The Way Back to You

by Sharon Sala

  “Straight out of one of my wife’s romance books,” David said.

  Sully looked at Marc and then casually put a hand on his shoulder when he added, “The biggest shock was finding out I was adopted, which I did not know until a couple of months ago when my adoptive mother passed. But as I told Dad, it finally made sense out of something that had bothered me all my life.”

  “What’s that?” David asked.

  “I didn’t look like my parents. Not any of them or the relatives. I’d ask why my hair was black when they were both blonds, and they’d make some offhand remark about recessive genes. They had small features, and they were both short. I’m over six feet tall, and with this face.”

  The men laughed and then began pointing at each other and making fun of who had the bushiest eyebrows or the most prominent nose.

  Sully sighed. “Just sitting here looking around this room and seeing familiar features is the most gratifying feeling of my life,” he added.

  Then Marc added a stroke of poignancy to the story that they could all appreciate.

  “You can imagine how I felt when I first saw his picture! It was like looking at a younger version of myself. He was my blood, and I didn’t know he existed until the family gathering the night before Uncle Wayne’s funeral.”

  “I knew something was wrong then,” David said. “But you didn’t say, and I would never have guessed.”

  And then the subject shifted to Sully and Melissa and the big ring she was flashing on her finger.

  “Nice move,” one of the men said.

  “I’d have to take out a loan to put one like that on my wife’s finger,” another said, and more laughter ensued.

  Sully was absorbing these people and their energy through every word and action—and trying to remember who was who, and how they were related—when his uncle David spoke up.

  “Have you two set a date?”

  “We’ve spent the last two weeks in planning, and we’re looking at the first week of November.”

  “An exciting time, for sure,” Marc said.

  A short while later, the men dispersed to other areas of the house. Sully went looking for Melissa, while Marc went in search of Lovey. When he saw her happily laughing and talking with old friends, it felt good knowing they’d already forged a bond beyond that of the son they shared.

  She caught him watching her and winked just to let him know she was okay. Satisfied all was well, Marc went into the kitchen to talk to his aunt again and found Melissa writing down a recipe for one of the snacks June had made, while Sully stood there eating it.

  Sully glanced up and saw his dad watching him, and in that moment a swell of emotion washed over Marc so strong that his vision blurred. None of them could change the past, but they had the rest of their lives to make a family out of what was left.

  * * *

  The next morning after breakfast, Sully decided to take his family to his fire station to introduce them. As soon as his car was brought up from valet parking, they drove away.

  “This is going to be a surprise for the guy I talked to when I was trying to track you down,” Marc said. “He thought I was running a scam of some kind and was certain you weren’t adopted.”

  Sully braked for a red light. “Rick is great. He’s always the one with the answers, but this time he got them wrong and the guys are going to ride him about it.”

  “I’m looking forward to meeting them,” Lovey said. “The more people I meet who knew you when I didn’t, the more I learn about the man you became.”

  “Aw, Mom… I’m sorry,” Sully said.

  Marc reached for Lovey’s hand and squeezed it.

  “It’s not a sad thing. It’s a good thing,” Lovey said, but Marc’s presence on the way was appreciated.

  When they finally reached the station and parked, Sully breathed a quick sigh of relief.

  “Good. They’re not on a call. Let’s do this,” he said, and they all got out. Sully reached for Melissa’s hand and they led the way inside.

  The men were all busy at different tasks, but the moment they saw Sully walking in, they began sounding off. “Hey guys! Sully’s here! Sully’s here.”

  Captain Lawson heard the shouts and got up from his desk and went out into the dining area where they were gathering. He walked up to Sully with a grin on his face and shook his hand.

  “Hey, Sully. I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away. Want your old job back?”

  Sully laughed. “No thanks, Cap. I found a better gig. You know my mother died right after I retired, right?”

  They all nodded and began offering condolences again, but Sully stopped them.

  “No, guys. That’s not where this is going. When I was going through her papers for the lawyer, I found my adoption papers and a letter from my mother saying she was sorry she never told me.”

  Now every man in the place was quiet, listening in disbelief.

  “I had exactly the same reaction,” Sully said, “and to make a long story short, I went looking for my birth mother. I’m won’t go into how it happened, but I brought her to meet you. And there was an added bonus in my search,” he said, as he put his arm around Melissa and pulled her close. “I found this pretty lady in the same place. We were teenage sweethearts, and now I’ve got a ring on her finger. This is my fiancée, Melissa Dean. The pretty lady to my right is my birth mother, Jane Cooper, but we all call her Lovey. And this is my birth father, Marc Adamos.”

  “Oh shit,” a small voice said from the back of the room.

  Sully laughed out loud. “Yeah, Rick. I already know my dad called here looking for me and left his number…but since you were so sure it was a scam, you didn’t pass it along.”

  All of the men began crowding around them, congratulating Sully on how his life had taken such a remarkable turn.

  Lovey got a hug from every man in the room, and was in tears before it was over.

  Marc kept fielding comments about cloning himself, and how much he and Sully looked alike, when Captain Lawson spoke up.

