“If you’re bringing dinner, why do you need them to babysit?” Melissa asked.
“You and I are going out,” he said.
“Is that how you ask for a date these days?” she teased, grateful for his willingness to reach out to her.
“We have a few things to discuss,” Edmond responded lightly. “Okay?”
“Sure.” Never mind that those things might be uncomfortable, as long as they were friends again. “How’s Dawn?”
“Much better. I ferreted out what upset her.” He explained about Rod and Karen’s indiscreet remarks and Dawn’s conclusion that children—both her and the babies— were expendable.
“That’s horrible.” Around the room, everyone was trying to appear busy, all the while listening so hard their ears must hurt. “I’d be happy to join you for dinner.”
“Give me an hour, okay?” he said. “Oh, and is it okay if Dawn shoots pictures in your yard? The Gladstones’ book inspired her.”
“You bet. We have plenty of bugs, birds and so on. See you in an hour.” Ending the call, she took a deep breath, ignoring the curious looks from her friends.
Edmond was ready to talk. A twinge of fear warned that he might be planning to withdraw further, yet if so, why the upbeat tone? Belatedly, she recalled that he hadn’t mentioned the Grants. Had he phoned them yet?
Their unreasonable demands had wrecked her night’s sleep and the fallout had hurt Dawn, too. Much as she’d rather skip chastising Rod and Karen, their gossiping had added to the problem.
In the past, Melissa would have avoided the confrontation, but now she’d learned it was better to address the issue. Firmly, she faced the couple on the couch. “Remember the rule about not discussing any of our personal business around others?” she began.
* * *
PARKING HIS SEDAN in the driveway, Edmond recalled his first visit to the blue-trimmed white house. Had the wedding been only a month ago? Since then, his entire life had changed.
And he intended to change it much more. “Well, kid?” he asked Dawn.
She clutched her camera. “Ready for action, Uncle Eddie.”
“This is a fantastic place to take photos.”
“I can’t wait to show them to Mia.” School started on Monday and, although her friend was a year older, Paula Humphreys had assured Edmond the girls could sit together at lunch. She’d also arranged, at his request, for Dawn to be in her class.
He retrieved two of the three large sacks he’d bought at Papa Giovanni’s. The aromas of tomato sauce, oregano, garlic and other spices covered the familiar scent of the estuary.
In the driveway, Dawn placed her hand into the crook of his arm. “We’re a team, aren’t we, Uncle Eddie?”
“Now and forever,” he said.
* * *
SINCE MELISSA’S CHILDHOOD, the glory of the sun setting over the ocean had delighted her. Tonight, as golden and scarlet streaks transformed the western sky above Safe Harbor into a painter’s palette, her spirits soared.
She and Edmond were alone in a small grassy park that divided the harbor from a beach, currently empty of sunbathers thanks to the nippy evening breeze. With the waves unusually calm, surfers were taking the evening off, as well. Only a few joggers and dog-walkers passed by.
While Edmond spread a cloth over the picnic table, Melissa glanced toward the harbor, where sailboats skimmed toward their moorings. At this hour, the swimwear and surfboard shops along the quay had closed, although the Sea Star Café was serving food outdoors beneath warming lamps, an ironic touch considering that it was August. Melissa welcomed the cool breeze.
“Comfortable?” Edmond removed containers of food from a large sack. “Sorry about the hard bench.”
“No worries. That smells divine,” she said. “This is a treat.”
“For me, too.” On paper plates, he served a pesto dish along with salad and bread, and sparkling grape juice in plastic glasses.
He’d been gracious earlier with her housemates, Melissa reflected. Karen and Rod had apologized for their negligence. They’d believed themselves out of the girls’ earshot. But they shouldn’t have run that risk, they’d admitted.
All’s well that ends well, Edmond had said.
Thank you, Karen had responded. I’ve learned my lesson.
Me, too. Rod’s face had gone red with embarrassment. For once, he didn’t attempt to joke about the situation.
I forgive you, too, Dawn had added. Just don’t do it again. She’d been in a buoyant mood after the frank discussion with her uncle.
“I’m impressed by how well you and Dawn talk,” Melissa told Edmond as they ate.
Fork in hand, he paused to gaze at her, his contact lenses emphasizing the rich brown of his eyes. “It’s astonishing what a difference it makes when people actually listen.”
“You’ve always been an excellent listener.” That quality had impressed her from the start.
“I’m a better one now.” He cleared his throat. “Which brings me to something I wanted to discuss.”
Her phone trilled. Melissa checked the readout. “It’s Nell Grant.” Anxiety pumped up her heart rate.
Although reluctant to risk spoiling their evening if this were bad news, Melissa couldn’t bear to delay. “I’m sorry but I have to take it.” Receiving his understanding nod, she answered. “Hi, Nell.”
“Hi.” The woman hesitated. “I hope I’m not interrupting your dinner, but I promised Edmond this afternoon that I’d call.”
“You did?” She was surprised he hadn’t mentioned that conversation.
“Vern and I have been reconsidering our position,” Nell continued, barely audible above the intermittent rumble of waves. “There’s a part of me that will always wish we could have raised our little girls.”
