by Sara Marion
TWENTY-NINE
Duke just dropped Jennah off at Audra’s house to get her car. Jennah needed to get Dobry home to get her settled down for the night. As much as Duke wanted to spend more time with her, he didn’t want to smother her. Heading back to his house, he felt a small pang of loneliness. This past weekend had been the best weekend he had in a long time.
He pulled into the driveway, finding Jack and Paxton’s cars sitting on one side of the driveway. A smile was still plastered on his face. Opening the door, he expected to see them in the living room but only Paxton was. She was sitting on the couch reading a book. Jack was nowhere to be seen.
“Hey Duke,” she glanced up from her book.
“Pax, where’s Jack?”
“He left awhile ago. I think he went golfing with Drake. I was hoping to talk to you before he came back.”
“Oh yeah? About what?” he sat beside her.
“Us.”
Duke stretched his arms out and rested one against the back of the couch, “Pax, there is no us,” he threw his head back against it closing his eyes.
“I know, but we have to talk about what happened.”
“Listen, I’ve had a wonderful weekend with Jennah and-”
“Jennah? You were with Jennah?”
“Yeah, we spent the weekend together.”
“I see,” Paxton looked away. Duke saw the sadness in her eyes.
“Pax, what we had is over. This thing with Jennah is different. I haven’t felt this strongly since Ella,” the words slipped out before he was able to stop himself. Paxton winced at the words. He once was willing to give up everything to be with Paxton, make her happy but his feelings for Paxton were nothing like he felt with Jennah. “I’m sorry Pax, I didn’t mean-”
“No, stop. It’s fine. I understand,” she sat up and crossed her legs in front of her. “I don’t like the idea of you getting mixed up with Jennah.”
“It’s not like that. Ella has nothing to do with this.”
“Ella has everything to do with it. Ever since you found out about Ella being pregnant you aren’t yourself.”
“I’m fine or at least I was until I walked into this house. Tell me why does this matter to you all of the sudden?”
“Because a baby changes everything for us!” She quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
Duke wasn’t sure he heard her right, “What? What did you just say?”
He watched Paxton drop her head. She looked back up with tears in her eyes, “I’m pregnant Duke.”
Duke staggered back. It was like she took the oxygen out of the room. It was happening, her and Jack were starting their own family. “Congrats to you both then. I’m sure Jack is ecstatic about the news.”
“He is. I go in next week for an ultrasound and they can figure out the due date then. I’m worried though.”
“Don’t worry about me. I will be fine. I want you two to be happy and not have to worry about me,” Duke confessed. He realized he was truly happy for that Jack and Paxton. Maybe this is what everyone needed. Jack and Paxton could finally start their family and Duke could make his own with Jennah and Dobry. Things were finally starting to come together for him.
“Thank you. I know I want you to be in this child’s life. Jack does too. I just don’t want to hurt you anymore.”
“I’m happy right now. I promise. Jennah breathes life into me. I finally feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be. I can’t explain it, but I can’t see me becoming any happier than I am right now.”
He watched Paxton study him to see if he was lying or not. After a few moments she smiled and wiped away the tears that were slowly falling. “I’m happy for you Duke. Maybe this is the start we all need.”
“I think so too. I can’t wait to introduce you to Jennah and her daughter Dobry. She is such a sweet kid,” he smiled.
“I can’t wait to be formally introduced. She must be really special. I haven’t seen you look like you do now in a very long time, since Ella.”
Duke nodded in agreement. He sat down beside Paxton and told her the stories from the weekend. The more he talked about Jennah and Dobry, the more he realized he couldn’t leave them even if his life depended on it. They captured his heart and soul in one weekend. How that was possible, Duke wasn’t sure but he wouldn’t trade it for anything.
THIRTY
Jennah was putting away dishes when she heard a knock at the door. She hadn’t been home long and wasn’t expecting anyone. Looking through the peephole she saw Jack. She cracked open the door and peer out at him.
