by Linda Hanna
“I’m so nervous. Ed, isn’t this exciting? I have a sister—Emily!” she exclaimed with intense pleasure, and then looked at her nephew. “Sure wish you could go with us.”
“There’s nothing I’d rather do, but I’ve probably got a waiting room full of impatient patients. Besides, June will tape this reunion and I’ll watch it later. And if I know my mother, you’ll still be there when I get home.” He hugged her once again. “I’m so glad to meet you, Aunt Toots,” he said with a mischievous grin. “And you, too, Uncle Steady.”
Cora chuckled and relaxed in his hug. They walked to the door, and then Cora looked at her nephew. “Tell me Jeff, do you like coconut cookies?”
16
They entered the waiting room and found a seat. Cora’s mind processed the new revelation. She had a twin, which confused everyone.
Even that creepy guy on the phone.
Her heart skipped a beat. Was poor Emily involved in something dangerous?
After a short wait for Jeff to make his phone call, the receptionist motioned for them to come to the window. “This is such an amazing story. Dr. Jeff said that June and Emily are pacing the floor to meet you. They want you there as quickly as possible.” She gave them a friendly smile. “It was nice meeting you. Enjoy your reunion.”
Cora could hardly contain herself as they drove to the Morgans’ home. She rattled on about a new future with her sister. “Oh, Ed isn’t it wonderful? I still feel like I’m dreaming.”
A wicked thought slithered into her mind. Enjoy it while you can. Emily will be the only one with memories.
She threw back her shoulders and refused to let the notion take root. Nothing was going to put a damper on this burgeoning relationship with her sister. Not monsoons, not George and his ominous phone calls, and certainly not the possibility of Alzheimer’s disease.
“I’m so relieved there’s an explanation why so many people thought they saw me. And you even witnessed some of it, too. See, I’m not so flaky after all.”
Ed’s grin was wide. “Well, now, that’s still up for deliberation.” He pulled the car to a stop at a red light. He reached for her hand and squeezed it.
His gentle gaze sent ripples of pleasure through her. She lifted his hand to her lips. “I love you, Eddie.”
A tear gently slipped down his cheek. “You don’t know how much I needed to hear that, Toots.” He cleared his throat. “I love you, too. More than you’ll ever know.”
Her eyes moistened. Cora realized this was the second time her reserved husband had bared his soul today. Romantic feelings reawakened in her, and she embraced the moment. Who said romance was only for the young?
As they pulled up to the Morgans’ stately home, Emily bounded out the front door. The air seemed to exude a sense of excitement as Cora studied her sister’s features. Without a word, she pulled Emily into her arms and they swayed in a tight embrace. Cora released her hold to reexamine the tear-streaked face that mirrored her own.
Cora held a tissue to her eyes as they separated. “Ed, come meet my sister, Emily.”
“Oh, call me Em.” Her eyes brightened as she stepped forward with her arms outstretched. “You’re the famous Steady Eddie.” She turned around and pointed to the lady behind the camera. “This is my daughter-in-law, June Morgan.”
“Hi, June. Pleased to meet you.” The late afternoon sun danced off Ed’s sunglasses as he leaned over for a hug.
A warm wave of pleasure rose in Cora’s heart as she treasured every word and gesture. She realized this was a far-better ending than the one she and Ed had feared just hours before. Her voice trembled. “I have a million questions to ask you, Emily.”
“I’ve got at least that many for you, too. Let’s go inside for coffee. We have so many years to catch up on.”
Ed held the door open for the three women and followed them into the house. A few minutes later, the foursome gathered in the formal dining room around the large oak table. The aroma of fresh coffee mixed with the scent of hot cinnamon rolls was a welcomed treat after the sparse meal at the Pegasi.
Several of June’s photo albums were stacked on the table near Ed. He busied himself with the variety of neatly preserved photographs while the women jabbered nonstop.
Between bouts of joyful tears, questions and answers flew from one sister to the other. Their early years were amazingly similar in many aspects. Each had wonderful, God-fearing adoptive families; both adored the humorous writings of Paige Turner, and they discovered a joint passion for mint Wilderness Scout cookies.
