One Season of Sunshine Mass market paperbound - 2010

Summary

Excerpt

1
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HOUSTON

When the final bell rang at Bruce Elementary School on a warm May afternoon, Jane AaronâÈçs best friend, NicoleâÈ'a teacher, like JaneâÈ'helped her carry her things to the car. âÈêWow,âÈë Nicole said, as she wedged a box into JaneâÈçs trunk. âÈêThis is kind of like the end of an era, isnâÈçt it?âÈë

âÈêNot at all,âÈë Jane said unconvincingly. She shut the trunk. âÈêItâÈçs just a break, Nic. IâÈçll be back next fall.âÈë She wrapped her arms around Nicole and gave her a hug. âÈêOkay. Here I go, off to tell them.âÈë

Nicole smiled and tucked a curl behind JaneâÈçs ear. âÈêHang in there.âÈë

Hang in there, as if Jane had been dangling from the end of a rope, twisting in the wind. Which, when she thought about it, wasnâÈçt too far off the mark. âÈêIâÈçll call you later and tell you how it went.âÈë

âÈêYou better!âÈë Nicole warned her. She looked at her car, parked next to JaneâÈçs. âÈêDonâÈçt you dare leave without talking to me, Janey,âÈë she added, and glanced sidelong at her friend.

âÈêNic, itâÈçs just one summer,âÈë Jane assured her. âÈêIâÈçll be talking to you a million times. IâÈçll call you in a little while, okay?âÈë

Nicole smiled again. She had a great smile, a Colgate smile, and with her dark hair pulled into a ponytail, and her little Bruce Elementary Rocks badge on her shirt, she looked like the poster child for wholesome second-grade teachers everywhere. âÈêOkay. Good luck with the fam,âÈë she said, and with a cheery little wave, she walked to her car.

Jane got in her car, too, and made it halfway down the street before she pulled over, put the car in park, and covered her face with her hands. âÈêWhat am I doing?âÈë she whispered. âÈêSeriouslyâÈ'what am I doing?âÈë

Finding yourself, she answered silently and groaned. That sounded so clichÃûd, such new age crap. But in her case, it was true. She was literally, truly, finding herselfâÈ'or rather, the woman whoâÈçd given her away.

When Jane pulled into the back parking area outside The Garden restaurant that her family had owned and operated for years, she couldnâÈçt make herself get out of the car.

They were in there, her family, getting ready for the evening rush. Just imagining them working together, laughing, and playing that stupid game with the creamers gave Jane butterflies of anticipation and dread. She was going to walk into that happy little scene and tell them that after much thought, sheâÈçd decided to go and search for her birth family.

SheâÈçd actually practiced her speech last night in front of the bathroom mirror. âÈêMy decision did not come lightly,âÈë sheâÈçd said gravely to her mirror, as if sheâÈçd been some politician removing herself from office. But it was true: the decision had not been easy to make. Naturally, Jane had wondered who she really was for a long time, but she hadnâÈçt realized just how much sheâÈçd wondered, how deeply that question had sunk into her marrow, until Jonathan, her boyfriend, had asked her to marry him.

JonathanâÈçs proposal had not been unexpected. It had been the natural progression of their relationship. Jane had figured it was coming, and sheâÈçd figured sheâÈçd say yes. But the moment Jonathan had asked her, Jane had been stunned to discover that she hadnâÈçt been ready to say yes. She hadnâÈçt known why her epiphany had occurred at that inopportune moment; sheâÈçd just known that something had felt wrong and even a little raw and sheâÈçd not been able to commit fully to Jonathan. Not yet.

Jane would be the first to admit that she could be a little obtuse about her feelings. She wasnâÈçt very good at self-examination and preferred to go through life happy and cheerful and looking forward, always forward. But her reluctance to say yes to Jonathan had dredged up a whole lot of emotions sheâÈçd realized sheâÈçd been feeling for a while. Such as . . . was he really the one? And how could she know who was really the one when she didnâÈçt really know who she was?

The more she came to understand that knowing the who and why of herself had been questions in her for a long time, the emptier and more uncertain she began to feel. About everything. About marriage, and kids, and family. About her thesis, the one thing she needed to finish in order to get her graduate degree. She couldnâÈçt move on with her life, not without answering a very basic and fundamental question about herself: Who was she?

