Breathe With Me (The Breathe Series Book 3) (34 page)

Pulling my phone between us, I look down and quickly see Judd was the first to respond.

Judd: Wow! Where did you find this picture???

My phone chimes again…

Jake: Who is that? And yeah, where did you get it?

I can’t even type fast enough…

Me: I found it in a family photo album at Piper’s cabin. It’s a picture of her dad and their parents and his little sister. I just thought it was crazy insane how similar she looks to you guys…Tristan mainly.

I don’t even know what all to say. In a way, I almost feel like I’m intruding, but I’ve always felt a special bond with Jake and Judd; they are my family and if there is even the slightest possibility that this could give them back a little bit of what they’ve lost, I’m willing to risk the intrusion.

My phone keeps chiming over and over, but no word from Tristan.

Fifteen minutes later, I’m fully invested in figuring out who this is and surprisingly not turned on for the first time in my life while being this close to her, even with her thigh continuously grazing over mine as she leans towards me to be a part of our text conversation.

The three-way texting gets confusing, as Jake and Judd go back and forth, disputing that there’s no way it could possibly be their mother. For a minute, I am half-ass ready to end the text chat and start a dang party line.

Judd: Yeah I agree, it looks just like her, but what are the odds?

Me: That’s what I said, but crazier things have happened…

“My dad’s family actually lives right around here; fifteen minutes from the lake actually,” Piper adds, but it doesn’t stop my thoughts from climbing and stretching to the probability that my girl and my best friend could potentially be family. “Was their mom from Rosemore?”

Pondering that for a moment, I think back to when I had just started school at Rosemore. Of course, every other kid had been going to school there for years and knew all their classmates; I didn’t know a soul after hopping around from military base to military base for half of my existence. However, for some reason I don’t ever remember seeing Judd’s face.

“I don’t think so. Hell, you would know better than me. You went to school at Rosemore your whole life up until your…” I halt on my ramblings, realizing I’m treading on dangerous grounds by venturing onto the topic of her moving after my mouth made a disaster of her life. “Do you remember seeing him way back? Because they could’ve always moved at some point.”

She shakes her head, pausing on that thought. “I don’t think so. First time I remember having a class with Judd, was in the sixth grade. I don’t even remember seeing him at assemblies, hearing his name or anything, so I bet they did move.” Shrugging she looks over at me with her eyebrows arched. “Maybe you’re right. Could be her.”

I get busy, my fingers swiping from one letter to the next as I type out another question, diving into where their mom is from, but sooner than I can hit send, my phone chimes again.

Tristan: Holy Shit…that’s Mom!!!

My mouth goes dry and so does all the sounds from my phone. There’s no speculation from him; just a bold statement that confirms what I thought.

I look at Piper, her eyes just as wide as mine. “Oh. My. Gosh!”

“Holy shit!” I think for a minute to question his proclamation, but as the oldest he would probably know. “Wow…” Rotating my face in the direction of Piper, we stare at each other, her with a sneaky grin on her face and me with an equal level of excitement as if I just found out something about my own life. “Looks like you may be having a family reunion soon.”

Her eyes light up with the happiness I seriously haven’t seen in years and right then my phone starts going off like fire alarms in a house swallowed up in smoke.

“I better take this,” I point down to my phone as it lights up with Tristan’s name. “This could be good. I mean how neat could this be? Like a fresh start for you and for them.” Smiling, I feel it deep in my bones, a penetrating happiness over them both finding something that they haven’t had in a long time; a family.

“It is, maybe a fresh start for all of us…” She stares at me, a longing in her dark eyes as she relays far more than her words say.

A BIT OF EXCITEMENT COURSED
through me as soon as I saw Evan’s phone light up with Tristan’s message.

With more than a bounce in his step, Evan waves goodbye, grasping my hand and giving me a sweet, lingering kiss on the lips before he leaves. His phone continues to go off with texts and not even two steps out the door, he has it pressed to his ear in a deep conversation.

“Tristan, hey man.…” His eyes relay all the excitement that I’m feeling. “Yeah, no, no, no… Yeah, we were just flipping through an old album of Piper’s and all of a sudden, boom.” His voice fades as he closes the bedroom door behind him.

Now, I’m eager to hear back from Dad. I called him twice while Evan was busy texting; I skipped the voice mail, but did shoot him a brief text. Maybe they have it wrong, but nonetheless, the proof is right here and it’s all pretty exciting. My emotions twist and tangle at all that has gone on, imagining that Dad may be interested in finding out what happened to his little sister; if he doesn’t already know.

Peeling back the thin sheet of clear plastic on the old album, I take a glance at the handwriting on the back before sliding it carefully in place. I assume the handwriting is my grandmothers, but there it is in black and white…

Me, Jim, Pete and Hailey 1984

After carefully pressing the protective overlay back against the photos, I slap the album shut, stack all three on top of one another with a thud and walk them to the closet to put away. My heart beats rapidly, in a way that it hasn’t in so long, and although I’d like to think most of it has been ignited from sitting so close to Evan all night or even from the possibility of unraveling the mystery that Evan and I have been going over all night, that isn’t it. All the memories crash into me as I step onto my tiptoes to slide the albums back on the top shelf of the closet between a dusty box labeled life jackets and another containing an old air mattress.

My clothes from last night lay draped over my suitcase at my feet, calling to me as if they have a voice of their own. Earlier, on the way over from Evan’s, I couldn’t help the sudden tick of curiosity that started eating at me and driving me to get the letter and keep it close.

