“So why did she bring him up today?” Rachel asked aloud.
Shaking the past away, Rachel drove home to work a while longer and then get ready to meet Jules for dinner.
***
Later that evening, Rachel met her daughter at a small restaurant just north of Tallahassee. The two embraced and sat at a corner table in the back where they could talk privately.
“How is your first month of college?” Rachel asked Jules.
Her daughter shrugged, her long, auburn ponytail swinging as she moved. Rachel was always amazed at Jules's close resemblance to her Aunt Julie, from the reddish hair to her clear hazel eyes. The only difference was that Jules had inherited her father’s height and had long legs that went on forever.
“The first couple of weeks are always boring until we start getting into our studies,” Jules said. She suddenly gave her mother a full-lipped smile. “But Amber and I are loving the apartment at the off-campus complex. There are so many cute guys living there.”
Rachel laughed. Jules and her long-time best friend, Amber Johnston, had moved into an apartment this year—with Rachel’s financial help—and were enjoying their independence. Rachel didn’t mind helping them out. She wanted the girls to enjoy their college experience. It was a big difference from her own college days—she’d lived at home while attending. Aunt Julie and Uncle Gordy had felt it wasn’t safe for her to live off-campus. It wasn’t until her last year, after she’d married Carter, that she’d finally been free of living at home.
“Just make sure you study your schoolwork, not the guys at the pool,” Rachel said, then laughed.
Jules rolled her eyes. “I know. I know. I promise I won’t be married by senior year like you and dad were.” Her tone grew softer. “But that didn’t turn out so bad, did it, Mom?”
Rachel shook her head. “No, it turned out pretty good. But we should have waited that extra year. It was tough paying rent and finishing school.” Now, since her husband had passed, Rachel was thankful they’d married when they had. She wouldn’t have missed out on that extra year with Carter for anything in the world.
The two women ordered their food—a grilled chicken salad for Rachel and a burger and fries for Jules—and continued talking. Rachel loved spending time with her daughter. Their relationship had grown from mother-daughter to friends. Rachel was thankful her daughter shared everything with her, unlike some women she knew whose daughters barely spoke to them.
“How is Aunt Julie? Have you seen her lately?” Jules asked.
Rachel sighed. “I was there this afternoon. She was agitated again, and Shirley had called me.”
“Oh, no. Did you find out why?”
Rachel hesitated before answering. She had always been honest with her daughter about everything—everything except her past. Jules knew nothing about how she’d left her own family to live with her aunt and uncle. At first, Rachel hadn’t seen any reason to mention her family in California when Jules was younger. After all, Julie and Gordon had legally adopted her, and Rachel used their last name while growing up. But when Jules was a young teen, she’d asked her why she’d grown up with her aunt and uncle instead of her parents. Rachel had just said they’d adopted her and hadn’t given a reason why. Now, it seemed silly to keep it a secret. Secrets could be harmful if kept hidden too long.
“Mom?” Jules asked, looking concerned.
The waiter delivered their food, giving Rachel another moment to think. But once the waiter left, Rachel had already decided what she had to do.
“Dear. Remember when you asked me why I lived with my aunt and uncle?” Rachel asked.
Jules looked up from pouring ketchup on her plate. “Yeah. I think so. You never really gave me an answer, though.”
Rachel took a breath. “That’s because it had been a secret for so long, I didn’t know how to answer you. But you’re an adult now, and it’s time you knew the truth.”
The food forgotten, she now had Jules's full attention.
“Aunt Julie and Uncle Gordon adopted me. I have the birth certificate to prove it. But I did have a mother and a father. And a brother.”
“Really? Are they still alive?” Jules asked, looking stunned.
Rachel shrugged. “I don’t know. I was only eight when I left town with Julie and Gordon. My mother wasn’t a nice woman. She ignored me most of the time. And my father was always working. He drove a truck and was gone several days a week. And then, there was my brother, Keith.” Rachel shivered when she said his name. She was still affected by how much he’d terrorized her as a child. “I don’t know what became of them. After we left, I did write to my father a few times because I was closest to him, but he never answered. Then we moved several times and finally landed in Tallahassee. By then, I’d pretty much put my family out of my mind. Aunt Julie and Uncle Gordon were wonderful to me. I didn’t need the people in California.”
Jules started eating her fries, the shock of her mother’s confession wearing off. “That’s incredible. Why did they take you, though?”
Rachel picked at her salad. “I’m not completely sure. Aunt Julie had always been kind to me, and for as long as I can remember, she’d been trying to talk my mother into letting me live with her. It didn’t seem like such a big deal to me. I knew life with my aunt and uncle would
