Page 111 of Engulfing Emma

She turns. “What? You think I wanted to find him and have some kind of happy reunion?”

I scrunch my brow. “Well … yes.”

Brett and I look at her and then each other, both completely bowled over by what just happened.

“Your daughter is kind of a badass,” Brett says with a huge smile on his face.

Evelyn shakes her head. “A reunion was never what I wanted. But you wouldn’t have let me come here if I’d told you the real reason.”

I’m confused. “You planned all along to tell him off?”

She nods.

Brett offers her a fist bump, which she reciprocates. “You’re pretty damn awesome, kid,” he says.

The old lady across the hall opens her door wider and steps out. I offer her an apology. “I’m sorry if we bothered you,” I say, not even knowing if she understands English.

She pulls her housecoat around her and approaches Evelyn. “That nasty man is your father, little one?”

Evelyn nods.

The woman shakes her head. “All he be is trouble, that one. Wait here for a minute, child.” She retreats into her apartment.

“What’s going on?” Evelyn asks.

“I’m not sure,” I say.

She returns and hands Evelyn a piece of paper with two names and an address on it.

“What’s that?” I ask.

She points to the second name. “That’s your sister.”

The three of us gasp.

“That’s right. Nasty man has another gorgeous girl he don’t pay mind to. She and her mother used to come around. They don’t anymore. He stopped answering the door when they knocked.” She points to the peephole in her door. “He could see them through that. They left their information with me in case he ever wanted to contact them.” She looks sad. “He never asked.” She puts a hand on Evelyn’s arm. “Now I know why I kept this piece of paper all these years. Everything happens for a reason.”

Brett and I look at each other. He smiles at me. Yeah, I guess she really did just say that.

“Thank you,” I say. “You’ve been very helpful.”

She goes inside her apartment and closes the door. Evelyn runs a finger across the second name on the paper. She looks up at me with more excitement on her face than I’ve ever seen. “Can we, Mom?”

“I googled the address,” Brett says. “It’s not too far from our hotel.”

I had all kinds of thoughts about how this day would turn out. And not one of them took into account what an incredible, strong, larger-than-life daughter I have.

Evelyn takes my hand and then Brett’s. His gaze is fixed on Evelyn, and his eyes are filled with love and pride.

“What are we waiting for?” I ask, swallowing hard to keep tears from falling. “Let’s go find your sister.”

~ ~ ~

Evelyn and Greta hit it off right away. Greta speaks perfect English. That comes from her stepfather being American. He sits with us while the girls get to know each other.

“I’m sorry you couldn’t meet my wife. She would have loved to have met you. Perhaps another time, when she’s not out of town.”

I say, “I’d like that.”

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