Carly (10 page)

“Yeah?”

“Aunt Kitty said no one gets through this life without problems. So never look at someone and think,
She has it easy, no problems
. It’s always a lie.”

Solemnly Alex nodded and slipped out of her skirt. She hung it up on the skirt hanger and then turned back to Carly. “I’m
real sorry about ragging on you.” She reached into her locker and took out a twisted paper napkin. “Here.” She handed it to
Carly. “You’ll want to wear these to graduation.”

Carly took the paper and untwisted it. Her diamond earrings dropped out into her palm. Words failed her at first. “I thought
I’d lost them. They were a gift from Aunt Kitty.”

“I was watching you that night, and I saw you stash something. I didn’t have a chance to look until a week later.” Alex’s
face flamed. “I was out of line. Forgive me?” She offered Carly her hand. Her expression said that she wasn’t sure of Carly’s
response.

Carly stared at Alex’s hand. Was she adult enough to accept a fellow soldier’s apology? Yes, she was. Carly squeezed Alex’s
hand once. She didn’t want to say what Nate and Kitty would have said in this situation, but she couldn’t remain silent. “No
hard feelings.”

Alex flushed bright red. She gave Carly a quick nod and shy smile. “Thanks. Really. Thanks.” Then she turned away, obviously
very embarrassed.

Carly didn’t blame her. Then the two of them finished undressing in silence, a peaceful one. Carly felt a deep sense of relief
and satisfaction. She had her earrings back and could wear them at graduation. She now knew why Alex had behaved the way she
had. And that made it easier to forgive and to put it all behind them.

When and if she recognized her father at graduation, would meeting him, seeing him, make her feel the same way about her mother?

July 15, 1990

Excitement tingled through Carly’s whole body. At the sweltering outdoor graduation ceremony, the base’s brass band had just
finished playing the majestic national anthem. Carly stood in the ranks of the two hundred women of her company. She realized
suddenly that she had a deeper pride in this accomplishment than in completing four years of high school in three. Eight weeks
of boot camp had demanded more of her, pushed her to her limits. And she had survived.

One by one, each woman in her company marched forward to receive her next rank, E-2. After receiving her new insignia, Carly
gazed out over the audience of family members that stretched as far back as she could see. At the last second, she located
her stepfather’s wavy auburn hair. Her family sat halfway back on the left side. A spontaneous smile lifted her face as she
looked toward them, hoping that they realized she recognized them.

Then for one second, her lungs contracted with disappointment. The chance of pinpointing her natural father in this mass of
people appeared impossible. Besides, how would she know what to look for? She and her father might not look anything alike.
I just don’t know
. And that hurt.

Blinking back tears, she returned to her seat. The post commander stood and gave a speech about the dedication of the young
women who had just completed basic training. At the end of her speech, she announced the name of the company’s distinguished
honor graduate: “Carlyle Sinclair Gallagher.”

Carly sat petrified in her chair. Hands around her pushed her to her feet and guided her to the end of her row, where she
straightened herself and marched forward onto the platform to receive her special commendation, based on her top scores and
accomplishments. She was shaking so hard that she could barely say “Thank you” to the commander. But she managed to salute
and grasp the hand that was offered to her. Then she marched back to her seat and sat down, her heart pounding.

And then it was over. Francie was hugging her. Other soldiers from her platoon were slapping her back. Alex stood back but
gave Carly a thumbs-up. Then Carly saw Nate, wearing a lightweight tan suit, wending his way through the crowd toward her.
Wishing everyone well, she turned and began pushing her way to him. The crowd of the surging bodies parted and there were
her mother, her grandmother, and her great-grandmother.

Carly kissed both of Nate’s cheeks and hugged him. Then she was the one who received kisses and hugs. Finally, she was able
to step back. One she loved was missing. “Where’s Aunt Kitty?”

Chloe put a frail arm around her. “Kitty’s heart is bothering her more and more. Thompson and his family are seeing after
her, along with Rose, back at Ivy Manor. And little Michael is with her to keep her spirits up.”

Carly had a hard time believing that her indomitable great-great-aunt was slowing down, ailing enough to miss a family event.
And Carly didn’t like the way this afternoon’s heat seemed to be affecting Chloe, who looked drawn and was pressing a vintage
handkerchief to her perspiring forehead.

