Not by Sight A Novel

CHAPTER 38

Kate walked with Roberta out of view of the command post and stopped at a campsite near the unpaved roadway that wound through the woods and back to Summit Road.

“The sheriff thought this spot would work out nicely for you to have a few minutes alone with the girl,” Roberta said. “He asked that you keep your promise not to reveal your suspicion that she’s your daughter. He’s bending the rules by sidestepping DCFS and letting you talk with her before the DNA results are back.”

“Don’t worry,” Kate said. “The last thing in the world I want to do is confuse her even more. She needs time to assimilate what’s happened. The only world she knows has been yanked apart.”

Roberta flashed a bright smile, her dark eyes wide. “Can’t imagine how you feel. Girl, if it were me, I know I’d have butterflies somethin’ fierce.”

“That’s putting it mildly. I’m not even sure how long my knees can hold me up.”

Roberta took Kate’s arm and walked her over to the picnic table. “Why don’t you sit? The sheriff should be here any moment. Have you thought about what you’re gonna say to her?”

“A million times. But I don’t remember any of it. My head is spinning. My heart is pounding. It’s awkward that my daughter is a stranger. I don’t know anything about her. I used to know everything about her.”

“Maybe that side you knew when she was two is still there—just more developed.”

“Truthfully, it scares me to think of what that child has seen and heard—and how it’s affected her.”

“Well, I know one thing”—Roberta held Kate’s hands and looked into her eyes—“there’s nothin’ this side of heaven that’s more powerful than a mother’s love. When that child realizes how wanted she is and how long and hard you’ve searched for her, I think she’ll come around quickly. Especially when the whole family welcomes her with open arms.”

“I hope you’re right. I’m so afraid she’ll want to go home to Otha. And that DCFS will drag this out. I can hardly wait until a judge lets her come home. But I’m also scared to death. Does that make sense?”

Roberta nodded. “Of course it does.”

Kate heard the sound of a vehicle approaching and looked up. A squad car had stopped on the dirt road about forty feet away.

“There they are,” Roberta said. “I’m gonna step away and give you space to talk privately.”

“Thank you.”

Virgil got out of the car and walked around to the passenger door. He held it open, and a beautiful little girl—with long dark hair, huge blue eyes, and a bruised cheek—slid out onto her feet.

Kate sucked in a breath and forgot to exhale. Was it really happening? Was she really seeing her baby again?

Virgil, wearing his wide-brimmed hat, looked like a giant next to the tiny seven-year-old. He took her hand and walked toward Kate, whose heart hammered so hard it seemed to shake her entire being.

Kate stood, leaning on the picnic table, her knees shaking, unable to take her eyes off the little girl, who looked surprisingly like Jesse. In an instant Kate knew deep in her soul it was Riley Jo. Her eyes stung, and she blinked several times to clear away the tears of elation.

Virgil stopped in front of Kate. “Ella, this is Miss Kate, the nice lady I told you about. She’ll take good care of you until your social worker gets here.”

The girl flashed a shy smile. “Hey.”

Kate returned the child’s smile and struggled not to get emotional. “I’m glad you’re all right,” she heard herself say. “You’re safe here with me.”

Virgil’s cell phone buzzed, and he glanced at the screen. “Excuse me. I’ve been waiting for this call.” He quickly stepped away, his back to them.

Ella reached down and picked a black-eyed Susan and handed it to Kate. “I like these. We got lots of ’em where I live. Yeller is my favorite color ’cept for pink. Granny Faye sewed me a real pretty dress that’s got yeller and pink. Otha don’t want me wearin’ it out to play. I’m savin’ it for somethin’ special.”

“I’ll bet it’s beautiful,” Kate said, aware that Virgil had walked up next to her.

He put his lips to her ear. “Stay calm and don’t react. I called in a favor and got the DNA test fast-tracked. That was the lab on the phone. This little doll is definitely your daughter. But you can’t be the one to tell her. Let’s do this right so we can get her home to you.”

Kate nodded, adrenaline rushing through her body.

Virgil bent down, eye level with Riley Jo. “I need to go check on your uncle Walter. Why don’t you visit with Miss Kate, and I’ll have Deputy Freed bring you something to drink? We have Coke, Sprite, water, Gatorade, and apple juice.”

