Authors: B.L. Mooney
My mother allowed him to kiss the back of her hand, but took her
hand back the second he was finished. She put her arm around me so he couldn’t
get the chance again. “It’s very nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard so many
wonderful things about Becca’s co-workers.”
Wade looked a little upset at first when the word co-worker included
him, but he recovered quickly enough. “She’s a great addition to our team, and we’re
lucky to have her. Come on in and meet the others.” Wade opened the door, and
everyone stopped talking and looked up. “Look who Becca brought with her today.”
I was a little unsettled by the way he said my nickname. No one ever
called me that except for my parents, and I didn’t volunteer it out for people
to use. I didn’t have time to figure out his attitude today, so I tried to
shake it off. “Hi, everyone, this is my wonderful mother, Hillary. Mom, this is
everyone.”
I went through the individual introductions, and mom talked a
little more to Stacy and Ryan since I talk about them the most. Stacy had
become a really close friend, and Ryan . . . Well, everyone wants to talk to
Ryan just a little longer. We had been talking for a few minutes, and they were
trying to get some humiliating stories out of my mom, but she was great and
held her ground. I knew she had a few she wanted to tell, but she knew I would
kill her or worse—I’d never invite her back.
“I heard there was a visitor in the house and had to come meet
you myself.” I stiffened at the sound of Vicki’s voice. I didn’t want another
crazy episode like the one that happened Monday.
“We both had to.” Matt’s voice helped calm me a little before I
turned around. “I know you promised to bring her up to my office, but I just
couldn’t wait anymore.”
“That’s okay. We were just getting ready to head up there. Matt,
Vicki, this is my mother, Hillary. Mom, the bosses.” I looked at Vicki and she
started to tear up. Maybe I shouldn’t have introduced her as my mother. That
was kind of insensitive given the fact that Vicki is still grieving the loss of
her own mother. Before I could say anything, Vicki pulled my mom in for a big
hug and held her a little too long.
“Vicki, honey,” Matt was trying to get Vicki off of my mother,
but surprisingly, my mother didn’t seem to mind. Matt tried again. “Vicki, let
the woman breathe.”
She finally backed off and wiped a tear away. Everyone was
looking as confused as I was. “I’m sorry.” Vicki took out a tissue from her
pocket and wiped her eyes. “I’m just a little emotional right now. Rebecca is
terrific. You did a great job with her.”
“Thank you. She really is great.” It looked as if my mom was going
to start crying at any moment, and no one needed to see the waterworks that
accompanied that show.
“Matt, how about that tour?” I turned to him, hoping he would
read my mind and get us out of here.
“Sure, yes, let’s go.” He took Vicki by the elbow to lead her
out, but as soon as we hit the hallway, Vicki and my mother latched on to each
other like long-lost best friends and walked arm in arm. Matt and I looked at
each other and shrugged.
The tour went well, and my mother and Vicki really hit it off. Vicki
took over the tour and Matt and I hung back. I think he was as stunned as I was
at the bond they seemed to be creating. There weren’t any more emotional
outbursts from either one of them. They talked about their daughters and
recipes and even exchanged phone numbers. It was as if Matt and I didn’t exist.
“How’s your vacation going?” Matt seemed just as bored as I was.
“It’s great spending time with mom again.” It was great seeing my
mother, but I wished we had gotten further with our search. We only had one
more day, and I wasn’t holding out any hope that we’d get any further.
“You’ve got a wonderful mother. Your dad couldn’t make it?”
“No. He’s probably having a better time eating what he wants
since my mom isn’t there to hound him.”
“Oh, I’ll bet he is. I know I would be.” Matt flashed a teasing
smile, but it wasn’t his usual full megawatt smile.
“Is everything okay?” I looked at Vicki. “I mean it seems as if
she’s having a good day, well, aside from that awkward scene back there.”
“Yes, it does seem to be a better day. She seems to really like
your mom.” He frowned after that comment.
“Is there a reason she shouldn’t?” I stopped and looked at him
with my arms crossed.
