by ADAMS, J.
“What are you doing in here, girl?” Gladys growls, her glassy eyes suspicious.
Sadie’s smile is tense. “I was just asking Michael what he would like for dinner tonight. I was going to go out and buy him something special.”
Gladys moves her hateful eyes to Phillip. “What did he say?”
Sadie clears her throat. “He said he wanted pizza.”
“What else did he tell you,” Gladys asks, moving closer, staring at her through hardened eyes.
Sadie rears back a little to avoid the stench of alcohol permeating around the woman. “He didn’t say anything else, just pizza. He never says anything, and frankly I was surprised he even answered me.” She manages to keep her voice calm.
Gladys stares at Sadie a moment longer. Her head is still fuzzy, but she doesn’t believe her, and she isn’t willing to take any chances, just in case Phillip told her anything. “That boy don’t need no pizza tonight. Just fix him something else.” She isn’t about to let Sadie out of the house now that Phillip has spoken. Until now, she'd never worried much because he had been too afraid to talk, but she will have to be more careful now.
Sadie remains expressionless, but her stomach is in knots. Her plan for the moment is blown. She turns to Phillip. “I guess you will just have to deal with hot dogs again tonight, kid.” She keeps her voice monotone, but a casual wink, unseen by Gladys conveys to Phillip she had meant what she said to him. She will find a way to get him back to his family.
Sixty-seven
Sitting at the kitchen table with a steaming cup of hot chocolate, I make a list of things I need to buy for our Thanksgiving meal. I will probably be sick in the morning, but I am determined to get all the cooking done. Thankfully, I have a whole day to prepare, and I have Adagio and Jessica here to help, which will make things easier.
Last week I invited Velma and Ted, as well as Pete and Dona to spend the holidays with us, but they all have plans. Velma and Ted are heading out tomorrow morning to spend Thanksgiving with his family in New York. Pete and Dona are driving up to Virginia to spend the holidays with their son. I'm a little sad they will all be gone because I've grown so used to having them around now, but I understand they have their own lives.
Checking my list over, I add a few more things like crackers, croissants, and more juice, because I will definitely need them for a while. Smiling, I press a hand over my flat stomach. We have hoped for more children, and this pregnancy has come right when I need something to help lift my spirits. When we told Jessica the news earlier in the day, she was so happy for us, she cried. I'm so grateful to have her here, and once Phillip is found and we go back to Italy, I will miss her more than I can say. I make a mental note to talk to Adagio about taking another trip to Salt Lake City next year.
I stir my chocolate and take a sip, savoring its sweet warmth while my thoughts again turn to our missing son. I pray he is somewhere warm and getting enough to eat, and I hope he remembers what I taught him about praying when he is afraid or sad.
Closing my eyes tightly, I try unsuccessfully to fight the tears that come as I picture Phillip on his knees offering up humble prayers to heaven.
He is all right. He will be back with us soon.
I remind myself to remain positive and have faith. Willing away the sadness, I dry my eyes and shift my thoughts elsewhere. I am startled by the sound of the doorbell. A moment later Adagio sticks his head in the kitchen.
“Amore, someone is here to see you. She said she was a guest at the wedding, but I do not recall seeing her there.”
I'm instantly curious. “All right, I’ll be right there.” I fold the list and put it in my pocket before going to the living room. The young woman is sitting on the sofa. I don’t recognize her from the wedding, either. Of course, there were a lot of guests. “Hello.”
The woman stands. “Hello. “I’m Janet Cook.” She extends her hand and and I shake it firmly. “I’m an old acquaintance of Velma's and I wasn't at the reception long, so I didn't have a chance to meet you.”
“Well, I'm glad I have the pleasure of meeting you now.”
“I’m happy to meet you, too. I hope I’m not keeping you from anything, but I just felt the need to see you.”
“No, I’m not busy at all.” I gesture to the sofa. “Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
“Well, thank you for coming to visit. I’m always happy to meet new people. What brings you by?”
“Well . . . I uh . . . I just wanted to tell you how sorry I was to hear about your little boy.”
“Thank you.” I am moved by this woman’s compassion for someone she has never met until today. The support we've received from new friends and neighbors means a great deal, and we will never be able to repay their kindness. I notice Janet wringing her hands nervously.
“Do you have children?”
Tears fill her eyes. “I had a little girl. I lost her about four years ago. She was only three.”
“I’m so sorry.” I lean forward and squeeze her hand gently, my heart going out to her. “Do you mind if I ask what happened?”
“Not at all. That is why I felt such a strong need to meet you. You see, my ex-husband was a very hard man. He was abusive, not physically, but verbally and emotionally. When I finally divorced him after three years of dealing with his abuse, he swore he would get even with me.” She chuckles bitterly. “Well, he got even with me all right. He took Kelly from me. He took her from a friend’s home one day while I was at work. The police were never able to find him. They think he left the country.”
