Camryn pulled into the rest area by the Myrtle Beach exit at five minutes past nine. Brooke’s BMW was already parked. Brooke, holding a coffee cup in both hands, waited outside the car. She looked nice in a midcalf printed skirt and turquoise blouse. But then Brooke always looked nice. The sisters hugged.
“I still can’t believe I agreed to this,” Camryn said.
“Of course you can believe it, Cammie. You agreed because I asked you to do it.”
Camryn couldn’t argue. All their lives the sisters had faced victories, problems and challenges together. Camryn’s acceptance of Brooke’s plan wasn’t a sign of weakness. She would do anything for Brooke and vice versa. Just the way it was.
Camryn locked her old truck and got in the passenger seat of Brooke’s car. “Have to say I always like riding in this beauty,” she said, smiling across at her sister. “I’ve never heard you say the same about my vehicle.”
Brooke smirked. “That’s just because I haven’t ever ridden in it.”
They were silent as Brooke navigated onto the highway that would take them into Myrtle Beach. Camryn’s anxiety level spiked, but not to a dangerous level. She’d never had a panic attack with Brooke. Cam actually thought, and hoped, that this trip might be for nothing. Marlene Hudson might not be home. Heck, she might not even live in Myrtle Beach any longer. Anything could have happened. If they didn’t meet their biological mother, Camryn would be fine with that outcome. She would feel badly for Brooke because her sister had pinned such high hopes on this meeting and would be devastated for a while.
Brooke set her cruise control to sixty-five and relaxed for the twenty-minute drive. “So what’s going on with you and the amazing Mr. Bolden?”
“Oh, noth—” Camryn cut off her words. She was simply too excited about Reed to hide the truth. “He kissed me...twice!” she blurted out.
Brooke squealed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was afraid you would squeal,” Cam said. “Obviously you’re surprised.”
“That he kissed you? No. That you let him? Definitely.”
“You make me sound like an old prude,” Camryn said.
“Hardly, Cammie-girl. Though you are older than I am.”
“By five minutes.”
“Yes, and now you’re starting to act like the red-blooded young thing you are. I’m assuming you kissed him back.”
Camryn released a contented sigh. “Guilty as charged. We’re going out Friday night. To dinner, without kids.”
“That’s a positive step.” After asking about plans for Esther, Brooke doubled back to the topic of Reed. “So—” she arced the flat of her hand over her stomach “—did you tell him?”
“No, not yet. I’d like to see how the date goes first.”
“Okay, I get that, but not too much stalling, sis. The man obviously likes you, wants to spend time with you. Putting off telling him the truth will only make it harder to admit when you think the time is right.”
“That’s not necessarily true,” Camryn said. “If I wait I’ll know Reed better. It will be easier to talk to him.”
“Or your feelings will be so wrapped up with him by then that you won’t be able to find the words.” Brooke’s eyes left the road long enough for her to give her sister an earnest stare. “The whole thing about the divorce isn’t so important,” Brooke said. “Who cares if your divorce was final two months ago or twelve months ago? You haven’t been happy for years.”
“So true,” Cam said.
“But the issue of the baby could be a roadblock in your relationship, you’ve got to admit.”
Camryn stared down at her tummy. “Yes, I suppose it could be.”
Brooke looked into Camryn’s face again. “And...?”
“Oh, all right!” Camryn said. “Sometimes you get lucky and make sense. I’ll tell him Friday night. If he’s not accepting of my child, then at least I’ll know. I’ll be able to walk away without getting terribly hurt. It is still early in our so-called relationship.”
“Good for you, Cammie. It’s the right thing to do.” Brooke focused intently on the road. “Now get out your phone and log on to the GPS. Marlene’s address is sitting on the dashboard. You’ve got to guide us in.”
Camryn did as Brooke suggested. “Says we only have two miles to go to reach Garfield Street. Only a couple of turns.”
They followed directions through a neighborhood of dry cleaners, pawnshops and convenience stores until they came upon a large apartment complex of gray buildings, each more tired-looking than the one before. Ironically, the name of the complex was Sunshine Meadow. A few worn-out signs with letters that were barely readable identified streets in the maze of buildings.
“Garfield is just ahead,” Camryn said. “We need 1501.”
Brooke selected a parking space with faded yellow letters spelling “Guest.” The rest of the lot was mostly empty. This was obviously a working-class project, and the residents were at their jobs. The few remaining cars were older-model compacts. She and Camryn got out of the car and faced a double row of solid white doors.
“Marlene is in unit G,” Cam said. “Looks like that’s upstairs.”
Brooke nodded. “You ready?”
“I guess so.”
They climbed the concrete steps to the second floor. As they proceeded along the catwalk, they passed tricycles and other assorted toys as well as lawn chairs flanking the doors. “I hope the children who live here have a green area where they can play,” Camryn said.
Brooke didn’t comment. She stood in front of unit G and wiped her hands on her skirt. Camryn had rarely seen her sister nervous. This was almost a first for her. A Magic Marker placard on the door read Hudson. So much for discovering their mother had moved.
Brooke inhaled deeply. “Here goes,” she said and knocked lightly on the door.
