Love Made Over

Part 5

Cast of Characters:

Wendell Davis Anders

Gwendolyn Rene Jacobs

Marylinn (fellow waitress at the diner where Gwen works)

Katy (new waitress at the diner)

Anabell Wendy Larson (daughter of Gwendolyn Jacobs)

Randal (Randy) Wilson (second bully)



Life is full of twists and unexpected turns of events. Often, they are not welcomed or even wanted, but sometimes they are truly amazing… Such are second chances… An opportunity to set wrongs right, to make amends and to experience happiness and joy.

Wendell was alone, sitting cross-legged by her headstone. His head was hung, and he was having trouble seeing. Everything on the page was blurry… a drop falling and hitting the page of the open diary caused him to realize that he was in fact crying, again. With a muffled sigh, he gently closed the book and held it to his chest dearly as he looked up once again at her marker. “Here lies Gwendolyn Jacobs Anderson, gone too soon, but never to be forgotten” He couldn’t read the pertinent dates chiseled into the stone marking her birth and… death. His eyes again clouded and blurred as he openly wept for the one and only true love of his life. His best friend, his lover, his wife.

The news from the biopsy results had been bad. Worse, the cancer had been so far advanced that Gwen was already in stage four when it was discovered. Initially the doctors had given her maybe three months to live and had pushed hard for the latest treatments and chemo therapies. But in the end, Gwen had decried it all useless. She didn’t want to spend the last moments of time on this earth sick from chemicals and weak and weary only to prolong the inevitable. She would much rather spend her time with her husband and making arrangements for the future. One that she would not be part of.

Part of those arrangements had been to detail as much as she possibly could of her life right up to the very end, in her diary. The diary for her one and only child that she had never known or was ever able to tell how much she had loved her and hated having to give her up for adoption so long ago. In her diary she also spoke often and kindly of Wendell and his family, but especially about her friend and lover and eventually her husband. How he had always been so kind and considerate and loving. How her life, at least the last year especially had been a dream come true.

Of course, there were darker passages as well about how she regretted ever straying from her one true friend in order to find what she thought was the happiness she longed for in the acceptance of others who couldn’t care less about her. How she had been raped and degraded and thrown away. How she and her mother had struggled for so many years as her mother got weaker and weaker and finally passed away. The loneliness and longing of living by herself and simply working day in and day out in a dreary sad fog… that is, until the day that Wendell walked back into her life.

The final pages in the diary were supposed to be a letter of sorts to her daughter should that day ever come that the girl, young woman now, ever came looking for her. Gwen had told Wendell that he could of course read it if he so desired, but she would really like it to be left only for her daughter to read and understand. Wendell had promised that he wouldn’t read the final pages, unless her daughter asked him to. But he wanted to read the rest of the book up to that point. Each day, since Gwen took her final breath, Wendell had read a few pages every day. Sometimes he would laugh out loud, sometimes he would become very thoughtful, sometimes, like today, he would be overwhelmed and end up crying.

Sighing deeply once more and smiling, if sadly, Wendell reached out and placed a hand on that cold stone marker and closed his eyes briefly and wished his sweet Gwen farewell, again. Until his next visit. Wendell stood slowly and set the bouquet of daisies he had brought for her on the top of the stone and then turned and walked away towards his jeep parked nearby. The birds were singing, the wind was whispering through the spring leaves and the sun felt warm on his back as he walked, but he was not aware of any of it. God, he missed her.

Day after day, night after night, the time seemed to blur. The house was again, just a house. A place to sleep and bathe, sometimes to do office work, but it was definitely no longer a home. The warmth had gone out of it when Gwen had breathed her last. Like the house, Wendell’s heart was also cold and empty. Oh, sure, it still beat and moved his blood about, but the joy and life had gone out that day. Comfort from friends and family only went so far. He did appreciate their efforts to console him, but it just didn’t reach that empty void to even make a dent in it. So, time passed, day by day, night by lonely night.

From time to time, often on days that work ended early at the base, Wendell would still stop by the diner to have a meal or sometimes just some coffee. This place, too, was no longer as welcoming or had that feel of home anymore, but there were still friendly faces there when he could bear the pitying looks and concern for his well being from those like Marylinn. It was this day, like so many before, that found him sitting alone in a booth near the door sipping coffee and going over a new set of specs for a project he had been contracted for at the base.

“Wendell Anders! You need to eat something. I know our coffee is pretty good, but it’s not food, and you look like you could use a good meal.” Marylinn said as she stood next to the table pouring coffee into his half empty cup with her left hand and rubbing the back of his shoulder with her free right hand.

Wendell smiled, half-heartedly, glancing up into her face and shrugged. He shrugged and set his pen and papers aside for a moment and ran his hands over his face and through his hair to the back of his neck.

“Thanks Marylinn, I just don’t have much of an appetite. But I’ll try. How about some meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans?” Wendell said, not needing a menu as he had just about memorized it by wrote having been here so many times.

“That’s better. I’ll get right on it, sugar. Say… how are you holding up? If you ever need someone to talk to or just listen, you know I would be happy to lend an ear.” Marylinn said a little more softly, only for him to hear.

Wendell shrugged again and gave her that same tired sad smile and nodded his head before glancing back to the pile of paperwork in front of him. Marylinn sighed and patted his back once more before moving to the next table to top up another cup of coffee. She put in his order for meatloaf then went around the end of the counter into the back room out of sight, she wiped away a few tears. She was heartbroken to see Wendell so sad. She remembered how vibrant and happy he had made Gwen and how happy he had been with her. So, now… it was just heartbreaking. Pulling herself together once more she returned to work, putting on her best smile.

That same day, later in the evening after Wendell had gone on home to his empty house, the bell above the door jangled. Marylinn had her head down as she caught up with some accounting of the day’s receipts after the dinner rush had ebbed. She liked subtotaling prior to the end of her shift so that she had an easier and quicker time closing out her register before clocking out and going home. The oncoming shift waitress, a new girl was covering the counter for her as she did her figuring. Katy was newly graduated from high school and still training with an older waitress who would be arriving for her shift shortly.

Katy greeted the new arrival at the counter a few paces from Marylinn and asked what she could get her. The gal who had come into the diner looked to be a little tired, perhaps from traveling, or maybe from worry, Katy couldn’t be sure of either but was determined to be cordial and friendly all the same. The young lady had a binder with pictures and lists of names and addresses and dates and other notes that she referred to as she sipped at a cup of coffee with her free hand. She rested her weary looking face on the palm of one hand, her elbow propped on the counter beside the binder.

Marylinn had just finished up her tallying and was sorting out the receipts and order tickets in their appropriate drawers by the cash register. She glanced up at the clock and then over the counter to look out into the parking lot in search of her relief. It was then that she happened to get a glimpse out of the corner of her eye at the young lady at the counter sipping coffee and looking rather dejected as she flipped through her binder.