Matt took a couple of steps before realizing I wasn’t walking
with him anymore. He came back to where I was standing and started shaking his
head. “No. I didn’t mean it like that.” He sighed and put his hands in his
pockets. “I told her I wanted her to find new friends, but I meant ones that
lived here. I’m glad they are getting along so well, but I wanted her to start
going out more. You know—get back to her life.”
I nodded. “I understand. Doesn’t she have friends here?”
“Yes, but they don’t understand. It’s not as if she’s crazy or
anything. She’s just been really depressed.” We started walking to catch back
up to where mom and Vicki were. “Maybe just talking with your mom on the phone
will be enough for starters. Have you told her anything?”
“Being accused of having an affair by the wife of the boss isn’t
something I really wanted to talk about.”
Mom and Vicki started walking back to us. “You have a fantastic
business, Mr. Carlisle.”
“Please call us Vicki and Matt.” Vicki put her arm around my
mother. “Matt, I’ve invited them for dinner tonight. Is that okay with you?”
“Well, um, sure. I guess, but don’t you think we should ask
Rebecca if she has plans? She is on vacation after all.” Matt turned to me and
raised his eyebrows. I wasn’t sure if I should accept or make up some plans
that I didn’t really have. He seemed to understand my internal debate and
mouthed the words, “Please come.”
“I think dinner with you would be wonderful.” My mother squealed as
I’ve never heard her before. “Okay then. What time do you want us and what can
we bring?”
“Just bring yourselves and come whenever you want.” Vicki let go
of my mother to hug Matt and kiss his cheek. “Please give them directions to
the house.” She turned back to me. “I’m heading home now, so, really, come
whenever you want. See you all soon.” And she was gone.
After getting directions and confirming an actual time with Matt,
we headed back to my office. Wade was walking down the other end of the hall.
“Just the two ladies I was looking for. I didn’t get a chance to ask you
earlier if I could take you out to dinner.”
“I’m sorry.” My mother surprised me by speaking for us. Usually
she let me do the talking with my friends. “We’ve already got plans. Perhaps on
my next trip here.”
Wade looked to me for confirmation. “Yeah, sorry, we do have
plans already, but that was nice of you to ask us.”
“Sure, I understand. I’m sorry your mom won’t be here, but how
about dinner for us next week?”
“That sounds good. I’ll get with you when I come back on the
where and when. Okay?” I could feel my mother looking at me.
“Great. It really was nice to meet you, Hillary. Have a great
rest of your stay and a safe trip home.”
“Thank you. I will.” Once Wade was gone, she turned and just
looked at me. “When were you going to tell me about him?”
I shrugged. “What’s to tell? He’s a friend and we go out to
dinner. Stacy and I have dinner, too. Do you want to make a federal case out of
that?” I picked up my purse and tried to hand her purse to her, but she was
just staring at me with her hands on her hips. “Really. We’re just friends. We
even split the check.” She finally took her purse. “What’s it matter anyway?”
“It is obvious he likes you as more than a friend, and I just
thought you would have told me if you were dating anyone.”
“Well, I’m not dating anyone, and he isn’t more than a friend to
me.” I started walking her back out of the building.
I knew I still wasn’t completely familiar with the
neighborhoods around Dallas, but I thought I would have been going to a nicer
part of town when I headed out to dinner at my employer’s home. Not that the
neighborhood wasn’t nice—it was. I just thought it would have been a little
nicer—like mansion nicer. This was an upper-middle-class neighborhood that I
would love to find myself in one day, but I thought it would have been a little
too basic for Matt and Vicki.
I wasn’t sure why I thought they would have lived in a fancy part
of town. They didn’t drive flashy cars or wear overly priced clothes. I guess I
just assumed a big-shot businessman from Dallas would have a mansion complete
with butler and staff to help with the huge home. I kept thinking the further I
drove in the neighborhood, the bigger the houses would get—only they didn’t get
bigger.
I pulled into the driveway of a two-story home with a detached
garage that had a basketball hoop over the garage door. The lawn was greener
than I’d ever seen grass before, and the flowerbeds were full of color and
perfection. It may have been just a regular two-story family home, but they
treated it like a mansion. I just sat and stared in awe.
