bed and they were chatting amiably.
“Good morning.” Miikka stood up with his usual friendly smile, but his eyes were intense as they met hers.
“Miikka.” She walked up to him in surprise and he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
“Surprise,” he whispered.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to meet your family and see how your father is doing,” he said. “I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help.”
“Your young man has made me smile this morning,” Norman said. “Telling me about his hockey and all.”
“It was such a long flight,” she said softly, looking up at him with so much love in her heart. Why had he come? He was just going to make it harder for them to go their separate ways.
“You’re worth it,” he said, his eyes never leaving hers. “And we have things to talk about.”
She turned to her father, since she wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “Dad, I brought you a book of crosswords. Do you still like them?”
“Love them. Thank you.” He nodded.
“Has the doctor been in yet?”
“He was here at seven o’clock sharp. Said if the tests today all come back good, he’ll send me home in a day or two.”
“That’s great.”
“Does that mean you’ll be going home too?” he asked.
“Dad, you know I can’t stay here in Kansas. My life is in Anchorage.”
“It’s been a long time. I feel like I just got you back.”
Charli swallowed, always at a loss for words lately. “Dad, we can’t fix the past in a few days.”
“We can come to visit,” Miikka interjected. “And when you’re better, you can come to visit us, maybe come for a hockey game.”
“Now that sounds like fun.”
Miikka and her father started to chat again and though Miikka slid an arm around her waist as they talked, Charli felt lonelier than ever. Being here with him while knowing they no longer had a future together was unbearable and she planned to get him alone as soon as her mother arrived.
“Good morning.” Denita came in an hour later and froze when her eyes rested on Miikka.
“Denita, come meet Charlotte’s young man. This is Michael.”
“Miikka Laasonen.” Miikka didn’t seem at all upset that her father couldn’t get his name right, and he just smiled and shook Denita’s hand.
“Charlotte didn’t tell us you were coming,” she told Miikka.
“It was a surprise,” he said. “I wanted to see if there was anything I could do for Mr. Bartosiewicz.”
“That was very kind,” Denita said stiffly. “But I think we have everything we need. Family is really all you need in times like this.”
“Well, of course, and Charli and her family are my family now too.”
Charli wasn’t sure if she wanted to kiss him or smack him.
“You don’t become family until you’re married,” Denita responded. “Are you planning to get married?”
“That’s the plan,” Miikka responded without missing a beat.
That seemed to take the wind out of her sails and Charli took the opportunity to change the subject. “Mom, we’re going to go get something to eat. Miikka had a really long flight to get here. We’ll be back in a little while, okay?”
“Yes. All right.” Denita nodded and Charli practically dragged Miikka from the room.
“I’m not hungry,” he protested once they got into the hallway.
“Yes, but we have to talk and we can’t do it in there.”
“Char-lot.” He stopped and turned to her, pulling her close. “I love you. Nothing changes that.”
“Not now, no. But in a few years? What happens when you want babies and I won’t give them to you?”
“My love.” He took her hands in both of his and brought them to his chest. “You can’t let the past dictate what your heart wants. Don’t you see that what you did was the biggest sacrifice any mother can make? You gave up your child, a piece of you, so that he could have a life you couldn’t provide. How does this make you a bad mother?”
“I let him go,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I could have gotten a job waiting tables, maybe gone to college part-time or something. I could have made it work, but obviously I didn’t care enough to try.”
“That’s not true,” he protested. “Why do you insist on only seeing the negative?”
“You’re a sweet, wonderful man who wants to see the best in people, but that’s not always true, and definitely not in my case. Just ask my baby’s father.”
Miikka frowned. “He knows nothing. He left you. What he thinks…” His voice trailed off,