“You know,” Cora said, “Seems odd to me that we’re identical twins yet our names aren’t the least bit similar.”
“Well, actually Sis, my birth name is…are you ready for this? Eudora.”
June’s head shot up. “I never knew that. Eudora, huh? Oh, gag.”
“My thoughts exactly. My adopted mother wanted to spare me great humiliation, so she thoughtfully gave me her mother’s name, Emily. So, our original names do sound alike.”
Ed added his two cents. “And you thought being named Cora was a bummer.”
“Yeah. You’ll hear no more complaints from me.” Cora wrapped her fingers around her coffee mug. “I wonder why neither of us remembers the other? After all, we were toddlers, old enough to have memories.”
“I have snippets of memory about what I perceive to be the orphanage. Being placed in a washtub with another child, which I now realize was probably you, and getting soap in my eyes. Again, probably you.” Emily cleared her throat and took a drink of coffee. “This might sound off the wall, but all my life, there have been times when it felt as if a part of me was missing.”
“Oh, that doesn’t sound off the wall because I’ve experienced that empty space, too. Kind of like a missing piece to the puzzle.” Cora said. “I assumed it was because I was adopted.”
“Exactly.” Emily nodded in agreement. “I thought once I married and had my own family, that lonely feeling would go away.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It never did. In fact, it’s only grown more intense over the years. I just wanted to be found.”
“Now we’ve found each other.”
Cora hugged her sister intensely. This time was precious and how she longed to protect this memory. She pushed aside the negative thoughts that pried into her mind and attempted to ruin everything. “We’re together now. Let’s keep this special moment in our hearts forever.”
June and Ed quietly took in the emotional exchange. Soon, the conversation naturally progressed into early adulthood and marriage.
Emily married her childhood sweetheart, Philip, a week after high school graduation. Jeff was born the following spring, Reece and Rebecca came along a few years later.
Ed sipped his coffee and set the cup down. “Why don’t you tell us about Philip?”
“Dad was the most patient and caring man I’ve ever known.” June smiled and looked at Emily. “Don’t you think Jeff’s a lot like him?”
“Absolutely. My life with Philip was about as perfect as can be.” Emily dabbed her eyes. “I still miss him.”
Cora sympathetically rubbed her sister’s back.
“He died so suddenly that my world stopped and depression overwhelmed me. I made it through his funeral only by the grace of God.” Her hands shook. “Grief became a way of life and for four years, pain was my constant companion.”
“Four years?” Cora gasped. Emily’s sorrow was so much like her own, but four years?
June’s voice was filled with compassion. “Yes, we did everything to pull Mom out of that depression. It still seemed like eternity. We were so worried.” She reached over and hugged her.
Emily fidgeted with her coffee cup, then, cleared her throat. “You might not have liked me back then, Sis. I was far from the bubbly princess you see today.”
Ed grinned at his comical sister-in-law, and then gave Cora’s hand a reassuring squeeze. His voice turned serious. “Emily, do you mind if I ask how you got through your grief?”
&n
bsp; “It was so bad I had to quit work because my thinking and memory became muddled. Depression had me smothered in self-pity for three years. Think about it, how could I enjoy life when my husband was buried in the ground? After speaking with our pastor, he urged me to go into grief counseling. I was reluctant at first, but couldn’t stand any more.
“The counselor asked if I thought my pain was the only way to honor Philip. I knew he wouldn’t want me to be miserable. Yet, I was, and figured nothing would ever change.”
Cora sat dumbfounded as her sister’s admission hit home. A short lull in the conversation provided time for her to reflect. Was that what she was doing—mourning her life away? Would Van be proud of her?
Emily took a deep breath. “The counselor assured me that when I began to question my feelings, it was time to give myself permission to move on. Living with or without pain, would never change the fact that Philip will always be in my heart. When I enjoyed some family activities, I was embarrassed at first. It was a weird sensation, but it was so liberating. I had to take baby steps, and the Lord helped me face each new day without dwelling on my loss.”
