TWENTY-SEVEN
Mother's day dawned bright and shiny and full of hope. Jess couldn't help but appreciate it all the more—for the simple fact that Gracie was still in her life. Moreover, Kayne had been very thoughtful by helping the kids make and serve her breakfast in bed, something that had never happened before, not even when Jarred had been alive. Kayne had then proceeded to keep the kids entertained and, eventually, get them ready for church, giving Jess plenty of time to pamper herself with the new bath set full of wonderful, expensive, salts, beads, oils, and other incredible lotions and potions that the children had gifted her.
As she sat in church next to Kayne, his arm wrapped possessively around her shoulder, she had to fight back tears of happiness. The past week had been near perfect. Kayne was as attentive as a father and husband as he was a lover, and sometimes, in the depths of the night, after hours of lovemaking, when she was wrapped snugly in his arms, she would swear the steady cadence of his heart sounding in her ear spoke of forever with each passing beat. Today, sitting next to him, with him, watching their children sing the various songs of the Mother's Day program, she heard it again. Their children? Yes, somehow that sounded right. Somewhere along the way they had all become his too. She prayed he didn't break their hearts.
When they arrived at Darcy's Kids, the parking lot was nearly full. All the families that hadn’t attended church were already there, along with those who'd left right away. Jess had been reluctant to come, but Kayne had insisted. Jess knew she shouldn't allow her feelings to be hurt, but she truly didn't understand why Darcy hadn't allowed her to plan the brunch. She couldn't help but wonder if she'd done something to offend her, but all Darcy would say was that someone else had volunteered to handle it, so Jess would have the opportunity to sit back and enjoy it.
Jess was more than a little surprised when she walked in. Obviously Darcy had somehow managed to have the event professionally catered. There were tables of buffet-style food, and Joe Sutton stood manning the grill. Truth be told, if Jess didn't know better, it looked exactly like something she would have planned.
Darcy stepped up onto a makeshift stage. “Everyone, I'd like your attention, please. I'd like to take a moment and thank the person that made all of this possible. Normally, our dear Jess coordinates this event and so many others throughout the year. I have to admit, I was a little surprised when someone else stepped forward and insisted they be allowed to plan this year's Mother's Day brunch. I think, looking around; everyone will agree they did a superb job. Jess just may have some future competition. I guess she's lucky she married the guy. Ladies and Gentlemen, Kayne Dobrescu. Kayne, if you'd like to come forward, I know you have a quick presentation you'd like to make before we get started on this wonderful food.”
Jess could do little more than stare dumbfounded as Kayne stepped forward, giving her a sheepish smile, not quite able to look her in the eyes. “I cannot take sole credit. I have discovered, the hard way, that what Jess could accomplish single-handedly, required me and a small army. I'd like to thank some people who've become pretty special friends to me over the past few weeks: Del St. Phillips, Joe Sutton, and Trace St. Moritz. I also need to thank Ms. Tiffany Johnson…and last, but certainly not least, the smartest, sweetest, most loving little girl a father could have. She has definitely lived up to the meaning of her name: Magnificent. Thank you, Madalina. Without your help none of this would have been possible.”
Jess turned to Maddy, whose cheeks were stained bright red. “You did all of this?”
“Shh...listen.” Maddy pointed toward Kayne.
Kayne blew out a heavy breath. “You have no idea how difficult it is to find the perfect gift for someone like Jess, especially on Mother's Day. She is her children's North Star. She leads them with love and patience. She doesn’t force conformity on them, but encourages them to be independent, creative, inspired beings. Jess's love for them shows in everything she does, a love so strong that even the everyday bedtime story wasn't good enough. But Jess's love doesn't stop with just her own children. It extends to the ones here at Darcy's Kids and in her volunteer work within the children's classrooms at school.”
Kayne fiddled with his tie. “How, might you ask, does one keep up with someone like Jess? The truth is they don't.” Kayne gave a self-deprecating grin. “I have a phone app that sends me her schedule and updates me as it changes. Let me tell you, it changes a lot. But with all she does, her children always come first.”
He walked over to a stack of boxes sitting on a chair and pulled a book out before turning back to the crowd. “So, for the best Mama I've ever known...I present to her, her very own published book of bedtime stories.” He held the book up for everyone to see.
Kayne turned to her and stretched out his hand in a gesture for her to step forward and take it. “Jessica.”
Jess couldn't move. “You did this? For me?” For a guy who claimed he wasn't any good at words, he'd just floored her. Her bedtime stories? In a book? She didn't even try and wipe away the tears that streamed down her face.
“See for yourself.” He closed the distance to stand beside her holding out the book for her to take.
Kayne addressed the room. “There are five very special stories in here along with illustrations done by our very own children here at Darcy's Kids.”
Her hands trembling violently, Jess reached out and took the beautiful hardcover book. She traced her hand across the title and her name. Slowly, she opened it and began turning pages. She tried to read the dedication page, but, unable to see through her tears, stopped, closed the book, and wrapped her arms tightly around Kayne, who enfolded her in his.
Kayne leaned in and spoke softly. “May I read it out loud?”
Jess could only nod.
“There are two dedications. The first is Jessica’s. To my precious children, Madalina, Ashur, Isabelle, and Grace, No mother could love her children more than I love you. Each of you is truly a gift from God that I cherish more than anything else in this world. And to Amy Sarah, my Beloved Princess. I only held you once, but you live on forever in my heart. Even you have a story.”
