by Beth Ziarnik
He leaned toward her and lowered his voice. “How are things going with your father’s family?”
“I … uh … well …” Not knowing the extent of his relationship with her father’s family, Jill searched for an appropriate response.
He leaned back in his chair and quirked an eyebrow. “Shall we just say each is unique in her own way?”
Jill laid her cloth napkin on the table and smoothed it. “Could we please talk about something else?”
“Sure. Are you still working for Nona?”
“Yes.”
“How’s that going?”
“I still love the work. Connecting people to lost family and even the history of their homes is rewarding.” As long as Brian was doing a little fishing, she would too. “How did you come to work for my father?”
“I heard about an opening in his firm and applied about a month after we broke up. It was a good career move. I was fortunate to get the position.”
“And you really didn’t know John Taylor was my dad?”
“Not until he introduced us. But I’m happy you finally found each other.”
He was obviously telling the truth. Knowing that eased her heart.
His demeanor changed slightly. “How did you meet Merrick?”
The unexpected question caught her off guard. “I … uh … he restored the historic house I inherited from my mother in Northern Michigan.”
“When was the last time you heard from him … Clay, is it? When is he getting back?”
Why would that interest Brian if they were just friends? His own words. “Uh ... as soon as possible. Look, Brian, I hope you understand, but I really prefer not to talk about personal matters. I came with you to shop, and we still haven’t found gifts for Kat or Lillie.” The thought lay heavy on her heart.
He wiped his mouth with his napkin and dropped it on the table. “You’re right. We shopped all morning without any luck.”
So true. None of the places they tried had helped. Not even the fascinating gift shop within this restaurant had offered anything she felt her sisters might appreciate. The exquisite Hummel figurines didn’t strike her as quite right. Neither did the artistic German beer steins. She definitely needed other ideas, and time was running out.
Brian placed a generous tip on the table. “We haven’t tried The Domes. It’s beautiful at Christmastime. Plants of all sorts available for purchase and a gift shop with some interesting items.”
Jill perked up. Brian might have something with that suggestion. She had heard of Mitchell Park Conservatory and its three large domes. Each had its own beautifully displayed plant environment. “We might at least find something for Lillie. How far is it?”
“Not far.” He glanced at his watch. “But I don’t think we have the time. I should get back to the office.”
She shrugged. “That’s it then. They’re probably not open on Christmas Eve.”
“They are. If you’re free in the morning, I could take you. What do you think?”
She studied the man sitting across from her. Interesting that he thought of the perfect shopping place now. She needed those gifts. “It wouldn’t hurt to try.”
As they stepped outside the restaurant into the gently falling snow, Jill breathed in the cold air, letting her thoughts drift to Clay. How much fun it would have been, doing this last-minute Christmas shopping with him.
The next morning, she and Brian were soon waiting amid the crowd outside The Domes, stomping one foot and then the other to stave off the biting cold. The doors would open at nine o’clock—a few more minutes.
The massive geodesic structures loomed like great glass beehives before them. Would they hold what she sought? Lord, please help me find the right gifts.
“Are you cold?” Brian’s face evidenced concern.
“A little, but I’m too excited to let it bother me. Besides, we Midwesterners are hardy folk.” She had, after all, spent most of her growing-up years in Wisconsin and Northern Michigan.
Leaving a vapor trail with every breath, he rubbed his gloved hands together and stomped his feet. “If you say so.”
“Hey there, Brian.” A big, smiling Milwaukee policeman closed the distance between them to shake gloved hands. “Doing a little last-minute shopping like the rest of us?”
“We are.” Brian grinned at the man. “Jill, I’d like you to meet Sergeant Steve Kalbus, a neighbor and friend. Steve, this is Jill Shepherd, also a friend and John Taylor’s daughter. She’s in town visiting for the holidays.”
Jill offered a whisper of a smile. “Nice to meet you.”
The sergeant pulled on the bill of his hat. “Same here.”
The crowd murmured and moved closer to the doors. The sergeant hurried along with the others as he called back to them. “Hope you find what you’re looking for … and Merry Christmas.”
Moments later, the doors opened. Jill surged forward with the crowd, eager to discover the treasures she hoped to find.
“Hey, wait for me,” Brian called out from behind.
“Don’t be such a slowpoke.” She threw the words over her shoulder as she rushed inside.
The Domes were alive with shoppers and visitors, but Jill didn’t stop her search for a moment. As fascinating as the tropical and desert domes were, it was the floral display dome that took her breath away. The banks of gorgeous poinsettias and other Christmas plants arranged in a massive, themed, walk-through garden totally enchanted her.
She paused on a white garden bridge. The water flowing beneath brought back sweet memories of another small bridge over a creek in Munising, Michigan, where she and Clay had stopped to drink in its beauty. He had placed his warm hand over hers. Now the thrill of their first romantic moment flamed afresh in her heart. If only they were enjoying the breathless beauty of this Christmas wonderland together.
“What do you think of this one?” Brian pointed to a huge blue and white variegated poinsettia.
