“Thank you.” Avery looked up at him. “Because I doubt my mother’s going to feel the same way. Do you know she hasn’t talked to me in weeks? She was so upset when I told her I was searching for my biological mother. Imagine how she’s going to feel when I tell her I not only found her, but I’m contemplating meeting her.”
“I doubt she’s going to take it very kindly,” Quentin said.
“You’re telling me. She’s going to fly off the handle. But I can’t not tell her. I already accused them of keeping secrets. How would it look if I did the same?” She’d be a hypocrite.
“Would you come with me when I tell her?” Avery asked. “She’s got this big charity Vegas Night with Nora Stark on Saturday night and I go every year. If I didn’t, she’d get suspicious. I figured I could tell her after the gala.”
“Are you sure you want me there?” Quentin asked. Meeting her parents was a big deal. It meant that they were more than just casual. And if so, how did he feel about that?
“Only if you want to come,” Avery said, sitting forward. Perhaps she was moving too quickly and he was feeling smothered at the idea of a commitment. They hadn’t really discussed where they were headed. “I mean, if you have other plans, I completely understand. We’re not a couple or anything.”
Quentin heard the anxiety in her voice and chose his words carefully. “It’s not that, Avery. I would love to join you. I just thought you might want some privacy to talk to your parents.”
She breathed a huge sigh of relief. So he wasn’t trying to blow her off? Thank God. She’d hate to think she was the only one feeling as if they shared a connection. Perhaps they were headed in the right direction after all.
Vegas Night at the Carlyle was all glitz and glamour when they arrived at the West Versailles room. It was luxuriously decorated in butter cream with Louis XIV chairs and pier tables. Only the very best for her mother, Avery thought.
But she didn’t care about all the trappings of wealth, because she had Quentin by her side. Dressed in a tuxedo with a button-clip shirt, he outshone every man in the room in Avery’s eyes. And he smelled even better. Strong and masculine. “Are you nervous about meeting my parents?” she asked.
“No, should I be?” His eyes clung to her green ones, analyzing her reaction.
“Maybe?” Avery shrugged. “I haven’t brought a man to meet them in quite some time.” She couldn’t even remember the last time. It had been that long.
Quentin broke into a smile. He felt honored that Avery was proud enough to introduce him to her parents.
She found her mother and father holding court with several other prominent socialites at the doorway. Her parents smiled as she and Quentin approached.
“Thank you for coming, sweetheart.” Her mother kissed either cheek and gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. “I know we haven’t been on the best of terms,” she whispered in Avery’s ear.
“You know I wouldn’t let you down.” Avery smiled back at her.
“Well, I must say—” Veronica Roberts stepped back to peruse her daughter’s new haircut and dress “—you look smashing. The new haircut suits you and so does the gentleman standing next to you. And you are?” Veronica gave Quentin the once-over. She was impressed. This man was a tower and Avery didn’t usually go for the alpha-male type.
“Quentin Davis.” He extended his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Roberts.” Quentin shook Clayton Roberts’s hand.
“Pleasure to meet you as well,” Veronica replied before turning to Avery. “Darling, I’ve reserved a table for us in the center of the room.”
“Thanks, Mother.”
“Why don’t you both grab a bite to eat,” Veronica said, “because I really must mingle. It’s all about raising money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.”
“Of course.” Avery kissed her cheek and watched her melt into the crowd.
The evening went smoothly, with her mother raising nearly a hundred thousand dollars for the charity, yet a cloud of apprehension hung over Avery. Even Quentin asking her to dance and being swept up in his arms did little to alleviate her panic.
Quentin dipped his head and rasped in her ear, “It’s going to be okay.” He could feel her anxiety over telling her mother that she’d found her birth mother because her body was as stiff as a board.
“No, it isn’t,” Avery said. Her stomach was clenched so tightly she could hardly breathe. “She’s not going to be happy about this.”
“Was she happy when you told her you were searching for her?”
“No, but—”
Quentin interjected, “Then nothing has changed. Don’t worry. This too shall pass.” He tried to reassure Avery, but he doubted he was having much success because when the song ended, she rushed off to the powder room.
In the bathroom stall, tears threatened and she swallowed hard to force them back. Her mother would see her wanting to get to know Leah as a betrayal, but it wasn’t like that at all. Avery just hoped she could convince her mother of that.
She didn’t realize she had stayed so long inside until she exited the ladies’ room and noticed people were leaving.
“Mom, I really need to talk to you,” Avery said, stalking through the ballroom.
She’d kept the news inside all night, but she’d made the decision to meet Leah and now she had to live with the consequences. Her mother was wrapping things up with the caterers and event staff while her father and Quentin sat sharing an after-dinner sherry. Her father was probably in protective mode and giving Quentin the third degree. She had to strike now before she lost her nerve.
“Darling, it’s really been a long evening, can’t this wait until tomorrow?”
“I wish it could, Mom, but it can’t,” Avery replied. “Please, can we talk outside on the terrace?”
“All right, honey,” her mother conceded and followed her onto the terrace. The air was warm and humid, causing Avery to feel as if she were suffocating.
