Just One Year

by Ward, Penelope

  “Anytime you want me,” I answered.

  “This weekend?”

  Caleb began to stir next to me.

  “Hang on one second.” I whispered, “Caleb…any reason we can’t drive out to Brighton this weekend?”

  He blinked his eyes open. “No reason I can think of.”

  I turned back to the phone. “We can come!”

  “Brilliant, then. See you soon.”

  ***

  Emma was sitting on her bed reading a book when Caleb and I approached her room the following weekend.

  I knocked on the door. “Hey, Emma.”

  She set the book down and looked up. “Are you really my sister?”

  Nodding, I sat at the edge of her bed. “I am.”

  Caleb smiled and took a seat on the ground in the corner of the room to give us some space.

  “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Emma asked.

  “Because we thought it would be best for you to meet me first, then talk to your dad. I hope that’s okay.”

  She shrugged. “It is.” Then a smile lit up her face, and all felt right in the world. This girl was essentially me, a decade ago. But she didn’t have a mother figure like I did. That made me thankful for Maura all over again.

  Picking at some lint on her bedspread, I asked, “Do you have any questions for me?”

  “Is Caleb your boyfriend?”

  I looked over at him and laughed.

  “Yes, he is. That’s why I’m here in England. I’m visiting him.”

  Her expression dampened. “Are you leaving?”

  “I may have to for a while, but I’ll be back.”

  Something about the look on her face told me she had little confidence in that. After all, like me, this was a girl who’d been trained by Ariadne to expect abandonment.

  “How do I know you’ll be back?” she asked. “My mother left and never came back.”

  I squeezed her hand, unsure what to say.

  When Caleb noticed my struggle to answer, he chimed in. “Teagan is a woman of her word, Emma. She told me she would come visit me, and she has. She would never say anything she didn’t mean. She’s not your mother. She’s your sister. And she understands more than anyone in this world what it feels like not to have your mother around. You can trust her, okay?”

  She smiled at him and then at me. “Okay.”

  I brought her into a hug. “Come here.”

  Over the years, I’d never been a hugger. I could count on my fingers the number of times I’d initiated such contact with my family. But when it came to this little girl, it felt right.

  “I can’t believe I have a big sister.” When I released her, she asked, “Do you have any other sisters and brothers?”

  “I have one sister. She’s my dad’s child with my stepmom. She’s really cool, and she’ll want to claim you as her own. I think you’re gonna become her new favorite.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Shelley.”

  Her next question took me by surprise. “Do you know why our mum left?”

  I shook my head sadly. “No, honey, I don’t.”

  “Dad says she’s sick, but I don’t know if he’s just saying that.”

  “There are all kinds of sicknesses, Emma. I feel like our mother is sick in the head. And that’s why she left. I’ve learned over the years not to take it personally. But it’s hard. I know. I know exactly what you’re going through.”

  Caleb stood and walked over to the bed. He sat next to me. “You know, Emma, when I first met your sister, she was struggling with many of the same thoughts and feelings you are. You’re both very lucky to have each other now. Because a shared experience is always easier than going through it alone. No matter where Teagan is, you’ll never have to feel alone again.”

  Emma smiled shyly. “I’m so happy she found me.”

  “Actually...” I corrected. “Caleb found you.”

  Her eyes widened as she turned to him. “You did?”

  “Yes.” He glanced over at me and grinned.

  “How?”

  “The magical Internet, lovely. I’m so happy it worked out.”

  “Thank you, Caleb, for finding me.”

  He looked a bit choked up. “Of course.”

  I took his hand. “You’re really lucky to have a good daddy, too, Emma. Just like I did. We’re both lucky.”

  “What’s your dad’s name?” she asked.

  “Lorne.”

  “That’s a funny name. So is Teagan a little, although I like it.”

  “Well, Emma is a beautiful name.”

  I looked at Caleb.

  “My sister’s name was Emma,” he told her. “She passed when we were little.”

  “Really? That’s so sad.”

  “Yeah. I miss her very much.” He took a deep breath and said, “You and your sister are so lucky to have each other.”

  “I can be your new sister Emma, if you want.”

  My heart melted, and Caleb smiled from ear to ear. “I would love that.” He looked at me. “The three of us can be like a family. Your dad included, of course.”

  “You’re not like a family. You are my family,” she said, reaching out her hand to me.

  I held on to her for a long time. “You know what else, Emma? Someday you’ll meet someone, like I did with Caleb, and the fact that our mom wasn’t around will mean even less. Because that person will love you enough to make up for it all. In the meantime, you will have us to make up for it, okay? No more going through this alone. We’re a team now.”

  “Do you like s’mores?” Caleb asked.

  Emma crinkled her nose. “What are s’mores?”

  “Oh, I forgot—you’re English like me,” he said with a laugh.

  “S’mores are an amazing treat,” I explained. “People light a fire outside and make them.”

  Caleb never wasted an opportunity. “Why don’t I go to the store and buy the stuff to make them right now? I’ll check with your dad first to see if he’ll allow us to light a fire.”

