The Pieces We Keep(145)
When their mouths parted, his gaze slid back to their hands. There was something more he needed to say.
“Gene, what is it?”
After a moment thick with thoughts, he raised his eyes. “Isaak should know about Judith.” He said this as though accepting his own conclusion. Not the type to rejoice over, but a statement of fact.
Vivian tilted her head at him. “Honey ... are you sure?”
“If I were him, I’d want to know. More than that, I don’t ever want secrets to hurt our family again.”
Isaak’s ban from the States, very likely, played a factor in Gene’s decision-to feel more threatened by proximity would only be human. Yet his courage and principles were no less worthy.
She just wished she could borrow his bravery. The papers on the floor still loomed from the practicality of the task.
As if reading her mind, he said, “It’s not really fit for a letter, is it?”
She shook her head, aware she would have to compose the missive regardless. Beyond that, already she could sense the excruciating weeks of waiting for a reply, imagining Isaak’s reaction, wondering if the message was ever received.
“What if we went to Germany?” Gene said, the suggestion startling her.
“Germany?”
“The three of us together.”
“But–how?”
“I’ll work something out.”
The vision of meeting in person was even more daunting. How would that make delivering the announcement any easier?
“I don’t know. It’s such a long trip. Judith, at her age . . .”
“Yeah. You’re probably right.”
Vivian nodded. She had just begun to relax when he added, “You and me then. We can start there. Figure out the rest as we go.”
She scrounged for reasons to object. But he laid his hand on her cheek, and from the comfort of his touch the jittering of her uncertainties settled. Yet again, he was the solid rock that steadied her, the balm to her worries.
Vivian released a breath, and nodded.
At their trade of gentle smiles, she folded into his embrace. They would do this together, the way it would always be for the two of them. How foolish of her to believe she couldn’t possibly love her husband more.
67
So finally she can be with him.
As much as Audra wanted to erase the phrase from her mind, she was overcome by the feeling that at last it completely fit. Her first inclination after hanging up with Taylor had been to call Sean and Luanne. She was about to dial them up when she realized who, more than anyone, deserved to hear the discovery first.
“Excuse me,” Audra said to the gallery manager upon entering with Jack. “I’m Audra Hughes. I’m the one who called earlier.”
“Oh, yes,” said the woman in cat’s-eye glasses. “Judith told me to send you on back to the studio.”
On the phone, Audra had asked Judith if they could meet in person right away, by now the topic evident. According to Sean, his mother had taken Luanne’s admission considerably well but needed time to process it. Audra just hoped the information she was bringing would be helpful, not a hindrance.
“If you’d like,” the manager added, “while you and Judith talk, I’d be happy to show your son the new artwork we just hung.” Clearly, she was aware the discussion called for privacy.
“It wouldn’t be too much trouble for you?”
“Not at all. So far, it’s been a pretty slow day.”
Audra turned to Jack. “Are you okay with that?”
“Sure,” he said lightly, already scanning the room.
“Thanks,” she said to the woman, who nodded and swept Jack off for a grand tour.
Audra treaded toward the back corner and into the studio.
At the worktable, Judith sat on a cushioned stool, lost in thought. Her hands rested on a nest of iridescent gauze. Beside the material were several items identifiable at a glance: a stack of books resembling diaries, letters and notes aged from time, and contents of the manila envelope Audra had returned to Luanne.
“Hi, Judith.”
The woman greeted her with a half smile.
“I appreciate you seeing me,” Audra said. “I know you’ve had a lot to think about the last few days.”
“It certainly hasn’t been dull.”
On this point, they were in total agreement.
Audra stepped closer. “I really don’t want to make things worse for you or your family. But there’s something I just learned. Something I think you should know.”
With an audible sigh, Judith said, “I’m not sure my heart can take many more surprises.”
Audra hoped this was said in jest, because she was delivering a rather large one. Regretfully, she could think of no skillful way to ease it in.