Key West Promises (Seaside Palms #1)

Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

T he yellow bungalow felt smaller than usual with all five Lawrence women gathered in the living room. Ernest watched from his perch on the porch railing, his literary criticism apparently extending to family drama.

Chelsea automatically moved to make coffee—a Lawrence sister tradition when facing difficult conversations.

"So," Chelsea said finally, passing out mugs. "We're all here."

"Yes," Gretchen replied, perched on the edge of the sofa like she might flee at any moment. "I suppose we are."

Kaitlyn stood by the window, arms crossed, looking more like her mother than she'd probably want to acknowledge. Tess and Leah sat together on the loveseat, presenting a united front as they always had during family crises.

"I didn't plan for any of this," Gretchen began, but Kaitlyn's sharp laugh cut her off.

"Really, Mom? You didn't plan to hide my sister from me for years? To let me think Dad just…what? Forgot about me? Moved on without a backward glance?"

"I was trying to protect you."

"Don't." Chelsea's voice was quiet but firm. "Don't say that, Gretchen. That's exactly what Mom used to say when she made us keep her secrets. When she turned us against each other to hide her own choices."

The comparison seemed to hit Gretchen like a physical blow. She pressed her hands to her face, shoulders shaking. "I've become her, haven't I? I've become exactly what I swore I never would."

"We all did, in different ways," Tess said softly. "Remember those Sunday dinners? How Mom would make us all dress up, pretend everything was perfect while Dad drank himself numb in his study?"

"And if anyone slipped," Leah added, "if anyone showed a crack in the perfect facade…"

"The silent treatment," all four sisters said in unison, then shared a pained laugh at the shared memory.

Kaitlyn turned from the window. "Is that what this is about? Your childhood trauma bleeding into my life?"

"Kaitlyn," Chelsea started, but her niece wasn't finished.

"No, I want to understand. You all sit here talking about how terrible it was, being forced to keep secrets, to maintain appearances. Meanwhile, I've spent my whole life doing exactly that—crafting the perfect social media presence, pretending everything was fine, never knowing there was a whole other family out there. A sister who probably doesn't even know I exist."

"She does," Gretchen said quietly.

The room went still.

"What?" Kaitlyn's voice cracked.

"Sarah knows about you. Jeffrey…your father…he told her last night. That's why—" Gretchen swallowed hard. "That's why he wants to come to Key West. They both do."

"No." Kaitlyn started pacing. "No, absolutely not. I can't…I can't handle that right now. The fundraiser's in three days, and I have responsibilities, and I just…I can't."

"Breathe, honey," Chelsea said, moving to intercept her niece's nervous movement. "No one's saying it has to be now."

"Actually," Gretchen admitted, "Jeffrey wanted to come right away, but I told him to wait. After the fundraiser. To give us time to…to figure out how to do this right."

"Do what right?" Kaitlyn demanded. "Have some awkward family reunion where we all pretend the past sixteen years didn't happen?"

"No pretending," Leah said firmly. "That's what got us here in the first place."

"But how would this even work?" Kaitlyn sank onto the sofa, though notably not next to her mother. "Practically, I mean. Where would they stay? What would we do? Just sit around sharing family stories that half of us weren't part of?"

"They could stay at the Cypress House," Tess suggested. "Neutral territory. And we could plan some structured activities—maybe start with lunch somewhere public but quiet."

"And Joanna?" Chelsea asked. "Where does she fit in all this?"

"She's…" Gretchen took a deep breath. "She's actually been more understanding than I deserve. She's the one who encouraged Sarah to be open to meeting Kaitlyn. She said secrets had already cost both girls too much time."

"That must have been hard to hear," Chelsea observed. "Another woman being more generous than you could be."

"Everything about this is hard," Gretchen admitted. "The thought of facing Jeffrey again, of watching him with both his daughters while I stand there knowing I’m just as much to blame for keeping them apart…But I can't keep making choices based on my pride. That's what Mom did and look what it did to us. We missed out on so many years together."

"We need to think about Sarah too," Leah said practically. "She's sixteen—this is huge for her. What did Jeffrey say? How did Sarah take it?”

Gretchen shrugged. “Surprisingly well. I don’t know if it’s being young and not seeing the drama in it all or…”

“Or maybe she likes the idea of having a sister?” Chelsea asked. “I mean, far be it from me to put my two cents in but…”

Everyone stared at Chelsea as if she had two heads.

“You without an opinion?” Leah teased.

“Very funny. I mean it, haven’t any of you wondered about that possibility?” She looked at Kaitlyn. “And, what about you? I know you’re upset with your parents over this, but what does it mean to you to have a sister? I remember a time when you used to beg your mother to have another child.”

Gretchen’s face lit up. “That’s right. I remember you not only begged me to have another baby, but you also insisted it be a girl because you wanted a sister.”

Kaitlyn shook her head. “Mom, that was years ago. It’s not that I don’t want Sarah in my life. I’d like to get to know her, but it’s not the same as growing up side-by-side, sharing everything together. We missed out on that.”

Tess, ever the optimist, looked around the room. “Aren’t you all tired of focusing on what you don’t have instead of the gifts you’ve been given? Hasn’t being around the families at Paradise Harbor House taught you anything?”

They all sat in silence at Tess’s words, and Kaitlyn walked over to her aunt and wrapped her arms around her. “You’re the wisest one in the room, Aunt Tess. What would we do without you?”

Tess laughed and Kaitlyn turned to her mother. “I guess we shift our attention to the logistics of how we do this.”

“Maybe we start small? Coffee or lunch, just Kaitlyn and Sarah at first?"

"With support nearby," Tess added. "But not hovering. Give them space to find their own way."

