by ADAMS, J.
A knock at the door startles them both. Peter reluctantly moves away from Sadie, the disappointment in her eyes matching his. They both turn as Helen enters the room and heave sighs of relief.
“Hi, Sadie. I just came by to make sure my son was minding his manners.”
“Actually, Mom, I wasn’t.” He takes Sadie’s hand again.
“I suspected as much.” She smiles at Sadie. “But I must admit, in this instance it’s okay. To me, anyway.”
“It’s okay with me, too,” Sadie says, gazing at Peter.
“So, I hear you’re getting out of this place tomorrow.”
“This is true.”
“Do you have any plans for Thanksgiving?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. I was invited to spend Thanksgiving in North Carolina.” Sadie then repeats what she told Peter, amazement filling her voice all over again.
“Well, that’s definitely one of the most incredible stories I’ve ever heard.”
“It truly is. I’m looking forward to getting to know Cisely and Adagio, and my half sister.”
“I’m really happy for you,” Helen says. “I had hoped to invite you to spend Thanksgiving with us, but spending it with family is more important, especially in this instance.”
“I would have really liked that,” Sadie says, meeting Peter’s gaze. She is excited for the opportunity to get to know her family, but she is also a little saddened that she won’t be able to see Peter for a few days, and she again wonders how this all happened and what she has done to be so lucky.
Peter’s eyes convey his feelings to her as well. He doesn’t want to be away from her either. But his gaze also tells her there will be plenty of opportunities to come for them to see each other. He squeezes her hand.
“Well, my other patients are probably wondering where I am. I guess I had better go and make my rounds. That’s what I get paid for.”
Helen grins. “I’m glad you haven’t forgotten that, son. And I guess I had better go and make sure things are getting done in housekeeping.”
Sadie smiles at mother and son. “Thank you again, Helen, for picking me up last night. Thank you for everything.”
“You’re very welcome. And thank you for giving my son a reason to smile.”
Sadie's gaze returns to Peter as he raises her hand to his lips, kissing it softly. “The feeling is definitely mutual.”
Seventy-seven
Charleston, South Carolina Gladys fights to keep her droopy eyes open as she sloppily pours another glass of liquor. The clear liquid splashes over the sides, leaving a puddle around the bottom of the glass. Not wanting to waste a drop, she presses her mouth to the table and slurps up the excess.
She has successfully found another place to hide, and for the moment she is content. The booze that comes with the place makes it even more appealing.
As usual, Gladys' thoughts turn to Cisely. She isn’t finished making her niece pay, and the longer she is able to keep Phillip away, the longer Cisely will suffer. However, it is becoming harder to keep Phillip because of lack of money, and Gladys now despises the boy even more because of it. Having had to leave so quickly, she wasn’t able to get the couple of pairs of clothing and underthings she’d conned Sadie into purchasing for him.
Smiling, Gladys hazily remembers how she’d told Sadie her daughter had dumped Phillip on her with no clothes or anything. She recounts with pleasure how bad Sadie felt and how she'd immediately gone out and bought him a few things. Gladys despises her dead husband’s illegitimate child almost as much as she does Cisely, and she was glad to hit her last night. Sadie was just another person to use and abuse. Gladys thought the con game would go on forever since Phillip had never spoken to make Sadie believe anything other than what she'd been told.
But it hadn’t. And the thought angers her.
Phillip started speaking. Now everything has changed. “Hey, boy!” Gladys yells, her speech slurred. “Get in
here!” She intends to punish him for what he put her through. She has never hit him before, but that is about to change. He will pay just as Cisely is paying now, only his pain is about to get physical.
When Phillip doesn’t appear, she yells again. “Boy, you better get your behind in here!” After a moment, she hefts her large body up and staggers to the back of the trailer. Looking around the cluttered room, she curses loudly.
