"She's my mother."
"Biologically speaking. A reptile is a better parent, and they bury their eggs and leave."
"I know you're only trying to protect me, Kate, but it's easy for you to discount her. Youhavea family."
"She hurts you every time you see her."
"But she kept coming back. Maybe that meant something."
"She kept leaving, too," Kate said gently. "And each time it broke your heart."
"I'm stronger now."
"What are you two actuallysaying? It's like you're speaking in code," Johnny said.
"I want to go find her. I've got her last known address—I send money every month. I thought maybe if I could get her into a treatment program we'd have a chance."
"She's been in treatment a lot," Kate pointed out.
"I know, but never with support. Maybe that's all she needed."
"I'm hearing a lot of maybes," Kate said.
Tully looked from Kate to Johnny and finally back to Kate. "I know it's crazy and it probably won't work and no doubt I'll end up sobbing or drinking or both, but I'm tired of being so damned alone and I don't have a lover or kids to count on. What I do have is a mother, as flawed as she is. And Katie, I want you to come help me find her. It shouldn't take more than a few days."
Kate looked completely taken aback by that. "What?"
"I want to find her. I can't do it alone."
"But . . . I can't just leave for a few days. The elementary school carnival is tomorrow. I'm the games chairman. I have to be there to run the games and distribute the prizes."
Tully's breath came out in a rush of disappointment. "Oh. Well. What about this weekend?"
"I'm sorry, Tul. Really. Mom and I are running the church food drive on Saturday and Sunday. If I didn't show up it would be a real mess. On Monday and Tuesday I'm volunteering at the Parks and Rec Department, but maybe I could go with you for a few days at the end of next week."
"If I wait I won't go," Tully said, trying to gather the courage to do it alone. "I guess I can go by myself. I was just worried—"
"You should go with a crew," Johnny said.
Tully looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"You know, film it. You're a big star with a poor-little-rich-girl story. I don't mean to sound insensitive, but your viewers would love to go on this journey with you. My boss would skip on tacks to air it."
Tully turned the unexpected idea around in her head. It was dangerous for her, certainly; she could be humiliated by her mother. Then again, she could be triumphant, too. A mother-daughter reunion would be TV gold. It surprised her, frankly, that she hadn't thought of it herself. An intimate portrait like this could make her Q rating—her recognition factor—skyrocket. Was it worth the risk?
What she needed was a producer who cared about her.
She looked at Johnny. "Come with me," she said, angling toward him. "Be my producer."
Kate sat up straighter. "What?"
"Please, Johnny," Tully pleaded. "I needyouif this is going to happen. I wouldn't trust anyone else. It'll give you national exposure. I'll call your boss. Fred and I are friends from way back. And like you said, he'd kill for an exclusive on it."
Johnny looked at his wife. "Katie?"
Tully held her breath, waiting for her friend's answer.
"It's up to you, Johnny," Kate said at last, though she didn't look happy about it.