“Kitty has moved back full-time now to Ivy Manor to keep me company,” Chloe said.

“And she can be closer to Thompson,” Leigh added.

“We’re so proud of you,” Nate said, pulling Carly into a one-armed hug. “Distinguished honor grad!”

“Well, what would you expect?” Leigh asked archly.

Carly’s mother was wearing a blue outfit that shrieked
designer original
, something she rarely did outside of New York. Was it a conscious or subconscious effort to show that she was a cut above
the other parents there? Carly bristled with the injustice of her mother’s very evident and very low opinion of Carly’s peers.
She wouldn’t let her mother get away with it. “What about Lorelle? Is she chopped liver?”

Leigh had the decency to look embarrassed.

At that moment, Frank and Cherise appeared with Lorelle, her younger brother and sister, and her great-grandmother Minnie.
In the crush of greetings and hugs, Carly saw her mother stiffen and stare into the distance. Carly felt the hair on her nape
prickle as if she felt someone staring at her. Had her mother glimpsed Carly’s birth father?

Swiftly Carly turned and followed her mother’s line of sight. She strained to scan all the male faces in the direction her
mother was looking. But the dazzling sunlight and the forest of heads defeated Carly. She turned to find her mother staring
into her face. As if caught in a lie, Carly flushed warmly and then turned hastily toward Lorelle.

Later, at the best hotel in town, Chloe had reserved a room for Carly, a suite for Nate and Leigh, and a suite for Bette and
herself at one end of the second floor. Now they all sat in Chloe’s suite, which was decorated in soothing shades of wintergreen.
They sipped lemon iced tea and gloried in the air conditioning.

“I don’t know how you survived in unair-conditioned barracks,” Leigh said as she pressed her wet iced tea glass against her
forehead. Her pale face was still flushed from the heat.

“We got used to it.” Carly was not going to give her mother the chance to criticize basic training, what Carly had chosen,
had even succeeded in. But more pressing, the urge to question her mother about her birth father kept bobbing up inside her
like a leaf upon a relentless tide.

“Well,” Bette said, “have you found out what you will be doing next, and where?” Stylish in a lavender and blue dress, her
grandmother looked lovely as usual with her hair swept up to stay cool.

“My highest score was in mechanical ability,” Carly said. “I’m going to a transportation unit in the Midwest.”

“Transportation? Mechanical ability?” Leigh sat up. “The army wants you to be an auto mechanic?”

“It’s a lot more than being a mechanic. There are so many different and unique types of vehicles in the army. I’m looking
forward to it,” Carly replied, lifting her chin. She’d known just how her mother would react. “I think it will be interesting.”

“If that’s all you wanted, you could have simply gone to auto mechanic’s school.” Leigh set her tumbler down on the glass-topped
coffee table with a snap of glass on glass. “And not had to go through boot camp.”

Carly gripped her cool, moist glass. “I’m very proud of what I have accomplished. And if the army thinks I will make a good
mechanic, I am willing to try it.”

“Said well by the distinguished honor graduate.” Nate smiled at her.

“We’re all proud of you,” Bette agreed quickly.

“I know what you’re all trying to do,” Carly said. “You’re trying to keep peace between me and my mother again. Please don’t.
If she wants to start a fight, fine. I’m not a child anymore.”

“We know that, dear,” Chloe said soothingly.

“And I know my mother is still unhappy with me for enlisting. But I am also still unhappy with her.” Carly locked eyes with
Leigh.

“Your mother is coming around,” Nate said softly.

Leigh’s eyes threatened fireworks but she merely pursed her lips.

Evidently Leigh was trying not to cause a scene. But Carly felt a reckless desire to go too far, to push her mother. “Is she
coming around to the point where she can tell me who my father is?”

“I am your father,” Nate said without rancor.

“You know what I mean.” Instantly contrite, Carly stood and then knelt by her stepfather, her adoptive father, and put her
arms around his shoulders and her head upon his strong, comforting chest. “And you know I have always loved you and I always
will.”

Nate kissed her forehead and stroked her hair.

Carly kissed his cheek as she rose. She turned to face her mother. The time had come. “I have received four letters from my
birth father.”

