Seascapes Read online

  “Hey, Fee, did you toss out that red heart necklace like I asked you to?”

  Fiona was startled. After the necklace had appeared Kate had told her throw it away. Fiona hadn’t been able to. She had stashed it in an out of the way place hoping Kate would want to see it again someday.

  “Um, yeah, I couldn’t throw it away. I hid it in the back. Did you want it?”

  “Yes, do you mind getting it? I want to show Ken and Jill.”

  Fiona quickly disappeared into the back room. She wanted to get it before Kate changed her mind.

  Kate heard the front door and turned with a smile. She knew it would be Drew. He had been stopping by the store every day. Since she hadn’t seen him yet today, she thought he would be by soon.

  “Hey there,” he said as he walked towards her.

  “Hey yourself.” A large grin covered her face.

  Drew stopped when he heard a throat being loudly cleared. He looked up to see his parents looking at him. “Oh, hi! I didn’t see you two there.”

  Jill looked between Drew and Kate and said, “Obviously not. Anything you want to tell us?”

  “Not a thing.”

  At this moment Fiona returned with the necklace, “Here it is! Did I interrupt something?”

  “Nope. What do you have there, Fee?” Drew headed towards her hoping to fend off any curious inquiries from his parents. He would tell them things were developing between Kate and himself when the time was right. The time was not right while they were all standing in the middle of her store.

  Fiona set the box on the counter and everyone crowded around to see the necklace. She pulled the top of the box off slowly while glancing at Kate. If she had to dive for a bag to help her friend breathe, she wanted to be ready.

  “Oh my, that is simply gorgeous!” Jill reached out a single finger and touched the pendant.

  “Is this one of your new creations, Kate?” Drew was curious about the unusual necklace.

  “No, it was my mother’s. She used to wear it every day. I have vague memories of playing with it when she held me.” Kate reached out and picked it up.

  “I do have something else to show you,” Fiona said. “Do you remember the box of sea glass that came after the necklace?” Fiona looked uncomfortable in asking. She was afraid of upsetting her friend.

  “I remember,” Kate replied. She wasn’t reacting at all like she had when the items had first appeared. She knew it was because she now felt loved and wanted, not just by the Grants either. She shot a glance at Drew and smiled.

  “Well, I’ve been working on some pieces this week while you have been out of the store. Do you want to see them?”

  “Absolutely. I’d love to.” Kate smiled at her friend as Fiona hurried back to the storeroom.

  She came back with several necklaces draped over her wrists and one fist clenched closed, obviously holding some smaller pieces. She grabbed a piece of black velvet and began laying everything out.

  It was obvious she had been busy. She had made at least a dozen necklaces and a few even included matching earrings. The pairings were also set apart due to the rareness of the color of the glass used in each setting. In fact, Kate knew some people would ask if they had made the glass themselves in order to get the colors they used.

  Fiona had also added silver and gold beads to many of the pieces. It was obvious she had been working hard on each one. She had an eye for detail and each one showed her creativity. Some were made with gold wire and others with silver. However, she had made quite a few with copper wire as well. It was not a type of wire they used often, but it set off some of the colors nicely.

  “I wanted to make some of these signature pieces and create something beautiful. I had some gold-filled wire on hand to try. It is a bit more expensive than some of our regular wire, but I thought they would sell well this summer when the tourists are here. I also used a lot of the tarnish resistant sterling silver. I love how these came out. What do you think, Kate?”

  Kate walked closer to the counter and picked up each piece to examine. She didn’t say anything as she held each one up and turned it this way and that, looking at each one from every angle. Finally, she set down the last one and turned to Fiona.

  “Fee, you did an amazing job! I love them all! I think we should do more with the gold-filled wire. I love how it makes the colors pop. The copper is also so pretty. That’s becoming a popular look right now. Excellent work!”

  Fiona sighed with relief and smiled at Kate. “You had me worried there for a minute! I thought for sure you were going to tell me to take them all apart, scrape the wire, and start over!” She laughed. “I’m so glad you like them.”

  “You do really great work, Fiona,” Jill said. “How long does it take you to make each one?”

  “Well, it depends on the shape of the glass and the wire I’m using. Generally speaking, each piece probably takes about thirty minutes. If it’s very delicate work, it may take a bit longer to finish.”

  “I have never seen colors of sea glass like this before,” Ken said. “Did you find them on the beach we were just walking on?”

  “No, these were from the package of sea glass Kate’s father left a few days after the necklace.” Fiona reached out to adjust a few of the chains.

  “Are you sure it was your father who left the packages?” Ken asked with a look of concern.

  “Who else could it be,” Kate said. “I have no other siblings. My mother is dead. I don’t know where all these things went after my mother died. I do know she used to wear that necklace all the time. I think she had the glass, too. I assume my father had both. It wouldn’t make sense for anyone else to have it.”

  Ken and Jill exchanged another significant look. Kate caught it and this time didn’t let it pass. “What? What aren’t you telling me?”

  Chapter 35

  “It’s probably nothing, but Kate, you did have another relative,” Ken said hesitantly. “Your mother’s mother was alive when you came to live with us. She was extremely unhappy about you being placed in our home. In fact, she petitioned the court for guardianship. When she was denied, she promised to never be a part of your life.”

