Chapter 11
You Found Me
Nancy finished putting together Joshua’s bag as Kevin walked in. “Everything is ready, don’t forget you have to meet me at three so we can get to the doctors in time,” she told him as she zipped up the bag. Kevin walked over grabbing the bag from her, “I’ll be there, even though I don’t know why I can’t just take him.”
“You know he doesn’t like the doctors, he feels safer with me there.” Reaching over she turned the coffee pot off, “besides any reason for me to get off early I’m going to take it.”
Kevin smiled as they turned to walk in the living room. Joshua sat on the floor quietly watching The Lion King. “You ready to go buddy?” Joshua looked up and smiled nodding his head.
Nancy walked over and scooped him up giving him a kiss. “Have fun you two, mommy will see you later okay.” Joshua hugged her tight then held his arms out for Kevin.
Grabbing him Kevin walked towards the door, “let’s go see some monkeys,” he told him.
****
Kevin and Joshua walked around the elephant cage, picking him up so he could see better. Kevin smiled when Joshua’s eyes got huge as he stared at the elephants. After a few minutes Joshua looked at him and said, “onkies” letting him know exactly what he wanted to see.“Hold on we’ll get to the monkeys, let’s go see the tigers first,” he told him as he pulled out the map they got when they first walked in. Checking to see the fastest route to take, Joshua pulled the map so he could see. “Igers,” he said as he pointed to the picture of the tiger they had there. “That’s right…you’re too smart for your own good,” Kevin told him as they started to make their way.
Thirty minutes later after seeing the tigers, lions and alligators they finally made it to the monkeys knowing this is where they would spend the majority of their time. Sitting on the wooden platform they had built around a tree, Kevin laughed as Joshua jumped around making monkey noises and movements.
A father and son sat down next to them a few minutes later, Joshua stopped and watched as the father grabbed his son and started tickling him, cocking his head to the side he watched the little boy squeal with laughter and scream daddy.
Kevin’s heart clenched when Joshua walked up to him and put his hand on his face “daddy” he said as he smiled up at him. Closing his eyes he sighed deeply as picked him up, “come on buddy, let’s go eat and have a talk.”
After getting something from the stand, they found a quiet shady place under a tree to sit. Breaking up Joshua’s food Kevin spoke to him, “I know you’re not going to understand a word I’m about to say, but here goes. I’m not your daddy. I love you like my own, but you do have a daddy out there and I know one of these days he is going to find you. You and your mommy are going to go home where you belong.”
He said the last part out loud to remind himself of that fact too, it hurt like hell to think about it, but he knew they didn’t belong here. He swore with every fiber of his being that there was someone out there looking for them. It was only a matter of time before the man that loved Nancy and that would love Joshua would find them.
He gave up on the police a long time ago, and the private investigators he hired all sucked. It was like no one wanted to take the time to help. So instead he tried to prepare himself every day knowing that it all could change. It wasn’t so much that they wouldn’t be there. It was the fact that he was scared he would be forgotten.
Nancy and Joshua were like family to him, he never had that growing up and being an only child made his childhood lonely. With them there it filled a void he had lived with for a long time. Looking at his watch he noticed the time, “You ready to go get mommy,” he stated as he started to clean up their mess.
Kevin leaned down as Joshua held up his trash, “Gimmie a kiss,” he said puckering his lips. Joshua leaned up and smacked him on the lips making the muah sound and all. Kevin laughed as got up and threw the trash away. Turning back he reached down and swung Joshua over his shoulders walking towards the exit.
****
The café was swamped, looking at the clock she sighed happily only twenty more minutes, she thought. Kevin should be showing up at any time. “Hey Nancy, can you do me a huge favor please?” Susie another waitress came rushing up towards her. “Can you please run this outside to table four, I really…really need to use the bathroom.”
Taking pity on her standing there like she was getting ready to explode Nancy said, “Sure no problem,” taking the order from her and heading outside. Walking past the busy tables she smiled once more knowing that she would be leaving this madness any minute now.
