Natasha's Legacy

by Heather Greenis

  “I think I’ll wait until I see them to tell them about our trip.”

  “Good idea. I plan to talk to my parents about the sightseeing this afternoon. Your dream will make a good dinner conversation on Sunday.”

  Three quarters of an hour later, Will and Keeghan thanked his parents for looking after the dog. With Constable settled on the back seat, Keeghan sat behind the steering wheel, did up her seatbelt, and backed out of the driveway. Will removed his cell from its case on his belt buckle, turned off the bluetooth and pushed the memory buttons.

  “Hi. Glad you’re home. Keeghan and I are back from our little holiday. How would you like some company?”

  Keeghan glanced toward Will as he extended his arm, allowing her to speak into the phone. “Hi, Papa.”

  Will put the phone to his ear. “Constable is with us and I don’t want to leave her alone in the car after being away for a week. Is it okay if we bring her up with us?” Will smiled. “Great. Unless we get into traffic, we will be there in about a half hour.”

  Ending the call, Will shifted his body toward the back seat to look at his pet.

  “We are going for another visit, Constable. You have to be a good girl with no barking. Just curl up by my feet and have a little nap. I’ve been told you had a long walk this morning and you ran in the park so I’m sure you could use the sleep.”

  Stopping by their home, Will set the luggage inside the door, picked up a box, and returned to the car while Keeghan waited with their dog.

  At the condominium, William pushed the buzzer, waited for the door to open, and followed Keeghan and Constable to the elevator. Reaching the sixth floor, they looked down the hall to see a familiar face. Will’s papa stood in his slippers with one hand on the door, the other tucked between his shirt and his suspenders. Constable’s tail began to wag the moment she saw him. Will released the leash and the dog rushed to greet him.

  “My gosh, you’d think you hadn’t seen me in months. Lucas brought you over yesterday, Constable.” He gave the dog a scrunch on the head before turning his attention to them. “I was happy to get your phone call,” Papa remarked. “Lucas bookmarked your flight information for me so I knew you had landed on schedule, but I always appreciate hearing your voice.”

  Both Keeghan and Will gave his grandfather a hug and walked into his home. Will’s papa owned a large, one-bedroom condo with an open-concept kitchen that looked toward the living room and the eating area. The living room was dominated by a three cushion sofa, two wing chairs, and a reclining chair facing his forty-two inch flat screen television. A stereo and a digital video recorder were on the shelf below. His corner apartment had a multitude of windows giving him a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. From his balcony, they could see the Rockies in the distance. To Keeghan, it was a little piece of heaven. Between the door to his bedroom and the door to the washroom, stood a small desk with a laptop computer that Will and Keeghan gave him when they upgraded. Will had bookmarked the stock market exchange and a news home page so he could follow the movement of his favourite stocks. Keeghan walked over to the stereo and turned down the jazz music. Will sat on the sofa.

  “Stay,” Will instructed the dog, pointing at his feet.

  “Would you like wine, juice, or beer?” Papa asked. He opened the fridge door.

  “I’ll have cranberry juice,” Keeghan responded.

  “I’d love a cold beer,” Will replied.

  “Good. I always appreciate company when I enjoy a beer.”

  Papa handed Will his bottle and sat on his burgundy leather reclining chair, taking his first sip.

  “I’m hoping you’re planning to tell me you’re expecting a little one.”

  “Not yet, Papa,” Keeghan admitted.

  “I’m not getting any younger. Can you tell me before you tell William?” he teased.

  “No-o-,” Will snarled. It quickly turned to a chuckle as Papa winked at her. “I plan to be with Keegh when she finds out.”

  “But I will tell you a secret.” Keeghan leaned forward. “We’re not trying to avoid it anymore.”

  His face lit up. “That’s the best news I’ve heard in a while.”

  “Papa, would you tell me the story of my heritage?” Will asked.

  Papa’s body shifted back. There were times Keeghan appreciated his blunt, straightforward statements, but this wasn’t one of them. She loved Papa’s wit, not seeing him defensive.

  “You’ve never been interested in this before. Why now?”

  “I need to know.”

  Will’s grandfather’s eyes shifted from Will to Keeghan and back to Will. “Nana and I—”

  “Ugh,” William groaned. He glanced at Keeghan and then back to his papa. “Further back. Tell me about Natasha and Stewart.”