"I'm scared," Kaitlyn confessed quietly. "What if she hates me? What if she blames me somehow for disrupting her perfect family? What if—" She stopped, swallowing hard. "What if Dad loves her more? He stayed for her, after all."

"Oh, honey." Gretchen ran to her daughter. "Your father's choices were about his own weakness, not about either of his daughters' worth."

"Tell me about her?" Kaitlyn asked after a moment. "Sarah? What did Dad say?"

"She's been following your social media the last couple of years," Gretchen said softly. "Apparently, when your father told her, she already knew. Don’t ask me how. I’m guessing the internet had something to do with it.”

Kaitlyn suddenly felt a weight lift from her shoulders. “Really? What did she say?”

“She’s just as angry with Jeffrey as you are. My guess is she’s going to be excited to meet you. I think you can stop worrying about whether she’s going to like you. Based on what your father said, Sarah thinks you’re a rock star.”

The mood in the room changed with this news. Kaitlyn was still angry at her mother, and it had been a long time since she'd felt anything but resentment toward this entire situation. Now, for the first time, something else crept in—curiosity.

“She really said that?” Kaitlyn asked, her voice quieter, less defensive.

Gretchen nodded. “She did. And I think…I think she’s been waiting for this as much as you have, even if you didn’t know you were waiting.”

Kaitlyn exhaled, staring down at the floor. “I don’t know what to do with that.”

“You don’t have to do anything right away,” Chelsea said gently. “Take a breath. Let it settle.”

Leah, ever the pragmatist, leaned forward. “We should still talk about what happens next. If Sarah’s already been following you online, she probably has a version of you in her head. This first meeting should be about making space for reality, for both of you.”

Kaitlyn glanced up, hesitating. “I think I’d like to meet her. But I don’t want a whole family circus around it. No big, dramatic setup.”

“Then we keep it simple,” Tess said, her voice soothing. “I have the perfect idea. Why don’t they make reservations at The Gardens Hotel? We certainly don’t have room here. It’s a perfect place for them to stay, and an ideal spot to have quiet conversation, just the two of you, somewhere comfortable but neutral.”

Kaitlyn chewed on her bottom lip. “And if it’s awful?”

“Then you take it one step at a time,” Tess replied. “But what if it isn’t awful? What if it’s good?”

That was the real question, wasn’t it? What if Sarah wasn’t some awkward extension of a past Kaitlyn resented, but instead, a person she could come to care about? What if she wasn’t a reminder of all the things their father had done wrong, but instead, a chance to build something new?

Kaitlyn exhaled. “All right. But what about the fundraiser? This is crazy timing.”

Gretchen nodded. “Why don’t I call Jeffrey and tell him the plan. They can make reservations for after the fundraiser.”

Chelsea smirked. “Remember, Kaitlyn. When you do meet, we’ll be nearby. Not hovering,” she added when Kaitlyn shot her a look. “Just within bolting distance.”

That earned a half-smile from Kaitlyn. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

Gretchen looked at Kaitlyn and spoke softly. “What about us? What can I do to earn your trust again?”

The room settled into an unexpected stillness, as if everyone was holding their breath at the shift in energy.

“Give me time, Mom. I’m learning the hard way that none of us are perfect, and the things we do to run away from pain can be drastic. Can we please start by not lying to each other ever again?”

Gretchen smiled. “Never again, honey. I promise.”

“I know it’s practically a closet, but we’ve got a tiny room in the back. You can use the air mattress,” Leah offered.

“My rental is pretty small, but you can stay with me if you’d rather,” Chelsea added.

Gretchen shook her head. “No, I’d rather stay here to be near Kaitlyn, if she doesn’t mind.”

Kaitlyn shrugged. “That’s fine, Mom, but I don’t want to talk about this all the time.”

Gretchen nodded. “Of course. I understand.”

Kaitlyn smiled. “Well, then. I know we have lots to do in the next few days, but I really could use at least a morning at the beach.” She looked at her aunts and smiled. “Anyone with me?”

“Absolutely,” Chelsea said. “I didn’t come all the way from Captiva to sit in this living room.”

The tension in the room hadn’t disappeared completely, but it had softened, replaced by something fragile and uncertain—hope.

Leah stretched and stood, rolling her shoulders as if physically shaking off the weight of the conversation. “Well, that was a lot for one night.”

“No kidding,” Chelsea said, rubbing her temples. “I don’t know about you all, but I need something stronger than coffee after that. How about we all go over to Margarita Max’s? We can introduce Gretchen to Connie and who knows, maybe Jamie is playing tonight.” Chelsea looked at Tess and winked, then glanced at Kaitlyn. “You in?”

Kaitlyn hesitated, then let out a breathy laugh. “Honestly? Something tropical sounds perfect. We can toast to new beginnings.”

“Now that’s my niece,” Chelsea said with a smirk.

Gretchen hesitated. “Kaitlyn, are you sure you want me to join, or would you rather just have time with your aunts?”

Kaitlyn looked at her mother, the walls between them still standing but no longer impenetrable. “You can come,” she said after a moment. “But no heavy talks, okay? Just…pina colada, pie, and maybe some bad storytelling if Aunt Chelsea gets chatty.”

Chelsea clutched her chest. “How dare you.”

Laughter rippled through the room, lightening the air in a way that felt long overdue.

Tess nudged Kaitlyn’s shoulder. “And tomorrow morning, we hit the beach.”

Kaitlyn nodded, a small smile curving her lips. “Yeah. That sounds nice.”

For the first time since she’d arrived in Key West, the weight pressing down on her chest didn’t feel quite so heavy. Maybe nothing had been fully resolved, and maybe there was still a long road ahead, but for tonight, this was enough.

And tomorrow? Tomorrow, she’d let the ocean wash some of the uncertainty away.