Caleb watched Addie as a feeling of satisfaction flowed through him. He loved feeding the people he cared about. Addie was no exception. He loved her reaction to good food. She appreciated the smells and flavors like a true connoisseur. They settled in to their meal, enjoying each other’s company and the beautiful vista stretched out before them. There was nothing but blue skies and a vast ocean stretched out for miles.
“And the piece de resistance,” Caleb said in a triumphant tone. He reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a two glass jars.
Addie wrinkled her nose. “What is it?”
“Key lime pie with blueberries on top.”
“Be still my heart,” Addie gushed. “How did you know key lime is my favorite?”
“Everybody loves key lime pie, Addie,” Caleb said with a chuckle. He handed her a glass jar and a spoon. Addie dug in with gusto. Caleb smiled at the sight of her.
Addie looked up from her dessert and caught him staring at her. “What’s wrong? Do I have key lime all over my face?”
“No,” Caleb said. “I’m just enjoying your enthusiasm. There’s no greater compliment for a chef than to see someone devouring his creation with gusto.”
Addie’s eyes widened. “Devouring? Yikes. Not sure I’m being very ladylike.”
Caleb grimaced. “Forgive my poor choice of words. As a chef, the word devouring is a good thing. Please don’t be embarrassed.”
She began to laugh. “Don’t worry. I love food way too much to feel badly about it. Thank goodness I have a reasonably good metabolism.”
Caleb chuckled along with her. As a chef, there was nothing more he appreciated than a woman who loved food.
Once Addie had polished off her key lime dessert, she leaned toward him with a serious expression stamped on her face. “Caleb. There’s something I need to tell you.”
Caleb’s eyes widened. “Uh oh. This sounds ominous.”
“No. It’s not. I promise.” She bit her lip. “I’m just worried about your reaction to what I have to say.”
He leaned forward toward Addie. His pulse quickened. Was she ending things between them? The very thought of it made him sick to his stomach.
“Go ahead, Addie. You can tell me anything.” And he meant it. Whatever she had to tell him, Caleb would be supportive.
“It’s about your birth mother. Rayna Johnson.” The words came out of Addie’s mouth in a halting manner.
He frowned at her. “What? Do you know something I don’t?”
She ran a hand through her long strands of hair. “The other night I couldn’t sleep after we met with Chandra. I kept thinking about the things she said. So, in the wee hours of the morning I got up and started doing some research on my computer.”
Caleb listened without uttering a word.
“I came upon an article from a Tampa newspaper. It was about your biological mother.” She began fiddling with her hands, twisting her fingers around. “She’s been through a lot in her life. It seems she was a brilliant student, Caleb. She went to college on scholarship after a really tough upbringing. That’s where she met your father.”
Caleb’s eyes widened. He let out a slight noise. She kept talking so she didn’t lose her nerve. “She struggled after your father died in an accident. She suffered from depression and drug abuse. Although she didn’t call you out by name, the article referenced a child she gave up to the foster care system after an apartment fire. It sounds like she relinquished custody so you could have a better life.”
He let out a groan. “Addie, what’s the point in telling me all of this? It’s just opening up old wounds.” His voice was sharp. He didn’t even sound like himself. But she knew instinctively what he was doing. He was protecting himself from further hurts. Addie scooted over on the blanket so she was right next to Caleb. She reached out and placed his face between her palms.
“Caleb. This is your history. No matter how much you try to hide from it, it’s out there. And it may not be my place to say it, but I think you should meet your birth mother. I think you should hear her story so you can fill in all the blanks.”
Caleb glared at her. “I’m not hiding from it. I’ve made a choice to put the past to rest.”
Addie shook her head at him. “The past isn’t at rest, Caleb. It’s lurking inside you. You’re a wonderful, amazing man. And I care about you deeply. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be saying all of this. I think not knowing the answers to a host of questions is hindering you.” Her voice softened and became more tender. “I don’t want that for you.”
For a moment their eyes locked. Addie could see all the anger fade away from Caleb’s eyes. “You’re right,” he said. “I’ve been stuffing a lot of this down for a very long time. When I was at one of the foster care agencies I overheard some workers talking about my birth mother.” He shuddered. “They were saying terrible things about her. They said she was a prostitute.” He shuddered. “They said she left me to die in the apartment. I haven’t wanted to think about it all this time.”
“It might not be true,” Addie said. “And if it is, at least you’ll get answers. Closure.”
“So you think it’s the right thing to do by meeting her?”