“You can always talk to me,” I said. “About Greta or Eileen. I’m always here to listen.”
“I know that now,” Trixie said. “And I may just take you up on it. Some people say Ben and I got together too quick after Greta and maybe that’s true. But I’m older and so is he…what are we waiting for? Besides, I knew Greta better than anyone and I know she’d approve.”
The park lights came on as the sun dove out of sight on the horizon. The pink and orange hues turned to darker shades of burnt orange and dark pink.
“Now that Greta is gone, I have no one to talk to about my one last secret. I’m hoping that perhaps I could share it with you.”
I didn’t know what to expect, but I wasn’t about to let her down. “Of course, you can tell me anything.”
Trixie nodded her head and looked down at the sidewalk in front of the bench. “After Daniel died, I discovered I was pregnant. Here I was, a young widow with barely enough money to keep myself going let alone a baby. I knew I’d have to give the baby up, but Lord I didn’t want the whole town to know about it so they could whisper behind my back.”
“So my parents arranged for me to go to a Catholic home for pregnant girls. Now most of these girls were pregnant out of wedlock whereas I was a widow. However, I never looked down on those poor girls like a few of the nuns did. Lord, what self righteous indignation they had.”
Trixie shook her head as if she was trying to release the memory from her mind. “It was sad. Most of the women never had visitors, but my parents and Greta would visit me every weekend. I was lucky.”
“Then my baby was born. A healthy wailing little boy. I got to hold him for the first couple of days. He had chubby cheeks and a shock of brown hair. I cherished those few times I held him. Then he was gone. A Catholic home for girls had couples lined up to adopt the babies and so on the third day I was told my son was put with a loving couple.”
“Did you sign documents releasing him?” I asked.
“Oh yes…everything was on the up and up. I knew it was the right thing to do for him and I, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. Another thing bothered me as well. He was Daniel’s son and I feared the boy might have a piece of his father’s mental illness within him. I told the nuns about his father so they would be sure to tell any prospective parents, but honestly, I doubt they did.”
“Trixie, there’s a good chance he didn’t turn out like his father.”
“I hope he didn’t.” Trixie let out a huge sigh. “But there it is. My big secret. Greta kept it for all these years and when I wanted to have a little cry about it, she was always there for me. When I lost her, I lost a good friend and confidante. “
I looked Trixie in the eye. “Now you have a new one.”
“Oh hon, you don’t know what you’ve signed up for,” Trixie laughed.
“Have you ever thought about trying to contact him, your son?”
“Well, it was a closed adoption.”
“Yes, but nowadays I think there is a way to go around that, especially if the mother and child want to find each other.”
“Oh I’ve thought about it, and then I think maybe it’s best to leave sleeping dogs lie. Maybe someday I’ll look into it. Until then, I’m glad to have someone who I can talk to about him from time to time.”
We walked together back to the Frozen Scoop. I had a feeling one day Trixie would want to find her son. Curiosity can be a fickle fiend.
Trixie grabbed my upper arm as we strolled to my ice cream shoppe. “So now tell me girl, why aren’t you and that young stud Brandon dating?”
“Miss Trixie,” I exclaimed. “Why would you ask that?”
“Oh, I’ve seen how he looks at you. He’s definitely smitten. See! You’re blushing!”
I’m sure I was as I could feel the heat in my cheeks. Right now Brandon was peeved at me, but I’m sure it wouldn’t last long. Was I kidding myself at the prospect of Brandon and me? And what would Stormi think? For tonight, I wasn’t ready to contemplate those questions. It was time to serve Miss Trixie and Ben their almond mocha delight.
*****
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Soft Serve Secrets: A Cozy Mystery (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book 3) Page 5