The color drained from Leigh’s pale ivory face until she looked as white and transparent as the petal of an Easter lily. “So
he
was
here?”

To Carly, it sounded as if even speaking about her birth father caused her mother physical pain. Guilt nipped her. “I thought
. . . I wondered if you recognized him in the crowd today. Who is he?”

“Why ask me? Don’t you know now?” Leigh sat forward on her chair, her voice accusing, strident. “Didn’t you see him today?”

“He’s only given me his initials. Not a photo. Not his address.” Carly felt herself shrink with each negative. “Not his name.”
The last twisted thorns around Carly’s heart once more. Her father hadn’t given her his name or more to the point, perhaps
her mother hadn’t let him. This last hope prompted her to tell more. “But he said he would come to see me graduate today.”

“What has he told you?” Her mother’s voice was taut and fearful and angry.

“Just that he wants to meet me sometime—soon.” Said aloud, it sounded so very little. But wouldn’t it be enough?

Leigh jumped up and walked to the window, turning her back to her daughter.

Leigh’s characteristic shutting her out goaded Carly. “I know that you don’t like this.” Carly’s hands fisted at her sides.
“But I want to meet him. And if he ever offers to let me do that, I will go to him.”

“Of course you will,” Chloe said, “because when all is said and done, he is your blood. And blood is the strong, almost unbreakable
tie that binds a family together. Carly, I am glad that your father has written to you.”

Leigh swung around to face Chloe. “You’re glad?”

“Yes,” Chloe said, “Carly needs to know who her father is. His writing to her, but not revealing who he is as yet, shows wisdom
and discretion.”

Leigh made a sound of derision.

“Daughter,” Bette said in reproof, “this isn’t about you and the past anymore. This is about Carly and her future.”

“None of you have ever met Carly’s father.” Leigh took a step forward. “You don’t know the kind of man he is.”

“What kind of man is he?” Carly asked, her heart hopping in her breast.

“He is not to be trusted.” Leigh crossed her arms, glaring.

“Because he didn’t marry you when you got pregnant with me?” Carly challenged Leigh.

“No,” Leigh nearly shouted, “because when I got pregnant with you, he
couldn’t
marry me! He was already married!”

Carly stared at her mother. She gasped. “You slept with a married man?”

Her face flaming, Leigh stalked from the room and slammed the door behind her.

In the shocked and horrified silence, Carly sank back onto her chair. Her knees would no longer hold her. “I can’t believe
my mother would do something like that.”

“Your mother didn’t know he was married.” Nate reached over and took Carly’s hand. “He didn’t mention it to her until it was
too late.”

Bette turned to Carly. “You must understand, all this happened right after your mother’s fiancé and your grandfather Ted had
been killed—”

“And just months after she lost her grandfather Roarke, who adored her,” Chloe added.

“She was very vulnerable,” Bette continued. “I had a hard time understanding what Leigh had done. I know now that my lack
of understanding made it harder for her to tell me the truth, just as it’s harder for her now to tell you the truth.”

“I disagree,” Chloe said. “You were distraught over losing your father and then Ted, and you were also heartbroken for your
daughter. You were entitled to your own grief and weaknesses at the time.”

“And Bette, no one is harder on Leigh than Leigh is,” Nate added, looking forlorn.

Carly clutched Nate’s hand. She’d just learned something about her father and something about her mother. For so long she
had wanted to know about her father, to know how she had been conceived. But she’d never imagined that she was a result of
an adulterous love affair. Knowing this gave her a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. What kind of man cheated on his
wife? Why had he done it?

Was her father still married to another woman? Did she have a stepmother? Did this nameless woman know she existed? Did she
have brothers and sisters? Why had her father lied to her mother? And in his letters, had he withheld his name and address
from her so that he wouldn’t have to answer these questions? Carly felt herself sinking into quicksand. Why couldn’t life
ever be easy?

A few minutes later, Nate left Carly with the two grandmothers and went to his and Leigh’s room. He closed the door quietly
behind him. Leigh lay on the king-size bed curled in a fetal position. Nate hung his tie and sport jacket over a doorknob
and kicked off his shoes. He went to the bed and lay down behind Leigh, pulling her back against him. He smoothed her hair
away from her face and held her close. He could feel her trembling.