Now I know why Tom was so generous with his liquor. Swearing again, she futilely tries to clear her head enough to think. Wobbling back down the hall, she struggles to put on her coat, then slowly moves to the front door. Staggering down the rickety stairs, she grabs the railing, somehow managing to keep herself from falling. Just as she makes it to the car, three police cars appear in a cloud of dust and surround her. Gladys squints her eyes against the sunlight as two of the officers get out and slowly approach, their hands on their weapons.
“I guess this is it, then,” she says as one officer handcuffs her while the other reads her rights. “Could one of you boys go in and get my bottle for me?” she asks with a grin.
The officer shakes his head at her lack of remorse. “I’m afraid not. By the look and smell of you, I’d say you’ve had too much of the bottle already.”
Gladys laughs. “I can never have too much. Besides, you boys look like you could use a good drink.”
“Let’s go, Ms. Baker.”
She is so intoxicated, it takes both the officer and his partner to get her situated in the car, and they have to hold their breath while doing it. The other officers shake their heads as Gladys leans back in the seat and immediately passes out.
Seventy-eight
Happy Thanksgiving, amore.” Adagio places the breakfast tray over my lap.
“Thank you, my love.”
“You're welcome.”
I smile at my husband, grateful for his thoughtfulness. It seems the morning sickness is twice as bad with this pregnancy and I am having to force down more than just a croissant and juice to feel well enough to get up. I am also becoming even more exhausted during the day than normal. Adagio is always there, taking extra care of me, making sure I have everything I need. I can’t ask for a more loving or attentive husband.
I take a sip of the juice and touch his face. “Thank you for loving me so much, and for taking such good care of me.”
He smiles tenderly, yet the look in his eyes is intense. “I was born to love you, Cisely,” he says with strength.
“There you go again, being a poet.”
“You always bring it out in me.”
“And you make me so happy.”
“The feeling is mutual, angel.”
He kisses my brow and leaves me to eat while he gets breakfast ready for Ingo.
Eating as much as I can, I am finally able to get up and shower. After getting dressed, I head to the kitchen to get started on dinner preparations. Adagio and Jessica are a big help and it isn’t long before we have everything done.
“What time should we leave to pick up Sadie?” I ask, practically dropping into a chair from exhaustion. I can’t believe how little energy I have.
Adagio looks at me, his brow furrowing. “Jessica and I will leave in a few minutes. However, you, my love, will stay here and rest. We will take Ingo with us.”
I want to argue that I am fine to go, but I have to admit I'm not. “I guess I really could use a short nap,” I say, getting back up. “But promise me you will wake me as soon as you get back.”
“I promise, amore.” Adagio scoops me up and carries me to the bedroom, placing me gently on the bed. As he leans over me, I hold his face in my hands.
“I love you, Adagio.”
“And I love you.” He kisses me tenderly. “I will be back soon.”
I smile, then turn to my side, immediately falling asleep.
Seventy-nine
Sadie checks her reflection in the compact mirror as the plane slows on the runway. Peter had agreed to her request and removed the bandage around her head that morning wi
th strict instructions not to let her head get wet. With a little work, she was able to maneuver the hair on the back of her head since it is slightly longer than the sides, and cover her stitches somewhat. She is grateful for a capable hairdresser who always keeps her short and trendy style looking just right.
Filled with nervous excitement, Sadie exits the plane, then enters the terminal and heads to the baggage claim area. She lets her eyes quickly scan the crowd when she sees an attractive man holding a sign with her name printed in large letters. With him is an older woman and a little boy. She approaches them.
“I’m Sadie.” Adagio smiles, taking her hand. “I am Adagio St. John, and it is truly an honor to meet you and have you as our guest for the holidays.”
Sadie smiles tearfully. Looking at Adagio is like seeing Phillip in the future, the little boy looks so much like his father. “Truthfully, I’m the one who is honored, and it is a pleasure to meet you.”
“My wife is sorry she couldn't come. She is pregnant and has been sick, but she is waiting at home and looking forward to seeing you.”
“I am looking forward to meeting her as well.” After Adagio introduces Sadie to Jessica and Ingo, they retrieve Sadie’s luggage and are soon on their way.
