Chapter Seventeen – Vivianne
Vivianne
Six months later
My class was about ready to jump out of their seats as I leaned against my desk and held up a hand.
“I know we’re all excited about Christmas break, but I need your attention for at least a few more minutes.”
They settled down and gave me their full attention.
“Now, over the holiday break, I want you to do two things for me.”
A chorus of moans echoed through the room. I folded my arms, and they came to a stop.
“I want you to take a moment and be thankful for your blessings. That includes your family and friends. And the second thing…I want you to think about something you can do for someone else during your break. It doesn’t have to be big, but I’d like each of you to do something kind for someone you don’t know.
Even just a ‘happy holiday’ to a stranger at the grocery store while you’re out and about with your mom or dad. ”
All the kids nodded with excitement. I had little doubt most of them would meet the challenge, I knew from experience, this group of kids had very giving hearts.
We’d decorated a special tree in the classroom earlier in the month with snowflakes.
Each snowflake held a wish from one of the kids at River Falls Haven, and each of my students could pick a snowflake, if they had permission from their parents, and fulfill a wish.
Every single snowflake had been taken, the wishes fulfilled.
It was one of the highlights of the semester.
I had the best group of kids for my first year of teaching, and their parents were a blessing as well. I was one lucky teacher.
“The bell is about to ring, so let me take this moment to wish you a merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, and happy New Year.”
“Merry Christmas, Mrs. Wilde!” they all sang.
The bell rang, and they were off like a herd of cattle heading for their dinner.
“Slow down! No pushing!” I cried out as they all raced out the door.
Jimmy was the last one out. He stopped and held out a small box for me. “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Wilde. This is from my mom and me. It’s for your baby. Don’t open it until Christmas morning, though!”
I reached for the box with one hand, while my other came up to rest on my small baby bump. “That is so very kind of you, Jimmy. Tell your mother I said thank you, and I promise not to open it until Christmas morning.”
His little cheeks turned red before he dashed out the door.
With a soft chuckle, I turned and walked over to my desk.
I had a few things I needed to wrap up before I headed home.
Then the third annual Wilde Christmas Morning for the kids at River Falls Haven was in less than a week, and there was still so much to do.
“Vivianne?”
My head snapped up at the long-forgotten memory of that voice—and I turned to see my mother standing in the doorway of my classroom.
She wore a long winter coat with black high heels. Her hair was pulled up into a neat bun on top of her head. Black leather gloves were folded in one hand. Her makeup was done to perfection, as were her manicured nails.
Shocked at the sight of my mother, whom I hadn’t seen or heard from in over four years, I asked, “Mom? What…what are you doing here?”
She attempted to smile. “May I come in?”
I motioned with my hand for her to enter the room, but I stayed behind my desk.
“I read about your wedding last summer.”
My brows drew down. “You’re reading the paper from River Falls?”
She shook her head. “It was in the Denver Times. It was newsworthy that Senator Pennington’s daughter was married, but the article said it wasn’t known if her parents were in attendance.”
Even more stunned, I took a step back, but I quickly regained my composure. “Well, I’m sorry if that made Senator Pennington receive bad press. It wasn’t intended.”
She swallowed. “You mean your father?”
“No. I mean Senator Pennington.”
Letting out a long breath, she turned and took in the room. “You’re teaching. What grade?”
“Fifth-grade English and history.”
Looking back at me, she smiled slightly, then dropped her gaze to my stomach. “And expecting a baby. When are you due?”
Our baby was due on March 12, but there was no way I was going to tell her that.
“Did you come here for a reason, Emily?” I knew calling her by her first name would get under her skin.
“It’s Emily now?”
Shrugging, I replied, “I was caught off guard when I first saw you.”
“Vivianne, I’m your mother. You can call me Mom.”
“Can I? Because from where I’m standing, you never really acted much like a mother.” I let out a sharp huff of breath. “I’m pretty sure a father and mother wouldn’t turn their own child out the moment she turned eighteen.”
