Carrie And Me: A Mother-Daughter Love Story Part 36

Never fear no more.

I'm jus' goin' home... .

Kate sits in the back of a taxi, her head resting on the window gla.s.s. It begins to rain.

No more fear, no more pain

No more stumblin' by the way... .

Charles closes the iron gate at the entrance to the bar, and walks down Cahuenga Boulevard. A few people are getting in their cars, folks are making out, police cruise by. It's the end of a long night.

No more longing for the day

Gonna run no more.

Outside Graceland Kate stands at the gates looking at the building. A gardener on a ride-on lawn mower trims the gra.s.s.

Mornin' star lights the way... .

Kate exits the cab at LAX. Working her way through the crowd at the airport entrance, she enters the terminal.

Charles stands on the street corner singing. Kyle and Lucy stand nearby, listening.

Restless dreams all gone... .

F.M. joins Kate at the gates. The way they look at each other speaks volumes. Charles's soulful singing fills the air like a spectacular sunset.

Shadows gone, break of day,

Real life has begun... .

F.M. takes Kate's hand. "Are you ready, Kate?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

An airplane soars, climbing steeply from its LAX runway. Charles's voice anoints the moment.

Goin' home, goin' home

I am goin' home... .

Street sweepers clean up the boulevard as Charles continues to sing.

Shadows gone, break of day... .

F.M. and Kate walk up the driveway of the property as the gates of Graceland slowly open on their own. The two step through the gates and as they do so, their images slowly begin to disappear.

Real life has begun... .

The TV newscaster's voice can't be heard, but a helicopter hovers over the scene of a plane crash, pieces of fuselage scattered over the terrain. The helicopter's camera pans in closer and closer to the crash.

Charles walks alone down the street. His singing can still be heard.

Shadows gone, break of day

Real life has begun... .

The news camera closes in on detritus from the crash. A backpack that has burst open. Kate's drawings flutter in the wind.

At Graceland the gates are closing. No one is visible. Not the gardener or his lawn mower, not Kate, not F.M.

The final notes of Charles's song ring out:

I'm jus' goin' home.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My thanks to:

My agent, Phyllis Wender, who first encouraged me and kept the faith.

My editor, Peter Guzzardi, who lovingly guided me through this whole process with his expertise.

My Simon & Schuster editor, Trish Todd, who was behind this project all the way, and is the one who made it happen.

My husband, Brian, who was and is always there for me.

CARRIE HAMILTON CREDITS

The role for which Carrie Hamilton first began to receive national attention was Reggie in the television series Fame. Guest-starring roles on other series soon followed, including: Murder, She Wrote; Equal Justice; Beverly Hills 90210; thirtysomething; Walker, Texas Ranger; Touched by an Angel; Brooklyn South; and The X-Files.