The Way My Heart Beats

Chapter 21

Grant

Crrraaacckk. "Ow. Shit." I think every vertebrae in my back just popped in...or out of place. I never can tell. I'm too young to wake up sore like this. I didn't even have a wild night. Watching the Bears play and drinking a beer in the recliner is about as crazy as my night got. I might have drank too many beers, and not paid much attention to the game. Instead, I thought about Clara all evening and how I could show her how I love her.

I thought of all the romantic gestures, but those can be done by anybody. She doesn't need cliches. She needs something real and personal. I'd just about given up, but then it hit me. There wasn't anything more personal than this. I had to go about it the right way and be one hundred percent sure before I present it to her.

I text Mitch and see if he's at the precinct. I need him to do me a favor; not that he owes me one after all he's done for me.

Yep. Just got back. What's up?

I need your help finding somebody. I'll fill you in when I get there. On my way.

It doesn't take long to drive the twenty minutes it usually takes to get across town. I'm nervous at the idea I've cooked up because it could go two ways: turn things around 180 degrees or completely desolate any chance I have left. I'm hoping for the prior.

I make a bee line straight for Mitch's office, and the little old desk lady starts calling after me to check in with her first. By now, she should know where I'm headed.

He's on the phone when I get to his door. He waves me in, and holds up his index finger. "Okay, baby. Yep. Grant is here. I'll talk to you later. Love you, too."

"Amelia?" I ask as he hangs up the phone.

"Yeahhh. She's still pretty upset." He tries to say casually, but I know he's still upset about it, too. This whole situation was too similar to the one before when he lost his wife.

"She has every reason to be. I just wish Clara would take a break. She worries me jumping back into work. I know she's coping her own way, but I just don't think it's healthy."

"I know. Amelia said the same thing. But, Clara is tough. She's been through more than this. She's got to do what she's gotta do, man. None of us can understand what's she been through. Not even me."

I let out a sigh and rub my forehead. "Yeah. I guess you're right. I just don't know." I feel defeated, and my tone doesn't hide it. We sit in silence for a minute clouded with worried thoughts.

"You said you needed help. What you got going on?" He asks as he kicks his feet onto his desk.

"Umm, well, it's kind of far fetched, but I wanted to find Clara's daughter. The one she put up for adoption." I rub my knees nervously as I chew the inside of my cheek.

"Oh! Wow, man. Okay. Why?" He chuckles curiously, which doesn't give me hope that he'll help.

"Uh... I guess I'm hoping to reunite them, but it's just an idea. It all depends on what I can find out. It might be a bad idea, but under the right circumstances it might be good." His eyebrows raised as he shakes his head not totally convinced. Hell. I wasn't even convinced.

"Okay. I'm not seeing how this is a good idea... at all, but I trust your intentions. So, let's see what we can find."

My heart starts pounding because I wasn't expecting him to comply, and I'm also not sure what I'm expecting to come of this.