Nikki leaned forward, drawing everyone's attention, and explained about the accident and resulting coma. When the room grew silent, Alex spoke up again saying, "Long story short, everything turned out fine," which caused several chuckles throughout the room.
Nikki couldn't help but grin. "Smart ass." The smile slipped from her face and her brows drew together as she looked at Alex. "You need to take this time to get the answers you need. No holding back, you don't know when you will get another opportunity. Don't hold back because you don't want to cause pain, pain is inevitable." She stood and excused herself before heading out the back door.
Lexi sat on the couch next to Alex, in the spot vacated by Nikki. "What is it you need to know my dear? What questions do you have that we can answer?" Alex looked at each of the faces, searching for familiar features, and suddenly they began to introduce themselves to her. Tears sprang to her eyes as they each explained who they were and welcomed her to the family. She turned and looked at Lexi as her emotions choked her, making it difficult to speak. "Let's start with the question you ask yourself most often," Lexi prompted.
"Why?" Alex whispered around the lump in her throat.
Lexi took a deep breath and replied, "That's a question we've asked ourselves many times. We don't know why he did what he did." She stopped as Alex shook her head. "What is it, dear?"
"Why didn't you come for me?"
Joanne spoke up from across the room in a voice thick with emotion. "We didn't know you existed, honey. We knew about Raychel. She was born when your mother still visited us occasionally. We found out about Roberta several years after their deaths when a reporter brought us her death certificate." She pulled a tissue from the box on the table beside her chair, and wiped away her tears before blowing her nose. "We never knew about you."
Alex sat quietly for several seconds as she tried to gather her thoughts. She looked at her aunts and uncles and explained, "The judge knew that the media refused to leave the story alone. She was able to keep my existence from them for several years, but they eventually figured it out and began to haunt me, looking for a story. When I asked her to change my name, she took advantage of it and created the death certificate to throw them off. No family had come forward in four years to claim me, so she figured none ever would."
She looked over at David as he spoke up for the first time. "We were devastated to learn that you'd died and we'd missed the chance to know you, to help you through the loss of your family. It was like losing Lizzy all over again."
Alex could see the sadness in Lexi's eyes as she said, "If we had known, we would have moved heaven and earth to bring you home to us." She looked over at her brothers and sister before turning back to Alex. "There wasn't a day that went by that your grandma and grandpa didn't regret giving Lizzy that ultimatum, and wish they could take it all back. There hasn't been one day since her death that I didn't wish I had done something more to get her away from him, and I know I'm not alone." There were several sounds of assent from around the room.
Alex looked over at Brian's partner Nate and saw he wore a curious expression, and knew a question was burning to be asked. She waited patiently while he decided if he was going to ask it or not. When he looked up at her and saw her watching him he blushed slightly. When she grinned in return he asked, "Where were you that day? Were you at a friend's house or something?"
Alex dropped the icepack to the floor and stood abruptly, limped over to the back door, and looked out onto the back yard. She saw Nikki tossing the ball into the pitching net beside the barn and rested her head against the glass. Everyone had to strain to hear her as she said, "Raychel and I weren't allowed to have any friends." She turned back to the small group scattered about the room and said, "I was there, and I saw it all. Ray…" She cleared her throat. "Ray saved me. She refused to tell him where she'd hid me, even when he…when he…" Her voice trailed off as she turned her back to the room, her shoulders shaking as she quietly cried.
Lexi stood and walked up to her, gently pulling her into a hug. "I'm so sorry it took so long, honey, but you have a family now. We all understand and share your pain. Let us help you." She felt some of the tension begin to slowly drain out of Alex as she sagged in her arms.
Alex felt some of her pain ease as her aunt held her close. This was her mother's family, it was her family, and they wanted her to be a part of it.
Chapter Thirteen
Nikki helped Alex from the car and into the hotel room. As she settled on the bed, Nikki sat in the chair by the window. She looked over at Alex and asked, "Where did you learn to pitch like that?"
Alex looked away,
