Copyright © 2021 James Russell Stoakes
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The gossip train had obviously beaten them back. Before Robbie could finish parking, Mrs. Mitchel was careening down the front path with one arm in her jacket.
“Are you okay?” she cried on the edge of tears.
Sarah quickly exited the car and embraced her mother. “I’m fine, mom. I’m emotionally drained, but I’m okay,” she said.
Mr. Mitchel strolled out with his hands in his pockets. He nodded to Robbie. “What happened?” he asked.
“We should go inside,” Robbie said and tried to usher the ladies up the path.
Sarah and her mother separated. Mrs. Mitchel, realizing she was cold, pulled the other sleeve of her coat on and walked with Sarah towards the house.
Robbie and Mr. Mitchel hung back a bit. “That bad, huh,” he said.
“It was awful,” Robbie responded. “Sarah is going to be a mess soon. I don’t know how she’s held it together this long.” The pair were interrupted by Mrs. Mitchel calling out.
“Are you two coming?” she called from the open door.
“Right behind you,” Mr. Mitchel called back.
The sun was pouring into her room when she awoke. Sarah wiped her eyes, “I slept like crap,” she said to herself as she made her way to the bathroom.
“Hey, sleepyhead!” a voice said from behind her.
“Arron?!” she yelled in shock as she turned around to see him leaning on the door frame to his room at the end of the hall. “What are you doing here?”
“Mom called. She told me what was going on around here. It felt like I might be needed, so I hopped in the car and came home,” he said.
“What time did you get in?” Sarah asked incredulously. “Isn’t it a four-hour drive?”
“Five, almost six, but who’s counting,” he grinned. “I got in at about 5 am and took a nap.”
“Let me get changed, and I’ll be down for breakfast,” Sarah said.
“Sounds good; I’ll start the coffee if Mom hasn’t already,” Arron said.
The phone rang as Sarah descended the stairs. She could hear her mother answer. “Hi, Robbie. She’s right here,” she said and passed the phone to Sarah.
“Hello?” Sarah said into the receiver.
“Hi,” Robbie said. “How are you holding up?” he asked.
“I had a hard time sleeping, but I’m okay,” she answered. She was looking forward to seeing Alice today, and now that Arron was here, a new line of thought was creeping into her head.
“Do you want to get together later?” he asked.
Sarah hesitated. “Just a minute,” she said. Removing the receiver from in front of her mouth, she asked, “How long are you going to be here, Arron?”
“I can only stay until five,” he said with a frown. “I have classes Monday morning early.”
Lifting the phone, Sarah spoke to Robbie, “Does six work for you?” she asked. “I can’t stay out late, but we could hang for a couple of hours. Maybe visit Beth for a few minutes if possible?”
“Perfect,” Robbie answered. “One more thing, some good news. I heard Beth is not as beat up as she looked last night. It seems a lot of the blood that was on her face was not hers. She bit part of her attacker’s ear off, and he bled all over her.”
“She still was raped,” Sarah said a bit angrily.
“Sorry,” Robbie backpedaled. “I wasn’t trying to make light of that. I just wanted to let you know that most of the blood wasn’t hers.”
Sarah sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m still a bit on edge over the whole thing.”
“I understand,” Robbie said, relieved. “See you at six,” he said, trying to end the call quickly.
“See you at six,” Sarah confirmed. “Bye,” she said and hung up.
“Robbie?” Arron asked. “Boyfriend?”
“Yeah, well sort of, I don’t know. It’s all so confusing at the moment,” Sarah responded and took the cup of coffee her mother had poured for her. “Robbie just told me that Beth bit her attacker,” she said after a sip of coffee. “Let’s go for a ride, Arron.”
“Where are you going?” Their mother asked.
“I just want to get some advice from Arron,” Sarah said slyly.
“Advice from lil’ ol’ me?” Arron said with a laugh. “Let’s go.”
