Dianne was at her computer checking emails while her daughter Rachel was getting dressed.
They had plans of spending the day together, something they had not done in a very long time.
The last eight months had been an emotional roller coaster for the both of them.
When Dianne's husband died suddenly last fall from a brain hemorrhage she was consumed with guilt and Rachel was consumed with loneliness.
Dianne was a prominent Emergency Medicine Doctor. How could this have happened? How could she have not seen the telltale signs?
Rachel outwardly blamed her mother for letting her father die and Dianne blamed herself as well, immersing herself in her work keeping extremely long hours, trying to drown her sorrows in her patients while leaving Rachel alone to fend for herself. And this was no time to be leaving a grieving young girl home alone.
Fortunately for Rachel while growing up, her father was always there for her, answering her questions, guiding her through adolescence and exposing her to the finer things in life.
Having his own home-based computer software company made it all possible.
With his Doctor- wife always at the hospital, connected to her work like a fetus to its umbilical cord, Jonathan and Rachel continued on with the family's plans even if that included vacationing without Dianne!
Her work always came first with the unkempt promise of ' next time... I promise'.
Over the years there were many destinations where Jonathan and his daughter vacationed just the two of them; California's Disneyland, Switzerland snow skiing, Cancun para-sailing, Australia snorkeling off the Great Barrier Reef and lastly an Alaskan Cruise for Rachel's sixteenth birthday where Jonathan warned Dianne he would never forgive her if she put her work before their daughter this trip.
And forgive her he had not. He died before the Ship returned to Port.
It was an eighteenth birthday Rachel would never forget.
With Jonathan gone, Dianne was slowly coming to the realization that Rachel needed her now and she was actually looking forward to being a mother to her daughter more than a Doctor to perfect strangers.
These past few weeks had been encouraging. Rachel was showing signs of forgiveness and was actually warming up to her mother.
"We'll have so much fun today Honey!" Dianne called out. "First we'll go shopping at Nordstrom's for some summer outfits, maybe even some new swim suits! Then we're off to Annapolis for a sail. Would you like that Rachel?"
Rachel loved to sail as much as her parents did. Owning a small sailboat when they married, Rachel's father introduced her to sailing when she was quite young.
On her thirteenth birthday Jonathan splurged, purchasing a beautiful thirty-eight foot Hunter sailboat naming it "My Girl, Rachel".
Maybe his naming it after his daughter was two-fold. Jonathan's life revolved around his little girl's happiness and well being. She was the love of his life while Dianne was so absorbed in her work she barely knew her daughter!
"Oh Mom, that sounds wonderful!" Rachel's muffled voice sang out as she slowly pulled a T-shirt down over her head.
She smiled as the soft cloth grazed her tender young flesh. Suddenly her nipples shot straight out causing her to giggle.
Tingles were racing to her pantied groin as she slowly drew the material down over her naked, quivering buds.
"What's so funny in there?" Her mother called out startling her.
Rachel felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her as those sweet tingles suddenly disappeared.
"Oh nothin Mom." She answered reaching for the pair of jeans draped over the chair to her vanity.
Dianne's pager suddenly started beeping.
"Ahhh mom... You promised we'd spend the day together. You promised..." Rachel cried out. "Please... don't answer it!" She begged.
While dialing the hospital’s telephone number to say she was unavailable today Dianne heard muffled cries coming from her daughter's room.
"Yes, this is Doctor Quartermaine. I received a page?"
Suddenly Rachel's bedroom door slammed shut in protest.
She threw herself down onto the bed sobbing.
"Daddy always kept his word... always." She whimpered.
Diane was on the telephone trying to convince the hospital she had more important plans today but she was losing the argument.
"Doctor Quartermaine!" The Chief of Staff came onto the line. “There was a Metro derailment just outside Washington, DC a short while ago and we have major traumas coming in. We need you here and we need you now!" He demanded in an ‘I won't take no for an answer’ tone.
'"Fine." Dianne conceded feeling like a whipped dog. "I'm on my way." She added before disconnecting, holding the silenced receiver in her hand as she walked down the hall towards Rachel's room.
Opening Rachel's bedroom door Dianne found her daughter lying face down on her bed crying.
Sitting down along side her Dianne put a comforting hand on Rachel's shoulder only to have it shrugged off.
"Oh Honey, please." Her mother sighed. "It's an emergency. I promise I'll try to get out of there as soon as I can. We'll go later today or if not, tomorrow." She offered.
Rachel popped up on her bed into a sitting position putting distance between her and her mother.
With a tear stained face she looked straight into her mother's eyes and shouted, " You were never here for daddy or me and your promises don't mean shit. Go ahead and go. I don't give a damn anymore!"
"Watch your language young lady!" Dianne warned in a raised voice.
She'd never heard her daughter speak this way before.
"And what are you going to do if I don't? You're never here!" Rachel answered in a defiant tone.
"You're grounded young lady. You'll be here when I get back from the hospital." Dianne ordered as she stood up, turning to leave the room.
"Don't count on it!" Rachel retorted.
Dianne acted as if she hadn't heard her daughter's last remark as she shuffled out of her room and down the hall.
Taking Rachel's car and the keys to her own she left for the hospital.
Rachel plunked back down onto her bed disappointed and crying as she heard her mother pull out of the driveway.
In all the confusion Dianne had left her computer on and connected to the Internet. Pinging sounds were coming from the den as friends on her online messenger were sending instant messages.
Rachel was not allowed to use her mother's lap-top computer because of confidential patient files stored on it but what the hell, it was on, her mother was gone and she was left home alone.
With an air of defiance Rachel sat down at her mother's keyboard. Another instant message box popped onto the screen.
"Hi Doc. Want to chat?"
Rachel's heart was pounding. This chat thing was new to her. Being so preoccupied with school, cheerleading, sports and then homework, Rachel seldom had time for anything as trivial as the Internet. Her own computer was used strictly for school.
Shakily she typed a reply. "Hi, sure I'll chat."
"Where are you located?" I-sail-4u typed.
