I Want To Live

Chapter Five

    Before boarding The Lady of the Lake for the trip back to Chelan, Katie embraced her grandparents and said, “I love you guys.” She had explained her decision to give the baby up for adoption.The baby will have a chance at a better life than being raised by a single mother. Heartened by their love and support she hopped on a bus headed for Clairmont after she disembarked from the ferry. She planned to catch an Amtrak train to Seattle from there. Dr. and Mrs. David Williams would meet her at the station upon her arrival. They had been in frequent contact by email after their name was given to her by the adoption agency. She felt as if she knew them already.

    Traveling the rails as the train approached Seattle at reduced speed, Katie saw a blue tarp encampment of homeless persons again, their bearing similar to those outside Portland. Scraggly hair. Mismatched clothes. Dirty. Pallid. It seems Seattle has a homeless problem too. The train screeched to a stop outside the King Street Station. Small steam clouds puffed from underneath the massive engine wheels as the iron monster shuddered and stilled.    

    “Katie MacKenzie? Over here!” A high-pitched woman’s voice called her name over the din.

    Katie looked in that direction. A tall woman with side-parted ginger hair flowing down her back, ran along the platform. Her warm smile put Katie at ease. She looks just like her picture. 

     “Hi. I’m Patricia Williams.” She acted like an excited girl in a candy shop. “I’m sooo happy to meet you at long last.” She spied Katie’s lone suitcase. “Is that the only luggage you have?”

    “Yep. This is all I need.” Katie grinned at the woman’s enthusiasm. “I travel light.”

    “Well, then. My car is parked nearby. Just follow me.” Patricia set off at a brisk pace.

    Katie had to jog to keep up with her, cheeks reddening from the exertion. Living with this couple should be interesting. Her eyes widened when she saw Patricia chirp the yellow Mercedes to life in the parking lot. What other surprises lie in wait?  She settled into the cushy leather passenger seat, fastened her seat belt and rode in awe, admiring Patricia’s ability to maneuver through Seattle on fourth street to Westlake Avenue. Busy I-5 buzzed with noisy traffic off to her right. White seagulls flew overhead as they neared Lake Union. Topping a rise Katie saw a huge lake bordered with two-story floating homes tethered to a long boardwalk. 

    “Where are we?” Katie stammered. She had never seen anything like it.

 Patricia grinned in amusement. “This is where you’re going to live for the next few months until the baby is born. Remember? We agreed to take care of you, wanting you to be free of any worries and to eat well for the baby’s optimum development.” 

    I don’t like the implication of that. “I’m not a 4H livestock project being raised for auction.” Katie felt heat rising in her cheeks. 

    Pat glanced at Katie’s inflamed face. Apologized immediately. “That was insensitive of me. I didn’t express myself well at all. I’m sorry.”

    “No. I’m afraid I overreacted.” Katie looked out her window. “Forgive me---nerves, I guess.”  

    They rode in silence. Katie wanted to kick herself. When will I learn to think before I speak.  Ten minutes passed before Pat steered the Mercedes into a private parking lot on the waterfront. She cut the engine. “Welcome to Lake Union.” As upbeat as when they first met.

    Unbuckling their seat belts they stepped from the car. Katie trailed Patricia toward a locked gate in a secure fenced area. Her host punched the key code that allowed their access. The two women descended the ramp to a boardwalk where Pat walked briskly to number six on their left. She inserted a house key into the slot of a heavy oak door with an oval patterned glass inset and pushed it aside. 

    Walking over the threshold Katie was thrilled by the amount of natural light that suffused the living area. Sliding French glass doors framed the lake and outside deck, giving the illusion of being one with nature yet offering protection from the elements. She stood transfixed by her suitcase absorbing the interior of the great-room. An inset propane fireplace flanked by bookcases occupied the left wall of the main living area. A comfortable stuffed couch and matching armchairs butted the staircase wall. A beautiful tree trunk slab with driftwood legs served as a coffee table. Pinch me. I’m dreaming.

    Meanwhile Pat rummaged in the kitchen to her right and set a kettle on the stove to boil. “Would you like a cup of tea? You must be exhausted from your travels today. I’ve got English Breakfast. Earl Grey. Chai.”

  “Chai would be great.” Katie sat in a ladder back chair at the dining table. “I am rather tired, now that you mention it.”

