The Soul Believes It

by Julie Allan

  Dot ran her fingers across the cover. “It looks familiar.” Dot opened up the cover and read the inscription on the inside cover.

  To Dot,

  Wishing you days of doodling. I do so love your pictures.

  Love, Aunt Dorothy

  Dot smiled, “I think I was in the fourth grade when she gave me this!”

  “I think she was encouraging your artistic side and would be pleased that your profession would be considered one of the arts.” Lizzie reached over and turned the page. “You did have a natural talent for drawing.”

  They gazed down at the ink sketch of a magnolia blossom.

  “Didn’t Grandma Caroline paint the magnolia picture that is hanging in the dining room?”

  “Yes, she did.”

  Lizzie and Dot went into the dining room. Dot turned on the sconces and the chandelier so that they could take a close look at the painting. Lizzie held up the sketch Dot had made at the tender age of ten.

  “It looks to me as if your sketch could have been the practice for my mother’s painting. I think you must have inherited your grandmother’s artistic gifts.”

  Dot moved close to Lizzie and rested her head against Lizzie’s shoulder. “I’d like to think so. I think having you as a mother was the best gift I could have ever gotten.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  Dot and Lizzie turned to see Bennett leaning against the doorframe of the dining room.

  “Your mother is not only your best gift, she is mine as well.”

  Lizzie blushed. She raised her hands to her cheeks. “How can you still make me do that?”

  Dot embraced her father. “I am staying for supper.”

  “Well then, this is my lucky night. Supper with my two favorite girls.”

  “Well this best gift better get busy in the kitchen, or there won’t be any supper to be had.”

  “I’ll help you, Mama.” Dot closed the notebook and placed it by her purse on the chair in the hall.

  “I’ll go get cleaned up.” Bennett turned and headed towards the stairs.

  Before long they were sitting down to shrimp scampi.

  Bennett set down his spoon. “So how are things with Hudson?”

  Dot’s whole face lit up at the mention of her boyfriend. Only Bennett had ever had that effect on Lizzie. It is the real deal with Dot and Hudson. Lizzie’s heart skipped. Her baby girl was truly in love.

  “He is awesome! He has been busy on a big project the last few weeks, but he has planned a getaway for us next weekend.”

  Bennett got up to refill his bowl from the stove. “Tell him anytime he wants to go fishing with me, I’m game.”

  “I’ll do that. But not until I get my weekend away with him.” Dot placed her spoon into her now empty bowl.

  Dot stayed to help clean up the kitchen, then made her goodbyes.

  Lizzie and Bennett settled onto the sofa to watch a little television.

  “I think Dot is truly in love with Hudson.”

  Bennett caressed Lizzie’s arm. “How can you tell?”

  “Didn’t you see the way she lit up when you mentioned Hudson?”

  “Yes, I did notice that.” Bennett smiled.

  “They do make a nice couple, and I have been very pleased with how he treats Dot. He reminds me a lot of you.” Lizzie snuggled into Bennett’s shoulder.

  “He better be good to my daughter! If she truly loves him, he will be almost as lucky as I’ve been with you.”

  “Oh Bennett, I don’t know how I could ever love you more than I already do, and then you say something like that, and my heart just expands.”

  “It’s all part of my charm offensive. I want to make sure your fabulous meals keep coming my way.”

  Lizzie turned to elbow him and saw the arch of his eyebrow and grin on his face. Bennett deftly maneuvered Lizzie into a deep kiss, and the remote dropped to the floor.

  Tonight, we will make our own entertainment . . .

  Chapter Six

  The lowcountry spring was handing the reins over to summer. Gone were the cool mornings that gave way to warm afternoons. The wet blanket of humidity had crept in, and Lizzie knew it would be late fall before it would recede. She aimed the hose at the base of Aunt Dorothy’s rose bushes, watering in the fertilizer she had scattered around the roots. Even at nine in the morning, the growing heat sent drips of perspiration down her skin. Lizzie loved the time she spent in the garden. She could feel Aunt Dorothy’s presence, and that always brought her peace.

