When A Man Loves A Woman(35)

“Who is it?” A voice called out from inside. “What do you want?”

“Mrs. Worther,” he called out. “My name is Mac. Mac Donahue. Twenty years ago you placed me with my adoptive family, the Donahues. Maggie and Alec Donahue adopted seven children because of you.”

There was silence for a few moments followed by the loud clicking noise of a lock turning. The door slowly opened. An older woman—perhaps in her seventies—stood in the doorway. She had a full head of white hair and she wore horn-rimmed glasses.

“Mac? Mac Donahue?” she asked with wide eyes.

“Yes, Mrs. Worther. Do you remember me?”

The door opened wide. Her eyes sparkled with something that resembled awareness…and joy. “Of course I do. You were one of the ones who will be forever imprinted on my heart strings.”

Goosebumps popped up on Mac’s arms. That voice! He remembered Mrs. Worther’s voice, as well as the smile that was now gracing her face. Although she had wrinkles surrounding her mouth and eyes and her hair was now the color of a cotton ball, Mac still remembered his guardian angel.

“May I come in?” he asked in a tentative voice.

“Not until you give me a hug, Mac.” She flung her arms wide and he stepped forward straight into her welcoming arms. As he hugged Mrs. Worther he noticed her frailty. Was she sick? Not eating enough? Or had age just caught up to her? As she released him, Mrs. Worther ushered him into her home. Mac walked inside. He was immediately taken by the beautiful furniture and decorative elements of her home. As a man who used his hands to create one-of-a-kind, unique pieces, he fully appreciated Mrs. Worther’s eye for home decorating and her obvious desire to create an amazing ambiance in her home.

“They can take my home but they can’t take the things that make a house a home,” Mrs. Worther quipped.

“I saw the notice. I’m so sorry,” Mac said.

She waved a hand in the air. “Don’t be sorry. I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “Take a seat so we can catch up. What brings you here?”

Mac sank down on to the eggplant colored velvet couch. “First, let me apologize for showing up at your door without notice.”

She waved her hand at him as she settled down beside him. “Are you kidding me? This is the most exciting thing that has happened to me in ages. I’m very proud of you. Woodworking is a fine profession. You were always so creative. What you endured in your young life was horrific, yet with your heart and soul and grit you turned it all around when you became a part of the Donahue family. It never fails to astound me.” ”

Mac tried to hide his surprise. Clearly, Mrs. Worther had been keeping tabs on him over the years. “Thanks for saying so,” he said. “I consider myself blessed to be working in a profession I really love. Not everyone can say that. And everything I’ve achieved leads straight back to you. You made all the difference in my life.”

“That means the world to me to hear that. I forget sometimes that I had a helping hand in changing lives.” She grinned at him. “I loved my profession too. It always brought me so much joy to help children like yourself find their happy endings.”

Mac nodded at her. “Speaking of happy endings, I really should answer the question about what brought me here.” He took a deep breath. “Twenty years ago when I was placed in the foster care system I was separated from my sister. I haven’t seen her since. And I desperately want to locate her.” He ran a hand over his face. He knew his story sounded hard to believe. It would mean so much to him if Mrs. Worther believed him. “Something happened to her. She was never placed in foster care. There’s no record of her. I believe my adoptive parents might have inquired about my sister after they adopted me.”

Mrs. Worther nodded her head. “It was a long time ago, but I remember it because Maggie and Alec traveled up to Boston from Breeze Point to talk to me about it.” She narrowed her gaze. “You were having a lot of problems at the time if I remember correctly. Fighting. Acting up. Nightmares. I was very sorry that I couldn’t help them.”

Mac felt disappointment slice through him. “So there’s nothing you can tell me about my sister?”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you. Whatever may have happened to her must have occurred between the time you went to the hospital and the time you entered the foster care system.” She heaved a sigh that made her small frame shudder. “I feel terribly about not being able to help.”

Mac reached out and grasped her hand. “No need to feel badly about it. I’m trying to cover all the angles. No worries. I will find my sister.”