Of course Jonathan didnâÈçt understand her sudden change of heart, but he was at least trying to. Neither did the people inside this restaurantâÈ'they loved Jonathan, and they didnâÈçt get JaneâÈçs sudden reluctance to make it permanent. It really wasnâÈçt like her. She had a great family, a loving family, and sheâÈçd never felt anything but completely and totally loved.

Yet sheâÈçd never felt like she was one hundred percent one of them, either.

The need to know who she was had, in the last couple of years, begun to gnaw on her, eating away from the inside out, especially after sheâÈçd signed up for the national registry and no one had come looking for her. Why hadnâÈçt her biological parents kept her? She felt alone, like she was straddling two realities. She felt a little unlovable.

After much thought, I have decided to move to Cedar Springs.

Cedar Springs was a small town west of Austin. SheâÈçd been born there, and that was all she knew about her beginnings. And now Jane was going to go into The GardenâÈçs kitchen and tell the family who loved her beyond measure that she was moving to Cedar Springs to look for the family who didnâÈçt love her quite as much.

Wish me luck!

SheâÈçd tried that in her mirror, too, a cheerful and carefree end to her little speech, but it hadnâÈçt worked. Jane didnâÈçt expect her family to like her decision, but she did expect them to accept it.

God, she was nervous! Why was she so nervous? She checked her reflection in the mirror of the visor, running a hand over the top of her head. âÈêAt least one thing is going right,âÈë she muttered. Her dark, unruly hair was still in the braid sheâÈçd managed this morning. Jane took a breath, closed the visor, and opened the car door.

There was a faux brass monkey and coconut-shaped basket attached to the wall in the kitchen of The Garden, hanging right next to the time clock, where it collected receipts and bills of lading. It reminded Jane of home . . . perhaps because there was an identical monkey and coconut in the kitchen there, as well. When her mom found a bargain, she took advantage.

The rest of the Aarons agreed with Jane: those baskets were hideous.

âÈêI refuse to touch that,âÈë JaneâÈçs cousin Vicki had vowed when JaneâÈçs mother, Terri, had hammered it securely to the wall right next to the time card machine.

Terri, swishing by in her rectangular glasses and colorful apron dotted with artichokes, gave Vicki a friendly little pat on her derriere. âÈêThatâÈçs a little dramatic, isnâÈçt it, sweetie?âÈë

While it was true that Vicki could be dramatic and a little too pointed in her comments at times, sheâÈçd had a point. But the Aarons had managed to adapt to the monstrosity by making it the centerpiece of a popular family game. Before the lunch and dinner rushes, before the staff started to trickle in, they liked to toss creamers at the thing from established two-point and three-point lines. Uncle Barry held the record for the most points ever earned in a single game, an astounding eighteen points.

Terri always issued her standard warning when a game began: âÈêIf you break that, you better pack your bags for China, because thatâÈçs where youâÈçre going to have to go to replace it!âÈë

Yes, the kitchen at The Garden was just like being at home. As several of the Aarons earned their living there, and one of them was always working, they tended to gather there more than they did anywhere else. This kitchen was a professional one, what with its large ovens, walk-in coolers and freezers, and spotless, stainless prep areas. But it also had the touches of family. The walls were livened up with pictures of the Aarons and some loyal staff through the years. There was a string of Christmas lights scattered through the overhead dome heating lights, which someone had hung one year and never removed.

There was a small desk in the prep area that was stacked with bills and food orders and travel brochures addressed to Uncle Barry and Aunt Mona, both chefs at The Garden. They seemed always to be planning a trip they could never quite seem to make. Taped to the door of the walk-in freezer were the required Health Department certificates and a pair of crayon drawings that were really pretty good. Barry and MonaâÈçs daughter, Vicki, had made them years ago, when the kids had had to troop to the restaurant after school and sit at the bar and do their homework under Uncle GregâÈçs watchful eye.