  Lizzie was mulling over Aunt Dorothy’s words. “I know you are compelled to find out all you can, but you might consider that you will bring more upheaval to her life than a missing piece. She has no idea you exist.” She tried to imagine what she might think and feel if someone showed up on her doorstep claiming to be her sister. Would I be upset to find out that the mother who gave me up, kept my sister? Would I be thrilled to know a sister went to great lengths to find me?

  Lizzie turned off the hose and wound it back around the bracket that was discreetly attached to the house behind one of the camellia bushes. She had planned to work in the garden for at least another hour, so taking a quick swig of her water she grabbed up her basket of tools and methodically worked the beds. Weeding here, trimming there. Lizzie found gardening much more satisfying than housework. For one thing, she could see the results easier, and for another, the results lasted much longer. Finishing up the last bed, she sat back on her heels. She wiped her brow with the back of her hand, smearing garden soil across her forehead. She stood and stretched, her eyes wandering around to take in her work. An unexpected breeze fluttered against her. Lizzie smiled, Aunt Dorothy approves of my work.

  Lizzie stuck her basket of tools in the garage and grabbed her water from the porch steps. The dock was calling her name. She walked down to the end of the dock and slid off her shoes. The tide was high, so it was easy to dangle her feet into the water. The water was still cool and felt so refreshing. Bennett had a crew rebuild the dock over the winter, and the wood was still smooth and unweathered. The sun was climbing higher in the sky spreading its rays across the water. The light chop of the water danced and sparkled in response. There were a few boaters out in the harbor despite the fact it was a weekday. I wonder if I could talk Bennett into a supper cruise tonight? Lizzie soaked in the sun and the breeze from the water. She would spend the rest of the day here, but she had made lunch plans with M.A. and Amy. Reluctantly she stood up and slipped her shoes back on.

  After her shower, she texted Bennett her idea for a supper cruise, and his reply was enthusiastic. She began to plan her menu in her mind. She would need to stop at the market on her way back from lunch. Lizzie selected a pair of white capris and a pink and green geometric patterned tunic style blouse. She slipped on her green leather sandals, threw her purse contents into her favorite straw bag and grabbed her sunglasses. She was ready for lunch on Sullivan’s Island.

  The beautiful day had brought lots of folks out to the beach, so it took some time to find a legal parking place. Sullivan’s had a short block or so of commercial properties, the rest of the island was residential with the exception of Fort Moultrie which was run by the National Park Service. Not only was it a tourist attraction, it was also a favorite play spot for local children. Lizzie had driven Sawyer and his buddies over for countless hours of play battles, and now all but two of them had chosen to attend the Citadel.

  Amy and M.A. had already secured a table in the front yard of Poe’s, and it was a good thing, they were packed. Poe’s was named for the famed Edgar Allen Poe who spent some time living on Sullivan’s Island. Typical for an island restaurant, they had quite a few seafood recipes on the menu, but what they were known for was their burgers. Lizzie’s mouth was already watering at the thought of it.

  “Hello, my friends!” Lizzie took her seat.

  “There she is, we were beginning to worry you forgot.” Amy handed her a menu.

  Lizzie placed her napkin across her lap.
“Oh, no, it was the parking.”

  “I know, I wish there was a better situation for that. Here, I took the liberty of ordering you an iced tea.” M.A. indicated the glass between Lizzie and herself.

  “Thanks. I already know what I want.”

  “A burger!” M.A. and Amy said in unison.

  Orders placed, the friends turned their attention to their favorite pastime, talking about their lives. M.A. and Amy shared the latest antics from their grandchildren and Lizzie told them all about taking Dot to meet Aunt Beverley.

  M.A. stirred her iced tea with her straw. “It’s a shame this Aunt Beverley had not been living in South Carolina when your parents died; she might have been a part of your life all these years,”

  “That would have been nice. Then my mother would not have been such a mystery, although I doubt she would have told me about my sister. She suggested when we were down there, that I might consider not looking for this sister, she probably has no clue I even exist.”

