by Traci DePree
“No,” Kate said. “I was looking for you...” She glanced toward the apartment building. “It’s kind of a long story. Would you mind taking a walk with me?”
Valerie studied her for a moment, as if trying to assess if she was trustworthy, then said, “I have to drop my groceries inside. Can you wait?”
Kate nodded. Valerie disappeared into the building for several long minutes before she came back outside. She pulled her jacket up around her thin shoulders and said, “So, where to?”
Valerie pointed down the street, and the two began their walk.
“So, you’ve been looking for me?” Valerie asked. “What’s this all about?”
“Yes.” Kate cleared her throat, trying to consider the best tact. Then realizing there was no easy route, she decided to dive right in. “I’m friends with your birth mother.”
Valerie stopped walking, and her mouth dropped slightly open. “My birth mother?”
Kate nodded, searching her face for any sign of a reaction.
“Her name is Patricia Harris. She lives in Copper Mill, near where I live,” Kate said.
Those dark eyes were unreadable, yet the pain in her voice was clear. “She sent you to find me? What would she want with me now? She’s never cared enough to contact me before.”
The gates of Graceland came into view ahead, with their musical staff and notes spreading wide across them, and the pillared mansion beyond. Kate walked that direction without answering her question. She needed to think. The last thing she wanted to do was further alienate Valerie from Patricia. Silence stretched as they walked, and Kate sensed that Valerie was dealing with a childhood of mixed emotions—hurts from so many unknowns, feelings of rejection, abandonment, betrayals.
“I know it isn’t easy,” Kate said, “to have some stranger show up unannounced...”
Valerie glanced at her and tucked her hands into her coat pockets. They walked awhile in silence before she confessed, “I used to dream about finding my birth parents. When my parents made everything so hard, I’d think about my birth parents and imagine having a perfect life with them.”
“Patricia is far from perfect,” Kate said.
“I’ve come to realize that. Anyone who gives a child away like yesterday’s trash—”
“Is that what you think she did?” Kate interrupted.
Valerie’s hurt expression told her all she needed to know.
“Patricia loved you. If she could have found another way, she would’ve taken it. I know that for a fact.”
“Right.” Valerie turned away from her. A tear traced the contours of her cheeks. She swiped at it with the back of her hand.
They reached the sidewalk just across the street from Graceland and crossed to it. Valerie took a stuttering breath and touched the fence that surrounded the well-known estate with its manicured lawn.
“I knew this would be hard before I came,” Kate said. “You weren’t exactly expecting me...and I apologize for that.”
Valerie met her eyes.
“There are so many things I wish I could help you see,” Kate continued.
Valerie crossed her arms over her chest. Kate lifted her gaze to the white mansion behind the gates. Her thoughts went to Marissa and her bedroom decorated in Elvis’s honor. What was it about this place that drew these twins, who were strangers?
Kate noticed Valerie gazing at Graceland and asked, “Do you ever wonder why Elvis gave the place that name—Graceland?”
“No. I never heard that story.” Valerie inhaled as if to compose herself. “But I always liked him,” she said, sounding grateful for the change in topic. “Don’t ask me why. He sure had his problems, but maybe that’s why I liked him. He struggled like I did.”
“We all struggle,” Kate said.
“Some people don’t.”
“That’s not true,” Kate said. “I think some people suffer in silence and some more publicly. Like Elvis did. But it’s part of the human condition. We all have losses in our lives as well as victories. The thing to keep in mind is that God loves us regardless of how good or bad we are.”
“God!” Valerie mocked. “I’m sure he cares lots about me! That’s why he’s left me alone all these years, why my birth mother abandoned me—because he loves me. Right.” Then under her breath, she added, “And after all the things I’ve done, I’m sure he’s long since given up on me. Did my mother bother to mention that to you before she told you where to find me? That I’m not exactly the perfect daughter?”
Kate shook her head. “All your mother said was that she misses you and loves you.”
Valerie’s face fell a bit, and her eyes widened. Kate thought she would cry again.
