” Marcus predicted.

  “I think so.”

  “He doesn’t want to accept Jesus, and with the rest of us having made that commitment, he’s feeling pretty alone through this. He doesn’t have the same confidence we do that Jesus will carry this. Kate, we don’t need to have a celebration for Jennifer’s sake. She is already comfortable with the day-to-day time she has left with us. We do need something to look forward to as a family for after her death. You and I have to make sure this family sees a future together and that twenty-fifth anniversary will be well timed. Far enough in the future to make it a place to be our turning point.”

  “I don’t want to look that far out.”

  “I know.” He had guarded this family for years, and his toughest challenge was coming. “The same thing that holds us so close together is the one thing that will threaten to tear us apart. Will we still risk loving each other this much after we take the pain of losing Jennifer? Or will we start to hold back a little just because it hurts so badly to take the loss?”

  Kate didn’t answer him for a long time. “I don’t know what we will do.”

  Marcus finished his drink. “In that honesty is a scary reality.”

  “Remember those first days at Trevor House?”

  Marcus nodded. “A common enemy. Loneliness.”

  “We’ll rise to this occasion.”

  “The O’Malley spirit?”

  She smiled. “We’re a stubborn group.”

  “I’ll grant you the stubborn.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out an item. He tossed it to her.

  By reflex, she caught the bullet.

  “You came a hair’s breadth away from being the first O’Malley we buried.”

  “Where did you find this?”

  “We dug it out of your pager.”

  Kate paled. He was perversely pleased to see it. “Dave wasn’t too happy with you.”

  “He knows?”

  “Why do you think he bought you the bulletproof vest?”

  She buried her head under a pillow.

  Marcus smiled. They were a family of survivors. He was depending on that.

  Ann had made her final decorating decision to do the living room in bold blue and white, with red accents in the fabrics. Rachel had come over Tuesday to see Adam to reassure herself he was getting over his dunking in the river, but it wasn’t long before she had picked up a paintbrush to help out. Rachel thought the color combination was excellent, and she found painting therapeutic. She edged the door frame in blue. Not for the first time she considered taking it up as a hobby. Cole had baseball; she needed a hobby too.

  Nathan peeked around the doorway. Rachel held up her paintbrush to keep from dripping on his hair. He put his hand over his mouth in an exaggerated motion for silence. Rachel smiled. The boy was adorable. She pointed toward Ann who was painting the window frame. The boy tiptoed across the room. Small hands reached around to cover Ann’s eyes.

  “Who is it?”

  Nathan giggled.

  “Adam, you’ve shrunk. Oh, no.”

  Ann reached behind her to Nathan and tickled him. He broke into peals of laughter as he was pulled around onto her lap. “You’ve had chocolate milk.”

  “Come play.”

  Ann hugged him. “In five minutes, sweetie. Turn on the egg timer.”

  “Go see the river?”

  Ann looked over at Rachel.

  “Yes, it’s important they both be comfortable down there and know how to be there safely.”

  “Okay, we’ll walk down to see the river. Tell Adam.”

  Nathan ran to find his brother.

  “Adam will be fine with it. I intentionally walked with Adam down by the river yesterday.”

  Ann smiled. “It’s Nathan who will be the challenge. He thinks his big brother got a special treat by being able to swim in the river.”

  “Then we definitely want to take the boys to the river and remind Nathan how muddy it is,” Rachel agreed.

  Ann closed her paint can. “Thanks for coming over today. It helped, just to remind Adam even after the crisis at the bridge that the day after really is normal and he’s getting treated the same as before.”

  Rachel knew exactly what she meant; it was one of the reasons she had come. “You’re very welcome, Ann.”

  Thirty-seven

  The Saturday of the rubber duck charity memorial was sunny and bright, with a steady breeze from the west. Rachel was proud of the students. From an idea to an event, they had drawn together to plan something that was an honor to the students who had been hurt and killed. They had drawn together in unity. The streets by Governor Bridge had been closed off and lawn chairs and blankets lined the riverbanks. The proceeds of this event were being dedicated to fund the arts and sports programs at the schools. It was fitting that Brian Rice had been arrested that morning in Ohio. There was finally truly closure to the events of the last month.

  Rachel uncapped her black waterproof marker. She had decorated her yellow rubber duck with a bright red ribbon.

  Nathan landed against her knees. “Look at mine.”

  He had added a big black stripe down the back of his yellow duck. “What’s his name?” she asked, smiling at him.

  “Skunk. The river is icky.”

