I hadn’t expected the immediate connection I felt to him through his words. What I really never expected was to find out that we’d actually met…and that I remembered.
I remembered him.
Not clearly. But I remembered meeting a handsome stranger with black hair when I was young. I remembered him helping me on the monkey bars. I remembered feeling a connection with him but not understanding why. I didn’t remember much of what was said. I also couldn’t remember Evangeline or what she looked like at all.
Obviously, the letter didn’t provide me with all of the information since much was left unexplained. I still really knew nothing about what happened to Evangeline that was so bad or what he was referring to when he said he always questioned why he was born. I was grateful, though, for what answers the letter did give me and for what uncertainties it ruled out. Without it, I might have wrongly assumed that my birth parents gave me away because of my birth defect.
When I opened the box that night, inside was a small but sparkly marquise-shaped diamond set in between two sapphires. Using my prosthetic left hand, I’d placed it over my right ring finger. My grandmother must have had dainty fingers, because it fit perfectly.
Since finding out the truth, I’d reread the letter several times, dissecting every last sentence. My parents were clear that the choice of how to proceed was all mine. Unsure of whether I was ready to face all of the details of how I came to be, it was many weeks before I conjured up the courage to reach out to him.
The car stopped in front of the gray house. From what little I could remember about Kansas, it seemed like nothing had changed.
In the side yard, I spotted a woman with dark hair kissing a blond man as they sipped drinks. It alarmed me. Was that Evangeline? Had something happened to Sevin? I’d sent a letter back to him a few weeks ago, acknowledging receipt of his own letter. I asked him for more time to process things and promised to write him back again. Instead, I made the rash decision to fly out here during my school break. My parents were adamantly against my coming to Kansas without calling first, but I didn’t have his number and really just had to see things for myself.
“This is 11 Briar Road?”
“Yes, this is it. We’ve arrived,” the driver said. “You have my number when you’d like me to come back and take you to your aunt’s house.”
My parents had hired a car service to drive me from the airport all the way to Dodge City. I’d insisted on coming here alone. They agreed so long as I stayed with my mother’s sister in Spearville.
“Do you mind hanging out for just a few minutes…in case the people I want to see aren’t home?”
“Sure thing. You just text me, let me know what you want me to do.”
Slowly approaching the canoodling couple, I cleared my throat. My heart was pounding.
Was that my mother?
“Hello?”
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“Does Sevin Montgomery live here?”
“What’s your name?”
“Rose.”
Her mouth was agape as she examined my face.
“Did you say Rose?”
“Yes. Who are you?”
“Emily…Evangeline’s sister.” She looked anxiously behind her shoulder. “They didn’t know you were coming?”
My aunt.
“Do you know who I am?”
Her eyes started to water. “Yes. Yes, I do. I…I only recently found out…like very recently. Oh my God.” She covered her mouth and repeated, “Oh, my God. I can’t believe this.” Then, she suddenly pulled me into a hug. The man standing next to her looked really confused. Still flustered, she turned to introduce him. “Um…sorry, this is my husband…um…”
“Zachary,” he reminded her.
I waved at him before asking, “Where are they?”
Emily was still examining my face when she said, “They’re inside getting ready to bring the food out. We were just about to eat dinner outside.”
I pointed my thumb back to the waiting car. “I can come back.”
“Are you kidding?” She held out her hands to stop me from leaving. “Don’t you move! Stay right there.” She kept muttering as she walked away, “Oh my God. Oh my God.”
Zachary and I smiled awkwardly at each other while we waited in silence. My throat felt dry. I really needed a glass of water. My thoughts were racing. What was I going to say? Would I call him Sevin? Mr. Montgomery? Her…Evangeline? Were they even married? Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery? No…I’d call them Sevin and Evangeline.
I was nervously removing pieces of lint from my dress when I heard footsteps and looked up. My heart beat faster.