September Wind (43 page)

PART IV

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

The children rushed over to Emily as she walked into the house with her father. After a round of hugs, Nathan placed a hand on her cast.

             
“
What happened?”

             
“
Oh, don’t look so worried, it’ll be off in a few weeks.”

Donna walked in from the kitchen, introduced herself, and then ruffled Nathan’s hair. “These guys were up at the break of dawn already looking for you.”

She pointed out the bedrooms and offered Emily an easy chair. Then sitting across from her, she rambled on about the morning as Samuel went to deposit her things in her room. When he returned Donna was finishing a rundown of what Emily should expect as far as her health concerns.

             
“Oh, and Doctor Barnes told me to make sure you don’t run yourself down. That, little ones,” she said, looking at Maria and Nathan hovering around Emily, “means she needs lots of rest.”

             
Her eyes flitted back to Emily’s. “Of course I understand they’re excited to see you. But if they start bothering you, there’re plenty of games that should keep them occupied.”

“Oh, they’ll be fine,” Emily assured her, “once we get a chance to talk.”

              She noticed a stack of books on the end table next to her chair. They were the books she left in her room back at the house. “Oh, Maria and Nathan, you guys are so thoughtful for bringing these here.”

             
Nathan was leaning over one of the arms on Emily’s chair. He pulled himself up, and placed his hands around the books, squaring them into a neat stack. “We thought you might wanna finish ’em up.” He turned to his sister who stood across from him, and then back to Emily. “Uhm, we were... We were won...”

             
“Oh, I’ll ask,” Maria said, impatient.

Nathan slipped up onto the end table and flung his legs on the arm of the chair. “Go on then, ask.”

“See,” Maria began, not quite as bold now, “what he’s trying to say is that we were wondering. Uhm… Are we living with you now?”

             
Nathan leaped to his feet. “Can we? Can we stay with you?”

             
“
Well.” Emily looked at Samuel who had taken a seat on the couch.

             
“
I’ll take care of it,” he said, then turned to the children. “Maria and Nathan, guess who I talked to this morning? Your Aunt Agnes from New York. She’s in Europe right now, but when she returns, she’s coming to pick you up.”

             
The children’s faces turned sour. “I want to stay with you, Emily,” Maria moaned.

Nathan folded his arms in a pout. “I don’t even know her.”

“Okay, okay,” Donna said, waving her arms. “Hold on just one minute. I’m sure Emily would love to set up house with you two, but she’s not exactly in a position to do that. Besides, she’s got school to finish.”

             
Emily pulled the children over, making room for them on either side of her. They looked up at her with those big eyes she had come to love. “You remember when I said we’d always be friends? Well, I meant it, but Donna’s right. And as much as I’d like us to stay together, I’m not equipped to take on two children by myself. I’ll bet if you give your aunt a chance, you’ll love it in New York. Wow. Who wouldn’t want to live there? We can write letters, and call each other now and then. And I bet if you ask your aunt she might even let me visit.”

That seemed to satisfy them, and even sparked their curiosity about New York. Emily wasn’t surprised that the only mention of Donald Schillings was when Maria asked if she knew her father was in jail, and that she hoped he learned a lesson.

“Okay, kids,” Donna said, pulling herself from the chair. “Emily needs a nap. You two go out in the backyard until lunch.”

* * * *

              Samuel stopped by later that evening, and after Maria and Nathan were asleep, he appeared from the kitchen carrying a tray with two cups of warmed cinnamon and vanilla milk. “I thought you might want to hear a little about your family.”

             
Emily was still not over the shock of learning that her father was alive, and hadn’t considered the possibility of having to share him.

             
He placed the tray on the end table, handing Emily one of the drinks.

             
“
You are interested, aren’t you?”

             
“Sure. I – I just hadn’t thought that far. So, you’re saying I have brothers and sisters?”

             
“
Well, first there’s my wife, your stepmother Adah, who I’ve known since before I could walk. And then you have a sister Rose, who just turned sixteen a few months back. She can’t wait to meet you.”

             
Samuel pulled out a picture of Rose and handed it over.

             
“
Oh, she’s beautiful.”

             
“
And so are you. See, your profiles are much the same, and look at her long neck, just like yours. You’re both tall and slender, the slender coming from your mothers—being that I’ve never been the slightest bit lean.”

Emily smiled and brushed a hand up along her neck and smoothed it over her lips. She had always felt different, a little embarrassed at how full her lips were. But now that she saw them on Rose… well it just wasn’t the same.

* * * *

After the talk with her father, Emily awoke each day contemplating her new life, trying to imagine what it would be like to have a sister, and a stepmother. She wondered how they would feel about her when she showed up and disrupted their lives, what they would think when they found out about Claude.

              There were times of such joy when she would just sit and smile. But there were also times of doubt that her family would accept her. And no matter where her thoughts took her, or whatever else she was doing, there was still that pain in her gut like a hand of justice reaching in to remind her that she was wanted for murder. She knew it was imperative she tell her father about Claude, but she couldn’t do it just yet, not until she felt more secure in their relationship.