As she walked she noticed a blonde women sitting with her back towards her screaming into her cell phone, walking past her she heard, “I don’t care what his excuses are, his ass better be there when I get back or he will have hell to pay. You tell him I said that, this bullshit has gone on long enough. No, you know what? You tell him I said if he is not there when I show up, I will personally go to his house and drag him out and I won’t care if he is in underwear.”
Nancy chuckled thinking she was glad she wasn’t on the receiving end of that, “Here you go,” she placed the plates down and asked the customers if they needed anything else. After saying they were good she headed back towards the entrance, as she walked back she caught the blonde woman’s eyes and smiled.
“OH MY GOD!” she heard behind her and turned her head to see the same woman standing there with her hands on her hips looking in her direction. Nancy looked the other way to see who she was starting at, not seeing anyone she shrugged it off thinking she was just letting steam off after her phone call, she started walking again.
“Don’t you dare walk away from me Liz Parker Evans!”
Just as reached the door, she felt a pair of hands wrap around her arm and yank her back, turning around stunned she came face to face with the woman who was screaming a minute ago.
“Oh my god, have you been here the whole time?”
“I’m sorry?” Nancy stated confused.
Nancy watched as the woman threw up her arms and started pacing. “You’re sorry…she’s sorry! All this time you have been here living it up.”
“Do I know you?” she creased her brow staring at the woman as she paced.
The blonde turned abruptly towards her staring at her like she’d just grown a third head. “Do you know me? Am I that easily forgotten? It’s me Maria, you’re best friend.”
Kevin parked in front of the café and got out, he looked around and noticed Nancy standing there talking to a woman. It wouldn’t have been unusual, but the expression on her face had him running to the other side to get Joshua out. He slammed to door and stalked towards them with Joshua in his arms just as the woman started screaming.
“You’ve only known me your entire life! What the hell do you mean, do you know me? Do you any idea…”
Kevin walked up and situated himself between the two women, “Wait…wait you know who she is?” he pointed towards Nancy.
Maria turned and glared at him, “Who the hell are you?” Then quickly her green eyes took note of the young boy with dark hair in his arms. She looked between the two of them, not being able to see his face she got angrier, “I can’t believe this,” she spouted out with a lace of disgust.
“Please calm down okay. Do you really know who she is?” Kevin asked again a little breathless.
“Will you stop asking me that? Yes, I know who she is. We’ve only been best friends since the third grade.”
Nancy’s eyes got wide and filled up with tears as her heart started pounding. Someone actually knew who she was. Someone had finally found her. “Please,” she started but stopped, she had fifty million questions running in her mind, but she was shaking too bad to form a coherent thought.
She took a step back when she saw Maria take a step towards her, “Is this what you’ve been doing? Playing house with this guy while your…”
Kevin cut her off again noticing how everyone was staring at them, “Please can we take this somewhere private? Come back to the apartment with us and we will explain everything.”
“Explain what? How she got bored with her life, or it wasn’t good enough anymore so she had to go out a get a new one? I don’t think so…” she trailed off as Joshua finally turned his head and looked at her. The breath left Maria quickly, she would know those eyes anywhere looking at both adults in front of her, “Let’s go,” she said as she gestured for them to lead the way.
Once in the car, Kevin looked over and noticed Nancy looking out the window, “Nancy” he called her name softly, she turned her head and looked at him. He asked if she was okay as Maria leaned forward, “Nancy?” she asked confused, “Why did you just call her that? Her name is Liz.”
Kevin and Nancy looked at each other, and then she turned to stare out the window repeating the name in her head. Liz, Liz, Liz…she said it several times, it sounded right but at the same time it sounded foreign to her. Leaning her head back she closed her eyes as she heard Kevin say, “We’re almost there, please just a few more minutes and we all can get some answers.”
Once in the apartment Nancy walked towards the back with a sleeping Joshua in her arms. “I’ll be right back, I’m just going to lay him down.”
Maria took the time to look around, walking over she looked at the pictures that were hanging on the wall, and she realized this was definitely Max’s son. Her heart hurt for him, this was going to kill him. It didn’t make any sense; Liz loved him she knew it. So why in the world would she keep something like this from him, especially after how hard they tried?
She whirled on Kevin, “I want answers, and I want them right now. What the hell are you doing with Liz? Is she your hostage, your girlfriend? What did you do make her change her name to your liking?”
