His Sister's Return

by Mary Goldberger

  “Marla, your beautiful dress,” she said mournfully staring at the dress.

  Three pairs of eyes landed on her at the comment, but before anyone could comment, Delilah returned with drinks.

  “Have we heard any news yet?” She asked passing out the drinks.

  “Nothing yet, mom,” Marla admitted fiddling with the bottle water that her mom gave her.

  Delilah walked over to Trystan handing him a soda as she remarked, “I didn’t know you had a sister, Samuel.”

  Sam swallowed some of his drink before he explained quietly as four people turned their eyes on him. “Alina is about four years younger than I am. We grew up together for a short time until she was about four when…”he hesitated briefly at this point.

  “I kicked her and her mother out of the house,” Trace said returning with papers in his hand. “Or more precisely, my wife did.”

  He gave Sam a brief look, but Sam only said, “I know”.

  Trace’s stare turned thoughtful before he continued, “When Selma and I separated for a short time, I made the mistake of letting myself be seduced by Alina’s mother. She was a beautiful woman, or so I thought, and I didn’t see what lay underneath. When I learned that she was pregnant, I took her in my home with my wife’s reluctant approval. She didn’t like it, but she knew I wouldn’t deny responsibility to any child of mine. Unfortunately once Alina was born, I couldn’t separate mother and daughter although I wish I had.”

  The last part was spoken softly but everyone heard it.

  Trystan was listening although he had returned his attention to the double doors waiting for the doctor to come through it with news about Alina.

  “What happened?” Marla asked as her mother walked over and sat down next to her.

  Bea stifled the scowl she felt almost cross her face and walked over to Trystan sliding her arms around his waist nestling in his back.

  Trystan felt the arms slide around his waist and although he stiffened, he didn’t move away neither did he say anything to her.

  Trace continued from where he left off. “Unfortunately, I didn’t know how much Selma resented them living in the house although Alina saw her as more of a mother figure than her own mother.”

  Sam nodded his head in agreement at that statement. “Alina’s mom was rarely around so my mother would often take care of her.”

  “She fell in love with Alina,” Trace revealed softly and Sam glanced up at him with surprise.

  “She admitted to me before she passed away that she hadn’t meant for Janice to take Alina, she had only wanted Janice gone from the house. She had ordered Janice to leave when Alina was at a birthday party. We didn’t learn until we went to pick Alina up that before leaving Janice had picked her up although Selma had given her a decent amount of money to leave without her.”

  Sam clenched his fists as he said roughly, “But Alina was worth more with her.”

  Trace nodded his head at the statement. “She would call once or twice a year when her funds would get short, and although I tried to track them down, she moved so often that I could never pin point their location until Alina went to college.”

  Marla glanced at her husband when Trace said this because she remembered Samuel telling her that he hadn’t made it to her college graduation as he had to work.

  “I was able to see her graduate high school,” Samuel revealed, and his father gave in a startled look but nodded his head.

  “So you two had been contacted as far back as that,” he muttered shaking his head a light in his eyes that told Samuel he was glad Samuel had been there for Alina. Then he continued clearing his throat first, “We watched her graduate with pride and I wanted to go over to her only Sarette stopped me before I could reach her.”

  As his name was mentioned, Sarette and Theadora came walking quickly into the waiting room faces anxious about Alina.

  “Any news?” Theadora asked as they walked over to them reading their faces for the answer to their question, and Sarette sighed running a hand through his hair as Theadora covered her mouth on a sob.

  Delilah grabbed her hand pulling her down to sit next to her as Samuel asked, “Uncle Sarette, why did you stop Dad from approaching Alina at her graduation? She would’ve been happy to know that he was there.”

  Sarette’s eyes flickered with sadness as he told them, “At the time, he had Selma with him.”

  At the confused looks that statement got, he explained, “Janice had made sure that Alina knew Selma ordered them to leave. Alina grew up with Janice telling her that her father’s wife, the one she saw as her true mother, hated her and her father did nothing to stop it.”

