Gennie was so relieved when her plane landed at LAX. She couldn’t wait to get home and see Peter and the kids. Peter had arranged a car service to pick her up so Gennie was surprised to see Ben there holding a sign instead.
“Oh my god!” Gennie said, giving him a warm embrace. “How did you get here?”
“I’ve been in LA for a couple of days now,” he said. “I came for a trade show. I knew you were away and I figured I’d meet you at the airport.”
“You actually talked to Peter?” Even after being married to Peter for seven years, Ben was still a little standoffish with him. She was glad to see Ben was coming around finally.
“Yes, I did,” Ben replied. “I stopped by your house to visit my favorite nieces. Peter told me that he called a car service for you and I told him that I could save him a few bucks and pick you up instead.”
“Actually,” Gennie said, “your timing is perfect. I was dreading having to call you. There’s something I need to tell you and I’d rather do it in person.”
“You want to tell me here?” Ben replied, looking surprised.
“Yeah.”
“We can’t go to your place and talk about it?”
Gennie shook her head. “I think you should know about it right away. Let’s go get a coffee and I’ll tell you.”
There was a cafe about two hundred feet from the terminal and they bought two small coffees there.
“You’re going to want to sit down for this,” Gennie said. “It’ll be a little neater and less embarrassing in case you shit your pants.”
Ben chuckled. “Hey, I’m a big boy now. I can take it.”
They sat down at one of the small tables in the coffee shop.
“Well…let me just get right to the chase. Our mother…she’s still alive.”
Ben nearly choked on the coffee he just swigged. “What do you mean?”
“I mean she’s not dead.”
“She had a grave marker for chrissakes! Why would Dad plunk down hundreds of dollars for that if she were still alive? I mean, she has to be dead! Didn’t you find a coffin for her?”
Gennie shook her head. “Dad was where he was supposed to be. When they dug for our mother…nothing.”
“Maybe they put her in the wrong place. That happens a lot, you know.”
“Well, the undertaker thought that too. The backhoe dug up the next plot over. There was nothing there either.”
“How do you know she’s alive then?”
“I went back to confront Bryan.”
“You can’t believe anything Bryan says.”
“I didn’t at first, but he had proof.” Gennie took the envelope out of her purse and handed it to Ben.
Ben took out the letter. She could see his face fall apart as he read each word.
“I can’t believe it,” Ben said. “How could they keep this from us?”
“Bryan said he was the one who found the letter.”
“Oh god,” he said softly. “All this time I thought she was this perfect person who died to keep us fed when actually she hated our guts! No wonder Bryan’s so nasty. He gets it from her.”
“And the worse thing is, we might have seen her and not have known. Did you see the postmark? It’s from San Francisco!”
Ben glanced at the front of the envelope.
“Do you recognize the handwriting or something?”
“Yeah, I know exactly who it is. Now it makes sense.”
“It does? How?”
“We’ve both been at her house. I remember she put on a fancy dinner party and had all these place cards written up. This is her handwriting.”
“Whose handwriting?”
“Don’t you know who our mother is?”
Gennie shook her head.
“Addie Conrad!”
“You mean, Charlene and Foster’s mother? Are you sure?”
“She’s their step-mother. She dumped us and raised them instead. And yes, I am one hundred percent sure.”
Gennie remembered when she met her. Foster had invited her over for dinner. No wonder she acted strangely. She must have known. She seemed so familiar too. She looked a lot like Ben. She could cook too, like Ben could.
“Does she still live in the same house?”
“Huh? Why are you asking that?”
“Because I want to know.”
“I don’t know.”
“I have to see her, Ben.”
Ben grabbed her arm. “No way. Not over my dead body.”
“Why not?”
“Gen, are you out of your mind? She hates us. We wouldn’t even be here if it was up to her. Why in the hell do you want to see her?”
“I have to.”
“Well, it isn’t happening. Do you really want to deal with Foster again?”
“Oh Ben, that was years ago. I’m over that. Actually, I’m curious to know how he’s doing.”
“This isn’t going to be some class reunion, you know. I don’t want these people in my life. I can’t see Charlene again. Just to look at her would kill me.”
“No one is going to make you see Charlene. I know that whole thing didn’t end well.”
“End well? It was like a nuclear disaster. I can’t see her or…”
“Johnny?”
“Yeah, I don’t want to see him either. I never told you about this, did I?”
Gennie shook her head. “I guess not.” Then she remembered. “Oh, your baby!”
“Her name is Lauren,” Ben replied.
“You’ve seen your baby?” Gennie said.
“Yeah, it was when I was working at Valben. Charlene came in the bookshop with her. I was so stunned. I must have looked like a total idiot. I was sure Charlene had gotten an abortion before she married Johnny, but she didn’t. I didn’t even realize that I was looking at my own daughter until Charlene told me.”
“Was she cute?” Gennie said, smiling.
“Beautiful,” Ben replied.
“Does Johnny know?”
“No, he doesn’t know anything. He thinks he’s her father.”
“Have you seen her since then?”
Ben shook his head. “That was the last time. I wish I handled it better. I remember Charlene walked out of the bookshop in tears. It was for the best, though.”
“Does she know?”
“Lauren, you mean? No…at least I hope not. That’s why you can’t go there. If she finds out, it will hurt her. Then, who knows what will happen?”
“Ben…do you want her to have the wool over her eyes for years and years like we did? Isn’t it better that she knows?”
Ben paused. “She should never know the truth.”
“Why?”
Ben looked at her as if she had gone crazy. “Well, now we know what really happened and look where it’s gotten us.”
Gennie nodded. “Yeah, I can see your point. But, for some strange reason, I’m sort of glad I do know.”
Ben drank the last bit of his coffee. “We should get going.”
“Yeah, we should.”
“Please, Gen, whatever you do, don’t go there, okay? It’ll only make things worse.”
“I won’t,” Gennie said, “I promise.”
Chapter 75: January 15, 1989