Lucas sighed as they rode the elevator upward. It had been a roller coaster of a weekend and though he wanted nothing more than to stay home another day with Sarah and Zoe he had work to catch up on. He was back in the office but his entire perspective was changed. Certainly Alan must have felt it too.
That morning he woke up to giggles and saw Zoe’s face peering at him from the edge of his bed. Her hazel eyes sparkled as she gazed at him waiting for him to wake up.
“Morning daddy,” Zoe said. “Ulima says breakfast is almost ready so you better get up or I get to eat yours.”
Even now her smile and playful threat echoed in his mind. Lucas was not a morning person but he wouldn’t mind if all his mornings started like that. In fact, he wouldn’t mind breakfast every day if it meant he could spend time with Zoe and Sarah first thing in the morning. Sarah was still trying to ignore him but every now and again her expression softened as Lucas and Zoe joked around the table making silly faces.
Never in his life did Lucas think he would enjoy such a bizarre pass time but it seemed to come naturally. Anything that made the three-year-old laugh was worth it. But it was strange.
He only met Zoe two days ago yet she was firmly in his mind and heart. Was it natural to feel such an immediate connection? To want to spend every waking moment in their company?
When he said he had to work today Zoe was disappointed. His mind started racing with every possible excuse he might use to avoid leaving but Alan was quick to point out they were now two days behind. Lucas asked Sarah about their plans hoping perhaps they could meet after lunch only to receive the vague answer, just sight-seeing. He wanted to ask for specifics but didn’t want to push Sarah too hard.
Like it or not he had to take it slow. When he asked her to be careful and call if she needed anything Sarah actually smiled and nodded. It was a hesitant smile, almost shy, but it sent his heart racing.
Baby steps.
“Alan you’ve read all of the Rosemary books right?” Lucas suddenly asked.
“Ah…yeah.”
“What happens in them?”
“Oh, well Rosemary investigates and solves crimes. The first book was as sort of murder mystery.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, you see this homeless man was found in the school’s boiler room that Rosemary happened to be working in. So she investigated the murder and uncovered this whole smuggling ring,” Alan said.
“And how does she do that?”
“By contacting the bum’s spirit. She’s a medium. And the spirit, Harold, forms a spiritual attachment to her so he keeps popping up at different moments to warn her when there is danger or if she’s close to an important clue.”
“So…he talks to her?”
“Yes and no. He can’t communicate unless she’s using the Ouija Board but he’s kind of a poltergeist so he moves objects to get her attention. Oh! In Blackberry Spirits Rosemary was trapped in a basement. The bad guys locked her in and set the house on fire to cover up evidence and get rid of her. Harold turned the lock on the cellar door so she could get out and save the evidence.”
Seriously? Lucas frowned. Why would Silas think the books were autobiographical? Was he joking? What was he missing?
There was no denying Rosemary mirrored Sarah. They both had daughters and it seemed Sarah used her own adventures as fodder for Rosemary’s. But there were still so many differences.
“What about Rosemary’s family?”
“Oh, well, her father was a drifter. He left before she was born and never met her. Her mother passed away from cancer when she was twelve and her aunt raised her. Her aunt is also a medium and taught Rosemary how to control her gifts.”
“Siblings?”
“None.”
That also didn’t track. Lucas knew full well Sarah lost her mother when she was young but her father and brother were very much alive. Why then did she treat them as if they didn’t exist? Sarah hadn’t asked about her brother once and she knew full well he still worked for Stanton Inc. Though Zoe had no issue calling Alan and Silas uncle she hadn’t once asked about her actual uncle. Perhaps Sarah never mentioned her family. But why?
Reaching the top floor the elevator doors opened but Lucas didn’t step off. Instead he hit the door close button and selected a new floor much to Alan’s surprise. Even more surprising was the floor selected. He had a feeling he knew exactly where Lucas was going.
Once the doors opened again Lucas stepped off and marched through the maze of offices. The few people wandering the halls came to immediate halts surprised to see their boss as Lucas wasn’t known to visit in person. Usually Alan was sent in his stead. They watched nervously as Lucas proceeded to the office of the head of their department: Samuel Tomlinson.
Entering without knocking Lucas seated himself in one of the chairs at the desk. Samuel didn’t immediately acknowledge him as he stared at the lines of code on his computer screen reflected in his glasses. Lucas used the quiet moment to observe.
Samuel Tomlinson was a man of average height but thin and lanky making him look taller than he actually was. Unlike Sarah who had a healthy glow he was pale and languid from lack of exposure to the sun and fresh air. One would never guess they were brother and sister let alone twins.
Typing on the computer Samuel fixed a final line of code before acknowledging his visitors, “Can I help you?”
Lucas almost smiled at his callous attitude. Hardly a day went by that he didn’t have to field complaints about Samuel’s attitude. He had a knack for rubbing people the wrong way as he often, rightly or wrongly, assumed he was the smartest man in the room.
“I wanted to ask you some questions about your sister.”
Samuel finally looked at Lucas giving him undivided attention, “Why? You are her husband shouldn’t you know everything about her?”
“Ex.”
“Pardon?”
“Ex-husband,” Lucas frowned hating that he had to say it.
“Oh.” Samuel shrugged. It wasn’t any business of his.
“Do you not talk to your sister…at all? I thought twins were supposed to be close.”
“We were, when we were little,” Samuel acknowledged.
“What happened?”
Samuel frowned recalling, “I guess it changed when we were twelve or thirteen. That’s when we transferred schools. The kids picked on me, calling me nerd, that sort of thing. I was an easy target for them. I thought it would be different at our new school…but it wasn’t. If anything they were more…aggressive. Anyway I got knocked down during one of their little surprise circles and they broke my glasses. I think someone actually stomped on them.”