“I thought you might, but I can not believe you still have the same car!” Sarah exclaimed as she opened the passenger door. “You fixed this,” she said, amazed. The last time she had gotten into Arron’s car, the door had clunked and ground on something every time it was opened or closed.
“She’s in better shape now than when I ran her in high school,” Arron said proudly. He closed the door and fired the car up. “Where to?”
“Head west, out of town. There’s someone I’d like you to meet,” Sarah said with a grin. “Do you remember a place called Oak Grove Resort?”
“Yeah, I remember that place. It’s been closed for years,” Arron said and began driving.
“Well, it’s open again, and I’m an investor in its future,” Sarah boasted.
“No kidding?” Arron said with a big smile. “Is that why you are still riding the scooter?”
“Yep, I spent my car money to get the place up and running,” she replied. “You will like my partner. I have a hunch we’re related.”
“Related?” Arron scoffed. “In what way?”
“You know mom was adopted, right?” Sarah asked.
Arron looked somber now. “Yeah, it’s not a secret.”
“I think my business partner might be Mom’s birth mother,” Sarah blurted out.
“What?!” Arron asked skeptically. “What would make you think that?”
Sarah took a deep breath before laying out her case to Arron. “Alice, my partner, had to give up her baby. She thought it would save her marriage because the child was not her husband’s. She gave up the child to a friend of hers that she calls Viv. Our grandmother, our mom’s adoptive mother, was named Vivian.”
“That’s just coincidence,” Arron laughed nervously.
“Strong coincidence,” Sarah said. “Look at my eyes, Arron.”
He didn’t have to. “Your eyes are just like mom’s,” he said. I have dad’s eyes.”
“It’s a fairly rare trait, right?” Sarah asked.
“It is,” Arron agreed.
Sarah turned towards Arron for emphasis. “Alice told me that the father of the baby that she gave away had eyes just like mine, and so did the baby. She never said so, but that was part of why she had to give up the baby. The baby’s eyes kept reminding her husband of the other man.”
“Mom doesn’t know any of this?” Arron asked.
“No,” Sarah confirmed.
Arron sighed heavily. “How will you break it to her if you decide to. She will probably be upset that you kept it secret.”
“I thought the same thing,” Sarah said. “That’s part of why we are having this conversation. The secret is killing me. I haven’t even broached the subject with Alice yet, but I think she suspects. How could she not?”
“I look forward to meeting her and seeing your operation,” Arron said. “I assume you want me to keep your secret for now?”
“Yes, please,” Sarah chirped.
Alice greeted them at the door. “I wondered who’s car that was,” she said.
“Alice, this is my brother Arron. He’s visiting from college for the day,” Sarah said and presented Arron.
“The Mitchels make good-looking children,” Alice commented with a wide smile. “I’m Alice.”
“Nice to meet you, Alice,” Arron said. “Sarah has told me a lot about you.”
“All good, I hope,” Alice laughed.
“I forgot to mention to you that Alice taught me how to cook,” Sarah said to interrupt the banter. She gave a cross look to Arron. He could be too smart for his own good sometimes.
“What!” he mocked. “You never went near the oven as a kid.”
“Those days are over,” Sarah said with a smile.
“I assume you are here to take a look at what Sarah and I have put together?” Alice cleverly deduced.
“She wanted to show me how she’s gotten ahead of me while I wither away in college,” Arron joked.
“What’s your major?” Alice asked.
“Electrical Engineering with a minor in software,” Arron said proudly.
Alice smiled. “You’ll be fine. At least you are not an Art History major or something equally useless like Philosophy.”
“That’s a strong opinion,” Arron laughed in agreement. “What would you have said if I was a Woman’s and Gender Studies major?”
“I’d say you were wasting your time and money. Is that even a real thing?” Alice asked in disbelief.
“Believe it or not, it is,” Arron said. “I think we would get along fine if left alone.”
Alice smiled. “Get going, you two. We’re expecting snow later. I’ll put on a pot of coffee for when you’re done.”
“Deal,” Sarah said and moved towards the door.
Arron flashed his biggest smile. “See you soon,” he said.