Kayne paused and bussed her temple before continuing. “The second dedication is from Darcy’s kids. I may call you Mom, Grandma, Aunt, or some other name, the title doesn’t matter to my heart. It only knows that it loves you. Happy Mother’s Day.”
Jess couldn’t fathom how he'd accomplished this. Not only had he included all the children here at Darcy’s Kids, he’d included Amy in the dedication, expressing everything that she would have wanted to say, had she done so herself.
Jess turned at the sound of Darcy’s voice. “What an incredible Mother’s Day tribute. Kayne, thank you. Now, if the children will please form a line, I’ll start passing out books.”
“It's almost perfect,” Jess managed to whisper.
***
Kayne tensed, wondering where he’d gone wrong. “Almost?”
She looked at him, those whiskey-colored eyes shimmering with tears. “My last name is Dobrescu, not Hallstatt,” she said firmly.
God he loved her. Did she realize that? Did she have the slightest clue of the power she held over him? He slowly lowered his head and kissed her. The thought exhilarated as much as it terrified him. He swore he'd never allow this to happen again, and yet it had struck him like a sniper’s bullet to the chest; he'd never seen it coming. And with Jess it was so much more deadly, because he not only loved her, he was in-love with her, which left him without any Kevlar protection.
It wasn't until the cat calls started that he realized he'd let the kiss and his emotions get out of hand. He ripped his lips from hers and tucked her into his heaving chest.
A movement caught Kayne's eye, and he looked up to see a stranger holding Grace, and she was crying. Kayne recognized the man from the first day he'd visited Darcy's Kids. He couldn't explain it, but his survival instincts were screaming that something was seriously wrong.
“Sit down, look at your book. I'll be right back,” Kayne said to Jess, never taking his eyes off the stranger. Perhaps it was nothing, but he headed toward the exit to intercept, in case the guy headed that way. The man hadn't moved far by the time Kayne reached him, and he was speaking to Grace, his words too low for Kayne to hear.
“Hey, sweetheart, what happened?” Kayne stepped right into the guy’s path and pulled Gracie out of the stranger’s arms.
“I think she fell. I couldn't understand her and didn't know who she belonged to.” The guy all but vibrated nervous energy that he was trying desperately to hide. He glanced once over Kayne's shoulder, and Kayne couldn't help but think he was judging the distance to the exit.
“Thanks, I'm her father. I got it from here,” Kayne said firmly, looking the man square in the eye. “I take it you have family here?”
“Yeah, right over there.” He pointed the buffet tables.
“Then why don't you go be with them and stay away from my children.”
The guy held up his hands in surrender. “Look, I didn't do anything—”
“Stay away from my children,” Kayne reiterated.
Kayne watched as the man walked up to a lady in line and started speaking with her. Perhaps he'd overreacted, but he'd rather make a fool of himself a dozen times over than allow something to happen to any of his kids ever again.
Kayne made Gracie a plate and set her next to Maddy. “Sweet-pea, don’t let Gracie out of your sight.”
“Okay, Papa.” Maddy smiled up at him tentatively.
Papa? Oh, boy! Kayne was surprised to find that hearing that word again didn’t hurt as badly as he’d expected. He gave Maddy a reassuring smile and a wink. He could do this.
***
Jess had wanted to protest when Kayne offered to go get her food, but she hadn't been able to resist looking through the book, so she’d nodded in agreement. The title page of the first story had a beautiful full color drawing of Maddy kneeling at her window, staring up at the North Star. But there was no artist's signature from what she could see. She continued turning pages, looking at each of the children's drawings and the names signed in the artwork.
The next title page showed Ashur dangling precariously off the edge of the bed with a Transformer in his hand. Then Isabelle dancing on her bed with Teddy, her white nightgown billowing out around her, and then Gracie balled up in Jess's arms, her head against her shoulder, her hand over Jess's heart as she rocked Grace to sleep.
“Here you go.” Kayne placed the plate and a drink in front of her.
Jess grabbed his hand to keep him from leaving, and he sat down, straddling the bench behind her. He took her in his arms, resting his chin on her shoulder.
“How did...who did these drawings?” She pointed to the one of her holding Gracie. She knew no one had ever taken a picture of her rocking their daughter.
His hold loosened by a fraction. “You don't like them?” He sounded uncertain. Disappointed.
“I love them, they're beautiful.” She flipped through to the last story. When she saw the page she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She opted for both.
“How?”
Jess felt him shrug. “I found the albums with baby pictures of you and Jarred and used those as a reference.”
A beautiful, curly-haired angel with Jess's eyes and stubborn chin, and sporting Jarred's mischievous smile sat atop the headboard watching over Jess as she slept. Amy’s beautiful face was smudged with dirt, the hem of her gown torn, her halo askance, and her wings were more pixie-like than angelic. She was absolutely perfect.
Jess looked at him over her shoulder. “You drew these?”
“Yeah.” He shrugged as if it were no big deal.
How sad that she hadn't know he could draw, much less do something as incredible as this.
“I don't know what to say,” Jess admitted. She'd always wondered what Amy would have looked like, and now, looking at this drawing, seeing so much of Jarred and herself looking back, she knew in her heart this was it. Kayne had made her real.
“That you're not mad?” he asked quietly.
“Mad at you? Over all this?” Jess pulled her gaze away from the book to Kayne's vulnerable eyes. Mad was the furthest thing from her mind. “This is...” She paused to trace her hand over Amy's image. “No one has ever done anything like this for me. No one. Ever,” Jess admitted, tears welling in her eyes all over again. “This is...I have no words.” And she didn't, at least not ones she could say aloud, so she simply kissed him and hoped he'd understand.