“He hasn’t mentioned anything, but I’m not sure how close he is with his family. I get the feeling not very close.”
“I always got the impression the boys were a lot closer to their father than to Janet. She started traveling a lot when the boys were younger. I remember some holidays she wasn’t even there. Sad, really.” My mother frowned as if remembering something.
My chest ached, thinking about a younger Truitt and Roger without their mom on Christmas.
“Why did she leave them so much?”
With a shrug, Mom replied, “I have no idea. Nick and Janet always seemed like a happy couple until they weren’t. A part of me wonders if things went south, and they simply stayed together for the sake of the boys.”
“It’s happened before,” I said with a sigh.
Liliana came back down the steps with not just Muke, but two other stuffed animals.
“Well, looks like I’m going to have my hands full watching all four of y’all,” I said.
My daughter giggled and then ran over to the mudroom to slip her shoes on. I reached for her jacket and slipped it on her, then stuffed her hat into the pocket of her coat. It was chilly outside, but nothing too terrible.
“You have fun with Grammy and be a good girl, okay?”
With a very excited nod, Liliana wrapped her arms around my neck and whispered, “I wuv you, Mommy. Be good today.”
I laughed and kissed her quickly on the cheek.
“Have fun, Mom. Thank you for doing this. All of it.”
Her brow rose. “All of it?”
I let out a breath and shook my head. “Yes.”
She reached out, took my hand in hers, and gave it a squeeze. “You know, even if I hadn’t arranged for Truitt to build this, I’m almost positive the two of you would have found your way to each other. Saryn, the way that man looks at you makes me swoon, and I’m your mother!”
My cheeks heated and I placed my hands over them. “Oh, Mom. I feel like we’re moving at super warp speed, yet at the same time it feels like he’s been in my world forever.”
“In a way he has.”
I tilted my head and regarded her. “Did you know we liked each other back in high school? Is that why you set this whole thing up?”
She laughed as she headed out the door, me following while holding Liliana’s hand. As I opened the back door of my mother’s car, I looked at her, waiting for her to answer me.
“I didn’t know that at first. When I found out you were coming back I was at a bunko game. Margaret Bloom mentioned that Truitt had built her granddaughter a playground to beat all playgrounds. She showed us pictures, and I knew Liliana had to have one.”
I tried not to roll my eyes at my mother’s somewhat unhealthy keeping-up-with-the-Joneses attitude.
“Anyway, I made an appointment to meet with Truitt. It wasn’t like I didn’t know him. He probably spent more time at our house than his own when you kids were back in high school.”
“Mom, get to how you found out.”
She looked away sheepishly as I finished buckling in Liliana.
“Mom, how did you find out?”
“Fine! Fine! I might have looked through some of the things you had stored in your old bedroom. I was trying to find a picture you drew once when you were little. It was of your dream princess castle.”
My eyes widened in shock. “I knew it! I knew that playhouse looked familiar!”
“What pwayhouse?” Liliana asked.
“Um, one at Truitt’s office, pumpkin,” I quickly said.
My mother smiled. “I was wondering when you would figure it out. You were only about seven or eight when you drew it. By the way, you were very talented at drawing.”
“I still am,” I said with a wink.
She smiled. “In my search, I stumbled upon a book. It fell and opened, and when I picked it up the writing caught my eye.”
My stomach dropped. “My journal? Mom, you read my journal?”
“No! I mean, yes. I mean, only that one page. I’m so sorry! But when a mother sees the words, I think I love him, well hell, she’s bound to stop and read.”
I didn’t have anything to say to that. If it was me and Liliana, I’d probably do the same.
“What else did you read?”
She shook her head. “I swear to you just that page. I had a feeling I didn’t want to read what was next.”
I shut the door and walked around to stand in front of my mother.
“Truitt and I have talked about our past. We both know that we felt something for one another, and it appears Tim had a hand in keeping us apart. He lied to me about Truitt. I believed him and it broke my heart, because I truly did think at the time that I was in love with Truitt.”