“Mom, there’s really no easy way to tell you this,” she started.
“You’ve found your biological mother,” Veronica stated matter-of-factly.
“I have.” But how did she know?
“Call it a mother’s intuition or what you will,” Veronica said. “I just had a feeling. So what do you want from me, Avery?”
She stood there unsure of how to ask for what she wanted.
“Do you want my blessing?” her mother asked derisively. “Because you’re not going to get it.”
Avery began to speak, but her mother held up her hand. “I’ve had a lot of time to think over the last few weeks. Your father and I have discussed this many times and although I’ve come to understand why you have to do this, I don’t think it’s a good idea. Baby,” her mother said, stroking her cheek, “I think this will cause you nothing but pain.”
“I don’t believe that,” Avery replied, abruptly turning away. “Did you ever think it might bring me peace of mind?”
Her mother shrugged. “Perhaps, but I don’t believe so. And despite my reservations, you’re going to go through with it anyway, aren’t you? You’re going to confront her?”
“Yes, I am, Mother,” Avery said, standing firm.
“Well, if I can’t talk you out of it, then so be it.” She turned and walked off the terrace.
“Mom, wait!” Avery shouted, but her mother had already made it back inside to the dining room. Avery saw her whisper something in her father’s ear. When he turned and glared at Avery, she felt two feet tall—the same way she had when she’d been scolded as a child for misbehaving. Didn’t they understand she had to do this? Avery watched Quentin shake her father’s hand and her parents leave the ballroom without a backward glance at her.
On the short flight from Manhattan to Buffalo on Monday morning, Avery had some time to imagine the scenario of meeting her biological mother for the first time. Her thoughts went from highly optimistic to hopelessly negative. Because the fact of the matter was Avery had no idea how Leah J
ohnson would react to seeing the child she’d given up for adoption standing on her doorstep. And so Avery sat in her rent-a-car across the street from the Johnsons’ residence, a five-bedroom mansion in an exclusive subdivision in Buffalo. What else could you call an estate spread out over five acres with a swimming pool and a cabana?
“I’m scared, Quentin.” Avery couldn’t resist calling him from her cell phone. She’d been staring at the house for over half an hour. She’d seen Leah’s husband and her half sister leave for work and school, and yet Avery hadn’t found the courage to walk up to the front door and face the mother who’d given her up for adoption thirty-three years ago.
“You’ve come a long way,” Quentin said on the other end. “You can’t chicken out now. You can do this, Avery. You’re tough as nails. And trust me, I know because that’s the woman I met who gave me hell when I crashed her art show.”
Avery remembered that woman all too well. Who’d have known how important Quentin would become in her life in such a short amount of time? “Thank you, Quentin.” She appreciated his support and encouragement.
“Call me later,” he said.
“I will,” she promised and flipped her phone shut. Taking a deep breath, she exited the car, walked across the street and up the Johnson driveway. She was sure Leah was still there because she hadn’t seen her leave.
“Here goes,” Avery said and rang the doorbell. It seemed like several long excruciating moments before the door swung open and Avery got her first glimpse of Leah.
Avery stared openmouthed, trying to take in all of Leah’s features, from her smooth café-colored skin to her round face, pert nose and almond-shaped brown eyes. With a sophisticated auburn shoulder-length crop, slender jeans, crisp white shirt and pointy-toe shoes, Leah Johnson didn’t look fifty-three at all. She didn’t look as if she were a day over forty.
“May I help you?” Leah asked.
“I, uh…” Avery struggled to find the words.
“Listen, if you’re trying to sell something, I’m really not interested,” Leah said. “I was just on my way out.” She had begun to close the door when Avery reached out and grabbed the knob.
“I’m not trying to sell you anything,” she said, finding her voice. “I’m…I’m Avery Roberts. And I’m your daughter.”
Chapter 11
It was Leah’s turn to stare back at Avery dumb-struck. As she connected with Avery’s startling green eyes and smooth café-au-lait complexion, which mirrored her own, Leah’s hand went up to her mouth. “Ohmigod!” She retreated a step back.
“I know this must come as a shock.” Avery began taking a step forward. She knotted her fingers together to keep them from trembling. “But…you see, I just found out I was adopted.”
“I guess I always knew this day would come,” Leah said, watching her warily. “But once you’d turned eighteen and no one ever came…” Her voice trailed off.
“You figured you were in the clear?” Avery inquired icily.
“Forgive my rudeness,” Leah said, not answering her. “Please come in.” She swung the door open. Once Avery was inside, she glanced around the mansion’s impressive two-story foyer. Clearly Leah had lived a good life after giving her up.
“Would you care for some coffee?” Leah said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “There’s still some left from breakfast.”
Avery nodded and followed Leah past the formal living and dining rooms, and into the impressive chestnut-inspired kitchen complete with double oven and center island. “You have a lovely home,” Avery commented, sitting down at the table that overlooked a large pool. This place was straight out of Home & Garden, she thought.
