The Way Back to You

by Sharon Sala

  Lovey shook her head, trying to gather her thoughts.

  “I’m so sorry,” Sully said. “I can’t imagine how afraid you were, and how confused.”

  Lovey sighed. “I think I was in a daze after the initial confrontation. I’d go to sleep and wake up hoping it was all a bad dream. You didn’t become real to me until the day I felt you kick.”

  Melissa handed Lovey some tissues and then quietly moved away.

  Lovey wiped her eyes and took another deep breath.

  “I was still living in our house, but my parents basically shunned me. I was reaping the consequences of my free will. When I began showing and everyone found out, I was banished from school on the grounds that I might contaminate the innocence of the kids in my class.”

  “Oh my lord! That was the mid-seventies. Hippies and free love all over the place,” Melissa muttered.

  “Exactly,” Lovey said. “I was praying to God nonstop for answers, and they came. Painfully, but they were answers to a hopeless situation, which is where Joe and Dolly Raines came in.”

  Sully was nervous. He didn’t know whether they were going to turn out to be kind and helpful to her, or part of the problem.

  “They approached my parents,” Lovey said. “They’d been trying to have a baby for years and couldn’t, and Joe had a heart murmur which kept eliminating them from adoption lists.

  “Basically, they came to my parents stating they wanted my baby. My baby. And my parents were so relieved to have the dirty business done with that they said yes without even telling me. Joe and Dolly came into my bedroom and told me they were going to take the baby the day it was born.”

  Lovey wiped her eyes again, and the tears started anew.

  “They walked into my life like I had something to sell and they wanted it for free. That night I seriously thought about running away, but then asked myself…run where? Run to who? I couldn’t take care of myself. How was I going to take care of a baby? So I quit fighting it. I never once said the word yes to my parents or the Raineses. I just signed the paper the day you were born and waited to die.”

  Sully was too choked up to speak, and he needed to hear the rest of the story. He’d come all this way to find out what happened that made her leave.

  “Then the weirdest thing happened,” Lovey said, and reached out and stroked the side of Sully’s face. “About an hour later, Joe and Dolly returned, but my parents were with them. My mother informed me that I would be going home with the Raines family as the baby’s wet nurse. While the Raineses were at work, I was to consider myself a kind of nanny, and they would give me room and board until you were weaned.”

  Sully stopped her. “Before you continue, I’m going to say this now. During my search, I’d already figured out Janie Chapman was one hell of a survivor. And now I’m learning how truly tough and special you are. I know you were there with me for six months, and then you just disappeared. I came looking for you to ask you one question.”

  Lovey lifted her chin. “Ask away.”

  “I need to know what happened. Why did you leave so abruptly?”

  Lovey sighed. “There’s a little backstory to this, so let me begin there. Ironically, my parents died of carbon-monoxide poisoning when you were about two months old, so technically, I would be dead, too, if I hadn’t been living with Joe and Dolly. With the help of the family lawyer, I buried them, sold the family house, and banked a little money that turned out to be my saving grace. But the break between the Raineses and me happened when you were six months old. You’d been babbling for some time, and Joe and Dolly thought it was adorable. They’d made a bet between them as to whether you would say ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ first. Only when you finally said it, you said ‘mama,’ and you said it to me.”

  “Oh no,” Sully said. He knew immediately what that would mean to adoptive parents.

  Lovey shuddered. “It was a rude awakening for the both of them. They’d left all of your care to me and in doing so left you and me wide open to the unbreakable bond of a child to his mother. That night after I put you to bed, Dolly walked into my bedroom, told me to pack my bags and get out, and said she didn’t want to ever see my face again.”

  Sully groaned.

  “This breaks my heart for you. It was cruel and heartless, and I don’t know what to say. But it answers the question I had of why they’d never told me. And why I didn’t know about my father’s necklace until they’d both passed.” And then it hit him. “The necklace! Wait a minute. I’ll be right back.”

