Page 39 of Alex
“It’llbe okay,” Alex reassures me when I hesitate outside the door of her modestlittle house.
BeforeI can respond, a thin silver haired lady opens the door. She looks at leasteighty years old, but her arms are strong as she pulls me into them without anyhesitation. “Those eyes,” she says, her voice brittle. “You have your mama’seyes, so brown they look black.” Stepping back, she releases me and wipes hereyes. “I’m sorry. I’ve thought about this day for a long time. Wondered whathappened to you.” She steps back and holds open a battered screen door.“Please, come in, come in.”
Herliving room is small, but clean and comfortable. A tray with three glasses anda pitcher of iced tea wait on the coffee table. “Please, sit. You must have amillion questions. I sure do.” As we take a seat on the couch, my eyes aredrawn to a large photo hanging on the wall. A smiling girl holds a newborn babywith a shock of black hair, joy shining from her familiar eyes.
“Isthat?” My voice fails me as I gesture toward the photo I know must be mymother.
“Yes,honey. That’s your mom, my Lola.” She removes the photo from the wall and handsit to me. “That was taken the day she brought you home from the hospital. Shewas so proud.”
Myfingers trace her face through the glass. “She looks so young.”
“Shewas fifteen when she had you.”
Christ,only fifteen. “And my father?”
Witha sigh, she sits across from us. “He was the same age.”
“Idon’t know anything about him.”
“Hisname is Peter Myers. I don’t know where you can find him. He and Lola ran awayfrom here the day she turned eighteen. I begged her not to take you, but he hadher convinced. His uncle had a job for him, he said, in Indiana, and they couldstart their own lives there.”
Tearsfill her eyes and Alex hands her a tissue from the box beside him. “I’m sorry,I don’t mean to upset you.”
“Naw,naw, you should know what happened. Your mom, she loved you more than anything,and Peter convinced her you would have a better life if they left. Thingsseemed to be okay for a few months, at least she said everything was fine whenshe’d call me each week. I was in the hospital undergoing heart surgery when Istopped hearing from her. I knew something was wrong. She wouldn’t just stopcalling, especially when I was sick.”
“Iwas in the hospital for six weeks and when I came home, I called the police.She was over eighteen and since she wasn’t even living near me, I couldn’treport her as a missing person. The officer promised to try to locate her andtwo days later I got the worst news of my life.”
Shewipes her eyes again and so do I. I notice Alex’s eyes are red rimmed as well.“She died in a car accident. Hit by a drunk driver on her way to the grocerystore. Thank god you weren’t in the car, but they couldn’t tell me where youwere.”
Gazingout the window, she shakes her head. “I imagine he panicked, your father. Hewas still a kid himself, but I’ll still never forgive him. He could’ve broughtyou back. I’d have raised you and he knew it, instead he left you at a firestation.”
Hersoft hands grasp mine. “I tried to get you back. I swear I did, but with myfailing health and little money, they wouldn’t even consider it. You werealready in the system. They told me you would be adopted by a family. You hadjust turned four years old.” Her pale eyes meet mine. “Do you rememberanything? Your mother or father? This place?”
Ihate to kill the hope in her eyes, but I don’t want to lie. “No, my memorystarts with a foster family.”
“That’sa shame.” A small smile tilts her lips. “Look at you, though. So handsome. Youalways were a beautiful little boy. Do you have a good life? Are you happy?Married? Children?”
Hereager questions make me chuckle. “Not married and no children yet, but yes, I’mhappy. I work for a major accounting firm where I make an obscene amount ofmoney. I have good friends.” I glance at Alex, and she smiles at him.
“I’mso glad to hear that.”
Scootingforward to sit on the edge of the couch, I ask, “Do you know why my father’sname isn’t on the birth certificate?”
Roselaughs. “That was your obstinate mother’s fault. She and Peter were fightingwhen the time came to fill out the paperwork and she left him off. I guess theynever corrected it.”
Alexchuckles. “Well, we see where your stubbornness comes from.”
Roseexcuses herself and leaves the room, returning with another photo. This oneshows my mother sitting beside a thin blond boy. His arm is around her andthey’re beaming at the camera with no idea of the grim future awaiting them. “Ithought you might like to have this. It was taken a few days after they foundout she was pregnant with you.”
“Thankyou,” I murmur. “Do you have any other children?”
“No,Lola was my only.”
“DoI have any other family?”
Regretpaints her face. “I’m afraid not. Peter was an only child and his parentspassed a few years ago. I had a sister who died last year. I’m it, I’m afraid.”
Iget to my feet and hug her. “You’re plenty. I’m so glad to meet you. I’m sorryI don’t remember.”