“Maybe that’s why Elvis called this place Graceland,” Kate said kindly. “Because he found unconditional love here—grace. Grace doesn’t depend on being good enough. It’s a gift, regardless of where we are or what we’ve done. It’s a gift your mother...Mary...wants to give you too.”
“And Patricia?” Valerie met her gaze. “What about her?”
Kate took a deep breath before she delved in. “Patricia tried to give you the best. She did all she could...”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Maybe if you heard the story from her, you’d understand.” Her heart pleaded for Valerie to listen and not put up walls. But Valerie turned to walk away. Kate moved alongside her. “There’s more,” Kate said as a sense of urgency filled her again. “I need to tell you, at least so you’ll know. Even if you don’t want to do anything about it. You need to know.”
“Do anything?” Valerie stopped. “What more could you possibly have to tell me?”
“You...” Kate began, “you have a sister. Her name is Marissa. She’s...your twin.”
“My twin?”
Kate nodded. “She has leukemia.”
Valerie’s eyes clouded.
“She’s in the hospital now...and she’s not doing well,” Kate finished.
“So, in a few sentences, you gave me a sister and took her away. I really appreciate that.” Valerie stepped off the curb and crossed the street back toward her apartment.
“You don’t want to meet her?” Kate asked, struggling to keep up. “Or know anything about her?”
“Just so I can go through the pain of losing her like everything else in my lame life? Why would I do that to myself?”
“Because you could save her life.” Kate knew she was begging now, but she didn’t see any other way. “You’re the most likely person to be a bone-marrow match. If you could be tested...”
“Now I see how it is,” Valerie said. “You’re looking for my bone marrow, not for me! You want a cure for the daughter my birth mother kept. That’s rich.”
“I will admit we’re hoping that you’ll be tested and be a match,” Kate said. “To save your sister’s life. But she’s as innocent in all of this as you are. She didn’t know until recently about you either. You’d really like her, I think. I do. She loved to go sailing with her stepdad before he died, and she loves Elvis.” Kate nodded back toward Graceland. “You should see her bedroom; it’s filled with Elvis memorabilia. She’s an open, honest person. She’d make a great friend.”
Valerie stopped walking and crossed her arms against the warm breeze.
Kate repeated, “Don’t blame Marissa. She had no idea you existed until a few days ago.”
Valerie’s shield seemed to drop a fraction.
“Marissa wouldn’t care one way or the other if you matched her marrow,” Kate said. “She’d be happy just to meet you before she dies.”
Valerie wrinkled her brow, then glanced away as tears began to fall.
“You wouldn’t have to meet them unless you wanted to,” Kate went on. “Or if you just wanted to meet Marissa, that would be okay too. But if you could consider being tested...People do this all the time for strangers.”
“She is a stranger,” Valerie said, though the anger had diminished from her tone. “Listen, I feel bad for this
...Marissa. But you’ve sprung this on me awfully fast. I need to think. I mean...I’ve been so angry at my birth mother for so long. And now to find out I have a sister, a twin...Well, it’s an awful lot to take in.”
“I understand that.” Kate dug in her purse for a card with her name and number. “Here.” She handed the card to Valerie, who gazed down at it. “At least consider helping, even if you don’t meet. Just think about it and give me a call. Marissa doesn’t have much time left.”
Valerie nodded. “I’ll think about it.”
AS KATE DROVE the long distance from Memphis to Copper Mill that evening, she couldn’t help but feel that she’d blown it. She’d finally found and met Marissa’s twin only to be turned away.
She just prayed her failure wouldn’t be Marissa’s undoing.
She’d called Paul and told him the disappointing news. When Kate finally dragged herself into Pine Ridge, it was seven o’clock. She was exhausted, but she needed to stop at the hospital to check in on Marissa and Patricia and give them the news.
Her cell phone hadn’t rung with a call from Valerie the whole way home, though Mary had said she’d try to talk to her daughter. Considering Valerie’s reaction to any mention of her adoptive mother, Kate didn’t have much hope that that interaction would yield any results.