  He ran out of the room and up the stairs, and when he did, Melissa went to sit beside Lovey.

  “I am so happy for the both of you,” she said.

  Lovey shivered. “I’m still in shock. I never thought I would see my baby again, and then look what he became. This big, wonderful man!”

  Sully came hurrying back into the room and walked up behind her.

  “Close your eyes, and don’t open them until I say to.” He put the necklace around her neck and fastened it, then circled the sofa and took her by the hand. “Now, come with me, please,” he said, and led her to the mirror in the hall. When he was standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders, he spoke. “You can look now.”

  Lovey looked, straight into the mirror, staring in disbelief at her reflection. Marc’s Byzantine cross was back around her neck.

  “Oh, Sully,” Lovey said, and leaned back against him. “Thank you for this. It was a special gift when he gave it to me, and after I learned you were on the way, in my heart it became the ‘wedding ring’ I never had.”

  Sully turned her just a little toward the painting visible from the living room.

  “There we were, and here we are,” he said, looking at their reflections in the mirror, in the same amazement as he had when he’d seen the painting.

  Lovey put her hand over the cross, but she was looking at Sully as he spoke.

  “I made a promise to myself that if I ever found you, I was giving it back. My father gave it to you, and that’s who it still belongs to.”

  Lovey sighed. “I haven’t seen Marc since he moved away, so I don’t know what he grew up to look like, but you have his coloring…the same dark eyes and black hair, and you have his nose. But you have my smile, Johnny Raines.”

  Sully smiled back at her reflection, then wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed the top of her head.

  “Thank you for making such a life-altering sacrifice, Janie Chapman. Thank you for my life.”

  Chapter 16

  Sully and Lovey were looking at the painting again and Melissa was out of the room when Lovey’s phone rang. Lovey looked at the time and gasped.

  “Oh lord, they probably think I went off somewhere and died,” she muttered as she answered without the usual greeting. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m on my way.” She disconnected without letting anyone talk.

  “This has been a most remarkable day,” Sully said. “There’s just one last thing. Mother insisted on being called ‘Mother,’ and I always wanted to be one of those kids who came in the door from school yelling, ‘Hey, Mom.’ It sounds silly now, but since I have a second chance to ask, how do you feel about me calling you ‘Mom’?”

  Lovey threw her arms up in the air and hugged him again.

  “I’d feel blessed beyond belief.”

  He grinned. “Then, thanks, Mom.”

  Lovey beamed. “You’re very welcome, my son.”

  Melissa walked back into the foyer and caught the last bit of their conversation, which made her think of how this news would spread.

  “How are you guys going to reveal this?” Melissa asked.

  Lovey and Sully stared at each other.

  “I don’t know,” Sully said.

  Lovey patted his arm. “I do, and it will save having to repeat the story over and over as the news spreads. People nowadays are having big bab
y reveals to announce the sex of their babies. How about we have a Reveal the Birth Mother party? Everyone knows why you came. Let’s let them in on it together!”

  Sully grinned. “I’m in!”

  “Then we’d better do it fast because I’m bursting with joy for the both of you and horrible at keeping secrets,” Melissa said.

  “I need a cell phone number so I can text the date and time to you after I figure it out.” Lovey said, and opened Contacts on her cell phone. Sully gave her his number. “Got it saved,” Lovey said. “We host parties all the time in the banquet room, but we can open the whole restaurant up at the dinner hour and have ourselves a ball. Now, I’ve got to get back to work before the boss fires me,” she said, and out the door she went.

  Sully turned, his eyes alight with a joy Melissa had never seen before.

  “It happened, baby! It happened,” he cried, and then took her in his arms. “Can you hear the music?”

  Melissa’s eyes widened. “The Winter Ball! Yes, I hear it. It’s the ‘Blue Danube’ waltz! The band director’s favorite!”

  Sully waited a moment, as if he was counting through the melody to a point where they could start, and when he took the first step, Melissa was right there with him, dancing to the music only they could hear.

