Awakenings (Intertwined Souls Series Book 4)

by Mary D. Brooks

  “A letter from my mother?”

  “Yes. She told me to hide the letter and when the time was right, to give it to you. She knew her time was short and she would not live to see you into the beautiful young woman you are today.”

  “Alright, this is just too much,” Zoe muttered.

  “Did you believe my mother?” Eva opened her eyes despite the migraine that had settled just behind her them.

  “Yes. I believed her. She hadn’t told anyone before, but she trusted me to keep her secret. I loved your mother from the moment I met her. She came to Zelhendorf soon after she married Hans with a most precious bundle in her arms.” Marlene cupped Eva’s cheek. “I remember you were such a chubby baby, with a mop of black hair and those big round blue eyes.”

  “You knew Hans was not my father?”

  “Yes. Daphne married him on the advice of your grandmother Eva. It was either that or give you up for adoption.”

  “They were going to take me away?”

  “Yes. She was an unwed mother. Your mother told me that her mother and Beatriz Muller were friends.”

  “Ah, that explains it,” Zoe said. “I always wanted to know what the connection was. How did a young woman from Larissa end up in Vienna?”

  “I befriended your mother and we became like sisters.”

  “Wow.”

  “Maybe now would be a good time for me to give you that letter.” Marlene got up and went to a roll-top desk and unlocked it. She took out the letter and closed it. She went back to her seat and sat down. With trembling hands she gave it to Eva.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  “I’ll go and get our driver to deliver this message to your aunt that you will be staying with us tonight,” Marlene explained as she took the note from Eva and left the room.

  “Will you read the letter to me when we are alone? I don’t think I’ll be able to read it.” Eva asked Zoe as she held the letter in her hand.

  “Of course.”

  Leila entered. “How are you, E?” She put her arm around Eva and leaned in close. “Some days you just want to have a great big bag of sweets.” She brought out Eva’s favorite candy.

  “Oh.” Eva grinned and put her hand in the jar.

  “That always works.” Zoe chuckled as she helped herself to one of the sweet-and-sour candies.

  “So did Miss Evil tell you about Satan?”

  “Huh?”

  “Oh, no, Leila, don’t.” Eva put her hand over Leila’s mouth.

  Leila pulled Eva’s hand away from her mouth. “I have to tell Zoe this story. I just have to.” She laughed and brought Eva in for a hug. “It’s good for the soul to laugh.”

  “At my expense.”

  “No, at your butt.” Leila giggled. “This story is best told by my brother, but since he isn’t here, let’s pretend I’m Willie.”

  “Oh, god,” Eva exclaimed and covered her eyes.

  “Evil and Willie went everywhere together. They were sort of like Siamese twins. If you saw Willie, Eva would be right behind.” Leila laughed. “On the way to school was a bricked-off yard with a vineyard and some oranges. They passed this place every day and every day the old woman would throw old grapes at them.”

  “Why?”

  “Because she was mean,” Eva replied. “She enjoyed throwing the dried up ones.”

  “Hey, are you telling the story or am I?”

  “Go ahead, Fraulein Becker.” Eva motioned with her hand amidst giggles from Zoe.

  “Where was I?” Leila glared at Eva. “One day Eva decided—”

  “Hey, I didn't decide. Your brother did.”

  “Don't interrupt me, Evil,” Leila admonished. “Eva decided that she'd had enough of the pelting and was going to collect some grapes to fling back at the old woman.”

  “You were going to steal grapes?” Zoe asked in mock outrage.

  “No, I was going to fling them back at her,” Eva replied and chuckled.

  “So they had a problem,” Leila continued. “The wall was high, Willie was really short and lo' and behold, and the only tall one was Evil over here.” Eva made a face at her. “So he gets a crate and he stands on it and helps Eva over the wall.”

  Eva put her hands over her eyes.

  “Eva jumps over and Willie doesn’t hear anything so he climbs up on the crate. Next thing he hears is this growling dog.” Leila laughed, along with Eva, who fell over onto Zoe.

  “The dog…” Leila wiped the tears from his eye. “Satan…”

  “The old lady called the dog Satan?”