“I have something to show you. Please, just a few minutes of your time.”
“Jack, I don’t have time for this.”
“Please Jennah.”
Jennah didn’t trust Jack. After the night they almost spent together, she’s tried to avoid him like the plague, but he’s shown up at her job a few times since. “A few minutes, then you have to leave.”
His gave her a soft smile as she eyed him walking in. She knew this wasn’t a good idea. They went and sat down in the living room. She took the sofa as he sat on the love seat. “What did you want to show me?”
Jack threw down an envelope on the coffee table. “Open it.”
Jennah eyed the envelope picking it up carefully. She opened the package and took out a stack of papers. There was a couple pictures and an obituary for an Ella Avery. “What is this?”
“Just take a look at it and read the obituary,” Jack sat back. His face giving away nothing.
Jennah looked at the pictures. She had to admit the blonde in the pictures could pass as her sibling. She flipped to another picture. One of the blonde in a bathing suit, she had a similar scar where her’s was. “It’s you,” Jack quietly voiced.
She shook her head. This wasn’t her, she wasn’t the person in these pictures. She looked up at Jack and looked into his icy blue eyes. She saw the truth behind them, his sincerity. There was something familiar about those eyes, but she saw millions of eyes everyday but his, she couldn’t put her finger on it. Flashes of falling through a shower door came through her mind. She dropped the pictures in her hands. She gasped as a memory of that moment came flooding back. Jack sat there unmoving, watching her. It was the first solid memory, one she could place. She fell through the shower door as she slipped in the shower. A guy was there. He had taken her to the hospital but she never saw his face in the memory.
Jennah then turned her attention to the obituary. It was dated in mid-February a couple years ago. Reading through it, her heart broke for the man sitting before her. He wanted so badly for her to be this Ella girl, but she wasn’t. They buried her in the ground. Was he in denial still that he was hoping Ella was still alive? Why would he push this? Duke seemed to be adjusted to life after his late-wife. She shook her head. “Listen Jack, I can see why you think I’m Ella but I’m not. I’m not her. This,” she held up the obituary, “this proves that. You buried her a couple years ago.”
“No we didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.” Jennah looked for the line with the info, “Funeral services will be held February 13th at 11:30am. Private graveside service to follow.”
Jack snatched the paper and picture from her. “It’s you. Quit playing this game. You’re home and safe.”
“I am not Ella Avery. I can’t explain the similarities between us but I can tell you that I’m not her.” Jennah stood and created distance between them. She didn’t know Jack well enough to try to calm him down.
“Ella,”
“Jennah, my name is Jennah.”
“It’s not, you’re Ella Avery.” He scooted closer to her. He cupped her face in his hands. Flashes of him doing that before came back to her. She pulled away suddenly. She didn’t know what just happened what she saw, but she knew that she needed Jack to leave. “Ella, it’s me, Jack. Come on sweetheart, it’s over. You can come back to us. You’re safe, quit fighting,” he stepped closer. His hands once again cupping her face. His scent was filling the ai
r around her. It sent her mind swirling. She thought of Duke and broke away from him once more.
“Leave,” Jennah’s voice broke through her clouded mind. “I need you to leave.” She closed her eyes and turned away from him. His reaction didn’t make sense. He was engaged, what was he doing here? Why was she reacting to him in such a way? She heard the door close behind her, but on the table were the pictures and obituary he brought over.
She was shaken by Jack’s visit. She went upstairs and curled up next to Dobry who slept soundly in her bed. Dobry looked so peaceful, she just concentrated on her beautiful baby girl. Closing her eyes, she wished away the uneasy feeling Jack left with her.
***
Jennah kept herself busy over the last few days. Every now and then she stole glances to her phone. Duke had texted her every day, checking on her and asking her if she still felt as crazy as he did. She smiled at every text message but there was a lingering feeling still left over from Jack’s visit. She hadn’t mentioned it to Duke, but how do you bring up something like that? She spent her free time with Dobry. Duke had asked her to go somewhere with her today, but she had to help out at work for a couple hours. He then asked her for one date tonight. Jennah said she would have to find a sitter and she would let him know.