Looking down, the corner edge of folder paper peaks out of the top of my sweater pocket like an invisible crooked finger motioning for me to come closer, to lean in and take ahold of it, to simply unfold the letter and swallow every word from start to finish. A sharp shrill sound reaches my ears, startling me out of my thoughts. Shaking my head, I take my eyes off of the letter and focus on what’s going on. The vibrating-rattling sound persists driving my attention to the floor, where Evan and I were sitting. My phone lights up and I waste no time thinking about the past or all the fears that were bubbling up inside of me just now; I race over and grab my phone, clicking accept once I see Dad’s name.

“Dad,” I say in a hurried, anxious voice, excited and partly still caught up in the memories that were overcoming me just a second ago.

“Hey sweetie. I got your message…I don’t understand. Why are you needing to know about that picture?” His voice is laced in uncertainty as if just bringing up his sister has opened up a long-ago sealed up vault.

I wince at the thought of even going any further; I completely understand not tampering with a locked up and boarded up room, but bearing in mind that there could be a positive outcome, I forge forward.

“Listen, I know this is a subject you don’t like talking about, and I wouldn’t bring it up unless it was important, but I was hoping to ask you a couple of questions.”

“Okay…” He draws out hesitantly. “Go on… I’m listening.” He keeps a defensive tone; one I’ve only heard when either Mom’s name is brought up or his past.

Lifting my chin, I clear my throat, prepared to dive into a touchy subject with absolutely no idea of what the outcome could be.
I don’t do touchy subjects very well.

“Okay,” I pause, working to think of the best wording that will help him to not shut down immediately. I guess in that aspect I’m a lot like Dad. He closes down, shuts off and refuses to go any further when unwanted memories start to consume him like an avalanche. “Just try to keep an open mind, okay?”

“Just go on, Piper…what is it?”

Well, no use beating around the bush; all I’m doing is irritating him.
“So after everybody left tonight, me and Evan were going through some old photo albums. Now I know this is going to sound totally off-the-wall, but Evan swears your little sister looks like someone he knows.”

My father gasps, “Who?! Where does he know her from?!” As soon as I hear the urgency in my father’s voice as if he stumbled upon something just like Evan and I did, I know that Tristan could be right.

I go on, filling him in on everything I know, everything me and Evan discussed while he was texting back and forth with Judd and Jake. “Well I haven’t found out all the information, but Evan is actually talking to Tristan. I wasn’t sure if I would hear back from you until tomorrow morning so he went ahead and left so that he could go find Judd and Jake.…”

“Yes okay, but what about my sister; he thinks he knows her?”

Shaking my head even though he can’t see me, I hold my hand trying to halt him so that I can finish, “I’m getting to that. Ok, so Evan thought she looked just like Jake, Judd and Tristan’s mom. Judd told Evan that she used to live not far from here and that they spent a couple of summers right here at the lake.”

“Piper I don’t think…”

I don’t let him say anymore, “Wait, let me finish. From what Judd said, he had heard from his mom years ago that she had gotten pregnant when she was very young and her parents refused to accept it. Judd said she was only sixteen or seventeen when she had Tristan. He had no idea if she had a brother or where his mom’s family was from, but he did remember coming out here a couple of times when he was little.” Dad doesn’t say anything; silence stretches out. “Dad are you there?”

He clears his throat again, this time appearing to push down a tremor of emotion. “Yeah,” but I can still hear it in his voice as he speaks, “I’m here sweetie. Did you happen to catch her name?”

My heart leaps into my throat, knowing this is it.
Should I text Evan first; Judd or Jake? Or do I just find out, then let them know?
I proceed with the latter, “Her name was Hailey.”

Once I hear the sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line, no other words are needed. Dad sniffles, and my heart breaks with the realization that there is one more piece of the puzzle that I haven’t told him, but just as I’m beginning to speak up he cuts me off.

“Was?”

I slam my eyes closed, grind my teeth together and clench my fists, not believing that I could be so stupid to choose that type of wording.
Dammit!

“Dad…” Now I’m all sorts of confused on whether I should say anything at all. “Did you want me to have Judd call you? Maybe…fill you in?” I raise one shoulder, giving a crooked shrug of sorts as I uncomfortably squirm.
I’d rather do anything than be the bearer of this news.

He takes another deep breath, and I know he is mustering up all the strength he can find.
I have to do this.

“Honey, you said her name
was
Hailey…” As he stops talking I pick up on every other sound on his side of the phone including a loud gulp as he gathers his courage and his shaky breaths. “My sister’s name
is
Hailey.”

My freehand slides up to the center of my chest. Clawing gently, I collect a handful of my sweater as a sense of comfort to my heart; or more so Dad’s.

I wish Evan was here.
“Ummm… You know, I could probably text Evan and he would come back over…” A frustrated huff of air comes over the line; I stop midsentence.

“Sweetie…” His voice carries a smooth eloquent calmness, similar to the day he found out what happened to me. “I haven’t seen my sister since she was sixteen years old. I’ve never known what happened to her, whether she had a family or got married, if she was happy or anything. Nothing. She was just gone one day. Mom and Dad told me she emancipated herself and for me to let it be. I didn’t know if she was alive or dead. Our families always came out to this cabin and that was why I started bringing mine. I had hoped that someday, she would be here again and maybe, just maybe I would reconnect with her. So honey, whatever you know, please don’t be afraid to tell me. If this girl, your friend’s mom is my sister, which it sounds more and more like it could be, knowing anything is better than knowing nothing,” the plea in his voice is undeniable and he’s right; he needs closure.