  “So Alina,” Marla said a question in her voice.

  Trace smiled with a twist of his lips as Sarette walked over to him putting a hand on his shoulder as he continued. “Fortunately, Alina wasn’t as stupid as Janice hoped she would be, but she did believe that Selma resented her presence and that was the reason she had wanted them gone. Alina believed it was best to stay away although she kept in contact with Sam.”

  Samuel asked quietly a catch in his voice, “The bouquet of flowers at mom’s funeral, the one that didn’t have a name on it…”

  Trace gasped as he swung his head to look at his brother, but it was Theadora who answered.

  “When we told her, she cried for the first, and last, time that her mother took her away from here,” Theadora confirmed.

  “Damn,” Trace said running a shaky hand through his greying hair as he sat down heavily in a chair the papers sliding to the floor. “After she graduated, Selma and I knew everything she did and accomplished even after Selma passed away I was kept informed of what she was doing, but I never knew about that.”

  There was nothing anyone could say at that statement although Bea opened her mouth but a second later the doors that Trystan had been watching opened and a doctor in scrubs stepped out.

  “Doctor,” Trystan said as the doctor stepped forward.

  “Family of Alina Barks,” the man asked in a weary voice, and Trace shot up from his chair as did Samuel both heading for the doctor.

  “I’m her father,” Trace said quietly meeting the doctor’s eyes.

  “We removed a bullet from your daughter’s lower abdomen that had lodged in some old scar tissue which probably saved her life,” the doctor told them.

  “Scar tissue?” Samuel asked in confusion.

  The doctor nodded his head as he explained, “At one time, Miss Barks had been hit so hard that it created internal bleeding and from what I can tell, she never received medical treatment and yet it healed living scarring. She was lucky, damn lucky, sir.”

  Trace swayed at the news before Sam asked in a harsh voice, “How old is the scarring?”

  The doctor pondered this for a few minutes before he answered, “I would say almost fourteen years old give or take a year.”

  He sighed as he finished, “The patient will stay in the ICU for the next few hours under observation before I will have her moved to a private room.”

  “Thank you, Doctor,” Samuel said catching the look on his father’s face at the news the doctor gave them.

  The doctor nodded his head before excusing himself as a nurse called him.

  “Dad,” Samuel said as the doctor disappeared.

  “I never knew,” Trace murmured shaking his head. “I thought Janice would at least take care of her.”

  Samuel watched in astonishment as his father broke down for the first time since his mother’s death.

  “Dad,” he said putting hand on his shoulder as Marla walked over and wrapped an arm around Sam’s waist her other hand resting on Trace’s arm as Trystan turned to them.

  “Trystan,” Bea pouted up at him. “Can we go home now that we know she is going to be all right?”

  Trystan turned to her with a scowl, but his words were forestalled when Trace lifted his head tears still running down his face.

  “Take her home, Trystan,” he said getting to his feet
slowly with Sam and Marla’s help.

  “It would be for the best, Trystan,” Samuel advised his eyes sad.

  Trystan nodded his head as he grabbed Bea’s arm and she smiled at them. “I will be back,” he promised as he led Bea away.

  Bea lifted a hand and curled it tightly around the hand he had gripping her arm as they walked to the elevator.

  “Trystan,” Marla called out, but Trystan and Bea were on the elevator with the doors closing behind them.

  “Sam,” she said using his nickname as she turned to her husband, but he only shook his head as Trace sat back down.

  Marla watched them both before she sighed and sat back down pulling Samuel down next to her, and he put his arm around her holding her close to him.

  Sarette and Theadora settled on the other side of Trace as they waited for Alina to be moved to her own room.

  After an hour, Trace said, “Sam, take Marla and your aunt and uncle home. I will stay here until they move Alina to her own room.”

