Just One Year

by Ward, Penelope

  She rested her head on my chest. “It feels so surreal to be in England with you. I’d always had this idea in my head about what it looked like here, the dynamic between you and your mother. I know things are a lot different now that your dad is away, but there’s a serenity I wasn’t expecting. There’s a lot of love here, too—and a lot of pain that lingers. I can feel it all, everything that lies within these walls. I’m just so happy to be here, to have an opportunity to experience a new life, new adventures. But really, it wouldn’t matter where I was as long as I can be with you.”

  This girl—this beautiful woman—breathed life into me every second we were together. I needed to find a way for us to stay together for more than just these next six months. I needed her forever.

  ***

  A week after Teagan’s arrival, the information I’d been keeping from her became hard to contain.

  In the months before Teagan’s move, we’d spent a lot of time on the phone. She’d told me she’d decided to Google her birth mother, Ariadne. She’d explained how that led her to realize how important Maura was in her life. I loved hearing that she’d finally given Maura the credit she deserved.

  She’d also told me that according to the addresses listed, Ariadne had lived for a time here in the UK. That didn’t come as a surprise, since Teagan had always described her birth mother as a wanderer and world traveler. I remembered her telling me Ariadne had convinced Lorne to quit his job for a time and travel with her all those years ago.

  I hadn’t thought much about the Ariadne-UK connection until one night I visited my uncle. Frederick is a cop, and I knew he had access to certain information beyond what a general Google search would provide. For shits and giggles, I’d given him the name Ariadne Mellencamp and asked what he might be able to find out about her time here in England.

  A listing in Brighton had popped up. That was a little under three hours away from here. More notable was the information that came along with it: the names of other people at that residence. Were they connected to Teagan as well? I’d immediately regretted seeking that information because now I had to share it with Teagan.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  * * *

  TEAGAN

  A week into my new gig at Caleb’s uncle’s flower shop, I felt like I was getting adjusted. It had taken me a while to figure out the difference between geraniums and carnations and other flowers, but once I’d set up a labeling system, I started to get the hang of it. Working under the tutelage of Caleb’s Aunt Noreen, I took my time making the various arrangements. It was a peaceful job, overall; not too rushed and perfect for someone still learning the ropes.

  The shop was not too far from where we lived. My favorite part of the day was when Caleb would come by to accompany me home after his summer classes ended. I was definitely envious, but I’d decided to focus on other types of learning during this time. Caleb and the world around us had much to teach me, I knew.

  The bell dinged as he entered the shop. Noreen had left me alone for the last half-hour of my shift.

  “Hey, baby.” I ran from behind the counter to wrap my arms around Caleb’s neck. “How was your day?”

  “Good.” His smile seemed forced and a little…off.

  My heart pounded. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes. But there’s something I want to talk to you about. Mum is working late, so we can be alone for a bit. Let’s go home, alright?”

  A rush of adrenaline hit me. “Is it something bad?”

  “No. Please don’t worry. It’s just something I need to talk to you about.”

  The walk home was strange, to say the least. Caleb looked down at the sidewalk the whole time, and I felt nauseous. Things had been going so well here. I should’ve known the other shoe would drop.

  Once inside the apartment, Caleb took a seat on the couch and I planted myself next to him. His legs bopped up and down.

  “What?” I urged, unable to take it anymore.

  “I did a stupid thing.”

  My nerves made my throat dry. “Okay…what?”

  “My curiosity got the best of me, and I investigated something I had no right to.” After a long pause, he continued. “When you told me your birth mother had lived here at one time, I had my uncle who’s a cop look into it further. He found the address where she lived and some other information.”

  I felt my eyes widen.

  “I know—it was stupid of me. I never thought anything would come of it.”

  I took a deep breath. “Come of it? What did you find?”

  “A man called Stuart Erickson and a girl called Emma Erickson were listed at the same address as Ariadne. Of course, that naturally gave me the chills because Emma was my sister’s name. Stuart was listed as forty-four years old and Emma as ten.”

  Shock consumed me as I said nothing.

  “We don’t need to do anything with this information, Teagan. Searching her name was stupid. And now I’ve uncovered something that doesn’t have to mean anything—if you don’t want it to.”

  What was I supposed to say? I took another breath. “I do agree it was unnecessary for you to look into her name.”

  “Of course. I know. It was just a dumb curiosity. I never meant to hurt you. Please tell me you don’t hate me for it.”

  Of course I couldn’t hate him for it. He’d impulsively searched her name and came up with unexpected information that wasn’t meant to be hurtful. But now that I knew about it, it wasn’t something I could erase, nor did I know how to handle it.

  I exhaled. “I don’t hate you. I’m just a little perplexed…and unsure of what to do with this.”

  “We don’t have to do anything with it.” He examined my face. “Or, if you want, I can grab Mum’s car when she gets home, and we can take a ride out there, scope it out. Brighton is only a few hours from here.”

  Now my curiosity began to stir as well. Who were Stuart and Emma? Was Ariadne still living in England? Based on the number of addresses I’d found listed for her over the years, my gut said she was long gone. But I was just as impulsive as Caleb had been.