  “Muddy,” Rachel agreed. She added her name to the bottom of her duck. “Okay, Adam, you can add mine to the truck.” The boy took it and headed toward the collection site. The huge truck set at the center of the bridge was filling up with thousands of ducks. It would soon lift and dump its load into the water and the race would be on. Adam had already dedicated one for Tim.

  Cole was still working on his duck. She leaned against him. “What did you pu
t on your rubber duck?”

  Cole turned it over. “Cole & Rachel” was inscribed inside a heart.

  “Oh.”

  He laughed and leaned over to kiss her. There was a point of stability in her daily life now and it centered on Cole. Up until this point the stability in her life had been her family, but now Cole was also there as a solid wall to lean on. She loved him so much.

  “Yuck.”

  Rachel leaned down and tickled Nathan for that comment.

  Cole offered his duck to Adam to take to the truck. “Here’s another one.” A cheer went up across the street as the school band began the school song. “They did a great job organizing this. How many ducks were bought?”

  “Over nine thousand, I think.”

  He picked up another duck to decorate.

  “How many did you buy?”

  Cole smiled. “A few.” He dedicated a duck to each of the students who had been injured and then started on one for each guy at the fire station. Adam took handfuls of ducks to the truck, slowing his steps on his last trip so Nathan could keep up carrying the final duck Cole had decorated.

  The program began at noon. Rachel kept an eye on the crowd of students. They had come out in school colors to show a unified spirit, and for the first time she saw more smiles than tears in the clusters of students. They were turning the corner two weeks after the shooting, coming together to help each other move on.

  Adam took Nathan’s hand and led the way down to join Stephen and Ann. They had set out a blanket on the riverbank where there would be a good view.

  Cole took Rachel’s hand and pointed to the fire truck behind them. “Let’s get higher.” The department had brought the boxes of ducks over, and a crew was staying at the event on the off chance there was need for a medical presence. Cole gave her a boost up onto the fire truck. Sitting up on the hose bed they had a great view. Jack joined them.

  On the bridge a long solemn whistle blew. The truck raised its bed and the rubber ducks slid out into the river. A huge cheer erupted. A river of rubber ducks with black sunglasses began their journey.

  “There’s mine.” Jack pointed. His had been spray-painted fluorescent blue.

  “Trust you to get colorful.” Rachel watched the ducks drift in the water, bounce off each other, swirl together in eddies, and then continue their journey downstream.

  Rachel picked up her program. She was going to be adding it to her memory box.

  “Did you read Gage’s tribute this morning?” Cole asked, unfolding his newspaper to show her.

  Rachel nodded. “He did a magnificent job.” She had expected nothing less from her friend.

  She looked around the crowd of students one last time. They were turning the corner today in a corporate way, giving each other permission to go on with their lives. It was the right memorial and at the right time.

  Rachel looked down at her pager. For the first time in weeks it was quiet.

  Rachel was asleep on a gym bleacher at the community center. Cole paused beside her to read her sweatshirt. Something about honey and cream. Rachel’s arms were folded across her chest and she was holding a towel even in her sleep.

  Stephen shot a basket from near the half-court line. It hit the rim, and he went after the rebound to grab it and put up another shot. “Come on, Cole. Let’s play some one-on-one.”

  “Is she going to fall off that bench?”

  “Doubtful. It’s her spot. She’s gotten lots of practice ignoring a basketball game. She comes to hold the towels.”

  Cole set down his gym bag. “I can see that.”

  He slipped off his watch and added it to the towel Rachel was guarding. He let a finger brush her cheek as he smiled, and then he crossed to join Stephen on the court. “What are we playing to?”

  “Whoever is ahead in half an hour.”

  Cole nodded and caught the basketball. He shot a few practice hoops. “No one else is coming?”

  “The guys will dribble in over the next hour if they’re free.”

  Cole tossed Stephen the ball and settled in to play the game. It felt good to be back on the court.

  As she awoke, Rachel was aware that a rather intense basketball game was going on. She could hear Jack and Stephen doing their floor chatter as they tried to figure out how to get the ball around their opponents and to the basket. It was a familiar sound, for basketball was an O’Malley family tradition. She opened an eye at the sound of bodies making contact and got a good look at her brother Marcus as he crashed into the wall a short distance away from her perch. The basketball bounced from the rim toward the far wall and got scooped up by Cole. Shirts were plastered by sweat and the guys were breathing hard.

  She’d been tired enough to sleep through it.

  Rachel sat up, realizing she had become the guardian of two towels, a watch, and someone’s sunglasses. Lisa on a bleacher above her handed down a water bottle. “Thanks.”

  Stephen noticed. “Hey, sleeping beauty is waking up.”

