Her voice quavered and Branch saw fear and consternation flicker in her eyes. His heart ached for her.
“Oh, Holly, honey.” He grabbed her, held her close as her tears ran down her cheeks. “You don’t have to do this alone. I’m not going to let you try to handle this by yourself, no way!”
Despite her tears, Branch thought she had never been more appealing, more beautiful. He continued to hold her, his only thought being, How can I help her . . . I have to, she has no one else.
* * *
Emerald walked to the front of the store. Ace had already started to work on his next window display. “Ace,” she called out.
“Yo!” Ace answered back, his voice muffled as he struggled to drape a large black cloth over the display shelving that he had created.
“Got time for a fresh coffee break?”
“You bet!”
He reached for a nearby chair, turned it around, straddled the seat and crossed his arms over the back. He accepted the cup of hot coffee and took a gratifying sip.
“Ah, Em, this tastes good. What’s on your mind?”
“Elyse is not coming in until later. The baby is teething and I gather from what Elyse said, neither of them slept much last night.”
“Baby goin’ to be okay?”
“Oh, I think so. A little cranky, that’s all.”
“Good.”
“Ace, can I ask you something?”
“Sure, shoot.”
“I need to ask you if you noticed any resemblance between Holly and little Missy the other night?”
He took another sip of his coffee before he answered. Nodding his head, he looked directly at Emerald before he spoke.
“You know, I did. Didn’t understand at first what I was seeing, but suddenly it struck me how much the baby looked like Holly. Then, as I was leaving, I noticed Barry’s picture on Elyse’s desk and I was struck by the facial similarities.”
“Ace, I’ve been racking my brain ever since I met Holly, trying to figure out who she reminded me of . . . someone I knew, but all this time I couldn’t put my finger on it. I’d get a fleeting, ghostly image in my mind, then it would vanish. Now I believe there’s only one person who could be responsible for two individuals who look so much alike. They could be sisters.”
“You mean Barry Marshall?”
“Who else? We know he’s Missy’s father. But why is it that she and Holly have the same brown-sugar skin coloring, the same dark, silky hair and the same shaped mouth? And I’ve noticed another thing. They both have the wide, oddly shaped fingernails that Barry had. Elyse and I used to tease him about them. The only prominent feature the baby has that’s different is her mother Elyse’s slightly slanted eyes. And as Leese pointed out to me, the long slender toes that run in her family, the Joyce family.”
“Do you think Leese noticed anything?”
“Not that she’s mentioned. Course I haven’t said anything.”
“Could be she’s in denial.”
“Ace, I don’t know.” A worried frown crept over her face as she continued. “What if, say, Holly is Barry’s daughter. How will this affect Elyse? I’ve never heard of Barry having a previous dalliance, but then I’m not privy to everything in Leese’s life, although we’ve been friends since high school.”
“You two have known each other for a long time.”
“We have. She went to college here in Boston and I went south to a historically black college, Fisk.”
“Then you got back together?”
“Right. I majored in library science and she had her MBA from Harvard, so we pooled our resources and started The Kwanzaa Book and Gift Shop. And, Ace, Barry was always a good guy. He and Elyse were quite a pair and very happy. He was always straight-up with me and he worshipped Elyse.”
“So I’ve heard,” Ace remarked dryly.
Emerald, sensing his dismay, spoke up quickly. “Oh, Ace, I’m not a stupid woman. I know how much you love Leese. However, there may be trying times ahead. Think about it.”
Ace drained his coffee cup, placed the empty cup on the floor beside his chair. He looked directly at Emerald. His voice was firm, and with determination apparent to Emerald, he told her, “Emerald, I’ve been halfway ’round the world in my lifetime. I love Elyse with all that I am, or will ever be. I will do anything and everything to see that she is happy. You can bet on that!”
“I know, Ace, I know, and I will do whatever I can. We’re in this together, right?”
“Right!”
Ace did not feel quite as positive as he sounded, but, with the information Emerald had shared with him, he knew full well that he should begin his own search for the truth.
Emerald started to walk towards the small kitchen in back to return the empty cups, then turned to face him.
“Ace, I’m going to sound Holly out the next time she comes in. Somehow I think she may know something. Wouldn’t hurt to ask. What do you think?”
“Could be a start. Tell you what. I’ve invited Holly and Branch over to my place. They want to see my studio and my shop. You know I’ve been able to add living quarters. I want you and Elyse to see what I’ve done. I have Branch’s cell number, and I’ll let you know that night.”
“Sounds good. This has been such a puzzle to me. Know what I mean?”
He nodded and returned to his work. He thought how life could sometimes be complicated. His relationship with Elyse had presented so many obstacles, but he had no choice. He could not give up his pursuit of the woman he loved. No way . . . unless she rejected him and turned away.
* * *
“Jerome, we’re late! I promised Elyse that we would pick the baby up by eleven! It’s ten-thirty now.”
Her husband’s voice came from upstairs. “We have plenty of time, it’s only a ten-minute ride to Leese’s place.”
“Don’t want to be late. Besides, she might want to give us instructions.”
