Will's jaw clenched. "Go on."
"Having lost the boy she loved and her baby, my mother was devastated, and she never got over it. She moved to New York to go to college and has lived there ever since. After I met my mother last week, I decided to search for my father. It wasn't easy because he assumed a new identity, but my grandfather did finally tell me his name. I was wondering if you might know him." She slid a picture of her parents across the desk to him.
Will looked at the picture and then at her. Tears cascaded down his face. "You're my...oh my God, you're my daughter?"
Grace nodded, her whole body trembling now.
Without another word, he came around the desk and scooped her into his arms. "Now I see why you looked so familiar." He drew back. "You look like me.""
Grace laughed. "I know. It's pretty amazing, right?"
Will grinned. "Yeah, pretty darn amazing." He pulled her into another embrace before sitting in the chair opposite hers. "Does June know you''re here?"
"No. She's at the hospital with Edward. He had a heart attack a few days ago."
"I wish I could say I'm sorry to hear that," he said. "Is your mother okay?"
"Yes, she's fine. She's searched for you, but she was never able to find you because she was looking for Guillermo Torres. She didn''t know you changed your name. She said she saw you once, in New York. She was hit by a car one day and she said she saw you standing over her."
"That was June?" He leaned heavily back in the chair. "I went to see her that night. Her face was swollen and bruised and mostly covered in bandages, but when I touched her hand, there was something comforting and familiar about her. She had no identification on her, so they didn't know her name then. I'm so glad to hear she survived. But what I don't understand is, why you weren't able to find your mother after you got your birth certificate from the court?"
"Because Edward forged the birth certificate. The name on it was Elena Borgese, not June Crandall."
"June's mother," Will said numbly.
"That's why I could never find her."
Will walked across the room to look out the window. The phone on his desk buzzed.
He turned to her. "Grace, I've got to go right now. How long are you in town for? Can we have dinner tonight?"
"Until tomorrow, and dinner would be great."
He pulled her into his arms and held her. When he drew back, he studied her. "You should know, I have thought about you and your mother almost every day for the past twenty-seven years. I can't wait to spend more time with you.""
They made arrangements and she turned to leave. On her way out, she pointed to the painting. "It's her, you know. In the painting. It's my mother. I know because I painted it.""
Chapter Forty
Grace called Antonio and told him about the meeting with her father. "He was so happy, Antonio, and he still loves Mom--I know it."
"Don't go playing matchmaker, honey. If it's going to happen, let it happen on its own."
"Yeah, right. Gotta go get ready for dinner. I'll call or text later. Love you."
Will picked her up at seven o'clock sharp and took her to a place he said he thought she'd enjoy. It catered to a young crowd and he swore it served the best Mexican food in town. They ordered margaritas and munched on chips and salsa while they caught up on the past twenty-seven years.
She told him about her childhood--the CliffsNotes version--about school and her work, and about Antonio. She told him about his work at Project, Free the Innocent.
"He sounds like a good man," Will said.
Peering at him from above the rim of her margarita glass, she nodded slowly. "Yes, he is." From what she could see, her father was a good man, too. Except for the fact that he walked out on her mother when she was pregnant.
"Dad...is it okay if I call you that?"
Will's smile was immediate. "I'd be honored, sweetheart."
His smile was contagious. "Okay then. Can I ask...are you happy?"
Will leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap. "Happiness comes in degrees, Grace. I love my profession because I get to change people's lives. It humbles me, and it makes me grateful for my talent. I was married once, and I loved my wife very much, but in the end she couldn't handle being a doctor's wife. We divorced a long time ago. I love my family and I have great friends, so in many respects, yes, I'm happy. But losing you and your mother changed me, too. There's been a special place in my heart reserved only for the two of you, a place nobody else can touch."
"Then why didn't you ever get in touch with her?" Grace asked.
"Because I didn't think she wanted me. She never answered my letters, and after the baby...after we thought you had died, I figured she just wanted to move on with her life. I thought her silence was her way of telling me that."
Grace sat straight-backed in her chair. "Wait, you wrote to her? After you left, you wrote her?"
"Practically every day. For more than a year. But she never wrote back. I even tried calling a few times. Then I received a note from Benjamin telling me that the baby--that you--had died. He told me June was doing fine and moving on with her life, and that I should do the same."
Heat traveled from her neck to her cheeks. "Dad, Mom never received any letters from you."
Will's mouth tightened into a thin line. "Edward must have stolen the letters. Dammit, I should've known."
Grace reached across the table and touched his hand. "Don't blame yourself, dad. You were young, and you did the best you could." Her own anger toward Edward surfaced again, but she pushed it aside. She would not let him take this away from her. "It's all just...tragic."
He nodded. "But here you are, sitting before me. I just cannot believe it. You look like your mother, you know. Like both of us, actually. I know you have a birthday coming up in a few weeks. I'd like to come to New York to celebrate with you.""
Her smile filled the room. "And Mom?"
"Yes, and your mother, and your husband. By the way, am I a grandfather?"