Uncle Greg had since moved to Dallas, and Vicki was a sous-chef now, having left her art behind for the security of a job that actually paid the rent, but the crayon drawings reminded Jane of pleasant afternoons spent in front of the liquor bottles.

Years ago, JaneâÈçs parents, Terri and Jim Aaron, now the majority owners in the restaurant, had knocked out a wall that had separated their small office from the kitchen and turned the area into a general gathering place. Terri, the head chef and bargain hunter, had found a pair of gold couches with big red oak leaves at a garage sale. Suffice it to say that TerriâÈçs talent for cooking was vastly superior to her talent for shopping, but those couches, and the scarred, laminate coffee table between them, made a great place to gather before a shift, or to collapse with a glass of wine at the end of a long shift.

That area was always cluttered with the familyâÈçs things. Jane couldnâÈçt count how many times she had tripped over her brother EricâÈçs guitar case, dropped just inside the door. Eric was a floor manager, which gave him the freedom and the cash he needed to pursue music, his true love.

The culinary academy books littering the coffee table belonged to JaneâÈçs other brother, Matt. He was the heir apparent to Terri because of his own personal desires and the popular vote of the family. His talent was desserts, and the kitchen usually carried the scent of his latest creation. Apple tarts drenched in heavy cream, red velvet cakes with a rich cream cheese filling, and JaneâÈçs personal favorite, JaneâÈçs Chocolate Thunderdome, an enormous chocolate brownie from which warm chocolate oozed, developed especially for JaneâÈçs sweet tooth.

Jane had no talent for cooking herself, but sheâÈçd turned out to be a pretty good hostess, and sheâÈçd supplemented her paltry public school teacher salary by hostessing on the weekends.

Over the years, the Aarons had made a habit of having an early dinner together every night before the dinner rush, which is where Jane intended to make her announcement today.

As she walked into the kitchen, a creamer narrowly missed her head and bounced off the door frame. That near miss was met with a masculine chorus of âÈêOooh,âÈë as if theyâÈçd just missed a three-point basket in the last second of the NBA play-offs. Jane scooped up the creamer, slid her gym bag under the coffee table, and asked, âÈêWhat smells so good?âÈë

âÈêMomâÈçs secret recipe eggplant parm,âÈë Matt said. âÈêHey, weâÈçre just starting a new round. Are you in?âÈë

âÈêWhatâÈçs the pot?âÈë Jane asked.

âÈêA used Starbucks gift card with an unknown amount still on it.âÈë

Jane grinned. âÈêIâÈçm in!âÈë

âÈêYes! Fresh meat!âÈë Eric exclaimed. He swept by her and tried to tousle JaneâÈçs hair, but she was too quick for him, dodging out of the way of his beefy hand. Eric laughed and picked up the waitstaff roster to make the eveningâÈçs station assignments. JaneâÈçs younger brothers were blonde, tall, and athletic. Nicole called them Norse Vikings and proclaimed them hot. There were many times in her life when Jane had wished sheâÈçd looked like themâÈ'or at least had had their hair. She was shorter than them, with dark, curly, unruly hair. Where Matt and Eric were pale and blue-eyed, her skin had a bit of an olive tint to it. Her eyes were brown, and she had a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose.

Eric missed his shot. âÈêCome on, Janey,âÈë he said, handing her two creamers. âÈêPut a little English on it.âÈë

âÈêI have no idea what that means.âÈë She closed one eye, took aimâÈ'and sank her first creamer into the basket. âÈêTwo points!âÈë she cried, earning another boisterous chorus of ooohs from the guys. She was lining up to take another shot when her cousin Vicki walked in. Vicki took one disdainful look at them and shook her head.

Jane threw her creamer at Vicki, hitting her on the shoulder.

âÈêI refuse to play,âÈë Vicki said, as if nailing her with the creamer had been an invitation. Vicki had brassy blonde hair, the result of the highlight touch-ups sheâÈçd done herself. Today, her hair was knotted high on her head.

âÈêAw, come on, Vic,âÈë Eric said, catching her in his arms and making her dance around a tight little circle with him.

âÈêThe game is pointless,âÈë Vicki insisted. âÈêAnd furthermore, no one ever pays up the promised pot.âÈë

âÈêStick in the mud,âÈë Eric said with a grin and let her go.