She checked with Audra to see if she could watch Dobry today while she worked and then went out with Duke afterwards. Audra of course didn’t turn down the opportunity. Audra loved Dobry and she was still pushing Jennah towards Duke. Pike however, still hadn’t come around. He hadn’t apologized or made any move to contact her since their blowup at the campground.
“Jennah,” her manager called out. She quickly ran over to the point-of-sale station. “It’s slow enough you can go ahead and take off. Thanks for the help this morning.”
“No problem. I just cleaned up my only table left from the crazy rush this morning.”
“Great, thanks again. See you in a couple days,” she smiled.
Jennah tucked her apron in her locker when she got back to the employee lounge. She grabbed her purse and called Duke.
“Hello beautiful,” he answered.
“Hey there yourself,” she beamed. “I was just let off from work, wanna meet?”
“Yeah, come to the gallery on Third Street. I’ll be here waiting for you.”
“Isn’t that where you were going to take me tonight?”
“Yeah, but just come meet me.”
Jennah could hear the sadden tone in his voice. It worried her, but she wondered why he was at the gallery so early. She couldn’t remember the name of the place, but she knew there was only one gallery on Third Street.
She was able to get there is less than ten minutes. She was thankful that the drive was short otherwise the anticipation would kill her. Stepping out of the car, she looked over and saw the gold lettering on the side. She was at the E. Avery Gallery. E. Avery, Ella Avery. She inhaled sharply as she realized this was the gallery dedicated in memoriam to Duke’s late wife. He was getting ready to share some of his past with her today.
Walking in Jennah wondered what kind of artist Ella was. Did she paint, shoot photographs, pottery? She realized they had never talked about his wife, but they had only been together about a week now. It felt like so much longer but she realized this was a big step for them.
“Welcome to the E. Avery Gallery!” the cheery receptionist greeted. When her eyes landed on her, they went wide for a moment. She stared waiting for Jennah to say something but Jennah felt slightly uneasy.
“Um, I’m supposed to be meeting someone here,” Jennah could hear the nervousness in her voice.
“Okay, I don’t have anyone who has come in looking for someone yet. What is there name and I can make sure if I see them, point them your way.” Jennah saw the young girl trying to place her face.
“His name is Duke Avery.” Her voice made it sound more like a question than anything else.
“Oh, you must be Miss Carsten.”
“Yes, I’m Jennah.”
“Mr. Avery is right this way,” the young girl jumped out of her seat, leading the way towards a room in the back.
Jennah looked at the pictures in lobby as they went around the partition. The photographer was really good at what they did, she wasn’t sure if it was Ella’s work or not. Once they got around the partition, Jennah saw pictures with Jack and the woman who had dinner with Duke one of the first times he came into the restaurant. That must be Jack’s fiancée. She found some by another photographer. Someone who enjoyed photographing landscapes. They passed a room filled with architecture photographs, but the room she was led into was filled with pictures of Ella.
“Mr. Avery?” the young girl brought Duke’s attention to them. He quickly stood.
“Thanks Madeline,” he smiled.
Jennah was too focused on the pictures in this particular room. The girl in these pictures looked so much like her. The resemblance was even more prominent than the pictures that Jack brought to her house the other day. Each picture made her mind swirl.
“You look like her,” Duke’s soft voice came through.
“This is your wife, the one who passed away?”
“Yeah, this is my Ellie-bear.”
“She looks like me.” She knew this of course, but this is the first time she was admitting it out loud.
“I know, that’s why I wanted to bring you here. Some people are worried that you would run when you figured out you looked like her, but that’s not what attracts me to you. I know you aren’t her.”
“I’m not,” her voice was quiet. She couldn’t pull her eyes away from the photos. It was like she was looking at herself in these pictures. Like it was a story that no one had told her. Memories that were kept from her, but it was impossible. Everyone has a twin in the world right?