Katy grew worried when she saw Marylinn freeze and go pale as if she had seen a ghost. She rushed to Marylinn’s side and asked her if she were alright. Marylinn seemed to snap out of her surprised and shocked moment when Katy’s hand rested on her arm with concern. The older waitress stole a glance at Katy and nodded her head absentmindedly but turned back to look at the young lady at the counter again, more closely. The young lady was… a living ghost as far as Marylinn could discern.

Shaking off the shock and surprise, curiosity and wonder took over and had Marylinn moving closer down the back of the counter to the young woman on the other side, to get a better and closer look. Some premonition or feeling of being scrutinized caused the young woman to look up and see Marylinn across the counter studying her with an amazed and puzzled expression. Somewhat alarmed and now a little anxious, the young woman sat up straighter and looked behind her to see if she was indeed what the older waitress was looking at so closely.

“What… is it? Is something wrong?” She asked Marylinn in a leery voice.

“Oh! I’m sorry… it’s just… forgive me, but you look so very much like someone I know… I’m so sorry.” Marylinn gushed, shaking herself out of her surprise and shock a bit more, but the curiosity she just couldn’t shake.

“I do? Who?” the young lady asked warily, half turning her head and tilting it just a bit as if trying to get a grasp of what Marylinn had just said.

“Um… I mean… sorry… I’m just a little, well… shaken. You do look so much like her, almost exactly like her in fact, well, younger maybe. Forgive me for my lack of manners.” Marylinn finally smiled a little sheepishly and stepped closer and extended her hand in greeting before continuing.

“I’m Marylinn, by the way. The woman I saw when I saw you used to work with me here in the diner as a matter of fact. For years and years. I think she started waiting here when she was… well… about your age actually.”

Relaxing a little now, the young woman shook Marylinn’s hand briefly and went back to her cup of coffee to have something to do with her hands maybe. She dipped her head a bit as if to silently prod Marylinn to further expound on what she had said about looking like her coworker.

“I’m sorry, I’m not from around here, well, recently anyway. Does this woman still work here by any chance?” She asked before sipping at her coffee.

“Sadly, no.” Marylinn said quietly and hung her head briefly as the sadness crossed her face before looking back up and smiling again.

“Her name was Gwen. A lovely woman, as nice a person as you’d ever want to meet really. She worked here before I was ever hired actually. I just moved to town about ten years ago and found work here.” Marylinn told the young lady.

“You say I look like a younger version of her, is she still working here or has she perhaps retired?” she asked, cocking her head slightly to one side awaiting a response.

“No, unfortunately. She passed away not too long ago. Poor girl had cancer, and they didn’t find it soon enough. It was so sad. She had just recently gotten married to her high school sweetheart. It was like a fairy tale come true for her, being alone and single and so sad for many years. They found each other after all those years and fell in love and got married. Only for her to fall ill and die from cancer. It’s… it’s just not fair.” Marylinn expounded. “In fact, her husband… was in just earlier this evening. He often stops in for coffee or a meal.”

The young woman had he cup halfway to her lips to take another sip when she froze. Her eyes got a little larger as if a light bulb had just turned on over her head. She set the coffee cup down quickly and flipped a few pages back to the front of the binder in front of her and then looked back up at Marylinn.

“You said her name was… Gwen? As in Gwendolyn? Gwendolyn Jacobs maybe?” She asked in almost a hushed voice, her eyes big and eagerly watching Marylinn’s face.

“Y…yes… it was Gwendolyn, but she insisted on everyone calling her Gwen. And her last name was Jacobs, at least until she got married…. Why?” Marylinn asked hesitantly, her mind trying to make sense of the questions and specifics. How did this girl know Gwen’s full name?

“Oh my god…” the younger lady almost whispered, then her eyes brightened yet some more, filling with tentative excitement…almost hope.

“My mother’s… my… birth mother’s name was Gwendolyn Jacobs… I wonder if she could be the same woman?” she added somewhat reverently as if afraid to find out otherwise.

Marylinn just looked at the younger lady, now even more closely and openly studying her features intently. Imagining with her best recollection of memory a younger Gwen. She felt weak in the knees and her heart started beating faster as a cold chill ran up her spine. It wasn’t fear, really, it was more like hope and a touch of ironic sadness. Marylinn swallowed to clear her suddenly dry mouth to speak again.

Marylinn turned to Katy and asked her to grab another cup and a couple of pieces of pie, she was going to have a seat in one of the booths. She looked back at the young lady and asked her what kind of pie she liked, and not to worry, it was on the house. Then she came around the counter and led her to an empty booth near the corner where they could be seated and have a deeper conversation. Once seated in the booth across the table from one another, the young lady introduced herself formally.

“My name is Anabell Wendy Larson.” She said, this time extending her own hand to shake Marylinn’s briefly. Or it would have been briefly except that Marylinn held on to her hand as if reaching out to someone she truly loved and admired and missed so very dearly.

For some reason the younger woman wasn’t put off in the least by this lingering touch, in fact it seemed to fill her with a sense of hope. She could see the light and hope in the older woman’s eyes as well as what she was feeling in herself.

“As I was saying, my birth mother’s name was Gwendolyn Jacobs. She gave me up for adoption right after giving birth to me 24 years ago. According to what records I’ve been able to uncover after finding out that I was adopted when I turned 18, I was born at the hospital here in town. My mom and dad, my adoptive parents, lived in Illinois, near Chicago actually. I grew up there. They told me after my sixteenth birthday that I was adopted as an infant because they couldn’t have children but so desperately wanted them all the same. My mom’ sister… my adoptive mom’s sister was a nurse at the hospital here and knew of the young woman who was putting her newborn child up for adoption because she couldn’t take care of it… of me.” Wendy spoke as if reciting from a history book, but with a touch of hopeful emotion.

“Gwen had told me about her having to give up her baby girl when she was very young. It nearly killed her to do so, you must understand that. She didn’t throw you away, she wanted only the best chances for you. I don’t think she ever quite got over it, giving up her baby.” Marylinn professed with shining eyes and a sad smile.

“What was she like?” Wendy asked softly, a lump growing in her own throat.

At that moment, Katy stopped at their booth and set two pieces of lemon meringue pie before them and topped up both Wendy’s coffee cup and the one she brought for Marylinn. Sensing that this was a private moment, she smiled and told them to give a shout if they needed anything else, then returned to tending to the other customers. Marylinn smiled at Katy, then back to Wendy with a softer if sadder smile as well.

“Honey, I could spend days telling you about Gwen, but it wouldn’t be enough to give you the whole picture of who and what she was like. I can tell you this though, she was beautiful inside and out. All you have to do is look in a mirror and you can see what she looked like. My god, it’s uncanny how much you look like her. I don’t mean to keep harping on it or scare you, but It’s just amazing. You could be her twin, I’m not exaggerating.” Marylinn said with a touch of awe still in her voice.