“Apple juice,” Riley Jo said. “That’s my favorite.”

Of course it is! Kate thought. “That’s a healthy choice. My girls love apple juice. I’ll have one too.”

“Apple juice it is. I’ll have Deputy Freed get it for you. I need to leave now.”

“Is Uncle Walter in trouble?” Riley Jo said.

Virgil wiped his perspiring face with a handkerchief. “Yes, he is—for taking you away from your foster home.”

“He said I was kin and y’all don’t have no right to take me.”

“I know,” Virgil said. “And he believes that’s the truth. But that’s not what Isaiah said, is it?”

Riley Jo shook her head and looked at Virgil with the saddest blue eyes Kate had ever seen. “The reason Uncle Walter let me go is ’cause I told him what Pa said to me and Abby and Jay. He said he killed my real pa and took me home with him so he could git a wife. He don’t care nothin’ about me. He ain’t my real pa. And Otha ain’t my real ma. Abby said I ain’t really Ella Tutt neither.” She sighed. “I don’t even got a home now.”

Yes, you do, Riley Jo! Kate swallowed hard and resisted the almost overwhelming desire to put her arms around her daughter. Instead she gently brushed the hair out of the girl’s eyes and relished the first touch. “While we’re waiting for our apple juice, let’s sit at the picnic table, and we can talk about Abby.”

“Okay. Abby’s nice. She says she’s my sister, but I don’t remember nothin’ about her.”

Virgil stood and stretched his lower back. “You ladies have a nice time visiting.”

“Mister Sheriff, you promise I don’t hafta go back to Pa?” Riley Jo said.

“Absolutely. Isaiah’s going to jail, honey.”

“Good.” Riley Jo folded her arms across her chest. “Now I won’t hafta marry Bobby Lee Hoover. I really don’t like him that much.”

Kate tried not to show how appalled she was that a seven-year-old was already dreading her wedding day. Kate locked gazes with Virgil and mouthed the words thank you.

Virgil smiled and tipped his Stetson, then turned and walked back to his car. A few seconds later, he drove away, leaving a cloud of brown dust hovering over the road.

“I guess we should sit down,” Kate said, suddenly afraid she might not have anything at all to say to her daughter.

Riley Jo sat at the table next to Kate, then reached down and grabbed a tall blade of wild grass and spun it between her thumb and forefinger. “The sheriff ain’t mean like Pa said he was.”

“I’ve known the sheriff a long time,” Kate said. “He’s a very good man.”

“My pa ain’t. He was gonna kill us.” Riley Jo looked up at Kate. There were those sad eyes again. “I guess I ain’t never gonna see him no more.”

“Are you sorry about that?”

“Not really. But I’ll be sad if I can’t see the twins and Otha. And Granny Faye.”

“I’m sure you’ll be able to see them, honey. Everyone wants you to be happy.”

“Then why can’t I just go home?”

“What did Abby tell you?”

“She said my real family’s been lookin’ for me since I was two years old. But I don’t know none o’ them.”

“When you do,” Kate said softly, “maybe you’ll like them, too. You don’t have to stop caring about Otha and the twins and your granny Faye. I’ll bet your heart is big enough to care about both families.”

“But Otha might feel sad if I like my real ma.”

Kate tilted Riley Jo’s chin. “I think Otha would be happy to see you happy. And she would not want you worrying about this. Everything’s going to work out. I promise.”

Riley Jo seemed lost in thought for a moment. She replaced the blade of grass with a lock of her hair, which she twisted around her finger. Finally she said, “I had another baby brother. His name was Luke.”

“Really? I didn’t know that. Where is he?”

Riley Jo shrugged. “Pa said he died in the night. I heard him cryin’ and cryin’. Pa hollered at him, and then he was quiet. The next mornin’ when I got up, Luke was gone.”

“Where was he?” Kate’s heart nearly pounded out of her chest. Was the man a worse monster than she had imagined?

“Pa said Luke stopped breathin’ so he had to bury him. Otha wouldn’t talk about it. But I seen her cryin’ when Pa weren’t around.”

“Did Isaiah take you to Luke’s grave so you could say good-bye?”

“Nope. He wouldn’t let us talk about him neither.”