Her eyes closed for a few moments before she opened them and met my gaze.
My mother’s hazel eyes were filled with something that I could have sworn was regret.
Growing up, I’d always been so grateful that I’d gotten my father’s blue eyes.
Now, for the first time, I noticed how beautiful my mother’s were.
Streaks of gold ran through the hazel, giving the illusion that her eyes were sparkling.
“That’s why I came here today, Vivianne. I wanted to apologize and tell you that I am so sorry for what your father and I did. We handled it all wrong, and if I could go back…” Her words faded off.
“That’s the problem. We can’t go back.”
She shook her head. “No, we can’t.” She stood up a bit taller and forced a smile. “But we can move forward. And your father and I would like to be a part of your life.”
Something was off. There was no way she was here simply because she felt bad. I moved to the front of my desk and leaned against it. “What do you need from me?”
Trying to look as if she had no idea what I meant, she asked, “What kind of question is that?”
“It’s a simple question, Emily. You’re here because you need me for something.”
Swallowing, gaze shifting away briefly, she replied, “I’m here because your father and I truly are sorry for the way we treated you. We want you back in our lives, Vivianne.”
“And the other reason?”
She looked down and dusted something nonexistent off her pristine coat. “As I’m sure you’ve heard, your father lost his bid for reelection to the Senate. But his name is in the running to be a vice presidential candidate in a few years.”
“Vice President. Wow. So I guess he needs his daughter by his side for that good family values image.”
Clearing her throat, she nodded slightly.
I pushed off the desk. “I’m sorry you wasted your time coming here. I have no desire, nor do I have any intention, of ever being a part of your lives again. Do you remember what you said to me the day I left?”
Her eyes closed again.
“You told me, as I was walking out the door, that you no longer had a daughter. That, as far as you were concerned, I was dead.”
“I didn’t mean that, Vivianne.”
“Let me give you some parting words, Emily. The day I walked out of your house, I lost the only two family members I’d ever known and loved.
The only two people whose job was to love me.
To care for me. To show me what family meant.
Without strings attached. Vivianne Pennington died that day, and she is never coming back.
As far as I’m concerned, my mother and father are Nellie and Gus Wilde. ”
A look of hurt crossed her face. Or maybe it was anger…but I hoped it was hurt. Then she’d know just the tiniest fraction of what I’d felt the day she’d kicked me out of her home.
I walked back around my desk and sat.
Opening a notebook, I started to write. “If you’ll excuse me, Mrs. Pennington. I have work to do. And I’m sure you have more important places to be than River Falls Elementary.”
She stood there for another moment before slowly turning and walking to the door. She stopped, and I closed my eyes as I willed her to keep moving.
When she started to speak, I looked at her. Her voice sounded…defeated.
“I know you won’t believe this, but I’m going to say it anyway.
The biggest mistake of my life was listening to your father when it came to raising you.
I wanted to love you and spoil you the moment I held you in my arms. He told me I was silly and sentimental.
That you’d be raised the way he was. I loved your father, and I was terrified he’d wake up one day and realize he’d married a nobody… so I did what he wanted me to do.”
Turning, she looked at me, and I nearly gasped when I saw a tear rolling down her cheek.
“I will regret for the rest of my life that I didn’t take you and leave when I should have. I will regret not loving you the way you deserved to be loved. I thought your father was the love of my life. But it turned out you were, Vivianne.”
I sat unmoving. Too afraid to even breathe.
She lifted her chin and smiled slightly. “I know you’ll be a better mother. You’ll give that baby you’re carrying the greatest gift of all. Love. And Vivianne…I’m sorry about your first child. If you ever want to know who adopted her, I have the information.”
Tears stung at the back of my eyes, but I refused to cry in front of her.
When it was clear I wasn’t going to say anything, Emily Pennington turned and walked away.
