Page 21 of Vodka and Chocolate Drops

She had a sister. Shewasa sister. To someone. Somewhere. To someone she hadn’t even met. Someone who didn’t know she existed, just as Amber hadn’t knownshe’dexisted until seconds ago.

“I mistook sex for love,” her mother said heavily, and Amber struggled to pay attention, her mind still reeling from the shock. “I was a fool. Young. I found out I was pregnant two months before graduation. The baby’s father didn’t want anything to do with us and your grandparents weren’t interested in raising another child. So I went away to hairdressing school.”

“But you didn’t really go there?” Amber slid down the wall, settling on the floor.

This was huge. Huger than Philip not being her father. Huger than Scott applying out. Huger than Russell’s book, even. This was a change-her-life-forever secret. A sister!

She had a sister!

“I didn’t go. I applied, showed everyone the acceptance letter, then went and worked in a temp agency in the same city until it was time to deliver.”

That explained why her mom had burned Amber’s forehead with the curling iron and always sent her to the local salon for anything more than a trim. She hadn’t even walked through the doors of beauty school.

But to keep such a massive secret for so long. To keep it from everyone. Did Mary Alice know, or simply just suspect, because she didn’t have anything better to do with her time?

“Mary Alice hinted that there might be something about you and hairdressing school. Does she know?”

Gloria paused, her face pale, then shook her head. “But if anyone is going to figure out discrepancies in my history, it would be Mary Alice. Not much gets by her.”

“But she said…”

“She was probably just fishing, as usual. You’ve got everyone wondering who your father is, so I’m not surprised she’s sifting through my past, looking for hints.”

“Oh, Mom. I’m so sorry.” Amber hadn’t had a clue that there were more secrets that could be exposed by her searching for her father. Her mother had been right when she’d said it was complicated. Getting to the bottom of one secret was like trying to pull a pair of jeans from beneath a towering stack, one-handed, without toppling the others.

“No, no. It’s my fault.” Gloria let out a long sigh.

“Nobody knows.” They sat in silence for a few moments, then Amber tested the words that had been whirling in her head. “I’m a sister.”

More silence.

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know. I know nothing about her.”

“But you could find her, right?”

Gloria shrugged.

“Have you thought about it? Do you want to?”

Her mother let out a shaky sigh laden with sorrow. “She has a family. She doesn’t need me interfering and disturbing her life just because I’m curious.”

“But what if she’s curious, too? What if she wants to know where she came from?”

“She came from the family that adopted her. I gave up my rights.”

They were quiet for a long moment.

“Do you regret it?”

“What choice did I have, Amber? I couldn’t raise her on my own.” Gloria got to her feet, flinging her jacket onto the chair. Then she carefully picked it up and hung it in the closet. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For… everything.” She blinked rapidly, sucking in a big breath.

Amber grabbed her in a bear hug, holding her close. She couldn’t begin to imagine what her mother must have gone through and the emotions she must have faced--still faced. If Amber was feeling overwhelmed by it all, she couldn’t even imagine what her mom must be feeling.

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