A Brief Moment in TIme Read online

  He turned it over and had he not been sitting might have fallen over from shock. Words in his mother’s handwriting said, “Thank you, Kate, for all your help and support in Gavin’s life.” She had signed it, “The McDermotts.”

  “I didn’t find it until this week,” Adele explained. “I got a sudden urge to look through the box of Kathryn’s things I had at my apartment. The picture was loose in the box, and something’s been spilled on it, but I could make out the Swenton stamp on your shirt pocket.”

  Gavin was speechless. He listened helplessly as Adele continued.

  “That’s when I called the prison to inquire about you, and they told me you’d been released.” She looked at him, and Gavin saw tears form in eyes begging for his help. “I thought…I hoped...that maybe you could tell me more.”

  Gavin knew it was his turn to speak. It would be easier now after the incredible things he’d just heard and seen; his own story didn’t sound so outrageous at all. After sharing what he’d experienced, both in the infirmary and since, he shook his head. “I don’t really understand what’s been happening between us. It’s obviously a lot more than I’d suspected. All I know is that we’re connected somehow, and it’s more powerful than anything I’ve ever known.”

  He was almost certain now that he and Kate had been rendezvousing in a parallel reality. His dreams—most of them, anyway—were beginning to make sense. In recent weeks, he’d had the occasional dream that left him confused. Instead of learning from Kate or spending pleasant moments with her, he could feel the distance between them. She seemed far away, beckoning to him or calling his name. It pained him, but he couldn’t understand it.

  As he shared the seemingly unrelated dreams with Adele, he suddenly knew what they meant. “She’s been asking for my help!” he exclaimed. “How can I help her? What can I do?”

  “I wish I had the answers,” Adele sighed. “I don’t. But after hearing this, I’m even more convinced she’s been sending us both messages.”

  “I’d like to see her.”

  “I was hoping you would. Maybe hearing your voice, feeling your presence, would bring her back.”

  “What about her family?” Gavin found it hard to believe they’d consider removing life support without trying everything that could be done.

  “I begged them to wait a few more weeks before doing anything. They weren’t close. Kathryn hasn’t had much contact with them over the years, but unfortunately they’re her next of kin, and they have the right to make the all-important decision whether she continues to live.” Adele was crying now, and Gavin put his hand on her shoulder to try to comfort her.

  After she’d composed herself, she added, “The thing is, the doctor told them that even if she were to come out of the coma, there’s a seventy-five percent chance she’d have permanent brain damage. I think that’s why they want to move on this. They don’t want the responsibility of caring for her long term. “But I can feel it, Gavin. I just know she’s okay, and she’s asking for our help.”

  Gavin wanted nothing more than to leave that minute to go to Kate. He felt strongly, as Adele did, that he could make the difference. He’d sit and hold her hand, talk to her—whatever it took to connect with her and try to bring her back. But it wasn’t that easy. A number of restrictions applied to his parole, and traveling that distance was one of them.

  He told her his concerns, but she wasn’t daunted. “I haven’t followed the lead all this way to be stinted now. This has to work out. Somehow, we have to get you there.”

  Chapter 23

  ADELE HAD SOME ideas about how she might get the restrictions temporarily lifted on Gavin’s parole, and she left him that afternoon with a promise that she would do all she could to arrange it. She’d been impressed by him, and now she contemplated again how the connection between Gavin and Kathryn, or Kate as he called her, had not only begun, but had become so powerful. Adele believed in the significance of past lives and the unity and connectedness of all beings, but she had never seen or had any firsthand knowledge of anything like what she was witnessing between her best friend and this man.

  Although Gavin hadn’t said so in words, Adele could sense the depth of feelings that he had for Kathryn. And she obviously felt a powerful bond with him, to be calling to him from another realm.

  What is she experiencing now? Adele wondered. Is she living in a parallel reality that involves Gavin? Has she found him there because of a connection they formed in previous lifetimes?

  Those were definite possibilities, yet she was hardly an expert on the subject. She knew someone who was, however, and her first priority was to call him and ask his advice. They’d been friends in university and had even dated for a while. Her friend had gone on to study paranormal psychology, and although they hadn’t kept in touch over the years, she’d followed his work with interest. Now she hoped and prayed that he could help solve the mysteries she’d uncovered. When she got through to him on the phone, she explained the situation in detail.

  “This isn’t as uncommon as you’d think, Adele,” he responded. “You’re absolutely right. A visit from this man could well be the impetus needed to draw her out of the coma.”

  “Do you know why she’s choosing to remain there—if it is a choice—and what kinds of things she’s experiencing?” Adele couldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn more about a subject she found fascinating.

  “Well,” he explained, “we’re eternal beings with an incredible ability to focus. It’s through focus and intention that we create our reality. For the most part, we’re not aware of it, but that reality is constantly shifting and changing; we’re constantly recreating ourselves.

  “I know this is in line with what you teach, but we’ve found that creation can take place across realms. And not just the physical and nonphysical,” he clarified. “There appear to be layers of realms or realities that we experience. We hear them referred to as alternate or parallel realities, which hold the connotation of vertical experiences running side by side, occupying the same time, just different space. Only, time and space don’t really exist; those are just measurements we’ve created to help define our experience here.”