Grace smiled. "Not yet, but hopefully soon." She'd been thinking about it the past few days and wanted to start trying right away. ""So, you'll really come to New York?"
He nodded and paid the bill, and they walked out arm in arm. Father and daughter, and all was right in her world. He dropped her off and kissed her goodbye, promising to see her soon.
She called her mother that night to see how Edward was doing. "He's doing remarkably well," she said. "He may get out of the hospital by the end of the week."
"Have you talked to him? About what happened?"
"No. Bernie's been with him, and I've kept my distance. Sometimes I think I should just forgive him, and other times I can''t even imagine forgiving him. In the end, I've decided that I will forgive him, but only if he admits what he's done and shows me that he is truly sorry. Where are you, anyway?""
"Uh, I'm following up on an assignment I've been working on for a while." She didn't like lying to her mother, but...it wasn't a complete lie.
"Okay, my darling, you be safe. When will I see you?"
"How about dinner tomorrow night?" Grace asked, barely able to conceal her excitement.
"Sounds perfect. I could use the break. Luigi's at eight o'clock?"
"See you then, Mom. I love you."
"I love you more."
It was difficult keeping the fact that she'd found her father under wraps, but she wanted to surprise her mother. She would wait until her father was in town and arrange a reunion.
Over chocolate soufflés and cappuccinos at Luigi's the following night, June unveiled her own surprise. "I'd like to have a coming out party next week with all of my friends, to introduce you to them. None of them know anything about you, except for my childhood friend, Julie. She's the one responsible for bringing us together--she gave me your book for my birthday. I was thinking about next Friday. What do you think?""
"Sounds like fun."
The party was set for Friday night. June invited many of her fri
ends from the university, telling them only that she had a very important announcement to make and no, she wasn't getting married. She invited Paul, too. "I know we''re not together anymore," she said, "but you're still very important to me, and I have some news I would like to share. Will you come?"
Paul nodded. "I would be delighted."
During the week June had dinner with Julie Carr, her best friend since high school. June had been a loner in school, but when Julie moved to Beverly Hills from New York, they hit it off immediately. Julie was the only one of June's friends who had known about Will and the baby.
June had been ignoring Julie's calls for the past couple of weeks because she wasn't ready to tell anyone about Grace, and she didn't trust herself to keep that kind of news under wraps. But she thought it only fair to share the news with the person responsible for bringing her and Grace together.
"So, remember that book you gave me for my birthday?" she asked when the waiter had brought their drinks.
Julie nodded. "Have you read it yet?"
"Yes, I've read it. And right after I finished it, I saw that the author was having a book signing. So I went."
"And?"
June's face lit up. "And...I met my daughter."
Julie leapt from the table, spilling both their drinks and knocking the basket of rolls to the floor.
"Oh, my God! The author of that book was your daughter?"
Julie sat back down and a waiter came over to clean up the mess.
"Yes, and if it weren't for you, I might never have found her. Thank you, Julie, for giving me my daughter."
"I just can't believe it! You're sure, right?"
"Absolutely. You can meet her Friday night. Bring Jerome, too." June had been maid of honor at Julie and Jerome's wedding the summer after they graduated from college.
"Are you kidding? We wouldn't miss it for the world."
The guests arrived at June's apartment and were buzzing with excitement about June's big news. Bernie had come as well, despite Edward's objections. Bernie told June he wasn''t happy about being left alone for the evening, but he had been recovering even quicker than the doctors expected, so Bernie had simply ignored his ranting and left the penthouse.
June had already told her the good news, but Bernie had not yet met Grace. She asked Grace to arrive later so that nobody would guess the news before she was ready. Grace and Antonio arrived at nine o'clock, and June gathered everyone around for the big announcement.
"Thank you all for coming." She looked at her daughter, who smiled encouragingly, and turned to face her guests. "When I was sixteen, I fell in love with a boy and got pregnant. They told me at the time that my baby had died, but two weeks ago I learned the truth. Everyone, I would like for you to meet my beautiful daughter, Grace Elizabeth Adams, and her husband, Antonio Ramos."
The reaction was everything June imagined--shock and then sheer joy. Grace mingled among them and met all of her mother's friends, including Paul. "I''m so pleased to meet you, Paul. My mother has told me many wonderful things about you."
"Thank you, Grace. This is the most amazing news I've ever heard. I'm so happy for you and your mother."
Grace smiled at Paul and continued mingling. Before she left her mother's that night, Grace told her that she was throwing herself a birthday party in two weeks, and asked June whether she'd be willing to help.
"Yes, of course I will! I've always dreamed of planning my daughter's birthday party."
"Mom, no princesses," she said, hands on hips.
"Oh, you're no fun."
Grace kissed her mother goodnight. "I'll call you this week."
Chapter Forty-One
Grace spoke to her father on the phone and by email frequently after her visit to Texas. He agreed to arrive the day before her birthday. The party would be at Le Grenouille. The reservation was for eight o'clock. She asked her mother to come over for drinks an hour early. She asked her father to come at six.
Antonio was meeting them at the restaurant, so he wouldn't get in her way. He knew nothing of his wife's plan. She'd made sure of it.