  And so, that evening we introduced my little sister to s’mores. It was the start of what I knew would become a family tradition, and the start of an entirely new future I never could have anticipated.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  * * *

  TEAGAN

  I was nearing the halfway point of my stay in England. Now that summer was over, the reality that my days here were numbered had started to creep in. The beginning of the fall semester meant Caleb’s schedule of classes was heavier, so he was around less. That only gave me more time alone to worry about the future.

  Caleb had to stay in the UK to finish school, but I had a couple of choices to make. I could go back to the US and finish my last year of school there, or I could figure out a way to come back here sooner. Either way, the consensus seemed to be that I would be returning to the States, at least for a while, after this trip ended. Unfortunately, although I did miss my parents and Shelley, this was not at all what I wanted.

  I loved spending time with Emma, and even the job at the flower shop was starting to grow on me. Arranging bouquets had a meditative effect I hadn’t been anticipating. I was going to miss it.

  But most of all, I was deeply in love with Caleb and couldn’t imagine having to separate from him. I felt at home here with him and Poppy. His mother had become one of my favorite people. Caleb would often need to study, so his mother and I would sit in the kitchen and talk or venture out shopping together. She’d taught me how to cook a few things Caleb loved. As much as I hated being away from my own family, Caleb and Poppy had become my family, too. The thought of leaving them—and especially now Emma—had me panicked.

  But Caleb and I were handling the unknowns of my impending departure much like we’d handled things for a time before he left the US. We were having lots of sex and not talking about anything upsetting, as if the inevitable weren’t looming. While that helped us to enjoy each moment, it didn’t prepare us for the heartbreak
of another separation.

  One day, Caleb surprised me with a trip to Nottingham, a place he’d always said he wanted to show me before I left.

  We spent the day walking around Nottingham Castle and the big cathedral. We also visited City of Caves, a historical underworld of sorts beneath the city.

  Then Caleb pulled up in front of Bo Cheng’s, the restaurant he’d called me about last Christmas, the one that had signaled him to finally reach out to me again.

  “I totally forgot about this place,” I said as we exited the car to head in for a late lunch.

  “We couldn’t come to Nottingham without noshing at Bo Cheng’s, love.”

  Caleb and I went inside and enjoyed the most deliciously decadent Chinese food I’d eaten in a long time.

  As we were paying the bill, he announced, “I have a surprise for you.”

  I perked up. “What?”

  He reached across the table for my hands. “We’re not going home tonight.”

  “We’re not?”

  “I booked us an evening at a local cottage. I got a good deal.”

  “Oh my God. Really?” We’d be alone at night for the first time since my arrival. “We can screw as loudly as we want!”

  He wriggled his brows. “Damn right.”

  We arrived at the cottage twenty minutes later. It was just a short distance from the city center and totally exceeded my expectations. The small, Victorian structure had an old-world charm on the outside and featured a lovely courtyard out back, but it was more modern on the inside. The living room was bright and inviting with yellow walls and cozy furniture.

  Caleb wasted no time starting a fire in the fireplace, and the house was soon warm and intimate. It felt like a dream to stay in this oasis with him overnight. Aside from our night at that hotel in Boston, we’d never been totally alone.

  We planted ourselves on the ground in front of the flames.

  Resting my head against Caleb’s chest, I let out the thoughts that had been on my mind all day. “I’m so scared to leave you.”

  I turned around to gauge his reaction.

  He looked really…tense, like something was on his mind.

  It took almost a full minute for him to respond. “I…think we should get married.”

  “What?”

  “I think we should get married—soon. Then we can start the paperwork to switch your status over to a spousal visa. It’s the only way to guarantee that it will be easy for us.” He wrapped his legs around me as he looked into my eyes. “But here’s the thing, I would want to marry you even if the distance weren’t separating us. Because there’s no one else I’d rather spend my life with. You’re everything to me. I don’t want to lose you because of stupid rules and regulations. Life is too short. Be with me. Marry me, Teagan.”

  My heart pounded so hard. He had no clue that I’d prayed he would come to this conclusion. In my head, it seemed like an extreme possibility. But in my heart, I knew it was the only way we stood a chance at being together without complications. I just never thought he’d go for it so soon. But there was no part of me that didn’t feel ready to commit to him.

  “I will absolutely marry you.”

  He beamed. “Yeah?”

  “I can tell you were nervous to ask me, but I’ve been hoping you would.”

  He slipped his hand into his back pocket and took out a ring box. His proposal had seemed so impulsive, but apparently he’d planned this.

  “I was afraid to take this out. I felt like I needed to feel you out first, to confirm you didn’t think my suggestion was too crazy. But now that I know we’re on the same page, this is me getting down on one knee.”

  Technically, since we were lying on the ground, he stood up on one knee. I sat up and placed my hand over my heart.

  “Teagan, you’ve made my life brighter from the moment you yelled at me through your keyboard. And it’s only been better from there. You’re the best friend and lover anyone could ask for.” He opened the box and looked down at the sparkly round diamond set in a gold band. “This ring was my nan’s. She gave it to my mother some years ago and asked her to give it to me only when Mum was certain I’d found the one. My mother didn’t hesitate to hand this over when she realized how worried I was about you leaving England. She helped me come to the conclusion that I should take the risk of asking you to marry me, that the worst that could happen was you’d say no.” He looked up at me. “Teagan, my love, once again, will you be my wife?”

