It was an unnecessary worry, as he stopped a few feet from where I stood, an unnerving expression forming on his flawless face. I stared at him, holding my breath then I let it out again. My reaction knocked him backwards and he bolted for the door. The bells chimed loudly with the force he used to push open the metal frame and a few of the customers looked up with eyebrows raised.
I sat back down dazed and disoriented at what had just happened. I knew it was the same beautiful man from my dreams. I had seen the warmth in his eyes for a fleeting moment. I mulled over the bizarre encounter with both anger and confusion. I moved from the stool and hurried to the door, but as I’d suspected, there was no sign of him. I searched up and down the sidewalk, but he was gone. I fought against the want, the need to run after him. I was afraid I would never see him again. Part of me couldn’t fathom the fact that I had actually seen him someplace other than my dreams. But he had been there, if only for a moment. I didn’t understand why he had taken off in such a haste, but I had to find out. Something was off about him and the whole situation. But what that could be, I didn’t know. I was deep in my thoughts of where to even begin to look for him, when my phone rang, snapping me back to reality. I looked down at the screen and saw it was a local but unfamiliar number. I declined the call and set out on foot down the sidewalk. My phone rang a second time and I saw it was Kami calling.
“Hello,” I answered, trying to relax my voice and nerves.
“Hey Analey, what happened? We were supposed to meet up for lunch?” Kami asked.
“Yes, I’m sorry. Something came up,” I said.
“I’m still at school. Do you need a ride home?” she asked.
“No, I will catch the bus. But I’ll call you later. Okay?” I replied getting ready to end the call.
“Sure. But is everything okay?” she asked.
I could hear the concern in her voice. I didn’t want to explain over the phone what exactly had come up. I made up more excuses and hung up the phone. I had almost reached the library when once again someone was ringing my phone. I saw the same unknown number from earlier. I was curious about who it could be, but I was on a mission and didn’t want to be deterred from what I needed to do. The caller was persistent and called me a third time. I answered it on the second ring.
“Miss Rose, Analey Rose?” the caller asked.
“Yes, this is Analey,” I answered and recognized the deep voice. It was Detective Chris Zaffino. He had been on Candice’s murder case, but I was under the impression it had been ruled as an animal attack.
“There have been some recent updates on the case, and we need you to come to the station,” he said.
“I don’t understand. I was told it had been a bear. What more could there be to talk about?” I could feel the heat of frustration rising.
“Miss Rose, please. We just need you to come in and answer a few questions.” Detective Zaffino was becoming impatient with me questioning him.
“With all due respect detective, I don’t have anything else to add. I don’t know any more than what I was told,” I said.
After a moment of silence, Detective Zaffino said, “I cannot force you to come in, but I strongly recommend it.”
I sensed there would be consequences if I refused to oblige to his request, so I agreed to meet him in a few days, on Thursday afternoon, and ended the call. I wondered what new information they had found. Candice had been attacked and killed by a bear that had wandered into town. There was nothing more to uncover, case closed. I had walked one block past the library, when once again my phone rang. I was ready to throw it down and crush it under my foot. I didn’t want to talk to anyone else. It would just interfere with my search. I looked down at the screen and recognized the caller.
“Hello,” I said a bit more annoyed than I had anticipated.
“Hello, Analey. How are you?” Penny Douglas said. She was the director of Havencrest Orphanage.
“I’m fine.” I hadn’t spoken to her since I left the orphanage and hadn’t expected to be hearing from her again.
“Ms. Rose, I have some news to share with you,” she said.
I was uncertain on how to proceed, but Mrs. Douglas began speaking before I had time to respond.
“It appears we have found a relative of yours.”
“A relative?” I was skeptical. I had a tough time trusting, or even entertaining the idea of a relative. Someone I was connected to by blood? No, I didn’t believe it. I would have been wise to go with my gut feeling, but I ignored it.
“Yes. An aunt from your mother’s side,” she said.
“An aunt?” I was in total disbelief. No one had ever mentioned much about my mother and now I was expected to believe that an aunt had surfaced. A million questions filled my mind, but I fought the urge to interrogate Mrs. Douglas. I knew the overworked director would not have the answers.
“Miss Rose? Are you still there?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said.
“Her name is Stella Meyers, and she is your mother’s Aunt.”
“My great-aunt?” I asked.
“Yes. And she has requested a meeting with you. Do you accept it?”
“Do I accept?” I could only respond by repeating the questions she was asking me.
“Well, you are not a minor anymore and you don’t have to consent to anything,” she said.
I didn’t want to agree but an array of emotions tugged at me: anger, fear, grief, and curiosity. Being someone who is often controlled by her emotions, I said I would allow the meeting. We planned to meet at Mrs. Douglas’ office and ended the phone call. I stared at my phone in disbelief, not knowing how to respond to the news I had just been told. Then another thought crossed my mind. Mrs. Douglas’ office was in Havencrest, nearly two hours away, and I didn’t own a car. I thought about the bus, but the trip would take over two hours by bus and I hadn’t brought enough money for a round trip ticket. Racking my brain, I tried to find a way to get to the small office where Peggy Douglas and Stella Meyers were expecting me. I couldn’t call Kami; she would still be in class. I didn’t know very many people in Shadowmist and none that I could call on for a favor.
