For You (The Shore Book 2)

by S. E. Brown

  Returning to her locker, Madison wasn’t sure to make of what happened. The way Issy acted was a far cry from her usual happy and chipper self. She hoped Issy was okay. “Well, that was weird.”

  Madison finished getting dressed and went toward the reception area looking for Declan. She couldn’t help but notice the hair on her arms was sticking straight up again. Rubbing her hands over her arms she tried to ignore the sensation.

  When she finally spotted Declan, he was talking with one of the members so she took a seat and waited.

  There had been something about Issy since the day they met she just couldn’t quite put her finger on. The girl was nice enough, cheery, and always willing to help when she needed it. Hell, she even brought her toilet paper. But there was just something.

  Her mind was so focused on her interaction with Issy, she didn’t notice Declan walk up beside her.

  “You ready to head out?” he asked, startling her.

  “Yeh,” she answered quickly. “I’ve got some things to do at home this afternoon.”

  “Okay,” he smiled softly. “Text you later? Maybe we could grab some dinner.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Madison stood, kissed him goodbye and made her way to the front door. She didn’t notice Issy standing in the doorway to the employees room watching her.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Seeing Madison leave, Issy knew she needed to do something. She needed to know. Thankful no one was standing at the desk needing help, she looked up something on the computer then gathered her things and went to the office to find her boss.

  “Declan?” she asked, knocking on the door.

  “Hey Issy. What’s up?”

  “Would it be okay if I took off early?”

  “Is everything okay?” There was concern in his eyes.

  “Yeh. I’m just not feeling very well.” It wasn’t as if she was lying. Her stomach had tied itself into knots and she wasn’t sure what was going to happen. He had been a really good boss to her, both he and Erin, but she wouldn’t know how to explain herself now if she had to try.

  “Yeh. It’s only a couple more hours. I can handle things,” he added with a soft smile. “Feel better, okay?”

  “Thanks,” she answered and quickly headed for the door.

  She sped home, thankful she didn’t cross the paths of any police officers. With so much determination to get home she broke more than a few laws getting there. When she finally arrived at the house she shared with three other girls, including her best friend, Brooke, she ran straight to her room.

  “Hey girl. Why you home so early?” Brooke shouted as she watched her friend bound up the stairs, completely ignoring her.

  Issy quickly closed the door, threw her purse on the bed, and headed straight for the closet. She reached to the top shelf and pulled out a purple box with a colorful paisley pattern that looked like it could have once held stationery.

  Almost reverently, she placed the closed box on the bed and sat next to it. She simply stared at it, knowing full well what was inside.

  A light knock on the door was quickly followed by Brooke’s voice. “Iss? You okay?”

  “I’m fine.” But there was a strain in her voice.

  “I’m coming in.” Brooke waited a moment to give Issy a chance to tell her to go away. When she didn’t hear anything, she slowly turned the knob and opened the door to find Issy sitting on her bed looking at a box she’d never seen before.

  Taking a seat on the floor, Brooke looked up to her friend. “Are you sure you’re okay?” It wasn’t like Issy to ignore her. Even when she had raced into the house because she had to pee or was mad or … whatever, Issy always answered when Brooke called out to her. Now she wouldn’t even look at her.

  Still not speaking, Issy slowly lifted the lid off the box and set it aside. She pulled out an envelope with bent corners and coloring that had started to yellow.

  Carefully opening the unsealed flap, Issy pulled the paper from the envelope and unfolded it. She moved the first piece of paper behind the other and gently ran her fingers across the contents.

  On the paper was the same image Issy saw on Madison’s body.

  “I found her,” she whispered to herself.

  “Found who?” Brooke’s voice was gentle and patient.

  “My mom.”

  Brooke sat quietly, staring at Issy, completely baffled. Brooke knew Issy’s mom. Her name was Hannah. She had taken them shopping for bedding and dishes and bathroom stuff when they decided to make the jump from the dorms to off-campus housing this year. She had come up to visit them just last weekend.

  “Honey, I’m confused. Your mom is Hannah Montgomery. We had lunch with her a few days ago.”

  Issy shook her head in silence, still staring at the image in her hands.

  Finally, she handed the piece of paper to Brooke. “My mom drew that.”

  Brooke looked at the paper but it still wasn’t making any sense. “Issy, I still don’t understand –“

  “I was adopted, Brooke. Mom and Dad, Hannah and Tom, are my adoptive parents.”

  “You were what?” Brooke was completely taken by surprise. She’d known Issy since they were in sixth grade and was sure she knew everything about her. How could she not know this? “They’re your what?”

  “They adopted me when I was a newborn. The day I was born, actually.” Issy finally looked up to meet Brooke’s eyes. “I’m sorry I never told you.”

  “When did you find out? How did you get this picture? How did you find your mom?” Brooke bombarded her gently with questions. “Have you told Zach? You mean Adam and Zach aren’t your real brothers?”

  “Mom and Dad and Adam and Zach are my real family.”

  “But then, who is your biological mom?”

  “Madison. Madison Quinn. She’s one of the members at the gym.”

  “How did you figure it out?”