  “Yeah,” Eva said and laughed again.

  “Satan sees Eva on the ground collecting the fallen grapes.” Leila tried to control her laughter. “Willie could just barely see over the wall. He tried to warn Eva, but the dog went straight for her butt.”

  Leila stood up. “When Satan bit Eva on the butt, she jumped so high Willie thought she was going to come right over the wall. So after tangling with Satan, Eva climbed over the wall.” Leila wiped her eyes.

  “How big was this dog?”

  Leila and Eva burst into hearty laughing again.

  “A sausage dog,” Leila squeaked.

  “Sausage dog?” Zoe asked.

  “A dachshund,” Leila explained. “Eva comes over the wall and flops down next to Willie.” Leila grinned at Eva and put her hand on her backside. “Eva is yelling at the top of her voice, ‘Satan bit me! Satan bit me!’ and hopping up and down.”

  Leila held her backside while limping across the parlor.

  Zoe fell off the sofa, laughing.

  “Oh God, that was funny,” Eva said as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

  “Is that why you nicknamed her Evil?”

  Leila nodded. “Satan bit Eva in the garden.” She laughed uproariously. “But there's more to this story.”

  “Oh, Leila,” Eva protested, but she knew Zoe wouldn't rest until she was told. She fell back and waited for Leila to finish telling a story that had happened a lifetime ago. It felt good being able to laugh like that again.

  “When they stop yelling, Eva wants Willie to see if the dog really did bite her hard. So what is a friend to do? He checked where the dog bit her ass.”

  Zoe collapsed onto the carpet laughing.

  “So he’s trying to see if Eva's butt has bite marks and then… it got worse.”

  “Satan scored a hit?” Zoe giggled.

  “Yeah, he did, but while Willie was checking that, their headmaster came around the corner to find out what the howling was about.”

  “Oh, no,” Zoe roared.

  “Willie had his hand on Evil's butt when the headmaster stopped in front of them, took one look, made a face, and walked away.” Leila sat down, laughing. “So from that day she was known as Evil, but I promised not to tell her mama because it was our secret.”

  Zoe stopped laughing long enough to kiss Eva on the cheek. “That's so sweet.”

  “Willie did go around calling her Scarbutt for a while, but I preferred Evil.” Leila chuckled.

  “You are evil telling that story to Zoe,” Eva said.

  Leila gave her a wink and a full-blown belly laugh. “Yes, I am, but I thought you might like a bit of a laugh. You know, your room is just as you left it.”

  “You have your own room?” Zoe asked.

  Eva gave her a sheepish look and nodded. “I was over here so much that Aunty Marlene decided I needed my own room.”

  “It’s just the way you left it,” Leila said.

  “Exactly?” Eva asked.

  “Exactly.” Leila bumped Eva with her shoulder. “Even the diary you kept under the loose floorboard.” Eva stared open mouthed at her. Leila giggled. “I didn’t read it. I can’t read Greek.”

  Eva stared at her. “Calm down. Willie told me to get it so it wouldn’t get lost.”

  “Willie knew where you kept your diary?” Zoe asked.

  Eva nodded. “Yes.” She smiled at Zoe. “If you were a boy, you would be Willie.”

  “
Wow,” Zoe exclaimed. “Can I read the diary?”

  Eva nodded.

  “I bet it has a lot about Greta,” Leila quietly said.

  Eva stared at her in disbelief.

  “Tsk.” Leila shook her head. “Do you really think I didn’t know about Greta?”

  “Um…”

  “Darling, you can’t hide your emotions. You have a very expressive face and you are really not that good at lying.”

  “Apparently people can read me like a book.”

  “No,” Leila shook her head. “The people that know you can read you like a book. I knew the minute I saw you at the cemetery that Zoe was more than just a friend.” She took Eva’s hand. “Who do you think told Willie?”

  “That sneak,” Eva exclaimed. “He told me he had figured it out.”

  Leila rocked back and laughed. “My brother figured it out? Are you serious? That boy couldn’t find his way home if it was a straight line.”