Her husband appeared at the top of the stairs. “What instructions?” he asked as shrugged on a navy blue sweater. “God, Frances, you’ve had two children of your own, how come you need instructions?”
“Well, this is my first grandbaby, that’s why. I’m not the mother this time. And knowing our daughter as I do, she will have instructions!”
“You two women are more alike than you know,” Jerome Joyce said as he led his wife out to the car.
Elyse had asked her parents if they would mind keeping Missy overnight.
“Are you kidding?” her mother had said. “Of course we’d be delighted! Our first grandbaby! We’ve got a crib, an’ a baby-bouncer swing all set up for her. Everything! I’m looking forward to having Missy all to ourselves. You know, Leesy, being a grandparent means that God is giving us a second chance around, and I for one intend to make the most of this blessing. It’s our pleasure to help you with this precious child.”
“Thanks, Dad. Thanks, Mom.”
She couldn’t help noticing how her mother was accepting the baby as if all along it had been with her one hundred percent approval. She wondered how her mother would react when she learned of her daughter’s next obstacle.
She left her condo soon after her parents had headed to their home in Milton. It was the first time she had been separated from her child. She felt sad, but she had urgent business to attend to. She called Emerald on her cell phone.
“Yes, Em, it’s me. Look, I’ve some business I have to take care of today. Are you very busy?”
“No.”
“Good. I’ll be in as soon as I can. See you in a few.” There was one person who might be able to help her, Elyse thought. Her next call was to him.
“Jay, how are you?”
“Good,” he said and asked about her.
“I’m fine, and my daughter is doing well, thank you. Jay, would you be able to see me for a minute or so? You could? I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Jay Collins was not only their lawyer, but he and Barry had been fraternity brothers in college and had contin
ued to be close friends. If Barry had indeed had a previous relationship, Jay should know.
When she arrived at Jay’s law office, his eyes lit up at the sight of the vibrant young mother.
“Elyse! Girl, you are looking good! How are you, and how is your daughter?”
They exchanged hugs and cheek touching.
“Here, have a seat. It’s really good to see you.”
“Thanks, Jay, for letting me come by like this. I know how busy you must be.”
“Not today. No court appearances, and not too many appointments. And you know, Elyse, I’ll always find time for you.”
“I appreciate that, Jay.”
She reached into her handbag and handed him a small photo of the baby. He looked at it for a minute and when he spoke, his voice was soft with emotion as if he were looking at a past memory.
“God, she’s the spitting image of Barry, isn’t she?” Elyse’s tone of voice was equally as emotional as Jay’s. “Yes, Jay, she is, and I’m very happy that she does look so much like her father. That’s why I’ve come to you. I hope you can help me.”
“What is it? Elyse, what’s wrong?”
“You’re the only person I could think of to help me, Jay. Barry was an only child and both of his parents are dead, so you are the only person I could think of to help me.”
“I’ll do anything I can.”
“A few months before I had my baby, a young girl, a customer, came into the book shop looking for some reference material. Emerald told me that she thought the girl reminded her of someone but couldn’t figure out who it was. Finally I met the girl, a very pretty, nice young lady, but unlike Em, she didn’t look like anyone I knew. The girl came in last week with her boyfriend. They are both in college, and she asked if she could see the baby. And Jay, that’s when I noticed how much she resembled Barry!”
“The girl? What are you talking about?”
“Her name is Holly Francis. I think she is twenty or twenty-one years old. What happened, Jay, was that I handed her the baby. She was sitting on the couch, I went to the back of the room to get a baby blanket, and when I turned around it hit me like a ton of bricks! They looked like sisters! I have to ask, was Barry seriously involved with anyone? Once he told me he thought he was in love with a girl, but that they both felt to young to continue the relationship. You know anything about that?”
He shook his head. “I know he was dating a high school student for a while, but it seems to me, as I remember, they quit seeing each other. I do remember Barry saying something about being ‘too young.’ But never anything about a baby.”
“Jay, I do remember one thing. Before I had my baby, Holly, the young girl, told me that she had been born at Suffolk General and I told her that was where I planned to go for delivery. Seems she was doing a student rotation there.”
Jay had been taking notes on a yellow legal pad. He looked at Elyse, gave her a warm smile.
“Let me do a little research, see what I can uncover.”
“I would appreciate any help you can give me. If this girl turns out to be Barry’s daughter, it means she’s my child’s half-sister. If so, do I have any responsibility towards her?” Elyse worried.
“Now, let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. Then we’ll figure out what’s best for all concerned.”
* * *
When she left Jay’s office, Elyse felt a little better about her situation. Having his promise to help her sort out Holly’s true identity eased her mind a little.
She returned to the bookshop at about twelve-thirty, having stopped at Wendy’s to pick up two chicken Caesar salads for Emerald and herself. She was looking forward to a cup of hot tea, which she hoped would help calm her nerves.
Emerald greeted her with a broad smile when she saw the salads.
“Glad you brought lunch, Leese. I love Wendy’s salads.”
“I know you do, and I do, too.” She placed the salads on her desk. “I think I’ll put the ‘Back in Thirty Minutes’ sign on the front door. Sound about right?”
“Sure does.”