âÈêYour stick in the mud is what other people call mature!âÈë she called over her shoulder as she continued her trek to the office, where Terri and Jim, their heads together, were going over some paperwork.

Matt stood up next on the three-point line.

âÈêHeâÈçs going for three! The crowd goes wild!âÈë Eric cried, then made a noise like a crowd cheering.

Matt missed and handed his creamer to Uncle Barry. âÈêIâÈçd love to stay and kick butt, but IâÈçve got to get the soup going.âÈë He bowed out as Terri wandered into their midst, pausing to look sternly at Barry.

âÈêWhat?âÈë Barry asked innocently. There was no mistaking them for brother and sister. They were both a little round, and they both had blue eyes that crinkled in the corners from a lifetime of smiling and laughing. âÈêWatch this, Terri,âÈë Barry challenged her, and whizzed a creamer into the basket from the three-point line. âÈêChampion!âÈë he shouted, throwing his arms in the air. âÈêAgain.âÈë

âÈêHigh five,âÈë Eric said, lifting his hand to his uncle. âÈêAnd lucky you, itâÈçs your Starbucks card.âÈë

âÈêWhenâÈçs dinner?âÈë Barry asked.

âÈêAs soon as Mona gets here,âÈë Terri said. âÈêJaney, I love your hair!âÈë she added, reaching her daughter. She caught Jane by the arms and leaned back, studying her hair with a critical eye. JaneâÈçs hair was unmanageable. She could remember the agony of her mother trying to run a brush through it to tame it. SheâÈçd tried a new look today, braiding it loosely, but she could now feel a bit of it trying to work its way free of the braid. âÈêCute,âÈë her mom said, nodding her approval. âÈêYou always look so cute.âÈë

âÈêMom.âÈë

âÈêOkay, I wonâÈçt gush. Hey, did Jonathan like the shirt I got him?âÈë she asked eagerly.

SheâÈçd found western shirts on sale and bought them for all the guys. Alas, Jonathan was not a western-shirt kind of guy. âÈêAm I really supposed to wear this?âÈë heâÈçd asked, bewildered, when Jane had delivered it to him.

âÈêHe loved it,âÈë Jane assured her mother. âÈêI think he might have worn it to his gig in Galveston tonight.âÈë Jonathan was a computer programmer by day and a musician by night. Eric had introduced Jane and Jonathan to each other about four years ago, when he and Jonathan had been playing in the same band. TheyâÈçd begun dating seriously a couple of years ago, and they were still together, in spite of JaneâÈçs clumsy response to his marriage proposal.

âÈêThatâÈçs so nice,âÈë her mother said with delight. âÈêSuch a great deal, those shirtsâÈ'âÈë

âÈêTerri? Terri!âÈë JaneâÈçs dad was suddenly standing beside them, papers in hand, reading glasses perched on the end of his nose, and wearing his western shirt. Where JaneâÈçs mother was soft and a little rounded with age, her father was tall and thin, with graying blonde hair. He peered at Jane over the rims of his glasses. âÈêHi, pumpkin,âÈë he said, leaning over to kiss her cheek. âÈêDid you do something to your hair?âÈë

âÈêSort of.âÈë

âÈêTerri, I cannot read this,âÈë he said sternly to her mother. âÈêWhere did you learn to write?âÈë

âÈêOverholser Elementary, same as you,âÈë Terri said, snatching the papers out of his hand and squinting at them. âÈêTen pounds, Jim. It says ten pounds.âÈë

âÈêThatâÈçs not the only thing I canâÈçt read. I need you to go over this with me, please.âÈë

JaneâÈçs father was, hands down, the best dad in all of Houston. He would do anything for anyone, and he especially loved working on the Habitat for Humanity projects. But when it came to running the restaurant, he was completely dependent on his wife. It wasnâÈçt that he wasnâÈçt capable; he was. But Jane had the sense that theyâÈçd been together for so longâÈ'high school sweetheartsâÈ'that their thoughts were almost intertwined. Dad needed Mom to think straight.