“It’s all I can do not to just wrap you up in my arms and hug you tight. I miss her… so very much…” Marylinn’s eyes suddenly got huge with wonder and a bit of surprise. She just thought of how someone else might be so profoundly shaken and surprised by how Wendy looked, let alone who she was.

“Oh My God… I know someone else… who could tell you even more about Gwen… your mom.” Marylinn whispered in astonishment and awe, covering her mouth with one hand and looking into Wendy’s eyes to judge her temperament perhaps.

“Oh? According to the records I was able to find, Gwendolyn Jacobs didn’t have any living relatives, her mom passed away almost twenty years ago. Oh wait, you said she had been married recently.”

“Yes, her husband, her high school sweetheart, her best friend from childhood, they were very close before he left for the Army after high school. Wendell Anders.” Marylinn told her.

Marylinn went on to tell Wendy what Gwen had told her about meeting Wendell in middle school so long ago. He was new to the school having just transferred in after his father was posted to the base. His father, being in the army and being posted all over the world meant that Wendell had moved around a lot prior to moving to town. He had an older brother and sister who were already in college when he started school here.

On his first day of school, he stopped two bullies from picking on Gwen and Gwen confessed to Marylinn that she thought she fell in love with him that very day. She had been a bit of a loner up to that point, having a single mother who could barely make ends meet and keep them both sheltered and fed, Gwen always felt like an outsider. Wendell treated her with respect and kindness and was the best friend she ever had. His family welcomed her and her mother almost as family really. It was this reason she never told Wendell that she thought she loved him, other than as a friend. She was so afraid to lose his friendship.

Apparently as puberty caused her to blossom in high school and other kids took notice of her, especially boys, she let it go to her head. Having never been popular before, she was easily swayed and flattered by boys with less than good intentions. Most girls were still catty towards her and gave her the cold shoulder when not just being polite. Something happened in their senior year, and they grew distant. It may have been partly why Wendell went off to the Army, or it may have been because his father was a soldier, and he felt he needed to follow in his footsteps. Marylinn didn’t know enough about any of that to say one way or another, but they did grow apart and they lost touch with each other.

“If you really want to know more about your… about Gwen… you should meet and talk with her husband, Wendell.” Marylinn concluded, almost holding her breath.

While she thought it would be helpful for the girl, Wendy, Marylinn was concerned that Wendell might be in for a very serious shock, just as she had been upon seeing Wendy for the first time. Wendy asked where she might find Wendell and when it would be best. Marylinn pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts to find Wendell’s name. She pulled a pen from her apron and flipped over the back of an order pad and wrote the address on it. Pulling it off she folded it carefully and handed it to Wendy… holding her hand with both hands as she passed the address to her.

“I know he usually takes Saturdays and Sundays off now that he works as a civilian contractor, and today is Friday so you would likely catch him at home tomorrow or Sunday.” Marylinn spoke softly, still thinking of how Wendell would react to meeting Wendy.

Wendy looked pensive for a moment, Marylinn could almost see the gears turning in the young woman’s mind as fleeting emotions and thoughts reflected on her facial features and eyes. On the one hand, meeting her birth mother’s husband could prove awkward and even painful for him, she thought. On the other hand, he could prove to be a fount of information that she so desperately wanted to learn about her biological mother. All that she knew of her, and it wasn’t much, was garnered from cold lifeless text from public records and what little she could get from the adoption agency. Her own parents, she still thought of them as such, the only mother and father she had ever known and who raised her from an infant, knew nothing more than those records.

Wendy had even reached out to her aunt, her adoptive mother’s sister, but she had been a traveling nurse at the time, and she had moved on to another hospital shortly after Wendy had been adopted. There were no other records forthcoming from the hospital as the adoption was handled through the agency. Knowing that this might be her best and last chance of learning more about the woman that gave birth to her, she decided that she did indeed want to meet this husband, Wendell Anders. But would he see her?

“Do you think he would talk to me?” Wendy asked Marylinn, her eyes big and almost pleading with hope.

“Honestly… I can’t say. But he’s a good man and chances are that once he got over the shock of seeing a ghost, he might be more than willing to tell you about the love of his life.” Marylinn said, once more grasping Wendy’s hand as if to offer reassurance.

Wendy looked down at her hand being held by Marylinn and noticed the time on her watch. As much as she wanted to learn more, as much as she could, about her mother, she realized that it was getting late, and it might be inappropriate to bother the man this late. She already had a room at the Holiday Inn, so she might as well wait one more night. It would also give her a little time to prepare herself mentally and emotionally. She told Marylinn that she would wait till tomorrow afternoon, but wondered if she should try to call Mr. Anders before dropping in on him.

Marylinn smiled, if a little worriedly, and told her that perhaps it might be best to just show up unannounced. Talking about his late wife would be good for him, but having to think about it might give him time to talk himself out of it for fear of emotional pain that it would probably bring. No, a surprise might be better, that way he wouldn’t focus on his loss but rather the pleasant memories that it would bring up.

Wendy thought this idea might be better and agreed to wait and just show up tomorrow afternoon unannounced. She thanked Marylinn for her help and for talking with her. She was reaching for her wallet in her purse to pay for her coffee and pie before leaving but Marylinn waved her off saying it was on her… and wished her good luck. What Wendy didn’t see or know was that Marylinn said a silent prayer for both Wendy and Wendell, hoping and wishing for the best.

***

The sunlight came through the half-closed curtains on the bedroom window in beams that cut through the early morning darkness of the room. Wendell could see little dust motes floating in the air as they crossed through those sun beams. As he had every morning since Gwen had passed, he lay in bed, contemplating his new existence… without her. God, he missed her so very much. His chest heaved and he involuntarily gasped a short breath before swallowing the lump in his throat. He remembered that final day just like it was yesterday.

The end was near, Gwen knew it and so did Wendell. He had not left her bedside for two days. She was so weak and could barely keep her eyes open because the pain medication kept her nearly sedated more than just deadening the pain. Every time she opened her eyes though, he was there, holding her hand or stroking her face gently with his fingers. Reassuring her that he was still with her. She smiled each time and knew that he loved her as much as she loved him. She knew this was going to be hard for him.

“Wen….” She had spoken his name so softly that he had almost missed it. But Wendell was suddenly alert and leaned in closer to her to make it easier for her to be heard.

“You must promise me…. Please, my love… that you… that you will go on… after I’m gone…” Gwen struggled to speak, as much from the lump in her throat as the weakness from the cancer and the effects of the medication.

“Babe. I don’t know if I can. I don’t want to find anyone else.” Wendell began to protest.

Gwen patted his hand with her pale weak hand and tried to smile.

“I know you love me… But you will be all alone and should be loved by… someone… If it happens, I will be… happy for you. So…” she gasped, struggling to go on. She had to make him understand.