  “Dad…” Samuel began, but stopped when Trace gave him a narrowed look.

  “Sam, let’s just do as your father suggests,” Sarette said getting up and helping Theadora up. “Trace, as soon as Alina is moved to her own room, you call and let us know.”

  Trace nodded his head as Samuel frowned but did as his father requested and his uncle sided with him as he stood up with Marla.

  “All right, dad,” he said quietly leaning down to give her a hug before stepping back as Marla did the same kissing his cheek as she rose to her full height.

  “Go,” Trace said with a sad smile. “It’s supposed to be your wedding night so I’m sorry…”

  Marla was the first to say, “If it wasn’t for Alina, I don’t think we would even had the chance for a wedding night much less anything else.”

  “Go,” Trace muttered again as his eyes filled with tears and Sarette put a hand on his brother’s shoulder giving it a hard squeeze before the four of them turned and walked away.

  Trace sat there his head propped on his hand thinking about his daughter when suddenly a harsh light entered his eyes and he pulled his cell from his pocket.

  He dialed a number and as it was picked up, he said, “We have a Bea Williamson scheduled to promote…”

  His son’s wedding was almost destroyed and his daughter was lying in the hospital because of one woman’s selfishness, and so as he warned her, Trace was going to do something about it.

  It was almost six in the morning when Alina was finally moved to her own room and Trace sat with her for over an hour before he finally called the others to let them know that she had been moved.

  Samuel and Marla were the first to arrive telling him as they entered quietly, “Uncle Sarette and Aunt Theadora will come later with you after you go home and get some rest before you collapse.”

  Trace nodded his head before he lifted his head and said, “Marla, I have already requested that no one be allowed to visit Alina unless it is family.”

  Both Samuel and Marla stared at him in shock but understanding flickered in their eyes at what he was saying.

  “Dad,” Marla began only to stop as Trace shook his head again.

  “I don’t know what really happened, but I know enough to let Alina decide if she wants to see him when she wakes up,” he told her his voice and eyes flickering with determination.

  Samuel agreed with him as he turned to Marla and said, “Honey, it is Alina’s choice to make.”

  Marla stared at the woman on the hospital bed before she whispered, “Even if she cares about him, she may choose to not see him?”

  “True, but she may do that because she can’t trust that he truly cares about her,” Trace said shaking his head as he got up from the chair yawning and stretching before he stared down at his daughter.

  “I can’t say, or read, my daughter’s mind but I do know this much,” Trace continued lifting his head eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. “We need to get ready to protect her.”

  “From what?” Marla asked as she glanced between Samuel and Trace.

  “From Janice,” her husband said as he settled another chair near the bed before he took the one his father just vacated and grabbed her hand in a tight grip.

  “Her mother,” Trace elaborated at the strange look that crossed Marla’s face before he nodded his head. “I’m going home so take care of her, Sam, Marla.”

  “Yes, dad,” Marla said as she settled down in the chair Samuel had pulled over for her, and Samuel nodded his head.

  “Don’t worry, dad,” Samuel said a determined note in his voice. “We will protect Alina.”

  Chapter 21

  Trystan stormed in the house a few days later as Samuel and Marla were about to head out.

  “Samuel,” Trystan said through clenched teeth. “I want to see Alina.”

  Samuel stared at him thoughtfully his eyes narrowed one hand resting on Marla’s lower back before he gave a heavy sigh.

  “Trystan, there is nothing I can do. My father is the one who told the staff to allow no one entrance who wasn’t family,” Samuel told Trystan.

  Marla nodded her head as she said, “Dad said that until Alina wakes up and decides for herself then that it is the way it will be.”

  Trystan hesitated before he asked, “Didn’t she already wake up?”

  Samuel and Marla glanced at each other before Marla told him, “She woke up yesterday, but she is still in pain so…”

  Trystan swore loudly as he flung back his head just as they heard a car pull up in front of the house.

