Finding Her Family

by Syndi Powell

  They took their places as the meeting began. The usual stories about setbacks and progress got shared. Some tears were shed, mixed with hearty laughter at April’s story about getting lost in Rome during her honeymoon and having to depend on Zach’s spotty Italian to get them found.

  Then the director, Lynn, stood up. “Anyone else have something to share?”

  Sherri raised her hand, shocking Page since she didn’t usually say anything at these meetings. “Dez and I have decided to adopt another child. My cousin Mateo put us in touch with a little girl who needs us as much as we need her.”

  Lynn clapped her hands with the rest of the group. “That’s wonderful news. And it brings me to our topic tonight. Finding the good in cancer.”

  Several groaned, Page included. She couldn’t find much good in what she’d gone through. She’d lost parts of her body, her marriage and the hopes of having a child. What could she point to that showed she’d gained anything from this horrible ordeal? Then her gaze slid to Sherri. Okay, so she’d gained a friend. A good friend, in fact. And their diagnoses had brought her and April even closer than they had been before.

  Lynn continued. “We are so quick to point out what we’ve lost.” She put a hand to her own chest. “I lost my mother to breast cancer as a young girl. What good could that be?”

  Page agreed. She’d lost friends to cancer as well and it never became easier.

  “But I am a strong, independent woman who learned early to rely on myself. Would I rather have had my mom growing up? Absolutely. Still, there are always rainbows after the rain, if you look for them.” She pointed to Sherri. “Your cancer journey has brought another child into your family. And April, yours helped you learn to appreciate a man who is now your husband. Why don’t we go around the circle and share something good that came from cancer?”

  Page hated this part of the evening. Though she’d learned much when others shared what they were going through in their journeys, she dreaded when it was her turn to talk. Half the time, she passed.

  Her turn was coming closer as she racked her brain. Something good. What good had she found in this, her third round of chemo and surgery? Had she found anything? Crud, it was her turn. She paused and glanced around at the other faces.

  Sweat broke out on her forehead as a dozen pair of eyes stared at her. “Um...” She glanced at April. “Good friends?”

  Sherri smirked. “Great friends, you mean.” She blushed. “The love of a good man. He finally admitted his feelings for me when things got rough.”

  Once everyone in the group had shared, Lynn nodded. “I’ve discovered that I’m a leader who is full of compassion and strength. Let’s hold on to those good things even on the days so bad that we can’t get out of bed. If we can remember the good, the worst won’t have such power over us.”

  April elbowed Page, who shook her head. It sounded very close to something her friend had been trying to tell her for a while now.

  The meeting started to break up, as people congregated around the snack table. Suddenly, Lynn let out a piercing whistle. “I forgot to mention earlier. Our annual fund-raising walk in October is coming up pretty quick. Make sure you sign up before you leave. We’re looking for more walkers as well as family and friends. We want this to be a celebration, so the more the merrier.”

  Page narrowed her eyes at April. “You already signed me up, didn’t you?”

  April nodded. “And Zach. And his grandparents. My parents. Sherri signed up her whole family. It’s going to be huge.”

  Ruby asked, “Can I sign up?”

  Page put an arm around the girl. “It’s the middle of October, right around the time you’re due. We’ll have to wait and see.”

  “I don’t want you to be the only one without family,” Ruby said.

  For someone who didn’t cry, Page had to blink back the moisture that had quickly formed at the corners of her eyes. She took a deep breath. “Then I’d love for you to walk with me.”

  They shared a smile and Page pulled Ruby closer for a long hug. Could she care about this girl any more?

  CHAPTER TEN

  MATEO HAD CALLED Thomas Burns, aka Ruby’s dad, and set up a meeting. Page had promised Ruby that she’d go with her, so she looked in her closet for an appropriate outfit for meeting her foster daughter’s father.