“So, if you meet someone… don’t… don’t close yourself… off. You have too much love in you… not to… not to give to someone…” Gwen said with trembling lips and a tear broke free from her shining eyes and ran slowly down her cheek.

Wendell’s own eyes were leaking tears too, he couldn’t speak because his throat was so tight, so he merely nodded and squeezed her hand a little more tightly. Gwen closed her eyes again and rested a little longer before continuing.

“And… If someday… my daughter ever comes looking for me… You know to give her my… my diary… Promise me that… please my love…” Gwen spoke so softly this time that it was even less than a whisper, more like a thought.

Again, Wendell nodded and squeezed her hand, his own lips now trembling as he just knew in his hear that these were Gwen’s last words… or so he thought.

“I… Love you… I always have… and… I always will…” With those words leaving her lips, so too, did the light in her eyes.

Wendell saw the light go out of her eyes and saw that her mouth was slightly open, and she was no longer breathing. With his free hand he gently ran his fingers across her cheek and then closed her eyes with the tips of his fingers. Gasping and holding in the sobs that wracked his very soul, Wendell leaned in and kissed those lips for the last time. “And I will always love you.” He whispered.

As Wendell lay in bed that morning watching the dust motes dance in the sunbeam, there were no tears, but his heart still ached. Even though he had promised Gwen that he would go on, he had not made any efforts to do so. He had buried himself and his heart into his work, more to keep himself busy and have less time to remember or think about his life as it was now. He realized that this was Saturday and other than maybe puttering around in his home office doing some paperwork, there wasn’t much work to occupy his mind today. With a groan he threw back the covers and sat up on the edge of the bed. Maybe some yard work or something, anything to keep busy.

Wendell went through his morning routine on autopilot. Shaving, showering, fixing a meager breakfast of toast and coffee. This morning, he sat in the kitchen going over some specs on his current project at the base. He had to re-read it several times as his mind tended to wander at times. It was late in the morning now, almost noon actually. I sighed as he looked down at his notes and realized that he was not getting anywhere with them, so he closed the folder. He was just standing to take his cold coffee to the sink to dump it out when the doorbell rang.

Wendy stood nervously on the porch at the front door of the home with the address that Marylinn had written down for her at the diner the night before. She had spent most of the night before sleepless and anxious about today, tossing and turning and imagining how the meeting might go today. She realized that her impatience led her to being here earlier than suggested as well. She only hoped she was not too early.

Wendell set his cup in the sink and made his way through the house to the front door. He knew it must be a stranger at his door as anyone who knew him, friends or family, knew he mainly used the back door from the deck to the kitchen. Almost no one ever came to his front door. He glanced at the pictures lining the wall in the hallway leading to the front door, family photos, snapshots and of course Many of his beloved Gwen, in happier times. Out of curiosity, Wendell peeked out the window beside the door to get a glimpse of who might be at his door. The girl or young woman had her back turned to him at the moment, as if contemplating leaving. Odd, she looked vaguely familiar from the back he thought.

Wendy heard the chain on the door being drawn and the doorknob turn as it was opened from within the house. She turned and tried to put on a pleasant, if hopeful, smile to greet her mother’s husband.

Wendell slid back the chain and unhooked it from the door before turning the nob to open it. As he drew the door inwards and the sunlight from outside flooded the doorway through the glass storm door, he blinked and squinted his eyes a little to be able to see. Backlit as she was by the sunlight, the young woman was still a vague but familiar silhouette. So, he pushed open the storm door, but when he did, he froze in place, the door halfway open and his jaw hanging open. He stopped breathing.

“Hi… Hello… are you, Wendell Anders?” Wendy asked nervously smiling as she clutched the piece of paper with his address on it in one hand and her binder to her chest with her other hand.

Wendell stood there, still in shock. He wondered if he in fact were dreaming… was this a dream or a nightmare taunting him and his grieving heart. It was almost too much to take, he was overwhelmed. Standing before him, on the front porch, was his Gwen… somehow, she was younger… as if she were back in high school maybe. Those same eyes that seemed to look into his very soul, those cheek bones, those lips… that same mousy brunette hair. Even her voice was… the same… almost. It was her voice that brought him back to the moment when she spoke again.

“I’m sorry if I’ve interrupted something… I can come back at another time if you like. That is… if I even have the right address. You are Wendell Anders… aren’t you?” Wendy asked, feeling a bit more uncertain seeing the man’s reaction upon seeing her.

It dawned on her that his reaction was very similar to Marylinn’s reaction to seeing her last night at the diner. Could there be that much of a resemblance between herself and her birth mother she wondered.

“Hello? Are you okay?” She asked when the man simply stood there and stared at her in disbelief.

“For…. Forgive me… You… you just look so much like… I’m sorry… Wha… what was your name again?” Wendell stammered, very apparently shaken.

“I didn’t actually give you my name yet, it’s Wendy. Anabell Wendy Larson. I am in town trying to find my mother. My birth mother. I found out last night however, that she has passed away already. But I was also told that you were her husband. If… if you are Wendell Anders that is…” Wendy explained in a tight but steady voice, trying very hard not to rush the words out of her mouth from her nerves that were jangling.

Wendell still stared at Wendy, his mouth agape, his brows knitted. His surprise, his shock, was evident, but what Wendy could not see was how fast his heart was beating. There was a very good possibility that he might suffer a heart attack at any moment.

“Y… Yes… I am… I’m Wendell Anders. And yes, I was married to Gwendolyn Jacobs. Oh god! You… you look just like…” Wendell faded away again his head beginning to shake ever so slightly as if to tell himself no, this can’t be real. It’s an illusion.

“I’m sorry for showing up unannounced and bothering you like this… but do you… do you think you could answer some questions for me… about Gwendolyn Jacobs?” Wendy asked haltingly, wondering if anything she was saying was actually being understood.

The last mention of Gwen’s name, her maiden name, made something click inside of Wendell. Some small part of his brain fired off a message to the rest of his mind, a heart string was struck, and a little bell began to ring somewhere in the distance. The promise… he had made a promise to his dear Gwen. Now was the time to keep that promise. But this was all so… so surreal. He was still gawking, he shook his head violently to clear his thoughts and then smiled a little sheepishly, stepping aside to invite this young woman into his house.

“Please… come in, come in. Would you… would you like some coffee? Or Tea?” Wendell asked as he led Wendy down the hallway and into the kitchen.

As they traversed that passageway, Wendy had to pause a step or two here and there as she looked at the photos framed on the walls. Now it was her turn to be stunned and shocked. She saw picture after picture of herself in unfamiliar settings and with people she didn’t know. She realized, of course, that this must have been her birth mother, Gwendolyn Jacobs. She shook her head in near disbelief, the resemblance was more than uncanny, it was haunting. She now understood the reactions she’d received from both Marylinn at the diner and now Mr. Anders.

