CHAPTER Twenty-three:

   The little cottage had never looked so inviting. Early morning sunshine shone through the windows, casting a golden glow of warmth inside. The light teal walls seemed to glow with even brighter saturation.

   Lauren bounced around the house, Westley following at her feet. It wasn’t clear which of the two was happier to be home. 

   “Can I play the piano?” Willow asked, tugging on her hand as she reached the door.

   “Yes, why don’t you show your mom what you’ve learned.” Lauren ruffled her hair.

   Willow was off in a flash, running back to the instrument. Lauren went outside and made her way to the garden. It wasn’t doing so well. Tomatoes were overripe on the vines, and the zucchinis were so big they could have won the county fair.

   There was one shadow in the happiness of the return. Buttercup had disappeared. Gone in the night, never to return. Lauren would miss her. 

   Riley had phoned that the cougar had been found prowling in a farmer’s yard and they’d shot it. There were still feathers sticking out of its mouth. So they knew there was no hope.

   Lauren went to the garden shed and retrieved a bucket and began salvaging what she could from the garden. The corn was perfectly ripe. It was a good thing that Willow had her appetite back in full force. She had no sign of cough or fever.

   If only Grandma and Grandpa could see this, Lauren thought. They’d love Willow. Could they have imagined it? Their daughter, back home at last? A seemingly changed person.

   The cottage was hers. For good, and no one could take it away.

   Gravel crunched in the driveway. Amanda’s truck pulled up. Lauren stood up and went to talk to her.

   “You won’t believe the news!” Amanda bounded up the steps and grabbed her friend in a tight hug.

   “My, my...” Lauren laughed. “What’s going on?”

   In the past few days, Lauren hadn’t had any time to worry about her friend. There was too much going on.

   “First though, how is Willow?” Amanda linked her arm through Lauren’s.

   “She is doing very well. Still tired, but her old spunk is coming back. And she’s as hungry as a horse.”

   “That’s good.” 

   “So what’s your news?” Lauren turned to face her friend.

   “Well, you look like you use could some excitement. Let me tell you.” Amanda’s eyes were sparkling. “I’m engaged!” She squealed.

   “You’re what?” Lauren nearly fell over. “Are you crazy? How long have you known the guy?”

   Amanda chuckled and leaned out on the railing of the porch, dramatically looking into the distance. “All my life.” She glanced back at Lauren through the side of her eyes. “Don’t know why I never saw him there before.”

   Is it Grant? She frowned. Why hadn’t he told her? Everyone seemed to be keeping secrets.

   “Your face.” Amanda burst out laughing. “Lauren Quinley, do you honestly think that I would keep something like that from you? Seeing you fall for my jokes never gets old.”

   “You stinker. You should stop trying to give me a heart attack – and so readily enjoy doing it.”

   The two girls settled into chairs on the porch.

   “So, what have you really been up to.” Lauren crossed her legs.

   “Packing. I’m leaving in a month. Dad and I had a really good talk, and he wants me to go.” She smiled. “If things work out well, he and mom are going to help me try to get into university.”
   “I’m so happy for you.” Lauren squeezed her friend’s hand. Maybe her talk with Mr. Dunlap hadn’t been so useless after all. “How long will you be gone?”

   “Six months.”

   “I’ll miss you.”

   The two discussed the events of the day before, then said goodbye. Lauren went inside to eat breakfast.

   Charlotte had set the table and spread out some food on it. Lauren took a piece of toast but dropped it on the floor halfway through eating it.

   Her clumsiness was probably a result of her nerves. Lying awake half the night, thinking about everything that had happened didn’t help either. She was worried about their meeting. What if Jared never showed up? What if he left halfway through?

   Lauren wondered if she was too old to be someone’s daughter, to begin to be one anyway. Maybe he wouldn’t want anything to do with her.

   Charlotte looked just as nervous. She wore jeans and a simple white teeshirt. Her brown hair hung to her shoulders in waves, but she looked so different than when she’d first arrived, those two weeks ago.

   Willow ate her breakfast at breakneck speed, then ran outside to play with Westley, leaving the two women inside together.

   “I still can’t believe how fast she’s recovered,” said Lauren. “She doesn’t even look like the same girl who was lying in that hospital bed.”

   Charlotte nodded. “Seeing her like that... I hadn’t been so scared since I found out that I was pregnant with her.”

   Lauren waited for her to continue.

   “With you, of course, there was embarrassment,” Charlotte said. “But I knew my family would help, even though I treated them shamefully. With Willow though...”

   She shook her head. Lauren was surprised at the new openness she saw in her mother. It had started the night before, and the honesty was continuing.

   “I told her father.” Charlotte pressed her lips together at the memory. “He told me to fix the problem I’d created.”

   Lauren looked at her with sympathy in her eyes. How could someone blame her for something that they had just as much a hand in? Then she thought about herself, and how often she’d blamed her mother for things that were beyond her control.

   “Well, I found myself in front of the building.” Charlotte closed her eyes, seemingly transported back in time.”

   “Which building?” Lauren asked softly.

   “An abortion clinic. Outside there were people protesting with signs. They begged me to turn around, and I tried to ignore them.”
   Lauren reached out her hand, and Charlotte took it.

   “By the time I was on the top step, staring at the door, everything inside of me was screaming not to do it. But I went inside anyway.”

   “What happened?” Lauren knew what happened, but she wanted to hear it anyway.

   “They told me it was tissue. Not really a person. I walked out.” She lifted her head. “I came so close to killing my daughter, but I couldn’t do it.” She lowered her head, strands of hair hiding her face.

   “And you didn’t. Lauren smiled. “I’m glad.”

   “I’m glad too.” Charlotte leaned back in her chair and watched her daughter through the window.

   “You know, all these years, I blamed you. For so much. It never occurred to me how much you went through.” Lauren grew serious as she studied her mother’s face.

   “I should have been here for you. You are a brave soul, despite everything I put you through.” She looked at her sheepishly. “I’d be so proud if you would allow me the chance to be your friend. Maybe one day... your mother?”

   “Of course.” Lauren nodded at her. “We’ll take it one day at a time.

   Charlotte’s expression was one of pure gratitude. Lauren bit her cheek. It’s time, she thought.

   She went into the living room and opened a drawer. There was the envelope, right where she’d left it. She picked it up and went back to the kitchen.

   “This is for you.” She handed it to Charlotte. “It’s a little overdue, but we didn’t have an address.”

   The letter crinkled as Charlotte opened it. Her blue eyes moved across the first line, and she blinked.

   After a moment, she folded it up and put it in her pocket. “I’ll save this for later. Right now, we have an appointment to keep.”

   Lauren cleared the table and put away the dishes, while Charlotte took Willow over to Aunt Betsy’s place.

   When she came back, Lauren was waiting by the door.

   “Are you sure you want to do this?” Charlotte asked.

   “Of course I do,” Lauren said.

   Her mother looked perfectly calm, effortlessly put together. Lauren on the other hand felt like a wreck, and she’d changed outfits twelve times.

   “Are you nervous?” Charlotte asked.

   “Maybe a little,” Lauren grabbed the keys and stepped out the door. “You?”

   “You have no idea.”

   They walked down the front steps together and climbed into the truck. 

   As they pulled out of the driveway, Charlotte turned to her daughter. “Whatever happens today, I’ll be right here.”

   “Thank you.” Lauren smiled at her.

   Whatever happened, she felt ready for it. Even when she hadn’t seen how, God had a plan for everything in her life. Even the sorrow had turned out for good.

   She had a family again. But even more than that, she had the knowledge that she had never truly been alone.

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THE END