her truck and up to the wrought-iron gate, heart rate increasing with each step closer to the house.
Her fears were confirmed when she opened the door. Her mother sat in her rocking chair, an afghan over her lap, her eyes empty and hollow. Something was definitely wrong.
“Mom? What is it?” Avery asked, rushing over to sit beside her mother. A knot formed in her stomach as she waited for her mom to respond. What could have her mother up so late at night? Where was Dad?
Oh, no ... it wasn’t - nothing had happened to Dad, had it?
“Is Daddy okay?” Avery whispered.
Her mother nodded, before her face crumpled and she cried. She pulled something out from under the afghan. A long, white envelope. What could be so important in that little letter that had her mother all twisted up inside? “This came for you,” she said softly, almost so low that Avery couldn’t hear. Thank goodness for lip reading.
For her? Avery accepted the letter from her mother’s extended hand. Her mom’s hand was cold and clammy, and that’s when Avery noticed she was trembling. “I don’t understand.” She held the letter up. The return address and name didn’t ring any bells, but they must have to her mother, otherwise she wouldn’t be acting this way. The suspense was killing her!
“I think your birth parents are finally trying to contact you.” Her mother’s face crumpled again, the tears flowing down her cheeks.
Avery dropped the letter on the ground as if it were a hot pan and flew into her mom’s embrace.
Chapter Two
“There’s nothing that indicates this, Mom. Unless you know something I don’t,” Avery said, cautiously picking up the letter again. “Nothing gives anything away. To an ordinary eye, it looks like a normal letter.” She searched her mother’s gaze, waiting for some kind of answer as to why she was fretting so much.
“It was delivered officially, on your birthday,” her mom said solemnly, shifting her gaze.
Could this really be the moment Avery had longed for?
For years and years, Avery knew nothing about her history. She’d always wondered about her background, but as time passed, she gave up hope that she’d ever know.
And yet, that hope could be staring right back at her in an unopened envelope as her mother fell apart.
Avery didn’t want to be, but she was hopeful. Mom was most likely way off, but she wouldn’t know unless she opened that letter. It’s not that she didn’t love her mom and dad, but she needed to understand where she came from. It stopped her from fully living, and loving. Avery wanted to feel whole. She hated the fact that while she was absolutely loved, wanted, cherished, and adored, she still had an empty void in her heart that only knowing would fill.
It pained her sometimes, to look her mom and dad in the eye, feeling like shit for it not being enough. It should have been enough! Those were the worst days, where she had conflicting emotions about her past. Despite how much the Callimers loved and cared for her, some days she hated the world for the abandonment from her biological parents. The questions in her mind were always why? Why wasn’t she enough for them? She couldn’t ever express those feelings. No one would ever understand. It was a hidden pain within her. Until she took up songwriting. It had become a lyrical journey to the depths of her heart.
With everyone happy and wanting to celebrate her birthday, it made matters worse. How could they celebrate a day when no one knew when she had actually been born? They were only guessing that Avery had been no more than a day old when she’d been found. So they all declared that date her birthday. Avery dreaded it every year. It was a painful reminder of things she didn’t know about herself.
She couldn’t fault the Callimers. They tried. It was Avery that never said how she felt about it. For the most part, she had an honest relationship with her adoptive parents. Unless it came down to her feelings
Her fears were confirmed when she opened the door. Her mother sat in her rocking chair, an afghan over her lap, her eyes empty and hollow. Something was definitely wrong.
“Mom? What is it?” Avery asked, rushing over to sit beside her mother. A knot formed in her stomach as she waited for her mom to respond. What could have her mother up so late at night? Where was Dad?
Oh, no ... it wasn’t - nothing had happened to Dad, had it?
“Is Daddy okay?” Avery whispered.
Her mother nodded, before her face crumpled and she cried. She pulled something out from under the afghan. A long, white envelope. What could be so important in that little letter that had her mother all twisted up inside? “This came for you,” she said softly, almost so low that Avery couldn’t hear. Thank goodness for lip reading.
For her? Avery accepted the letter from her mother’s extended hand. Her mom’s hand was cold and clammy, and that’s when Avery noticed she was trembling. “I don’t understand.” She held the letter up. The return address and name didn’t ring any bells, but they must have to her mother, otherwise she wouldn’t be acting this way. The suspense was killing her!
“I think your birth parents are finally trying to contact you.” Her mother’s face crumpled again, the tears flowing down her cheeks.
Avery dropped the letter on the ground as if it were a hot pan and flew into her mom’s embrace.
Chapter Two
“There’s nothing that indicates this, Mom. Unless you know something I don’t,” Avery said, cautiously picking up the letter again. “Nothing gives anything away. To an ordinary eye, it looks like a normal letter.” She searched her mother’s gaze, waiting for some kind of answer as to why she was fretting so much.
“It was delivered officially, on your birthday,” her mom said solemnly, shifting her gaze.
Could this really be the moment Avery had longed for?
For years and years, Avery knew nothing about her history. She’d always wondered about her background, but as time passed, she gave up hope that she’d ever know.
And yet, that hope could be staring right back at her in an unopened envelope as her mother fell apart.
Avery didn’t want to be, but she was hopeful. Mom was most likely way off, but she wouldn’t know unless she opened that letter. It’s not that she didn’t love her mom and dad, but she needed to understand where she came from. It stopped her from fully living, and loving. Avery wanted to feel whole. She hated the fact that while she was absolutely loved, wanted, cherished, and adored, she still had an empty void in her heart that only knowing would fill.
It pained her sometimes, to look her mom and dad in the eye, feeling like shit for it not being enough. It should have been enough! Those were the worst days, where she had conflicting emotions about her past. Despite how much the Callimers loved and cared for her, some days she hated the world for the abandonment from her biological parents. The questions in her mind were always why? Why wasn’t she enough for them? She couldn’t ever express those feelings. No one would ever understand. It was a hidden pain within her. Until she took up songwriting. It had become a lyrical journey to the depths of her heart.
With everyone happy and wanting to celebrate her birthday, it made matters worse. How could they celebrate a day when no one knew when she had actually been born? They were only guessing that Avery had been no more than a day old when she’d been found. So they all declared that date her birthday. Avery dreaded it every year. It was a painful reminder of things she didn’t know about herself.
She couldn’t fault the Callimers. They tried. It was Avery that never said how she felt about it. For the most part, she had an honest relationship with her adoptive parents. Unless it came down to her feelings
Similar Books
Northland Stories
Jack London
Volcanoes
Nicole Hamlett
No Such Thing as Perfect
Sarah Daltry
The Cove
Catherine Coulter
Dragon Gold
Kate Forsyth
Imperial Assassin
Mark Robson
Let Me Know
Stina Lindenblatt
Sekret
Lindsay Smith
David Lord of Honor (The Lonely Lords)
Grace Burrowes
Craving Talon
Zoey Derrick