  Kate broke in, “I thought she was dead. My father told me I had no grandparents or other relatives.”

  Ken continued, “I don’t know if she’s still alive or not, but she was when you were young. She was angry about not getting custody. Apparently, there were some questions as to whether she could care for you properly. There had been allegations against her in the past for harming children. Nothing had ever been proven, but since your mother had just been institutionalized for harming you and, of course, what she had done to your sister, the authorities didn’t want to take any chances.”

  Kate was stunned. She had always believed the only living relative she had was her father. Whenever she had asked him about grandparents, he had told her they were all dead. He had lied to her. Again.

  Jill picked up where Ken had left off. “We also learned she used to visit your mother every week when she was in the state hospital. Your mother’s behavior always escalated afterwards. After her death, there was some suspicion it was your grandmother who slipped your mother the pills she ended up overdosing on.”

  Kate was having a hard time taking in what Jill and Ken were telling her. Her grandmother helped her mother kill herself? What was so wrong with her family they treated each other this way?

  “Since no one knew where your father was located, the chances are good the necklace and sea glass collection actually had gone to your grandmother, not your father.” Jill reached out and patted Kate’s hand. “Are you okay, sweetie? We know this is a lot to take in on top of everything else that has happened.”

  Kate could feel her knees begin to shake. She made her way to a stool and collapsed on to it. She had a grandmother. Aren’t grandmothers supposed to be kind, white-haired, little old ladies who baked cookies for their grandchildren and spoiled them? Obviously, her grandmother didn’t fit tha
t stereotype any more than her mother had fit into any type of maternal mold.

  “Why was I never told any of this before?” Kate asked in a shaking voice.

  Jill reached out to stroke Kate’s hair. “When you were staying with us, the caseworker refused to tell you and made us promise not to say anything until you were older. We had been discussing telling you for quite some time and then your mother died. At that point we began to work on finalizing your adoption and just figured we would tell you once everything was final and you were safely with us with no chance of anyone taking you away.”

  Kate put her head down on the counter and breathed. How could a good God allow so much to happen to her? Where was the justice in any of this? Why would an innocent child have to endure so much? Questions continued to swirl as she worked to stave off the rising panic attack.

  She felt another hand on her back. She glanced up to see that Drew was standing beside her. He was rubbing small circles of comfort. “You okay?”

  “I don’t know. I just don’t know right now.”

  “Then your father came back, and things became hectic,” Ken picked up the story. “We didn’t realize until just now that you didn’t know. We just assumed your father would have told you.”

  Kate let out a harsh laugh. “My father told me all my grandparents were dead.”

  Jill continued to stroke Kate’s hair as she picked up the story. “Maybe they are at this point. Maybe he didn’t lie. We just know what we were told all those years ago. Something could very well have changed since then.”

  Kate sucked in a deep shuddering breath. Jill was right. Maybe her father hadn’t lied. Maybe her grandparents were dead, all of them, like he had told her. If so, it would be one of the only truthful things her father had ever told her.

  Kate raised her head, “It’s okay. I never knew I had a grandmother. It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m fine,” Kate said again. She realized she really was okay. The panic had begun to recede.

  The initial shock of finding out she had a grandmother who had potentially been just as abusive as her mother was wearing off. She was an adult now and there was nothing this person could do to harm her. She was not a helpless child anymore. She could stand up for herself and not allow anyone else to have sway over her life.

  The bell tinkled as Nancy opened the front door and walked inside. She stopped at the sight of all the people standing there. She looked at the Grants and a change came over her. “You!” she hissed. “What are you doing here?”

  Fiona spoke up quickly, “Nancy! What is wrong with you? These are friends of Kate’s who are here visiting.”

  “I know who they are,” she continued in a hate filled voice. “They’re the ones who kidnapped my granddaughter from me. They’re the ones who stole my blood, my own flesh and blood, from me!”

  Chapter 36

  “I don’t understand,” Kate said. “You’re my grandmother? Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

  Nancy turned towards Kate, “When that weak daughter of mine couldn’t control herself and killed Lori, I wanted to take you into my home. I would have raised you to be stronger than she had been, but the police and the caseworkers didn’t see it that way. They stole you from me. They had no right! You’re my flesh and blood and no one else’s!”

  Unseen, Fiona slipped out past Nancy who was too focused on Kate to notice. Kate saw her go and hoped she was going for help. Even with Jill, Ken, and Drew here, she didn’t feel entirely safe. It was obvious Nancy was having some type of mental break. How else could you explain all she had done?

  “You sent me my mother’s necklace, didn’t you?” Kate was surprised to find her voice holding firm. There was no panic. There was just a feeling of strength and she knew it was because of those who were there with her. Ken, Jill, and Drew had closed ranks around Kate. Knowing they were there helped give her courage to continue to confront her grandmother.

  “Of course, it was,” Nancy spat viciously. “If your father had ever gotten his grimy hands on it, he would have sold it long ago.”

  “And the box of sea glass?”

