“Come on Daisy!” Zoe shrieked as she ran through the maze of flower beds.
Sarah chuckled watching the pair run off some much needed energy. If only she could be as carefree. She wasn’t sure how she was going to face Alice after her impromptu departure. Sarah supposed she should have sent the Stanton matriarch a letter or at least a note.
“Sarah! My darling!”
She turned to see Lucas a step behind his grandmother as she wheeled up to her. As soon as she was within reach Alice gripped Sarah’s hand and pulled her close.
“It’s so good to see you! I’ve missed you so much!”
“Th-thank you,” Sarah stuttered slowly straightening. “How have you been Alice?”
“Oh fine. Just fine. Bored out of my mind. Without you no one comes to visit me.”
“Visit?” Lucas asked.
“Yeah, I usually took an Uber here once a month,” Sarah nodded blushing slightly.
Lucas merely stared at her slowly comprehending. Ulima mentioned times she left to meet a friend. He had thought that friend was Ruth, her editor, or Ava after he heard how Sarah helped the former overcome her fear of horses. Now it seemed at least some of those visits were to his grandmother.
“You are as beautiful as ever!” Alice smiled. “You must have some exciting stories to tell. You could always spin a good yarn.”
“Mommy!” Zoe laughed as she suddenly reappeared. Seeing her mother was no longer alone she happily exclaimed, “Daddy! Catch me!”
She ran to Lucas who immediately scooped her up with a laugh. Daisy circled his feet panting loudly as she sat. Lucas planted a kiss on Zoe’s forehead asking, “Having a good time?”
“Yes! The garden is so pretty!” Zoe declared before her gaze settled on Alice. “Hello.”
Alice sat not believing her eyes as she stared at her great-granddaughter. Though she had seen Zoe in pictures and even prevailed upon William to drive her to Vermont to watch Zoe and her mother from afar once or twice, to see the three-year-old up close was a new experience. Alice found her hands trembling in anticipation of actually holding her.
“Zoe, this is your great-grandmother Alice,” Lucas introduced. “Grandma, this is Zoe.”
“Hello Grandma Alice!” Zoe greeted without missing a beat reaching out to hug the older woman.
Reluctantly Lucas relinquished his daughter setting her in Alice’s lap. Alice held the little one gently afraid she would suddenly disappear if she squeezed too hard. From the moment she received the first pictures of Zoe’s birth Alice prayed and hoped for this moment…to finally hold her precious great-granddaughter.
Lucas watched his grandmother with a mixture of amusement and sadness. This scene should have played out four years ago if not for his stupidity. He looked at Sarah to see she was also absorbing the scene with a slightly pensive look. Perhaps she felt the same way he did.
Daisy approached the wheelchair and sniffing it apprehensively. With a whine the pup reared up on its hind legs and placed its forelimbs on Alice’s knee as it sniffed the old woman.
“Well hello there,” Alice greeted.
“That’s my puppy Daisy!” Zoe eagerly introduced.
“She certainly is a cute thing,” Alice said petting the puppy who licked her hand.
In truth dogs had never appealed to her. Alice preferred an orderly environment and never encouraged pets. However, she would never deny Zoe her pleasures. The pup would always be welcomed.
“Have you eaten dinner yet?” Alice asked.
“No. Donna made us a big lunch at Auntie Macey’s!” Zoe said.
“Well, it’s almost dinner so we will take care of that,” Alice chuckled. “William, let’s have dinner on the veranda today.”
“Of course ma’am.”
They let the three-year-old and puppy run around the yard while they sat on the patio watching over them. At least Sarah sat. Lucas remained on his feet keeping a close eye on the excited pair making sure they didn’t go near the pool which had no fence to separate them.
An hour or so later William reappeared setting the table. Several minutes later he set out salad and cucumber sandwiches as appetizers. They let Zoe play a little longer until the main course arrived: herb-crusted chicken, string beans and rice. Wrangling the three-year-old, Lucas carried her to the table intending to place her in her seat but Alice beckoned for her to sit in her lap again where she insisted Zoe sit while they ate.
“So what are your plans for tomorrow?” Alice asked.
“Mommy and daddy are taking me to the aquarium!” Zoe declared.
“The aquarium?”
“The New York Aquarium,” Sarah said. “Zoe wants to visit all the zoos while we’re here.”
“Also Luna Park and the beach,” Lucas added.
“I get to swim in the ocean!” Zoe declared.
“All in one day?”
“No, the weekend. We’ll be here until Sunday.”
“Sunday!” Alice smiled in delight. “Excellent! This place can get pretty lonely all by myself. And it sounds like you’ll have a lot of fun.”
“Are you coming too grandma?” Zoe asked.
“Oh, I don’t know. It’s not easy getting around nowadays.”
“But you can come to the aquarium right? We get to see penguins and sea lions and turtles and fish!”
“You should come with us,” Sarah encouraged.
“Well…it has been awhile since I was out,” Alice considered the offer. Going to the beach was out of the question and she wouldn’t like the crowds on the boardwalk. The aquarium did seem like the most enjoyable experience. “All right. I’ll go to the aquarium with you tomorrow.”
* * *
“Is she still asleep?” Sarah asked as William led them upstairs. She glanced behind her at Lucas who followed carrying a sleeping Zoe.
After dinner Zoe regaled Alice in all sorts of stories about Vermont, their farm and all her barnyard friends. Eventually she talked herself to sleep. Alice wisely decided it would be best if they all got their rest. It would be a long day tomorrow.
“Here you are,” William said opening a door. “This is Miss Zoe’s bedroom.”
