The Patchwork Quilt of Happiness

by Ava Miles

  The newcomer waved, Riley and Jess left, and just like that Sadie was left alone with the people she’d come to meet.

  Haley skipped toward her, dragging her dad. “Wait until you see the princess quilt, Daddy. It even has a unicorn on it.”

  The man had an amused smile on his face when they reached her. “So you’re the quilt maker the girls were going on about. I’m Mark Bradshaw.”

  “I’m Sadie—”

  “McGuiness,” a woman said, punctuated by a gasp somewhere down the hall.

  She looked toward the voice, and almost reeled from the woman’s similarities to Susannah.

  “You’re Sadie McGuiness,” Paige said, covering her mouth with her hand.

  “McGuiness?” Sadie heard Mark say over the roar in her ears.

  What? Paige knew about her? “How do you—?”

  “You know my mama?” Haley asked, interrupting her.

  Sadie couldn’t seem to reply. The only thing she seemed capable of doing was stare at this woman who looked so familiar.

  “Why didn’t you say so? Mama, she wants you to make quilts for sick babies in the hospital. You’ve just gotta do it. Daddy always says to give back and this way you can ask her to show you how to make me a princess quilt.”

  Sadie shook herself and looked down at Haley with what she hoped passed for a smile. It wasn’t the little girl’s fault that her mama had known about them and done nothing to reach out. Okay, she probably had her reasons, and Sadie reminded herself it would not be productive to jump to conclusions.

  “I’d like to give you the quilt I brought to show your mama. You and Jess can use it for your dolls. Is that okay?”

  Her half-sister glanced her way, her face white. She seemed incapable of responding too.

  Right. No conclusions.

  “Oh, can I really have it?” Haley asked. “Mama, wait until you see it! There are gold stars and a moon on it, and it’s the prettiest color blue. I wish I’d had it as a baby. Sadie, show her!”

  “Haley,” Mark said, putting his hand on their daughter’s shoulder, “why don’t you run over to Jess’ house for a little while? You two can play while your mama and I talk to Ms. Sadie here. Tell Mr. Thomson I’ll be over to get you in a bit.”

  Haley looked at her and then at Sadie. “Oh, adult stuff. But Dad, can I accept Ms. Sadie’s present or not?”

  “That’s for your mama to decide,” Mark said, meeting Paige’s eyes.

  Sadie held her breath, waiting for the outcome of their silent discussion. She told herself it wouldn’t hurt her feelings if Paige refused the gift, but she knew it wasn’t true. Learning her sister knew about them—and had likely known for some time—changed everything.

  “Mama?” Haley asked, a strong note of determination in her voice mixed in with a politeness Sadie respected. “Please. It’s so beautiful.”

  “Honey, go on over to Jess’ now,” Paige said, finally walking forward.

  Sadie wondered if her sister had been scared to get closer to her, to see any similarities in their faces or builds.

  “All right,” Haley said with a dramatic sigh. “Bye, Ms. Sadie. I hope you come back and show me more princess quilts.”

  The little girl hugged Mark’s leg and then opened the front door and ran out.

  “Riley and Jess live next door,” Mark explained, clearing his throat. “The girls run back and forth all the time. Keyless entry and all. Well…”

  Mark looked at Paige again, and she knew what he was asking his wife. Do you want to talk to your sister now that she’s on our doorstep?

  The urge to cut and run was strong. “I’m so sorry to have…” Sadie blurted out. “I was going to tell you who I was. I didn’t realize…you already knew about me. Us.”

  Paige’s face seemed to fall, as if she only now realized that knowledge had been hurtful.

  “It’s just… We only learned about you last month, and I couldn’t stop thinking about you. It wasn’t fair what happened to you—to any of us. I prayed about it, and I just had to come meet you. It didn’t feel right not to know you.”

  When tears sprang into her sister’s eyes, Sadie felt a modicum of relief. She wasn’t the only one upset here.

  “I was going to tell you who I was and invite you to my quilting class. We’re making quilts for babies in the NICU, you see, and I thought…I thought we might get to know each other. No pressure. In a casual setting.” Her sharp intake of breath echoed in the foyer. “For a good cause and all.”