  “Oh.” Eva felt her cheek warm again. “That means…”

  “Yes, darling, that does mean whatever you were thinking. I was flattered.” Leila grinned. “You also had great taste.”

  Eva hid her face in her hands.

  “Oh come on, that was funny.” Leila pulled Eva’s hands away from her face and tipped her head up to meet her gaze. “You know I would never embarrass you just to be mean. You are my sister.”

  “I know.”

  “I'm your older sexy sister,” Leila added. “Come on, let’s show Zoe your room, and I’ve asked Isabella to prepare Willie’s room.”

  “Is that still—”

  “Yes.” Leila nodded. “Mama doesn’t want to change it, so we don’t.”

  “I want to see it again.”

  “Hmm, it’s not the same pigsty it was, but a little bit cleaner,” Leila replied with a hint of melancholy. “Let’s go and see if we can get Zoe speechless again with the artwork in the rooms.” She put her other arm around Zoe’s shoulders.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Eva stood in front of the door and waited. Carved into the wood on the upper middle panel in elegant script was the name “Eva Theresa.” Her hand rested on the doorknob. She wasn’t sure why she hesitated, but she didn’t move.

  “Evy, are you going to go in?” Zoe asked.

  Eva glanced down and nodded. She turned the doorknob, and a very familiar click made her smile. She opened the door and stepped across the threshold. The balcony door was open and a light breeze caused the lace curtain to flutter in the wind.

  She leaned against the doorjamb as a thousand memories came flooding back. “I spent more time in this house than at my grandmother’s.”

  “Why do you always refer to it as your grandmother’s house?” Zoe passed Eva into the bedroom and stood to the side. “Wow, this is a gorgeous bed.” She looked at the four-poster bed. “I used to think these beds were only in the films.”

  “A bit high for you.”

  Zoe poked her tongue out and went to the bed. The mattress was high—it came to Zoe’s waist. “I would need a ladder to get up on this.”

  Eva laughed and came forward. “I don’t have a problem.” She sat down on the bed and patted the side next to her.

  Zoe gave her a long-suffering look which only made Eva smile and then settled herself down next to Eva and looked down at her feet, which dangled over the edge. “I feel like a two year old.”

  Eva looked around the room and was content they were alone. She turned to Zoe. “You just fulfilled a fantasy of mine.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. My fantasy was that the woman I loved would be in this bed with me.” Eva giggled.

  “You were such a wild child.” Zoe laughed. She took Eva’s hand and kissed it. “Do you want me to read the letter now?”

  Eva didn’t say anything, but she took the letter out of her pocket and gave it to Zoe. Zoe slit it open and set it on her lap. “Are you ready?”

  Eva swallowed and nodded. She took Zoe’s hand and held it tight.

  Zoe took a deep breath. “The letter is in Greek,” she said in amazement, and gazed at Eva. She bent her head and began to read.

  “My dearest baby girl,

  You are foremost in my thoughts and in my heart, my darling Eva Theresa. I am writing this to you on a beautiful sunny day. The sky reminds me of your eyes and I have to smile as I write because you are reading out in the sun. Your black hair is glistening and I can’t help but marvel at the beautiful soul I see before me.”

  Eva, head bowed, tears flowing down her cheeks, felt Zoe kiss the top of her head.

  “I never knew what true love meant until you were born, my darling. Your happiness is all I ever cared about. This is why I am writing this letter. There will be dark days ahead, my love, dark days. I will not be here to protect you or be your guide. You must stay strong, and you must believe in God with all your heart…” Zoe took a shuddering breath. “I know you are struggling with the feelings you are having, even though you think I don’t know. I do know the struggles you are dealing with. I love you, and there is no measure to the love that is in my heart. Do not doubt my love for you. Never doubt.”

  Eva saw Zoe wipe her eyes of the corner of her eye and calmed her own mind as she waited for Zoe to continue.

  “What I’m about to write is not shocking news, since you will already know by the time you read this letter. The man I married, Hans Muller, is not your father. Your real father and the man I still love is in a small Greek town called Larissa. This is where you will start. Go outside the town, past Athena’s Bluff…

  Eva blinked and glanced at Zoe, who stared at the letter in astonishment.