I wipe at the tears that come nonstop before moving to the sofa and hugging her. We know nothing about each other, yet we share a common bond. That her story is so much like mine is uncanny. I move back, looking into the woman's eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you. It’s a little easier now, not much but a little. I still pray every day that he is taking care of her and keeping her safe. In my heart I feel she is okay, but it’s still hard knowing she is out there in the world somewhere and I might not ever see her again.” She squeezes my hand. “I hope things turn out different for you. I hope you get your son back.”
“We pray for that every day as well. And I hope you will get to see your daughter again.”
Janet nods, her voice catching in her throat. “I want that more than anything.”
I smile sadly, aching for her. I've just finished drying my face when Adagio walks in.
“Is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine.” I motion for him to join us. He sits next to me and I tell him about Janet's missing daughter. Compassion immediately fill his eyes and he expresses his sympathy to Janet.
We talk with her for a while longer and a friendship quickly forms between us. Her visit helps me to remember I really am not the only mother in the world suffering the pain of having a child taken from her. I'm grateful she came, and grateful for the opportunity to get to know her.
“Do you have plans for the holidays?” I ask.
“Actually, I do. My sister has invited me to spend Thanksgiving with her family in Nashville.”
“That’s good. But if something should happen and your plans fall through, you’re definitely welcome here.”
“Thank you,” Janet says with a smile.
Before she leaves, I hug her and thank her again for coming to see me. She promises to keep in touch.
Moving to the window, I watch her drive away, again grateful to have made a friend.
“She is a great lady,” Adagio says, moving behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“She is.” I sigh, leaning my head back against his shoulder. “But she has no one to lean on.” Reaching back, I press a hand to his face. “Thank you for being a steady rock, for loving me unconditionally and not giving up on me.”
My eyes slip shut as his lips rummage my ear, the sensation sending instant heat through me. I release a breathy sigh as his mouth languorously explores the side of my ne
ck, searing a burning path to my temple. Oh, what he does to me!
“That will never change, baby,” he finally whispers against my ear, producing a warm shiver. Turning me in his arms, he lightly presses his mouth to mine, whispering again, “That will never change.”
Sixty-eight
Dublin, Georgia Sadie turns over in the darkness and looks at the clock. It is just past midnight. Getting up, she quietly dresses in the jeans and sweater she had placed on the chair earlier. With thoughts of what she'd planned running through her head earlier, she had known she wouldn’t be able to sleep, but she’d dressed for bed anyway. The last thing she had wanted to do was give Gladys any cause for suspicion.
Sadie had felt Gladys watching her throughout the evening, and remembering the hateful way the woman looked at her before she went to bed makes her shudder. She shakes her head, still not able to believe she is having to plan an escape from her own home.
She quickly puts on some socks and a pair of running shoes, and locates her purse and jacket. Opening her dresser drawer, she takes a large wad of cash from under the folded clothes and stuffs it in the pocket of her jeans. Taking a deep breath, she turns off the bedroom light and quickly moves down the hall to Phillip’s room.
Sadie quietly opens the door and whispers Phillip’s name. After shaking him gently, he sits up and rubs the sleep from his eyes, trying to adjust them in the darkness.
“Come on, honey. I’m going to get you out of here.” She unfolds a small blanket and wraps it around him, wishing she had a coat that would fit him. She places her hand against his cheek. “Everything is going to be okay. But we have to be really quiet, all right?”
Phillip nods and grips her hand, anticipating being with his parents again. Thoughts of seeing them and his brother had made it hard for him to fall asleep.
“Are you ready?” she whispers and Phillip nods, holding tightly to her hand. Sadie turns toward the door, and they begin quietly making her way down the hallway when something hard crashes against her head. The last thing she hears is Phillip’s scream before losing consciousness.
I silently lay in bed next to Adagio and look through the window at the moonlit forest. I don’t know why I have awakened, and the harder I try to go back to sleep, the more sleep eludes me. Not wanting to wake him, I quietly slip out of bed and go to the kitchen, deciding a cup of chamomile tea might help. I don't normally have a problem sleeping when I'm pregnant, but staying awake is usually a challenge.
Taking my tea to the living room, I stretch out on the sofa and try to relax. I sip my tea and mentally tally up all the things I need to do to prepare for Thanksgiving. I am glad for all the work because it keeps me busy and my mind occupied. It would be so easy to dwell on the fact that our son won’t be sharing the holiday with us, but I can’t allow myself to do that. I want to make the day as special as I can for my family, and I need to be emotionally in tact to do that.
I run a hand back through my shoulder-length hair, still trying to get used to the new length. I got it cut last week after years of wearing it down my back. The stylist I went to did a good job and I am pleased with her new look. I still wear it straight, but the layered ends are slightly turned under, softly framing my face. I also have wispy bangs, which give me a youthful appearance. I smile, remembering the look on Adagio’s face when I came home. He told her over and over how beautiful I looked and couldn’t stop staring. Of course he always thinks I am beautiful. I just felt like I needed a change. And being pregnant, it will grow out again soon.
Rubbing my tired eyes, I look around the spacious living room, sighing as I take it in. It truly is a beautiful condo and I'm grateful to finally be emotionally whole enough to appreciate its beauty. I remember how I often rode the bus through this neighborhood when I was younger, gazing at the elegant homes. I recall passing these very condos, trying to imagine what the interior of one was like, and I ponder the irony.
