Chapter 36: Chapter 36

It was only midweek. But as they told Kelly they were to spend the whole weekend somewhere else, she had started to pack. She packed warm clothes when she found out they were going to a place surrounded by mountains, and she gathered the temperature there would be colder than in the city areas. Besides, she is still considered a patient in the recovery stage. And they cannot be too reckless and compromise her health in the process. Being careful and more careful is always better than regrets.

Friday came.

Nick and Kelly got off work a little early today. They decided to meet Kate at home around three in the afternoon. A time when she would be home as well from the Uni. Kelly could not help asking Nick about her supposed to be a date along the way home.

"Are you sure he hasn't canceled?" Kelly asked with a non-Duchenne smile in face.

She wanted to make sure she wasn't going to be the third wheel for this young couple. They are of legal age, and Kelly knew these two had gone far than merely kissing only with the discretion of not doing it when or where she was around. And she wasn't against it. She even made a silly joke about making her a grandma soon to keep her company at home. But since the two must have a plan of their own, like what she heard from them that they wanted Kate to finish her studies first, she respects and admires their reasons and rationality.

Nick laughed heartily. He could tell some of his stepmom's thoughts as they showed so clearly on her face. He wanted to correct her and say that although they, Kate and him, were almost living like a married couple, they have not gone far from oral sex, petting, and kissing. Maybe when Kelly finds her happiness, Nick and Kate would no longer feel as guilty as they do now about going all the way. They could use means to avoid accidental or untimely pregnancy, so it wasn't really what was stopping them. Nick knew Kelly's past more than Kate. He felt bad for his loving stepmom that since he is not legally allowed to claim Kate as his, he did not want to take her wholly in terms of what is considered as a marital duty. It was his respect not only for Kate but also for Kelly.

"I am sure he hasn't," Nick chuckled. "He is so into you that he even asked for my blessings to date you, mom," he teased Kelly as he drove their way home. "Aside from that, don't ever think you are a third wheel. This is our celebration of your fast recovery. How can we go without you?"

Kelly had been so good to him ever since she came into his and his dad's life. She did not show any ugly side of her the whole time and even until now. She did not show any greed or interest even with the properties her late husband had left for them. She was a wife, but before signing a marriage contract with Elijah, she demanded a pre-nuptial agreement. An agreement where she stated to get only a small amount of inheritance, in contrast to what Elijah wished for her to have.

"Let's wait and see if you're right, and he shows up," Kelly shook her head. Then she turned quiet for a while.

Nick glanced at Kelly as he pulled on a red light.

"Nick, are you sure it's okay for me to do this?" Kelly asked with her eyes looking straight up front, elbow on the side of the door to her right, palm on her right temple, and sighed.

"I am very sure," Nick answered firmly yet with politeness. Then he continued. "You met my dad when he was already diagnosed with his colon cancer, and you were his private nurse. You shared so many similarities with you raising Kate alone and him doing the exact same thing for me alone. You both must have arrived at one point where my old man did not want to let the chance go of you being his wife even when he knew his time did not have that much left. You enjoyed each other company. Even though... hmmmm..." Nick cleared his throat. He could not find the right words or even the decency to say such comments to an elder of him.

"Even though...?" Kelly turned her head to look at Nick. His expression was somehow or somewhat silly but genuine. It was like he was about to say something he was not supposed to but still needed to be spoken to for the other person to understand what he was trying to say. She began to be more eager to hear what he was hesitating to say.

Nick tried to make a version or another way of telling Kelly without saying the odd words.

"How I do I say this...?" he nervously chuckled. Nick could not look at Kelly face to face because he was driving, but he was thankful that they were in this setting while talking about this matter. He could make driving a reasonable excuse not to focus on her alone and let his mind and words be casually known to her. "I had never seen my dad go on a date of any kind before he met you. So, I am not sure how he is as a lover to a woman. And he was already ill when you guys decided to ring the wedding bells, which not long after his conditions worsened..." Nick could not help being emotional. His voice became softer. He was sad. He could not avoid feeling so. After all, they were talking about his dad, who died of cancer only a few months more than two years ago.

"Nick..."

Kelly felt the slight sadness in his voice, so she wanted to stop him, but he went on.

They arrived home, but as Nick was still sitting behind the wheels, Kelly did not leave her seat either. She waited for Nick's emotion to simmer down or to recollect his cheerful mood like earlier.

"You did not even make it to enjoy your honeymoon, mom," Nick bowed his head. "Honestly, I was younger then, and I was too mindless to give it even just a thought. But now that I have Kate with me, and I know how it feels to have someone you love right beside you, I know my dad would agree with my idea of helping you find that joy and happiness you deserve. Emotional, physical, and all there is to give and receive between lovers."

Kelly felt her heart tighten. Was Elijah as romantic and gentle to her as Nick is to Kate? She could sense such huge similarity would have been within the father and son. No wonder she fell in love with Elijah despite his conditions.

"Thank you, mom, for giving us your blessing to be together. I wouldn't know how to live without Kate, but I wouldn't know how to break your heart through disobedience either. Not to mention, Kate would never dare go against your will. I really don't know how I would win your approval had you disapproved of me to be with your daughter," Nick confessed.

"I am happy to see you both happy. And I trust you will not let my precious daughter cry in despair," Kelly patted Nick by his shoulder close to Kelly's side.

"So, mom, please, open your heart to a new venture of romance. You are young, and you deserve happiness after all you have been through. Kate and I had made a promise to ourselves to see you happy first before we plan for our wedding. We can wait, we are young, and we already have found each missing piece of our hearts. And we believe you will find yours one day," Nick held Kelly's hand above his right shoulder. "Just open your heart and see who completes you, promise me, mom. Promise me you will try..."

Kelly saw the purest desire to see her happy in Nick's pleading eyes.

"Okay, okay... I will. I will try. But let me remind you, I am doing this for both of you, so you can start planning for your wedding," Kelly humorously exclaimed. She was almost certain that this young man would wait until she was in a happy relationship before proceeding with his plans with Kate. "Let's hope this first blind date would be the last so you guys can give me a grandchild soon," Kelly laughed merrily. And Nick joined her. They were still chuckling as they got off of the vehicle when another car pulled over. It wasn't Kate's ride, but Kelly and Nick waited for the person to get out of it and see who it was. Nick walked forward as soon as he realized it was his stepmom's blind date, Ismael Gremitt.