  Mark took a step toward her and grabbed her sister’s hand. The silence seemed to lengthen, and Sadie found herself praying in her head. Please say yes.

  “Why don’t you come into the kitchen with us and have a cup of tea?” Paige finally managed to say in a rasp.

  Sadie felt her lip tremble, and it took her a long minute to say, “That would be wonderful. Thank you.”

  Mark still hadn’t released her sister’s hand, and Sadie found herself admiring the strength they radiated as a couple. She knew a solid marriage when she saw it.

  “Follow me, Sadie,” Mark said, gesturing to the left.

  Sadie sniffed, wishing she could dig into her purse for a tissue. Since that seemed too obvious, she went in the direction he’d indicated. Paige took a couple of shaky breaths and followed with her husband.

  In the kitchen, Mark kissed Paige’s cheek oh-so-sweetly before letting go of her hand and crossing to the stove to make them all tea. Paige walked over to the kitchen table and pointed to a chair. Sadie slowly sank into it. Something about the woman’s valiant attempt at a smile shot straight to her heart. It was like looking at one of her other sisters in a moment of distress, the gesture an attempt to be kind in the midst of so much hurt.

  “I never expected to meet you,” Paige whispered.

  Her honesty made Sadie look down in her lap for a moment before gathering the courage to look at her sister. “I realize that now. How long have you known about us?”

  Paige lifted a shoulder, as if embarrassed. “Since I was a little girl. My mama said we had to go away because my daddy’s family didn’t like me. She was always lying about things. She claimed she was his second wife and his kids didn’t like us. She said…a lot of things that weren’t true. We don’t talk anymore, and I’m sure you can guess why.”

  “Oh my God,” Sadie said, letting the first tears fall down her face. “I’m so sorry. That’s an awful thing to tell someone. It wasn’t that we didn’t like you! We didn’t know about you. Our mama…she was trying to protect us from what happened.”

  “I can certainly understand your mama’s position,” Paige said, nodding. “I would have felt the same way. We—Mark and I—do our best to protect Haley from the truth about my family. Thankfully, he’s a guidance counselor and knows a thing or two about how to handle family issues like…the ones I grew up with. It’s like having an in-house expert pro bono.”

  Paige looked over at her husband, who was standing by the tea kettle like a sentry. How wonderful that they’d found each other. While Sadie barely knew the CliffsNotes version of Paige’s childhood, it certainly hadn’t been happy. It broke Sadie’s heart to think of the pain her sister had endured, the pain they’d all endured.

  She finally reached into the purse she realized she was still clutching and pulled out a packet of tissues. “Excuse me. I’ve been trying to be…circumspect about all of this emotion I seem to be having…”

  Her voice trailed off. Paige didn’t seem to be aware of her in that moment. Her eyes were fixed on her husband. He was pouring the boiling water into cups, and she rose to help him carry them to the table. He laid his hand on her arm, and Paige shook her head as if telling him she was okay. Then she covered the hand resting on her own.

  I love you, she mouthed.

  I love you, Mark mouthed back.

  Sadie felt her heart expand as she watched them. Then Mark turned and picked up what looked like a sampler box of tea while Paige brought the cups over.

  “W
hat can we offer you, Sadie?” Mark asked. “We have just about every tea in here.”

  “Chamomile would be great if you have it,” Sadie said, hoping it would help calm her over-sensitive nervous system. “Thank you for being so kind to me. After hearing what your mama told you, I’m surprised you didn’t throw me out the front door. I…worried you might.”

  “We’re usually not violent,” Mark joked, giving Sadie a gentle smile. “Plus, it was pretty brave of you to come see Paige. I can tell it was a shock to you and your siblings.”

  Since that was an understatement, Sadie simply nodded. “Yes, it…felt like the end of the world, but Mama always says there’s the promise of rainbows.”

  Paige selected a citrus lime tea bag and dunked it in her water. “That’s a nice turn of phrase.”