Emily stood to refill the coffee cups. “I’m so fortunate. Philip was such a wonderful husband. All my memories of him are good ones.” She patted Ed on the shoulder. “Not a week went by that my Jeff and his father didn’t follow your career. He would’ve flipped if he had an inkling that Steady Eddie was his brother-in-law.”
“I’m sorry we never met.” Ed’s eyes conveyed his regret. He finished the last of his cinnamon roll and licked goo from his fingers. “We could’ve supported each other in this whole twin thing. It would’ve been nice to have someone to commiserate with me.” He winked at June. “How in the world are we going to tell these two apart? Even their mannerisms are similar.”
“Your guess is as good as mine.” June laughed. “All I see is double trouble ahead.”
“We could always wear name tags to help you out,” Cora quipped.
Emily leaned over to her sister. “Or, we could take full advantage of the situation, right?”
Ed returned to the aging photo album next to him. “Who’s this, June?”
She smiled. “That’s Jeff with his younger brother and sister, Reece and Rebecca.” She pointed to another picture. “And this little tyke is our son, Jordan. He’s fifteen now and should be home from football practice later. I hope you can stay long enough to meet him.”
“Of course they’re going to stay long enough.” Emily pulled a scrapbook closer so Cora could see it. “You’ve got to see what Junie’s done with my albums. She’s a real scrapbook enthusiast, so I had her arrange them for me.”
Emily proudly pointed to wedding pictures. “And this is our daughter, Rebecca, when she married,” she ticked the groom’s name off on her fingers, “LaMont Francois Laurent Bellamy IV. Isn’t that a mouthful? Wait till you hear the dreadful names they gave their poor little girls. LaRue, LaVerne, and LaVinia.”
Dr. Jeff arrived home laden with carry-out bags. “I figured since the Pegasi inadvertently got us together we should celebrate with souvlaki and baklava for all.”
Ed and Cora burst out in laughter.
Emily looked puzzled. “No inside secrets in this family, Cora. Spill it, and spill it now.”
“Wait.” June closed her photo album. “I have to put the food in the oven, so don’t tell any stories until I get back. I don’t want to miss a thing. Jeff, why don’t you change your clothes?”
Jeff excused himself to trade his suit for khakis and a sport shirt. Minutes later, he joined the festivities in the dining room.
June moved her chair over, to provide more leg-room beside her. She also put him on camcorder duty to preserve every minute of the sisters’ first meeting.
Laughter grew as Ed shared the shortened version of his restaurant experience. “It all started when I witnessed my wife coming out of the Pegasi in the arms of a young, handsome Casanova.”
Heads turned to Cora.
Her face changed to candy-apple-red. “Just wait. It gets better.”
“When I took her there the next day, everyone knew her. She denied it all. I thought she was lying through her teeth. What really got me, Cora left the table and the waiter said she’d been there often enough to have a usual order. When she returned, she ordered it.”
Emily wiped her eyes with a napkin. “Chicken Souvlaki, right?”
“Complete with salata and Vanilla Bean Cappuccino.” Cora added her side of the story. “Picture it.” She threw her arms wide open and tried to suppress a giggle. “There we were, in a crowd of people gawking at us, and my beloved husband accused me of having, and I quote, ‘a torrid love affair.’” She nervously laughed, and held her hot cheeks.
First a gasp echoed around the table, followed by snickers as all heads turned in Ed’s direction. Jeff laughed out loud and scooted his chair back. “Wow, man. Do you have a death wish or something?” His camera zoomed in on Ed.
With one finger, Ed pushed the lens aside. “I’m hanging off the edge of a cliff here and you’re going for a Kodak moment?” He turned to Emily and grinned. “It’s your fault, you know. If you hadn’t been walking around town with my wife’s face on, this never would’ve happened.”
“Hey, did you ever think that maybe she’s using my face?” She winked at Cora. “Thanks for taking such good care of it, by the way.”
“I had a little help from Velvety Dew moisturizing face spackle.”