I could never have guessed I would again be living in the town I grew up in. It hadn't been a part of my plans. But things don't always go quite the way you plan. I am forever discovering this fact the hard way, but I also know this life is a learning process, and I am okay with that.
I am just finishing my tea when Adagio appears in the doorway. He doesn't sleep well when I'm not beside him and I am the same. He pushes a hand back through his disheveled hair. “Can you not sleep, amore?”
“I’m having a hard time relaxing. Can you believe it? Me, pregnant and not able to sleep?”
Joining me on the sofa, he begins to gently massage my shoulders. “Things are different with this pregnancy. You are going through so much right now. We all are.” He sighs wearily. “And things are not the same without Phillip. How can they be?”
I close my eyes against the burning tears, but they escape anyway. “I miss him so much.” I press a hand against my mouth as a muffled sob escapes.
Adagio turns me and pulls me against his chest as his own tears come. “I miss him too, baby” he says pressing his lips into my hair. “I miss him so much it hurts. But I know everything will be all right.”
Drawing back a little, I look into his eyes. “Me too. But thank you for reminding me and for being strong enough for the both of us.”
“I draw a lot of my strength from you these days.” He kisses my brow.
Smiling, I rest my head against his chest, basking in the love we share. I finally close my eyes and try to clear my mind, focusing only on positive things. I can’t dwell on the negative and still keep my sanity.
When Cisely’s breathing deepens and she is asleep, Adagio tilts her head back slightly and gazes down at her face. Pulling her closer, he presses his lips to her brow, breathing in the scent of her hair. How he loves this woman! She is in his every thought, his every dream, and he needs her like he needs air to breathe. He can’t even sleep unless she is within his reach. Her presence fills him, and he can barely remember what his life was like without her.
“I love you, baby,” he whispers against her brow. “ Il mio bello angelo.” His lips linger on her forehead a moment longer before he stands, lifting her in his arms.
She awakens and smiles sleepily as he carries her, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You’re so good to me,” she says softly.
He kisses her lips and gently places her on the bed. “And I always will be.”
Sixty-nine
Dublin, Georgia Sadie presses her hand against the back of her throbbing head, the pain growing worse with each movement. Though she’d never been hit by a truck, she can’t imagine it feeling any worse. Pushing herself up enough to reach the light switch, she leans against the wall to keep from falling. Tears seep from her closed eyes as she thinks about Phillip and the danger he is in.
It’s all my fault . How could I have been so careless?
Holding the back of her head, she staggers to the bathroom and turns on the light, not the least bit shocked to see blood on her hand when she pulls it away from her head. If she did this to me, there’s no telling what she will do to Phillip. She moans as pain shoots through her whole head. I have to get help.
Sadie presses a towel to the wound and winces. She picks up the phone on the table near the bathroom door to call the police, but the line is dead.
I should have known.
Pulling on the cord, she finds that it has been cut, certain the other two probably are as well. Staggering back down the hallway, she picks up her purse, futilely searching for her car keys, then moves as quickly as she can to the front window only to discover her car is no longer there.
It figures.
Sadie lives so far away from town, she will have to walk two miles to get to the nearest bus stop, and there aren’t any buses running this time of night. She realizes the remote location of her home is probably one of the reasons Gladys chose to stay there. Feeling her pocket, she sighs with relief, grateful Gladys hadn’t thought to search them. She still has the cash she’d stuffed in them earlier.
With a
great deal of effort, Sadie puts on a heavier coat. The walk will be hard, but she has no choice. She needs to get to the police and tell them about Phillip. And she is determined to make it to the station.
Even if it kills her.
Sadie collapses onto the bus stop bench. She is in so much pain, she wonders if she can make it all the way into town. Leaning forward, she holds her head in her hands, trying to catch her breath and find some relief. She closes her eyes and begins to cry, not able to believe her life has come to this. For over two months now, she has been most likely harboring a fugitive. She has housed an evil woman who kidnapped a child and caused misery to a family.
Slowly lifting her head, Sadie takes a deep breath. She is miserable but continues to fight thoughts of her own discomfort. She has to, because there is a little boy out there somewhere who needs her to fight for him. She is the only one who can.
Biting back the pain, she focuses on the Christmas advertisements posted on the acrylic shelter around the bench. She has never taken the bus, because she’s always had reliable transportation, and even if she didn’t, the prospect of a two mile walk to the bus stop every day isn’t very appealing. Each time she passes this stop on her way to work, she notices it is covered with advertisements for one thing or another. She wonders how many people in her neck of the woods ever venture to any of the expensive stores advertised there. She doubts many can afford it. She definitely can’t.
Turning and letting her eyes scan the various posters, her heart literally stops for a second, her eyes growing large as Phillip’s face stares back at her from a missing child poster next to a photo of Gladys. Her voice catches as she reads the information under the pictures.
Adagio Phillip St. John II
Age: 5
Race: Biracial – Black/Italian descent
Height: 4 feet 2 inches