  * * *

  Lovey sailed back into Granny’s at 11:15 a.m., shooed Wendy back to waiting tables, and walked around the rest of the day with a smile on her face.

  Mercy noticed the necklace a few hours later when Lovey went into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat before the supper crowd.

  “Lovey, I’ve never seen you wear that necklace before. It’s beautiful.”

  Lovey touched it lightly and shrugged it off. “Oh, I’ve had it since I was fifteen. I just decided to start wearing it again. It holds good memories. Do we have any bacon left? I’m kinda hungry for a BLT.”

  “Yep! Got some right here, Miss Lovey,” Elvis said. “I’ll fix you right up.”

  “Thanks, Elvis. Just send it out when you get to it.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said.

  Lovey made herself a drink and sashayed back into the dining room.

  Mercy caught the feisty little walk, then grinned and shook her head. God threw away the mold after he was done with that woman.

  Lovey had the booking ledger at the table with her when they brought out her sandwich.

  “Thanks,” she said, and took a bite before returning to the pages for the rest of the month, checking the reservations already in place and, as usual, talking to herself when she did the books.

  “Okay, today is Monday, so Lions Club is tomorrow at noon, but they always eat whatever the special is for the day so no special cooking. There’s the baby shower Friday night, but all they want is cake and drinks. The Preston family’s sweet sixteen party for their daughter is Saturday night. Tuesday is too soon. Not enough time to get that much food together. Wednesday night is church for about half the town, so Thursday it is.”

  She wrote down the new entry—Party, 6:00 p.m.—and grinned. This news was going to blow the roof off every house in town. The only thing left to do for now was notify Sully and Melissa. She scrolled through her Contact list for the new number she entered earlier and then sent a text.

  * * *

  Ruby was in the act of closing the Curl Up and Dye for the day when she got a text from Lovey.

  Sister, I need to talk to you. Won’t be done until 9:30 or so. Is that too late to come by?

  Ruby’s heart skipped a beat. Lovey was the sister she’d never had, and this kind of a text was a first. Something must be wrong. She quickly replied.

  It’s never too late for you, honey. See you later.

  Worried now, she locked up and headed home.

  * * *

  The time flew by for Lovey in a way like never before, but then she’d never had such a wonderful story to tell. She locked the doors at straight-up nine. Her cleaning crew was already at work in the back, and when she gave them the thumbs-up, part of them started in the dining room as well. By the time they left, Granny’s would be shining and ready for another day.

  Lovey picked up her night-deposit bag, turned off the lights, and headed out. She drove straight to the bank to drop off the night deposit, tossed a piece of biscuit at the ratty tomcat, then drove to Peanut and Ruby’s.

  All of the outside lights were on at their place as she pulled up into the drive. Ruby appeared on the porch to greet Lovey before she was halfway up the path.

  “Thank you for waiting for me,” Lovey said as they hugged on the porch and then went inside.

  “Of course,” Ruby said, and then asked, “Is Peanut part of this?”

  “Yes. Wives don’t keep secrets from husbands,” Lovey said. “Where is that handsome dude?”

  “I’m right here,” Peanut said as he walked up behind her in the hall. “Ruby said this felt like an ‘across the kitchen table’ kind of night. Was she right?”

  Lovey grinned. “That’s where all the news is shared. Lead the way, and I need a drink.”

  “Sweet tea?” Ruby asked.

  “I’ll take a shot of Peanut’s fine Kentucky bourbon, if you don’t mind.”

  Ruby gasped. “I knew it was bad. Oh lord, Lovey. Please tell me you’re okay.”

  Lovey laughed. “I am beyond okay. But this is also a ‘knock your socks off’ kind of story.”

  “I’ll bring the bottle,” Peanut said.

  “I’ll get the glasses,” Ruby added.

  Lovey took a seat. Ruby put a glass at each place, and Peanut poured the shots.