Melissa gripped the phone so hard it dug into her hand.
“But your condition reminded me what my pregnancy was like and the reasons I can’t go through it again,” Nell said. “You’re right. You didn’t agree to serve as our surrogate. You undertook this pregnancy out of love, and you’re their mother now.”
Melissa released a long breath. “You won’t seek custody?”
“No, and I’m sorry we upset you,” Nell said. “It was a knee-jerk reaction, pure emotion and no common sense. Honestly, we’re in no position to raise three more infants.”
Melissa had to be sure this drama was truly over. “You won’t file a complaint with the hospital?”
“You did nothing wrong,” Nell conceded. “If you’d refused, we’d have given the embryos to someone else, and there wasn’t anyone I trusted more than I trusted you. My dream confirmed what I already knew, that these babies were meant to be yours.”
Over the sea, the moon rose above the last wisps of sunset, and it struck Melissa as the most exquisite sight in the universe. We’re safe. “I’m a little intimidated about what lies ahead, but we’ll be fine.”
“I’m sure you will, especially now that you’ve reconnected with your husband,” Nell said. “He’ll make a terrific father.”
Melissa wasn’t sure how the woman had drawn that conclusion, but what mattered was that she no longer faced an agonizing battle. “I’m thrilled. Thank you for calling.”
“Can we keep the kids in touch, as we planned?” Nell asked. “We could hold a once-a-year reunion between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our own way of giving thanks.”
Melissa doubted she’d ever be completely comfortable with the Grants again, but the children deserved to know their siblings. “We’ll figure something out.”
“I’ll send you an email to confirm what I’ve said,” Nell went on. “You don’t have to worry that we’ll change our minds.”
“I appreciate that.” The extra reassurance reminded Melissa of how much she’d always liked t
he Grants. “Have a great evening.”
“You, too.”
After clicking off, she recounted the conversation to Edmond as relief seeped through her entire body.
“Congratulations.” Tenderness lit his gaze. “You’re incredibly beautiful when you’re happy. I’d love for you to be happy all the time.”
“Me, too.” Part of her conversation with the other woman still puzzled her, though. “Whatever you said to Nell earlier had quite an impact.”
“What in particular?”
“She has the impression we’ve reconciled and that you’re ready to be a father.” Melissa raised her hands, palms outward. “I don’t mean to criticize.”
“It’s all right.” Edmond leaned forward. “The more perspective I gain on the past, the more I want to kick myself.”
“That sounds painful.”
“Not as painful as the last three years have been,” he said. “Do you remember when I proposed to you?”
“Yes, of course.” They’d been walking hand-in-hand on the Santa Monica pier at sunset.
“I promised to love and cherish you forever,” Edmond mused. “It seemed easy, since we were on the same wavelength in almost every way. That was part of the problem.”
“What do you mean?” Melissa had considered harmony to be among their greatest strengths.
“Since we were always in sync, we never learned to handle serious conflict,” he explained. “When I got the vasectomy, I assumed that you’d understand what it signified to me.”
She’d taken his action as a dictate: my way or the highway. “What exactly did it signify?”
“That what we shared was too precious to risk.” Edmond spoke with grave intensity. “When you left, I believed you didn’t love me as much as I loved you.”
“But I did!”
“I understand that now.” From the table, he picked up a manila envelope she hadn’t noticed and removed a sheet of paper.
Even at a glance, it didn’t resemble a legal document. “What’s that?”
It turned out to be a computer-printed picture of them with two-year-old Dawn in front of a Christmas tree. In black ink, someone had drawn three babies, angled as if held in their arms. Each infant had a bow in her hair.
Underneath, Edmond had written in his bold hand: “Marry me again—for keeps. Let’s be a family.”
Tears sprang to Melissa’s eyes. Could he have changed that much? “You’re willing to accept my daughters?”
“Our daughters.” He moved close, and his arms encircled her. “I don’t just accept them—I love them. I’m not sure how it happened, but while I was becoming Dawn’s father, I became theirs, too. Raising four children won’t be easy, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Much as she longed to shout her agreement, it was hard to accept what she’d longed for but never believed could happen. Melissa had to be careful, for all their sakes. “Do you have any idea what lies ahead? The sleepless nights, chaotic schedules, financial sacrifices.”
“Sleepless nights? I’m an old pro,” Edmond joked, then grew serious. “I’m not sure anyone can be one hundred percent prepared for this kind of situation, but I want to spend my life with you and Dawn and the triplets. There’s nothing more important than that.” His embrace tightened. “You’re the other half of my soul, Melissa. Please marry me.”
She leaned against him, her last doubts vanishing. He was the only man she’d ever loved or ever could love, and by some miracle, he loved her, too. “We can skip the fancy ceremony. We had that already and, besides, I can’t picture myself waddling down the aisle like a boat in full sail.”
Edmond peered down, his eyes narrowing in mock sternness. “No fair, dodging the best part. Let me hear a loud ‘Yes, Edmond, I’d love to be your wife!”’
As the sun glimmered below the horizon, it seemed to Melissa that the waves receded and the world grew still. Her voice rang out as clear as a clarion call. “Yes!”
“Yes what?” he prompted.
