Claiming Amelia

by Jessica Blake

  He grew dark again, accepting my challenge and overriding whatever common sense would have kept him from signing a blank document. He picked up a pen and with a great flourish, made a show of putting his name on the permission line. Before he changed his mind, I slid the paper quickly back into my bag. “Now, as to what happened last night, if you promise to stay calm, I will explain it.”

  He nodded, folding his hands in his lap in his best imitation of a stable psychologist.

  “Alright then. I went to visit Mrs. Jessup at Sunset Village yesterday. While I was there, it started to snow. When I left her, I went to Brandon’s office. We talked about Sunset,” I continued, careful to not lie but to not necessarily reveal my entire reason for being there. “He suggested that since the weather was bad, that we have that date you paid for and he would take me to dinner at a local restaurant near his home. I agreed, we had dinner, he dropped me off at a hotel and he went home,” I stressed the last three words. “This morning, he picked me up, we stopped for breakfast to let the rush hour settle down and then took me back to his office so I could get my car. Since I hadn’t planned to be out all night, I went home first to shower and change and then came here to see you. I didn’t have my phone charger with me and it went dead at some point in the night. I knew you had probably been trying to call me, and since I wanted to see the progress on your office, I thought I’d come in and surprise you. This wasn’t exactly the kind of surprise I was expecting, though,” I finished and was proud of myself for not lying or twisting any facts. I just left a couple of internal feelings out, not to mention the giant detail that he and I might share a father, for God’s sake.

  Worth studied me and knew I wasn’t lying. I would have been disappointed if he’d thought I was. I wasn’t. I continued. “Now, I thought we agreed that you would not interrogate me again?”

  He relaxed. “You’re right, I’m sorry. You have to admit, the evidence seemed pretty damned incriminating.”

  “Only if you were looking for it to be,” I pointed out. The look on his face told me he probably agreed with that. “So, how did you know I was with Brandon in the first place?”

  “Ms. Dexter came by this morning. She said you’d fessed up and encouraged her to come and work out the details to have her move forward on our house. She questioned whether we were seeing one another and I walked around that, naturally.”

  Him saying that encouraged me that what I had just walked around fell securely under the “walk around” rule we had between us.

  He continued. “She mentioned that she’d been by Brandon’s office to have something signed and saw your car there, covered with overnight snow. The rest… well, you can imagine where my mind went from there.”

  I smiled and stood up, walked around his desk and kissed him on the cheek, hugging him from behind. “Yes, I can imagine where your mind went from there and you can rest assured, Brandon and I did nothing you wouldn’t approve of. Let’s put this behind us, shall we? I can understand why you were angry and now you understand why there was no reason to be, right?”

  He nodded.

  “Okay, why don’t you show me around the construction before I leave?” I asked and this seemed to lighten his mood considerably.

  Worth walked from area to area of the office space and explained where the various therapies would be conducted and how they would work together in an overall healing process. I was proud of his good business sense, and proud of the fact that he would be growing a business that would obviously put him light years ahead of his peers in embracing more than just talk therapy. “It’s beautiful, Worth, and it’s not even done. I can’t wait until it’s all ready. When do you think that will be?”

  “A week,” he said and I nodded in approval. One thing about Worth, he did not waste time. He walked me to the door and out to my car. “I want you,” he said simply. “No, I need you,” he emphasized.

  My mind went blank. I couldn’t sleep with Worth until all the questions were answered. It would take several days to get the tests back. “I can’t right now, Worth… a woman thing. But I want you to know I want you, too!” I kissed him lovingly and left.

  I drove straight to the doctor’s office and went in the back door as instructed. I dropped off the toothbrush and the signed form. The nurse didn’t question anything. She’d already been instructed by Brandon to expedite things.

  When I got home, Mother was in the living room. I heard her voice. “Auggie, is that you?”

  “Yes,” was all I could manage.

  “Come here, please,” she called.

  “No, not feeling well. I’ll be down later,” I called and when I went into my room, I locked the door behind me. How was I going to spend the next two weeks of my life avoiding being alone with two major players in my future? I chose the coward’s way out. I took up residence at Sunset Village.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

  Auggie

  Sunset Village had a single room vacancy and as long as I paid the fees out of pocket, I took over the room and set it up as a working/sleeping space. This let me come in constant contact with the very people I needed to further my project and kept me out of contact with those I wished to avoid.

  Brandon, upon learning I was there, spent most of his spare time there. It turned out that he was extremely patient with older people and even handled some simple legal matters for them pro bono. There were wills to be written, powers of attorney and simple letters to distant family members letting them know where they were. I cried through many of these. It was like being with a building full of injured troops who would never see their families again.

  I spent my days scouring for ideas of what to put in the recreation room, as we had decided to call it. Some of the first things I ordered were sets of state-of-the-art computers equipped with mini cams so residents could visit with their families via Skype. I poured through catalogs of crafts, storage systems and aids designed for those who had lost mobility. I chose a theater system with sound and made sure that every seat would come equipped with a headphone that could be adjusted for individual sound.