  “Yes! That is my collection. I know how rare some of those colors are. It gave me a bit of pleasure to know you have your love of sea glass from me. Your mom only wore the necklace because I made her. So weak. She always did what I told her to.” Nancy continued as if she was almost talking to herself.

  Fiona quietly returned with one of the beat cops who patrolled the Main Street of the village. A slight shake of Ken’s head stayed them from speaking. Nancy was so caught up in her speech she hadn’t heard or seen them return.

  Nancy was almost unrecognizable as she continued to spew hate at everyone. “I convinced my daughter the only decent thing she could do was kill herself and rid this world of her weakness. It was so easy to slip those pills past the guards. Stupid people only look for what they think is there. It was easy to hide them in my locket.”

  Kate wanted answers. She knew this might be her only chance. She needed to keep Nancy talking. “How did you find me?”

  “It was hard after my good for nothing son–in-law ran off with you. Did you know he wasn’t just trying to keep you from these people?” She flicked a derisive hand at Ken and Jill. “He was also trying to keep you from me. He didn’t want me to have anything to do with you.”

  Kate was beginning to realize maybe her father had been trying to protect her at some point. He might not have done a good job at it, but it seems he had tried to some extent.

  Nancy continued to rant at Kate, “Just when I figured out where he had taken you, you were off to college. At that point I knew I couldn’t do much and I just waited. I’m good at waiting. One day the time would be right.”

  Kate didn’t know what she meant. Right for what? She never thought she’d be thankful for not knowing her relatives, but right now she was grateful she had never known this woman when she was a child.

  Nancy continued to tell her story. “I had to work hard to find you after college. I didn’t expect you to move out of the Baltimore area. Once I found you again, I applied for the job, and that was when I knew for sure you had no clue who I was. You didn’t even blink at my name. I found that to be pathetic. No one had ever bothered to tell you about your grandmother!”

  “Why did you come here?” Kate questioned again. “I don’t understand why you decided to hide who you were? What was your purpose after all of these years?”

  “I had no purpose other than to be near you for now. You were my granddaughter. I could see you were weak though, just like my daughter. I was waiting until I could show you how strong you could be.

  “Did you spray the graffiti on the store? Was that you?”

  Nancy ignored the question and continued with her ranting. “That was until those people came here.” She pointed at the Grants with a sneer on her face. “I knew they were going to take you away again. I was working on a plan to stop them. Then that pathetic excuse for a son–in–law showed up. I knew I would have to wait again. There was no way I was going to let him back into your life either. I would kill you first!”

  At this point, the officer made his presence known. “Ma’am, I need you to come with me. It sounds like we may have a few issues to clear up, including the threat you just made to this woman.”

  Nancy, upon hearing his voice, whirled around and screamed. She bolted for the back of the store. She moved like a much younger woman. The officer raced after her while the rest of the people in the store looked on with mouths opened.

  “This has to be the craziest day I’ve ever had,” Fiona said with a shaking voice. “That was your grandmother?”

  “Apparently so, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see what the police say.” Kate suddenly burst out laughing. All the Grants and Fiona began talking at once.

  “Kate! Are you okay?”

  “What is so funny?”

  “What is wrong, honey? Are you alright?”

  “Kate? Kate! Stop it!” Fiona’s voice br
oke out above the rest and Kate tried to pull herself together.

  Still chuckling she tried to explain what she thought was so hilarious. “It is just that…well…I have no other relatives. My mother was mentally unstable and tried to kill me. My father was a drunk and a gambler who neglected me throughout the time I lived with him. And now my grandmother. Ha! Definitely not the…” she began to chuckle again, “cookie baking variety, is she?” Once more she broke out into howls of laughter.

  Slow grins started to spread across everyone’s face. They began to laugh along with Kate. Fiona was relieved her friend seemed to be handling the situation well. Normally something like this would send her into a panic attack. The opposite seemed to be happening instead.

  Laughter rang out throughout the store as Kate made her own observation. She may not have chosen to be born into the family she had, but she was certainly glad for those she had picked to be her family, the people in the room with her right now, laughing with her.

  All heads turned as the bell over the door chimed and Mrs. Johnson entered. “What is going on? I have never seen such unprofessional manners in my life. Young lady, this is not how one runs a store.”

  Chapter 37

  Sunday morning dawned bright and early as Kate made her way to Peter’s church. She was looking forward to the sermon this morning. She smiled to herself as her thoughts turned towards Drew. He was doing worship again this morning and he had hinted at a surprise for her this week.

  Her smile grew wider as she remembered last night. Peter had come over to Kate’s apartment to visit. Kate knew he was really there to check on her after everything that had happened with Nancy. A small chuckle escaped as she recalled how nervous he had been when he brought up the fact that his parents would be hearing him preach.

  “I haven’t been this nervous since I preached my very first sermon.” Peter was pacing back and forth in Kate’s small living room while he talked. “This is ridiculous! I have even preached this sermon before. It was years ago, but it seemed like a good time to share it again. I just don’t understand why I’m so nervous! I always seem to get nervous whenever they hear me preach.” He had flopped back on to the couch opposite of where Kate was ensconced in her favorite armchair.