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Grant looked at the clock as his latest attempt to reach Scottlyn failed. Almost seven p.m. He paced up and down the aisle of the small plane. The flight had been pre-cleared to land in Oklahoma City according to customs and border protection procedures, but it seemed to be taking forever to get the plane parked at the private terminal. He sighed when the plane stopped. The engine whine disappeared, and seconds later, the pilot stepped from the cockpit and popped the door open.
Grant bounded for the opening but turned at the top of the steps and nodded at his new friend. "Thanks!"
He took the steps two at a time and sprinted for the overnight parking garage, phone held to his ear as he ran. No answer. "Scottie, where are you?"
He punched in Diana's number instead.
"Grant, thank goodness."
The tension in her voice stopped Grant in his tracks. "What's wrong?"
"I'm not exactly sure. Scottlyn came home a couple of hours ago. I could tell she'd been crying. I'm more than a little worried about her. I've never seen her like this...and she won't talk to me. She helped Mercie with her dinner, ignored her own plate, and now she's taking care of Mercie's bath. Routine chores, but she's going about them with the animation of a robot."
Grant shifted back into high gear. "I don't know if what I found is going to help that mood, but I'll be there in an hour."
***
"MOMMY DON'T CRY."
Scottlyn blinked as she tucked the towel around Mercie, lifted her off the floor, and carried her daughter to her room. "What?"
Mercie framed her mother's face with her small hands and leaned in to kiss each cheek. She straightened up and wiped at her mouth. "Tears are yucky."
Had she been crying? Maybe a better question is, when will I stop? She bundled the child close and gulped a breath. The fragrances of soap and baby shampoo soothed her soul. Her arms tightened.
This child would never wonder who her mother was or lie awake at night trying to remember the details of her absent mother's face. With God's help and her own determination, Mercie would always know that she was loved above life itself.
You are loved, daughter. Don't forget that.
Scottlyn sucked in another breath as the soft words caressed her heart. Loved? She bit her lip.
Grant loves you. Diana loves you.
"And Mercie loves me," she whispered in concert with the voice speaking to her soul.
And I love you most of all.
"Mommy, I'm squished."
Scottlyn relaxed her grip. "I'm sorry, baby." She set the child on the edge of the bed, retrieved a comb, and prepared to attack the tangled mess of baby-fine hair. Straight now instead of curly. Her daughter's hair seemed to get straighter with every inch it grew.
"I miss your curls."
Mercie squirmed. "Curls are for babies. Ouch!"
"Almost done." Scottlyn gave the blonde hair a final pass with the comb and helped Mercie slip into her pj's.
"Grandma Diana said something about a bedtime story. Why don't you run find her and tell her you're ready?"
"OK." Mercie sprinted for the door, slid to a stop, and turned at the threshold. "You're the bestest mommy in the world."
Scottlyn swallowed a sob and forced a smile. "Do you really think so?"
Mercie nodded and bolted from the room.
Scottlyn picked up dirty clothes and the damp towel and tidied Mercie's bedroom and the bathroom. She flipped off the lights, sat on her bed, and scooted up to the headboard. She drew up her knees, wrapped her arms around them, and lowered her head.
"Father I know You love me most of all. You've blessed me. You've surrounded me with people who love me." Jocelyn didn't last twelve months in that Mexican hole. The words and the cruelty with which they'd been delivered raised goose bumps on Scottlyn's arms. "This is so hard. I'm sorry if I'm being greedy, but please help me find a way to make this better."
***
GRANT'S CAR SCREECHED to a halt in Diana's drive. He'd made the sixty-minute drive from the airport in fifty. He threw the seatbelt aside and hurried to the door. The need to get to Scottlyn drove protocol from his mind. He caught himself just before he rushed through the door without even a knock and cracked it open instead.
"Diana?"
"Grant!"
The door was yanked out of his hand, and a tiny blonde missile launched into his arms. Kisses rained on his face as Mercie snuggled into his arms. "I missed your face!"
Mercie never failed to lighten his heart. What did I ever do before she and Scottlyn became a part of my life? Grant chuckled in spite of the urgency of his errand. "My face has only been gone for two days, goofy girl." He hugged her close for a few seconds before setting her on her feet. "Where's Mom?"
Mercie frowned up at him. "In her room. She has another boo-boo heart."
Grant looked to Diana for a translation. "The day of the funeral Scottlyn told her she was crying because her heart hurt."
He nodded. "Gotcha'."
Mercie grabbed his hand and tugged. "Come tuck me in."
Grant stooped down. "I need to talk to your mommy first. Can you stay here with Grandma Diana for a while? I promise I won't leave before I tuck you in. I'll even throw in an extra story."