  Then I turned to the seed catalogs and nursery offerings. Beverly and I drew up plans to show the space and sun exposure we would have to work with. We planned fountains and plenty of comfortable seating next to raised flowerbeds so the residents could garden from their wheelchairs or one of the many benches. This saved them from stooping or reaching. I consulted with experts at retirement homes across the country and decided we were to have the best of everything.

  On the days when the workmen were a bit noisy, I hosted movies in the dining room and turned the sound up nice and loud. We had filtered off the annex debris with layers of overlapping heavy tarps and then painted the tarps to show the images of giant presents — giving the residents a child-like anticipation of what lay behind. It also helped to keep down the complaints regarding the inconveniences. The sickest patients were relocated to the opposite end of the building so their privacy and comfort could be respected.

  It was, without a doubt, one of the most powerful short periods in my life. It allowed me a perspective that was one-hundred and eight degrees from the privileged, self-absorbed, entitled life I’d led up to that point. It taught me to walk in others’ shoes and how the little things, like using someone’s first name when you spoke with them, or listening to what they used to do when they were young were so important.

  I kept in constant contact with Worth by phone, careful to follow up on his progress with the clinic, all the while sharing what was going on at my end and then together we’d talk about the house. If he realized I was avoiding him, he didn’t say anything. I think in some small sense he knew we had to get through this busy period of involvement before we could completely be together.

  Beverly was true to her word. The work at Sunset moved swiftly and the day came when they were installing the wheelchair-friendly seating in the theater. I had ordered hundreds of films on reels, just like the residents had seen in their younge
r years. They were fans of movies from the thirties through the eighties. They had no need for Star Wars or the Friday the 13th horror films.

  I took some time to plan party themes and we ordered costumes. I had a grand piano brought in and was delighted to learn that we had several accomplished pianists in our midst and they were all willing to perform on a rotating basis. Once the weather was warmer, the piano could be wheeled out into the garden and the residents would be able to enjoy Chopin by moonlight. I was having great fun and my imagination was running rampant.

  I had approached Mrs. Jessup’s son for a donation and he promptly wrote me a check for three hundred thousand dollars. I was overwhelmed and once again, wondered how Worth had managed to pull it off. We decided, in light of the contribution, to name the new theater the “Alice B. Jessup Theater” and she cried when she learned the news.

  Finally came the day when the inside work was complete and there was nothing left but to put away craft supplies and get ready for the grand-opening party. I had become a familiar face and everyone found an opportunity to touch my hand or call me “darlin’” as I passed nearby. I asked Mrs. Jessup if she’d like to help me organize the craft room and she was only too happy to do so.

  I had never again referred to our earlier conversation and she seemed a bit nervous when we were alone. I asked if there was something wrong.

  “I might have said too much last time we talked,” she chirped while sorting through cards of embroidery thread. “The whole incident was very hush hush and I’m not sure anyone but the parties involved even remember anything about it.” She blushed. “And me, of course.”

  “It’s okay, Mrs. Jessup. I’ve adjusted to the idea and you haven’t done anyone any harm,” I assured her and wished I could believe it myself.

  “You know, dear… your mother was gone some time. If it’s of any help, I believe she went through with having the child. I don’t know any more, whether it survived or if she even knows. Often in these cases, the children are taken immediately upon birth and the birth mother never knows another thing from that point on.”

  I pretended that none of this mattered and just casually asked, “I wonder where she went in Florida. Do you suppose she went to a convent or stayed with family? It would be nice to know who’s included in the secret.”

  “Why, she stayed with your aunt Elizabeth, Auggie, the aunt you were named for. I thought that would occur to you. She lived down there in her later years and when your mother returned, that’s all we heard about. ‘Aunt Elizabeth this and Aunt Elizabeth that.’ That’s why you have her name. Obviously, your mother owned her a great debt of gratitude.” Mrs. Jessup’s face was heavy with the weight of her worry and I wanted to make things easier for her, but it was falling on me to keep my own face from showing any emotion.

  I froze at this and wondered why it hadn’t occurred to me before. I’d been so busy being independent that I’d ignored the clues all along the way. The aunt I had been named for had moved to Florida as old age crept upon her. The Kentucky winters, although fairly short, were too damp for her. She had bought a sizable home on the water in Naples and I remembered Mother mentioning, from time to time, that certain members of the family were going down there to stay. My aunt had long since passed, but the family had retained the property as a vacation home.

  The next afternoon, there was an informal tea to which all the contributors were invited. Worth came, despite his busy schedule and told me how proud he was of what I’d accomplished. All the residents who were mobile were dressed in their best and once the contributors left, there was a grand opening party where everyone was permitted to move about freely, sample refreshments, play with the crafts and to later take in the screening of Gone with the Wind, a local favorite. It was a long film and when it ended, many a nodded head was wheeled back to their room and gently put to bed. It was a great deal of excitement for them all. The next phase would include the outdoor gardens, fountains, horseshoe pits, shuffleboard, paddock and a shallow wading pool for those who weren’t bound to wheelchairs. All this would happen when the weather permitted, but for now, I was done.