  Amy pushed her sunglasses up onto her head; the table’s umbrella made them unnecessary. “So, what do you think?”

  “I’m a little conflicted. From the moment I found that letter from the adoption agency, I felt the need to find out all I could, and that meant finding her. But as I was working in the garden this morning I started imagining what it might be like to be in her shoes. I’m not sure I would welcome the idea that my mother gave me up and then went on to have another daughter.”

  The waiter brought their burgers, and momentarily the friends fell silent as they savored their first bites sending the juices and topping spilling out. The waiter had wisely brought an extra stack of napkins, and all three of them reached for some.

  “Maybe you need to take a step back for a few weeks and then consider it again. Who knows, maybe Ben’s office will discover some new leads, and then you can decide if you want to pursue them or not.” Amy popped a fry into her mouth.

  Lizzie set her burger down on the plate. “I have let this consume me for the past few months.”

  “Yes, but you gained an aunt and filled in a lot of the mystery about your mother and your grandparents.” M.A. tried to wipe her hands clean, “Ugh . . . I think I need a washcloth.”

  Lizzie grabbed a wet wipe pack from her bag. “That is the sign of a mighty fine burger.”

  After lunch, the three friends took a short walk on the beach. It was such a gift to be able to do that during the day. Amy was still working as a bookkeeper for various businesses, but she set her own schedule, and both Lizzie and M.A. were retired but still young enough to enjoy things. Although there were times Lizzie missed the Biscuit Box, she remembered many a beautiful day when she was stuck inside and longed to do just what they were doing.

  “Well girls, as much as I have enjoyed this, I enticed Bennett into a supper cruise around the harbor, and I have some cooking to do.”

  “Somehow I don’t think you had to entice my brother too much. Boats and food pretty much would be his definition of paradise.” Amy laughed.

  M.A. reached into her bag for her car keys. “I have to admit I’m a little jealous. Jim and I are going to watch our grandchildren in a school performance and eat at the PTA supper.”

  Aww . . . You make me jealous to be a grandparent.”

  Amy hugged Lizzie, “Well if my niece gets any more serious about that handsome Hudson, you’ll be joining the club sooner than you think.”

  Lizzie hugged her back. “Both Bennett and I would love to have Hudson as a son-in-law.”

  They parted ways with Lizzie meeting M.A. for an introductory yoga class and Amy at the church for the altar guild’s annual workshop.

  Back at the house, Lizzie began the prep for supper on the water. Years of trial and error had taught her what packed well and what the best containers were for the job.

  She boiled up some shrimp and poached a fresh tuna steak to start the seafood pasta salad. While they cooled, she started the pasta and chopped her onions and garlic. This particular recipe was a favorite of Bennett’s. She put together a compartmented container of pickled okra, some of her homemade pickles, some oil-cured olives, and some mixed nuts. Lizzie mixed up a batch of corn muffins and slipped them into the oven. In a boat bag, she put some melamine plates, plastic utensils and an assortment of other things she knew they would need. Then she turned her attention to washing and hulling some strawberries. Lizzie and Bennett did not eat dessert on a weeknight as a rule, but a bowl of fresh strawberries and blueberries macerated in a little fresh juice and a splash of orange liqueur would be a nice treat.

  She went out the garden to snip some fresh mint to go into the fruit salad. The sun was now on the back side of the house, Bennett would be home soon. She had just finished packing up the cooler when she heard his truck pull in.

  He came in and kissed her on the cheek. “How soon will my first mate be ready?”

  “I just finished packing up supper. I would like to change.”

  “I need to do a few things on the boat.” Bennett put his hands on the cooler and the boat bag. “If these two are ready to go, I’ll take them down with me.”

  Lizzie already headed for the stairs, paused and turned. “They’re ready. I’ll change and be down to the dock in about ten minutes.”

  True to her word, Lizzie now in navy shorts and a simple white t-shirt clambered onboard. She had packed a jacket and few other items into another bag and tossed it on ahead of herself.

  “First mate reporting for duty.”