     The kettle sang. Pat steeped some Chai leaves in a teapot, then brought homemade scones to the table. She returned with two blue ceramic mugs filled with aromatic tea. “Would you like cream and sugar or honey to go with the tea?” 

     “I’ll take honey and cream.” Katie smelled the aroma before drinking. “I’m completely blown away, Patricia. Your home is lovely.” She bit into a delicious scone. “Hmmm.”

    “Please. Call me, Pat. We have about two hours before David gets home. Would you like to see your room and lie down for a bit?”

    After their snack Pat led her up a spindle-rail staircase to a guest bedroom on the second floor. The open door accessed a spacious room with window facing the lake. A twin bed with divided shelf headboard, plus dresser, desk and chair filled the room.

    “There’s a shower stall in your private bathroom.” Pat opened the door for Katie to see. She pointed to a louvered closet. “You can put your suitcase in there." Before leaving Katie alone to rest Pat paused. “I hope you’ll feel comfortable here.” Then shut the door quietly. 

David was as gracious as his wife when introduced. Blond curly hair, deep-set blue eyes and genuine smile, plus a charismatic personality that would put anyone at ease. The dentist was noted for his ability to calm small children giving them a positive experience. The love he felt toward Pat was evident in the warm hug and kiss he gave her after shutting the front door. He loosened his tie and accepted a glass of white wine she presented before sitting in an armchair.

    “Well, Katie, welcome to our little retreat away from the bustle of the world.” He paused to sip his wine. “We’re honored to be entrusted with raising your baby with all the care and love we have to give.” 

    Katie was pleased to see his eyes moisten, knowing he spoke from his heart. I‘m making the right decision letting them adopt my baby. “I appreciate that. I want what is best for my child.”

    Pat interrupted them. “Dinner’s ready. Come. Sit.” She served a green salad with vinaigrette dressing to start the meal followed by lasagna and a crusty baguette.  

    Conversation while eating was cordial. Katie felt the couple was genuine, unaffected by their standard of living. She relaxed, allowing herself to enjoy their company. 

    “What was your major in college?” David stood by a sideboard to pour another glass of wine. His long legs brought him back to the table in two steps. Suddenly he was aware of the alcohol he was drinking in her presence. “I’m sorry. How insensitive of us to enjoy wine with dinner when you can’t have any yourself.” 

    “It doesn’t bother me.” Katie was quick to assure him. “Please don’t alter your habits because of me.” The relief on his face made her smile. “I was a journalism major at Portland State University. Just finished my sophomore year.”  

    “We’re not far from the University of Washington. Would you like to continue your studies while here?” Pat didn’t want the girl to fall behind.

    “If they have online courses related to journalism,” Katie’s eyes brightened. “I would like to very much.” Her enthusiasm changed to a frown. “I would be an out-of-state student. I don’t know about the cost.”

    Pat placed her hand over David’s. “We could help her with some of the tuition. Couldn’t we, Dear?”

    “You’re both being so generous already.  .  . “ Katie hesitated to accept.

    “Don’t discount anything yet,” David said. “We’ll look into the possibilities later.” He glanced out the French doors. “It’s a beautiful evening. Why don’t we take a boat ride and watch the sun set over the city?”

    “That’s a great idea.” Pat rose from the table and started to stack empty plates. Katie followed suit, picked up the empty serving dishes and carried them into the kitchen alcove. The two women placed the lot into a dishwasher and put leftovers in the refrigerator.

    David offered life jackets before the women stepped aboard their ChrisCraft Capri 27 boat, then deftly disconnected from the mooring, hopped aboard and started the engine. He backed slowly out of the slip, changed direction and gradually increased speed to cruise the expansive lake. The couple waved to other boaters they knew, out to enjoy the balmy evening also. 

    Katie bunched her fleece jacket firmly against the self-made wind. Seattle’s skyline was dotted with lit windows silhouetting the city as dusk set in. The sunset cast a dying orange-red flare before sinking below the horizon completely. David cut the motor and let the boat drift. Running board lights warned other boaters of their presence. The Milky Way filled the night sky with a legion of twinkling stars, making it difficult to identify individual constellations. 

    The spectacle almost seemed Holy. It makes you believe there is a God, thought Katie. The past few months had shaken what little faith she did have.