Willow Park, West Virginia

It was an early summer morning in the picturesque town of Willow Park. A petite redhead sat on her bench seat and looked out the open window. She loved how peaceful the world was before it woke up.

A jarring squeaking sound from the room next door ruined her moment, and her pouty lips scowled at the intrusion. She knew that sound well; it was the sound of the window being pried open from the outside. Next, she heard the familiar thud as boots hit the floor.

Annoyed, she got up and made her way to his room through the adjoining bathroom she shared, with the noise maker, her cousin, Jase. She opened the door to his room and grimaced at the sight. His entire floor was covered in clothes. Every surface had stuff on top of it. It didn't smell too good, either.

"Kit?" He glanced at her as she walked in, "It's the first day of summer vacation. What are you doing up so early?"

"Forget me! Are you just getting home now, Jase?" She narrowed her eyes at her younger cousin. He was wearing a thick black hoodie that reeked like beer. His muddy brown hair looked unwashed, hanging in his red and puffy eyes.

"Yeah, so?"

"It's six in the morning!"

"You know you're only Twenty-two, right?" Jase questioned as he lifted a curious brow. "It's summer vacation, chillax!"

Chill? Yeah right! If only...what a pipe dream for her. She started nursing school in the fall and needed to pay for it. Not to mention, Jase would be graduating high school next year. She had to plan for his college fund too and was probably going to need to work two jobs this summer.

Despite all this Kit couldn't help but go easy on her cousin. Even though he annoyed her, he'd been through hell. Two years ago, his mom and dad, Carl and Rachel, died in a plane crash. Kit and her dad, Stone, moved in after, when Stone became Jase's caretaker.

Stone's parenting skills were pretty much nonexistent. However, Kit had always been responsible enough that it didn't matter. Jase took full advantage of his uncle's lackadaisical nature.

He let out a big yawn and plopped down on his bed. She rolled her eyes, taking the hint, and she turned to leave.

"When you get up, clean this room," she muttered. "It reeks in here."

"Yes, Mom," he teased as she left.

Kit crossed back over to her own bedroom, a cheerful and comforting space, with soft yellow walls and a light blue plush carpet. She padded across the room to her dresser; it didn't take long for her to settle on a pair of jeans and a basic long-sleeved tee shirt. She preferred to keep her look casual and comfortable, for the most part.

After a quick shower, she left her coppery hair down to air dry and applied some tinted moisturizer over her face with a little lip gloss before heading downstairs.

The stairs led down to the large living room, the wood floors throughout the lower level made it appear even bigger, but the blue walls always felt calming. The white, plush sectional couch took up most of the room. Jase would spend most of his summer on it playing video games.

She didn't have to worry about being quiet in the mornings. Her cousin would pass out in no time, and her dad never woke up before noon. Stone managed the local bar and grill and worked late nights. Then he'd come home and stay up well into the night.

Her phone rang, and her eyes widened; another person that never called before noon. "Carly?"

"Hey, Kit! Did I wake you?" Her perky best friend chirped into the phone.

"No, I've been up for a while. What's up?" Kit asked as she made her way into the kitchen.

It was beautifully renovated by her Aunt Rachel right before she passed away. It had all-white shiny counters, stainless steel appliances, and a big island. Too bad Stone used the kitchen as his hanging spot after work. He'd sit at the island on his laptop and watch stupid videos all night. The counter was usually littered with beer cans, weed, random snacks, and whatever else.

She was living with two kids, Kit thought, as she picked up an empty easy mac container.

"Of course, you have." Carly scoffed. Kit could practically see her blue eyes rolling.

"Anyway," Carly said in a quiet voice. "I'm at Andre's. I stayed here last night."

"Oh, do you need a ride home? Is everything okay?" Kit asked.

Carly had been with Andre for about a year now, when he and his dad moved into town.The two of them are total opposites, Carly happily dubs herself the life of every party. Andre, on the other hand, is studious and quiet, and hyper focused on law school. Yet somehow, they just fit each other perfectly.

