“A year.”
“And now you’ve gone crazy. That’s why I just let myself indulge when I feel like it.”
“Yeah, that’s why.” My voice was sarcastic. “Anyway, I have to go. I’m getting another call. Email me your flight info and I’ll see if we can pick you up.” I didn’t wait for her to reply, and clicked over to the other line. “Hello?” I asked slowly and cautiously, praying to God that I wasn’t about to hear Braydon’s voice on the line.
“Lucky?” Sidney Johnson’s warm voice filled the airwaves and I smiled.
“Yes, hi, Sidney. How’s it going?”
“Good, good. Betty just made me some pound cake and tea. I think she’s trying to fatten me up.” He laughed into the phone.
“That must be nice.”
“So, I was just thinking about our conversation the other day,” Sidney continued and I heard Betty mumbling something in the background. “Well, I told Betty and she told me to give you some information.”
“Oh?”
“I told her it wasn’t our place to get involved, but she said she thinks Noah would have approved, had he been here.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, when we saw Noah for the last time, he gave me some files, and well, me and Betty never really went through them before. But today, we had a look and, well, there’s some information on his mom.”
“On Noah and Zane’s mom?” My jaw dropped and I lowered my voice. “You mean he found her?”
“Well, it looks like he did.” Sidney’s voice was worried. “I don’t really know, but there’s a number and an address. I don’t know if they are good. But yeah, Betty thought I should give you the information. Save you some time, if you were going to look for Zane’s mom.”
“Oh, Sidney, that would be great,” I gushed with my heart beating fast. “Let me get a pen and paper so I can write the information down.”
“So there’s one thing,” Sidney continued. “The address and number, well they’re in Paris. Paris, France.”
“Oh.” My heart dropped momentarily. There went my images of a happy family reunion and a trip to Disney.
“But we figured you could still call her.”
“Yes, yes. I’ll call her.” I grabbed a pen and paper and wrote the number and address down. “Sidney, thank you so much. You don’t know just how much this means to me.”
“I just hope it will help.” His voice sounded unsure. “I don’t like to be a busybody, or in anyone’s business. I know most old people get a bad name for that.”
“It’s okay, Sidney. It’s more than okay. Thank you.”
“Don’t go gushing, girl,” he sighed. “And don’t go getting your hopes up. It may lead to nothing.”
“But it may lead to something.” There was a wistful tone in my voice. If Zane was able to reconnect with his mother, if he was able to understand why she left, then he may be able to fully let go of that pain and rejection. He may be able to love me without being so worried all the time. It was something that could possibly make our relationship a whole lot better.
“Well, just let me know.” He paused and I heard Betty talking to him. “Oh yeah, Betty told me to tell you that we’re going to Chicago next week to visit family, so we won’t be available for the next few weeks. But feel free to call our cellular phone if you need to talk. It’s not connected to a wire so we can talk from anywhere.”
“Awesome.” I tried not to laugh.
“Technology, I tell ya,” he chortled. “Well, my dear, I better go before Betty takes offense that I’m not eating her cake.”
“Enjoy, Sidney, and have a good time in Chicago. I’ll see you when you get back.”
“We better see you, girl, Betty’s already planning the outfit she wants to wear to the Oscars.”
“Ha ha. You two are too funny.” I hung up with a smile and looked down at the paper in my hands, my stomach churning with nerves. I wasn’t sure what to do. I wanted to call the number, but I didn’t want Zane to be upset with me or to think I was meddling. Without knowing what I was doing, I felt myself pushing in all the numbers and waiting for the phone to ring with my heart in my mouth.
“Bonjour,” a man’s deep voice answered, and my breath caught.
“Ah, Bonjour. Is Mrs. Beaumont there?” I cursed inwardly at the fact that I didn’t know her first name.
“Allo?” the man continued.
“Is Mrs. Beaumont there?”
“No English.” I heard him put the phone down and I waited impatiently, hoping that this wasn’t going to be a lost cause.
“Bonjour,” a woman’s voice spoke and my heart skipped a beat at the slight hint of an American accent I heard.
“Mrs. Beaumont?” I asked softly, praying that I had the right number. The phone line went silent and I could hear music playing in the background.
“Sorry, who is this?” her voice sounded strained.
“I’m a friend of your son Zane,” I continued quickly. “Is this Mrs. Beaumont?”
“No, no. Sorry. I think you have the wrong number.”
“Wait, please,” I pleaded.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.” The voice paused and I heard a voice in the background whispering something.
“It would help Zane if he knew why you left,” I burst out. “I don’t know why you did, but he’s your son. You owe him an explanation. If you love him …”
“I can’t talk to you.” She sounded angry. “Do not call me again.”
“Mrs. Beaumont,” I cried out. “Please.”
“I don’t know how you got my number. I don’t go by that name anymore. Please do not call me.”
“Do you love your sons?” My voice cracked, not knowing or understanding why she wasn’t even asking me if her sons were okay.
“My sons were my life.” Her voice was low and I could tell she was walking. “Noah and Zane were my life. You will never understand what it took for me to walk away.”
“Explain it to them,” I pleaded. “I could go and get Zane right now and you could explain it to him.”
“No!” she called out. “I can’t. I won’t.”
“Mrs. Beaumont, he has never gotten over you leaving him.”