Parking in the hospital’s small lot, Kate made her way into the one-story brick building. The hospital was quiet, with only the occasional nurse wandering between rooms. Kate scrubbed in and donned a gown and mask, then quickly made her way down the hall to Marissa’s room.
She knocked quietly on the door and pushed it slightly open. A light was on, and she could see part of Patricia’s shoulder and the back of her head, where she sat facing Marissa’s bed. Patricia turned toward her and rose when she realized it was Kate. “You’re back!” she whispered.
Kate crept inside and saw that Marissa was asleep. The girl looked so frail, her thin cheeks sunken into her face and her skin ashen. It broke Kate’s heart to see her that way, especially with the news she had.
Patricia glanced at her daughter, then motioned for Kate to join her in the hall. When they’d closed the door to Marissa’s room, Patricia said, “So? What happened?”
Kate’s shoulders drooped, and she looked Patricia in the eye. “I met her.” Kate reached into her purse and pulled out the photo that Arnie had given her. “This is the photo I told you about.”
When Patricia’s eyes landed on her daughter’s face, they immediately became misty. “She’s beautiful,” she breathed. “She looks so much like Marissa, you’d think they were identical.”
“They aren’t?” Kate asked.
Patricia shook her head. “No.” She lifted her gaze to Kate. “Is she going to come?”
Kate shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t think so.” She glanced away as a nurse passed them in the white hallway, then looked back at her as she said, “She said she’d think about it, but she didn’t sound real encouraging...I’m so sorry. I wanted to bring you good news.”
Patricia closed her eyes. Kate could see that she was struggling with the news. No doubt she’d hoped beyond hope for the fairy-tale ending that Kate had tried to find.
“It’s okay.” Patricia touched Kate’s sleeve, the shimmer of tears in her gaze unmistakable. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you tried, how grateful I am to have a friend like you right now. You’ve encouraged me in so many ways. I’ve been praying...asking God to help us.” She laughed. “Who would have thought that? But it’s been good. Thank you, for everything.”
Kate met her eyes, and the person she saw was no longer the protective, anger-filled woman she’d first met. Instead, she saw a person of courage...and faith.
“I’ve had the best talks of my life with Marissa these last two days,” Patricia said. “Finally we’re able to be honest. I’ve lied for so long, I started to believe my own lies. But now that she knows the truth...it’s so healing. Even if it’s too late, I know we’ll be okay. I’ll be okay.”
Chapter Eighteen
On Sunday, after church and an afternoon nap, Kate wandered into her studio, a cup of steaming coffee in her hands. The stained-glass piece for the church was as she’d left it, still covered by a sheet on the worktable. Setting down her cup, she lifted the cover and neatly folded it, placing it on its designated shelf in the closet. Then she turned to gaze at her masterpiece. It seemed forever since she’d last worked on it, yet it was mostly finished. There were a few more small pieces to recut and solder, and the frame to attach, and the black patina to rub on. But that wouldn’t take any time at all. She’d have to talk to Eli Weston about readying a place for the window in the sanctuary once she had the final dimensions. It would be tricky to get that done without everyone in the church knowing about it before the final unveiling, but she’d find a way.
She thought about heading back to the hospital, but Patricia had assured her that she’d call if she needed her and that Marissa was sleeping most of the time anyway. So she set herself to work. There was something about creating that never ceased to calm her, even as the tumult that was life seemed ready to push her under.
Pulling the supplies she’d need from the drawers, she was soon engrossed in her work. When the phone rang, she almost jumped out of her skin.
“Hanlons,” she answered after the third ring.
“Is this Kate?” the voice on the other end sounded so much like Marissa, Kate knew instantly that it was Valerie. Her heart skipped a beat.
“Yes, this is Kate. Valerie?”
“I’ve decided to be tested.” The words resounded in Kate’s ears, and with them utter joy.