âÈêHoney, IâÈçve told you a dozen times that you need new reading glasses,âÈë Terri said. âÈêJust go down to Walgreens and pick them out. It might cost you all of fifteen dollars.âÈë

âÈêOkay, okay, but I have to finish the ordering now, so please come and help me.âÈë

âÈêAll right,âÈë Terri said, and rolled her eyes at Jane. But she was smiling. âÈêOh, honey,âÈë she said, putting her hand on JaneâÈçs arm. âÈêWeâÈçre having egg parm tonight. Would you mind getting a salad together and putting it in the dining room? IâÈçll be in to help in a bit.âÈë

It was a running joke in the family that Jane was only allowed to prepare salads. And they came preprepared. She grabbed the salad mix from the chiller and dumped it in a serving bowl. SheâÈçd finished adding tomatoes when Aunt Mona arrived, burdened with several Target bags.

âÈêMona!âÈë the guys called in unison.

Mona, a redhead, was always a little late, and they loved to greet her like a returning warrior. âÈêYou wonâÈçt believe all the great stuff I found!âÈë she trilled, dumping the bags on one of the couches. âÈêVicki, I found that face cream you like, and it was twenty-five percent off!âÈë

With a smile, Jane picked up the salad and a pair of tongs, sidestepped Uncle Barry, and made her way to the private dining room.

Originally, the restaurant had been a house, and it had been renovated to fit eight tables. Over the years, the family had added to and rebuilt sections of the restaurant, so that now it was a sprawling thing that could seat two hundred people at once. It was in the old part of town and considered by many to be quintessentially Houston.

The private dining room, where the family dined every night, was the original dining room. There was a fireplace they used in the winter and a large picture window that overlooked their kitchen and herb garden. The walls in the dining room were adorned with pictures of the restaurant taken over the years. In one picture, taken in the late thirties, JaneâÈçs grandparents stood proudly outside. In another Uncle Greg stood behind the bar heâÈçd tended. In another one, taken when they were kids, Vicki, Jane, Matt, Eric, and VickiâÈçs brother, Danny, who was in the army now, were sitting on the front porch. And a big picture from the seventies, of Terri, Jim, Barry, and Mona at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the addition of a new dining room.

There was a stack of plates at one end of the tableâÈ'JaneâÈçs mother insisted on sit-down dinners, served family style, as opposed to having waitstaff serve them. âÈêThey arenâÈçt here to wait on us,âÈë sheâÈçd say if anyone whined.

Jane set the salad down and picked up the plates. She had them laid out when her mother swept in with a cheery smile, her hair in a net, and that goofy artichoke apron. Terri Aaron always had a smile on her face; she was the most upbeat, positive person Jane had ever known.

âÈêI was just talking to Mona,âÈë her mother said as she gathered silver and began to set the table. âÈêKohlâÈçs is having a big sale this weekend. Mona and Vicki and I are going to go. Wanna go with? IâÈçll buy you some sheets.âÈë

âÈêAh . . .âÈë Jane wasnâÈçt quite ready to broach her big news. Her mother wouldnâÈçt be surprised by it, exactly, but Jane didnâÈçt think sheâÈçd particularly like it, either.

Her hesitation caused Terri to look at her. âÈêWhatâÈçs up? Do you and Jonathan already have plans?âÈë

âÈêAh, no . . . well, sort of.âÈë Jane drew a breath. âÈêI was planning on moving to Cedar Springs on Saturday.âÈë

Her mother stilled.

âÈêIâÈçm going to do it, Mom,âÈë Jane said earnestly, moving closer. âÈêI am going to Cedar Springs.âÈë There, sheâÈçd said it.

Terri slowly put down the silver she was holding. âÈêCedar Springs?âÈë

âÈêIâÈçve been thinking about it a long time.âÈë

âÈêYouâÈçve been thinking about what? Moving there?âÈë she asked, her voice a little incredulous.

Jane nodded.

Her motherâÈçs gaze flicked to the carpet a moment. âÈêJaney, I know you want answers, but . . . to move there? Are you sure this is what you want?âÈë

âÈêIâÈçm sure, Mom. ItâÈçs really been on my mind, and you know IâÈçve been considering it.âÈë

âÈêConsidering it, yes, but I didnâÈçt know you were going to . . . to do it.âÈë

âÈêIâÈçm going to tell everyone today,âÈë Jane said. âÈêYou know, so all of VickiâÈçs questions will be answered.âÈë She smiled a little ruefully at her joke.