  “I’m sure this is a coincidence, but I watch Nat Geo all the time and began noticing some years back that there was a Marc Adamos credited as the documentarian.”

  Marc grinned. “That’s me.”

  Now Lawson was in awe. “Oh man! You have my utmost admiration. I don’t know how you survived some of those shots you got, but my hat’s off to you, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “And by the same token, you have my utmost admiration…all of you do…for helping keep my son alive until we could find each other. It’s been a pleasure meeting all of you,” Marc said.

  Before anyone could ask another question, the alarm went off. Sully gave them all a thumbs-up, and then they were gone, with the captain right behind them.

  Melissa watched, in her mind seeing Sully as one of these men, and took a slow, shaky breath, grateful that part of his life was behind him.

  “And that’s how you clear a fire station,” Sully said, as two of the three trucks left with sirens screaming.

  They got back in the car and returned to the hotel, only to say their goodbyes to Marc again an hour later.

  “We have a wedding coming up soon,” Melissa said. “Don’t go so far on your next trip that you can’t make it back.”

  “I promise,” Marc said.

  Sully waved. “See you soon,” he said, and drove away.

  Marc stood at valet parking, waiting for his car as he watched them leave.

  “Nice family,” the attendant said.

  Marc looked at him and smiled. “Yes, they are, and thanks.”

  * * *

  During the next two weeks, Sully and Melissa finally cleared the wedding date with the pastor. She made a solo trip to Savannah and found a wedding dress she liked, then hid it in the closet of another bedroom. She found someone
in Savannah who agreed to make their cake and deliver it to Blessings, and had Myra Franklin on notice for the flower order.

  When she asked Lovey if she’d be her matron of honor, Lovey beamed.

  “I’ve been a few too many brides, but I’ve never been in someone else’s wedding. I am honored!”

  Sully called his dad to ask if he would be his best man, and Marc quickly said yes, without letting on there were tears in his eyes when Sully asked.

  They’d both agreed they wanted to keep the whole service simple. They weren’t sending out invitations, just a blanket invitation to any of their friends who wanted to come.

  * * *

  While Sully and Melissa were making plans for their future, Hoover Slade’s plans were being made for him. He’d been released from the hospital and was on his way back to prison in a wheelchair. The only good part was they weren’t taking him back to Coastal State.

  He didn’t know how the rest of his life would play out, or if he’d even survive prison in this handicapped state. What he did know and accept was that it was every bit his fault.

  While he was in the hospital, he’d written a letter to Truman, telling him what had happened. About a week later, he got a reply. All Truman had to say was “That’s tough,” and that he was moving to Oregon.

  Now that Hoover was being moved to another prison, he had to accept that he and Truman were going to lose each other, and from the tone of Truman’s reply, Hoover didn’t think he was going to care.

  * * *

  The week of the wedding, Melissa put the wedding invitation to the citizens of Blessings in the paper, because when someone got married in Blessings, everyone was invited.

  All of Sully’s belongings had arrived safe and sound from Kansas City some time back, and now that he had all of his clothes here, he was wearing his best suit, which just happened to be black, with a white shirt and a black tie to go with it. He was still in the dark about Melissa’s dress, but that only added to the excitement.

  The days flew past until they were finally down to the wire. The big day was tomorrow, and Melissa had worn herself out today making sure everything was in place.

  She was in her nightshirt when she came out of the bathroom into the darkened bedroom. Sully was already in bed watching TV, and she dropped on the bed beside him.

  “I am so tired.”

  “Poor baby,” he said, and when she laid her head on his bare shoulder, he put his arm around her and pulled her close.

  Melissa sighed. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m tired, yes, but I’m so happy where our lives are going. You. Me. Us. I never thought I would be part of an us again, and then you walked back into my life, and the familiarity and comfort I felt was so immediate that I knew it was meant to be.”

  “I know. We were so young, and to be able to pick up right where we left off is a gift. I didn’t realize how solitary my life had become. Now I can’t imagine my life without you. Thank you for your faith and trust in me. Thank you for saying yes to spending the rest of your life with me. I won’t fail you, Missy. I won’t ever let you down.”

  He nibbled his way up her neck, then behind her ear, then centered his mouth on her lips and groaned when she opened them ever so slightly for him to come in.

  That one kiss turned into more, and then more, until it morphed into a game of strip poker. For every kiss she gave him, he took off another article of her clothing, stroking the spot he’d just bared until she was naked beneath him.

  Foreplay was over.

  He moved between her legs and took her, with passion and purpose in every motion. The heat between them set a flash fire burning. Within a minute, they were lost in the feelings, chasing that ever-building surge toward the lightning-fast climax that hit—leaving them sated and weak.

  They fell asleep in each other’s arms.

  They woke the next morning to the alarm going off on Sully’s phone. He turned it off and then looked at her and smiled.

  “Let’s do this,” he said, and they were out of bed and laughing.

  Melissa showered first, and then dressed in jeans and a shirt because she still had a trip to the beauty shop to make. And as soon as Sully had shaved, showered, and dressed, they quietly left their room and made it to the kitchen.

