His Other Life

Chapter 32

THIRTY-TWO

ISLA

Present day

Isla held her breath as the door to the inner sanctum of the dentist’s office opened, and the receptionist returned. She had her introduction ready, her expression set to neutral, and she was ready to face whoever this woman turned out to be.

What she wasn’t ready for was the receptionist to appear alone.

“Sorry, I’m temping so I had to double-check,” she said. “Unfortunately, Gemma doesn’t work Tuesdays and Wednesdays. But I can take a message and have her get back to you on Thursday?”

Isla’s tongue lodged itself against the roof of her mouth. Her gaze flicked to the closed door. “Are you sure?” she asked.

The receptionist gave a small laugh. “Yes, quite sure.” She paused for a beat. “Um, what’s this about? Did you want to schedule an appointment?”

“No.”

The small blue fish was lapping the bigger yellow one as if teasing it, and when it reacted, the small one scurried off behind the plastic shipwreck. Just out of reach…

I know how you feel, yellow fish.

“I guess I’ll call back,” Isla said. “Thanks.”

She hurried outside to where Rowan and Mav were waiting, and when she reached them, her legs gave out, and she crouched by the side of Rowan’s car to make the world stop spinning.

“What happened?” Mav asked somewhere above her.

Rowan squatted beside her and put his hand on her arm. “Are you okay?”

Isla held a hand out in front of her to watch it tremble. “Fuck,” she whispered. She looked up. “She wasn’t there.”

“What?” Mav frowned.

“She doesn’t work Tuesdays and Wednesdays. And I promised Mom I’d be home by Wednesday night.” She rolled back on her heels and sat down on the ground. The asphalt was dry but cold, the chill seeping through her jeans in an instant. She didn’t care.

Rowan shook his head. “I can’t believe this.”

Isla leaned back against the car. “And yet it’s true.”

A subdued silence settled between them, with steady traffic on the road next to the parking lot contributing a never-ending backdrop of braking and accelerating as the traffic lights changed and changed again.

Finally, Rowan stuck his hand out to Isla. “You should get off the ground.”

She considered it for a second before she accepted his offer and was hoisted to her feet. Then she brushed her hands off on her jeans and rolled her neck.

“Oh well,” she said. “I’ve done what Nana said. I’ve looked around. But at this point it kind of feels like the universe doesn’t want me to find this woman.”

“Right now,” Mav said. “We can return some other time. Make an appointment.”

Isla scoffed. “I guess.”

“Or…” Rowan held up a finger. “What about Louise? She could come back Thursday.”

Isla stared at him. Of course. Louise! How could she have forgotten her friend already? Hope sprouted anew inside Isla. “I’ll call her right now. All she has to do is ask questions, and we know she’s good at that.”

Louise picked up after the second beep. “Hello?”

At the sound of her friend’s voice, Isla hurried to explain the situation. “So I’m not sure how far from Vancouver you are, but is there any chance you could get here on Thursday and see if you can talk to her? I know you have work and everything, but you’re literally my last chance.”

Louise was silent for a moment. “Thursday… Let me check.”

Isla’s toes tapped the sidewalk. Come on.

“Um, yeah. I should be able to do that,” Louise said. “It shouldn’t be a problem.”

Isla showed Mav and Rowan a thumbs up. “I need to know if it’s her. The Gemma from the note. Did she know Jonah? And if so, how, and what does she know about that weekend?”

“Can she take a picture?” Rowan whispered. “If it’s her I mean. You might want to know.”

Isla nodded to him and said into the phone, “And try to get a picture if it’s her.”

“Picture. Got it.”

“Thank you,” Isla said. “So much.”

“Of course. And sorry today was a bust. I take it you’re heading home then?”

“Yeah,” Isla said. “Or to Olympia at least. But first we’re swinging by Yelm again for Nana’s box.”

After a few more minutes of talking, they hung up with a promise to be in touch soon. Isla tucked her phone away and faced Mav and Rowan. “I guess that’s it then. Louise has this covered, and as far as I can see, that’s the only stone left unturned.”

“Ready to go home?” Mav asked.

“I wish I could say I got what I came for, but…” Isla shrugged. “At least I tried.”

“I’m very proud of you.” Mav patted her shoulder.

“And it’s not over,” Rowan reminded them. “Who knows what Louise will find come Thursday? It’s an intermission.”

“Nice try.” Isla smiled at him. “But I’m not going to get my hopes up. If anything, maybe what I need to do is learn to live with not knowing, as impossible as that seems.

