Page 81 of Second Chances

Josh clutched the railing, his knuckles white. “So who’s your mom then?” He had to have already known the answer but was refusing to admit it to himself; his eyes glittered under the beam from the safety lamp. “Dad? Tell me. Who’s her mom?”

Henry looked from his son to his daughter. “Melanie.” He regretted causing the shock forming on his son’s face.

“Dad, I can’t…is this true?” Effie took her husband’s arm and stroked his bicep. He gave a shuddery sigh, a sign that he was struggling to remain calm.

“Your mom must have been pregnant when she left us—the timing works out. And seeing you two now, together, there’s no doubt. Your eyes, your ears. Sophie even got my chin. All I can tell both of you is that I didn’t know. If I had…if I had known, you would have known me,” he told Sophie, his voice breaking. “I would never have let you grow up without your father.” Emotion overtaking him, his heart in his throat, he vowed, “I would have moved heaven and earth for you, Sophie, and for you, Josh. You would have known each other.”

Holding Sophie tightly, he reached for his son, who clasped his hand, until he finally threw his arms around them. The three of them formed a circle. “I’m sorry I never knew about you. All this time, I had a daughter.”

Effie wrapped her arms around Josh’s waist from behind, and a voice spoke from the shadows, “Well, isn’t this a sweet family reunion? Why wasn’t I invited?”

With the band packing up and the house lights on bright, the scattered remnants of the wedding dance mimicked Charlotte’s emotional state. Stumbling into the restroom, she locked herself in the last stall. Discovering that Henry had been in recent contact with his ex-wife was shocking, but not nearly as much as learning he had a daughter? Once she heard that, she shut the door leading outside as quietly as she could and left him to his privacy, too aware that she was an outsider. Having seen the young woman enough times today, Charlotte guessed her age to be in her mid-twenties, which could only mean Melanie was her mother. It was staggering to think she must have been pregnant when she left Henry and Josh. Oh, Henry, she moaned silently, imagining he must be struggling with the news, considering how they’d spoken of his desire for more children after Josh. And poor Josh, learning about earth-shattering news like this on his wedding day. At least he had Effie for comfort, and his dad. Who would be there for Henry?

Should she have gone to him and offered her support? She couldn’t, though, not after what she’d overheard him say while still in the park after the wedding to his then-unknown daughter. “Never get married,” he’d advised the young woman, unaware that Charlotte had been within earshot. During the reception, she tamped down the words in her mind, unwilling to believe that he meant them, because if he did, what did that mean for their future? Yes, she had embraced her “freedom” following her divorce, but her relationship with Henry wasn’t casual, nor did she want it to be. She wanted them to be significant to each other; that didn’t automatically have to include marriage, but he’d brushed it away so callously, in a manner so unlike the Henry she’d fallen in love with.

And yet…if Melanie had been contacting him, pressuring him in some way, it was no wonder he felt what he did. Couple that with the odd way Diadema had acted all day long, even someone as calm and even as Henry was bound to snap, eventually. Exhausted and heartbroken, the only option for her now was to go home, so Charlotte gathered up as much courage as she could and left the restroom. Many of the guests were already gone, so she made her way forlornly to the entrance of the Cattleman’s Club, picking up plastic cups smudged with lipstick and paper plates soiled with cake crumbs and sugary frosting from the long tables along the way, depositing them into the trash can nearby.

“You don’t have to do that.” Nora’s grinning face almost broke her. “DD made sure that the restaurant was going to take care of everything. I don’t know about you, but things were so different when George and I got married. Our families stayed after the dance and cleaned up. Same with Trixie and Brian. Ugh—all that sweeping and hauling out trash, when everyone is completely wiped out after the big day? No, thank you!”

Charlotte gave a rueful smile. “Yeah, when I got married, it was nothing like this. Although we only had a few guests, and it was more of a ‘do-it-yourself’ kind of event. I was only eighteen, though, so there’s that.” She gave a half-hearted laugh. “Oh, I haven’t had a chance to congratulate you on the big engagement! Liam looks so happy, and I spoke with Lana a couple of times tonight. She’s lovely.”

Nora cut a slice of cake from the remnants on a nearby table. “I can’t even wrap my head around it yet! Although part of me wishes he would have waited to announce it sometime other than Josh’s wedding reception, I’m not surprised it happened this way,” Nora chuckled. “That’s my son, though. Flashy, outrageous. A true peacock.” After a sip of champagne, she added, “He waited a long time for Lana, and after finally meeting her today and getting to know her a bit, I can see why. She’s really wonderful, and a perfect match for him.” Nora grabbed a napkin from the table to wipe her eyes. “I can’t believe my son will be getting married!”

“We should all be so lucky to find the right one.” As hard as she tried, she couldn’t keep the wistful tone from her voice.

Around a mouthful of cake, Nora said, “Well, you and Henry seem to have done that.”