“Thank you,” Leah replied, taking a mug out of the cabinet and pouring Avery a cup from the brewer. “Cream? Sugar?” Leah asked, trying to busy herself.
“No thanks. I believe this is an occasion for black coffee,” Avery responded to Leah’s attempt at small talk to avoid the obvious elephant in the room. Avery watched Leah stand awkwardly by the island. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m here.”
“That’s pretty obvious,” Leah said, nervously glancing her way. Why did she have to look so much like him? “You want answers, I presume. You want to know why I gave you up.”
“Partially.”
“And the other reason?”
“The other reason is I just wanted to know who I looked like,” Avery answered honestly.
Leah’s mouth formed an O, and the tense lines that had marked her face relaxed. Apparently, she hadn’t thought that maybe, just maybe, Avery would like to know where she came from.
Leah shrugged. “Well, now you know.”
“Did you ever wonder about me?” Avery blurted out. She had to know if she’d ever crossed Leah’s mind in thirty-three years, because from her stand-offishness, Avery thought not.
Leah paused before answering. “I did, but I knew I gave you to a good family where you would have a mother and a father. And at that time, I had nothing to offer you.”
Avery nodded. “I see.”
“I suppose now you hate me after seeing all this?” Leah swung her arms around. “You see the life that was denied you.”
“Is that honestly why you think I’m here? Because I want something from you?”
“I don’t know, Avery, why are you here?” Leah asked sharply, folding her arms. “Because I can’t go back. I can’t change the past. I made a mistake in my youth and I did the best that I could under the circumstances.”
“So I was a mistake?” Avery paled at the enormity of Leah’s statement. How could a woman she hardly knew cut her to the quick? Avery felt the nauseating sink of despair. Had she made a mistake in coming here?
Leah shook her head. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“No, then how did you mean it?”
“Avery, listen.” Leah came toward the table, pulled out a chair and sat down. “I was twenty years old when I gave you up. I wasn’t ready to be a mother. I was still in college and had no means to support myself, let alone you.”
“What about my biological father?” Avery asked. Because his name was suspiciously absent on her original birth certificate from New Hampshire.
“He wasn’t an option,” Leah returned, standing up. She didn’t want to go down that road. What was in the past was the past and Leah wanted to keep it that way.
“Why not?” Avery pressed. She’d come here for answers and she was not leaving until she got them.
“Because!” Leah shouted and turned to face the pool. How could she admit that she’d been so naive?
“I have a right to know,” Avery said, standing up. “You owe me that much.”
Apparently that struck a chord, because Leah came back and sat down at the table. And when she did, Avery joined her. “Why don’t you just take it from the top and tell me what happened.” Avery reached over and patted Leah’s hand to reassure her that she could speak. Leah looked up at her as if she was surprised that Avery would offer her comfort and empathy.
Disconcerted, Leah stammered and moved her hand out of Avery’s grasp. “I, uh…I met your biological father at a party thrown by one of his cronies. Mind you, I had no place being there as I was under twenty-one, but I wanted to seem mature and sophisticated. So I passed by him several times hoping he’d notice me. And he did.”
“And?”
“And he was a few years older than me and therefore extremely appealing to a foolish girl like me.” Leah’s eyes misted up. “He drove me home after the party and one thing led to another….”
“So I was the product of a one-night stand?” Avery finished.
Leah shook her head. “No, it wasn’t like that. Richard and I were more than just lovers. We struck up an affair. And I thought we were headed toward marriage until I found out I was pregnant and he was engaged to another woman.”
“What happened when you told him you were pregnant?”
“He offered to pay for an abortion. And I told him no way,” Le
ah replied. “Whether you believe this or not, you were the product of love, Avery. Unfortunately, Richard felt obligated to marry the woman his father had chosen for him.”
Avery was surprised that after all these years Leah could actually defend the man who had deceived and used her.
“As much as Richard cared for me, he couldn’t go against his father’s wishes or he’d be cut off.”
Avery was disgusted. “So he chose money over you? Over love? Over his own child?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“Yes, he did. And I made the decision to have you, but when I realized I couldn’t care for you, I gave you up. And I’m sorry, Avery, if I had to go back and do it all over again, I’d do nothing differently.”
“So you have no regrets about giving me up? None at all?”
“Did you have a good life?” Leah asked.
“Yes.”
“Parents that loved and cared for you?”
“Yes.”
“Then I did the right thing. I made the right decision and did what was in your best interests. Not mine.”
Avery didn’t appreciate Leah’s martyr routine because it didn’t ring true. “Your actions were not entirely selfless, Leah. You did it for yourself, too. Because you didn’t want to be tied down to a child and be a single parent. You took the easy way out.”
“You have no idea what it felt like to be in my shoes,” Leah retorted. “You have no idea what it was like to have to give up a child you’d carried in your womb for nine months to complete strangers, all with the belief that they would take care of her.”
“But you did!” Avery shouted back at her. “You did it without a backward glance. You didn’t even hold me after I was born.”
Leah was shocked. “How did you know that?”
“Because my father told me you’d refused to see me,” Avery cried.
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