TerriâÈçs smile was a little sad. âÈêOkay,âÈë she said, nodding. She crossed her arms over her chest like she was suddenly cold. âÈêOkay.âÈë

âÈêMom . . . are you okay with it?âÈë

âÈêYes!âÈë Terri said, a bit too emphatically. âÈêBut it doesnâÈçt matter if I or anyone else is okay with it, Jane. You have to be okay with it. This is your life and your quest. I just donâÈçt want you to get hurt,âÈë she said. âÈêThatâÈçs the only thing, Janey. I want you to be happy, but I canâÈçt stand to see you hurt.âÈë

Jane walked to where her mother stood and wrapped her arms around her. âÈêThey canâÈçt hurt me,âÈë she said reassuringly. At least, they couldnâÈçt hurt her any more than they already had.

Her mother slipped her arms around Jane and held her tightly for a long moment. Jane knew she had reservations. TheyâÈçd talked about this before, and while her mom had encouraged her, there was always that hint of reluctance, a glimmer of unease in her eyes.

âÈêWell,âÈë her mother said, pulling away. âÈêI better get the egg parm before it burns.âÈë

During the meal, her mother was unusually quiet. Not that anyone would have noticed, what with the running debate of MattâÈçs love life being waged across the dinner table. Eric thought MattâÈçs current girlfriend, Holly, wasnâÈçt his type. âÈêYou know who I liked? I liked Jaime. Now that girl was great.âÈë

âÈêShe was,âÈë Matt agreed. âÈêBut she didnâÈçt think I was so great, remember?âÈë

âÈêThen she must have been an idiot,âÈë Mona said firmly.

âÈêYou guys have this all wrong,âÈë Vicki announced. âÈêMattâÈçs at that age where he likes anything that moves.âÈë

âÈêStop right there, Vicki,âÈë Matt said with a playful groan.

âÈêI just donâÈçt think we should all guilt him into anything heâÈçs not ready for.âÈë

âÈêYou guys have no clue,âÈë Matt said, chuckling. âÈêBut if itâÈçs okay with the jury here, I like Holly. SheâÈçs nice. You think so, donâÈçt you, Jane?âÈë

âÈêWhat?âÈë Jane asked, looking up from her plate.

âÈêHolly,âÈë Matt said, sketching a female shape in the air with his hands. âÈêBlonde? Hot? Bank teller?âÈë

âÈêOh. Yeah. SheâÈçs nice.âÈë Jane tried to remember Holly. SheâÈçd only met her once, and Matt was a bit of a serial dater.

âÈêWhatâÈçs the matter, pumpkin?âÈë her father asked. âÈêYouâÈçve hardly said a word tonight.âÈë

âÈêWho, me?âÈë Jane looked around at their expectant faces. These were the faces of the people she loved. These were the faces that she could depend on to be with her from beginning to end. Why was it so necessary to find the other faces, the faces that looked like her? She only knew that if she didnâÈçt at least try, sheâÈçd be stuck in this holding pattern until something broke. âÈêActually, I have an announcement to make.âÈë

âÈêWhat is it, honey?âÈë her father asked, pushing his reading glasses to the top of his head.

âÈêOkay.âÈë Jane put down her fork and braced her hands against the tableâÈçs edge. âÈêYou guys know that IâÈçve been trying to find out more about who gave me up for adoption.âÈë

âÈêRight,âÈë Eric said, nodding.

âÈêWell, itâÈçs not . . . itâÈçs not working out. I keep running into brick walls. IâÈçve looked as far as I can, and I put my name on the national adoption registry, and nothing has come of it. I mean, they obviously arenâÈçt looking for me, so IâÈçve decided . . .âÈë She paused, took a breath. After much consideration . . . âÈêI am moving to Cedar Springs,âÈë she blurted.

âÈêHuh?âÈë Eric asked, confused.