Coming back to herself she noticed that Mr. Anders had stopped as she studied the pictures. He was still studying her as well. Lost in amazement and disbelief. She understood that now, and it dawned on her that her birth mother had only passed not too long ago, so Mr. Anders was still very much a grieving widower. Her showing up like this was indeed a very big shock for him.

“She was the most beautiful woman I ever met.” Wendell commented softly as he watched Wendy look back at several of the framed photos.

“She looks so… happy.” Wendy offered in a reverent voice.

“If you want, you can bring a few of those pictures with you… to the kitchen.” Wendell suggested.

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to… no, no I will just let them remain where they are. Thank you though.” Wendy gushed sheepishly clutching her binder to her chest as if to use it as an anchor. She felt as if her mind was drifting. She was on a mission and needed to see it through. She had waited over half her life to find answers.

Wendell made a mental note to fetch a photo album from the study after they had settled in with some coffee. Leading Miss Larson into the kitchen and pulled out a chair for her at the table before putting the kettle on to heat some water.

“Coffee? Tea? I have iced tea or soft drinks in the fridge if you like.” Wendell offered.

“Just coffee would be fine, but don’t go to any trouble on my account.”

“No trouble. I have some coffee in the machine, it’s probably still okay, it wasn’t brewed too long ago. I slept late this morning. Wendell offered with a sad smile.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. Thank you.” Wendy reassured him.

Wendell grabbed two clean cups from the cupboard and brought them and the carafe from the machine to the table. He poured her cup and then his own and took a seat across the table from her. Once seated and looking directly at her again, he was once more thunderstruck by her resemblance to Gwen. He was staring but he was not entirely aware of that. It took Wendy clearing her throat to once more bring him back to the present and awareness.

“I’m sorry. It’s just uncanny… the resemblance… Now… you said you had questions. Ask away. And I’ll try not to stare.” Wendell told her as he picked up his cup with a slight tremor in his hands and took a tentative sip of his coffee.

Wendy smiled partly with amusement and partly with some embarrassment. Before yesterday she had never encountered anyone looking at her like Marylinn and now Mr. Anders had. It was both flattering and a little disconcerting at the same time. She busied herself by opening her binder to the very first page. She read off the cold information that was provided by the adoption agency in the form letter she had received from them upon her request as a legal adult. It detailed the birth date of the child, her, and the mother’s name. There was no name for the father other than “unknown”. That was her first question.

“The records that were found indicated that the father… my father… was unknown. Was that an omission or perhaps a mistake?” Wendy asked tentatively, not knowing if Mr. Anders would know that information.

“Honestly. I wasn’t present at the time. I wasn’t even aware that your mother was pregnant with you. She did tell me about it years later however. She didn’t know the father, or at least who the father might have been. You see, she was… well… to be blunt, she was raped. She was unconscious and didn’t even know it was happening, let alone who might have done it with any certainty. I’m sorry, that must be hard to hear and process for you.” Wendell said softly, watching Wendy’s eyes to see if she was indeed hurt by this news.

“Um… yeah… I didn’t know that part…” Wendy spoke, drifting into silence as the thought settled in to her mind for the first time. She would have to process this information later though, she had a mission to complete first.

“Well, that shines a whole new light on the subject then, doesn’t it? I guess I’m a bastard child after all. I wonder if that was the reason or one of the reasons, she gave me away…” Wendy voiced quietly, her eyes riveted to the first page of her binder, her index finger slowly tracing under the name of her birth mother printed in black and white on the page.

“That I can tell you, unequivocally, was not the case. I know for a fact that she would have given anything to keep you and raise you herself… it was just not possible. And… she would rather give you up if it meant that you had a shot at a better life than she could have provided for you.” Wendell said firmly, not exactly angrily, but in no uncertain terms he defended his late wife and her decision so long ago.

“I’m sorry. I meant no disrespect… honestly. I’m just trying to understand.” Wendy said quickly, startled that she might have offended this man in some way.

“I could sit here all day and tell you how much Gwen loved you, and how much it hurt her to give you away and how she thought of you every day of her life from that point on. But you know what…” Wendell said then snapped his fingers as he remembered his promise about the diary.

“Stay right there, I’ll be right back.” He told Wendy as he stood abruptly from his seat at the table and strode out of the kitchen and down the hallway towards the master bedroom.

Wendell went directly to his bedside nightstand. Opening the drawer he reverently removed the overly thick leather-bound diary. It was, like the binder that Wendy carried, in a way that it was actually a heavy binder. Locked in its rings were over twenty years of spiral bound notebooks, loose leaf pages, and journals, all in sequential order from the oldest to the latest.

The cover of the binder had only two words in gold leaf embossed into the leather… it read “My Heart”. Wendell couldn’t help but to tear up and feel his heart squeeze tightly in his chest whenever he read those two words. They meant so very much to him. With a sigh and a resigned will to continue, Wendell closed the drawer and turned to walk back to the kitchen and the waiting Wendy.

Wendy heard his footsteps coming back down the hallway and looked up just as Mr. Anders reentered the kitchen, he was carrying a thick book in both hands clutched to his chest. At first Wendy thought he had a photo album. Wendell sat back down in his chair and with one hand moved his coffee cup well off to the side and he set the book down with such reverence and care that Wendy felt that this book must be extremely special to him.

“This is something I was made to promise, to give to Gwen’s daughter should she ever come looking for her…” Wendell said so quietly that Wendy almost thought she had imagined the words that he spoke.

“She wrote… her life… her heart and soul, every day without fail. Sometimes only a sentence or two, sometimes pages and pages. But it was her only way of letting her… letting you… know what she was thinking, how she felt, how much she loved you and wished you well. It’s her diary. She wanted you to have it if you ever reached out or came looking for her…” Wendell told her and then paused as he struggled with his own emotions for a moment.

Wendy watched as he lovingly ran his shaking fingers across the cover of the book, almost as if he were caressing a person rather than an inanimate book. He sighed deeply and swallowed before continuing.

“As I said, she made me promise to give this to you. She also told me to read it… read it all… except for the last entry. She said that one entry was for you only. If after you read it, and wished to share, then I could read it. I have read the book from cover to cover, several times… except for that last entry.” Wendell intoned reverently… his finger stopping beneath the gold leaf embossed words on the cover.

“She… didn’t know your name… but she held you in her heart, so, she put that on the cover. You were her heart.” He said and turned the book around to face Wendy before pushing it across the table to her.

Wendy closed and set aside her own binder as well as her coffee cup. She then ran the fingers of one hand over the surface of the cover of the book Mr. Anders had just presented to her. Reading the words on the cover aloud, softly.

“My Heart” she all but whispered… then brought her trembling hand to her mouth before glancing back up at him. He still had that faraway look in his eyes, but he nodded to her as if to say go ahead and open it. So, she did, and she read.

