23. Kara
23
Kara
K ara made her way to the picnic table outside the rescue, watching as the sun sank toward the horizon, streaking the sky with shades of orange and purple. As the light faded, so did her sense of certainty. With a deep breath, she pulled out her phone to call Emma.
“Hey girl!” Emma answered. “How you doing?”
“Em, I told him. I told Ethan about Charlotte.”
“You did? I’m so proud of you!”
“You are?”
“Are you kidding? I know how hard this was for you—honestly, for anyone.”
Kara ran her fingers through her windswept hair. “I mean, I feel relieved, but—what if I’ve made a huge mistake?”
There was a long pause on the other end before Emma’s voice came through. “Kara, it was the right thing to do. You’ve been carrying this for so long—it’s time, and deep down you knew that.”
Kara paused for a moment, taking in Emma’s words. “You really think so?”
“I know so. You’ve got to trust yourself.” Emma hesitated, then asked, “So, how’d he take it?”
“He just—left. Said his neighbor called, had to go. Said he’d be back to talk, but I don’t know if he will. He never called me back years ago. What if I scared him? What if this was too much? What if he—”
“Whoa, whoa, slow down. Breathe. Okay? He specifically said he’d come back to talk, right?”
“He did, but—”
“Okay then, let’s give him a chance to come back. Don’t jump to conclusions just yet, all right?”
“I’ll try. Thanks, Em. But now I need to tell Charlotte. Sooner rather than later.”
“How do you think she’ll take it?”
Kara let out a shaky breath. “Honestly? I have no idea. Her whole life, it’s been this half-truth. We’ve always told her he left town years ago and that I didn’t know where he went. She never really asked much after that, not even his name. I mean, I saw Ethan in the paper years ago, found out he’d joined the army. But reaching out felt, I don’t know, impossible? And telling Charlotte.” Kara sighed. “I thought I was protecting her. Now, I’m not so sure.”
“Listen,” Emma said, “whatever happens with this, I’m here for you. Day or night. If you need to talk, vent, cry—whatever. Just call me, okay? Promise?”
“Promise. Thanks, Em. I might take you up on that. But I gotta get going. Anyway, I’ll text you later.”
“All right girl. You got this. Love you.”“Love you too.”
The last remnants of daylight were fading from the sky as Kara lowered the phone, slipping it back into her pocket. She stood still for a moment, letting the weight of the conversation settle in her chest. With a soft sigh, she rose to her feet and started the short walk back toward the rescue.
Familiar barks and whines greeted her as she stepped back inside. The steady routine of feeding and tending to the animals felt comforting as she made her way to the kennels. But her thoughts remained tangled with what lay ahead. As she poured kibble into the bowls, her mind raced.
How am I gonna tell Charlotte?
Should I just sit her down and say it outright?
She poured another scoop of kibble.
What if she hates me for keeping this from her?
She’s my whole world. I can’t lose her over this.
Kara bit her lip, trying to slow the whirl of thoughts as she began taking the dogs out in the groups Ethan had helped her set up. As she clipped on the first leash, more thoughts struck her.
What if he tells her before I do? No, he wouldn’t, right?
What if he doesn’t come back?
While walking one group, she mentally rehearsed how to break the news.
“Charlotte, honey, there’s something important I need to tell you about your dad.” No, that sounds too ominous.
She sighed, tugging lightly on the leash as a dog strayed off course.
“Charlotte, remember how we’ve always wondered about your dad? Well, I have some news.” That’s a little better, but still not quite right.
The hour passed slowly as Kara moved from kennel to kennel, feeding and walking each dog. By the time she locked up for the night, the sky had darkened, and the solar-powered porch lights had already flickered to life. As she walked back toward her tiny house, fireflies danced at the edges of the trail. The balmy summer air and the symphony of crickets would have normally drawn her to the porch to unwind—but tonight, her anxiety had stolen even the simplest comforts.
Once inside, she sank down at the kitchen table and pulled out her phone.
No messages from Ethan ... or Charlotte ... or Dad ... or anyone.
She stared at the screen for a moment, her mind circling back to Charlotte.
I’ll just have to be honest and straightforward. “Charlotte, I’ve discovered something about your father, and it’s time you knew the truth.”
That’s it! No sugarcoating, no beating around the bush. She deserves the whole truth, and I’m gonna give it to her.
Kara took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she knew she had to do.
With newfound resolve, she picked up her phone again, ready to call her daughter and set things in motion.
After three rings, she answered.
“Hey, Mom!”
“Hey sweetie! How are you?”
“Uh, fine. Just helping Grandpa.”
Kara’s chest tightened at the mention of her dad.
“Oh. Where are you?”
“Shoot, I forgot to text you, didn’t I? I’m at the pharmacy. Grandpa got swamped with a big delivery and asked for a hand.”
Of course she’s there.
Kara took a slow breath. “Oh, okay. Do you know when you’ll be done?”
“Mm, probably another couple hours,” Charlotte said, then paused. “Wait, is something wrong? Do you need me to come home?”
Kara hesitated. Should I wait? Maybe it’d be easier if I just held off until later? But no, waiting had never made things easier. She’d spent two decades waiting for the “right” time, and it hadn’t come. Dad’s gonna be livid if I tell her. But this isn’t about him. Not anymore.
“Actually, sweetie, I think I’ll come meet you there. Is that okay?”
There was a beat of silence on the other end. “Meet me here? Mom, what’s going on? You’re really starting to freak me out.”
You’ve made it this far. Don’t turn back now.
“It’s nothing bad,” Kara quickly added, trying to ease the worry in her daughter’s voice. “I just have something important I need to talk to you about, and I’d rather it not wait.”
“Important enough that you can’t wait two hours? Mom, seriously, what’s happening?”
Kara took a deep breath. “It’s complicated, honey. I’ll explain everything when I get there.”
There was another pause, longer this time. When Charlotte finally responded, her voice was quiet. “Yeah, okay, but you’re really scaring me.”
“I know, sweetie. I’m sorry, but I’ll be there soon.”