“One day at a time, right?” Mav held out his hand. “I should be okay to drive now if you prefer.”

Rowan chuckled. “Oh, you feel fine now, do you?”

“Are you sure?” Isla pulled the keys from her pocket.

“Actually”—Rowan looked from Mav to Isla—“as the medical professional of the group, I’m going to make the executive decision that Isla drives. Let’s not risk it when we don’t have to. You had no problem driving here, right?”

Isla met his slate-blue gaze, knowing exactly what they were doing. Neither one of them masked the intentionality behind their innocent expressions well. But while she knew she could say no, she could also tell that their plotting was well-meant. And maybe they were right—it was time for her to get back up in the proverbial saddle. She let out a breath. “Sure, I’ll drive. If that’s what’s best for you, Mav.”

“Hm.” Mav made a small popping noise with his lips. “Yes, I suppose it is. If Rowan says so.”

Rowan slapped his hands together. “Then let’s get going, shall we?”

Isla made it to Nana and Pop-Pop’s house without incident. Her back was stiff, and her brain felt scrambled from focusing hard on the road, but she’d done it.

“Thank you,” she told Mav after turning the car off.

“For?”

“I know you weren’t dizzy. You wanted me to drive.”

Mav’s eyes creased at the corners. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about, my dear.”

“Okay.” She bit down on a smile. “I’m going to hug you anyway.” She reached across the bench seat with her left arm and pulled him to her. “Thank you,” she said again.

“Oh.” He blinked several times. “But I’m the one who should thank you.”

“We’ll agree to disagree,” Isla said, then she opened the door, because Kim had just stepped out onto the front porch.

“Hello.” Kim waved. She was a short woman with curly red hair that popped against her forest-green turtleneck. “How was the drive?”

Isla introduced herself, then Maverick and Rowan.

“Come on in,” Kim said. “Nathan is in a meeting but said to say hi. I’m so glad this worked out.”

They accepted an offer of coffee, and while Rowan and Mav got comfortable in the kitchen, Kim took Isla on a tour upstairs.

“As you can see, I’m keeping the layout the same as it always was,” she said. “Just refreshing some of the drywall, taking down wallpaper, that sort of thing. The bathroom also needed an overhaul.”

“Don’t tell me you kept the pink toilet all these years?”

Kim laughed. “How could we not?”

They continued into the gable room, which had been Isla’s whenever she visited in childhood. Back then, it had been a girly dream with a tall, white-framed bed covered in a crocheted throw beneath the window, dried flowers in homemade vases in the bookcase, and a rolltop desk in the corner. A woven pink, blue, and green rug had covered most of the wooden floor. Right now, it was a jumble of old wallpaper, drywall dust, and paint supplies, but the light was the same, as was the view.

“Gosh, this brings back memories,” Isla said. She walked over to the window. “Are there still owls in the big maple?” If there were, she should take a picture for Louise.

“There used to be, but not for a few years now.”

Bummer.

“We have hawks though. And tons of hummingbirds in the spring and summer.”

“Nana and I would name them. She taught me to tell them apart.”

“That’s more than I can do. But we do put feeders up.”

“That’s good.” Isla continued her visual tour, but there wasn’t much else to see. She paused at the space under the eaves that had been walled in last time she was up here.

“Yeah, that’s where I found it,” Kim said. “Tucked in through the hatch. It’s out here. Follow me.”

She walked to a closet off the stair landing and opened the door.

“That was my favorite hiding space when Pop-Pop and I played hide-and-seek,” Isla said. “I’m sure he always knew I was in there, but he’d pretend to search forever, and since Nana kept her crafting supplies and photo albums in there, I always found something new to get into. It felt like a life-size treasure chest back then.”

“For us it’s winter clothes and extra bedding.” Kim retreated from the small space with a box in her arms. “Not as exciting perhaps, but our boys played outside most of the time. Out of necessity,” she added. “I’ve loved raising a family here, but the house could at times feel on the small side for our rambunctious brood.” She held the box out to Isla. “Anyway, here it is.”

While the size of a shoebox, on closer inspection, the stamped Christmas tree on top of the faded red cardboard suggested the original use had been for gifting. Isla had never seen it before. She ran her fingers over the grainy lid and around the dented corners before gripping the box in both hands. The weight of it was no more substantial than a couple of books.

“You can use the desk over there if you want to open it.” Kim pointed to the corner by the bookcase.

