have conjured this from somewhere.
A press of the release catch and the machine came to life—sticky note stuck inside.
“Anj—I held it waiting for your return from Romania. Didn’t look inside.—T.” A heart accompanied the signed ‘T’.
“What were you hiding that even your own husband would say he didn’t look?”
• • •
Cael matched Lily’s gait with his shorter legs and smaller stature. Having shrunk by nine inches and lost over a hundred pounds would have made for a nice diet, if he’d been human.
One step after another, taking the time to adjust as he landed on the first floor, he’d hit his stride—or rather, Lily’s—or Angela’s.
“Mommy!” Max raced from an older woman to Angela. “Gramma’s here!”
It always astounded Cael that kids could stay so worked up over the smallest excitement.
“She brought cupcakes. Can I have one? Can I? Please? Can I?”
“I believe it’s ‘may I’, right, Max?” The woman, Lucinda based on Lily’s memory, but Evelyn from the information Cael had found, stood in a bright blue running suit and a baseball cap of the same color with a red-sable ponytail strung through the back. Her bright, green eyes complemented the shade of her hair in a way that made Cael think she’d picked them both for just that purpose.
Asking outright would look plain stupid. Cael chose to name her Levelyn, in his mind, to lighten his mood.
Max hung his head. “May I have a cupcake?”
“I believe—” He mimicked the cadence of the woman’s speech but mixed it with Lily’s in the hope it would sound more authentic—more Angela-like. “—we need to eat some dinner first.” He shot a glance at the clock. Seven had come on fast with Tony’s departure.
“Can I make my famous Mac and Cheese?” the woman asked, her eyes glistening with a need Cael couldn’t read.
“Would you, Mom?” Cael asked. “I just don’t think I …”
The woman came to Cael, her track suit swishing. “Oh, honey. I’ve missed you so much.” She wrapped her arms around him as the tears started and wracking sobs bumped her shoulders against his. “I’m so sorry about Leigh, honey. So sorry. It so reminiscent—” Her sobs grew, cutting off whatever she’d planned to say.
Cael kept up the pats on the back. He added a slight rub every once in a while.
“I promised myself I wouldn’t cry, and I wouldn’t make this harder on you than it already is.” She provided the same soothing massage to Cael’s back. “But it’s so damn unfair. A year of help, you find the most expensive doctor in Europe, and you end up on the east coast and then the west coast without your daughter.” She continued to cry against him.
Cael stayed mute, listening for any key words or phrases he could latch on to.
“It’s a damn shame is what it is. All that time and no resolution, and now I can’t even be here to tell you and Leigh that it doesn’t matter if she’s anemic and has alopecia. It’s just not a problem in this family. My girls don’t need to worry if they look gorgeous or just plain natural.” After a few chuckles, she pulled back.
Confusion reigned in Cael’s mind. Why is she laughing?
“I must look a mess.” She waved in front of her own face. “Right after I tell you it doesn’t matter what you look like, I probably look like a bowled over can of SpaghettiO’s . I’m just so glad to see you, honey. You’re home, and you’re okay—well—” The woman withdrew a kerchief from her bag and wiped at her nose. “Tony told me about the …” She circled her finger around Cael’s head. “We’ll find Leigh. I can feel it in my bones.”
Cael nodded. “Yeah. I hope—”
“Now, we’ll have none of that. I’m not letting you go down the path I went down. I haven’t gotten through seventy years without hope or with it alone. It’s about conviction. You have to have conviction.”
“Um … yeah, I know.” Though he imagined the real Angela might have had
A press of the release catch and the machine came to life—sticky note stuck inside.
“Anj—I held it waiting for your return from Romania. Didn’t look inside.—T.” A heart accompanied the signed ‘T’.
“What were you hiding that even your own husband would say he didn’t look?”
• • •
Cael matched Lily’s gait with his shorter legs and smaller stature. Having shrunk by nine inches and lost over a hundred pounds would have made for a nice diet, if he’d been human.
One step after another, taking the time to adjust as he landed on the first floor, he’d hit his stride—or rather, Lily’s—or Angela’s.
“Mommy!” Max raced from an older woman to Angela. “Gramma’s here!”
It always astounded Cael that kids could stay so worked up over the smallest excitement.
“She brought cupcakes. Can I have one? Can I? Please? Can I?”
“I believe it’s ‘may I’, right, Max?” The woman, Lucinda based on Lily’s memory, but Evelyn from the information Cael had found, stood in a bright blue running suit and a baseball cap of the same color with a red-sable ponytail strung through the back. Her bright, green eyes complemented the shade of her hair in a way that made Cael think she’d picked them both for just that purpose.
Asking outright would look plain stupid. Cael chose to name her Levelyn, in his mind, to lighten his mood.
Max hung his head. “May I have a cupcake?”
“I believe—” He mimicked the cadence of the woman’s speech but mixed it with Lily’s in the hope it would sound more authentic—more Angela-like. “—we need to eat some dinner first.” He shot a glance at the clock. Seven had come on fast with Tony’s departure.
“Can I make my famous Mac and Cheese?” the woman asked, her eyes glistening with a need Cael couldn’t read.
“Would you, Mom?” Cael asked. “I just don’t think I …”
The woman came to Cael, her track suit swishing. “Oh, honey. I’ve missed you so much.” She wrapped her arms around him as the tears started and wracking sobs bumped her shoulders against his. “I’m so sorry about Leigh, honey. So sorry. It so reminiscent—” Her sobs grew, cutting off whatever she’d planned to say.
Cael kept up the pats on the back. He added a slight rub every once in a while.
“I promised myself I wouldn’t cry, and I wouldn’t make this harder on you than it already is.” She provided the same soothing massage to Cael’s back. “But it’s so damn unfair. A year of help, you find the most expensive doctor in Europe, and you end up on the east coast and then the west coast without your daughter.” She continued to cry against him.
Cael stayed mute, listening for any key words or phrases he could latch on to.
“It’s a damn shame is what it is. All that time and no resolution, and now I can’t even be here to tell you and Leigh that it doesn’t matter if she’s anemic and has alopecia. It’s just not a problem in this family. My girls don’t need to worry if they look gorgeous or just plain natural.” After a few chuckles, she pulled back.
Confusion reigned in Cael’s mind. Why is she laughing?
“I must look a mess.” She waved in front of her own face. “Right after I tell you it doesn’t matter what you look like, I probably look like a bowled over can of SpaghettiO’s . I’m just so glad to see you, honey. You’re home, and you’re okay—well—” The woman withdrew a kerchief from her bag and wiped at her nose. “Tony told me about the …” She circled her finger around Cael’s head. “We’ll find Leigh. I can feel it in my bones.”
Cael nodded. “Yeah. I hope—”
“Now, we’ll have none of that. I’m not letting you go down the path I went down. I haven’t gotten through seventy years without hope or with it alone. It’s about conviction. You have to have conviction.”
“Um … yeah, I know.” Though he imagined the real Angela might have had
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