The Way Back to You

by Sharon Sala

Sully dropped two new keys on key rings into her hand.

  “These are for you. And it wasn’t in the toilet after all. Chet and I had a talk first, at which time we discovered he has a small hole in his pocket. I found the key ring under the shelves beside the bathroom door. Those are extras. Put them wherever you want, just not on the same hook with the first one.”

  Lovey rolled her eyes and then hugged him. “Thank you for the new keys. You are going to be as handy around here as a pocket on a shirt.”

  Sully laughed. “I’m going to head back home now. Melissa was making dinner when we left. Dad, do you want to eat with us, or stay here and eat? If you stay, don’t miss the biscuits.”

  Marc saw the look on Lovey’s face, and the decision was made.

  “Thank you for the invitation, but I’m staying here to see what this place is all about.”

  Sully waved and left.

  Lovey beamed and grabbed a menu.

  * * *

  Two days later, Marc was in the banquet room at Granny’s, wrapping up the interview and photo shoot with Lovey and Johnny Pine. Even the two orderlies had come, staying long enough for him to question them a bit and get their names. He had everything he’d come for, and more.

  There was a whole new horror in knowing the injured woman in the picture was someone he’d known and loved. But as a documentarian, his personal view did not belong in the piece.

  And, knowing it was going to be a two-day drive to get home, he’d already settled his bill at the B and B this morning. His car was packed and he was ready to go, all except saying his goodbyes.

  He packed his camera back into the carrying case, the iPad with notes in his bag, and then they all stood.

  “Johnny, thank you for the interview and the pictures. When I get a release date from Nat Geo as to when they plan to air it, I’ll let you know. I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again, because Blessings is going to become a regular stop-off for me.”

  “It’s been an honor to meet you, sir. I’ll look forward to seeing your documentary,” Johnny said. They shook hands, and then Johnny was out the door.

  Marc turned to Lovey and smiled as he cupped the side of her face.

  “Finding you has been the gift of a lifetime. You know I’m not going to fade out of your life again. And you also know I’m expecting all three of you to come meet the family, so please be figuring out a way to make it happen.”

  Lovey felt the love in his touch and let it settle in her heart.

  “I will, and there’s something I’ve been wanting to say ever since you appeared. Having you and Sully back in my life was a gift I never saw coming, but it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I belong in Blessings. It’s where I’m happiest, and where my heart is. I don’t really belong to anyone here. I have many good friends, and Ruby is my best friend, only none of these people knew the real me. But you did. I once read an article on aging and there was a sentence in it I never forgot. When the last person who knew you as a child has died, when there’s no one left to say ‘remember when’ to, then you’ve lost that part of your life. I feel whole again. Thank you for forgiving me… Thank you for understanding why I gave our baby away.”

  Marc frowned. “There is nothing to forgive. Everything you did, you did out of love. You were protecting me from the threat your parents laid down, and you protected our baby the best way you knew how. It was a good thing. Sully’s parents were good to him. They loved him. And they raised a good man. Yes, they lied to him, too, but people react differently to fear, and I know Dolly Raines feared losing the baby to you.”

  Lovey threw her arms around him and hugged him tight, then gave him a quick pat on the back.

  “I’d better get back to work or the boss will fire me. I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

  Marc gave her a quick goodbye kiss. “I wish fate had been kinder to the both of us.”

  Lovey shrugged. “Life happens. The good part is we’re both still here to live it. Drive safe. Text to let us know you got home okay.”

  “I will, and I’ll be in touch.” And then he packed up his things and left.

  When he stopped at the house to tell Melissa and Sully goodbye, Melissa answered the door. “Marc! Come in. Sully is out back.”

  “I don’t want him to stop what he’s doing. I just came to say goodbye for now.”

  “Then I better get a hug,” Melissa said.

  Marc obliged, adding a quick kiss on her cheek. “You’re going to be my favorite daughter-in-law. You know that, don’t you?”