  “Do we do this now?” Ruby asked.

  “We do this now, because I don’t think I can get it said without it.” She lifted her glass. “To the lost. May they always find their way home.”

  The glasses clinked. The whiskey went down. Three empty shot glasses hit the table at the same time.

  Lovey took a breath. “Sister, I’ve been keeping a secret. A secret that nobody in this town ever knew about me, and you’re my dearest friend ever. You and Peanut are the family I didn’t have…until today. A little over forty-five years ago, I gave a baby up for adoption, and he found me today!”

  Ruby’s mouth dropped open.

  Peanut slapped the table with the flat of his hand.

  “Sully? Sully Raines is your son?”

  “Yes! Yes!” Lovey said, and started to cry. “It’s so stupid that I didn’t ever hear anyone say his last name. But you know me. I can’t hear enough to cause trouble anymore. And then something happened today when I went over to visit Melissa, and everything clicked.”

  “But wait! I thought he was looking for a woman named Janie,” Ruby said.

  Lovey sighed. “I was born Loretta Jane Chapman in Kansas City, Missouri, sixty-two years ago. When I was fifteen, I fell in love with a boy named Marc Adamos, and he loved me, too. We made a baby, but he moved away before I knew.” And then Lovey began telling the story, much like she’d told Sully hours earlier. When she was finished, Ruby was in tears, and Peanut was pouring himself a second drink.

  “Sweet lord,” Ruby said. “This is the saddest, most loving thing I’ve ever heard a birth mother do.”

  Lovey touched the necklace she was wearing. “I left this behind for my Johnny. Marc gave it to me before he left, and I left it behind for my baby. Today, he gave it back to me.”

  Ruby reached for her best friend’s hand and squeezed it.

  “What a journey you’ve had to get to this day.”

  “Yes, and now Sully and I are going to do the big reveal at a party and let Blessings in on the news. This coming Thursday, Granny’s last meal served will be at noon. Then we’re closing up to prepare for a reopening party at 6:00 p.m. Everyone will be invited. We’re sharing our story together so there’s no mistaking the truth. I’m sure it won’t stop th
e gossip, but none of it will compare to what I went through back then. I’m asking you two to keep it to yourselves until afterward.”

  “Consider it done,” Peanut said.

  “What can I do to help?” Ruby asked.

  “I want flowers. Can you organize that for me? Some small arrangements to sit on a few of the tables we’ll push against the walls, and a showy arrangement or two. You have better taste than I do, and just have the bills sent to me.”

  “I would be honored,” Ruby said.

  “Is there anything I can do to help?” Peanut asked.

  “Not that I can think of right now,” Lovey said.

  “As long as you don’t ask me to cook anything, we’re safe,” Peanut said.

  They laughed, but when the cuckoo clock in the kitchen began chiming the hour, Lovey stood.

  “It’s ten o’clock. Time for all working people to be in bed. Thank you for being here for me.”

  “Always,” Ruby said, and then walked her out. “Sleep well, my friend.”

  Lovey just shook her head. “I’m so wound up, I don’t know if I’ll get a wink of sleep tonight.”

  But after the quiet drive through Blessings on her way home, as soon as Lovey walked in the door and closed it behind her, the adrenaline crash hit. It was all she could do to get cleaned up and in bed. She set the alarm and then closed her eyes and dreamed the dream…the one that made the baby conceived in love.

  * * *

  The bedroom was in shadows. The television was off.

  Melissa was waiting for him.

  She heard the shower go off and closed her eyes, imagining his body covered in glistening droplets, seeing them drop from the ends of his hair, from his dark lashes, then tracking down his spine to the long, strong length of his legs.

  She shivered.

  He turned her on with his laugh and his loving heart.

  The body was just icing on the cake.

  A few moments later, the door opened and he was standing on the threshold. The lights behind him illuminated the dark beauty of the silhouette, and then they went out, leaving him bathed in the pale-blue glow of the night-light.