“It’s gorgeous, but Lillie has one just like it.”
“Then what about this? It’s unusual.”
Jill had no idea what the strange plant with twisting brown branches was called, but it wasn’t right either. They went on, spending a half hour searching. Lord, is there nothing that will delight Lillie?
“What about that?” Brian directed her attention to a potted plant whose white, lily-like blossoms resembled stars.
“That’s it.” On a stand in the center of a huge floral display, it beckoned her to come. But how would she get to it?
“I’ll find someone to help,” Brian offered.
While he left on his errand, she read the discreetly placed sign that identified the lovely plant, Star of Bethlehem.
Yes, it was perfect. Perhaps its name would remind Lillie of that first Christmas when the Savior of the world was born.
Now if she could just find Kat’s gift. That was sure to be more of a challenge. Her sister certainly had all the exercise equipment and clothing she would ever need.
With Lillie’s plant in her hands, Jill and Brian headed for the gift shop where they would make the purchase. Perhaps in there, she would find something to please Kat. She had to hurry though. She had promised Alice she would not be gone more than a couple of hours. Now, with little time left, she skimmed from one display area to the next, hoping and praying.
A large geode, its exposed interior alive with amethyst crystals arrested her attention. The little card identified the amethyst as a subspecies of quartz, bluish-violet in color: a precious stone which formed the third stone in the third row of the breastplate worn by the Hebrew high priest. Also, the twelfth layer of the foundation of the New Jerusalem to come.
“Perfect.” Seizing her prize, she carried it to checkout. Thank you, Lord.
Later, as she and Brian emerged from The Domes, she paused to thank him.
He brushed a snowflake from her cheek. “Glad to have been of service.”
Back at the house, Jill peeked into the reception hall before entering
. Not a soul to be seen or sound to be heard. Great. She’d sneak up to her room with her armload of gifts and hide them until time to put them under the tree. A good thing she had also picked up small gifts for Alice and Dora on her way to check out at The Domes. It would be so much fun when it came time to open gifts.
She slipped into her room and shut the door. Placing the plant in her bathroom and the smaller gifts in the dresser, she started humming the tune to “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” The upbeat tune fit her mood. So jazzy. So full of the Christmas spirit. Her heart floated with a lightness she had sorely missed the past two days. But she’d better hurry. She’d been gone longer than she anticipated. Alice must be waiting.
As Jill shut the door to her room, she turned to find Lillie standing in the hall, wringing her hands. “Danger,” her sister whispered, glancing toward their father’s door. “Danger.” Her wide eyes stared vacantly.
“What’s the matter?” Jill kept her voice low even as her heart hammered in her chest.
Lillie didn’t respond, acting as if she hadn’t heard the question.
Jill took a step closer. “Lillie?”
Obviously realizing she wasn’t alone, her sister rushed to her and grasped her hands. “Danger,” she repeated from pale lips.
“What danger? What are you talking about?”
The door to their father’s room opened, and Lillie clammed up as her face blanched.
Dora put an arm around her granddaughter. “There now, Lillie, what is the matter?”
Lillie only stared at her grandmother.
“I found her like this here in the hall,” Jill offered. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Dora frowned at the intrusion. “Lillie is having one of her spells. Pay her no mind. I’ll take care of her. She’ll recover in a while.”
While grandmother led granddaughter away, Jill watched dumbfounded. Dora had taken Lillie’s distress rather lightly. Was it possible her sister knew something that might solve the mystery of their father’s illness?
A chill passed through Jill. Was Dora a danger to her son-in-law? Perhaps Alice or her father would know.
As Jill entered his room, Alice looked up. “Was your shopping trip a success?”
“Completely.” Jill drew near to her father’s bed. “I’m sorry it took so long.”
“No problem. Right, John?” Alice nodded toward her patient. “He’s been doing quite well. Maybe you two would like a little time together. I could use a good, strong cup of coffee. If you need me, just text me.”
Sitting beside her father, Jill took his hand, startled to find it cool to the touch. Hopefully, the healthier color of his skin meant he was making progress. How good to see him improve.
“Dad, Dora said something about Lillie having one of her spells. What are these spells about?”
Her father drew his eyebrows together, his eyes troubled. “My daughter suffers from early signs of her mother’s illness. Fortunately, they’re infrequent, and her doctor feels they’re treatable.”
“Her doctor? Lillie has a doctor and you don’t?”
“That’s right.” So decisive. And stubborn.
“May I ask why?”
“Simple. She needs one and I don’t.”
“But—”
He waved one hand dismissively before letting it drop to the bed. “Please. I don’t want to discuss this. Let’s change the subject.”
She heaved a great sigh. Arguing would only stress him. She would wait for another opportunity to bring the subject up again. Maybe now was a good time to bring up her sister’s plight. “Did you know Dora keeps Lillie from seeing you?”
“I see her,” he said, seeming surprised that anything might be amiss.
“Not without her grandmother.” Had he truly not noticed?
His brow furrowed even more. “She can come to see me any time she wants. Just as you and Kathryn do.”