  ***

  When we got to the address in Brighton and knocked on the door, no one was home. It was a small stone house and impossible to see inside because the shades were drawn.

  “Doesn’t look like anyone’s here,” Caleb said. “Let’s just go. It wasn’t meant to be.” I could tell he felt guilty for dragging me into this.

  Just as we’d gotten back in our car, lights approached in the distance.

  We froze, waiting to see what would transpire.

  My pulse raced as I watched a man and girl exit the car that had parked in the driveway right in front of us. As I caught sight of her face, I realized not only did she look like Ariadne, she looked like me.

  Immediately, I knew.

  I turned to Caleb. “She’s my sister.”

  ***

  It was nearing 8PM now, and Caleb and I were still parked outside the house, unsure what to do.

  “Look at me,” he finally said. “We need to make a decision. You don’t have to go in. But if you do, I’ll be right here by your side. This is your choice. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

  “I’m pretty sure if I turn around and leave now, it will haunt me. I have to confirm it.”

  “Then you have your answer. We should go in.”

  Blowing out a shaky breath, I opened the passenger-side door. Caleb followed, and we headed up the small set of stairs to the front door. With a trembling hand, I rang the doorbell.

  The man opened. “Can I help you?” He had brown hair with gray on the sides.

  “Hi…uh…I’m looking for Ariadne Mellencamp.”

  His expression changed, and his eyes slowly narrowed. “Who are you?”

  “My name is Teagan Carroll. I’m visiting from the United States. Ariadne is my birth mother, although I’ve never met her. I understand she might live at this address?”

  I knew she wasn’t here. If s
he were, I probably wouldn’t have come to the door. This visit wasn’t about Ariadne. It was about the little girl.

  It took him a few seconds to respond. “How old are you?”

  “Twenty.”

  Caleb grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

  The man stepped out of the way to let us through. “Come in.”

  The smell of something toasting registered. Normally, that would have made me hungry, but I was too nervous.

  The girl appeared behind him. “Who are you?”

  Her green eyes were the same as mine. Her thick, light brown hair—also the same as mine—had been gathered in a side ponytail.

  “My name is Teagan. Nice to meet you.”

  “That’s a nice name.”

  “What’s your name?” I asked.

  “Emma.”

  I swallowed. “Hi, Emma.”

  Her father turned to her. “Emma, can you go to your room for a moment?”

  She protested. “Why?”

  “I need to discuss something with our guests.”

  “But—”

  “Emma, just do what I asked. Please.”

  After she reluctantly disappeared into her room, Stuart led us over to the couch in the living room. Caleb sat next to me and held my hand while the man took a seat across from us.

  “You’ve been looking for Ariadne?” he asked.

  “Not really,” I told him. “I accidentally stumbled on this address as one of her previous residences. When I saw there was a child living here, it made me curious, and I came to see her. I don’t have any interest in meeting Ariadne.”

  He nodded. “Ariadne hasn’t lived here in a very long time. We haven’t seen her in years.”

  This story sounded familiar. A feeling of dread grew in my chest. When he seemed hesitant to continue, I decided to tell him my story.

  “My father was Ariadne’s college professor two decades ago. He fell in love with her. She convinced him to travel the world with her, paying for everything. She got pregnant with me and wanted to terminate, but my father convinced her to stick around long enough to have the baby. She left soon after I was born, and I’ve never met her. Nor do I care to.”

  Stuart stared at me a moment. “You look just like her.”

  “I know. I look just like Emma, too. Is she—”

  “Yes. Ariadne is her mother.”

  My heart swelled in my chest. Emma was my sister. My sister. I had another sister, and I’d had no idea all this time.

  I braced myself. “What happened?”

  He shook his head and laughed a little. “Well, like your father, I was sucked in by her charm, her mystery, her beauty. Ariadne was traveling alone when I met her on a park bench. That night, I took her home with me, and we lived together for two years. We opened up a café that sold organic tea, coffee, and snacks down the road. We were blissfully happy until she got pregnant. She admitted at that point that she wasn’t ready to settle down. And like your father, apparently, I did everything in my power to convince her to keep the baby, to stay and raise it with me.”

  Feeling a mix of disgust and sadness, I said, “I know where this story is going.”

  “You do know. Because you’ve lived it, my dear.”

  “She left after Emma was born?”

  “Soon after, yes. Woke up one morning to find a note from her. She apologized for having to leave, saying Emma would be better off without her in our lives.”

  “Was that the last time you saw her?”

  He nodded. “I didn’t bother chasing her down. She knew where to find us if she changed her mind, but she never came back.”

  Horror rushed through me as I thought of another little girl experiencing the same abandonment I had, at the hands of the same person.

  “What does Emma know about her mother?” Caleb asked.

  “I’ve never had the heart to tell her that her mother chose to leave.”

  “My father felt the same way for a long time. Never wanted to hurt me,” I said. “How did you explain it to her?”