"No, no, it's fine," Carly said. "Well, I'm fine. Andre's not. His dad is getting worse, and he just fired another nurse."

"This is like the fourth nurse, isn't it?" Kit asked.

Leonardo Donato had a reputation coming into town. The wealthy attorney was once the head of the biggest law firms in New York and got that way by being intimating and hardnosed. When he moved back here to Virginias his big reputation came with him. However, he had always been nice to Kit, and she didn't see that side she heard about. He respected her Uncle Carl and had been very supportive of the Harts during their time of grief.

Sadly, not long after coming here Andre admitted the reasons his wealthy father decided to come back here, and retire, was because he was sick with cancer, and lately it had been getting worse.

"Yeah, talk about stubbornness. That man, I swear." Carly said in a low voice. "I try so hard, Kit. I love Andre, and my parents adore him. But his dad won't even give me a chance."

"Dealing with cancer is very difficult," Kit sighed. "For someone as stubborn and proud as Mr. Donato, it can only make it that much harder. He doesn't want to depend on people to care for him."

"I knew you would say something like that," Carly said. "Which is exactly why I called you."

"Carly..." Kit sighed. She knew this tone. Carly wanted something. "What do you want?"

"To offer you a chance to save enough money for school and then some, with only one job all summer." Carly chirped.

"And what would that be?" Kit asked, lifting a dubious eyebrow.

"You could be Leonardo 's nurse," Carly said excitedly. "You're like the only person in this world, besides Andre, that he likes. Plus, it will be a good career experience, and I'm serious about the pay. Andre offered a very generous salary."

"Carly, I don't know," Kit said softly. "I don't start nursing school until next year, it wouldn't be legal to care for Andre's dad."

"Oh, who cares if it is," Carly scoffed. "Then you're a caretaker or whatever. Not an official nurse."

"Did Andre run this by Leonardo?" Kit asked nervously.

Truthfully this would be amazing. It would give her an opportunity to put money away for Jase and get career experience.

"He wanted to see if you would do it first," Carly said.

"I will." Kit agreed, "tell him I'm in."

***

Kit started her first day of work the next day; she got to wear her scrubs for the first time and was so excited. She chose a soft pink pair and tied her hair into a ponytail. She couldn't help but feel a certain confidence going to a job that could help her career.

Nursing wasn't her first choice of career, honestly, she really enjoyed the rush of a busy restaurant, but serving tables isn't a career. Kit was very hard working, compassionate and smart, and the idea of helping people appealed to her, is after a lot of deliberation, she finally made her choice last year. This caretaker job felt like a great way to test her choice and see how she felt.

It was a short drive to the large Donato Estate. It was gorgeous, From the cobblestone driveway to the stone detailing and the huge windows. It had at one point been an old farmhouse. Leonardo had restored and modernized it beautifully.

She stepped to the door, adorned by beautiful rose plants on either side and knocked softly. Andre answered right away. He was dressed up as usual in black slacks and a button-down white shirt. His thick dark hair was gelled to the side, and he was clean-shaven.

"Hi, Kit." Andre's forestry green eyes were grateful as they regarded her. "I'm so glad you agreed to do this."

"I hope I can help." Kit smiled as he led her in.

The main foyer had white and grey tiled marble floors and a small closet for shoes and coats. They then entered the main space; the living and dining room was one big room, and the massive kitchen was on the other side of the dining room. There were a few rooms on either side of the kitchen and a staircase that led upstairs and had a lift chair installed.

"I'm sure you will. Father has always been fond of you." Andre said.

Kit rolled her eyes at his formal ways. He was so socially awkward. Yet he wanted to be a lawyer like his father was. She couldn't picture him persuading a jury, but Andre was determined, so she kept quiet about it.

