Page 62 of Luke

Eleven

"I'm here," Liz said, bracing her feet against the fallen tree as she put a hand on Kaitlyn's arm.

"I'm sorry," Kaitlyn said, tears streaming down her face. "I wanted to prove I could climb to the top of the mountain, but then I dropped my necklace and when I went to look for it, I slipped."

"We'll talk about it later." She had a lot of questions, but now wasn't the time.

"How are we going to get up there?" Kaitlyn asked with wide-eyed skepticism.

"I'm going to put this extra rope around your waist, and Luke is going to pull you up. Then I'll come after you."

She undid the knot on the top rope with shaky fingers. She knew Luke wouldn't let her fall, and she had her feet braced against the tree; she just had to trust him and trust herself. When she finally got it undone, she moved a little closer to Kaitlyn and somewhat awkwardly managed to tie the rope around her niece's waist. She made the knot that Luke had showed her and checked it twice to make sure it was strong.

"You're good to go," she said, forcing a smile on to her face. "All you have to do is scramble up the hill. Luke will pull you along."

"What if I trip or I fall?"

"He won't let you fall."

Kaitlyn stared back at her. "I couldn't do it before. I couldn't climb up the hill. I couldn't save Mommy. She told me to get out of the car, to look for help, but I couldn't do it. I was too scared."

The words tumbled out of Kaitlyn's mouth and Liz was shocked by a story she had never heard. The first people on the scene had said that Kaitlyn was sitting on the ground next to the car and that her parents had died on impact. But now Kaitlyn was telling her that Kelly had been alive.

"I'm the reason Mommy died," Kaitlyn said.

She shook her head. "No, honey, that's not true. Your mother's injuries were severe. She wouldn't have lasted more than a few minutes. She knew you loved her, and the last thing she would have wanted you to do was put yourself in danger to save her. She probably just wanted to get you out of the car in case there was a potential for a fire or for the car to slip farther down the hillside. You were the most precious person to her. She adored you, Kaitlyn."

Kaitlyn's gaze wavered. She wanted to believe; she just didn't know how.

"This isn't like before, Kaitlyn. You're not alone. Luke is on the other end of this rope. He will get you to safety. I promise you that. You have to trust me, honey." She realized she was saying the same thing to Kaitlyn that Luke had said to her. Maybe that's what all relationships came down to—trust and belief in the other person. "Let go of the tree, Kaitlyn—take my hand. I will not let you fall, and neither will Luke."

She put out her hand. Kaitlyn let go of the tree and then quickly grabbed her hand. "That's good. Now, the other hand. Put it on the ground in front of you." She braced her feet against the trunk as Kaitlyn freed herself. "She's ready, Luke," she yelled.

"So am I," he said. "Just climb up the hill, Kaitlyn. Don't look down."

Kaitlyn gave her one last look of indecision and she smiled reassuringly. "See you at the top."

"Promise you're coming back," Kaitlyn said. "I can't lose you, too."

"I promise," she said, her heart turning over in her chest. "You and I are sticking together."

Kaitlyn took in a deep breath and started to climb as Luke pulled on the rope to help her get up the hill.

Lizzie held her breath as her niece made her way up the slippery, rocky hillside. A few stumbles and heart-stopping pauses, and then she was safe.

"She's okay," Luke said, peering down at her. "Now it's your turn, Lizzie."

She was heavier than Kaitlyn and probably not as nimble, but she had to remember what she'd just told her niece. Trust in Luke. Trust in herself.

"I'll help," Kaitlyn said, moving next to Luke.

Kaitlyn put her arms around Luke's waist, and it was the most touching thing Lizzie had ever seen. She felt an overwhelming rush of love for both of them. They would not let her fall.

She made her way back up the hill, thankful for the rope around her waist pulling her up with assured confidence. When she reached the top, she scrambled away from the edge and took several ragged breaths before Kaitlyn hurled herself into her arms.

They hugged for several long minutes. And for the first time in forever, Kaitlyn was the loving, affectionate girl she'd once been.

"Hey, my turn," Luke said, wrapping his arms around both of them.

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