  Papa Victor slumped in his chair. The bottle slipped through his hands, landing upright on his lap. Constable sat up and looked between the adults. The smile disappeared from Papa's face. You could cut the tension with a knife. Keeghan glared at Will.

  “That was far too blunt and forceful.”

  Will rubbed the dog’s head. “Papa, please. I need to know,” Will begged, ignoring Keeghan’s glaring plea.

  “Where did you come up with names like that?”

  “Papa!”

  “Your father isn’t aware of his heritage. How did you find out?”

  “Keeghan has been having dreams. Alexander has been telling her an interesting story.”

  “Alexander? Uncle Alex?”

  Keeghan's jaw dropped. Could it be true? Papa. Will’s grandfather, Victor Hetherington is administering the trust fund for the orphanage. Is it possible that Papa is a descendent of Stewart and Natasha Donovan? That Will is a descendent?

  “We think so, Papa,” Will responded. “We just got back from a trip to Kassima. We went through some archived school books from Picton University and we went to the Venderkemp Orphanage.”

  “Oh my God,” his papa exclaimed. “I’m shocked. You went to see the orphanage? How does it look?”

  “Amazing,” Keeghan announced. “Just the way I saw it in my dream. It’s a beautiful story. Why keep it a secret from Will and his dad?”

  Papa Victor smiled, but then his eyes teared up. “Nana Hope turned that story into something beautiful. Their lives would have been very different had she not fallen in love with Papa Adam.”

  Keeghan's eyes filled with tears. This family she had dreamed about, grown to love, was Will’s family, their family. There were so many questions she’d wanted to ask Alex. So many things she wanted to say.

  Now she could. She could speak with Papa. “Alex told me a detailed story, but when I tried to talk to him in my dream, he didn’t respond very often. He never voiced his opinion as the story unfolded. I’m hoping you can fill in some of the gaps.”

  “It was a long time ago, long before I was born. I read the diary and the journal. I was told stories as I grew, but it’s been years since I’ve thought about it.”

  “Take your time,” Will encouraged.

  “Alex spoke to you in a dream?”

  Keeghan smiled, nodding.

  “I find that rather interesting, knowing Nana Natasha spoke to Papa Stewart in his dreams. I’d love to hear about your dream and I’ll attempt to and answer your questions as you think of them.”

  “It’s your dream, love.” Will swallowed a mouthful of beer. He settled back on the sofa with his arm around her shoulders.

  “Alex began by filling in details of Natasha’s life within the castle but the actual story started the first time Natasha saw Stewart by the river.”

  “Uncle Alex did take you to back to the beginning.”

  Papa Victor sat back and enjoyed the story as his memories came to life. His eyes watered as she mentioned Natasha’s death but the smile reappeared on his face when Izabella’s name was mentioned.

  “Bella. Nana Hope spoke so fondly of her.” Papa Victor took another sip of his beer and continued listening. His eyes began to twinkle w
hen Keeghan mentioned Adam.“Papa Adam was so shy. The first few years living with Papa Stewart, Izabella, and Nana Hope must have been interesting. Three outgoing personalities and one shy, quiet one living under the same roof. Being rather shy and quiet myself, I can’t imagine.”

  Papa Victor turned his head and looked toward Keeghan. It was no secret. Keeghan had a quiet demeanour compared to Will.

  “Can you imagine getting married and living with three Williams?” he asked.

  “Not as adults. No.” She chuckled. “Your grandson keeps me on my toes.”

  “Keep your feet planted on the ground, my dear. I doubt that will stop. Please continue.”

  Keeghan spoke of the birth of Alex and Rose and their lives growing up. It wasn’t until she mentioned the birth of Rose’s twins that Keeghan stopped herself. Without knowing what happened to Alisha, she meant to be a bit more subtle when she mentioned Papa Victor’s twin.

  “I never knew you had a twin sister,” Will injected. “Neither you or Dad have ever mentioned Alisha’s name. With a family as close as ours, I find it strange you didn’t keep in contact with your own sibling.”

