"Then maybe you should ask her."
"That right there tells me you know the truth." Her eyes began to mist, no matter how rapidly she blinked them. "You know, don't you? Why won't you tell me?"
"Because it's not my place to say anything."
Her chest expanded with her deep inhalation. "I think that answered my question."
"Are you going to say anything to her?"
She stood and glanced behind her once more. The way her body appeared to soften, almost going completely slack, showed the contentment and emotion coursing through her. This was a mother finally getting answers about her child. The child she never knew anything about. The piece of her she'd given away, entrusted strangers to care for, without ever knowing her gender.
When she faced me again, her tears had fallen, and the sight bathed me in peace. Peace for Eden. Peace for the younger Janette who had to make one of the toughest decisions of her teenage life. "She hasn't said anything to me for a reason. So I feel like I should respect that and keep this to myself."
"Maybe she hasn't said anything because she's afraid of your response. I'm not trying to put words in her mouth, because she hasn't opened up much to me about this topic, but I know she deals with abandonment issues. I think if she knew your side of the story, knew where you were at mentally and emotionally when you put her up for adoption, it might help you both heal."
"With all due respect, Dane," she said with a smirk and a hand on her hip. "You're an investor, not a psychologist."
I simply laughed beneath my breath and shook my head, finding amusement in her throwing my words back in my face. "Whatever. You know I'm right. Do with the information as you please, but whatever you do, don't tell her I told you. Because I didn't."
"Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me."
"There is no secret. I didn't tell you."
She walked across the room and held onto the door handle. "I won't say anything. It's a little hard to explain how I figured it out anyway."
Even though my conversation with Janette didn't take away the shock of the truth, it was enough to clear my muddled mind. I was able to get through the files Eden had left for me and make it to the end of the day. I waited until I knew Eden was out of the building before sending her a text.
Grow old with me.
I knew she'd ignore it, just like she ignored my texts every evening. But it didn't stop me. After Janette had imparted some wisdom on me, I had a clear understanding of where things were headed with me and Gabi, and me and Eden.
Although, I was sure Heidi would be tired of me asking for legal favors.
I figured I'd throw her an early bonus to make up for the added personal work I'd be asking her for.
22
Dropping off a document for Eden, I found a real estate brochure on her desk. I went to reach for it, hoping it would give me some clue on what kinds of homes she was on the hunt for, but before I could pick it up, she walked into her office from the hall.
She slapped her hand against her chest as she stared at me with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. "You scared me, Dane. What are you doing in here?"
I moved away from her desk to allow her space to settle in for the day. She set her purse down and took her seat, all while watching me, waiting for an explanation. I pointed to the paper in front of her and said, "Just dropping off some work for you."
It was Thursday, approaching the end of the work week, and the closer we got to Friday, the more I seemed to want to be near her, knowing I'd have to go the entire weekend without seeing or hearing from her. If she'd picked up on it, she hadn't said anything.
"I see you have one of those booklets for houses. Have you found one?"
She grabbed it off the top of her desk and shoved it into a drawer while cutting her eyes at me and smirking. "I believe that's considered a personal question."
"Not really. I mean, if you've found a house, you'll be needing time off for inspections and closing. Then the time to move and get settled in. I think that falls under the category of business-related questions. It directly concerns me, considering you're my assistant and all."
"You're insane." She giggled and shook her head. "But fine, to answer your question, yes. I think I've found something. But it's not a done deal yet. It's a little out of my price range, so I have to talk with the bank about my options."
"If it's more than you can afford, then maybe you should keep looking."
"It's not that much out of my budget. And it's perfect. It has everything I'm looking for and then some. I think I'll cry if I don't get this house." Realizing the personal information she shared, she shook it off and scooted her chair closer to the desk.