  Find a woman named Helena Lambros…

  Zoe stopped again and Eva tightened her hand around hers. “That’s my mama!”

  “Do you want me to read the rest?” Eva whispered.

  Zoe shook her head. “No. Give me a minute.”

  Find a woman named Helena Lambros. She was my childhood friend and she knows everyone. Not that she was a gossip…

  Zoe chuckled.

  Not that she was a gossip, but she will know what to do. Ask her where Panayiotis Haralambos lives. Go there. You will not have to introduce yourself because my darling Pani will know who you are. He has two good eyes and will know when he lays eyes on his own daughter.”

  “Oh, wow,” Zoe exclaimed.

  Eva looked up and gazed at Zoe for a long moment. She shook her head in amazement.

  Eva, sweetheart, you will then need to leave Larissa and go and find your Aunt Theresa. I believe in my heart she is not dead. She can’t be dead. I do not believe she is. I don’t know where you need to look, but you need to go back to Berlin. When you find your Aunt Tessa, embrace her, kiss her, and then…

  Zoe burst out laughing. She continued with a giggle.

  Kiss her, and then slap her for me. She will know why.

  I do not want to end this letter, but I must. I will not be there to watch you grow, watch you embrace who you are or see you as you grow into a beautiful woman. You have a gentle loving heart. I wish you, my love, everything, but know I won’t see it. Trust yourself; trust your creator, for He knows you from the time you were conceived. I will love you in this life and the next. Be strong, feel joy, embrace life. No goodbyes, my darling baby girl, just a longing until I see you in the next life where I can hold you again.

  Your beloved mutti,

  Eva Daphne Muller

  10 October 1938

  Zoe continued to gaze at the letter. Eva sniffed back tears as she took the letter out of Zoe’s lap and held it to her heart.

  They sat in silence for the longest moment until Zoe reached out and held Eva’s hand. “So, are we going to talk?”

  Eva gazed at Zoe, then got up from the bed and closed the door. She joined Zoe back on the bed and turned to her. “I don’t know anything anymore, Zo.”

  “Why don’t we start with what we do know?”

  “My name is Eva Theresa. I’m married to yo
u and your brother. I have an aunt—Theresa Rosa. She’s not dead. I have a great aunt Irene and a great uncle Johan, and I’ve got this inherited gift or curse or whatever it is. That’s it.”

  “Well, that was short and sweet.”

  “That’s about the extent of what I’m sure of at the moment.”

  “You know that Marlene and Leila are your family.”

  “Yes. They have always been my family.”

  “You know Tessa is your aunt.” Zoe held up three fingers. “Stella is Tessa’s lover.”

  “Irene and Johan. Those two are a mystery to me. What is their story?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You are married to me and to my brother.” Zoe giggled. “I’m married to your cousin.”

  “Something is bothering me.”

  “You mean this whole Tessa, Stella, Theo, Thomas, Irene, and Johan family connection is not what is bothering you?”

  “That’s not it,” Eva replied and stood up. “I didn’t want to scare you when we were walking around, but someone was following us.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “You do? How?”

  “He was very bad at it, and even without any gifts, I could tell he was following us.”

  “Describe to me what the man looked like. Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “You had enough to think about, but I thought I saw you go all PentaSensy.”

  “Can you stop calling it that?” Eva grinned. “It makes me think I’m going to grow an extra head.”

  “What else am I going to call it?” Zoe replied with a tiny shrug. “He followed us from the house to Elena’s shop.”

  “When did you see him?”

  “I saw him at the end of the street. He looked like he was out on a stroll.”

  “So why did you notice him?”

  “You’re going to think I’m totally crazy.” Zoe looped her hand through the crook of Eva’s elbow. “His walk.”

  “You noticed a man in Berlin because of his walk?” Eva asked. “Zoe, that’s just—”

  “Crazy. I know.” Zoe shrugged. “That’s the first thing I noticed. He also reminded me of Hans Muller.”

  Eva let her head fall back and smiled up at the ceiling in relief. “He reminded you of Muller? Same gait, same walk.”