  She pulled out a short-sleeved white lace blouse with a matching tank for underneath. The lace wasn’t something she normally would wear, but this was the first time she’d be seeing Mateo since that horrible kiss. She wanted to look feminine, so the lace would work. She paired it with a pair of black capris and strappy sandals.

  She checked the clock. He’d be here soon to pick up her and Ruby, so she played with the idea of wearing a head scarf. As hot and humid as it still was, she decided against it. She left her bedroom to find Ruby pacing the living room, holding her belly.

  Page walked over and put her arms around the girl to keep her from moving. “It’s okay to be nervous.”

  “What if he doesn’t like me?”

  “Why wouldn’t he? You’re great.”

  “But he don’t know that.”

  Page smiled. “Then I’ll tell him how fabulous you are.” She squeezed the girl even tighter, knowing that their time together could be ending sooner than she would have liked. “It’s going to be okay whatever happens.”

  “But what if you need someone to take care of you? I could stay a little longer to make sure that you’re safe.” Ruby’s eyes pleaded with Page. “We can tell him that you need me more.”

  “I doubt you’ll be going home with him tonight, so stop worrying. There’s a whole court process we still have to go through.” She heard a car door slam outside. “And Mateo is just the one to help us.”

  She walked to the front door and opened it before he had reached the porch. He stared up at her and she wished for the thousandth time she hadn’t kissed him.

  Okay, so that wasn’t entirely true, because the kiss had been amazing. It had been better than any she’d shared with Chad. No, she’d enjoyed the kiss and wished they could share more. What she regretted was the way it had separated them. Even now, it felt like any closeness they’d once shared was now gone. And she could only blame herself and the need to kiss him.

  He cleared his throat. “You look nice.”

  She gave a nod, trying not to let his words mean too much. She stepped back so that he could enter the house, but he said, “We should go.”

  She grabbed her purse and steered Ruby outside. The girl dragged her feet even as Page kept her arm around her and helped her toward the car. She opened the passenger door, but Ruby grabbed her hand. “Can you sit with me in the back?”

  Page nodded and once she, too, was inside, Mateo started the car, and they began the journey to Ruby’s new future.

  “I told Thomas we’d meet him at Mario’s, the Italian restaurant.” He looked into the rearview mirror at them. “I hope pizza is okay.”

  Ruby turned her head to stare out the window. Page knew that pizza was one of the girl’s basic food groups, but nerves and anxiety had won their war over her. As Mateo pulled up in front of the pizzeria, Ruby placed both hands on her belly. Page asked, “Are you okay?”

  “I’m not feeling so good,” Ruby answered.

  “It’s probably just nerves. You’ll be okay.” Page unfastened her seat belt and took a deep breath. “No matter what, Ruby, I’m keeping in touch with you. We’re friends, if nothing else, right?” Ruby nodded, but the sentiment didn’t seem to reassure her. She bit her lip and took a moment before walking toward the entrance of the pizzeria. Page exited the car and told her, “Try not to worry.”

  Mateo gave his name to the hostess, who seated them in a large booth at the back. Obviously, Mr. Burns hadn’t shown up yet. Ruby still rubbed her belly even as they sat and sipped on the ice water that the waiter
had brought.

  To cut the tension and perhaps to make their time go by faster, Mateo ordered a basket of breadsticks with tomato sauce to tide them over.

  Page glanced at her watch. Ten minutes late. “He probably got stuck in traffic.”

  “Probably.” But Mateo didn’t look any more convinced of that than she was.

  The warm breadsticks arrived and they dug into them, which allowed them to keep from voicing their fears that they had gotten stood up.

  Twenty minutes late. Half of the breadsticks eaten. Ruby vibrated as if she would levitate off her seat.

  After a half hour, Mateo got out his cell phone and stepped away from the booth to go outside to make a call. Page turned to Ruby. “Tummy still feeling bad?”

  “Not since we ate.”

  Mateo returned. “We’re going to go ahead and order dinner. Mr. Burns got out of work late and wanted to shower and change before coming over.” He gave Page a look that told her there was more to that story, but he couldn’t share it with Ruby sitting there.