  Melissa grinned. “Duly noted. Now follow me, and I’ll let you out through the kitchen door.”

  Marc gave the Elliot Graham painting one last look as they passed it, then followed her through the house and outside onto the patio.

  “Sully!” Melissa called. “Your dad’s here!”

  Sully turned and waved, then leaned his rake against a tree and loped back to the house.

  “Hey, Dad. Are you leaving?”

  “Yes. I finished the interviews. I already have a promise from Lovey that she’ll come with you guys to meet the family.”

  “I can’t wait,” Sully said. “You just say the word and we’ll be there.”

  “I never knew what I was missing until I found out you existed. After that, it was a physical ache. Thank you for being so accepting of letting me into your life,” Marc said.

  “I understand that feeling,” Sully said. “Once I learned I was adopted, it created such a hole in who I thought I was that I knew I wouldn’t be happy again until I had some answers.”

  “And thanks to a huge twist of fate, the impossible happened. Just prepare yourself for all kinds of hugging and kissing and crying and laughing…because that’s what big Greek families are all about,” Marc said.

  “Something to look forward to,” Sully said, then walked his dad back to his car and stood on the front lawn waving until he was out of sight.

  * * *

  Two and a half weeks later, Sully was on I-70 with the two most important women in his life, driving back into Kansas City to meet his dad.

  Melissa was in the seat beside him, and his mom was in the back seat, quietly looking at everything they were passing.

  “Mom, how does it feel coming back after all this time?” Sully asked.

  “I don’t exactly know how it feels. I hadn’t thought about this place in so long, but I do know that I left here without you, and the fact that you’re the one bringing me back makes the whole thing come full circle,” Lovey said.

  “Oh, Lovey, what a perfect way to think,” Melissa said. “Sully is the common denominator between us. I knew him after you were gone, and loved him. Then you and I met years later, unaware of the connection we already shared, and now we’re coming back together to where it all began. That’s not coincidence. That’s karma, and I for one am happy to close the circle on that.”

  “Where it all began,” Lovey said, and kept looking at everything they passed.

  “Sully, where is it we’re going again?” Melissa asked.

  “Dad made reservations at the Fontaine. It’s a really nice hotel near Country Club Plaza. He arrived last night. Our rooms are supposed to be near each other and on the same floor.”

  “And tonight is ‘meet the family night,’” Lovey said. “I brought the same thing to wear that I wore for the big reveal. It may be too fancy, but it makes me feel good and I need that. I left this city with my tail between my legs, but I’m coming back a survivor and proud of it.”

  “It’s going to be good, Mom. Dad and I will make sure of that for you,” Sully said.

  “And I will sing your praises loud and long,” Melissa said.

  Lovey laughed. “Then sing then loud enough for me because I only hear half of everything that’s being said these days.”

  A short while later, Sully
reached the hotel and stopped at valet parking. He sent a quick text to his dad that they had arrived, and within minutes a bellhop had their luggage and was leading them in to registration.

  Marc was grinning as he met them in the lobby and then walked them to the front desk. When the clerk asked for their names, Marc took charge.

  “The reservations are all in my name,” he said, and produced his photo ID and the same card he’d used to make the reservations.

  “Yes, sir,” the clerk said. “And you have two more rooms reserved beside the one you’re in now?”

  “Yes, and please make sure this beautiful lady is registered into the room next to me,” Marc said as he took Lovey’s hand. “Our son and his fiancée will be on the other side.”

  The clerk smiled at Lovey. “So, beautiful lady, I will need your photo ID.”

  Lovey was trying not to grin at all the attention, but she failed miserably as she handed over her driver’s license. As soon as Sully and Melissa were registered, too, the bellhop got their room numbers and went to take up their luggage as they headed for the guest elevators.

  Marc had his arm around Lovey’s shoulders and they were talking like the two old friends they were, leaving Sully and Melissa to follow.