  Bennett fired up the engine. “Take care of the rope my sweet and then relax and enjoy the ride.”

  “Aye, aye cap’n!”

  Lizzie untied the ropes from the dock and secured them on the boat. She sat down on the aft bench and sighed with contentment. The wind in her hair and the smell of the salty water was an instant soother for her soul. Bennett looked back and smiled at her. Anytime he was at the wheel of a boat, whether this sleek sea fox or one of his large charter fishing boats he was in his happy place. Bennett took them out across the harbor and around Morris Island, then up the Cooper River towards Daniel Island. Eventually, they found a spot to drop anchor and Lizzie set out the supper. Bennett handed her a beer, and she handed him a plate. They sat side by side eating and talking as the boat’s gentle rocking continued to soothe their souls.

  “I agree with Amy. It might be a good idea to table the search for this sister for a few weeks. After all, you are still trying to come to terms with what you have learned about your mama and her family.”

  “I agree. Plus, I want to concentrate on getting to know Aunt Beverley a little better. Would you mind if I went down there and spent one night so I could visit with her more than a few hours?”

  “Take as many days as you need. I was thinking of putting together a Florida fishing trip for myself, Scott, and Jim, if that would be alright with you.”

  Lizzie speared a strawberry onto her fork. “That is fine with me.”

  After Lizzie and Bennett had packed up the remains of their supper, Lizzie put her hoodie on. The sun had set, and the cool of the water was settling into her bones. Bennett got them underway, and this time Lizzie stood with him as he piloted them home. Bennett put his arm around her shoulders, and she put her arm around his back. They cruised back to the dock underneath a blanket of stars.

  Lizzie got up with Bennett the next morning, and they took a walk before breakfast.

  “You know what I really miss?”

  Bennett grabbed Lizzie’s hand. “Having to get the children up and off to school?”

  Lizzie groaned. “I definitely do not miss that! I am amazed Dot didn’t end up with a record full of tardies. Mornings were not her thing. No, what I miss is having four-legged furry members in our family.”

  “I do too. This is the longest we have gone without dogs. I’m not opposed to the idea, but I think we should wait at least until you take the trip back to Beaufort and Hilton Head, and I take this fishing trip, then we will both have more time to
devote to some puppies.”

  “Puppies?” Lizzie stopped walking.

  Bennett pulled her back into moving with him. “Yes? Have we ever just had one dog?”

  “No, and I do like it that way, then they each have a buddy.”

  They had reached their driveway, and Bennett stooped to get the paper. “Then I think we have a plan.”

  Lizzie felt pangs in her heart. Pangs of sadness for the losses of Lucky and Ella, and then Maddie and Monroe. Pangs of love for two puppies she had not even met yet.

  After breakfast and sending Bennett off to his day, Lizzie went into the office and carefully sorted and packed up all the papers she had accumulated so far in the search for her sister and her mother’s past. She put all the items related to her sister in a box and stuck the box into the built-in cupboard under the bookshelves. Then she took all the papers related to her mother’s early years and put it in a banker’s box. Lizzie wanted to take this box with her on her next big trip to Beaufort. For now, she was going to put it aside and focus her attention elsewhere. But on what?

  As if in answer to her question, she heard her phone ring out in the kitchen and she hurried to answer it.

  “Mama,” Dot sniffled into the phone.

  “Dot? What in the world is wrong? Are you sick? Did you not go to work today?” Lizzie snapped into mama bear mode.

  Between sobs Dot managed to tell her she was not sick, she had not gone to work and that she had broken up with Hudson.

  “Oh, Dot, I’m so sorry to hear that! Would you like me to come over?”

  “Yes, Mama, I think I made a big mistake, and I need to know how to fix it,” Dot wailed.

  “I’m on my way.” Lizzie hung up and checked the freezer. Not enough ice cream to take, she would need to stop at the market on her way out to Dot’s apartment.

  Twenty minutes later Lizzie arrived at the beach house Dot shared with friends. Dot was home alone; her friends were at work, and Dot answered the door in baggy sweats and a swollen face.