  Silence descended as they all made their tea. Paige seemed to stir in the sugar more vigorously than needed. Sadie racked her mind for what to say. Oh, this was so hard.

  “Maybe you should show us this quilt Haley was so excited about,” Mark suggested.

  Yes, she could work with that! Sadie set her teacup down too fast, and water sloshed over the side. “Oops, I’m so clumsy.”

  Paige picked up some napkins and together they cleaned up the mess. “Don’t worry about it. Please, I’d like to see your quilt, Sadie.”

  It was the first time her sister had said her name out loud—and it felt odd to hear it somehow. Calling someone by their name meant something, and they both knew it was significant. Sadie’s mouth lifted at the corners, realizing it was Paige’s way of reassuring her, and she reached into her large gold purse. As she unfolded the quilt, she noted Paige’s eyes filling with tears—another encouraging sign.

  The little blanket was meant to be pure magic, from the soft baby blue swatches to the golden moon and stars. But it was the phrase in the corner of the blanket that had inspired Sadie to bring it tonight. “Precious One” was what she wanted to call her sister.

  When the tears in Paige’s eyes spilled down her face and she made no move to brush them aside, Sadie knew on some level she’d understood the message.

  “I’d like to join your quilting group, Sadie,” her sister finally said softly. “If you still want me to. And I’d be…honored if you still wanted to give this beautiful quilt to me. I mean, my daughter.”

  When her sister clutched the corner of the quilt, Sadie gave her a teary smile. “Oh, that’s…that’s…just wonderful…Paige.”

  Mark smiled and picked up his teacup. “I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.”

  Although Sadie couldn’t be sure, she thought Mark might be talking about more than the quilt.

  Chapter 2

  For a man who’d never much thought about having kids, Riley had fallen hard for his daughter. How could he not have? He pushed back the strand of hair covering Jess’ cheek, picked her up, and wrapped her in a blanket, gazing at her sweet heart-shaped face.

  The sight of his sleepy daughter every morning pretty much rocked his world.

  And he was in an especially good mood this morning because Sadie had agreed to go out with him Friday night. He’d called her after Jess had gone to bed, the feeling in his gut both excited and nervous.

  They hadn’t talked long, but he had a good feeling about her—one he hadn’t had in a long time. His trust in the opposite sex had gotten messed up, but he finally felt ready to start looking for a serious relationship again. Two years after Jess’ birth and the split with his ex, he’d dated a few women, but it hadn’t felt right. He had a new life with a young daughter. He’d needed more of a time-out to focus on Jess and figure out what he really wanted in a committed relationship.

  After all, any relationship he formed now wouldn’t just affect him.

  He finally felt ready to meet the right person, something he’d admitted to Mark and Paige a few months ago. They’d offered plenty of help and encouragement, including babysitting, thank God. Never once had they offered to set him up with their friends, and for that he was grateful.

  Jess had been supportive too. Just look at how she’d talked to Sadie for him last night. He kissed her forehead because he couldn’t help himself.

  “Mmm…Daddy,” she murmured and nestled into his arms.

  “Mornin’, princess,” he whispered, smiling.

  He took the stairs slowly, careful to let her sleep. The weather was hot and muggy when he opened the back door and crossed his driveway to the Bradshaws’ back door. Monday through Friday, he brought a still-sleeping Jess over to their house so he and Mark could take a long run. He was right on time this morning, already dressed in his running outfit. If he got to drawing early, he sometimes lost track of time.

  Mark promptly opened the door in response to his light rap. His friend gave him the proverbial man nod, and Riley took the back stairs and walked quietly to Haley’s bedroom down the hall. His daughter’s best friend had a foot thrust out from under the blanket, her purple Disney princess nightgown visible. Man, did that girl love purple. Her room was a temple to all things purple, and as an artist, Riley could analyze the different shades—aubergine, lavender, grape, and violet. He pulled out the already-made trundle bed and laid his daughter on the mattress.