  Papa Victor’s eyes swelled and the tears raced down his cheeks. He pulled a tissue from the box beside him and wiped them. “Alisha and I were inseparable as we grew up. She was the carbon copy of Momma with her spunk, while I was a bit quieter. She always encouraged me to speak up and join a conversation. During our summer vacation from school, Nana Hope and Papa Adam took us to the orphanage daily to play with the children and visit Uncle Alex and Aunt Sarah. Alisha loved children and wanted a large family of her own. A mutual friend of ours began courting Alisha and I was thrilled when he put a ring on her finger. They were married three months after I met my bride.”

  Papa Victor paused and wiped his eye. He sat very still, deep in thought. A lump formed in Keeghan’s throat. If Alisha were alive, Will would know her. Neither Will or Keeghan uttered a sound.

  “David and Alisha bought a home fairly close to Momma and Poppa’s. We remained close. Your nana and I were married the following year. Two years later, we welcomed Lucas Alexander into our home. I know Alisha and David were happy for us, but they were disappointed they didn’t have a child of their own. Lucas was a year and a half when Alisha invited the family for dinner to inform us she was pregnant. We were ecstatic for her. It had taken Aunt Vicki a long time to begin her family. I convinced Alisha she would have a houseful of babies within a few years.”

  Papa choked back his tears for a second time. Like Will and Lucas, Papa Victor was normally a happy, comical man. Keeghan wiped the tears forming in her own eyes.

  “I had never seen my twin look as happy. She was so excited about the prospect of being a momma,” he whispered, unable to stop the tears.

  Keeghan closed her eyes, but her tears continued streaming down her cheeks.

  “Alisha got incredibly sick during the final phase of her pregnancy.” Papa Victor placed his hand over his mouth. He closed his eyes. His hand dropped onto his lap as he reopened his eyes and looked at Will. "My twin sister did not survive giving birth."

  “Oh my God,” Keeghan cringed.

  “Their son passed away the following day,” Papa Victor continued.

  Keeghan placed her hands on her nauseated belly. “Hope miscarried twice. Hope and Rose must have been devastated.”

  Papa nodded. “The entire family was devastated. David and I spoke at the funeral, but he began avoiding contact with our family shortly afterward. It made losing Alisha even more difficult, so much more painful. I lost my sister, my newly born nephew, and one of my best friends within a month. David took solace in his own family and we lost touch.”

  Will jumped from his seat beside Keeghan and moved toward him. Kneeling in front of his grandfather, he held his hands.

  “I am so sorry. I had no idea.”

  “After her death, Alisha’s name wasn’t mentioned in my company. I’m sure Momma and Nana Hope talked about her in private, but never in the presence of my family.”

  Keeghan wiped her cheeks with her tissue. Will put his fist against his mouth, but a tear escaped his eye.

  “It was a long time ago, but there are days I still miss her. Especially since your nana passed.”

  “Oh Papa,” Keeghan whimpered.

  Will leaned forward and gave Papa Victor a hug before returning to his squatting position.

  “Your nana and I had wanted a larger family, but after Alisha’s death, we decided against a second child. We had a beautiful, healthy son. We were both content with that.”

  Keeghan nodded.

  “After losing my sister, I couldn’t bear the thought of losing my wife. Of raising our son on my own. I didn’t want history to repeat itself.”

  Keeghan closed her eyes and shook her head. She had never seen Papa Victor without a smile on his face. If only I'd known. I wouldn't have mentioned Alisha. I've renewed such painful memories.

  “I am so … so very sorry. Alex didn’t give me much detail about you or your sister. Alisha’s name was mentioned a few times, but I was never given your name. You were referred to as the twins.”

  Papa stared at his bottle of beer. “The spunky one was the vocal one. The women in the family always dominated conversations.” He took a deep breath and exhaled. Then he took another breath. “Obviously, I was named after Aunt Vicki and Alisha was named after Nana Natasha.”

  “Victor Alexander,” Will remarked.

  “And Alisha Elizabeth.”

  “Elizabeth. After Stewart’s momma,” Keeghan acknowledged.

  “Indeed. Momma was determined with the Hetherington surname, the Donovan connection would dominate our given names. That thrilled Nana Hope and Papa Stewart. I don’t think my poppa was given an option.”

  “The way Rose was described, that doesn’t surprise me.” Keeghan chuckled. “I don’t think Richard would argue.”