When the day arrived, Grace got ready early and fussed around the kitchen until her father arrived. When he did, she gave him the grand tour of the loft and showed him some of her work. He was impressed with her talent and told her so. As he was leaving her studio, he saw her stuffed bear sitting on top of an old chest and asked her about it.
"That's Theodore Izzle," she answered. "I''ve had him since I was a baby. Why do you ask?"
"Who gave it to you?"
"They told me that it was my mother's." As she said it, she realized she had never asked her mother about the bear. Theodore Izzle was so much a part of her life that she hardly noticed him anymore.
"She called him Sir Snuggles. Her mother gave it to her when she went into kindergarten because she was afraid. Her mother told her that the bear would give her courage. She loved that thing. She used to tell me he was the only one who could comfort her when she was scared or sad. She brought him to a few of our picnics. He used to have a huge red ribbon around his neck, and she''d written 'Property of June Crandall' on it."
Grace blinked. There had once been a ribbon, but it had disappeared so long ago that she'd forgotten it. "That's it. That''s the link between us. I must've remembered the name from the ribbon." She picked up the old bear.
"This little guy gave us both courage. Every time something bad happened to me, I would squeeze my eyes closed and hold him tight. He would take me somewhere far away, to a place where there was someone to love me, and protect me. He took me to my mother."
"How did you know it was your mom in those dreams?"
"Well, I didn't until recently, but the face was the same in every dream and so was her name."
"That is some magic bear." He took the old bear from her and gave him a squeeze. "Thank you, Theodore Izzle," he whispered into the old bear's ear. "Thanks for taking care of my girls, and bringing them together."
Glancing at the clock, Grace's stomach twisted like a long, winding road. It was almost seven o'clock and she knew her mother would be there soon. She offered her father a glass of wine and poured one for herself, taking a big gulp.
"Nervous about something?" he asked.
"Dad, I should have told you this, but Mom is coming over soon. By soon I mean, like, any second now."
"Well, I figured I would be seeing her this weekend."
She eyed him suspiciously. "Just like that? You're not all worried about seeing her?"
He chuckled. "Actually I'm a nervous wreck. But don't forget, I'm a doctor." He set his glass down and held out steady hands. "Never let them see you sweat. It's part of the Hippocratic Oath.""
"Uh huh. But...you should know that she has no idea you're coming. She doesn't even know I've met you. Or that I found you. I thought it would be more...fun to surprise her."
He laughed heartily. "You don't know your mother very well yet, Grace. She hates surprises. Of course, that doesn't mean it won''t be fun for me."
When the doorbell rang, every nerve ending in her body pulsed. She looked wide-eyed at her father, who tossed his hands up in the air. "Hey, this is your plan. I'm just going to stand right here and watch it unfold."
Grace gave him the stink eye. "Thanks a lot." She raced to the front door, took a deep breath and pulled it open.
"Happy birthday!" June said.
Grace grabbed her mother by the arm and yanked her inside.
June was holding a chilled bottle of champagne in her hand, and she looked around. "Where's Antonio?"
"Um, he's at work. Mom, I have to run downstairs to the store for something. You know where the glasses are. Go ahead and pour, and I'll be right back.""
Her mother looked at her, brows scrunched together. "But--"
"Gotta run," Grace said, and bolted out the front door.
June stood looking at the door in shock.
"June?"
The voice behind her was quiet. And vaguely familiar
. She turned around slowly and took in the figure standing across the room. The bottle of champagne she was holding crashed to the floor and her knees buckled.
Will ran to her, catching her just before she collapsed.
When she had recovered a bit, she took a step backward and took in the sight of him. "Will? Is it you?"
He smiled at her. "Yes, it's me."
Her hands flew to her mouth and she cried out. "Oh, my God, it's really you. I can't believe it."
He moved even closer and opened his arms. She went to him and folded herself into them. She squeezed her eyes shut and breathed in the scent of him. He smelled different, yet oddly familiar. She stepped back but kept ahold of his hands. "Look at you--you''re all grown up!"
He laughed. "Yes, we are, silly girl, and so is our daughter. And you're just as beautiful as I remember. Even more so."
"I...no. I'm sorry, I didn't know she''d found you. It would have been nice if she had prepared me for this. Wow, you're even more handsome than I remembered. How are you? How is your family? Did you become a doctor? I'm sorry for rambling, but I do that when I get nervous.""
"I remember," he said.
Will poured her a glass of wine and led her by the hand to the living room. "Come on, let's sit down and get acquainted again."
June stared up at him, wineglass in her hand, unsure of what to say. Suddenly the boy she'd loved, the boy who'd left her when he learned she was pregnant, was now a grown man and was sitting right beside her. "I don't even know where to start," she said. "Where did you go when you left?"
He looked down at their hands, interlocked. "Texas. Your grandfather gave us new identities, and he got my father a job at a ranch just outside of Austin. We lived there until I went to college. Your grandfather paid for my education, including medical school."
The Many Lives of June Crandall Page 23