After seeing Michael in the hospital, thoughts of him occupied much of her time. If there was ever an empty dream she hung onto, she realized it was hoping for a future with him. She reasoned he was an escape from reality, and although that served its purpose, too much of it was a waste of time. From then on, every day she was able to further the distance between thoughts of him, it became another day of congratulations at how easy it was to forget him. Soon she wouldn’t think of him at all.

Then Donna took her to the hospital to have her cast removed. She didn’t see it coming until a door opened behind her and she turned to see if it was Michael. Just like that, all of the effort she’d put into forgetting him was gone in a stroke. Then every door opening, every footstep or movement caught at the side, every distant voice alerted her that she might get a glimpse of him. She tried not to look too conspicuous as she peered here and there, and at the same time, imagining that everyone knew she was searching for that handsome young doctor. After that, she knew it was useless trying to forget him. His memory would fade in time, just like the others.

The children seemed happy, and she was relieved they continued to ask about New York and show a real interest in their future home. She told them what she knew, and then asked her father to drop by some books. As they sat looking through encyclopedias and magazines, asking questions, and becoming more excited, she couldn’t forget that soon she’d be moving in with her new family too. She was excited and terrified at the same time.

              It was a pleasant surprise to see the children at peace with each other. Donna was like a mother hen, but she was terrific, and Emily couldn’t have asked for a better place to recuperate. Then one day she knew her life was about to take a spiraling turn when she saw the look on her father’s face as he walked through the door. She sank back into the easy chair.

             
“
Kids,” Samuel said, motioning Donna to take them from the room.

             
“
Maria, Nathan,” Donna said. “You were bragging about your somersaults. Let’s go out back and see what you can do.”

After the children were safely out of hearing range, Samuel pulled up a chair and sat next to Emily. Even though she knew what this was about, she had to ask. “Donald Schillings told didn’t he?”

“If you mean about Claude…Yes, yes he did.”

             
“
I didn’t mean to do it,” she said. Her cheeks burned with shame.

             
“I know, I know you didn’t. Oh, Emily,” he said, choking back tears, “to think I failed your mother tore my heart out, and now you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

             
She couldn’t believe him. It was as if he were trying to take the blame for what she'd done. “You didn’t fail me, or my mother for that matter. I - I just shouldn’t have come. I’m sorry for bringing you into this mess.”

“No. Don’t say that. I couldn’t bear the thought of you facing this alone. You did the right thing by coming. This is where you belong, where you’ve always belonged.”

He moved to the edge of his seat, took her hands, and looked into her eyes. “Emily, I want to ask you something very important.”

She braced herself, lowering her eyes
.

“Did Claude… did he ever force himself on you? Did he… rape you?”

              Emily flinched at the memory never shared with anyone. Some of it she had written in her notebook, but that had been for her eyes only. She wasn’t ready to discuss it with anyone.

             
“
It’s true isn’t it,” he said as if he were commanding her to say “yes”.

Every muscle in her body tensed as she pressed her hands into balls and forced a nod.

              Samuel molded his hands around hers, kneading them as if they were dough her grandmother would lovingly place to rise. “Emily, it’s all going to work out, you’ll see.”

             
She wanted to believe him, but she didn’t see how he could ever understand.

“Honey, are you okay?”

              She nodded again. “I just don’t want to talk about it.”

             
“
Okay, we won’t. But you realize at some point you’re going to have to.”

             
“
What’s going to happen to me?” she said quietly.

             
“
Well. Uhm... the court has its rules that we’ll have to abide by, of course. But once they know the facts, the charges will be dropped. I’m sure of it.”

Emily got up and went to the window. “Will I have to go back to Illinois?”

              “
Yes, but not until Doctor Barnes releases you. When he does, I’m guessing the whole thing takes no more than a week or two, maybe three at the most.”

Samuel got up and went to stand beside her. “Listen, Emily, I’m trying my hardest to go with you, and I’ve already checked into a lawyer.”

They stood for a few moments watching the children.

             
“
Say, Emily. If you don’t mind, I think I should be the one to tell them what happened. I just think it would be easier on you. Besides, I’m afraid you’ll be too hard on yourself.”

“Thanks. I appreciate that.”

              Emily said goodbye to her father, and then went to her room and slept until after dinner. When she awoke and found that the children had just gotten into bed, she went in to say goodnight.

She tucked them in, and then sat at the foot of the bed, feeling like she needed to say something about what happened. “Sorry I missed dinner.”
Say something silly, they already know.
She searched for the right words, but…

“We know what happened,” Maria said all of a sudden. “Samuel told us that someone hurt you.”

              “
Yeah,” Nathan broke in, “and now you’ve gotta go back to Illinois and straighten things out.”

             
“
Oh, you guys,” Emily said, her eyes welling up, “I’m sorry for letting you down.”

             
Maria sat up. “What do you mean? You didn’t let us down.”

“Yeah, you’ve been nicer than just about anyone… since Mommy,” Nathan said, scratching the tip of his nose.

              There was a knock on the door and Donna sailed into the room. “Hate to interrupt, but you children best be saying goodnights. Emily needs to take her medicine and put something in her stomach.”

             
Later, after Emily had eaten and was getting ready for bed, Donna popped her head the doorway. “By the way, I forgot to tell you. Some guy named George called when you were sleeping. He’s stopping by tomorrow.”