"Here is his medicine schedule," Andre said, handing over some papers. "We made it easier by splitting all his medication between his three meals. It's easier for him to take the pills with food. You will be responsible for his care during the day throughout the week. He sleeps through the night, and I'm always here now. I will take care of his bathing needs. He has a walker and can get to the bathroom, but he does need help getting out of bed."

Kit followed Andre up the stairs as he gave her a tour. The room next to Leonrado's was emptied and had different equipment. Andre showed her the medical supplies. Then he showed the lifting equipment in the room next to his father's. He went over any other instructions, and she nodded as she took it all in.

"I can't thank you enough," Andre said with a kind smile as they stepped into the hall.

"Andre, it's my job now. This is going to help me too."

"He does know I'm coming, right?" She whispered outside of the door.

"Not only does he know, but he's excited about it. I told you he's fond of you," Andre said as he opened the door; it was a large room. They stepped into a small L-shaped entry with plastic down over the carpet.

"So, he can get the walker and wheelchair through," Andre explained when she looked at it.

"Father, Kit is here." He called out.

"Oh yes, come in, Kit," Leonardo said in a hoarse voice.

They stepped further into the large but dimly lit room. The plastic continued throughout the floor. A small couch and bookshelf sat further into the room. From there, the room was set up as a hospital, with a hospital bed and a sink set up near it. There was a comfy-looking chair close to the bed.

"Hello, Mr. Donato," Kit said politely as she stepped closer. The once tall and intimidating man was lying in the bed. His curly grey hair was messy and shaggy. His weathered pale face was thin. He looked drastically different than the last time she saw him. It was so sad what the cancer was doing to him.

She smiled kindly at him as she sat in the chair beside the bed.

"Please." His soft green eyes regarded her warmly, "I've said it before. Just call me Leo."

Kit smiled wider, "Okay, Leo." She nodded at Andre to go on. He smiled, looking relieved it was going well.

"I'll see you later tonight, Father," Andre said.

"What are your plans today, son?" Leonardo asked before Andre could leave.

"I am meeting with Richard about the practice. I want to ensure everything is still running smoothly." Andre said.

"I appreciate you are watching the practice, Andre, but I'm retired. "Richard has everything under control, " Leonardo reminded him.

"I know, but he understands how important keeping me in the loop is. I'm going to be a senior partner someday," Andre insisted.

"I believe you will. But...don't spend your whole summer on it, son. Go spend some time with that blond girl that makes you laugh."

Andre faltered, looking a little surprised but nodded. "I would love to take her out after my meeting. Thank you."

He hurried out after that and closed the door behind him.

"I thought you were supposed to be the sternest father in town?' Kit teased with a slight smile as she started getting his medications ready.

"Andre can be far too serious sometimes." He sighed softly at that. "Much like myself. Work, work, work. So driven."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Kit quizzed.

"Oh yes, it is, Dear. But it isn't everything," he said quietly. "Certain things shift when you face death."

"I know," Kit said, handing him a glass of water. She helped hold his head up as he took his pills.

"It is a tragedy what happened to your aunt and uncle. They were wonderful people."

"They really were," Kit agreed with a sad smile.

"I can't believe Stone is related to Carl. Damn, drinking, gambling, good for nothing..." Leonardo started to grunt.

"Hey! That's my dad," Kit chided him.

"How can you still stand by him after what he did to your cousin's inheritance?" Leonardo asked.

It was no secret in their small town that Stone had accidentally gambled away Jase's inheritance. Well, most of it, anyway. Got a little out of hand at the casino. Gambling wasn't even something he did that often. He was reeling, grieving his brother at the time, and made a terrible decision.

"He's my father," Kit said, her eyes widening. "He may not be without flaws, but we all have them. I love him."

Leonardo grew quiet and started at the cereal Andre already had ready for them.

His eyes looked far away. She decided to leave him with his thoughts. She grabbed some laundry from the room and headed out to take care of it.

He was fast asleep when she returned. She straightened up his room and then went downstairs to prepare his lunch. She made a mental note to buy them some actual groceries when all she could find were frozen entrees. She took out the most edible-looking one and got it started for him.