  Ruby saved them the trouble of finding an excuse to be alone by leaving to use the restroom. Page leaned across the table. “Quick. What aren’t you saying?”

  “He was going to bail on us, so I had to do some quick talking to get him to come. And there’s still a fifty-fifty chance he won’t show up.” Mateo picked up a menu and flipped it open. “I’m thinking pepperoni.”

  “Doesn’t he want to meet his daughter?”

  “He’s not convinced she is his. But I told him that meeting her wouldn’t hurt him. In fact, it could clear up some questions he might have.”

  Page glanced toward the restrooms. “I don’t know if Ruby should meet him then. Not until things are certain.”

  “It will be fine.”

  “I’m not so sure.”

  “No offense, Page, but you tend to look on the negative side of things. Let’s try to stay positive until something happens.”

  He raised his menu higher, and she was tempted to make a face at him. But she remained mature and stood when Ruby came back to the table. “Everything okay, sweetie?” Page asked her.

  “Sure. Just hungry.”

  Mateo nodded. “Me, too. I’m thinking pizza, salad and wings. Who’s with me?”

  The waiter reappeared to take their order. Every time the door to the restaurant opened, the three of them turned to look and see if it was Mr. Burns.

  They had just been served their food when a tall man with a somewhat familiar face came into the restaurant and swept the room with his eyes before his gaze fell on Ruby.

  Mateo stood and approached the man before bringing him over to the table. Mateo slid into the booth next to the girl, and Mr. Burns took a seat on the end next to Mateo.

  Ruby stared at the man, and he looked away. Mateo made a motion toward the girl. “This is Ruby Wilson. Her mother was Marcia.”

  The man looked at her then. “Tom.”

  Mateo handed an empty plate to him. “Why don’t we eat and get to know each other a little?”

  They served themselves from the dishes on the table. Page picked at the salad, unable to eat with all the tension surrounding them. Finally, Ruby cleared her throat. “How did you meet my mom?”

  Mr. Burns glanced at Mateo before turning to face her. “She was a good friend of my cousin Lydia. We met at her birthday party.” He stuffed a slice of pizza into his mouth, probably to give him an excuse not to say more.

  Page watched him as he ate. She had a feeling that the man had a lot to say, but he wasn’t sharing many details. She also noticed that as much as Mr. Burns ate, Ruby had hardly touched a bite. She’d picked up her fork several times, but then had laid it back down. Page encouraged her to eat something.

  Ruby looked again at her father. For it appeared that’s who he really was. They shared the same short sloping nose, as well as similarly curved ears and long, slender fingers.

  Ruby picked up her fork but only scooted a piece of lettuce across her plate. “My mom said you was a no-account drifter.” Mr. Burns’s head shot up at the comment, but Ruby continued, “She said you promised to take care of her, but you ran off when you found out I was coming. I know how that goes. Cuz Derek cut out as soon as I started showing.”

  Mr. Burns placed his napkin over his dinner plate. “Mr. Lopez said—”

  “Why did you leave us? She needed you.” Ruby’s voice was soft, but insistent.

  He stood abruptly. “I know what you think, kid, but I’m not your father. Your mama liked to run with the boys, and it could have been any one of us.”

  “You’re a liar.”

  “It’s why your grandmother kicked her out, isn’t it?” He gestured over at Mateo. “I’m sorry, Mr. Lopez, but I’m not the man you’re looking for.” And he left the restaurant. Mateo rose and followed him outside.

  Ruby dropped her head and started to cry. Page tried to put her arms around the girl, but she rebuffed the offer of comfort and folded into herself, rocking back and forth. “I’m sorry, Ruby. I didn’t think it would go like this.”

  The girl continued crying as Mateo came back to them. “He drove off before I got a chance to ask him about a DNA test.”

  Ruby wailed and pushed her way out of the booth and ran to the restroom. Page stared at Mateo. What were they supposed to do now?