  “Cereal?” Sully asked as he moved to the pantry.

  Melissa was making coffee, and nodded. As soon as she started it brewing, she got bowls and spoons from the cabinet while Sully got the milk and took it to the table.

  They sat across the table from each other, fixed their cereal, then scooped up the first bite.

  “To first love and sweet kisses,” Sully said.

  Melissa grinned as they toasted each other with spoons dripping milk.

  “To us,” she said, and then the cereal went in their mouths.

  She kept watching him, thinking how beautiful it was going to be to share breakfast with him for the rest of her life, while Sully was thinking he wanted to take her back to bed, then reminded himself that their future would be filled with days like this, when the wedding was nothing but a sweet memory.

  “So what’s the plan?” he asked as they were carrying their bowls to the sink.

  “I get my hair done at ten. I’ll come home afterward to gather up my stuff and get dressed at the church. If there’s food here, I’ll eat a bite before I leave.”

  “Since I’m dressing here, I’ll make sure there’s food,” Sully said. “We’ll leave for the hotel in Savannah after the reception, but Dad’s just an hour outside Blessings now, so I’ll be catching a ride to the church with him, and you drive my car today, okay? It has more room for our bags.”

  “I will,” Melissa said, and then threw her arms around his neck. “This is happening, isn’t it? It’s really, really happening.”

  He grinned. “Yes, ma’am, it sure is.”

  After that, the time flew. Before Melissa knew it, it was time to leave for the Curl Up and Dye.

  “My car keys are in the hall,” Sully said. “I’ll be here with food when you get back. What do you want me to bring for you?”

  “I don’t care. I won’t want much. You and Marc please yourselves, and I’ll be happy with whatever is here.”

  She blew him a kiss and then waved as she went out the door.

  Ruby was waiting for her when she walked in.

  “Hey, girl. Those green eyes of yours are flashing. Someone might think you were getting married today.” Melissa laughed, and Ruby began. “So what are we doing today?” she asked.

  “I want the sides pulled back, but the rest of it left down and curled under, like you do it sometimes.”

  “You do rock that old-time pageboy look, and your hair has gotten so long it will still be brushing the back of your neck. Is that what you’re wanting?”

  “Yes,” Melissa said, and relaxed into the chair.

  It was after eleven thirty when Melissa left the beauty shop, her hair elegant and her nails done.

  She smelled fried ham and biscuits when she walked in and guessed Sully had gone to Granny’s for some of Mercy’s biscuits.

  “I hope you saved me one,” she said as she walked into the kitchen.

  Marc got up and greeted her with a quick kiss, but it was Sully who pulled out a chair. “Here, sweetheart, sit down. I’ll get a plate and some iced tea for you.”

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “Your hair is beautiful,” Marc said. “Are you nervous?”

  “Not about getting married,” she said.

  Sully brought her a paper napkin, a paper plate, and a glass of sweet tea, then pushed a platter of ham biscuits toward her.

  “These are the best biscuits I ever ate in my life,” Marc said.

  “We know,” Melissa said. “Mercy Pittman is one of the gems in Blessings.” She took one from the platter and took a bite. “Umm
, nothing better than honey-cured ham on a buttermilk biscuit.”

  “Is that a Southern thing?” Marc asked.

  Still chewing, Melissa gave him a thumbs-up and nodded.

  She ate with an eye on the clock, listening to father and son trading stories and remarking on similar likes and dislikes.

  Then all of a sudden the time was upon them, and Melissa was running up the stairs to get her suitcase and the two garment bags, one with her wedding dress and the other with the clothes she was wearing to Savannah for their overnight honeymoon.

  Sully carried it all down for her, and she came down with her purse over her shoulder and her veil on a hanger covered in a clear plastic bag.

  Marc followed them out.

  “Are you sure you have everything?” Sully asked.

  “Both garment bags, one suitcase, and my veil. Yes,” she said, and took the keys he dropped in her hand. She waved at Marc, then put her hand behind Sully’s neck and kissed him senseless. “See you at the altar!” she said, and then she was gone.

  “You are so done for,” Marc said.

  “Yes, and thank you for calling that to my attention,” Sully said as they went back inside.

  * * *

  Melissa was driving to the church with her heart pounding, excited and a little bit anxious that she might have forgotten something important.

  She arrived at the church and then parked at the back so she and Sully wouldn’t get caught up in other traffic. Before she could get out, she was swarmed by a host of friends from church who carried everything inside and escorted her to one of the classrooms that had been set aside for them to use.

  “Is Lovey here yet?” she asked.

  “She just got here and is in the adjoining classroom getting ready. Ruby is doing her hair, and Mabel Jean is doing her nails.”

  “Have the flowers been delivered?” Melissa asked.

  “Yes, honey. They’re all in the big refrigerator in the kitchen to stay fresh. Myra said she’d come back near time to get them to you, and the bakery from Savannah called about twenty minutes ago from the road so they’ll be showing up here soon.”