“I don’t know,” Charlotte shrugged. “I mean, I thought so, but⁠—”

“But what?” Nora refilled the glass she had been holding with the last few drops from a bottle of champagne on the table. “Henry is happier than I’ve ever seen him, Charlotte.” Nora took Charlotte’s hand in hers. “I’ve known him since…I don’t know, kindergarten? Maybe before? We shared almost every homeroom in school, so we were friends before I started dating his older brother. He’s always been the careful one…the cautious one. I hope whatever doubts you’re having don’t concern DD. Even if he thought he was in love with her in high school, that was puppy love at best, and his feelings weren’t reciprocated. Besides, he would never have been happy with her. She needed a different kind of man, and that is not my brother-in-law, bless him. I know she’s been acting erratically for the past year, but the truth is, and I’m not defending her, that she’s terrified of losing Burnside. DD talks a big game, but inside she’s a mess of insecurities. Her parents were not the warm, fuzzy kind, and they opposed her marriage to her first husband basically because he was Lakota. Losing Nathaniel,” Nora shook her head, “was traumatic for her, for Effie. She’s been through a lot.”

“Mom.” Liam swooped up behind Nora, hugging her and lifting her off her feet. Nora laughed. “Just wanted to say we are out.” After placing Nora back on firm ground, he kissed her cheek, drawing Lana in to hold her firmly at his side. “Hey, Charlotte, you and Uncle Henry looked good together on the dance floor.”

“Hi, Liam. And Lana, it was nice meeting you,” Charlotte said. “Congratulations to both of you. You both look ecstatic.” To Nora, she said, “I should be going, too. I’ll see you later.”

Nora asked, “Tomorrow, right?” and Charlotte smiled without confirming, unsure of what her future held.

Deflated, Charlotte looked around for Trixie to tell her goodbye, but didn’t see her. The giddy expectation she had this morning of leaving the wedding festivities with Henry hand in hand was gone. Instead, she was alone, and more than likely, would be for the foreseeable future. Intent on providing Henry with as much space and time as he needed to process the revelation that he had a daughter, she would have to put aside any concerns she had about the status of their relationship or about him communicating with his ex, and why he hadn’t told her.

Waving to Tess and Ruth, each in the arms of their husbands, Charlotte opened the door to the main entrance, hoping for a hasty exit. No sooner had she stepped outside when someone asked, “Can we talk?”

Spinning, Charlotte assessed Diadema, looking less glamorous than she had ever seen the woman. Even more shocking was the woman speaking directly to her, something she seemed to have gone out of her way to avoid doing, except for the day Charlotte had surprised her by answering Henry’s door, in his shirt, after they’d made love all night. “I don’t know if now is a good time,” she responded, wanting only to get home so she could finally succumb to the tears she was barely restraining.

Moving closer, Diadema said, “Please.”

The haunted look in her eyes convinced Charlotte to give her some grace. Crossing her arms in front of her, Charlotte waited for Diadema to speak. “I’m listening,” she prodded, when she just stood there.

“It wasn’t intentional, but I heard part of your conversation with Nora, and I want to clear the air. I’m sorry, I really am. There’s no excuse for how I’ve been acting, other than to agree with what Nora said. I’ve lived a privileged life, mostly, but there have been challenges and regrets. Nothing was the same for me after I lost my first husband,” Diadema’s voice broke, “and even though I’ve built a great life with Burnside, there’s this little voice in my head constantly reminding me that maybe I don’t deserve it, that it’s somehow my fault he’s having health issues. It’s the same voice I heard when Nathaniel died. His parents blamed me for his accident, and even though we’ve reconciled, I still hear it, now more than ever.”

Witnessing the other woman’s vulnerability made Charlotte ashamed. She’d always prided herself on understanding people, yet she had chosen to react to Diadema with hostility, almost from day one of meeting her. She should have guessed her bravado was hiding pain, and she wondered if jealousy had colored her perception, causing her to view Diadema in a more unflattering way than she deserved. “I’m sorry, too, for what you went through. Are still going through. It’s hard to lose someone you love.” Diadema nodded, and Charlotte felt a surge of sympathy. “I guess in some ways, I was intimidated by you.”

“Me?” Diadema snickered. “I’m all style and no substance, just ask anyone.” Charlotte remained silent at the self-deprecating remark. “I guess that’s why I went to Henry. Sometimes it seems like he and Nora are the only ones who see me for me. And I’ve probably ruined our friendship with my selfishness.”

“I want to give you the benefit of the doubt, but I need some assurances, too.” She gave Diadema a serious look, wanting to make sure she was clear. “I respect your past with him will do the same with your friendship, if he wants one. But Henry and I are together, and you need to respect that. I don’t want to feel like we’re competing with each other.”

“Absolutely,” Diadema agreed. “Nora was right. Henry and I would never have been good together. I hope you understand, Charlotte, that I was not trying to ‘get’ Henry. I just needed a friend, but the way I went about it wasn’t right. You know how they say, ‘hurt people hurt people’?” Charlotte nodded. “Well, that was me. And my drinking hasn’t helped.”

“No more pop ins?” Charlotte couldn’t stop herself from asking.