  “I saw her tattoo this morning. It’s the same image as what’s drawn on that piece of paper.”

  “Are you sure, Iss? Maybe this is a popular tattoo.”

  “I doubt it’s that common. Plus, she has red hair, too.”

  “Red hair? Are you sure it didn’t come from a bottle?”

  “I’m telling you, Brooke, she’s my mom. There’s been something about her, something so familiar since the day I met her. She’s funny and feisty and qwerky, kind of like me. I just … I just know it has to be her.”

  “Holy shit, Iss. What are you going to do? Are you going to tell your parents? What will your mom say?”

  Brooke looked down at the image and saw something she hadn’t noticed before. “Iss? Do you realize the name ‘Elisabeth’ is part of this drawing?”

  “What?” She held out her hand and Brooke handed the piece of paper back to her. “Elisabeth is my middle name.”

  “I know.”

  Issy studied the picture for a moment and suddenly the name popped out at her, plain as day. The letters had been incorporated into the design. “Holy shit.”

  Mom and Dad said it was an old family name. That was why they gave it to me. Was it really because of the picture?

  Setting the paper aside, Issy ran her hands over her face, suddenly feeling extremely overwhelmed. “I won’t tell anyone anything until I’m sure it’s her.”

  “What if she’s some crazy lady?”

  Issy finally smiled at Brooke’s concern. “She’s not. I’ve talked to her a few times at the gym, and she happens to be dating the owner. I think I’ll be okay.”

  “She’s dating Declan? Could this get any more bizarre?”

  “Probably.” Issy rolled her eyes as she wondered just how much more bizarre this situation could get.

  “Do you know where she lives? Does Declan know about you? Do you think she told him?”

  “I don’t know. He hasn’t said anything, and he hasn’t acted weird around me or anything.”

  “Have you looked on Facebook or Instagram? Let’s Google her. Hell, if she really is yo
ur mom, you could have more brothers, or a sister.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that.”

  Issy grabbed her computer off the desk and flipped it open. She typed “Madison Quinn” into the search bar and read through the results.

  Brooke pointed to a link. “Check out this one. Maybe she’s a movie star?”

  Issy followed the link to IMBD and saw a listing for an actress that had been in one movie. “Yeh, I’ve never heard of that one before, but I don’t think she’s an actress. I’ve heard her say something about her office being close by.”

  They skimmed a few pages of links and saw the typical obituary listings and sports stats, but nothing that seemed to match the Madison Issy had seen at the gym.

  Brooke looked at her, finally in silence.

  “I need to ask her.”

  “I could come with you. Do you want me to come with you?”

  “No, I think this is something I need to do on my own. Thank you for offering though.”

  “When are you going to see her?”

  “Now is probably as good a time as any. I overhead her tell Declan she was heading home to work on house stuff this afternoon.”

  “You sure you don’t want company? I could stay in the car and wait for you.”

  Issy smiled, picking up the paper and folding it back into the envelope. “I’m sure. I’ll be okay.”

  “Alright. But text me, okay? I’m going to worry until I hear from you. Don’t make me hunt you down.”

  Laughing, Issy slid off the bed next to her friend and hugged her. “I won’t. I promise I’ll text.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  It had been a couple hours since Madison left the gym and she was sitting on her couch, taking a break from the cleaning and bill paying she had neglected the last couple weeks. She loved spending time with Declan, but it didn’t do much for getting her personal shit done.

  She was drawing in one of her sketchpads, working on another possible tattoo. It’d been a while since she’d gotten her last one and she was starting to itch for another. This would be number three.

  Her mind was busy concentrating on the outline when she thought she heard the doorbell ring. The music coming from the speakers was loud enough to nearly block out all other sounds and clear her mind, so she wasn’t exactly sure.

  Then she heard it again.

  Rising from the couch, she walked to the stereo and shut off the music from her phone. The doorbell rang again. Obviously whoever was out there knew she was home.

  There was a look of surprise on Madison’s face as she opened the door. She wasn’t sure who to expect – Declan, maybe?

  “Issy? Hi,” Madison greeted her in confusion. “What’s up?”

  While the color had returned to Issy’s face since the last time Madison saw her, the girl still said nothing. In fact, she looked nervous.

  “Are you alright?”

  Issy nodded silently.

  Madison looked at her questioningly.

  Did she just decide to pop over but not say anything?

  Hoping for some sort of verbal response, she tried another angle. “Did I forget something at the gym?” Although Madison couldn’t imagine Issy coming all this way just to return something. She was dating the boss and had been at the gym nearly every day the last couple weeks. Issy knew that. She could pick up whatever she left behind another day.

  Issy shook her head no.

  “Issy, are you okay?” Madison was starting to get concerned.

  This time Issy nodded slowly.

  Unsure of what was happening or what to do next, Madison was about to invite her in when Issy shifted her feet, looked down and finally spoke.

  “Did you have a daughter? A baby you gave up for adoption?” Her voice was quiet and nervous.

  It was Madison’s turn to go white. “Why would you ask me that?”

  “Because I think … I think you’re my mom.” Issy looked up from her feet and finally met Madison’s eyes. “I think I was that baby.”