  * * *

  THIS WASN’T THE PLAN. Mateo had assumed they would eat dinner, get to know each other a little better and then discuss the nitty-gritty details about custody in a calm, cool manner. He’d never figured that the man would deny Ruby within minutes of meeting her.

  Mateo put his hands on his hips and surveyed the table still covered in food. “Maybe I should have met him on my own first. I didn’t even consider this.”

  Page’s eyes flared with anger. “Oh, really? You seriously thought we’d be having a happy family reunion right now? I told you I didn’t want to see her get hurt.”

  “What do you want me to do? The judge gave us these instructions. We had to find her family.”

  “Well, it’s obvious that he doesn’t want to know Ruby. The fact that he was going to stand us up in the first place should have been a clue.”

  He stepped closer, desperate to try to reassure her. How could he have messed up so badly? Was he caught up in his feelings for Page?

  “She’s basically a kid herself, Mateo, and pregnant, and just lost her mother. She doesn’t need this additional drama.”

  “I’m following court orders. The system isn’t perfect, but it still works.”

  “Tell that to all your clients rotting in juvie.” As soon as she said the words, she placed her hand over her mouth. “I’m going to go check on Ruby,” she said as she brushed past him.

  He hit his fist against the tabletop, and dishes rattled. He apologized to the family sitting in the booth next to theirs. When the waiter approached him, he asked for the bill as well as carryout boxes to take the food home. He doubted anyone would be interested in eating after this.

  Page ran out of the restroom. “Did Ruby come this way?”

  “No, I thought she was in there with you.”

  Page shook her head as tears started to fall. “No one’s in there. She’s gone.”

  Mateo pulled out his wallet and threw down more than enough money to pay for their meal. He and Page hustled outside. “She couldn’t have gotten far,” he said. He pointed toward the street. “You check the stores next to the restaurant, and I’ll check the alley. We’ll meet back here in a few minutes.”

  They moved in different directions. He headed toward the alley to see if there was any sign of Ruby. He walked in one direction first, looking between the back entrances to see if he could locate her. He reached the end of the long alleyway, but there was no sign of her.

  When he returned to his car, he spotted Page, who’d covered her
face with her hands. Tears streaked her face when she looked up at him. “Where would she go?”

  He put his arms around her and pulled her close, resting his head on top of hers. “I don’t know. But we’re going to need more people to help us look.”

  * * *

  WITHIN THE HALF HOUR, the parking lot was full of friends and acquaintances ready to search for Ruby. Mateo had them pair off and sent the groups off in different directions. He stopped in front of Page. “We’ll find her.”

  She could only hope he was right.

  Page and April volunteered to stay at the parking lot just in case Ruby showed up there. After fifteen minutes, they leaned against Zach’s silver sports car. Well, April leaned while Page paced. “I never even saw her leave the restaurant.”

  “She couldn’t have gotten too far on foot. We’ll find her.”

  Page crossed her arms over her chest and stopped for a moment. “I don’t think she’d come back here.” She started to pace again. “What if she goes to my place?”

  “Dez and Mateo are checking there first.”

  Page’s phone buzzed, and she answered it without looking to see who the caller was. “Ruby?”

  “It’s your mother.”

  Page closed her eyes. She had enough to worry about without her mother adding to her sad state of affairs. “Mom, I’m busy. I’ll call you later.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I’ll call you.”

  Her mother sighed. “It’s not the cancer, is it?”

  “My foster daughter’s run away.”

  “Remember the time you ran away? I was frantic until your friend’s mother called to say you had turned up at their house.” Her mother scoffed. “Now you know how I felt.”

  Page thought of the fight that had prompted her to leave her mother’s house. She’d convinced herself that it would be better at her father’s place, but he hadn’t wanted her to live with him. She hadn’t wanted to return to her mother, either, so she’d called her friend Jenny to come get her. “I have to go, Mom. Just in case she’s trying to call me.”