I leaned back in my chair and placed my hands on my stomach. I waited for the tears to fall, but they never did. So I packed up my things, put on my coat, and headed to Main Street.
I parked down the block from River Falls Sporting Goods.
A light snow was falling, so I grabbed my hat and gloves.
Slipping them on, I got out and walked the short distance.
The store had been open for less than a month, and things were still a bit hectic.
When I walked in, I took my hat and gloves off and smiled.
It was packed with people. River Falls wasn’t a large town, but with a ski resort only a few minutes away in Martindale, I knew most of these people had to be tourists.
“Hi, Vivianne!”
I turned to see Janet Miller, the owner of Main Street Gifts, walking toward me.
“Janet, Merry Christmas.”
She smiled. “Merry Christmas, darling. Can you believe this?” she asked as she spun around and waved a hand.
“All these people in here? I heard a lot of them are from Martindale. Just in the few weeks it’s been open, my sales have doubled!
It’s bringing in folks from all around River Falls, and while they’re here, they’re shopping Main Street!
It’s been the best thing for our sleepy little town. ”
I returned her smile and simply nodded. Janet was one of just a few residents who’d objected when they heard about the sporting goods store, swearing it would pull business away from the other stores on Main Street. It was clearly doing no such thing.
“I’m glad to hear that, Janet. If you’ll excuse me, I need to find Ladd.”
“Yes, of course. Happy Holidays!”
I waved to her and set off for the steps that led upstairs, where Ladd’s office was located. Right before I reached them, I heard him call my name.
The second I turned around and saw him, tears filled my eyes. I hadn’t realized how upset my mother’s visit actually made me until I saw my husband.
His smile dropped, and he nearly sprinted over to me.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, giving me a once-over.
“Not here. Can we go to your office?”
He took my elbow and started leading me up the steps. “Of course we can.”
Once we were in his office and he’d shut the door, I let out a long breath and sat down. I managed to keep my tears locked away, though. I was tired of crying over my parents.
Ladd knelt in front of me. “Are you okay? Is the baby okay?”
I nodded. “I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just, when I saw you, I got emotional.”
He took my hands in his and brought them to his mouth for a kiss. “What about?”
I closed my eyes and drew in a few breaths before focusing back on him. “My mother came to the school today.”
Ladd’s mouth fell open. “What? Why?”
I launched into the whole story…including how it ended, telling my mother that she would never be a part of my life, and that she seemed to regret her choices. I also told him that she had information about the couple who’d adopted my daughter.
Ladd had gotten up to sit as I told him the story, and now he stared at me as he slowly shook his head. “And you’re really okay?”
“I am. I mean, of course, it hurt knowing that she’d come because they need something from me, but when I said no, she didn’t argue. She accepted it and that was that.”
“Do you think she used that as an excuse to come see you?”
I shrugged. “It’s possible.”
“I’m so sorry, Viv.”
“Don’t be. I’m kind of glad she showed up. I was able to speak my truth and let her know exactly how I felt. It honestly feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I know the best thing I could have ever done was walk out of my parents’ house that day.”
“It led you to me.”
“It did,” I smiled. “Enough of that. Janet said that since the store opened, her shop has done double the business.”
A wide smile erupted on Ladd’s face. “I’ve heard that from a few people. Our numbers are already above what we projected. Mitch is happy. The town is happy. I sometimes have to pinch myself because I cannot believe how happy I am. You. The baby. The store. Life is good, Viv.”
I stood and made my way over to him. He was on the small sofa in his office. I took off my coat and tossed it onto the couch, and he was about to move it so I could sit next to him. I shook my head and crawled onto his lap.
“Did you notice I’m wearing a dress today?” I asked as I ran my fingers through his hair.
He dropped his head back and laughed. “Should we lock the door?”
I bit down on my lower lip. “You feel like getting wild with me, cowboy?”
He slid his hand around my neck and drew me to his mouth and whispered, “Wilde is our last name.”