  “Trystan,” Bea called as she opened the front door and seeing him standing there she strode over.

  “I haven’t seen you in the last few days. What have you been doing?” She asked him leaning against his side.

  Samuel and Marla stared at her pointedly before Samuel turned to meet Trystan’s eyes for a second until he place a hand on Marla’s lower back and said, “We need to get going, sweetheart.”

  Marla nodded her head as they headed for the door and they were almost out the door when Marla glanced back at her brother.

  “Trystan,” Marla said stopping to glance back at him. “She knows.”

  Trystan broke free of Bea’s hold to turn around and stare at her his eyes dark as his face became a mask.

  “What do you mean?” He asked his voice hard as if he already knew the answer to his own question, but wanted it confirmed.

  “When she learned who Marla was,” Samuel stated without turning around to look at him, “she also discovered who you were and everything else. Just so you know, she doesn’t hold it against you.”

  Trystan’s eyes met his sister’s and she nodded her head as Samuel turned his head slightly. As he met Trystan’s eyes, he could see the worry and irritation reflected there before he sighed and turned his head back around.

  “Tomorrow around two if you want to see Alina, I can let you have a few seconds with her,” Samuel said. “Let’s get going, Marla.”

  Marla had turned to stare at him in shock at what he said before she glanced over at her brother shock still evident in her gaze.

  “But honey…” she started turning back to him a hand going out to rest against his upper arm.

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Samuel told her with a chuckle. “Dad will understand what I’m doing.”

  He leaned down and kissed her lightly before he called out to Trystan, “See you tomorrow.”

  Marla and Sam walked out as a smile crossed Trystan’s face unaware of the narrowed look that Bea was giving him.

  Delilah, standing in the doorway to the living room, watched everything and she saw the look that crossed her son’s face something she hadn’t seen before.

  “Trystan,” she said aloud getting both his and Bea’s attention. Instead of asking what was really on her mind, she smiled and asked, “Are you hungry? Dinner is being served as we speak.”

  Trystan nodded his head as he smiled and replied, “Actually, mom, I am.”
<
br />   He turned and glanced at Bea asking politely, “Would you like to join us, Bea?”

  Bea smiled and nodded her head reaching out her hand as he passed her only to encounter a narrowed look from his mother.

  Delilah’s mouth opened to say something, but she snapped it shut as she turned on her heel and walked through the living room heading for the dining room.

  Trystan and Bea followed her in the dining room as they settled down for dinner, and Delilah was polite and charming for the meal although Trystan could sense anger in his mother that he had a feeling attributed to Bea’s presence.

  They walked in the living room not too long after dinner for a drink when Trystan’s cell rung and he answered it as he nodded his head at Delilah and Bea excusing himself.

  “I’m glad that everything worked out for the best,” Bea said with a sigh of satisfaction. She smiled smugly at Delilah before telling her, “The next wedding that we should be planning is Trystan and mine.”

  Delilah smiled before she said, “I hope someday to plan Trystan’s wedding.”

  Bea leaned forward and grabbed Delilah’s hand as her own eyes shined with triumphant. “That someday is coming closer, mom.”

  Delilah didn’t comment although she winced slightly at Bea’s term of ‘mom’ again and she tugged her hand free as Trystan came back in the room.

  “Mom, I have to go to the hotel. There has been a problem that I need to handle,” Trystan said leaning down to kiss her cheek.

  “Of course, dear,” his mother said as he straightened and she gave him a worried look which he countered with a small smile letting her know it was nothing to worry about.

  “Trystan, I thought we could take that rain check for our weekend,” Bea said jumping up from her seat with a charming smile.

  Trystan smiled at his mother as he told Bea, “I will walk you out, Bea.”

  He nodded his head to his mother before he walked out with Bea striding beside him.

  Delilah watched them leave and she walked over to the window observing both cars pulling away from the house.

  As the last car disappeared, she went over to the phone and dialed Marla’s number.