June gently pushed Emily’s arm. “You two crack me up.” She jumped to her feet. “Oh dear, I forgot about the food. It smells more than ready. I’ll get our meal while you clear all these pictures off the table.” She pointed to the kitchen. “Mom, would you get the iced tea?”
Jeff gathered the photos of his lively nieces. “I’m sure you’ve heard all about the La-La girls,” he said, with a chuckle. “I hope Mom told you that Becky and LaMont didn’t take our advice on naming their children.”
Emily entered the room with a pitcher of iced tea and quickly replied, “Oh, I made sure to tell them that we wanted more traditional names for those precious babies, however they chose those dusty, old monikers they found in his family archives. That seems to be the fad these days.” She handed Cora the placemats. “What about you, Sis? How many children do you have?”
A dull ache spread through Cora’s heart. “We had one daughter. Vanessa.”
Ed set a stack of plates on the table and took his wife’s hand. “Our only child died in a car accident at the age of thirty-five. We still have a good relationship with her husband, James, even though he’s remarried. The visits with our grandkids aren’t as often as we’d like since the family moved to Las Vegas.”
Cora frowned and squirmed at the mention of James’s remarriage.
Emily redirected the conversation as she put the tableware in place. “Why don’t you tell us about your grandchildren? How old are they?”
That was all the encouragement Cora needed to produce a bulging purse-sized photo album comprised of the grandchildren’s recent school pictures and holiday snapshots. Ed added a running narrative for each child.
When June returned from the kitchen with the main dish and salad, the table had been cleared and set. Jeff offered up a prayer of thanksgiving for the food and new family members.
As the Greek dish quickly made its way around the table, Cora observed each new relative. This was her—family. Emotion wedged in her throat. Not so long ago, her only blood relative had been snatched from her and she was drawn into the dark abyss of loneliness. How was it that two sisters, separated for years, could suddenly find each other?
Ed raised his breadstick. “Hey, Toots, this souvlaki is really good, isn’t it? Can you believe how much easier this meal is to swallow than the one we had at the Pegasi?”
“Toots?” Emily’s hand went to her mouth as she choked on her iced tea. A broad smile surfaced. “Is that what you want us to call you?”
“Only my husband is allowed t
o call me that.”
Her sister grinned from ear to ear. “Not any more. I gotcha now, Tootsie.”
Cora wiped her chin. “Touché, Eudora.”
A puzzled look came across Jeff’s face. “What’s a Eudora?”
Ed laughed. “Your beautiful mother. She said it’s on her birth certificate. Your family sure has a fetish for odd names.”
“Yes, we do, Uncle Steady,” Jeff agreed. “Would you mind passing the sugar, Aunt Toots? You two are so lucky to have such normal names.” His emphasis on their nicknames brought a new wave of laughter.
A voice was heard from the hallway, and the door slammed. “I’m home, Mom. Who’s car is out front?”
Jeff motioned for Ed to hide in the kitchen, then, excused himself from the table. “We’re in the dining room, Son. I want you to meet someone.”
As they entered the room, Jordan’s young voice cracked, “Oh no! Grandma has a clone.”
“This is Grandma’s twin sister, Cora Timms. They were adopted as babies and just now found each other.”
“Nice to meet ya, Aunt Cora.” With his dad’s nudge from behind, Jordan leaned over and gave Cora a quick peck on the cheek. When he stood, Ed entered the room. The boy’s mouth dropped open. “Steady Eddie Timms! Way cool. How’d ya get him to come here?”
June’s camcorder hummed as Jordan shook Ed’s hand. He grabbed a breadstick and turned to his mom. “Can Tank and Mason come over and see Steady Eddie?”
“Maybe next time. Let’s not overdo it on their first visit.” June pointed to the kitchen. “Lose the pout and go get your supper before it gets cold.”
“Tell ya what,” Jeff added, “Uncle Steady and I are going to have coffee in the family room. You can eat in there with us.”
The ladies loaded the dishwasher and discussed ideas for a family barbecue and reunion.