Chapter 29 #2
“Every day.” Diane smiled sadly. “Colin reminds me of him sometimes. They had the same determined way of solving problems, the same protective instincts. Robert and I had no children, as you know. But my sister, Catherine, also found love, but they only had Colin. Though I’ve always thought of him as mine too, of course.
Family is family.” Diane reached for her purse on the nightstand, rummaging through it.
“I have a picture here somewhere from Colin’s college graduation.
Robert was so proud of him that day. Let me show you. Ah, here it is.”
She pulled out a slender leather-bound photograph book, slightly faded with age, and handed it to Mary. “I never got used to storing photographs on my phone. Oh, here is my Robert.”
Mary smiled at the photograph of a much younger Diane and the handsome man next to her. “You were a lovely couple,” she murmured truthfully.
“And here we all were many years ago. We’re with Catherine, her husband, and Colin.”
As she smiled again, she noted that Colin’s father was also tall and dark-haired. Catherine had a wide grin as she held the hand of a young, dark-haired boy.
“Now, this one was when Colin was in school. That’s Colin and some of his university friends. They all graduated together. Such bright, handsome, young men with their whole futures ahead of them.”
Mary looked at the photograph. Five young men in caps and gowns stood in a line, arms around each other’s shoulders, all grinning at the camera with the kind of joy and confidence that came from being young and full of possibility.
The photo was taken outside with the university’s distinctive brick buildings visible in the background.
“The one to his left was his roommate and best friend. They were so close. They even got jobs at the same company and shared an apartment for a long time.”
Mary’s attention snagged, and her pulse spiked as she looked at Colin and his roommate. The two men were so similar in appearance. Same height, same lean build, same dark hair, same thin faces and dark eyes. They could have been brothers.
“Which one is Colin?” Mary asked, keeping her voice casual even as her mind raced.
“He’s the one in the middle,” Diane said, pointing at the man in the center of the group. “So handsome, wasn’t he? Still is, really. Good family genes, if I do say so myself!”
Mary stared at the two men, ignoring the others. Nearly identical in appearance, enough that if you didn’t look closely, you might mistake one for the other.
A strange tingling reached the back of Mary’s neck, the kind of instinctive warning she’d learned to pay attention to during her military service. “They look so alike.” Mary gestured between the two similar-looking men. “Are they related somehow?”
“Who? Oh, you mean Colin and—” Diane leaned closer, squinting at the photograph.
“I don’t remember his name. Colin’s roommate.
How forgetful I am.” She shook her head, then smiled.
“They did look similar, didn’t they? Robert used to joke about it.
He once said that Colin told him he and his roommate switched places in a class but were too afraid to get caught, so it was a one-time adventure. But no… there’s no relation.”
Unease still lingered in Mary’s mind as Diane continued to reminisce.
“I feel so bad that I went a number of years and didn’t see Colin very often.
He was moving up in his career, traveling, and just enjoying being a young adult.
Robert and I were also traveling and enjoying our golden years.
When Robert died, we reconnected. Thank God, because I have come to need him. ”
The uneasiness now slithered through Mary’s chest. Her phone was in her lap, and she made a split-second decision.
While Diane was leaning over to rummage in her nightstand, mumbling, “I know I have another photo here somewhere, a better one of just Colin,” Mary quickly snapped a picture of the photo with her cell phone.
The tingling at the back of her neck intensified. Something about this felt wrong and also felt important. “Here you go, Diane. Put these back so you don’t lose them,” she encouraged.
Diane took the small photobook and placed it inside her purse.
Before Mary could ask more questions, the stateroom door opened.
Colin stepped in carrying a tea tray, his expression pleasant but his eyes sharp as they tracked between Mary and Diane.
Right behind him was Bert, his presence filling the doorway.
“I come bringing gifts of Earl Grey and a blueberry scone,” Colin declared, setting the tray on the bedside table. “Let me get you a glass for your morning pills.”
As Colin walked into the bathroom, Bert moved farther into the room, his hand finding Mary’s shoulder. “Hey, sweetheart. I thought we could see if there is a short excursion we could join this morning.”
“Oh, I so loved the company,” Diane protested, though Mary could see genuine fatigue beneath her protests.
“Another time,” Mary said gently. “You need rest.”
Mary hesitated, then watched as Colin brought in several pills in various colors and shapes.
He handed them to Diane before offering her a glass of water.
She swallowed the pills and drank all the water.
Colin had turned to go back through the connecting door.
“I’m going to call for the dining hall to send butter and jam with more scones,” he said.
Mary made another snap decision as soon as Colin was out of sight, and Diane focused on pouring a cup of tea. Mary pretended to sneeze, pulled a clean tissue from her purse, and snagged the now-empty water glass from the nightstand. She avoided looking at Bert as she shoved it into her purse.
Glancing up, she smiled widely. “I’m ready to go, sweetheart.”
Bert’s gaze stayed on her face, but he simply smiled in return. “Colin, Diane,” he called out. “Have a nice day.”
Colin walked back in, nodding toward them congenially. “Thank you. You too.”
They said their goodbyes, and the moment they were in the corridor and the door closed behind them, Bert leaned close. “We’ll head back to our cabin.”
She nodded, forcing her smile to stay in place.
She’d taken a risk. Not even a calculated, well-thought-out risk.
One that could have alerted Colin to their curiosity.
But she had no regrets. The curiosity that hit her when she’d looked at the photographs needed to be evaluated and getting the glass was the only way she could be sure.
Glancing up at Bert, she observed his tight jaw.
Blowing out a long breath, she knew she had some real explaining to do once they were alone. We just might have our first argument as a couple. Oh yay…