  “Yes!”

  We fell into a long kiss, rolling around on the carpet in bliss.

  “When is this happening?” I asked.

  “The sooner the better. We can book an appointment at the Home Office tomorrow to see what we need to do. If all goes well, we can get everything sorted before your six months is up.”

  Hope filled me. “And then I’ll never have to leave?”

  “That’s the idea.”

  My mind began to whirl. “We have a little wedding to plan!”

  “It’ll be fun. Emma can be your flower girl—bridesmaid, whatever. We’ll keep it small. Someday we’ll have a real one in Boston with all of your family and friends. Maybe fly Mum over, too.”

  My heart leaped for joy. “That sounds like a plan. I don’t need a big wedding. I’d rather use the money for our future house, wherever that may be. And I kind of want it to be here. I want to be here for Emma—living here.”

  Caleb smiled wide. “That makes me incredibly happy. You know I don’t want to leave my mother. But I want to make something very clear. If you don’t want to stay here forever, you come first. I would go absolutely anywhere you wanted me to because I can’t live without you.”

  ***

  The following morning over breakfast and tea in the adorable cottage kitchen, Caleb got a bright idea.

  “I wonder if I could call Bo Cheng.”

  I chuckled. “Why would you want to do that?”

  “I want to thank him. If he hadn’t given up his room in your house, I wouldn’t be blissfully happy right now. God knows where I would be without you, Teagan.” Caleb hugged me and kissed behind my ear. “Do you still have access to the student directory at Northern?”

  “Yeah, since my attendance is on hold, I’m still considered active.”

  I logged into the student portal from my phone and searched for Bo Cheng’s name. It came right up, and I recited the number for Caleb as he entered it into his phone. He put the call on speaker.

  Someone answered. “Hello?”

  “Bo?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Bo Cheng?”

  “Yes.” He sounded like we’d maybe woken him up from a nap.

  “You don’t know me. My name is Caleb Yates, but I owe you a huge thank you for…well, for your allergies.”

  Covering my mouth, I cracked up as he continued.

  “If you hadn’t been greatly allergic to Catlin Jenner, I would’ve never met my girl, Teagan. We wouldn’t be in England right now planning a future together. She wouldn’t have found her long-lost sister, and I might never have tasted s’mores or Hot Cheetos in my life. You, Bo Cheng, and your allergies are magical, my friend. You’ve changed our world.”

  The next thing we heard was…a click.

  My mouth dropped. “Did Bo Cheng just fucking hang up on us?”

  Caleb snorted. “It seems he did.”

  EPILOGUE

  * * *

  CALEB

  The Carrolls gathered around the computer screen while Shelley spoke to Emma on Skype.

  “I’m trying to get my parents to come to England next summer. Then we can finally meet!”

  Maura leaned over her shoulder and chimed in. “It’s not definite yet. But it’s very likely, sweetie. We can’t wait to meet you.”

  Emma jumped up and down in her seat. “Yay! I’m so excited!”

  Stuart peeked out from behind Emma in the background. “Would love to see you all here.”

  Not only had my wife’s little siste
r gained an older sibling, it seemed the entire Carroll family had accepted Emma as one of their own. They’d often Skype with her, even when they weren’t Skyping with us. And Emma seemed overjoyed to have an adopted American family.

  Emma also spent quite a bit of time at home with us in Stratford whenever Stuart had plans. My mother had really taken to her. Given that she had my sister’s name, I knew spending time with Emma was also healing for Mum. It was all very cosmic. I’d always known Teagan and I were meant to be together, but finding Emma made it seem so much bigger than that—bigger than us—like all of this was meant to happen in exactly the way it had.

  Teagan and I were in the midst of our first visit back to Boston together since getting married almost a year ago. A couple of weeks after our engagement at the cottage in Nottingham, Teagan and I had a small civil ceremony with just my mother, Stuart, and Emma in attendance. Teagan wore a single flower in her long, flowing hair and a simple white dress. I’d borrowed a suit from my uncle, which happened to fit. It wasn’t the fanciest of affairs, but it hadn’t needed to be. Stuart had connected the Carrolls in live via his computer so they could watch the entire thing from the US.

  We’d spent the weeks after the wedding dealing with the paperwork that would allow Teagan to stay in the UK as my wife. Between finding Emma and getting married, the past year had been a whirlwind in the best possible way.

  Things were better than ever, but certainly not perfect. My relationship with my father remained estranged, although when I’d brought Teagan to meet him at my uncle’s house after we were married, he’d been at least cordial to her. Mum had remained strong and hadn’t taken my father back. It seemed for the time being his drinking was under control, but without living under the same roof with him, we couldn’t be completely sure.

  I’d been doing well since my days in rehab, but I recognized my need to continue therapy. So I’d gone back to seeing someone every other week. In fact, having that consistent outlet and seeing all of the good that was possible because of it helped me decide on a career. I’d changed my major to psychology and hoped to become a counselor myself.