“Lillie seems to believe otherwise, and I’ve heard her grandmother confirm it.”
“Why would Dora do such a thing? Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Especially now that I’m better, there’s no reason Lillie shouldn’t visit whenever she pleases. I’ll straighten out the matter with Dora.” Her father looked at her pointedly and grinned. “I hear Brian took you shopping.”
He’d already gotten the wrong idea. “Just as friends. Nothing more.”
“Just friends.” His eyes softened and took on a faraway look. “That’s how your mother and I started out.”
Jill could see where this was going. “Please don’t get any ideas. Brian and I had our chance. It’s long over.”
Her father appeared lost in the long ago, a trace of pain etching his face. “Yes, long over.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, yes.” He sighed deeply. “I was just remembering those last days with your mother. I suppose Susannah told you nothing about that either.”
Jill’s heart rate ramped slightly. Would her father reveal more of the mystery surrounding his separation from her mother? “Nothing at all.”
“I’m not surprised. She was never one to put anyone in a bad light.”
Leaning slightly forward, Jill stared into her father’s eyes, straining to catch every word.
He appeared to slip back into the past as if he were watching the whole thing, detail by detail. “I came home one evening, eager to hold her in my arms. Instead, I found an envelope. The note inside said I was not to try and find her. She gave no explanation.”
The pain in his face seared Jill’s heart, but she remained silent.
“I couldn’t understand it. What had gone wrong? When I left that morning, we’d been so happy and looking forward to that evening. For weeks after she left, I was beside myself. I tried to find her. I checked with hospitals and morgues. I hired a detective and, finally, I called her parents. It was no use. She had disappeared.”
“But you must have found her eventually. You found out about me.”
“I never found her. Your grandparents called later. After she had been missing ten months.” His eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Susannah had taken an apartment in a poor section of town where she gave birth to you. When she grew too sick to be alone or care for you, her landlady went against her wishes and called her parents. You were three months old by that time.”
“The landlady knew who to call?”
“The kind soul had been taking care of both of you when she chanced on a photograph with their names on the back and a Munising store in the background. By that time, your mother had become so feverish the poor woman was alarmed.” His voice broke, and he paused. Then he forced himself to go on. “All my fault. All my fault.”
She squeezed his hand and whispered, “Mom forgave you.”
He trembled. “I don’t deserve her forgiveness. I’m only glad her parents wasted no time in getting to her. Unfortunately, once they provided the medical attention she needed, they had another problem.”
“What problem?”
“It may not seem like much today, but back then in their small town, her situation would have caused a scandal. They didn’t want your mother—or you—to face that, so they contacted me. At their request, I changed your last names to Shepherd to make it appear your mother had been legitimately married, as she had thought. It was your mother’s idea to say I had died.”
Jill nodded knowingly. “The story I grew up believing.”
“Yes.” He looked up at her, his eyes imploring. “I didn’t know your mother was pregnant until that phone call. Susannah said she had planned to share the happy news with me in a special way when I came home that night.”
Jill frowned. “Then why did she run off?”
“She found out I was married.” He closed his eyes and turned away.
“Who told her?”
“She wouldn’t say. When her parents gave us time alone to talk, I told her about Carolyn, how for several years my wife didn’t know me, our children, or even her own mother. It was
no marriage, and I was lonely. Susannah said she understood. She also said she still loved me, but your mother was a woman of honor. She would not hear of me divorcing my wife. She pointed out that I still had children to care for.”
“Mom knew about my half-sisters?”
His eyes filled with misery. “While I was selfish, not wanting to give up your mother’s precious love, she was sure my daughters were too young to understand. She wouldn’t risk injuring them emotionally, bringing scandal on their heads, or compromising my law firm. Your mother always thought of others before herself.”
So, this was why her mother never wanted her to contact her father. Lord, if only Mom had told me the whole story. Well, what was done was done, and what rightfully mattered back then no longer posed a threat. Her sisters were old enough to handle the truth. Society had become so jaded that neither the family nor her father’s law firm would suffer any scandal.
Tears rimmed her father’s eyes. “I’m so sorry, Jill. All the suffering I caused you and your mother, Dora, and my children—it could have been avoided if only I had been stronger back then, if only I had done the right thing.”
“We all make mistakes, Dad.” If anyone knew about the power of loneliness, she did. How she wished she could wipe the pain from his heart.
“One thing I’ll never regret,” he continued, his hand trembling. “Knowing the fine young woman you’ve become. I’m glad you came into this world. I’m proud to call you my daughter, and I will always love you.”
As her father poured out his heart, her own eyes swam with tears. She wanted to fling herself into his arms, but she suddenly realized how much that speech had taken out of him. “Please. No more talking. You need rest.”
He closed his eyes and gave a small nod.
She kissed his cheek. “We all want you strong enough to celebrate Christmas with us tomorrow.”
“Yes, yes.” He gave Jill a half-smile. “I could use a little nap, but if your young man shows up tonight, I want to see him.”