“I was still awake, sis. Waiting on you. I want to hear all about your date tonight.” Mary gave her a hug. “You okay? You don’t seem quite yourself.”
“I’m not.”
“You know what Mom Carol says about that. Dessert time before talk time.”
She grinned. “Great idea. Carol left me a note. There’s a pineapple upside-down cake that I’m dying to get a fork into.”
“Lead the way.”
“Here we are again,” Maude said to Mary ten minutes later, taking another bite of the delicious dessert, “at Carol’s kitchen table eating another one of her amazing creations. How does she have time to bake and still teach biology at the high school?”
Her sister smiled. “I have no idea, but I’m glad she does. Now, tell me all about your date with your two sexy cowboys.”
“They were wonderful, but that’s not all I want to talk to you about.” She sighed. The invisible weight inside her got even heavier. “I’m not sure where to begin. It’s something I’ve been keeping from you for a very long time.”
“You kept something from me?” Mary nodded. “I didn’t tell you what was happening with Paul back home.”
“I wish you would have told me right away. I would have helped you get out of that mess with that asshole.”
“I know you would. And I would do the same for you. Maude, there’s nothing you can say that will change how I feel about you. We’re sisters. I have your back and you have mine. Always. Tell me.”
“Remember when I went away to that boarding school when I was sixteen? It wasn’t actually a boarding school. It was a home for unwed mothers.” She held nothing back. All the dirty secrets had been bottled up inside her for so long that the confession to her sister came out in a flood of words. Every detail she shared, no matter how heart-wrenching, caused tears to flow. And when she finally finished and looked over at Mary, her eyes were swollen from crying. “I’ve meant to tell you all of this for a very long time. Please forgive me.”
“Forgive you? Oh, Maude.” With her own tears streaming down her face, Mary reached across the table and grabbed her hands. “I wish I had known. I wish I had been there to help you.”
“You were only thirteen when I got raped and only fourteen when the baby was born. What could you have done?”
“I could’ve listened. I could’ve cried with you, like we are now.” Mary shook her head. “How could our parents do that to you?”
“I hated them for so long for what they did, but as I’ve gotten a little older I realize they were doing their best.”
“But their best isn’t good enough. They are selfish. I don’t care if I ever see or hear from them again. And neither should you.”
“It’s easier to say than do, Mary. They’re products of their upbringing. You don’t remember Mom’s mother, do you?”
“I don’t.”
“You were three and I was five when she came to visit a year before she died. Terrible woman. Much worse than mother. Much.”
“Don’t tell me you’ve forgiven them for what they did to you?”
“Some. Yes. Not totally. I’ve learned that we all do the best we can, even our parents. We’ve all made mistakes.”
“That’s true. I got engaged to Paul just to get out of their house.” Mary sighed. “That was a doozy of a mistake for me.”
“But look at you now. You made another choice. You left. God, you have so much courage, Mary. I wish I had half of what you have. Now, you have the love of three amazing men. The love of their entire family. I can see your future, and it looks so bright.” She closed her eyes. “I just wish I could find my daughter.”
Mary stood, came around the table, and gave her a hug. “We’ll find her together.”
“It’s not so simple. Like I told you. I’ve tried.”
“I know, but we’re not going to stop. Period. We won’t rest until we’ve turned over every rock, looked in every corner, and dug up every bit of dirt we find. We’ll find her. I promise.”
“I love you, sis. You never lose hope. But I’ve been searching for eight years. I just don’t know what else to do.” She hugged Mary. “I’m just glad to finally tell you everything.” Fresh tears began to well up in her eyes again.
“What’s wrong?” Mary asked softly.
“I’m just thinking about my date with Greg and Grant.”