“Daniel! I’m so glad you called, I was getting worried about you.”
“Katherine’s uncle had a heart attack and I just don’t know what to do.”
“Is he okay?”
“Yes, Father, but he feels like he’s imposing. I’ve offered him the chance to come to New York, but Andy’s pretty stubborn. Katherine agreed to come back with me and go to fashion design school in New York, but now she wants to go back to Tennessee to take care of him if he won’t agree to come with us. I love her and I don’t want to lose her again.”
“Does she love you?”
“She said we’re just friends.”
Francesco could hear how tired his son was and how sad he’d become. Now was not the time to let him know that he proposed to Rosie. “Do you want me to talk to Katherine’s uncle for you?”
“Father, he’s a very stubborn man. I wasn’t exaggerating.”
“Good, so am I. I’ll see you in the morning, Daniel.”
“I’m not sure when I’ll be back, Father, things are kind of in the air.”
“No, I’m flying there. What hospital is he in?”
“I don’t mean to be disrespectful so don’t take this the wrong way. He might get angry, and he isn’t supposed to be getting upset.”
“So you think I got this far in business by not knowing how to talk with men like him? Daniel, watch and learn. I love you.”
Daniel knew there’d be no stopping his father.
Katherine sat in her motel room staring out the window. Why did he leave? She knew that once Daniel got to know her, he would run. Today it’s a different room, and tomorrow it’ll be a different state. It’s better this way, thought Katherine. She would have to go back to Prairie, and his life was in New York.
Her heart felt so heavy. She didn’t want him to leave. Opening the sliding door wall, Katherine stepped out on her balcony. She was alone. Just like she always ended up. Why should she go back to Prairie? Where did her responsibility end? If Uncle Andy chooses to jump off a bridge, do I follow him knowing how unsafe it is? He knows he shouldn’t be going back to that situation but chooses to do it anyway. If I follow him, my life will be nothing. Katherine continued to struggle. She felt an obligation to take care of her uncle at all cost, but didn't want to bury her dreams.
Katherine went back inside and put on her warm coat. She smiled when she remembered all the packages that Daniel bought and wrapped for her. She crossed the street and walked up to the cardiac intensive care unit. She found her uncle sitting up in bed, reading the paper. It was time for the two of them to have a heart to heart talk.
“Hi, Uncle Andy.” Katherine stepped up to the bed and kissed his cheek.
“Hey, Katherine, where’s your partner in crime?”
“I wanted to talk to you alone.” Katherine pulled up a chair and sat next to the bedside. She didn’t know how to begin. Her fingers began to gently run through her curls.
“Okay, spit it out, sweet one.” He knew when something was bothering his niece. She would pick at her fingernails or play with her curls. The last thing he wanted was to have her worrying about him. She always put herself last.
“Uncle Andy, I’m not sure if I can go back to Tennessee with you. I feel really bad about saying that.”
“You thought you’d have to come back with me? You thought I’d actually let you?”
“Who’s going to take care of you? How are you going to run the bar and get the building fixed? I have so much guilt.” Katherine tried not to cry, but a small tear ran down her face.
Daniel knocked on Katherine’s door for the fifth time and didn’t get an answer, so he got the office to check on her. She wasn’t in the room. He sprinted to the nearby restaurant and she wasn’t there either. Finally, he took off to the hospital. Daniel had a feeling he’d find her there. When he got close to Andy’s room, he heard two voices; Katherine’s tearful voice and Andy’s soft, comforting one. Daniel was surprised that the man could talk soft for any reason. He decided to stop and not enter the room. He didn’t want to eavesdrop but he needed to know that Katherine was okay by herself. Daniel knew the man could get a little brass and pushy.
“Katherine, you don’t have any reason to feel guilty. When you came to my house, shortly thereafter, your Aunt Patricia died. Even though you were young, just a little girl, you automatically assumed the role of caregiver. When I got pneumonia, you dropped out of college and came to take care of me. Now you want to do that again? I won’t have it. Besides, I love the folks in Prairie. If we could get some good things to happen in that town, it would be a great place. I know there’s not much left in Prairie, but it’s still my home.”