Lucas raised an eyebrow. Where were the teachers? Didn’t every school have a no-tolerance policy in place for bullies?
“Anyway, Sarah stepped in. Told them to stop but they just turned on her next. She was always writing stories in her notebooks so she was an easy target too.”
“And what did you do?”
“I went to the nurse’s office to get my glasses taped back together.”
Lucas blinked, “I mean about your sister.”
“Nothing. Why?”
“Your sister stepped in to protect you from bullies and you just walked away? Left her outnumbered? You didn’t call for a teacher to break it up?”
Samuel shrugged. He had never been an intimidating person and useless in a fight. Finally he said, “I saw her later. She seemed fine…but after that she stopped talking to me.”
Lucas pinched his nose as if staffing off a headache. And Samuel wondered why his sister stopped talking to him? He glanced at Alan to see the same incredulous look on his face. Alan suffered serious bullying in the past due to his sexual orientation so he understood the seriousness of that sort of ridicule and scorn. He would never have stood back and allowed someone else to suffer as he had. No wonder Sarah never attempted to contact her brother.
“What about your dad?” Lucas asked. “Were you two close with him?”
“No. He was always at the office. We barely saw him except at dinner. Mom insisted we eat together. But things changed when we were fifteen. Mom had an appointment so dad had to watch us. He took us to work. I loved it. It was like a candy store for me but Sarah pretty much stayed in the break room writing her stories.”
Lucas nodded. It seemed Sarah had always been a writer.
“When it was time to go we went looking for dad. We found him in his office, with his secretary bent over his desk.”
Lucas blinked, “Your father was having an affair?”
“Nothing like that. He explained it later. Anal doesn’t count as cheating.”
“And you believed that?” Lucas asked.
“I was fifteen. What did I know about adult relationships?” Samuel shrugged. “But Sarah…she threw a fit, started screaming at him. She said he was the worst dad in the world and that she wished Uncle Tailor was her dad and a bunch of other things. Dad got so mad he slapped her. After that…Sarah never spoke to him again. She totally ignored him acting like he wasn’t even there.”
“And your mom? What did she say about it?”
Samuel shook his head, “She got sick shortly after that and passed away. I don’t know if Sarah even told her. After the funeral Sarah packed a bag and said she was going to live with her friend, Ruth something-or-other. She never came home again. I only saw her at school but she never even said hi.”
Lucas sighed. He had no idea Sarah had suffered so much. She never mentioned it, never hinted at it.
“I tried to get her to come home once after graduation. I told her dad wanted to celebrate together as a family. He was even going to cook a special dinner. And he did…I mean he burnt the pasta but he tried. Sarah never showed up. She went off to college and never came home for holidays.”
And he actually wonders why?
Lucas couldn’t help but shake his head. No wonder Sarah had no problem walking out on him and leaving without a trace. She had plenty of practice with her brother and father.
“I didn’t see her again until dad made the deal with Missus Stanton,” Samuel said. “He tracked her down somehow and told her she had to marry you…She threw another fit. She said she didn’t want anything to do with his dirty deals and to leave her out of it. I guess your grandmother talked to her privately and convinced her to go along with it but I don’t know the details.”
Lucas nodded. No one knew what was said during that interview except two people and neither was a person he felt comfortable asking.
“Sarah wanted a fall wedding. Autumn is her favorite season but the deal wouldn’t be finalized until the marriage was complete so dad insisted on a spring one. He said he’d pay for the venue but he didn’t have any money left so she would have to make due on her own for the rest.”
“What?” Lucas suddenly sat up. “The contract my grandmother signed specifically stated she would give your father five million advance payment for the wedding. Your father brought her receipts saying they went over budget so she gave him an additional two million. The Tribeca isn’t cheap but it’s not seven million. What the hell did he do with the money?”
Samuel looked suitably surprised. Evidently he had no idea about the agreement between Nathan Tomlinson and Alice Stanton.
“How the hell did Sarah pay for the wedding?”
“Out of her own pocket, I assume. She never asked for my help at least. She made all the decorations herself. She and mom used to do all sorts of craft projects with the stuff they bought at garage sales so she was used to it. I even took one of the centerpieces because it reminded me of the fun we used to have as kids.”
Samuel stood walking to his bookshelf and picking up a glass mason jar filled with a string of lights and decorated on top with faux sunflowers with a burlap bow. Bringing it to the desk he turned it on to show how the lights made it look like the jar was filled with fireflies.
“Mom loved this sort of thing,” Samuel smiled. “Sarah’s dress was our mother’s, altered a bit, though I think she had a friend help her with that.”
Lucas stared at the lighted jar. He remembered the wedding, the décor of faux flowers and fall leaves. Apparently Sarah was determined to have her autumn wedding one way or another. At the time he had snorted at the cheap decorations in disgust taking it as confirmation the marriage was all just an act. He never knew Sarah had poured her heart and soul into it. And she wore her mother’s dress? He felt like such an idiot.
“So you went to the wedding?” Lucas asked after a moment.
“Yeah. Of course. Dad thought he would walk her down the aisle but Sarah told him to sit. She would walk herself. She didn’t need anything from him. He didn’t go to the reception at all. When the DJ called for the father-daughter dance I’m pretty sure she danced with Uncle Tailor.”
“Did you dance with her?”
“No. I can’t dance. I didn’t want to ruin her night by stepping on her toes. But you danced with her.”
One dance.
That was all he had allowed for propriety’s sake. Lucas could kick himself for missing such an opportunity. He abandoned his bride at her own wedding. God he was such an ass…but it turned out Sarah was used to dealing with such people.