âÈêJust for the summerâÈ'at least I think it wouldnâÈçt be longer than a summer. IâÈçm going to move to Cedar Springs to just . . . just look around and see what I come up with.âÈë She shrugged nervously.

Her announcement was met with silence for a moment. Her family all looked around at one another, then at her again.

âÈêWell, well, well,âÈë her uncle Barry said. âÈêWell, well.âÈë

âÈêIsnâÈçt anyone going to say anything besides . . . âÈæwellâÈç?âÈë Jane asked hopefully.

âÈêMove?âÈë her dad said, as if he couldnâÈçt quite grasp the concept.

âÈêI think itâÈçs great,âÈë Eric said. âÈêYouâÈçve been looking for a long time. Go for it, Janey. I hope you find them.âÈë

âÈêBut find who?âÈë Vicki asked. âÈêWhat if she finds her birth family and they are a bunch of nutjobs?âÈë Vicki could always be counted on to say what everyone else was thinking but was too polite to say. âÈêThey could be certifiable, you never know.âÈë

âÈêHave you met my sister?âÈë Matt asked. âÈêI think there is no question there is some nuttiness in them.âÈë He winked at Jane. âÈêIâÈçm with Eric. Godspeed and good luck and hurry up and get back here as soon as you can.âÈë

âÈêNo, seriouslyâÈ'what if they are lunatics or crooks or politicians?âÈë Vicki persisted with a slight shudder. âÈêYou could be in for a very rude awakening, Janey.âÈë She forked a healthy portion of eggplant into her mouth and pointed her fork at Jane. âÈêIâÈçm only going to say this because I love you, but people always think they want to know. And reality is never really what they imagined.âÈë

âÈêHonestly, I donâÈçt care if they are lunatics,âÈë Jane said. âÈêI just want to know a few things, and then IâÈçm done. IâÈçm not looking for a family or friends, obviously, nothing even close to that. But I would like to have some information about my ancestry, and medical history, and . . . and talents. I want to know what my talents are. IâÈçm only trying to understand.âÈë Only trying to fill this hole in me.

âÈêWhatâÈçs to understand?âÈë Vicki said. âÈêThey gave you up. YouâÈçre ours now. And even if you find them, they canâÈçt tell you what your talents are.âÈë

âÈêTry and be more supportive, Vicki,âÈë Mona said. âÈêThis is obviously very important to Jane.âÈë

âÈêItâÈçs not that IâÈçm not supportive,âÈë Vicki protested. âÈêBut hereâÈçs the thing, Janey. YouâÈçll go out there and find your birth family, or maybe you wonâÈçt, in which case you have wasted time you could have used to finish your masterâÈçs thesis. Or, you find them and they either surprise you or disappoint you, or even worse, they reject you again, âÈçcuz letâÈçs call a dog a dogâÈ'they basically rejected you once, right? All I am saying is why put yourself through that? We care about you. WeâÈçre your family.âÈë

âÈêVicki, eat some more pasta,âÈë Barry suggested more firmly to his daughter.

âÈêI know you are my family,âÈë Jane said. âÈêNothing will ever change that. But there are things you guys know about yourselves that I donâÈçt know about me, and I think I deserve the chance to know.âÈë

âÈêIf this is what you need to do, Jane, then I think you need to just do it,âÈë her mother said firmly. âÈêAnd when you have found them, know that your real family will be waiting for you to come home where you belong.âÈë

âÈêDad?âÈë Jane asked.

âÈêJaney, whatever your mother said. But do you have to move?âÈë

âÈêI think so,âÈë she said quietly.

Vicki sighed. âÈêIâÈçm not trying to piss anyone off, I swear IâÈçm not. You know what they sayâÈ'be careful what you wish for. But hey, if youâÈçre going, I support you one thousand percent.âÈë

âÈêThanks, Vic,âÈë Jane said with a smile.

âÈêSo when are you going?âÈë Mona asked.

As Jane answered their questions as best she couldâÈ'when would she go, and for how long, and what about JonathanâÈ'VickiâÈçs warning kept banging around in JaneâÈçs head.

Be careful what you wish for.

Âû 2010 Dinah Dinwiddie