Isla hesitated. Part of her wanted to be alone when she opened it to make the matter about Nana, but another part had to know right now. “Maybe a quick peek,” she said.

As she set the box down, penciled markings along the side of the lid drew her attention. “Happy Christmas, Embeth. Dec 1949,” it said.

Definitely Nana’s then. Isla lifted the lid.

A palm-sized tin trinket box sat on top, next to a two-colored paper heart ornament. Isla opened it to find a lock of hair and a note with “Delwyn” written in cursive. “It’s my dad’s,” she said. “Aww.”

She moved the heart aside and pulled out a small parcel wrapped in an embroidered handkerchief. Holding it carefully in one palm, she folded back the corners to uncover what was inside, and when the treasure revealed itself, she gasped.

“What is it?” Kim asked.

Isla stared at the delicately painted porcelain as if expecting the hummingbird to breathe in life and take flight any moment. It was Nana’s original figurine. The one Isla had tried to buy a copy of at auction. But that also meant Nana must have revisited the box over the years, because this little birdie Isla had seen many times before.

“I’ve got to show the others,” she said, grabbing the box off the desk before hurrying down the stairs.

“You forgot the lid,” Kim called after her.

Isla set the box down on the kitchen table between Mav and Rowan. Then she held up the hummingbird. “This is the one,” she said, a disbelieving laugh pealing out of her. “The pair to my figurine.”

“What are we talking about?” Rowan, who hadn’t been privy to the auction drama, asked.

“The same one?” Mav asked.

“Not the one I lost in the auction. This is Nana’s actual one. I always assumed she got rid of it when they moved. But I’m not sure why she tucked it away in this box instead of keeping it. Or even giving it to me. Or why she didn’t bring the box with her.”

“Maybe she forgot she put it there?” Rowan suggested. “I think it’s pretty common for older people to tuck things away ‘for safekeeping’ and then forget. My grandmother did that a lot her last few years.”

Isla considered this. “You’re probably right. She was starting to show some signs of being confused at the time.” Isla glanced at Mav to see what his thoughts might be, but he was intent on the jumble of mementos in the box rather than following the conversation.

“What else is in there?” he asked, pointing with a crooked finger.

Isla lifted the paper heart and the trinket box and peered deeper. “Um… some notebooks and photos mostly.”

“You don’t want to check?” Mav raised an eyebrow.

“Tonight. I want to take my time with it. After all, this might be what she wanted me to look for.”

“Take as much time as you need,” Kim said. “I don’t mind.”

Mav nodded. “See, she doesn’t mind.”

Isla turned to Kim. “Thank you, but that’s okay. But if you have more questions about the house before we go, I’m happy to answer them.” As curious as she was about Nana’s things, this was still a stranger’s home. Kim seemed nice enough, but she hadn’t known Nana and didn’t know Isla. The box was personal.

After a quick walk around the property where Isla shared some of her most precious memories of the place, they took their leave.

Isla put the box on the bench seat between Mav and her to keep it safe, and the knowledge that it was there—the subconscious attention it demanded—helped distract Isla enough from the fact that she was driving that she was almost able to relax behind the wheel. Instead of awareness heightening at every bump in the road and every vehicle overtaking them, she imagined telling Nana about the box, thanking her for the hummingbird, and asking her about the hatch and the hiding place.

They reached Olympia late afternoon, and at the first sight of the city, Isla reached over to touch Mav’s arm. “Time to wake up. Almost there.”

“I wasn’t sleeping,” he said.

She slowed as traffic grew denser and glanced at him. “You weren’t? But you haven’t said a peep since Yelm.”

“I can be awake and not speak,” Mav said. “More people should try that.” He looked out the window away from her.

Isla frowned. There was a glumness to his voice she wasn’t used to hearing. “Are you feeling all right? Should I call Rowan?”

It took him a moment to react, but then he shook his head, his lips stretching into a thin smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m fine. A little tired perhaps, but fine. Got a few things on my mind, that’s all. Not to worry.”

Traffic picked up again, so Isla was forced to shift her attention away from him after that. She’d talk to Rowan whether Mav liked it or not, she decided. After what happened in Portland, they couldn’t be too cautious, and there was something off about her friend.

She pulled Rowan aside as soon as they’d parked at the hotel and shared her observations. “Maybe you can check him out after we get our rooms. And I don’t think we should go out to dinner. I could run out and pick up a pizza if you want. Give you time to… do whatever you do as a nurse. And maybe you two should share a room tonight too.”