She turned to look at more pictures on the adjacent wall. These were recent. She saw a picture of Ella in a swimsuit. A tattoo on her hip. Jennah gasped as she realized that it was the same tattoo she had. What were the chances of that? She reached and placed her hand on the left hip where her tattoo was. A flash of light filled her mind.
“This is the one! It was meant to be, you have to get a tattoo with me!”
“Uh, no, I don’t think so.”
“Come on! It’s better than a best friend necklace. What’s a moon without the stars to keep it company?”
“El, come on, you get the moon one. It’s you. People gravitate around you. You pull them in with your beauty, like the moon pulls the tides.”
“But your my stars, without you the moon isn’t as beautiful.”
“No Ella, I’m not getting one.”
“Please, for me Paxi-boo?”
“No,” Paxton insisted.
“But it’s fate! Come one, how many times have we talked about the moon and its stars? Here it is, on this board, and it jumped out at me. It’s fate. You’re getting the stars, I’m getting the moon,” she stared at Paxton. She wanted this to be their special thing, their link. No way was she going to get a tattoo without her best friend.
“Fine,” Paxton gave in.
She bounced up and down in excitement, “Pax, you are the greatest!”
Jennah gasped when the gallery came back into view. Duke looked at her with concern. Jennah looked at another picture. It was one of Ella and Duke. Another memory surfaced.
“One more picture Duke,” she smiled. She raised the camera on the tripod and pointed it towards where they were sitting. She bounded back and sat down next to Duke. Duke tucked her in close, his face came over her should beside her cheek. “Smile,” she instructed. She pressed the button on the remote and she heard the camera take a picture.
She got up and laughed as she went to make sure that it turned out. When she turned and saw the picture was perfect. The light in they sky made Duke look as handsome as ever. She took the camera off the tripod and began snapping pictures of him. He laughed and tried to hide, but that made the pictures even better.
Je
nnah shook her head. The pictures she snapped in her memory hung there on the wall. She took a couple steps back.
“What’s wrong?” Duke asked.
Jennah couldn’t wrap her mind around it. Memories came flooding back. It was like the dam that was holding them out of her reach finally broke. Pictures that hung around this room had confirmed the memories. She turned and headed to another room. All around the gallery were her pictures. How could this be? How was she the person that snapped them? The person they laid to rest a couple years ago. She was Ella, Duke’s wife. She didn’t die, but she survived. She felt two strong hands wrap around her arms. She turned to face him, “These are mine, Duke.”
Confusion filled his face, “What are you talking about?”
She looked around as her memory was still filling in. It was overwhelming. “It’s me. I’m in these pictures. These are my pictures, in a gallery.” Tears fell down her face. She began to sway as if she were going to pass out. She saw the fear in Duke’s eyes as she felt her knees go weak.
“Madeline!” Duke yelled out. “Madeline!”
Jennah couldn’t stop everything from invading her mind. The memories, the heartache, the deaths, her love for Duke. She needed to get a grip on reality. She felt her legs give out. Duke strong arms held her up until she could regain some semblance of strength in them.
“Duke?” Madeline appeared around the corner.
“Close the gallery, get Ryan in here now,” he commanded. Jennah saw the girl fly off.
Within minutes, Madeline returned with someone else. Jennah turned to face him. Her world slowed as she saw the face of the man entering the room. His jaw dropped as he looked like he saw a ghost standing before him. She was a ghost to them, this was all too much to take in. A name immediately popped into her mind, “Uncle Ry?” Jennah felt light headed at the overwhelming sensation of her memories returning.
“Jennah?” she heard Duke shout, but her world went black.
***
Duke sat there by the hospital bed. Jack, Ryan, Audra and Pike were in the waiting room. He called Audra from Jennah’s phone letting her know Jennah was in the hospital. When she asked why, Duke couldn’t give her an answer. Soon after they arrived at the hospital, Pike had shown up. Duke wouldn’t let anyone in the room until he had answers.