“Today was a hard one. I pulled a double shift at the diner because Suzy called in sick with the flu. Mom had to work her second job tonight as well, so we are both exhausted. Dinner was a peanut butter sandwich. Just peanut butter, we’ve been out of jelly for a couple of weeks now and rent was due last week, so we skipped grocery shopping another week. I try not to eat anything at home as much as I can. It helps that I work at the diner, at least I get to eat a little now and then. The cook has a soft spot for me since I’m pregnant and big as a house. Mom should be getting home here shortly. I’m going to heat up some water in the kettle so she can have some tea before she goes to bed. I hope you will let me sleep tonight, my little one. So active at night when I lay down, I swear, sometimes it feels like you’re dancing on my bladder. I can’t wait to see you.”

Wendy gasped, and she looked up from the yellowed page of the fist spiral notebook in the binder to see Wendell sitting there with his eyes closed and a sad smile on his face. Sensing her gaze, he opened his eyes. They were sad eyes indeed, but there was something there that she had never seen in those of another. At least not ones that were looking at her. She had a little trouble tearing her gaze away from him to look back down at the book and to read the next entry.

“I’m going to go to my study and try to do some work I need to do. You’re welcome to stay as long as you like. Make yourself at home. There are drinks and food in the fridge if you get hungry or thirsty. If you need anything, just yell. I’ll be right down the hall there on the right.” Wendell said as he stood slowly, glancing once more at the book in front of Wendy before turning and walking out of the kitchen and down the hall. Wendy watched him go, then turned back to the book. She turned the page and read the next entry.

“Mom was sick this morning, again. She is so weak and tired. I wish I could do more for her. I put in for extra hours at the diner this morning. Suzy is going to be out for a few days with the flu, so it wasn’t much of an imposition for Hank, the manager. I told him I’d take whatever hours he could give me as long as I could. I know I’ll have to slow down or even stop for a while when I get close to time to let this little one out into the world. He just gave me that sad smile that so many seem to have for me. Sometimes that hurts worse than the blank stares and dirty looks from people.”

Wendy grimaced slightly, only having an idea of the looks that people gave her birth mother, but still feeling for her all the same. She continued to read the journal, picking up the next entry which was similar to the first two she had just read. It wasn’t until several pages in that she was first struck by the angst and worry that her birth mother was going through, however.

“My heart broke this afternoon. It was slow at the diner after lunch and a young woman, and her daughter and a baby came in. They were seated in one of my booths, so I waited on them. She seemed so very tired and worn. She couldn’t have been much older than I was, but she looked ten years older and haggard. When I asked what she would like to order, she only asked for two glasses of water, one for her and one for her daughter. The poor little girl looked like she was starving but terrified of saying anything. That little face will haunt me for the rest of my life. I just knew that they were all hungry, but I guess the mom didn’t have any money to feed her children or herself. I brought her the glasses of water of course but I just couldn’t shake that sadness.

I asked Hank if I could cash out my tips early, something I’ve seen some of the other waitresses do from time to time but this was the first time I had ever asked to do the same. At first, he acted a bit put off by the request, but did cash me out early. When I used my tips to buy soup and sandwiches for the young mother and her children though, Hank hand a change of heart. He surprised me even by throwing in a couple of pieces of pie on the house. The young mother cried when I told her it was all paid for. Later, I cried when Hank put my tips back in my apron pocket and told me that I should be thinking about myself too. I cried again, when I got home and thought about that young mother and how that could be me soon. I wished mom had been home, I felt so alone. Then you kicked me. I guess you were reminding me that I was not alone after all. But I cried even more. How am I going to take care of you, my child. I never want you to suffer and go hungry and be scared. What am I going to do?”

Wendy felt a tear break free and roll down her cheek as she read the entry in the diary. She brushed it away with the back of her hand before covering her mouth with that hand and continued to read. The entries, day after day, all seemed to be getting sadder and sadder as Gwen expressed her worries and concerns for her unborn child and its future. So too, her worries and concerns about her mother’s failing health. Wendy could feel the angst and fear in her mother’s words. She could also tell that Gwen seemed to be struggling with a decision that she wasn’t even aware that she would make. One that Wendy knew was made in the end… or rather… the beginning, of her own life.

“You are two days old now, my love. My baby girl, my daughter. I pray that I made the right decision. I hope that someday you will understand and forgive me for what I have done. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I was unable to write or even speak for two days. When you were born, I got to hold you and see your face for the first time. It was only for a moment, but I will cherish that moment for the rest of my life. I was able to give you one last kiss on your forehead before they took you away to your new parents. To your new and better life. They will be able to love and provide for you and you will have a happier life. I could have died right then… but I knew I had to keep going. I must take care of my own mom as long as I can. And… I need to tell you how much I love you, even though you are not with me. I hope that someday you will read this and know that what I did was out of love and not any kind of rejection. If only things were different.”

Wendy gasped and felt the tears flowing freely now. She sat back from the table, her arms limp at her sides as she tilted her head back, eyes closed and her face towards the heavens, or at least the kitchen ceiling. Her slim body shook with silent sobs as she felt her mother’s pain and anguish pour from the pages of the diary.

At the doorway from the hall to the kitchen, Wendell saw Wendy in her moment of sadness and felt it himself. Deep, deep, soul deep. He had read those same passages several times now himself. Part of him wanted to go to the young woman and comfort her, but he stopped himself from doing so. He had only met the girl this very afternoon and it just wouldn’t be right. Instead, he quietly turned and retreated once more to his office to leave her to her reading, and he to sit and mourn his own loss in private.

Wendy did eventually go back to reading the diary of this woman who had given birth to her. She didn’t seem as much of a stranger now however. Through her words and thoughts, Gwen had made a tenuous connection with Wendy. There was always an overall feeling of sadness and sorrow to the passages she read. There was not so much regret for her decision to give up her child but rather hope that she was growing up happy and loved. There was always a feeling of love and hope for her child.

Gwen’s diary documented her struggle to maintain her own sanity and will to go on day by day. She wrote about her missing her best friend Wendell quite often and wondered how he was doing and wished him happiness as well. There were darker entries about how her mom’s failing health and misfortune. How they were forced to sell their house and move into a small rental apartment. She wrote of her mother’s passing and the overwhelming sadness that it brought with it, being all alone, completely alone now. Her only reason for going on, to continue to breathe, was holding out hope that someday she would get to meet her own daughter.

Wendy had to stop at that point. The sadness was nearly overwhelming. While her eyes remained wet and hot, the tears had slowed almost to a stop. Sitting back once more, she realized that she had been reading for hours now. The shadows were growing long outside and the light from the sunshine had moved across the kitchen, no longer falling on the table where she sat reading. An urgent need to relieve her bladder caused her to stand from the table and look about for a bathroom. Moving into the hallway, passing those now haunting pictures on the wall, she found Wendell’s office. Wendell was leaning back in his chair, a framed photo held to his chest as he slept. Wendy noted his face looked very sad and wondered if that photo was of his late wife, her mother.