  “Do you think Lovey and Marc could ever be a couple again?” she whispered.

  “I think that ship has sailed,” Sully said. “Dad is planning a whole other trip on his own soon, and Mom isn’t budging from Blessings. I get the feel that they’re united by friendship and me, and I’m good with that.”

  That conversation ended when they all reached the elevators, and a whole new one began about meeting the family tonight.

  “Sully, are you nervous?” Marc asked.

  Sully shook his head. “Never. You have no idea what an affirmation it will be for me to see myself in other people’s faces. Mom and I have already discovered we have the same smile. And seeing myself in your face was the best.”

  Marc beamed. “Your mom and I never got to be the proud parents with the new baby, so tonight we get to be the parents of a very awesome man. Prepare yourself to be doted upon and bragged about.”

  Then an elevator arrived, and as soon as it emptied they stepped in and headed for the seventeenth floor. Their luggage was in their rooms when they arrived.

  “It’s about three hours until we go to Aunt June’s. Did you guys eat lunch?” Marc asked.

  “We ate a late breakfast on the road,” Sully said.

  “We can go down to the bar in a few and share a couple of appetizers with a glass of wine if you want, or lie down and rest if you’d rather.”

  “I’ve rested more in the last two days than I have in the last twenty years. As soon as I get unpacked, I would like to go to the bar,” Lovey said.

  “So would I,” Melissa said.

  “Sounds good to me,” Sully said. “Give us about fifteen minutes, then knock on our door. We’ll be ready.”

  The time passed quickly with wine and snacks, and when it was time to go back to get ready, Sully asked, “How long will it take to get from the hotel to the party?”

  Marc thought a moment. “Oh, I’d say with rush-hour traffic and me taking shortcuts, somewhere between thirty and forty-five minutes. Just text me when you’re ready, and we’ll head that way.”

  Chapter 20

  A short while later, Marc turned down a block lined with long-established homes and the kind of landscaping it takes years to achieve. As he turned, he pointed to a big two-story Craftsman in the middle of the block ahead.

  “See all those cars lining both sides of the street? They belong to family, and the two-story blue Craftsman-style house with gray trim belongs to Aunt June.” As he neared the house, he suddenly laughed. “Ha! Looks like Aunt June made sure there was a parking place for us in the driveway. Being the guests of honor in a family this size does have its perks.”

  Sully was excited and grabbed Melissa’s hand as they stopped.

  Marc looked across the console at Lovey. “Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”

  “This makes three times, but who’s counting?” Lovey said.

  “Then let’s go do this. Janie…sorry…Lovey, you and I are going in first together because I want it understood that we’re a team. Are you okay with that?” Marc asked.

  Lovey sighed. “Yes, and thank you.”

  Marc caught Sully’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “And you, my son…just prepare yourself for the impact your appearance is going to have. Melissa, don’t try to remember all the names tonight. We have a lot of family years ahead of us, okay?”

  “Okay,” Melissa said.

  “Sit tight, ladies. We’ll help you out,” Marc said as he and Sully exited, then circled the car. After they’d paired up, Marc led the way into the house.

  “Knock, knock,” he called out as he and Lovey walked in.

  For a split second the room was silent, and then everyone began talking at once and shouting out greetings from all over.

  They were still absorbing the fact that the elegant gray-haired woman on Marc’s arm was the Janie Chapman they’d known as a girl when the second couple walked in behind them and closed the door. At that point, there was an audible gasp of disbelief.

  Marc took it as his cue to begin introductions.

  “I know most of you remember the young Janie, and this is my beautiful Jane Cooper now, who prefers to answer to Lovey.” Then he and Lovey stepped to the side. “This man is our son, John Sullivan Raines, who goes by Sully, and his fiancée, Melissa Dean.”

  And then a voice shouted from somewhere in the back of the room.

  “Marco!”

  “Polo!” Marc shouted back.