When they reach home, Jessica and Ingo visit with Sadie while Adagio puts her suitcase in the den. They will be using it as a second guest room since the small sofa folds out into a bed. He heads to their bedroom to awaken Cisely.
“ Amore,” Adagio whispers, pressing a kiss to the back of my hand. “Sadie is here.”
Smiling sleepily, I sit up. “Thank you, my love. Just give me a minute and I’ll be right out.”
“Are you feeling a little better?” he asks as I head to the bathroom. “Can I get you anything?”
“No, I think I’m okay.”
When I come back out, Adagio is still waiting for me, his eyes expressing a mixture of love and worry. “Is something wrong?” I ask.
He smiles, pressing a hand against my cheek. “I am just a little worried about you. I really think we need to get a checkup scheduled.”
I silently agree. Normally I would already have one scheduled back home in Italy. I am very fond of my midwife in Venice and we have become good friends through the years. I dread having to find one in Asheville because it makes our situation somehow seem a little more permanent, but I do know how important it is to get a healthy start for myself and the baby.
“I suppose I have been putting it off,” I admit.
“I know, baby,” he says softly.
“But I'll start calling around in the morning and get an appointment scheduled, all right?”
“Okay.” He kisses me. “I just want to make sure you are all right.” His eyes hold mine and I see the love reflected in them. “I couldn't bear it if anything ever happened to you.”
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I pull him closer. “Everything will be all right. I promise I’ll take care of myself, and I will find a midwife right away. Okay?”
“All right.” He rests his forehead against mine a moment. “Well, are you ready?”
“Yes. Let’s go and meet my cousin.”
Eighty
Cisely's smile is wide when she sees Sadie.
“It’s so good to finally meet you,” Cisely says, hugging her. “You and Velma look a lot alike, and you're just as beautiful.”
Sadie accepts her warm embrace, then draws back, taking in her features. Cisely is without a doubt the most beautiful woman she has ever seen, and her kindness again leaves Sadie in awe. “Thank you. It’s good to finally meet you, too.” Emotion rises in her voice. “I can't tell you how happy it makes me to have family to spend the holidays with.”
Cisely hugs her again. “We’re very glad you’re here. And we’re so glad you were there for Phillip.” She swallows against rising emotion, squeezing Sadie’s hand. “You are more of a blessing than you could possibly know.”
“Thank you,” Sadie says softly, not trusting herself to speak anymore.
The family spends a little time getting to know each other more. Sadie loves hearing about Cisely and Adagio’s life in Italy, and after Jessica shares the history of her relationship with Cisely, she is even more amazed. She can’t believe they now consider her a part of their family. It is a dream come true. The only thing that will make her happiness complete is for Phillip to be found and brought back to his family.
To our family, Sadie affirms.
After visiting for a while, Cisely, Adagio and Jessica head to the dining room and set the table for dinner while Sadie keeps Ingo company. She can’t get over how warm and accepting they are to her, and the love she'd instantly felt for them is growing with each passing minute. Her offer to help in the kitchen is flatly refused and Cisely insists she rest since she is still recuperating from the terrible ordeal with Gladys.
When the table is set and the food is placed out, Sadie and Ingo join us in the dining room and we all take our places around the table. I smile at Adagio and he takes my hand. I am sure my expression mirrors the mixture of emotions in his own.
As Adagio blesses the food, he give thanks for the blessings we have received through this long ordeal, including having my family in our lives. His voice cracks with emotion as he prays for Phillip’s well being and expresses the hope that he will be found. He asks God to help our son know how much we love him, and he also gives thanks for the new baby that will soon join our family and prays all will be well.
Ending the blessing, Adagio looks up, finding us all drying our eyes. He leans over and kisses my cheek.
“I love you, angel,” he whispers.
“I love you, too.”