Her need to use the bathroom pressed her onward, down the hallway. She found the room she needed and took care of her urgent needs. When done, she washed her hands and looked at herself in the mirror. Could hers be a reflection of her mother that she was seeing? Did Wendell and even Marylinn from the diner see Gwendolyn when they looked at her? She gave herself a sad smile thinking that perhaps that was a compliment, now that she was learning more about her late mother. She wanted to know more, she wanted to know how she lived. Wendy rinsed her tear-stained face with a bit of cold water then dabbed it dry with a hand towel before exiting the bathroom.

Walking back down the hallway towards the kitchen, Wendy was met at Wendell’s office doorway. He had awakened from his mournful nap when he heard the toilet flush. Wendell smiled awkwardly at Wendy as she paused at his doorway.

“I’m sorry if I disturbed you… I… I had to use the bathroom. I hope you don’t mind.” Wendy began shyly.

“Oh, not to worry. You didn’t disturb me, and I did tell you to make yourself at home. Are you… are you doing, okay? I know that some of the passages in Gwen’s diary can be… touching.” Wendell asked.

“Yes. I’m fine. And, yes, they are… touching. I’m sorry I’ve been so wrapped up in reading that I wasn’t aware of the time. I don’t want to impose on your hospitality and time. I should be going…” Wendy apologized and began to hint at departing.

Wendell realized that she was indeed feeling awkward and felt something inside himself … “turn”? He wasn’t sure why he said what he did, but it felt right and… it was almost as if there was a voice in his ear prompting him to say it.

“Not at all. In fact, I was about to ask you if you were hungry. I hadn’t made any plans for dinner, was likely to just have a peanut butter sandwich or something, but… would you like to… I don’t know, go out for a bite to eat somewhere… perhaps the diner?” Wendell offered awkwardly, but with a kind voice.

Wendy was taken aback by the question. How could this man, so clearly moved and even shocked by her appearance, causing him to relive the pain of loss and separation of his late wife, be so kind and thoughtful. While part of her leaned towards politely declining the offer, another part, strangely, prompted her to accept.

“That… would be lovely. I wonder if Marylinn is working again today?” Wendy posed.

“I’m sure she is, she’s a fixture at the diner. She’ll probably be happy to see you again as well.” Wendell commented as they both walked back to the kitchen.

Wendy so very much wanted to read more of the diary but felt that it might be good to take a break. She did, however, take her own binder with her as she and Wendell left the house. Since Wendy had taken a cab to get to his house, the two opted to take Wendell’s jeep. The feeling of DeJa’Vu that came over Wendell as they drove to the diner was palpable.

Marylinn was indeed working this evening, like most evenings. She was happy to see Wendell, and though still struck by how much Wendy looked like Gwen, she was happy to see her again as well. She brought a fresh pot of coffee to the booth where Wendell and Wendy had taken a seat and filled their cups after saying hello. She looked between Wendell and Wendy trying to judge how he was handling the startling resemblance of the young woman to her late mother. She admitted to herself that he did still seem to be somewhat in shock by it all just as much as she was the day before.

“Hi Wen. I see this young lady found you today. I can imagine you were just as floored as I was by how much she looks like Gwen. I hope everything is alright.” She said by way of greeting, glancing at Wendy and smiling apologetically.

“Hi Marylinn. Yeah, it was quite a shock. I don’t know that I’m over it just yet, but I’m okay. What’s the special of the day?” Wendell returned, smiling somewhat sheepishly at Marylinn.

Wendy looked up and nodded indicating that she’d be interested in hearing the special too.

“Well, it’s Saturday, so the special of the day is Meatloaf with mashed potatoes, green beans, corn muffins or rolls, and peach cobbler a la mode for dessert.” She listed off the menu special, still studying both occupants of the booth.

“That sounds good to me.” Wendy spoke then glanced at Wendell to see if he agreed.

“Yeah, that’ll be fine for me too, Marylinn. Could I get a glass of Iced tea to go with… sweetened of course?” Wendell said pushing the unused menu to the side of the table.

“The same for me, please.” Wendy added with a smile.

Marylinn smiled at both and said she’d be right back with the tea and moved off to put the orders in at the kitchen window. Wendy folded her hands atop one another and sat back to study Wendell sitting across the booth from her. Wendell also folded his hands atop the table and sat back to look at Wendy for a moment of silence. He slowly shook his head in amazement and smiled in wonder. Wendy knew he was scrutinizing her for what she looked like… or perhaps who she looked like. Still though, she didn’t mind his scrutiny for some reason.

“So, how far have you gotten, reading Gwen’s… your birth mother’s diary?” Wendell asked cautiously.

“As you know, it picks up while she is still pregnant with… me… and I’ve not been born yet if that tells you anything.” Wendy said with a bit of a shrug and she averted her eyes as if somewhat embarrassed or perhaps uncomfortable, it was hard for Wendell to tell.

“It can be… hard to read… sometimes. I know.” Wendell admitted, suddenly studying his own hands before continuing. “It might take a while to read it all… go at your own pace is all I can suggest.”

“I was wondering… Could I… could I borrow it, the diary, and read it overnight at my hotel?” Wendy asked hopefully.

“Borrow it? I thought I made it clear, it’s yours. You mother… Gwen… wanted you to have it.” Wendell replied looking up at her cocking his head slightly with a puzzled expression crossing his features.

“No… I heard you. But… well… I don’t think I would want to take that away from you. I get the feeling that it’s… Oh I don’t know, like it’s part of her and she was very special to you. To lose her… again…” Wendy trailed off her explanation, unsure if she was helping or hindering the situation.

Wendell smiled, that sad, sweet smile, and blinked rapidly a couple of times before resuming studying his hands on the table… perhaps seeing something or someone other than his hands in his mind’s eye. She saw him swallow a lump in his throat and wondered if she had caused him pain and felt badly for it.

“I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” She began, but Wendell cut her off by raising his eyes to meet hers.

“No… no, it’s okay. Thank you for considering my feelings. Yes, Gwen was… special to me. And I will miss her for the rest of my life. I lost her once as a young man, then again… when she passed. But The diary was written to and for you. I was made to understand that it was yours if or whenever you came looking for her. If she were alive, she would have given it to you herself. She didn’t ask me to give it to you, she made me promise to do that. So… it is yours.” Wendell confessed with all seriousness, even with his eyes looking so sad.

“Still though… I would like you to keep it. I’m still not settled anywhere and I wouldn’t want to lose it. It’s too important to me… and I think, you… to risk it getting lost along the way. I do want to finish reading it though.” Wendy said earnestly, one hand reaching across the table to lay softly atop of Wendell’s two hands. A look of sincerity in her eyes and a timid smile on her lips.