Kevin stalked forward taking serious offense, the nerve of her. “I did no such thing, for your information I saved her life!” Seeing he threw her off he continued smugly, “That’s right if it wasn’t for me she would be dead. Someone beat the hell out of her and left in her an alley to die.”
“What…” Maria stumbled back her knees shaking.
Relaxing his stance he walked over and sat on the couch and explained. “I rushed her to the hospital, she was asleep for almost a week and when she woke up, she had no memory. She was scared and got really hysterical especially when she found out she was pregnant. The only thing that calmed her down was the doctor telling her that there were no signs of rape.”
“Oh my god!” Maria covered her mouth, tears immediately forming and regret as well. Her best friend went through hell and she wasn’t there for her. Her heart started breaking thinking about what she must have gone through.
Liz walked back in to hear Kevin say, “When the doctors asked her what her name was the only name that came to her was Nancy, so that’s what we called her.”
She stopped and stared as Maria took her hands down, “Nancy was your mother’s name,” she whispered. Maria ran forward and threw her arms around her, “I’m so sorry…I’m so sorry we weren’t there.” Feeling awkward Liz hugged Maria back as she cried on her shoulder.
Maria pulled back after a few minutes and tugged on her arm, “Come on, I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
Kevin stood up and sat in the chair letting them have the couch, he stared at her, Liz he sounded the name in his head, it fit. She looked like a Liz even though he was used to Nancy.
Maria stared at her, “You really don’t remember me?” she asked as she wiped her eyes, it hurt worse knowing she didn’t know who she was. Maria couldn’t imagine what that felt like.
Liz shook her head, “I’m sorry, I’ve tried for so long to remember,” she paused for a minute, “you called me Liz. Is that a nickname or my first name?”
Maria shook her head, “Your full name is Elizabeth Marie Parker Evans. But we call you Liz for short. You’ve always been Liz.” Maria trailed off and then jumped to her feet startling Liz. “Oh my god! I have to call Max, he knew…we didn’t believe...”
Liz looked up at her, “Max?”
“Your husband.”
Liz gasped and Kevin stood up, “Her what?”
“Your husband, not to mention your brother.”
Her head was spinning, she knew she had a brother but didn’t know anything about him, and now she had a husband too, it was overwhelming. She thought of Joshua, he had a father, there was really someone.
Kevin put up his hands, “Wait, slow down, can we take things one at a time?” This was going too fast for him; the day hadn’t ended the way he thought it would this morning. It changed so quickly; it was out of his control.
“What’s his name…my brother what’s his name” Liz spoke up.
Maria walked back over, “His name is Chris, he’s older and you both look like your father.”
“My father,” the tears welled up. She had a family, a real family people that knew her all her life. People that missed her, she knew they missed her, even if she couldn’t remember them.
Maria looked at her sadly, “I’m sorry, but they both died when you were younger, your brother raised you.”
Liz closed her eyes as a tear slipped down, “Somehow I knew that, I…I had a memory once. I was standing in a cemetery and there were two graves, I think it was my brother who came up behind me and told me we would be okay.”
Maria nodded her head. “Chris did everything he could to make sure you grew up in a normal steady home,” she smiled softly, “That is until Max walked in and swept you off your feet.”
Liz looked at her, maybe she shouldn’t want to know yet, there was so much more but right now the only thing that mattered was, “How did I meet Max?” she asked.
Maria smiled bigger. “That’s an easy question, he was your brother’s best friend,” when Liz’s eyes widened Maria laughed. “Yeah Chris wasn’t too happy about it, but after a while he gave in. Everyone who knew the both of you and saw you together, knew you two were made for each other.”
“We were happy?” Liz asked eagerly.
Maria smiled brightly, “Oh yeah. So happy sometimes it made the rest of us sick to be in the same room with you two. When you two were together it was like no one else existed. You know he never stopped believing, never stopped looking for you.”
“Really?” She tried to hide her happiness because even though she couldn’t remember him, the knowledge made heart skip a beat.