“I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. Marissa will be so grateful.”
“I realized,” Valerie said, “after talking with my mom, that I’d be shortchanging myself and my sister if I didn’t at least try. Life is short as it is. I can’t waste it now only to live with regrets later.”
“That’s very wise of you,” Kate said.
“Those were my mom’s words—I can’t take credit for them.” She paused as if to consider something, then said, “I’m going to be tested here in Memphis, tomorrow. I don’t know how long it takes for the results to come back...I want to meet her—my sister. I don’t know about Patricia. I’m still struggling with that one. But I do want to meet Marissa. I know time is of the essence, so I was thinking tomorrow after I get tested...?”
“That’s easy enough to arrange,” Kate said. Her mind filled with a myriad of details—getting Valerie to the hospital, calling Marissa and Patricia with the good news...“She’s still in the hospital, but you’re more than welcome to stay with me and my husband here in Copper Mill. There’s a hotel in town—the Hamilton Springs Hotel. It’s kind of pricey, though. And, of course, there’s a hotel in Pine Ridge.”
“We don’t have much money,” Valerie admitted. “And my mom would like to come too.”
“Of course,” Kate said. “There’s a foldout couch in our guest room. Tell her she’s welcome to stay here too.”
“That’s very kind of you.”
“We’re just glad you’re coming.”
KATE COULD BARELY contain herself as she dialed Marissa’s room phone. When the call finally connected, and Patricia said, “Hello,” she blurted, “She’s going to be tested!”
She heard Patricia suck in a breath. “Valerie?”
“Tomorrow, in Memphis. She just called.”
“Oh my. I need to sit down.” Then a few moments later, “What did she say?”
“She wants to meet Marissa.”
“But not me?” The disappointment in her voice was unmistakable. There was a long pause. “That’s okay,” Patricia said. Kate could sense she was trying to reassure herself.
“She might change her mind,” Kate said.
“It’s okay,” she repeated. “She doesn’t owe me anything. I’m just grateful she’s going to be tested and she wants to meet her sister.”
“No
w all we have to do is pray that she’ll be a match.”
LATER THAT AFTERNOON Kate readied the guest room that doubled as Paul’s study. She vacuumed, dusted, and changed the sheets on the foldout couch, though the ones that were on it were perfectly clean. Then she cleaned the windows that were mostly hidden behind blue curtains and set out a bouquet of fresh flowers.
When she stood back to inspect the room, Paul came up from behind and slipped his arms around her waist.
“I didn’t know you were there,” she said, leaning into his strong chest.
“The room looks ready to me,” he said, grinning. “Of course it looked ready before you even started.”
Kate nudged him with her elbow, though she didn’t pull away from his embrace.
“This is a good thing you’re doing,” he said. “Having Valerie and her mother here. You’ve been a good friend.”
She turned to face him. “It isn’t anything you wouldn’t do yourself.” She smiled up into his eyes, and he bent to kiss her.
“I love you,” he said.
“I know.” She pulled from his grasp.
“Did you also know that you left the door to your studio open?” He lifted a flirtatious brow.
“You didn’t see my surprise, did you?” She punched his arm.
Paul feigned injury, clutching the spot where she’d hit him. “I didn’t see a thing,” he said. “Just mentioned that the door was open. You don’t have to be so distrustful!”
“Paul Hanlon!” She was grinning at him. “Your teasing is going to get you into big trouble someday!”
Kate marched down the hall to the open studio and shut the door, this time making sure it was locked. She held the key out of his reach. “Now you can’t snoop.”
“So you think...Ow,” he said as he rubbed his arm, “you really hurt me.”
AFTER HIS CONVERSATION with Jack the previous Wednesday, Paul hadn’t had a chance to talk to Carl. He’d hoped the brothers would finally talk their differences through themselves, yet Jack continued to live with his Aunt Susan. So when Paul had a free hour in his schedule late that Sunday afternoon, he made the short drive to the Wilson brothers’ home behind Weston’s Antiques.