Wendell returned the smile and nodded his head, suddenly unable to speak for the lump in his throat. This was so much like what Gwen would have said or done that it actually made his heart hurt in his chest. Further discussion was interrupted when Marylinn arrived at their table with their dinner orders. Setting plates in front of Wendy and Wendell before asking if there was anything else they needed before moving on to another customer.

Wendy unfolded her napkin and set it in her lap before picking up her utensils and looking over at Wendell who was doing the same. They shared a bashful grin before they both dug into their meatloaf. After a few bites and appreciative sounds from each of them, Wendell picked up their previous conversation.

“I will be happy to keep it… for you. But it is yours. You said you were staying at a hotel. Would I be too forward to offer you to stay at my house? Free of course, no charge. That way you wouldn’t have to worry about traveling.” Wendell offered.

“You… you would have me stay at your house? You don’t even know me.” Wendy said with a shocked expression, her fork halfway to her mouth with a bite of meatloaf.

Wendell shrugged then cleared his throat with a drink of his iced tea before continuing.

“We’ve only just met, and I would think that it would be you who would have trust issues with me, not the other way around. I’ve been around this world a few times and I think I’m a pretty good judge of character. I get the feeling that I could trust you, even though we’ve just met. Besides… I know in my hear that it is what Gw… your mother would have wanted. I promise to behave and leave you alone to read. I can occupy myself with my work… and it’s a big house for just me.” Wendell explained but began to ramble as he went on, seeing the look on Wendy’s face caused him to stop. Then ask…

“What? Did I say something wrong or…”

“No. It’s just that… aside from my parents. Pardon me, my adoptive parents, I’ve never met anyone so generous and… nice.” Wendy confessed, her soft smile shown even in her eyes as she nodded and resumed eating. “Thank you. I will have to go by the hotel and pick up my belongings and check out… if you don’t mind.”

“Not a problem. We can do that.” Wendell responded with a kind smile.

They both finished their dinners and were enjoying a cup of coffee over a piece of pie when Marylinn slid into the boot next to Wendell, forcibly scooting him over with a nudge from her hip. Wendy smiled with amusement at the look on Wendell’s face as she held her coffee cup in both hands in front of her face.

“Hello again.” Marylinn said and smiled at Wendy.

“Hi.” Wendy said in return.

“Wendell… I have a question for you.” Marylinn said, planting her left elbow on the table top and resting her chin in her open palm as she half turned to look at Wendell sitting next to her.

“Okay…” Wendell said hesitantly.

“This young lady is… traveling… as I understand it, staying at the Red Roof down the street. Now it’s nice as hotels/motels go, but it’s still… not ideal for a young woman to be staying by herself. I was wondering… You have that big old house and only yourself there. I was wondering if you would mind letting her stay with you for a day or so… till she knows what or where she’s going to go or do next…” Marylinn paused, a questioning look spreading on her face as she watched Wendell begin to grin and chuckle quietly sitting next to her. “What?”

Wendell looked down a little sheepishly and nodded to Wendy across the table. Wendy smiled and looked at Marylinn who was looking at her in askance now.

“Mr. Anders just asked me if I would like to stay with him at his home while I read the diary my mom left for me… just a little while ago actually.” Wendy said smiling shyly and looking across the table at Wendell.

Marylinn blushed then smiled both at Wendy and then turning to Wendell and shaking her head in amusement. “You will never change… still just as sweet and kind…” She then leaned close to him and kissed his cheek. This caused Wendell to blush bright red and Marylinn giggled and scooted back out of the booth to stand beside the table.

“Can I expect to see you… both of you… in here again then? Soon?” She asked as she held her order pad and pen as if she were going to take another order.

Wendy shrugged and smiled, Wendell just shook his head slowly in amusement and gave Marylinn a sidelong glance before shrugging. Marylinn smiled and sidled off to tend to another customer. With an unspoken agreement, Wendy and Wendell began to slide out of the booth. Wendy was reaching into her purse when Wendell shook his head and said “My treat. Save your money” and pulled out his wallet and went to the counter to pay his ticket. What he didn’t see was Wendy slipping a few bills under the edge of her plate and a written not saying “Thank you”.

As Wendell was starting his jeep, he saw that he was getting low on gas and commented that he needed to sop and get some. Since there was a Speedy mart just down the street from the hotel, it was on the way and not an inconvenience. Wendell pulled in at the pumps and got out to pump the gas. Wendy got out as well and said that she needed to find the restroom but would be back in a few minutes.

Wendy went in and was given the key to the women’s room that was outside and to the side of the store. She went to the door and let herself in and locked it behind her, then took care of business. As she was coming back out after washing her hands, she nearly collided with a man coming out of the men’s room right next door. He reeked of cigarette smoke and alcohol. Wendy excused herself and backed away from him bumping into the door to the women’s room behind her.

The man, grumbled an explicative that she didn’t quite catch then eyed her up and down. He shook his head and then stood up a little straighter and took a long closer look at her. He began grinning and shaking his head. One hand coming to his chin to hold it in between his thumb and forefinger and the other hand reaching down to adjust his crotch. One eyebrow climbed high on his forehead beneath his dirty ball cap, and he let out a long slow whistle.

“Damn me to hell and back! I thought I’d never see the day that I laid eyes on you again. Fuck! You look as good today as you did the night of our Prom…” The smelly pot-bellied man declared.

Wendy felt repulsed by his leering glare and dirty grin. She stayed plastered back against the door of the women’s room and darted her eyes around for an escape route. The man, however, edged closer to her still leering and looking her up and down. A bulge growing in the front of his worn dirty jeans.

“My, my, my… you don’t look like you’ve aged a day, girl. I’ll bet that twat of yours is still tight and juicy too, isn’t it?” He said in a gravelly voice even as he staggered a bit as he edged closer to Wendy.

Wendell had finished putting gas in the jeep and hung the hose and nozzle back up. He wiped his hands off on a paper towel used for the windshield washing station and glanced around looking for Wendy. He felt the need to empty his own bladder and headed to the side of the building. He already knew where the restrooms were as he had stopped at this speedy serve many times, and knew too that the men’s room door lock was busted and so didn’t require a key.

As he rounded the corner, Wendell saw Wendy backed against the women’s room door and a disheveled man leaning close to her, his left hand placed against the door near Wendy’s head, his right hand appeared to be about to reach out and grope her. Not knowing what had ensued up to this point but clearly seeing that she was distressed and scared, Wendell locked his right hand in a death grip around the man’s right wrist and spun him around away from Wendy.

“What the hell….” The man managed to sputter as his head spun at the sudden relocation of his body and attention.

“I think you need to leave the young lady alone, friend.” Wendell spoke sternly but clearly sending the message that this was not a request.

“I think you need to mind your own business… fuck face!” the man spat, looking Wendell up and down as if to size him up as a threat.

“I’ll ask you one last time to move along.” Wendell said with a menacing tone, already understanding that this man was going to be trouble no matter what was said.