Maria lowered her head. “The rest of us…I’m sorry the rest of us didn’t believe. We all tried for so long to find you until it got to be too hard. I think it was easier for your brother to except you were gone instead of hanging on. He really had a hard time after you disappeared, he and Max fought all the time, Chris wanting to let go and Max wanting to hang on.”
Kevin stood up wanting to escape; his insides were turning. “Nancy…” Both of the women turned towards him, clearing his throat. “I mean Liz, sorry… I was thinking about ordering something, I know neither of us feels like cooking right now and pretty soon Joshua is going to wake up.”
Liz smiled at him, she could tell he was putting on a front, they both knew what was going to happen next and she had to make sure that he knew that wherever she was going to go he was going to come too. “Would you please? And thank you.” Kevin nodded his head and quickly left the room.
Maria looked at her and murmured, “Cute name, Joshua.”
“Thank you, when he was born the name just came to me.”
Maria smiled, “It’s your brother’s middle name.”
Liz’s eyes widened, “Are you serious?” Maybe her mind remembered more than she first thought.
Shaking her head. “I’m serious. And Max, Max is going to be so damn happy to see you again, I can’t even word it right for you.” Liz didn’t want to think about that; it was too much to think about, her husband, her son together for the first time. It would be easier for Joshua she knew, but for herself, she wasn’t ready…not yet.
Not wanting to really talk about Max just yet she changed the subject, “Is Chris the only relative I have?”
“Yes, but you have a lot of friends, a lot of them. We’ve been a pretty close group since middle school, with the exception of you and Max the rest of us pretty much paired up within our group.”
“Do I live around here?”
Maria shook her head. “No we live in Boston and trust me if you had been anywhere closer or less populated you would have been found sooner.” Liz thought that over, Boston wasn’t all that far from New York, but she lived off the beaten path and it was a huge city. She had a temporary visa status since she didn’t have a social security number. She worked under the table for cash. Kevin had even tried to figure out who she was by tracking down any passports she may have had, anything but there was no fingerprint record for her. It was like she didn’t exist before Kevin found her, but now she knew that wasn’t the case.
Kevin walked back into the living room just as Maria was saying, “You know I’m not leaving here without you. I won’t take the chance of losing you and if I go back home alone…” she didn’t need to finish.
He heard Liz say, “Okay,” and quickly changed directions to the back.
Liz noticed him leaving and stood up, “I’ll be right back.”
She walked into her bedroom to see Kevin coming out of her closet with a suitcase. “What are you doing?”
Kevin walked over placing the suitcase on her bed, “Packing your stuff.”
She could tell he was upset, she walked towards him, “Kevin” she said softly.
He shrugged his shoulders, “This is a good thing okay; you’ve waited for this day for two years. It’s where you belong and you need to go, maybe being there will bring your memory back.”
She nodded her head, if he thought she was walking away without him, he was sadly mistaken. “Okay, but you better pack one too.”
His head shot up, “What?”
Smiling she walked towards him. “If you think I’m going to do this alone you’re crazy.”
“You won’t be alone; you have a husband, a brother and all kinds of friends.” If Liz weren’t looking at him she would have sworn he was sulking. She could understand, for so long it was just the two of them, and then when Joshua came along it was the three of them. They had formed a small family.
“But I don’t remember any of them. Please Kevin I can’t do this without you, say you will come with me.”
“Nan…Liz. Sorry guess I have to get used to calling you that. You know you look like a Liz.” Sighing he sunk down on the bed, running his hands through his head he seemed to weigh his options. “Are you sure? Maybe it might be better if you go alone.”
Walking over she sat down next to him, placed an arm around his shoulders and said, “I’m sure. I need you. Right now you’re the only sure thing in my life, you and Joshua. I feel safe with you and I’m scared.”
He looked at her in surprise. “Scared of what, you’re getting your life back. You’ve wanted that for so long. It’s what you’ve pushed yourself to remember.”
“Yes, but the thing is Kevin I don’t remember. Maria is here and she knows me and she knows all these people that know me. But I, I still don’t know them. I don’t remember anything more today than I did yesterday. I’m scared of what I’m walking into to. What if I changed so much? What if I’m not what they expect me to be? I don’t remember who I was or how I was.”