  Her friend’s knowledge enthralled her, and Adele continued to listen without interrupting.

  “This is where it gets tricky.” His enthusiasm was evident and Adele had to smile. It was obvious his heart was dedicated to solving the mysteries of the universe. “These planes overlap and intersect, creating distinctly unique yet connected realms. The part of us that’s focused in a specific realm may be somewhat aware of what’s going on in other realms, or not at all...” He paused for effect. “But our Higher Self is fully aware and simultaneously focused in these multiple realms, orchestrating the entire process effortlessly. I like to think of it as a complex playground for our Higher Selves, a place to experience contrast, determine preferences, and create with form and substance.”

  Adele needed to understand what he was saying. “So what Gavin through his dreams and Kathryn in her coma have experienced, then, is an overlapping of these realms. They’ve stepped into a realm where another part of them is living a different reality.

  “I wonder, though, do they merge with their alternate selves and experience first hand, or do they merely observe?” She knew the answer before she’d finished speaking. “I’m sure they must be living it. The experience Gavin shared with me is too powerful to be just an observation.”

  “Right. As they focus in that realm, it becomes as real as any other, and they have the power to change it any way they want.”

  “You said this is common?”

  “We experience it all the time. Sleep and even daydreams draw us out of this realm temporarily, though we usually recall only bits and pieces. Comas, near-death experiences—anything traumatic—can cause us to escape into these other realms and experience them in a more profound way.

  “It’s possible to cross over consciously, too. Many people can attest to stepping into one of t
hese other realms, merging as you say with their alternate selves in a deliberate way and having experiences, meeting people, and even bringing things back from these realms—like the picture Kathryn had. It’s all just focus and energy movement.”

  They continued to talk, and Adele learned a great deal about a subject that had for so long mystified and intrigued her. She thanked her friend for his insights and his help, and promised to keep him updated on the situation. He’d not only shed a great deal of light on the subject, but he was able to give her the name of a government official, a close friend of his, who would have the power to grant Gavin a temporary pass.

  GAVIN WENT HOME after dropping Adele off at her hotel, but he was barely aware of the drive. His mind was deep in thought. Kate was not only real, as he had already discovered, but she knew him and was now wanting, quite possibly needing, his help.

  She knows me! Electricity surged through him. She’s been experiencing the same kinds of things I have. No wonder she feels so real to me. He was elated at the idea of her being more than just a dream. She was a woman who had shared exhilarating and intimate adventures with him, someone he could now talk to about those memories—if indeed Adele was right and his presence in Kate’s life would bring her back.

  Adele seemed confident that she could arrange for him to see Kate. Gavin had no idea how, but he had to trust that the details would work themselves out. He didn’t know how long it would take, either, and not knowing was the hardest part. Meanwhile, he needed to find a way to tell his family about her. He’d shared a little with his mom about a psychologist named Kathryn Harding, what he’d learned about her work on the Internet, and his desire to meet her. Now his mom deserved to hear the rest. He just hoped she wouldn’t find it too strange.

  He offered to help with lunch dishes the next day. That in itself wasn’t unusual, but his mom must have sensed he wanted to talk, because she asked him what was on his mind.

  “You know me too well,” he teased, trying to be casual but feeling the tension in his stomach.

  “You’re easy to read,” she smiled.

  “Do you think it’s possible,” he began, “to connect with someone you’ve never met, never even talked to in person?”

  “Maybe,” she frowned. “I don’t like to rule things out. Just because I don’t know something doesn’t mean it’s not possible. Why do you ask?”

  He told her about his experience in the infirmary, and she looked taken aback. Gavin hoped she wasn’t offended that he hadn’t shared it with her sooner.

  “So that’s what sparked your interest in this woman’s work?”

  “Yeah, that’s what triggered it, but I think if I’d come across it any other way, I would have been just as intrigued by it. It’s really helped me.”

  “I know it has, dear,” she smiled. “From what you’ve told me, I can understand why. It’s quite an amazing teaching. It’s even challenged some of the things I believe and helped me to be more open minded.”

  “That’s good,” Gavin laughed uneasily, “because I just learned something that’s pretty mind blowing. Kate was in a car accident right around the time I got sick. She’s still in a coma—on life support.”

  “Oh, dear,” Carol exclaimed.

  “I met with a friend of hers yesterday. Her name is Adele. She...um...flew out here to talk to me.” Gavin stopped to gauge his mom’s reaction. “She told me that Kate’s family wants to take her off life support, but Adele is convinced that Kate has been trying to communicate with her and…” he swallowed hard. “This is the really strange part...”

  “Gavin, I’ve never seen you so nervous. What on earth is this about? You’ve always been able to talk to me. You know I won’t judge you.”

  “Thanks,” Gavin exhaled. “I really appreciate that. It’s just...this is something I can’t explain. It’s...paranormal, and I didn’t know what you’d think of that kind of thing.”

  “What do you mean by paranormal?”