  “I told her Ariadne was sick and had to leave to get better. Technically, that’s the truth. I do believe that woman is mentally ill in some way.”

  “Will you tell her the full story someday?” I asked.

  He looked conflicted. “Yes. I think so. I’ve just been waiting for the right time. But it never feels right to lay that on her.”

  “I understand. My father chose to tell me the truth when I was a little older than Emma. I definitely appreciated his honesty, and it helped explain so much. I was lucky to have a really supportive stepmother, though.”

  “That’s the one thing we’re definitely missing here. I’ve had women come and go, but no one willing to take on the responsibility of mothering my daughter.” He sighed. “Ariadne’s leaving also left us in financial shambles. Without her around to help with the café, it inevitably closed. I had to find other work and childcare for Emma. It’s been a difficult ten years, but I don’t regret a second of it. My daughter is the best thing to ever happen to me.”

  I couldn’t help but smile at that. “You sound like my dad.”

  “He and I surely have more in common than we know. And I have to say, I don’t know you very well, but it’s clear he and your stepmother did a wonderful job.”

  “Thank you.” I smiled with pride.

  He turned to Caleb. “I’m sorry. We’ve been ignoring you.”

  “No need to apologize. I’m just happy we had an opportunity to meet you. My girl has lived far too long feeling like she was alone in her situation. I do believe we were meant to find you. It’s funny how things work out sometimes.” Caleb turned to look at me. “I thought Teagan’s coming to the UK was solely to benefit me, but now I see it’s bigger than that. Fate had other plans.”

  Stuart rubbed his hand over his face. “I’d love for you to get to know Emma, but I’m not sure what I want to say about who you are quite yet. Maybe we could wing it for a while until I figure it out? I’d like to tell her the truth about her mother before we explain your relation to her, if that’s okay.”

  I smiled, hoping he knew there were no hard feelings about that decision. “Of course. There is no rush at all. As long as she can find out the truth at some point, I’m good with that.”

  “How long are you here in England?”

  That question gave me anxiety. But I answered with what I knew.

  “I’ve been here a few weeks. My plan is to stay for the six months I’m allowed and then figure it out from there. I came to be with Caleb. I have one more year of school left that I have to finish, but being with him for now is more important.”

  “Young love is definitely powerful.” He grinned.

  “Maybe we could come out here on the weekends—or every other one—if you’ll allow it,” Caleb suggested. “We could take Emma for ice cream, or the four of us could just hang out from time to time.”

  A voice came from behind us. “Can I come out now?”

  Stuart looked up at her. “Sure, my love.”

  She pointed to Caleb. “I know she’s Teagan, but what’s your name?”

  “Caleb. Nice to meet you, lovely.”

  “Who are you people?”

  Caleb chuckled. “We’re new friends of your dad.”

  “Teagan might be someone who can look after you when I have business to take care of from time to time,” Stuart added. “How would you feel about that?”

  Her eyes went wide. “Like a new babysitter?”

  “Yeah. Occasionally.”

  Instead of answering, Emma came over and wrapped her hands around my cheeks. “You’re so pretty.”

  I thought I might lose it. She had no idea who I was, but based on how she was looking at me, maybe there was some kind of innate connection. It was like looking in the mirror—not only because of our looks, but because of our shared experiences.

  I finally found the words. “You’re so pretty, too.”

  In that moment, I knew I’d been given ano
ther purpose in life: to make sure Emma felt less alone—loved—to make sure she understood that her mother leaving was not her fault.

  Growing up, I’d always wished for an older sister. Lord knows I’d done a shitty job with the little sister I’d had for so many years. But I’d changed. Here was my chance to be the big sister I’d always wanted. I would never take family for granted again—any of them.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  * * *

  TEAGAN

  It was nine in the morning when the phone rang. Caleb and I had the day off from classes and work, so we’d slept in. Startled by the ring, I picked it up.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello...Teagan? It’s Stuart.”

  Emma’s father hadn’t contacted me since our visit over a week ago. My family had been flabbergasted when I told them about Emma. My father was particularly emotional about history repeating itself, with Ariadne abandoning another child. But overall, they seemed happy that I’d found my long-lost sister. I hadn’t been sure yet whether to celebrate the discovery, though, since Stuart hadn’t made it clear when he planned to tell Emma the truth. For all I knew, that could be years away.

  I sat up against the headboard. “Oh, hello. How are things?”

  “Good, good. I, uh, wanted to let you know I spoke to Emma.”

  “Spoke to her? You mean, about Ariadne?”

  “Yes. I was careful not to tell her that her mother abandoned her per se, but I explained that I’d recently learned her mother had a daughter twenty years ago. So she knows she has a sister.”

  I gripped the sheets. “What was her reaction?”

  “She cried, actually. She said she never dreamed she’d have a sister.”

  I closed my eyes. Then opened them. “Wait—did you tell her it was me? The girl she met last week?”

  “Oh, yes! I told her it was you. She knows, Teagan. That realization made her even happier.”

  Warmth washed over me. “I’m so happy she felt that way.”

  “When can you come out again?”