“How old were you when Luke died?”

“Six.”

“Have you told anyone else about Luke?”

Riley Jo shook her head. “Pa got really ugly and made me promise never to speak of it, but I ain’t ascared of him now. The sheriff said I don’t hafta see him no more. I wish Luke didn’t die. I think Pa shaked him. I seen him do it before.”

Kate felt sick to her stomach. She would have to tell Virgil to add that to the charges he was mounting against Isaiah. And he’d have to question Otha about why she didn’t report it.

“You were brave to tell me that,” Kate said, blinking quickly to clear away the tears of empathy. “I’m sorry you lost your baby brother. I’ll bet that was very hard.”

“Yes’m. Powerful hard. I cried in my pillow sometimes, but I did what Pa told me and didn’t say nothin’.”

Riley Jo was quiet for perhaps a full minute. Finally she lifted her gaze. “Miss Kate, did you know my real ma’s name is Kate too?”

“I did know that.”

“Abby said she loves me lots and wants me to come home with her.”

“Well, Abby’s right.”

Riley Jo mused, “Do you know Abby?”

Kate nodded. “Yes. I’ve known Abby all her life.”

“Do you know her mama, too?”

“Yes. Better than anyone.”

“Are you best friends?”

“Something like that.”

Riley Jo turned and looked into Kate’s eyes. “Is she nice?”

“She’s not perfect. But she loves her children and tries very hard to show them every chance she gets. All she can think about right now is you coming home again.”

“Did she tell you that?”

“She didn’t have to,” Kate said. “It’s been that way for five long years. She’s missed you with a love so deep there are no words for it.”

Riley Jo paused as if she were processing, then cocked her head and looked up at Kate again. “If I ask you somethin’, you hafta tell me the truth, right?”

“Of course, sweetie. What is it?”

“You promise you’ll tell me the truth?”

“I will,” Kate said. “I promise.”

“Are you my real mama?”

Kate stopped breathing. She hadn’t seen that coming. She felt hot all over, her heart racing, her temples throbbing. She’d promised Virgil she wouldn’t go there. But Riley Jo had opened the door. And she wasn’t about to lie to her.

“Yes! Yes! I’m your real mama. The sheriff just whispered in my ear a few minutes ago that the test you took proves it. I wasn’t supposed to tell you until you had time to get over all the difficult things that have happened. But you asked me outright. And I’ll never lie to you …” Kate’s voice cracked, tears streaming down her face.

Virgil was going to be so mad.

Riley Jo cupped Kate’s cheeks with both hands, just the way Jesse always did when he wanted to comfort her. “Don’t cry. I’m happy. I like you.”

Kate laughed and cried at the same time. “I like you, too. And I never ever stopped loving you—not for one minute.”

“Not for a teeny-tiny second?”

“Not for a single heartbeat.”

Riley Jo smiled—that beautiful, angelic smile Kate recognized! “So then, you’re my mama and Abby’s mama, and she really is my sister.”

“For sure. And I know Abby’s anxious to see you as soon as you get settled at your foster parents’.”

“Why can’t I just come home with you?”

“Because some really nice doctors will want to examine you first and make sure you’re okay. And some other doctors, and probably a judge, will want to talk with you and see how you feel about everything.”

“Well, I sure ain’t feelin’ happy about livin’ with strangers.”

“I know. But there are some things we both have to get used to. For example, what would you like us to call you? You’ve always gone by the name Ella, but we remember you as Riley Jo. You’ve never been to school, and we’ll need to talk about that. And of course, you’ll want to get to know your brothers and your grandpa Buck and Halo the cat. There will be more things like that we’ll need to work out. We can take them one at a time.”

“Can I see you while I’m with my foster parents?”

Kate smiled. “Definitely. This is going to have such a happy ending. After all you’ve been through, it’s a miracle you’re here with me now.”

Kate heard someone cough, and Roberta came out from behind a tree, holding two cans of apple juice.

“Here you go, ladies.” Roberta handed one can to Riley Jo and one to Kate.

“Thanks.” Kate took a sip and studied Roberta’s expression. “How long were you standing there?”

“Just long enough.” Roberta winked. “I mean, how else is a mother supposed to answer that?”