  At that point, Lovey knew who it was, and tensed when she recognized Marc’s brother, David, coming toward them. But she immediately relaxed when he greeted her with a kiss on each cheek.

  “Welcome to the family, Lovey Cooper. You grew into a most elegant woman. It is so very nice to see you again.” Then he punched Marc lightly on the shoulder and pointed at Sully. “Of course, you would produce a son in your own image!”

  The family laughed as David continued. “Sully, I am your uncle David, your father’s younger, shorter brother whose hair did not turn an attractive shade of gray but has chosen instead to fall out.”

  Sully grinned as once again the family laughed.

  David poked Marc on the arm. “And, as if it wasn’t hard enough to grow up with such a handsome older brother, now I see I will be going into old age with his clone as my only nephew. But the good news is that my nephew is much smarter than my brother, because it didn’t take him nearly as long to find such a beautiful woman.”

  At that point, laughter rocked the house, and they were all engulfed by the family crowing around them. Introductions began, starting with Aunt June, who was their hostess, and after that there were so many others that Sully gave up trying to remember who they were.

  Lovey had already been reclaimed by her old schoolmates—Sophia, Marlee, Tina, and Rachel—who were taking credit for reuniting her and Marc.

  “You’re absolutely stunning, and we’re so happy you’ve all found each other,” Sophia said. “I hope this is the beginning of many Adamos family dinners together.”

  Lovey’s voice was shaking a little. “Thank you, and I’ll be honest, I’m still pinching myself that this has happened. I never dreamed I would see Marc or our baby again.”

  Marlee hugged her. “Dreams do come true, and you’re living proof. So tell us about Blessings. Marc said you own and run a restaurant called Granny’s Country Kitchen? That’s amazing.”

  Finally, Lovey was on familiar ground. Her eyes began to sparkle.

  “It belonged to my husband and me. I took over the running of it after he died. As for Blessings, it’s one of those places that you can’t believe stil
l exists. I’ve lived in a lot of places, but Blessings has my heart.”

  While family was being reunited and old friends were reminiscing, Melissa left Sully in the midst of a horde of Adamos men and made her way into the kitchen.

  As they began to visit, June mentioned the recent loss of her husband, and Melissa felt an immediate rapport.

  “I lost my husband when we were young. He’s been gone for a good twenty years. I consider myself blessed to have reconnected with Sully.”

  June’s eyes widened. “Reconnected? You mean…you two knew each other before…like Marc and Jane?”

  “Yes, I grew up in Kansas City, too. Sully and I went to the same school. He was my first love, and the first boy I kissed. We spent one year as boyfriend and girlfriend, and then they moved.” She laughed. “I thought my life was over.”

  June kept shaking her head. “This is powerful. Two Adamos men…reconnecting in this way with their first loves, and in the same small town.”

  “Pretty strong karma, for sure,” Melissa said. “So what can I help you do? I’m used to staying busy. Give me a job.”

  June beamed. Without knowing it, Melissa had just earned a place in the family before she even bore the name.

  Marc and Sully were in the den, talking to more family, when one of them asked, “Hey Sully. You said you live here… What do you do?”

  “I’ve been a firefighter with the Kansas City Fire Department all of my adult life. I just recently retired and moved to Blessings. Melissa has a business there, and I fell in love with the place.”

  Always ready to brag, Marc jumped in to add what he would have called color commentary to the story.

  “When I was searching for Sully online, I saw evidence of his heroism before I ever met him. But then I met him, and one of the first things I learned was that he saved Melissa’s life from a burning car less than an hour after his arrival in town.”

  The quiet murmurs of disbelief, followed by a solemn silence, said more than words could have expressed, but everyone in the family was eyeing him with new respect.

  “Once a fireman, always a fireman,” Sully said. “I’ve carried a lot of people I didn’t know out of fires, so you can imagine my shock in the ER when I realized she was a girl I’d grown up with.”