  The timing was perfect. I got a phone call from the doctor’s office and called Brandon to go with me. He was happy to do it. I felt I needed his strength, just in case.

  CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

  Auggie

  It was the end of the day when Brandon and I pulled into the doctor’s office. We went through the rear entrance, as usual. Only this time, we waited in the doctor’s private office.

  Dr. Stephens was elderly, but still up on the latest medical practices. He took care of many of the people in our circle and could be counted upon for his confidentiality.

  Brandon and I were seated and I was tapping my fingers on my bag. “Auggie, calm down. Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it. I promise you.”

  “This is my life we’re talking about, Brandon,” I chastised him, perhaps a little more vehemently than I should have, but I was scared to death.

  “I get that,” he said and looked away. I knew he wanted me. I knew that in his heart of hearts, he was hoping there was blood between Worth and me and he would win me by default.

  Dr. Stephens came in and took his seat. He slowly opened the manila folder with the report and pushed his glasses down low upon his nose while he read through the results.

  “Auggie, I believe you have your answer here. You are not related to Worth by blood,” he said simply and without dragging out the suspense.

  I exhaled the breath I’d been holding and tears of joy spilled down my cheeks. Brandon hugged me, albeit not as enthusiastically as I guessed he would have liked.

  “Does it tell anything else?” I asked.

  “Well, you definitely have origins in Britain, so as to your claim to the Earl, my guess is that’s pretty accurate.”

  I laughed at this — as if it made any difference.

  “Shall I forward Worth’s copy on to him?” Dr. Stephens asked.

  “Oh, no!” I was quick to jump in. “I’ll take it to him personally. This was sort of a gift, if you will. His birthday is coming up,” I hedged, unable to stop myself from continuing the lie. What was wrong with me?

  “Very well, here you go,” he said and handed me the stack of paper and the envelope. “Now if there’s anything else?”

  “Dr. Stephens, I’m on a sort of quest. I know you’re not at liberty to discuss anything like this, but I have reason to believe that I might have an older sibling living elsewhere. How would one go about narrowing the odds in finding out whether that is true?”

  Dr. Stephens folded his glasses and laid them down on his desk. “Auggie, I don’t think I have to tell you that doctors are bound by doctor/client privilege, meaning that I’m not at liberty to divulge anything about any one of my patients without their express written consent.”

  “Yes, I know. I wasn’t asking you to violate that, sir, I just thought you might offer some pointers about where I could start.”

  “I see. Well, I suggest you begin at the source — the mother — and go from there.” He wasn’t looking at me directly and I could tell he knew more than he was able to say.

  “I’m afraid that isn’t a viable option,” piped up Brandon.

  “Then I might suggest that you look up birth records based on the mother’s and/or father’s name. Most of those are in computer databases now and it’s not difficult. The better you can narrow down the location of possible birth and the date, the further along you’ll get.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Stephens,” I said courteously and got up to leave.

  “Auggie,” he said behind me. “Don’t give up the search.”

  I swallowed hard, trying to keep the sudden emotion at bay. “I won’t, doctor.”

  It was a strange comment and it told me one thing. There had been another child. Now it was up to me to find him or her. Could I handle that?

  I hugged Brandon in the parking lot and dropped him off at his office. He loathed to see me go
. “I will miss you, Auggie,” he said and I nodded. I couldn’t argue with him. I knew what he meant.

  I went back to Sunset Village and packed up my belongings. Before I left, I made a phone call. I knew my great-aunt had lived in Naples and I found a private detective there with a computer search. I hired him to track down whatever he could. I gave him my mother’s personal information, the approximate year and then faxed him a copy of my DNA report. He seemed familiar with these and promised to keep in touch.

  Then I left to go home… to Worth.

   CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

  Worth

  I could tell that Auggie had been avoiding me. It bothered me that she didn’t just come right out and tell me what was wrong, but relied upon silly games like moving into a nursing home to distance me.

  Jeremy had delivered as promised and with a bit of time to spare. The grand opening wasn’t scheduled for two days and that left me an extra day to get acclimated. The movers had come and gone leaving in their wake the new furnishing for the entire clinic.

  There were waterfall walls and subtle environmental music playing throughout the building. There was a massage room with private booths and I’d already hired highly-trained staff for the entire facility. Two hot tubs were kept meticulously clean with cycling water and the highest quality chemicals that sterilized it on an ongoing basis. I’d hired a Chinese doctor who specialized in acupuncture and acupressure. I’d also added another psychologist who dealt only with children and a second who combined holistic screenings with talk therapy. I’d built a pink Himalayan salt room where you could relax and breath the re-ionized oxygen, environmental rooms where you could close your eyes and picture yourself either on a desert or in a rain forest and our sex therapy wing was set up for adults who wished to enhance or repair their intimacy through the use of talk therapy and physical touching techniques. Everything was of the highest quality and state-of-the-art. My clinic rivaled those of Switzerland but was far closer.