“Kian.” I sighed as I said his name aloud. He had made me promise to let him know if I ever needed him. Well, I needed him, as much as I hated to admit it. My hands trembled as I dialed his number and he answered on the first ring.
“Hi Analey.”
“Hey, Kian. I hope I didn’t catch you at an inconvenient time.”
“No, of course not. It’s nice to hear from you,” Kian said.
I swallowed hard before speaking again. “I was wondering—um I was hoping you could give me a ride to Havencrest.”
“Havencrest? Is everything okay?” he asked.
“I’m supposed to be meeting someone there in a couple of hours.” I filled him in on the conversation I’d just had with Mrs. Douglas.
“I can be there in ten minutes,” he said.
I walked back to Dempsey’s to wait for him. Ten minutes later his BMW was pulling up into the diner parking lot. Kian parked his car and walked around to open the door for me, giving me a tight hug before helping me into the passenger seat. At that precise moment, as I swung my legs into the car, the familiar sensation washed over me. I looked around and was almost certain I saw the man from my dreams watching us from the coffee shop across the street. He was standing underneath the green and white awning. A second glance in his direction and he was gone. I was convinced it was just my imagination, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.
“A relative, huh? That’s good news,” Kian said as he backed out of the parking lot and onto the street.
“Yes, I suppose it’s good news,” I said.
“You don’t sound so sure,” he said.
“I’m a little anxious about meeting her.” I looked back over my shoulder, but the only man I saw was an older gentleman exiting the shop with his wife behind him. I focused my eyes to the road in front of us as we
continued down Maple Street. I looked over to Kian. He had his left hand on the steering wheel and his right arm rested on the middle console. He was dressed in his business suit and I cringed as I realized that I had taken him from his job. I tried not to think of the burden I was being on him. I rode in silence, thinking about what I’d been told about Stella as Kian drove down Catherine Way and out of Shadowmist. Kian tried making conversation as he maneuvered the car down the road and around curves through the countryside towards Havencrest. I nodded a few times and threw in a couple of “Mm hmms,” but mostly I kept quiet, not participating much in the dialogue.
Two hours later we drove across the city limits of the all too familiar town where I had been raised. A sentimental sensation tugged at my heart as we drove past Havencrest Orphanage. Children were running through the large yard, some following a soccer ball, while others played on the playground. I caught a glimpse of fiery red hair as Nicolas flew back and forth on a swing. I squeezed my eyes shut as we kept driving, leaving the home behind us and we entered the crowded streets of downtown.
“I can go in with you,” Kian said as he parked in front of the brick building.
“I appreciate you giving me a ride, but I can take the bus back home. I don’t know how long this will take.” I got out of the car and closed the door. Kian did the same and placed his arms on the roof of the car as we politely argued.
“No, I can wait out here for you.”
“Kian, please, you’ve done more than enough. I know you left work to bring me here and I don’t want to burden you more than I already have,” I said.
“Analey I will be here when you get out,” he insisted
I shrugged my shoulders in obvious defeat and trudged up the two steps to the door. I pulled it open and a wave of nostalgia hit me as I recalled when I met Mrs. Douglas for the first time. I was around four or five years old and Penny Douglas was the first of many who had tried to help me get through my emotional issues of abandonment. I doubted I would ever get over them. My nerves were working on me as I walked down the musty hallway to Mrs. Douglas’ office. I tapped on the door and pushed it open when she gave me permission to enter. Mrs. Douglas looked up from behind her desk as I walked into the room. I noticed that she had not changed much in the 13 years I’d known her. She wore black slacks with a wrinkled white blouse. She kept her hair dyed auburn and pulled back away from her face. There was a pair of dark green fabric chairs and sitting in the chair closest to the door was, whom I assumed was Stella Meyers. Her physical appearance was the opposite of Mrs. Douglas. Stella appeared to be close to sixty years of age, although I hadn’t seen anyone her age, look the way she did. She had striking facial features that came via deep blue eyes set in a perfectly smooth, pale complexion. She was dressed in a sophisticated dark skirt suit. She stood as I entered the office, smiling at me. In her matching high heels, she was a good six inches taller than me. I noticed that she and I shared not one physical characteristic. Stella’s shoulder length hair was a golden honey color and mine was black as raven’s feathers and wavy. Our differences carried over to our complexion, eye color, and stature. The sour feeling in the pit of my stomach returned, but I pushed it away, justifying our differences to the possibility that I received all my physical attributes from my father. It wasn’t hard to imagine since I had no knowledge of who my parents were or what they looked like.
I walked past her to the empty chair and placed my hands on the backrest. My fingers dug into the fabric as I tried forming an audible greeting to the two women.
“Hello Analey. It’s a pleasure meeting you,” Stella said as she held out her hand for me to shake.