They entered the bedroom expecting a normal guest room only to stare in complete shock. Two of the four walls bore a mural of a farm filled with all sorts of animals. The other two walls had a mural with a forest filled with wildlife. One corner was a reading nook with shelves filled with children’s books as well as a kid-sized rocking chair and an adult one. Another corner was set aside for art projects with all sorts of paints, crayons, a table and an easel.
There was a four-poster bed with a canopy. The canopy and bed sheets were decorated with stars as was the ceiling. Stuffed animals sat on just about every available space: on shelves, in the chairs and crowding the bed. There were also dog toys and a basket for Daisy. It was clear Alice prepared this room specifically for her great-granddaughter hoping they would eventually meet.
The sight brought tears to Sarah’s eyes. Composing herself she went to the bed pulling back the covers so Lucas could lay the little one down. He pulled off Zoe’s shoes careful not to wake her. Sarah retreated to the dresser selecting a nightgown. With seemingly practiced ease Sarah slipped off Zoe’s shirt and exchanged it for the nightgown. She then slipped off Zoe’s pants before tucking her in. The process was almost effortless. Lucas wondered how often she had to resort to this sort of bedtime preparation.
They retreated to the door as Daisy hopped up on the bed and curled up next to her sleeping mistress. They smiled at the scene before closing the door. Clearing his throat William led them to another room. He opened the door then nodded to them before taking his leave.
Confused they peered into the room to see it was the usual room Alice assigned to them since their marriage. Nothing had changed and all appeared normal. It was several moments before they realized she meant them to share it and the queen-sized bed. Lucas felt his face warm as he looked at Sarah who had gone red as well. In the past he had trudged to another guest room or went back to his condo to avoid the whole situation claiming he had to work. He could tell Sarah was thinking the same thing.
It was unlikely any other rooms had been prepared for their impromptu visit but he also worried about her having nightmares. One thing was certain he didn’t want to repeat the same mistake.
“I—ah—I can sleep in another room,” Lucas finally said. “So you don’t…”
“No,” Sarah interrupted. “We’re both adults. We can share a bed.”
“Are you sure?” Lucas asked not wanting to appear over-eager. It would be the first time he spent a proper night in the same bed with her but after the attack he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.
“It’ll be fine,” Sarah nodded. “I mean, we spent last night together.”
Lucas held back a laugh. It wasn’t exactly a magical night but it had been their first together since the divorce and only their second ever. Neither night was a fond memory for them.
“So…I’ll get ready first,” Sarah said retreating to the bathroom after grabbing pajamas from the dresser.
Lucas nervously sat on the chaise lounge trying to calm his racing heart. He was thrilled she trusted him enough to allow him even in the same room. As he sat his gaze went to the coffee table to see the file about his biological father. Of all the things his grandmother could have told him that was not a bombshell he expected. He hoped visiting his grandmother would clear up some issues but things were only getting more complicated.
“Bathroom is free.”
He looked up to see Sarah emerge wearing flannels. She skirted past him to the bed careful not to meet his gaze.
Lucas stood and followed her example gathering his sleepwear before entering the bathroom. Splashing water on his face he tried to clear his mind but it was hopelessly muddled. He had no idea what he was going to do about his biological father. Would he even want to see him? And what about Zoe? What would she think about a grandma and grandpa even he never knew? Or Sarah?
Lucas shook his head. No. First thing first: make amends with Sarah and deal with his mother, sister and Madeline. After that was done he could worry about the rest.
Stepping out of the bathroom in sweats and t-shirt he quietly padded to the bed where Sarah had already settled on one side. Though she looked asleep her eyes opened as he pulled back the covers. Lucas hesitated, “Would you like a pillow or something between us?”
“…No. It’s all right. I trust you.”
“I never thought I’d hear those words,” Lucas sighed slipping into the bed and lying on his back.
“So what did you discuss with Alice?”
“Oh, this and that. Apparently she already knew you were Rosemary and she knew about that time in the schoolyard.”
“And she knew about Zoe,” Sarah added. “I refuse to believe she got that bedroom ready in a day.”
Lucas chuckled.
“You know, after I left every now and again I felt like I was being watched,” Sarah said. “I guess I was.”
“Yeah. She had someone follow you. Not all the time but she wanted to keep an eye on you and Zoe, just in case,” Lucas said. “She’s always been a stickler for family first…I guess that’s why she made me her heir even though…”
“Even though what?” Sarah asked turning on her side to face him.
“Even though we’re not related.”
“What?”
“My mother had an affair. My biological father lives in Arizona with his wife and two sons. I have two younger brothers. How is that for a bombshell?”
“Are you going to contact to them?” Sarah asked. She assumed if Alice told him the truth she would also give him contact information.
“I don’t know. What do you say to someone who walked away from his children for ten million?”
“How about hi?” Sarah suggested.
Lucas looked over at her giving her a disgruntled look.
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately,” Sarah said, “and I’ve come to a few conclusions.”
“And they are?”
“We are both totally and hopelessly screwed up.”
Lucas blinked then suddenly barked out a laugh. Rolling over so he could face her he said, “And how did you come up with that conclusion?”
“Well, I have huge trust issues and when push comes to shove I walk away,” Sarah said. “It doesn’t solve the problem. It just removes me from the middle of it.”
“And I’m so busy trying to live up to my grandmother’s legacy I second-guess every decision so I end up doing nothing…or I listen to my mother and sister which turns everything into a disaster,” Lucas sighed. “I’m so sorry, Sarah.”
“Luke, stop,” Sarah reached for his hand and squeezed it. “You already apologized and the more you stew over it the worse you are going to feel.”
“All right,” Lucas breathed deep and kissed her hand. “Good night.”
“Good night.”