After a minute an elderly woman opened the door. She wore a cotton dress that reached below her knees. The cornflower blue flowers might have been bright and cheerful at one time. A white scarf covered her head but didn’t prevent coarse strands of gray hair from peeking out everywhere.
Camryn looked at Brooke, who was staring at her. Brooke straightened her back.
“Are you Mrs. Hudson?” Brooke asked.
“Land sakes, no,” the woman said. “Marlene had to go into the coffee shop this morning. She called me to watch Harold while she was gone. I just live downstairs, and I do that for her sometimes if he’s had a bad night.”
“Harold is her husband?” Brooke asked.
“Who’s at the door?” a man called out from another room. “Is it Meals on Wheels?”
“It’s too early for Meals on Wheels,” the older woman said. “That’s not till dinnertime.”
“Is it someone selling something?”
“I don’t know, Harold. Be patient.” Turning her attention to the visitors, the woman said, “Yep, that’s Marlene’s husband. Got dementia. No sense of time any longer.” Grasping the knob in obvious preparation for slamming the door shut, the woman said, “If you are selling something, you’re wasting your time...”
“No, nothing like that,” Brooke said. “We were just hoping to speak with Marlene. We have a connection with her from years ago. When will she be home?”
The woman peered over Brooke’s shoulder. “In about five minutes, I’d say.” She pointed down the block to the street below. “That’s her coming now. Must have worked the five-to-nine shift this morning.”
Both girls looked down. A middle-aged woman wearing a ruffled band on her head and a pink-and-white restaurant uniform was headed to the building. Her hair, bound in a barrette at her nape, was dark, so black it was almost blue, a sure sign that she covered the gray with powerful dye.
“That’s Marlene?” Brooke asked.
“That’s her,” the woman confirmed. “Thought you said y
ou knew her.”
“Not well,” Camryn said.
Brooke backed up a step. “We’ll just go down and meet her.”
As the girls made their way along the catwalk again, the woman called over the railing. “These ladies want to talk to you, Marlene!”
Marlene shaded her eyes. “Who are they?”
“I don’t know. Said they know you from way back.”
Marlene’s shoulders slumped, and she suddenly appeared tired. “Tell them to hurry. I’ve got to soak my feet.”
They met in a small courtyard with a tile-top table and benches for seating. The few scrawny trees provided little protection from the sun. Camryn wondered if the complex had a pool for the kids to play in.
Marlene sank onto one of the benches and stared at Brooke and Cam. “Make it quick. Gilda charges me by the hour.”
Brooke and Camryn sat across from her. Brooke cleared her throat. “Mrs. Hudson...Marlene,” she began. “My name is Brooke Montgomery, and this is my sister, Camryn.”
Marlene squinted her eyes nearly closed and pressed her lipstick-free lips together tightly. For a moment she didn’t seem to be breathing. Camryn resisted the urge to squirm. She couldn’t remember when she’d ever felt so uncomfortable, so unprepared to meet the demands of a difficult situation. Once again she questioned the merit of this whole trip. For sure, she wished she hadn’t agreed to come.
“I’m happy to pay you for any extra amount that Gilda might charge,” Brooke said. She took a ten-dollar bill from her purse and slid it across the table. “We won’t be long. Will this cover it?”
“Should.” Marlene took the bill and stuffed it down the front of her dress. “Now, what do you want?”
“My sister and I were born thirty-two years ago,” Brooke said. “We were given up for adoption.”
“Why should that interest me...?” Marlene’s eyes widened in undeniable recognition. Her attempt at a bluff wasn’t working. “Thirty-two years ago, you say?”
“We don’t want anything from you,” Camryn said quickly. “Our lives have been good. The Montgomerys were wonderful parents.”
“Well that’s just ducky,” Marlene said. “But I learned long ago that nobody just suddenly steps out of the shadows of your past without wanting something.”
“All we want is to know you,” Brooke said. “You’re our mother. We have questions, that’s all. We thought you would answer them.”
Marlene clutched her handbag in both hands. “How did you get my name? Those records were supposed to be sealed.”
“Does that really matter?” Brooke said. “The point is we just want to get to know you.”
“And what makes you think I want to get to know you?”
Brooke’s face dropped as if she’d been slapped. “Haven’t you ever wondered about what happened to us, how our lives turned out?”
“No. I heard you stayed together and went to a good family. I did what I did because it was the right decision. I never looked back. And if you think there is anything to be gained from making a relationship with me now, you’re about as wrong as you can be.”
She glanced up at her apartment. “This is where I live. I’ve got a sick man I care for on what I make in a coffee shop. But I make do. I don’t need anyone else hanging on or asking me for anything, even my time. I don’t have it to give.”
“That’s not our purpose in coming here,” Camryn said.
“You don’t have a purpose that interests me,” Marlene said. “You’re obviously well-off girls who think you’re entitled to whatever you want in life, especially to know where you came from. I know it’s the popular thing these days for adopted kids to seek out their real parents. Too bad they don’t think about why they were given up for adoption in the first place.”
“We’re curious, that’s all,” Cam said. “It’s not fair to call us entitled. We are both working women.”