“What’s gotten into you?” My mother smacked my arm. Apparently,
she was talking, and I missed everything she’d said for the last five minutes.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?” I turned and gave my mother my
undivided attention.
“I said they are going to think we’re nuts sitting out here this
long. Is this awkward for you? Having dinner with your boss?”
“No. I just thought they would have lived somewhere nicer.”
“I think this is pretty good myself.”
“Oh, it’s great, but . . . modest, I guess. I don’t know what I
was thinking.” I unfastened my seatbelt and got out.
Before we reached the door, Vicki came out to greet us. “I
thought you were changing your mind out there. Please, please come in.”
“I’m sorry about that. I was admiring your flowers.” My mother
came to my rescue, and I bowed my head in thanks. She winked at me. “It’s just
gorgeous out there.”
The home looked just as gorgeous inside as it did outside. The
family room on the left had a fireplace, television, and computer. What was
probably supposed to be a formal sitting room on the right was another family
room with a television. Vicki walked us straight down a little hallway between
the stairs to the upper level and the not so formal, formal room. She led us to
her kitchen, and I noticed the dining room just beyond that. The table appeared
to already be set with everyday place settings.
I looked around and could feel my mother willing me to stop, but
I couldn’t help it. Everything looked, well, like home. It was all very nice
and clean, but nothing fancy. There wasn’t one thing that would let anyone know
that these two owned a huge company and probably made more than enough money
already to retire and never return to work.
My mother gave up trying to remind me of my manners and turned to
Vicki. “It’s just beautiful out there. You must spend hours tending to it all.”
“Thanks. I spend a lot of time out there when I can. I like to
watch things grow and flourish. And I love all the colors. I’m sorry, but
Matt’s going to be a little late. Would you like anything to drink?” Vicki ran
down the list of beverages she had available.
“I’m okay, but thank you.” I was suddenly too nervous to drink. What
was I doing in my boss’s house? What were we going to talk about? I should have
told mom not to talk about the search or the fact I was adopted.
“I’ll have what you’re having, thanks.” My mother turned to me as
Vicki went to fill my mother’s request. She squeezed my hand. “I won’t say a
word, honey. That’s your business to tell.”
“Thank you,” I whispered. I could barely talk and was trying hard
not to cry. I love that she can read my mind. It used to be annoying, but right
then I loved her very much for it. I went to look at the wall filled with
various snapshots and school photos of whom I assume is their daughter. The
only photo I’d ever seen was the one she was bundled up in. “She’s beautiful,
Vicki.”
Vicki handed my mother a glass of wine and stood next to me,
looking at the photos. “Thank you.”
One photo caught my eye. It was a very young Ashley sitting between
her parents. Matt had his same megawatt smile, but I had never seen Vicki look
so happy. I pointed to it. “How old was she in that picture?”
Vicki fully turned to me and just stared for a moment. I looked
at her and glanced at my mom. I was beginning to think I had said something
wrong when she finally whispered. “Two.” She cleared her throat and turned back
to face the pictures.
Mom saved us from another awkward moment. “Rebecca would kill me
if I put up a wall of her photos. How did you get away with this?”
Vicki finally smiled again. “I told her this wall was going to be
filled with people I love and she could choose to be one of those people or not.
There was a lot of bribing.” Vicki laughed. “I think she likes to see herself
up here, though. I don’t get near the fights I used to. I still give her final
say if a specific picture goes up or not and which one it replaces.” She
started laughing again and shaking her head. “Her third grade picture is not
allowed out of the photo album.”
Vicki continued to point out different ones and told the story
they captured. She was laughing at most of them until she came across one photo
that had her parents in it. She quickly drained what was left of her glass and
returned to the kitchen with the excuse to check on dinner. I looked at my
mother and shrugged, not knowing what to do. Maybe I should have taken the
offered drink. I sure could use one at this point.
“Vicki?” I slowly went in to the kitchen at the insistence of my
mother. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m fine.” Vicki stood at the sink, drying her eyes. “I
promised myself I wouldn’t cry tonight.”