“Yes, I love you and I’ll marry you, and you better not change your mind because I’ll never let you go again!”
“Perfect,” he said. “That goes double for me.”
When he kissed her, his warmth dispelled the chilly air and filled the empty spaces in Melissa’s heart forever.
Forever. That was her favorite word.
Chapter Twenty
Edmond and Melissa remarried the first week of September at the historic Old Orange County Courthouse, with Dawn as flower girl, Geoff Humphreys as best man and Karen as maid of honor. A handful of friends, along with Isabel and Mort, joined the festivities.
To Edmond, the intimate ceremony was as special as their elaborate wedding eight years earlier, although he knew Melissa missed her parents. And they both missed Barbara, who’d been maid of honor at their first wedding.
A week later, after submitting paperwork and obtaining approval from the state department of corrections, he took Dawn to the women’s prison where her mother had been assigned. Although he wished Melissa could accompany them, the trip would have been too strenuous.
During the hour-long drive, Dawn peppered him with questions. She considered it funny that they weren’t allowed to wear blue jeans because that was what prisoners wore, or forest-green pants with tan tops, which would resemble prison guards’ outfits.
But at the sprawling facility, she scarcely spoke during the screening process. And when she first spotted her mother in a large room echoing with the conversations of other prisoners and their families, she clung to Edmond.
His sister appeared healthier than she had in court, he was pleased to note. Her brown hair, free of purple streaks, was neatly brushed and her hollow cheeks had filled out.
“It’s me. Mommy,” Barbara assured her daughter. “Give me a hug, Dawnie.”
The girl ventured out for a quick embrace, then darted back to Edmond. They took seats across a table from Barbara.
“Do you have pictures of the wedding?” she asked.
“Of course.” He’d been allowed to bring them, subject to review by the guards.
As Barbara flipped through the half dozen shots, Dawn went to peer over her shoulder. Soon she was chattering away about her new dress and her bouquet.
“You look beautiful,” Barbara said. “And Melissa’s very pregnant.”
“I’m going to have three sisters,” Dawn crowed, although that was hardly news. They’d written to her mother at length about the triplets and the wedding.
“Sisters?” Barbara frowned. “They’re your cousins.”
“No! They’re my little sisters,” her daughter declared.
At the rise in her voice, a guard glanced over. The woman didn’t move in their direction, though.
Edmond understood Barbara’s instinct to hold on to Dawn as tightly as possible. However, he was glad when she said to him, “They are her sisters, aren’t they? You and Melissa have to serve as Dawn’s parents now. I’ll always be her mom, too, but I blew it.”
“If I’d had any idea why you left home...” He let the sentence trail off, cautious about discussing the painful topic in front of Dawn. Although Mort had written a letter of apology, Edmond doubted his sister’s emotional wounds had healed.
“I should have told you about my fight with Dad, Eddie,” his sister said. “I was too embarrassed and too stupid to get the help I needed. Well, I’m getting it now—the hard way.”
“What kind of help?” Dawn frowned. “Like Dr. Brightman?”
“Yes, I do receive counseling,” her mother said. “Also, while I’m in prison, I can earn a high school equivalency diploma. Maybe an A.A. degree, too. That’s the same as two years of college.”
“Terrific. That should help you get a job after you’re released.”
�
��I’m not sure if anyone will hire a convicted felon, but I’ll worry about that later.” Barbara cleared her throat. “I guess Mr. Noriega told you I decided against appealing the conviction. My sentence was fair, and I’m not willing to risk a longer term.”
“Yes, he did.” Edmond hurried on to share news of his own. “The court has approved my permanent guardianship. We passed the family services review with flying colors.” The social worker had interviewed him, Melissa and Dawn, as well as conducted a home visit.
He waited uncertainly for Barb’s reaction, unsure of how she’d feel about the word permanent.
“That means until she’s eighteen, doesn’t it?” his sister said slowly. “But I can ask to get custody when I’m released.”
“Yes, if you have a job and a stable living situation.” Despite an effort to sound neutral, Edmond couldn’t avoid the edge to his voice. “Once she’s twelve, she’ll have the right to choose, though.”
Dawn stared at them both, lips pressed tightly. Although he’d explained this to her earlier, it was bound to be a sensitive topic.
“You want to keep her, don’t you?” Barbara asked.
“Of course.”
Sadness shadowing her face, she gazed at her daughter. “I’d rather have her with me, but she needs stability. Dawn, you can stay with Uncle Eddie and Aunt Lissa till you’re grown-up if you want to.”
“Can I still see you?” Dawn touched her mother’s arm.
“Absolutely!”
“I’ll bring her once a month while you’re here,” Edmond promised. That seemed often enough to maintain the relationship while allowing Dawn to adjust to her new home and school.
“Thank you.” Barbara sighed. “This is for the best. I’m the one who let her down.”
Much as Edmond yearned to disagree, he couldn’t.
Barbara steered the subject to their preparations for the babies. The third bedroom, which they’d designated as the nursery, was filling with toys and baby equipment donated or loaned by friends, Edmond said. The Grants had given them many items that their boys had outgrown.
The Surprise Triplets Page 20