As Elyse went into the small lavatory to wash her hands, Emerald started getting the tea ready in the kitchen. As she washed and dried her hands, Elyse looked at her reflection. What she saw was a woman with a worried look. What was coming next in her life? Would she ever find the ultimate happiness she once had with Barry? This man that she had loved so desperately but who was now dead was able to turn her life upside down. If Holly was his child, why hadn’t he told her? Was it shame, guilt, or did he even know about the child?
She dried her hands, went into the kitchen, took a box of crackers from the shelf.
“All set,” Emerald announced as she set the steaming teapot, cups and sweeteners down on her desk.
They each sat at her desk and began to eat in companionable silence.
“Um-m, good,” Emerald said after a few minutes. Then, after several sips of tea, she asked, “By the way, did your folks pick up Missy?”
“Yes, they did. Happy as two kids. You’d think I had given them a million dollars.”
“Well, you did.”
“Dad said grandchildren are God’s way of giving parents a second chance.”
“Probably why they tend to spoil ’em so much.”
“I guess so. Never thought my mother would be so nutty over Missy, certainly not the way she acted when I told her that I wanted to have Barry’s child.”
“Goes to show you. You never know how people are going to react in any situation.”
“Sure don’t.”
Then Emerald remembered.
“Ace called this morning.”
“He did?”
“Uh huh. Said that Branch and Holly were stopping by his place tonight to see his art store, wondered if you and I would like to come by. Said he has about finished the redecorating he has been doing.”
“What time? Did he say?”
“About eight.”
“I need to call my folks later on, see how Missy is doing. If she’s fussy or crying, I might have to bring her back home, although they want to keep her overnight.”
“Okay. Then we’ll let Ace know.”
Elyse dialed her parents’ home at six, before leaving the store.
Her mother’s voice was happy and cheerful.
“Oh, honey, we’re doing just fine! Your dad took Missy out in the stroller. She loved it. She’s been fed and now she’s napping. Elyse, she’s such a good baby!”
“So it’s all right for her to stay overnight?”
“You betcha!”
“Good. So you’ll bring her home about nine tomorrow?”
“Will do. See you in the morning.”
Elyse put down the receiver and turned to Emerald. “Boy, my mother sure has done a turn over the baby.
You’d think my having Missy was entirely her idea!”
“Leesy, Leesy, she just wants you to be happy.”
“I guess, but she sure was hard on me at first.”
“Don’t dwell on the past, hon. It’s the present and the future that you should be concerned about. Your life with little Missy.”
“That’s what I’m worrying about now.”
Hearing the sober tone in Elyse’s voice, Emerald snapped her head around to stare at her friend.
“What? What on earth are you talking about, girl?”
“Talking ‘bout what you’ve been talkin’ ‘bout these past few months.”
“What? What?”
“You know right well, Emerald Stokes, what you’ve been nagging me about. That Holly Francis looks like someone you know.”
Stunned, realizing that Elyse might be facing a life-changing truth, Emerald stared open-mouthed at her friend. She waited for Elyse to continue.
“It was the other night, Em! It was like being slapped in the face. It just struck me!”
“What struck you? Did you see what I’ve been noticing, a resemblance?”
“Yes, when Holly was holding Missy I
saw how much alike they were . . . they looked like sisters! And I knew if that were true, that meant they had the same father . . . my husband Barry.”
“Oh, Leese, how can that be?”
“To me it means that my husband must have had a relationship with the girl’s mother. He did tell me once that he had been serious about someone, but they broke it off. Said they were both too young. Whether they had a baby or not, I don’t know.”
Emerald asked, “Have you any idea how you can find out the truth?”
“Went to see Jay Collins, said he would try to help. He and Barry go way, way back. Frat brothers and all.”
“Did he know anything?”
“No more than what I knew, but he did say he would see what he could find out.”
Emerald was quiet for a moment, then faced Elyse. “You know, Leese, you’re not the only one who saw a resemblance between Holly and the baby.”
“Who else noticed?”
“Ace.”
Elyse’s face flushed deep red with consternation. She glared at Em.
“You mean you discussed this with Ace? How could you?”
“Hey, hey! Don’t go getting all defensive on me! Girl, you know I would never do anything to hurt you, and neither would Ace. You know that. Deep in your heart you do!”
“But . . .”
“But nothing! I merely asked him if he had noticed any resemblance between Missy and Holly, and he said he had. Said it was when Holly was holding the baby. He said he was amazed when he saw how alike they were, same skin coloring, wide, smooth forehead, the dark brown eyes.”
So like Barry’s, Elyse thought as Emerald ticked off Ace’s observations.
“Said they both had the same brown, silky hair. But then he told me that as he was leaving that night he happened to notice the photo of Barry on your desk. Made him wonder, he said.”
There was bitter irony in Elyse’s voice. She spoke through clenched teeth, her anger evident to her friend. “I can’t believe you two. My supposedly good friends get together, behind my back, to talk about me.”
“Now you listen to me! I only asked Ace what he had noticed. He told me just what I told you, and that made me feel validated. I wasn’t the only one. You said that you never saw anything at all!”
She took a deep breath, waited for Elyse’s anger to subside.
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