Dishes of food are passed around the table while Adagio carves the turkey. I pour lemonade for Ingo and help him fill his plate, kissing his brow. Though I miss Phillip terribly, I am grateful for this beautiful little boy, and I do my best to show him how much he is loved.
As Sadie watches the scene before her, she can’t help thinking of a Thanksgiving painting she’d seen hanging in an art store earlier in the year. It was a picture of a family sitting around a large table just as they are. The father stood at the head of the table carving a turkey and smiling lovingly, just as Adagio is doing. Every time she saw the picture, she thought of it as an elusive dream. She didn't think anyone really lived a life like that. She didn’t believe there was really such a thing as a happy family. How wrong she had been. Because she is sitting with such a family. And despite all they have gone through and are still going through, their very countenances express a peace she has never seen, and being here with them brings her that same peace. She has never felt anything like it.
Jessica watches Sadie and smiles, almost reading her thoughts. She knows the look on the young woman's face well, because it is the same look Cisely wore when she came to stay at her home in Utah. Jessica places her hand on Sadie’s arm. “We’re so glad you’re here.”
Sadie smiles back. “Thank you. So am I.”
The meal is relaxing and conversation flows freely. Gazing around the table, I smile, trying to hide the sadness that comes when I think of Phillip's absence, but I am grateful for every person present.
Thinking back on how I closed my heart to my husband and everyone around me, I am still a little saddened to think of all the time I spent buried in my own grief instead of sharing my feelings with Adagio and offering him comfort. But he is a patient man, and I am grateful. There is no way I could have continued to make it through all this without Adagio’s love and comfort.
The object of my thoughts takes my hand in his. He can see the subtle sadness behind my smile and I know he understands. We are sharing the holidays with family, the people we love, but our family isn’t complete, not without Phillip. Only when he is finally with us will we be whole again. Adagio continues to gaze at me, sending me silent words of comfort.
And I do feel comforted. I am always amazed at how connected he is to my feelings, and I consciously will the sad
ness from my eyes, wanting to convey to him that I am okay.
The ringing of the doorbell surprises us all.
“I will get it, amore.”
“All right.” I wonder who could be stopping by on
Thanksgiving Day. In unexpected company Italy, we are usually prepared for during the holidays, and people
occasionally stop by. But this is unexpected.
Eighty-one
When Adagio reaches the door, he opens it and freezes. From somewhere deep inside, a sob erupts as he drops to his knees and pulls Phillip into his arms. Phillip wraps his arms around his father’s neck and cries.
“Oh, thank you, God!” Adagio cries, lifting him. “Thank you!” He looks at Officer Payne, who also has tears trailing down his face and grips his hand firmly. Finally finding his voice, he say, “Please, come in.”
Ed follows Adagio in and closes the door. Phillip’s arms are still tightly wrapped around his father’s neck and Adagio relishes the feel of them. “We have missed you so much,” he says, looking into his son’s eyes.
“I missed you, too, Papa. And I missed Mama.” Phillip hears the familiar beloved voices coming from the dining room. “Where’s Mama, Papa? I want Mama.”
“I will take you to Mama now. She will be so happy to see you. We've both missed you so much.”
“I love you, Papa.”
“I love you, too, son.” Adagio kisses Phillip’s cheek as tears streak his own face. “I love you so much.”
Adagio silently holds Phillip in his arms as he stands in the doorway of the dining room, watching Cisely wipe Ingo’s face. Her back turned to them. When the room suddenly goes quiet, she looks up.
“Phillip!” Ingo cries.
I quickly turn and gasp, my vision blurring at the sight of my little boy. “My baby!” My voice is barely a whisper. “My baby!” My knees weakening, I reach for a chair and quickly sit down.
Adagio puts Phillip down and he runs to me, crushing himself against me. As soon as he wraps his small arms around my neck, I wrap him in mine and cry without restraint. Adagio kneels beside me, enfolding us both in his arms. Ingo runs to us and Adagio pulls him into the circle, holding us all. I can hear Jessica and Sadie crying and Ed sniffling.
