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Relax. No one here knows your past. No one you don't want to see knows where you live.
I briefly thought it might be Mr. Andrews coming back to check on me, but he was probably still out with his gorgeous companion. Besides, he seemed anxious to get away from me earlier. Maybe it was one of my new neighbors.
Not giving myself any more time to think more about it, I crossed the short distance and peered through the peephole. I saw two heads of graying hair and quickly unlocked the door and flung it open.
"Oh, Madelyn, sweetheart! I'm so glad to see you." I was engulfed in the arms of a pint-sized woman with a gallon-sized heart.
"Now, Emma, don't squeeze her to death before she's had a chance to really breathe for the first time in ages," a deep male voice teased.
The arms released, and I was able to look into one of the kindest sets of blue eyes I'd known in my life. Mrs. McCloskey made me believe I was more than just a poor girl. She was the one who opened up my small world through the eyes of Henry Ford, Teddy Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Rosa Parks; all people who'd been told 'no' or 'you can't' and ignored it. Between her and my grandmother, I believed I could conquer the world, or at least, claim a small piece of it for myself.
Mrs. M , who’d been Mrs. Kissinger when I had her as my third-grade teacher, had been widowed young and had dedicated her life to her students. She'd become such a permanent fixture at Fairchild Elementary School it came as a shock when she announced that she was getting married again and moving away to Richmond, about three hours away. I had cried myself to sleep that night. Why did everyone I care about leave me?
"How are you, sweetheart?" Mrs. M held my face between her hands and ran her eyes over me as if performing a diagnostic scan.
"I'm fine," I assured her, "and doing better than expected thanks to you and your husband." I grinned and tipped my head in the direction of the handsome man who stared at the pair of us with tenderness, much like I thought a doting grandfather might.
Mrs. M's eyes filled with tears. "I'm so sorry I didn't know about your circumstances sooner," she whispered. "I can't believe all you've gone through since I left. I'd give anything if I could go back in time and be there for you. You shouldn't have had to go through all that alone.”
"It's okay." I pulled her into a hug. "You couldn't have known. It wouldn't have changed anything." I couldn't stop the crack in my voice; it had been so long since anyone had shown me compassion.
"But I could have --"
"No." I shook my head. "I'm not letting you do that. As it is, as soon as you found out, you sent your amazing husband to my rescue, and now I have a chance to start over sooner than I expected." I glanced up at the man smiling at us. "I don't know how to thank you both." I waved my hand at our surroundings. "All of this is too much."
John McCloskey gently pulled me from his wife's arms into his own. "I wish we could do more. But it had to be in keeping with what my firm will do for others in the future. But I know without any doubt tha
t you deserve this opportunity, my dear. What you didn't deserve is what happened six years ago. But as much as we might wish we could," he slid a glance over at his wife, "we can't change what's happened. So let's look forward. I know you'll make the best of it."
I nodded vigorously.
Mrs. M snapped her fingers. "I almost forgot." She reached down by the still open door and picked up a blue ceramic bowl containing a plant with shiny, smooth green leaves on a stalk. "This is for you. It's commonly called a jade plant. It's small because it's a new cutting that I started for you once John took your case a couple of months ago. I knew he'd get you out." She beamed at her husband and then grabbed hold of my hand. "It's from a plant which has been passed down in my family for several generations as well as shared with many friends. I chose it because I want you to remember that it's never too late to start over. These plants regularly break apart and put down new roots. I want you to remember that, Madelyn. You are more than where you came from, and I know you'll thrive with this new start."
Damn it! I couldn't prevent the tears that filled my eyes and ran down my cheeks... "Th...thank you," I sniffled. "You always did know the right thing to say." I dashed my hand across my face and offered what I hoped came across as a smile.
Mr. M cleared his throat and put an arm around his wife's shoulders. "Okay. I think we should let Madelyn settle in and get some rest." He turned to me. "Enjoy your weekend, my dear. If you need anything, let us know, and we'll try to help. Mrs. Holmes is ready to get you started on Monday morning."
"I'll be there."
More hugs and sniffles later, Mr. and Mrs. McCloskey left. Even as I shut the door behind them, I breathed a little more easily. I stared at my new plant and was filled with hope.
5
Holt
"Holt! What's up, man?" Callum called as he stepped out of his car.
My older brother had pulled in the driveway a moment ahead of me. Both of my siblings were coming for a Sunday gathering followed by a family dinner. My mother understood her children lead their own lives, but she planned these dinners at least twice a month and expected us to attend. If any of us couldn't make it, we'd better have a damn good excuse.
My father had always been the breadwinner, but it was my mother who ruled over hearth and home. She could be as soft and fuzzy as the thistle flower of her native Scotland, but if anyone crossed her or someone she loved, she was just as sharp and prickly as the briars that lay hidden beneath the bloom. She loved her family fiercely, and anyone who chose to become part of it had to accept Sunday dinners as part of the package. Growing up, there had been a lot of grumbling from my brother, sister and me when we wanted to do something else, but our mother's persistence to create a close family had paid off. There was nothing we wouldn't do for each other. I knew that firsthand since I'd been the one who ended up putting them to the test.
I fist-bumped my brother, then bypassed him for his wife, Sara. "Hey, beautiful! How are you feeling?" I helped her out of the car and pulled her into a hug and swung her around. She squealed until I set her down and kissed her cheek. Cal had managed to find a wonderful girl who I considered just as much a sister as I did my real one.
"Tired, but happy." She returned the affection and leaned her head on my chest, beaming at the car carrier her husband pulled from the backseat. I peaked at Cara, my two-month old niece who was snuggled to the point of almost hidden beneath a pink blanket. Undisturbed by my gentle kiss, she slept soundly through the commotion.
My brother and his wife had tried for three years to have a baby and had about given up hope when they found out Sara was pregnant. Now they were ecstatic about all the baby paraphernalia they toted with them everywhere they went.
A 'woof' and excited panting alerted me that I was about to be ambushed. I turned in time to be greeted with giant paws on my shoulders and a wet tongue slobbering across my face before I could call out the command to sit. Buddy, my loyal black lab, immediately responded to my voice, but his tail continued to swipe side to side, flicking up loose leaves and dirt.