I hesitated, my mouth suddenly dry and a strange tingling circulating through me and settling in my fingertips. I gripped tighter on the cushioned backrest and I noticed she was wearing a pair of black leather gloves. I moved my gaze up to her eyes and found it difficult to look away. I released the chair with one hand and place it into Stella’s hand. She blinked and I felt the tension in my arms ease, but the bitterness in my stomach didn’t. I stepped around the chair and sat down, focusing my attention on Mrs. Douglas.
“I will leave you two alone so you can talk,” Mrs. Douglas said as she stood and walked out of the office.
I sat alone with Stella in the cluttered room. It was painted a light-yellow color and had two small windows facing the street. On the brown desk sat a black phone, an old computer monitor, and a stack of file folders. In one corner was a bookshelf bursting with books and stacks of papers. In the opposite corner was a metal filing cabinet; the top drawer had been left slightly ajar. An old and worn brown carpet covered the floor along with more stacks of file folders. I looked around the four walls, as if I expected my questions to be written on them like cue cards. I had so many questions about my mother and father. I wanted to know who they were, what were their names and what did they look like. Did she have any pictures? I held onto these questions in my mind and asked a different one instead.
“Why didn’t you come for me? I felt hurt by her unintentional abandonment and I was fighting back the tears I’d been holding in for 18 years.
Stella looked at me with sadness in her eyes that I almost regretted asking, but the question had been burning inside me from the moment I’d heard a relative had been found.
“I didn’t know about you and when I finally found out you existed, I began searching for you,” she said.
“How could you not know?” My tone accusatory.
“I wanted to find you sooner. I really did, but the system had you so well hidden.”
“I was right where my mother abandoned me,” I wasn’t holding back the tears anymore.
“I am so sorry.” Stella sounded sincere and I wanted to believe her, but instinct was begging me to get up and walk out. My gut was screaming that this was all wrong. Again, I ignored it. “Please, believe me. If I’d known sooner, I would have come for you.” She locked her eyes on mine and I did believe her.
I was so desperate for family that I pushed away all the doubt. I wiped the tears from my eyes and considered all the information that was laid out on the desk in front of me: notarized documents, birth certificates, powers of attorney, as well as many other official papers and records that seemed to be of importance. I read the names on the birth certificate. Jackson and Laura Rose were the names of my parents. I closed my eyes as more tears fell as I uncovered a small piece of the puzzle that was my family. I had been given enough evidence and I couldn’t deny the fact that Stella was family. Running my fingers through my hair, I shut my eyes and leaned my head back. It made sense but then it didn’t. It was making my head hurt. I opened my eyes and Stella was watching me, waiting patiently for me to accept her.
“If you are really my aunt, then why now?” I asked
“I’ve missed so many years of your life already and I didn’t want to waste any more time.” She leaned towards me reaching for my hand.
“But I’m not a child. I don’t need anyone.” I held my breath trying not to explode with emotion as I pulled my hand away.
“You may not think you do, but we all need family. We all need a place to belong.” She smiled at me, her eyes glimmering with hope.
I couldn’t argue with her about that. I had been searching my entire life for the place where I did fit in.
“Okay, what do I call you? Aunt Stella?” I asked not knowing where to go from here. What did this all mean now? Was I to just go on with my life or did she plan on being a part of it?
“Call me Stella, and I was planning on moving to Shadowmist to be closer to you. It would be nice to have you stay with me, even if only temporarily.” Stella gazed into my eyes.
“I’m doing fine on my own and I don’t want to disrupt your life,” I said.
“It’s not a problem. I want to do this for you, but also for me. I don’t have a husband or kids of my own. It would be nice not to be alone anymore.”
I couldn’t be sure if she was talking about her
self or about me because I didn’t want to be alone anymore either. I thought about her offer carefully and finally, though reluctantly, I accepted. I walked out of the office and met Mrs. Douglas down the hall near the entrance of the building.
“Thank you, Mrs. Douglas,” I said.
“Of course, dear. I hope it all works out,” she replied.
“It’s all going to be okay,” Stella said as she walked up to us.
I walked out of the building with Aunt Stella beside me. Kian was sitting in his car as we stepped outside. He opened the door and got out when he saw us. His smile faded when he looked at Stella, his eyes narrowed on hers and his brow furrowed. I didn’t understand the defensive look on his face. Stella stepped closer to me and Kian’s posture tensed and stiffened. I raised my eyebrows, questioning him but he didn’t see me. He kept glaring at my aunt as she walked to her car parked two spaces away from us. I looked at Kian and back at Stella thrown off by his reaction. Stella smiled at me before getting into her car and reversing out of the space and onto the street. Kian didn’t take his eyes off her car until it turned and disappeared around the next block. He opened the car door and got inside the car, not coming around to open the door for me. I knew something was wrong; Kian had never let me open the door myself. He gripped the steering wheel with both hands as he drove out of Havencrest. The children no longer outside playing as we passed the orphanage. The nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach, the one I had chosen to ignore, was back.
Edge of Forever: The Death and Life of Analey Rose (The Immortal Souls Book 1) Page 12