  “With such a strong family base, why did you move so far away?” Will questioned.

  “I was offered a position over here. It was a wonderful opportunity. Our families were completely supportive of the decision. They promised to visit regularly, and they did. Lucas was getting ready to head to public school, so the timing was good. As flights became more popular, Momma and Poppa came two or three times a year and at least once a year, Uncle Alex and Aunt Sarah came with them. I persuaded Alex and Sarah to visit at least once a year on their own. With my bride’s family, we had company on a regular basis. We took Lucas over a couple of times shortly after we moved but it was difficult seeing the orphanage. There was always a child that reminded me of Alisha and that was painful. The move was good for me and my family.”

  “Did Sarah and Alex ever marry? Sarah was questioning whether they were jinxed, cursed as they called it, when my dream ended.”

  “Their wedding was postponed, but they were married the year after Papa Stewart passed. Just to prove the family wasn’t cursed, they were married on what would have been Papa’s Stewart and Nana Natasha’s anniversary. You saw the romantic proposal?”

  “I saw both the proposal on the night of his birthday as well as the night at the restaurant.”

  Papa Victor chuckled. He shook his head. “Crazy fool. Uncle Alex didn’t have to show you his wall of shame.”

  “You’re too funny. I love your wit,” Keeghan admitted.

  Will looked at her and winked.

  “I’m glad Sarah made him suffer through that proposal. It was good for him since he didn’t do it right the first time. Come to think of it, poor Papa Stewart was forced to propose twice as well. I felt sorry for him. I can’t imagine getting turned down. Nana Natasha declined the engagement ring. He wasn’t expecting that any more than he expected Izabella to stop him from proposing….”

  Papa Victor looked at his grandson. “Please tell me we have been getting it right ever since.”

  “I wasn’t taking chances. Keeghan escaped from my life after high school. I wasn’t going to lose her twice. I
embarrassed her, but she smiled and let me put the ring on her finger the first time.”

  Papa Victor grinned.

  “The engagement at the restaurant was beautiful and romantic,” Keeghan recalled. “I know I was crying right along with Sarah when Alex showed her the ring.”

  Papa Victor’s face lit up. His blue eyes sparkled. “What was Uncle Alex thinking? To include the engagement but not their wedding in your dream. I don’t think it was possible for either of them to look happier. We were told it was their fifth anniversary and they wanted to renew their vows. No one questioned it. Years later, Momma joked Uncle Alex wanted another honeymoon. If you ask me, I don’t think their honeymoon ever ended. Their love for each other never did.”

  “So you remember the day?” Keeghan asked. Returning to the sofa, Will rubbed Constable’s back and then settled in beside her. “I’d love to hear details of their wedding.”

  “They exchanged vows at the orphanage, by the pond. Sarah’s brother Andrew walked her down the aisle while her parents, Ingrid, and their child sat in the front row watching. Matthew, Richard, Andrew, Ingrid and Momma Rose stood up with Uncle Alex and Aunt Sarah along with Alisha and me. To this day I still remember hearing the stories. Apparently, I noticed Nana Hope had tears running down her cheeks. Thinking she was upset, I told Alisha and she ran over to comfort her, not understanding tears of happiness. After a big hug, Alisha reminded Nana Hope that Uncle Alex and Aunt Sarah were happy. There weren’t a lot of people at the wedding, but the entire congregation could hear Alisha’s confident voice.”

  Keeghan chuckled at the young child’s innocence.

  “Papa Adam leaned over and whispered something to Alisha. Poppa Richard snuck into the aisle and assured me Nana Hope was fine, but that I needed to stand with him. I turned around to see Momma holding Alisha’s hand as they walked toward me.”

  “That would have been cute to watch,” Keeghan admitted. “Expect the unexpected when children are around.”

  “Uncle Alex was so nervous, his hands were shaking and his voice trembled. Momma and Nana Hope didn’t think he would be able to speak, but somehow, he managed to say his vows. Alisha and I danced and played with our cousins during the party afterward, like it was their first and only marriage. It was years before Uncle Alex confided the fact that was their first and only marriage. I couldn’t believe they weren’t married earlier. Contrary to nowadays, it was unheard of back then. To this day, it amazes me that Izabella shared Papa Stewart’s home, but wouldn’t marry him.”