Leonardo was quiet as Kit helped him with his afternoon pills and lunch. She used the lifter to get him out of bed. He was still sullen even as she helped him back into bed. She worried that maybe she upset him somehow and hoped she wouldn't get fired. The morning had started so well.

"Kit, can you go get me something?" he asked suddenly.

"Sure, what is it?"

"A box in my closet on the left upper shelf," he pointed towards the closet.

"This brown one?"

"Yes, can you bring it to me?"

She handed it over, and he started sifting through the contents. She noticed several cards and photographs. Many were of a beautiful woman with dark brown hair and striking blue eyes.

"This was my wife, Elizabeth," he said, handing her the picture.

"She was so beautiful," Kit said, gazing at the photograph.

"She died far too young," Leonardo said sadly. "She had a heart condition all her life. She got sick several times after having the boys, and it gave out when they were young."

Kit felt a stab of sadness for him losing his wife so early and with boys to raise on his own.

Wait, boys? What, he had other sons? Kit had only met Andre.

"You have more sons?" Kit asked as she lifted a curious brow.

"Just one, Luca," he said, a trace of bitterness in his voice. "We don't get along."

"But you're sick. He should be here."

Kit looked at the photograph of a much younger Andre with his sparkling green eyes and short dark hair. Behind Andre stood a tall, thick-browed- blue-eyed boy with overgrown brown hair. Cute, very cute; she wondered what Luca looked like now.

"It was never really 'good' with us. I take my share of the blame for that. He didn't take to pressure as Andre does."

"No one takes to pressure as Andre does," she pointed out.

"Especially Luca," he agreed, "I didn't know what to do with him. He had no real motivations. What I chose to do was terrible. When Luca left, it was bad. It was really bad. I won't see my eldest son again before I die."

"You were good to forgive your dad. To see past his flaws. I wish I could go back, but I can't now. It's too late," a shadow of despair crossed the old man's dark green eyes.

"No, it's not," Kit said, shaking her head. "It's not too late."

"Oh, it is, dear." He sighed, "I have accepted that."

"Does he even know you're ill?"

"I'm sure Andre has told him," he moaned and shifted on the bed.

Kit quickly helped straighten up his pillows.

"Andre has never even mentioned him," Kit mused.

"Andre took it hard. He idolized his older brother," Leonardo said. "He hates who he turned into. I do too."

"No, you don't," Kit said. "You may hate his actions but not him; he's your son."

"I suppose you're right," he said as he stared at the picture of the two boys wistfully.

"I should let you get some rest and get dinner started," Kit said, and he nodded her off. He was still gazing at the picture.

Kit hurried downstairs; the moment was tugging at her heart. She had to do something. She was pulled from her thoughts when the front door opened. She was happy to see Carly and Andre walking in.

"How did it go?" Carly asked as she quickly embraced her best friend. Carly's love language was touch. The bubbly blond was always hugging, touching, and kissing cheeks; it was just her.

"Really well," Kit smiled as she squeezed her back.

"Father, wasn't too much trouble?" Andre asked.

"Would you just say dad like a normal freaking person?" Carly teased him, and he pouted at her.

She laughed and ruffled his hair. Her shoulder-length hair was down and freshly colored a platinum blonde. She wore a leather cropped jacket, short black dress, and ankle boots. As usual, she was clashing with Andre in his formal business attire.

"No trouble at all. I was just about to get dinner ready," Kit said as she started making her way there.

"Great, we'll help," Carly chirped. She and Andre followed her into the kitchen.

"Help me microwave a meal?" Kit asked with a pointed look at Andre. "I'm getting you some groceries."

Andre laughed and shrugged sheepishly. He sat down on a stool on the island while Carly leaned against him.

"So, um, Andre?" Kit asked cautiously.

"What is it?" Andre asked, looking curious.

"Could I get your brother Luca's number?"