Unexpected Arrivals(89)
“What else did she tell you? Have you been there all day?”
“Pretty much. Although, you probably should to sit down to hear all I have to say. Where’s Legend?”
“My mom is putting him to bed. He was worn out from an afternoon in the sun. I swear I don’t know where he gets all that energy from.”
“Oh, he’s staying tonight?”
“Is that a problem?”
“No.” I smiled through my tears and touched his arm. “It’s perfect.” And somehow it was. That little boy was a piece of my husband and the sister I’d never met, and I refused to ever let him go.
When I finished telling James everything Gwendolyn had imparted on me, he struggled to comfort me while appreciating all she’d done for Chelsea, and in turn, Legend. I didn’t have it in me to be jealous that she’d been there for the Airys. The truth was, had Chelsea told James about the baby, I wasn’t sure I would have said yes when he proposed, and our lives would have been much more complicated. I hesitated to admit she’d done us a favor by not involving herself in our relationship, because that made me selfish as hell, however, I couldn’t deny that thought or the truth in the reality.
“James, I don’t think we can leave Geneva Key.”
“You hate it here.”
“I hated it for reasons that didn’t really exist…at least not in the light I thought they had. I don’t want to look back and have regrets. There’s still time to get close to Gwendolyn, and Legend needs her. She’s the only connection he has to his mom. I need her to help me to help him remember her—share things with him to keep Chelsea’s memory alive.”
“So you think we should what? Sell our house? What about the business in New York?”
“I don’t have all the answers. I don’t have any of the answers, nonetheless, I think with a decision, the rest will fall into place.” We had long since moved to the couch, and sitting in the moonlight, I rested my hand on his forearm. “Legend should be in Geneva Key—where we have a support system, and so does he.”
“You’re sure about this?”
“Your dad already said he had a job for you. We have a place to stay until our house sells. The only detail to iron out is Neil. So yeah, I’m sure.”
“Then I guess we need to talk to my parents, get Neil’s input, and do what’s necessary to take custody of Legend. I hate bouncing him around. He needs a home—whether that’s in this house, one of our own, or New York. He needs to feel secure.”
There was a long stretch of silence while the two of us pondered what lay ahead.
James kissed my temple and whispered into my ear, “I knew you’d find your way.” My husband wasn’t referring to clarity; he’d waited for me to shed the weight of anger to find the path we needed to walk as a family of three instead of two.
We talked late into the night, and when we finally went to bed, we’d made a decision not to have Legend tested along with having ironed out aspects of our lives that didn’t exist on this island. I felt more confident than I had since James had shown me the letter from Clary, White, & Boyd. It would take getting used to, but both of us were about to have something we’d never dreamed of.
A family.
19
Cora
“So your father was Chelsea’s dad, but she never met him, which makes you Legend’s aunt and stepmother? And Gwendolyn, or Dottie, is not only your grandmother; she’s my son’s great-grandmother? For a Chase, that sounds awfully reprehensible and totally preposterous—not to mention, a tad trashy.”
I couldn’t tell if he didn’t buy it or he was so dumbfounded that reality hadn’t quite hit him. So I stood there with my arms crossed over my chest, my hip cocked to the side against the dresser, and a death glare on my face while I blinked slowly in his direction. He continued to move about our room getting ready for bed, and still, I said nothing—waiting for it to register. When he finally stopped, presumably because I hadn’t made a peep, I pursed my lips and raised my brow, daring him to make another joke.
“Baby, what do you want me to say?” He patted the mattress next to him, but I remained firmly planted. “I can’t begin to wrap my mind around any of the twisted pieces in the puzzle or how none of the wires ever crossed in thirty-plus years. It’s like a perfectly played game of Operation.”
My arms dropped to my sides, and my fists balled in agitation as I pushed off the dresser. “You don’t even seem to care. Like it’s just another day in Geneva Key.” I threw my hands in the air, exasperated by his indifference.
“That’s not true. I just don’t have a clue what to do with the information. It’s like you found out your entire life was a lie, and the people who could answer questions aren’t around anymore. I know you’re struggling with letting go of the contempt for Gwendolyn, so I’m stuck mentally as to how to give you any advice.”
I finally joined him on the bed and leaned against his shoulder. “That’s not true. I think after everything she told me, that portion of my story doesn’t warrant grasping much less clinging to as the gospel. If everything Gwendolyn says is true, then I haven’t been fair to her. Unfortunately, I’m reluctant to believe what she said about my dad, either. He can’t defend himself; he can’t justify his actions—he was a good man, James. I just can’t make heads or tails out of any of this. And worst of all, my grandmother has taken the fall for so many years, and we now have a son that we will have to explain this mess to.”