Reaching over he took her hand. “I think everything is going to work out just fine and if it will make you happy I’ll come.”
Liz smiled brightly, and she noticed even if he didn’t say, that Kevin looked a little relieved as well. “Thank you. Thank you,” she reached over hugging him.
Hearing the doorbell ring they both got up and walked to the front, after grabbing the delivery they spread out everything on the coffee table. Hearing Joshua from the back, Liz got up and said, “I’ll get him.”
Kevin turned towards Maria; “I hope you don’t get car sick because we will be driving.”
Maria raised her eyebrow. “Excuse me? There is no reason why we can’t fly home.”
“You heard me; we will leave first thing in the morning after we tie up some things here. I understand your rush, but for the last two years this has been Liz’s life, her home. And I don’t intend on leaving her now, not after all we’ve been through.”
“You’re coming with us…why? I mean, I understand and I thank you for being there and helping Liz but she has her family now and…”
“Nancy asked me too.” He stated simply, enjoying the fact that he could rattle Maria. He laughed to himself, he couldn’t imagine Nancy being friends with her, but maybe just maybe the Liz…Liz Parker Evans he didn’t know yet, was.
“Her name is Liz and what exactly are you to her?” Territorial, that was good he thought. It showed she cared.
Kevin looked at her. “Sorry I’ve always known her as Nancy, calling her something else is going to take a while to get used to. And to answer your question we are just good friends.”
Maria stared at him, her green eyes narrowing, “That better be all it is.”
Kevin shook his head as he handed her a paper plate. “I think she’s heard enough for now. I don’t want her to get any more overwhelmed than she is, and so let’s put it to the side for tonight. After tomorrow she’s going to be thrown head first into a lot of stuff and I’m scared it might set it her back.”
“What do you mean?”
Kevin heard Liz coming down the hall and quickly whispered, “Let’s just say she’s had a hard time too.”
Maria nodded her head, “Okay enough for tonight.”
*****
Pulling up to the two-story house, Liz stared at it hoping something would jog her memory. She thought back to last night and played back the conversations she had with Maria in the hotel room well into the night. After Kevin had went to bed they stayed up and she kept asking her all kinds of questions until Maria told her she would know soon enough and they should get some sleep. It took two days of driving and with everything Maria had told her she still couldn’t recall one memory.“Finally, we’re here,” Maria opened the car door and jumped out stretching.
Both Kevin and Liz both got out. “Is this where I live?” she asked.
Maria shook her head, “No, this is where your in-laws live and every six months we have a barbecue. Everyone gets together and just hangs out, it’s like our family reunion.”
Liz faltered, “Everyone?”
Maria walked over sliding an arm around her shoulders. “It’s going to be okay, everyone is going to so shocked and happy to see you. They will probably kill me for not warning them, but this is not something you do over the phone. Come on they are in back.” Maria was too calm for Liz’s taste.
Kevin grabbed Joshua and walked towards her, murmured in her ear, “I don’t know about this.” She looked at him and silently agreed with him. She thought it was just going to be her brother or her husband, not everyone she ever knew.
Kevin took her hand and started leading her towards the door, “It will be okay, I’ll be right here if you need me.” Liz squeezed his hand hard.
Walking through the house her stomach started flip-flopping, she was shaking and didn’t think her legs where going to make it. Walking towards the sliding glass doors she stopped and looked out, she saw all kinds of people; some were standing around while others lounged in chairs by the pool. She could see them smiling and laughing.
Was she really apart of this once upon a time? She wished she could remember something. No matter how small or insignificant.
She could make out two figures standing with their backs to her working on a grill, they both had dark hair and she wondered if they were her brother and husband. Taking a deep breath as Maria slid the door open she followed her outside as Maria yelled, “Honey, I’m home and I’ve brought a surprise!”
Everyone stopped and turned; including the two men whose back’s Liz had just been staring at. Both men were now staring at her unblinking. Two things suddenly registered at once; Kevin’s whisper in her ear that even if she didn’t remember who they were those two guys were hot and wondered if they were single, and the other was the fact that and even if she couldn’t remember she knew that one of them was her husband Max, and the other her brother Chris.
TBC…