  Quinn ran past. Rachel slipped on the glasses and found there was no corrective prescription. “Who’s winning?”

  Jack laughed. “Depends on which scorekeeper you listen to.”

  Cole used the fact Jack was distracted to score from the baseline.

  “I see I’m bringing you good luck,” she called as Cole ran back the other way on defense.

  “Just sit there and keep smiling, honey.”

  The honey paused Marcus in his tracks and Cole stole the ball.

  Lisa laughed. “You are good luck.”

  “Why aren’t you playing?” Rachel asked her sister.

  “Too much sweat on the court. You were exhausted.”

  “It’s catching up with me,” Rachel admitted. “This is a nice place to hide.” She settled her elbows back on the bleacher behind her and watched the guys run the court. “I wish Jennifer were here to see this.”

  Lisa held up the camcorder on the bench beside her. “I caught about twenty minutes of it for her.”

  Rachel held out the water bottle the next time Cole ran by, and he took it with a grateful smile. He had a moment to grab a drink and toss it back to her before Jack invaded his corner of the court.

  Cole had been accepted into her family. It was comforting not to just know it but to see it.

  Lisa moved down to sit beside her. “Are we ready?”

  “The wedding dresses arrived,” Rachel replied. “My list is complete. We’re ready.”

  Thirty-eight

  Rachel circled the hotel suite, mingling. It felt good to laugh with family. The double wedding they had been planning for weeks was an hour away, and the party had already started. It had begun as something the O’Malleys could look forward to with joy and had become a powerful healing moment for them all. In their own way they were allowing each other permission to enjoy the day even as they corporately worked to accept the fact Jennifer’s days were numbered.

  Jennifer had been in charge of the guest list and she had cast a wide net. “Marissa, can I get you anything?” Rachel stopped beside her friend.

  “I’m fine. Clare is helping me out with the decorations.” Marissa smiled at the girl drawing a heart on her cast below the knee.

  “See?” Clare asked, pausing to show off the artwork.

  “Absolutely gorgeous.”

  The little girl beamed at her.

  Marissa nodded around the suite. “Do you think Kate will be surprised?”

  Rachel looked around the transformed hotel suite. “She’s going to be overwhelmed.” Roses were everywhere. The wedding plans had been cut back in light of how Jennifer was feeling—they had set aside original plans from a dinner together to a large reception. But even so it was going to be a wonderful evening. There would be a beautiful double wedding ceremony with two great wedding cakes. The kids had been awed at the wedding cakes.

  Gage was perched on the arm of the couch, sharing a moment with Nathan that had both the man and boy smiling at each other. Nathan could wrap anyone
around his finger, and Gage already had an incredibly soft spot in his heart for little boys. Ann was talking with Marcus’s fiancée Shari. Rachel saw Adam tugging at his tie and Stephen knelt to help him straighten it.

  Jennifer had rallied for this day and was now sitting comfortably in a plush chair set strategically to allow her to be fully involved in the coming evening events without having to move. She was talking with Dave’s sister Sara and her husband Adam Black, Jack and Tom both nearby.

  Cole joined her. He held out a handful of the mints he had asked her to add to the list. “I think you have managed to pull it off.”

  She smiled at him. She’d been dragging him all over the city in the last couple days getting the last details figured out. He’d been an incredibly good sport about it. She had so enjoyed the time with him, a chance to decompress from the stress of the last month with a man who had become so important to her. “Come here,” she whispered. He kissed her and he tasted like mint. There was a time and a place for everything, and tonight she was enjoying Cole’s company.

  She accepted some of the mints and wished she had paused to eat dinner during the racing around to get the final details finished. “Now if the brides would just arrive.” Lisa was responsible to bring Kate without letting her know what was coming. It was a tough assignment, but so far keeping this a surprise appeared to have been successful. And if Kate for some reason truly got cold feet and couldn’t handle the surprise, it would simply be Lisa and Quinn getting married tonight. No one wanted to back Kate into a corner she really wasn’t ready for.

  “Relax. She’s going to love it,” Cole assured her.

  “I hope so.”

  The grooms were pacing by the windows. Dave and Quinn were handsome men in their matching tuxes and tails. Rachel smiled as she watched them. Quinn still had on his cowboy boots.

  The suite phone rang once and stopped. It was Lisa’s signal that they were arriving at the hotel. Kids scurried to their planned greeting positions.

  The door to the suite opened. “Surprise!” A number of flashbulbs went off to capture the moment, and only because Lisa had her arm around Kate’s shoulders did the initial reaction of a surprised cop not result in something more than Kate instinctively taking a step backward out of the doorway.