Rowan agreed that was a good plan.

Mav barely seemed to register that Rowan changed his reservation to a double occupancy at the front desk, which further deepened Isla’s concern. Only the fact that she knew he was in good hands with Rowan allowed her enough peace of mind to leave the hotel to get food.

Since Mav and Rowan had a suite, she brought the pizza there after stopping in her room to get Nana’s box. It might cheer Mav up, since he’d been curious about it, she reasoned.

“Who’s hungry?” she called after Rowan let her in.

Mav was on a small couch watching a documentary about the French Revolution but turned down the sound at the sight of her. “Very much so,” he said. “Thank you, thank you. What did you get?”

As Mav helped himself to a slice, Isla posed a silent question to Rowan with a pointed nod toward Mav’s back. The responding thumbs up made her breathe easier. Mav was okay.

Between the three of them, they finished almost the whole pizza while Rowan entertained them with stories of a misfortune-filled road trip in college that had ended with him barefoot in the Arizona desert.

“Needless to say, I never go anywhere without an extra pair of shoes or two with me since then. In fact, I keep a pair of flip-flops in my car at all times.”

“You do not.” Isla wiped her hands on a paper towel.

“He does,” Mav said. “In the trunk.”

Rowan got up and disappeared into the bedroom. When he returned, he had a beat-up pair of running shoes in his hands. “Spare-pair number two in case you still don’t believe me.” He sat back down and placed the shoes on the floor, then he put one foot on top of the opposite knee. “These puppies will forever be protected against the elements as long as I have something to say about it. Always ready. Always prepared.” He grinned.

“Such a boy scout,” Isla said, laughing, but though she was teasing, she also recognized the truth in his assessment of himself. He was always prepared. Maybe that’s why his company was so comfortable—a steady presence, free of the unpredictable. And for the first time, she wondered when, if at all, she’d see him again once they were back home. It would be such a shame if she didn’t.

After clearing the napkins they’d used as plates off the table, she grabbed Nana’s box from the stool by the front door.

“Speaking of shoes, but not really since it’s not actually a shoebox.” She set it down in the middle of the table.

“I thought you wanted to go through it alone,” Mav said, sitting back in his chair.

Isla shrugged and lifted the lid. “You seemed curious, and I don’t mind you guys watching. I just didn’t want to do it in front of someone I don’t know.”

Mav inclined his head toward Rowan. “Do we have time? I believe you said you were hoping to make it an early night.”

“Not this early. Let’s see what we’ve got.”

Out came the paper heart, the wrapped figurine, and the trinket box again. “This has my dad’s hair in it.” Isla lifted the small lid to show them. “See. Delwyn.”

Mav leaned forward. “It’s so dark.” He looked up. “I expected it to be blond like yours and your grandparents’.”

“Nope, he was the outlier in the family. He was very proud of it too. Not happy with his graying temples once that set in.”

One by one, Isla removed the assortment of items from within. Local news clippings of her dad’s achievements in academics and sports, pretty shells and marbles, photos of Nana and some friends on a beach, a silver rattle with a blue bow, a prayer book and rosary that suggested she might have grown up Catholic even though Isla had never known her as such, a medal, a rolled-up length of lace, several gold pins with snake-and-wing motifs.

“Hey, I’ve got one of those too,” Rowan said, picking one up.

Mav cleared his throat. “Is that it?”

“Some notebooks.” Isla opened one and flipped through the pages. “Looks like she used these to keep track of expenses. Nothing but a bunch of numbers.” She put it down and reached for another one, but when her fingertips touched something hard and smooth underneath, she pulled the box closer and peered into it. “Huh, there’s something else…”

She handed Rowan two more notebooks then extracted a wooden case, about eight by four inches, from the bottom of the box. The lid was decorated with engraved flowers and the letters “E.M.C.” Isla traced them before opening the lid with a soft “pop.”

“It’s a stack of letters,” she said, pulling out the bundle.

Mav stood. “If you could excuse me for a moment. I need to take my pills.”

“Now?” Isla had already untied the string that kept the letters together and had the first envelope in her hand. This was where the real treasure was at. The whole box may be a time capsule, but letters meant real voices from the past. “Can’t it wait five minutes?”

Mav shifted his stance as he looked at Rowan. Then he sat back down, an odd expression playing across his face.

Isla pulled a folded page out of the envelope and opened it. She started to read.