  He heard the shower running as he left the room. Paige was already up, like usual, and she’d have the girls fed by the time he and Mark returned. All Riley would need to do was help his daughter get dressed. Not that he’d have to do much. She had strong opinions about what she wanted to wear, and he always let her choose. Now that she was seven, she was more than capable of handling buttons, zippers, and tying her shoes. His little girl was growing up, and damn if he hadn’t cried after he’d dropped her off the first day of school.

  That was one of his jobs. Paige fed the girls in the morning. He dropped them off, picked them up, and watched them until his friends got home. In return, they would sometimes babysit in the evenings or on the weekends so he could get some overtime work done. He wasn’t sure what he would have done without them these last five years. When he first moved in next door, he’d been struggling to get back on his feet after taking on full responsibility for Jess, a decision he’d never regretted.

  When he strolled into the kitchen, Mark was stretching his hamstrings. “Thank God our daughters love each other.” The girls had taken one look at each other as toddlers and, without any prompting, hugged. It was like it was meant to be.

  “You’re telling me,” Mark said, glancing up. “Did you drink enough water this morning?”

  “Yes, Mom, I’m good,” he teased. “You need to stop worrying about me getting dehydrated.”

  “It’s hot out. Okay, let’s roll.”

  Once outside, they hit the pavement with a good stride, easing into the run. They both liked to warm up before increasing their pace.

  “I’m feeling pretty spry this morning,” Riley announced as they made a left off their street, following their normal route.

  “Work going well?”

  “Yes,” Riley said, feeling a bit like a rooster as he stuck out his chest. “And I have a date Friday night.”

  “Hey! Way to go, man. Who is she?” Mark slapped him on the back as they jogged, causing him to laugh.

  The image of Sadie in her yellow sundress came to mind again. Man, she was beautiful—and artistic too. Plus, his daughter had all but set them up.

  Online dating might be practical, but he’d heard stories about people lying about everything from their age to their relationship status. After the mistakes he’d made with his ex…well, now he was an old-fashioned guy with trust issues.

  Until last night. He’d wanted to ask Sadie out from the minute he’d set eyes on her.

  “Sadie, the woman from last night,” Riley said. “Jess outed that I liked her, and I asked for her number on the spot. We talked a little last night, and she agreed to go out with me on Friday. By the way, did Paige decide to join her quilting class? I don’t know if she leans toward that kind of hobby, but Sadie
’s work is stunning. Jess was on me all night to order a princess quilt from her, but I don’t want to muddy the waters until we get to know each other better.” His daughter hadn’t liked the thought of waiting, and Riley knew she was going to be back on him like a duck on a June bug.

  Mark didn’t respond right away, and Riley turned his head to study his friend. Mark noticed and flashed him a quick smile. Too quick.

  “Something wrong? You didn’t see something in her that I missed, did you? She’s not some kind of closet psychopath?”

  Mark was a proverbial wizard when it came to reading people.

  “No, I think Sadie is a lovely woman,” Mark responded, patting him on the back more casually this time. “And Paige did agree to attend her quilting class.”

  “I can hear the ‘but’ a mile away,” he said, running a little faster from his jitters. “Tell me what you really think.”

  Mark went silent again for a few more long moments, and Riley resisted the urge to press the man. When his friend was like this, he wouldn’t be rushed.

  “Let’s head back to the house,” Mark said. “I need to talk to Paige before I can respond, and I don’t want to keep you on the line.” Pivoting his head to meet Riley’s eyes, he added, “It involves a confidence. Otherwise, I would tell you. You know that.”

  Yes, he did. He and Mark didn’t make hearts out of construction paper and write ‘BFF’s on them like their daughters did, but he knew they were as close as brothers. Heck, they spent the holidays together. Whatever this involved, it was serious. What in the world was going on?

  Mark turned around and picked up the pace, which Riley was happy to match. When they reached the Bradshaws’ driveway, Mark said, “Better wait here. If the girls see you, we won’t have another moment alone.”

  Riley nodded as Mark took off toward the house. His mind spinning out a dozen different scenarios, he crouched down and pulled a few of the never-ending weeds that always shot up back between the cracks in the sidewalk in front of his house.

  “Hey!” Mark called, making his head shoot up. “Let’s take a walk. We’ve got enough time.”