  Madison stared at the girl as she ran her hand over her face unable to believe what she was hearing. Her hands started to shake.

  “Can I come in?” Issy asked timidly.

  Nodding, unable to speak, Madison stood to the side so Issy could enter the house.

  What the …?

  How would she know?

  Why would she think …?

  Issy walked to the couch but didn’t sit as Madison joined her in the living room.

  “It was a baby girl you had, right?” Issy asked and waited for Madison to respond. When she didn’t, Issy continued. “On May 3, 1996? So she would be –“

  “Nineteen,” Madison finished.

  She looked at Issy and started to see a resemblance. The girl had red hair, but it was darker than her own. Her eyes didn’t match Madison’s blue color, but the longer she looked into them, the more she saw Jeremy’s green eyes looking back at her.

  The realization caused a twinge in her heart.

  Needing a minute to collect her thoughts, Madison finally managed, “Can I get you anything? Something to drink?”

  “No, I’m good,” Issy responded quietly.

  It had been more than nineteen years since she gave birth to that little girl. Madison never knew who her daughter had been given to or where she had gone to live. She had signed the papers and tried to never look back. She tried not to think about the baby she had given away.

  Madison nodded again and excused herself to the kitchen for a glass of water. She really wanted something stronger, but didn’t think getting sloshed was such a great idea. At least, not right then.

  She wasn’t sure even sure if Issy was her daughter. More than one person was born that day, other people shared that same birthday. And surely there were several nineteen-year old young women with dark red hair and green eyes.

  Collecting herself, she walked back into the living room to find Issy looking at the pictures on the mantle.

  “You’re right.” Madison said as Issy turned to face her and walked to the couch, taking a seat. She took a deep breath as she readied herself to say the words she had never said out loud before. “I gave birth to a baby girl on May 3, 1996.”

  “That’s my birthday,” Issy replied simply, almost as though that was the only evidence she needed.

  Madison was quiet again. Visions of that day popped into her mind and her stomach started to curl just like it had when they took her daughter away. She could still hear the baby’s cries in her mind.

  “I don’t mean for this to sound harsh,” she felt like she needed to soften what she was about to say, “but what makes you think I’m your mother?”

  Issy reached for the envelope in her purse. She removed the contents and gently unfolded the papers. Slowly, she handed her a single sheet.

  Madison gasped.

  On the paper was a drawing – the one she had finished while in the early stages of labor.

  It was a sketch done in pencil of a bull in a field of flowers.

  “I’ve got something for you.”

  I look up at Ellie from the swing as she smiles down at me. “You didn’t have to do that. You’ve already done so much.”

  “Oh, this is a little thing. No need to worry.” She brings her hands from behind her back and in them is a square-shaped red book with a bow tied around it.

  “The Story of Ferdinand?” I ask, reading the cover aloud.

  Taking a seat on the swing next to me, Ellie explains. “This was my favorite book as a young girl. That alone should tell you how old it is,” she grins. “It’s a story about Ferdinand, a bull who wasn’t afraid of going his own way. When all the other bulls wanted to be picked to fight in the ring, Ferdinand wanted nothing to do with it. He just wanted to enjoy the flowers in the field.”

  I gently untie the bow and quietly flip through the pages of the book, looking at the illustrations.

  “You remind me a lot of Ferdinand, Madison. You are strong and your own person. What you are going throu
gh is not easy, and I am so proud of you. I’m proud of the way you’ve cared for yourself and this baby. I’m proud of the decisions you’ve made for your life and hers, even though I know it’s going to be very difficult.

  “When things get hard and you need something to focus you, think about this story and how unique and strong and loving you are. And how very much you are loved.”

  Ellie reaches around me and gives me a one-armed hug and a kiss on the cheek, then rises from the swing and returns to the inside of the house.

  My stupid hormones are running rampant and I can’t help the tears streaming down my face. This woman has shown me more love in the past months than I’ve received in my entire lifetime.

  Once the tears finally stop and my face starts to dry, I open the book and quietly read the story to my daughter.

  Madison ran her fingers over the fading image as she thought about Ellie’s gift.

  “When I came out of the bathroom today, I noticed your tattoo. I wasn’t sure when I saw it, so I went home and found the picture,” Issy explained quietly. “I never noticed the name in the flowers before. Elisabeth.”

  “That would have been your name, if I … if I had …”

  “It’s my middle name. Isabelle Elisabeth.”

  Madison looked up to Issy and suddenly the doubts she had that this girl, this young woman sitting across from her, was her daughter were quickly fading away.

  She looked back to the image and again ran her fingers atop it, this time touching the name in the flowers. “I thought this had been thrown away. I looked for it when I was leaving the hospital but never found it.”

  “Ellie took it.”

  Madison’s head snapped to Issy at the sound of the name. “Ellie?”

  How could she possibly know about Ellie?

  Issy nodded and reached across to hand Madison the second piece of paper from the envelope.

  Madison’s hands started to shake as she saw Ellie’s handwriting. She’d know that penmanship anywhere. It was neat and clean, just like an elementary school teacher’s writing.