“Tell you what,” Marlene continued. “If you’re so curious about your past, swab your cheek and send it off to one of those hereditary places. That will tell you more than I ever would. My past is my past. It’s over. I couldn’t tell you one thing about the people that came before me. I’ve got all I can handle to make it through each day of my life right now.”
Camryn noticed a spark in Brooke’s eyes, and she sensed trouble ahead. She reached for Brooke’s hand.
“But aren’t you even the least bit sorry?” Brooke said. “Aren’t you the least bit happy to see us now? Doesn’t it matter to you that we’ve grown up, and we’re okay?”
Marlene stood, slipped her handbag under her arm. “If you want me to say something that will make you feel all warm and cozy, then yeah, I’m glad you’re okay, glad you didn’t end up in a situation that would have been worse than being raised by me. I would have only brought you up in misery.” She started to walk away. “Now I’ve got things to do.”
“We’re sorry we bothered you,” Camryn said. She didn’t trust Brooke to speak.
“Yeah, me, too. Don’t do it again. There’s no point.” She walked several steps away and then turned back. “I don’t know how you found me, but let me give you one warning. Don’t go looking for Edward, or whatever his name is now. Not everyone wants to be found.”
Brooke scurried to catch up to Marlene. She grabbed her arm. Her voice was low and threatening when she said, “Who’s Edward?”
Camryn caught up, spoke softly in Brooke’s ear. “Let’s go. We found out what we came for.”
Brooke didn’t seem to hear her. “I asked you a question, Marlene. Who’s Edward?”
Marlene’s face flushed crimson. “You didn’t find that out, too?”
“Find what out?”
“Forget I said anything. I just figured the records would have revealed...”
Brooke’s eyes narrowed. “I’m asking you one last time. Who is Edward?”
Marlene released a long, trembling breath. “I already had a kid when you two came along. He was three. I didn’t even have a steady paycheck then, so I gave him up, too.”
“Where is he now?” Brooke’s voice had taken on a breathless quality, as if she were having a hard time getting the words out.
“How should I know? Last I heard he went into the foster care system. He wasn’t so adoptable. He was older and wild.”
“We have a brother?” Brooke said, the sudden realization giving her voice almost a reverent quality.
“Half brother. You had different fathers, both of them losers.”
“Don’t you care about anything, Marlene?” Brooke’s voice now shook with anger and hurt. “We are your children!”
“I care about my next meal, and I care about that man upstairs. I loved him once. Would have done anything for him. Still would, I guess.” She jerked her arm away from Brooke. “Don’t judge me, not unless you’ve been in my shoes. Now go on back to your nice lives. You’ve got nothing to stay here for.”
Marlene headed for the stairs. Camryn took Brooke’s hand and led her to the car.
“Don’t you dare say it,” Brooke warned. “Don’t you dare say you told me so.”
“I wasn’t going to,” Camryn said. “I know you had expectations. I know this hurts.”
“Do you, Cam? Do you really?” She got in the car, started the engine. The air conditioning whirled around them. And then Brooke fell into Camryn’s arms. Cam could count on one hand the number of times she’d seen her sister cry.
CHAPTER TEN
“WILL YOU BE okay driving home?” Camryn asked Brooke after they’d arrived at the rest area again.
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”
“I’m sorry this didn’t work out the way you wanted it to, Brooke. Marlene is just a bitter woman who probably has never made peace with her past.”
Brooke turned in her seat and gave Cam an intense stare. “She gave
away three children, Cammie. Can you, in your wildest dreams, ever think of doing that and then ignoring it as if it never happened?”
Camryn shook her head. “Of course not, but my life has obviously been very different from Marlene’s. I’ve always had support and family to love me. And you know my history with miscarriages. Nothing is more precious to me than a child. That’s why I’m so overly protective of Essie, and why I’m panicked half the time about losing this next baby.”
Brooke put her hand on Camryn’s shoulder. “You’re not going to lose this baby, Cam. In a few months I’m going to be a proud auntie for the second time. And Esther is going to make a wonderful big sister.”
They hugged. “Thanks for going with me, Cam,” Brooke said.
For the first time Camryn was glad she had. “Sure. Just tell me again that you are okay.”
“I am.” Brooke smiled. “I look at it this way. One mother down, but one brother to go.”
Camryn couldn’t stop her jaw from dropping. “You don’t mean it? You’re not going to try and find this Edward? He’s a stranger to all of us. Who knows what his life story has been. For all we know he could be in jail, or living in another country, or...even be dead. His name may have been changed. He may have lived in too many foster homes to count. I beg you, Brooke...”
“You’re right, Cam. I don’t know what got into me. This journey into the past this morning should be enough to convince me to leave well enough alone.”
Brooke said the words, but she was looking out her car window and not at Camryn, so Cam knew she was merely saying what Cam wanted to hear. “I don’t want you hurt again,” Cam said.
“I know, and I love you, sweetie. Now go on and drive back to your chickens and jam and whatnot. And for heaven’s sake, Cammie, dress up on Friday night. Do you need me to overnight you a dress?”
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