  “Mom, Kate knows me, too. I don’t know how it’s possible, but we’re pretty sure that she’s been having an experience similar to the one I had. Somehow we’ve connected and experienced things together on some level. The nurse heard her say my name, and Adele found a picture of me—of our family—among Kate’s things. That’s how she was able to track me down, and now she thinks that Kate is trying to communicate with us both. She wants me to go and see her…to see if it might...” Gavin’s words trailed off as he noticed his mom’s reaction.

  She’d turned from the sink, and soapsuds were dripping on the floor. “But how on earth…?”

  “That was the same reaction I had when Adele told me,” he laughed again, hoping to break the tension. He really didn’t want to mention his mom’s handwriting on the back of the picture.

  Carol wiped her hands on her apron and walked into the living room. Gavin followed with no idea what she was up to. She pulled a box from a cabinet and took it over to the sofa. “I had a dream,” she explained. “It made no sense at the time, so I dismissed it, but now I wonder…”

  “Wonder what?” Gavin asked as he watched her flip through loose photos in the box.

  “A few weeks ago, I dreamed I was looking for that picture of all of us we had taken at your last birthday. Someone wanted to see it. I don’t know who, but I remember searching for it.”

  She continued flipping through the pictures and then frowned as she looked up at her son. “It doesn’t seem to be here. I wonder where else I could have put it. This is where I keep my photos till I get a chance to put them in an album. I got caught up over the winter, so I don’t have many left in here.”

  A knowing seized Gavin as more pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Kate had acquired the picture so she could have Adele find it; he was sure of it. He was also confident that his mom’s search would be futile.

  “Did you actually see the picture?” Carol inquired. “Was it that one of the four of us...taken at the prison?”

  Gavin nodded.

  His mom was silent, and Gavin couldn’t interpret her expression. He assumed she was trying to process the astounding things she’d just heard.

  “So Kate’s been trying to contact you,” she stated calmly, indicating she’d fully accepted the strange set of circumstances.

  “You’re okay with this? I mean...it’s so bizarre.” Gavin was stunned at his mom’s ability to accept it without question.

  “God works in mysterious ways,” she replied. “It’s not for me to ask why.”

  Gavin suddenly had a déjà vu moment. He’d heard his mom use the common phrase often, but this time the words and the way she’d said them sounded familiar. Gavin was sure they’d had the same conversation before. It was eerie but powerful, and Gavin wondered what it meant.

  Moving on, his mom began to speculate about how he’d get to see Kate. “You can’t travel. They wouldn’t make an exception, would they?”

  “Adele thinks they might; she’s working on it now.”

  “Gavin,” Carol squeezed his arm, “I’ve learned to trust my feelings over the years. It’s served me well. I have a feeling about this.”

  Gavin had heard his mom say those words many times before, too, but he had never fully understood the significance until that moment. “That’s what Kate teaches!” he exclaimed. “That’s our emotional guidance system. It’s trusting how we feel and following what feels best.

  “I feel it, too,” he added. “I don’t know how or why this all happened, but she’s become an important part of my life. She’s helped me so much, and now I want to help her...if I can.”

  Carol smiled lovingly, and Gavin could see the pride in her eyes. He gave her a hug and held her for a long moment. “I love you, Mom.”

  “I love you, too, son.”

  HAVING GOTTEN TO KNOW several of the nurses on Kathryn’s ward, Adele was able to call and get regular updates on her friend’s condition, which as of that morning had not changed. That link was comforting. She’d visited Kathryn every day,
hoping her presence, her words, might have some effect. Now she hated being away from her but knew it was for the best; it was what Kathryn wanted.

  The government official that her friend had suggested she call was away from his office on family business and couldn’t be reached. Frustrated with the delay, Adele had no choice but to leave her name and number and wait for him to return her call. That left her with nothing but time on her hands and no reason not to return home—at least then she could be with Kathryn. She’d naively hoped that Gavin might accompany her back. Now it looked as though it would be several days, maybe longer, before she could talk to the man, not to mention the time it would take to secure Gavin’s travel arrangements. The thought was disheartening.

  Trusting her instincts, she decided to stay another day. She liked the idea of seeing Gavin again, of getting to know the man that Kathryn had formed such a deep connection with. She called to update him on her efforts, and he sounded pleased that she had the name of someone who could make things happen. He was eager to meet with her again, too.

  As he picked her up at her hotel later that afternoon, she noted again how good looking he was and gave Kathryn a silent thumbs up for her taste in men. It was more than just his looks that made him a perfect match for Kathryn, however. He was kind and gentle and uncommonly wise for someone who hadn’t had the benefit of formal training. His knowing seemed to come from a place of connectedness, not from books or lecture theaters.

  As they visited, it was clear that he was keen to learn all he could about Kathryn. After answering several of his questions, however, Adele asked why he kept calling her Kate.

  “That’s how she introduced herself to me, to all of us, in her sessions at Swenton. I just assumed that’s what everybody called her. I was surprised to hear you call her Kathryn; it sounds so formal.”

  “It feels that way, too,” Adele admitted. “I’ve often thought Kate suited her better.” She told him a little about Kathryn’s past and the reason for the name change. “As trivial as the change seemed to others, it was her attempt to become someone new and deal with the traumas of her childhood.”