Mercie threw her arms around his neck a second time. "You're gonna be my bestest daddy!"
Oh, squirt, I hope so. Grant untangled himself and kissed her nose. "I'll be back in a little bit." He followed the hallway down to the connected bedrooms Mercie and Scottlyn occupied. The door to Mercie's was closed, and no light glowed from beneath it. He raised his hand to knock on Scottlyn's, but the unlatched door opened at his touch. The sound of soft crying twisted his heart and drove him to Scottlyn's side.
He sat on the edge of the bed and gathered his fiancée into his arms. "I'm here, Scottie."
Scottlyn melted against him and snuggled her face into the crook of his neck. "Oh, Grant, I'm so sorry. I was afraid I'd lost you too."
"Not possible."
She continued as if she hadn't heard him. "I didn't mean to make you mad."
He held her tighter. "Sweetheart, I was never mad at you, just concerned for you."
"And I should have listened. That woman...Mom's dead."
How does she...? He held his questions and rocked her as she dissolved into a fresh torrent of tears. When the flood dwindled to a trickle, he held her away a little and stared into her face, thankful for the little bit of light spilling in from the hall.
"We're going to get through this, OK? I'm here, and I'm always going to be here. I know things feel pretty bleak right now, but they'll get better. You need to believe that."
She sniffed, plucked a tissue from the bedside table, and mopped her face before she blew her nose. "It's so hard."
He framed her face in his hands. "I know." He shifted, and the envelope in his pocket crackled, reminding him of its presence and the knowledge Scottlyn wasn't supposed to have just yet.
"Scoot over, we need to talk." They maneuvered until they both sat propped against the headboard. Grant took her hand. "I took a little trip today...well, yesterday and today. I flew down to Cozumel to check out Jocelyn's story."
Scottlyn bowed her head. "Did you find anything?"
"Just verification of what you've already learned." He tugged her hand, waiting until she met his gaze. "How did you figure out that your mom is dead?"
Scottlyn leaned over, switched on the bedside lamp, and picked up a picture. She studied it for a second before passing it over to him. "I found this in Dad's safe deposit box this morning."
Grant whistled as the pieces fell into place. "Twins? I didn't see that coming."
"I'm pretty sure Dad never knew either. Marilyn said Mom never told him she had a sister and this picture was stuck between two others." Scottlyn shared the details of her confrontation with her aunt. "She a vicious, cruel woman. I can't believe she just left Mom there and came home like nothing happened."
"Some people are just born cross-wired. I know that doesn't help, but I'm glad you sent her packing."
He removed the paperwork from his pocket. "I found your mother's death certificate..."
Scottlyn's sob stopped him, and he paused to see if the tears were making a return appearance. Instead, she drew in a shuddering breath and waited for him to finish.
"And I found an envelope with your name on it."
My dearest baby girl, I saw a calendar in the infirmary today and realized you just celebrated your second birthday. It broke my heart to know that you celebrated without me. It breaks my heart to know that you will celebrate them all without me.
Scottlyn, I don't know if you will ever see this letter. I'm praying that someday, once you're old enough to understand, some twist of fate or blessing will bring it to your hand.
Oh, baby, I miss you. Your sweet toothless smiles, your stumbling attempts to walk. The memory of those things is what keeps me going in this horrible place...at least it has until now.
I know you are going to grow up with questions your father can't answer. He can't answer because he doesn't know. The fact that I left without telling him anything about the trip haunts me every day.
Marilyn convinced me that she was in trouble. That no one could know our plans. She told me that she just needed a week to work things out. That while she did that I could get some rest and find my smile once more.
She betrayed me. She was jealous of what I had, of the life I was building. She never wanted it for herself, she just didn't want me to have it either. I had no idea she would go to such lengths to destroy my life.
I know she'll never share what happened with you or William, and now...now it doesn't really matter. Scottlyn, if you ever meet this woman, please stay far, far away from her. She is wicked to the core. She stole my future.
I'm dying. Some bug I picked up in this hole. I want you to know that I fought it, hoping, praying that some miracle would restore my health and bring me home. That's not going to happen.
I loved you. I never left you willingly. You held my heart in your tiny hands from the moment you were born. I know you are going to grow up so much wiser and stronger than I ever was.
The one bright spot in this whole ordeal is that I've accepted Christ into my life. I know He'll reach out to you as well when the time is right. This isn't goodbye.
I'm waiting to hold you in my arms again.
Love, Mommy
The letter fell from Scottlyn's trembling fingers. The words ripped her heart open and soothed the wound all at the same time. "She loved me, she didn't abandon me."
She turned into the arms of the man who loved her enough to find this letter and bring her peace. "Oh, Grant, she loved me."