“You couldn’t fully grasp that she was healthy and normal.”
“Exactly. She proposed that she wanted to go find herself. Hell, she was almost twenty-one, with a college degree. She wanted to travel. We all sat down as a family, and we agreed with certain stipulations.”
“What’s that?”
“That she had to check in with one of us, Mom and Dad, Fern or me at least once a week. She agreed, and she kept up with her end of the deal. However, six months after she left, she wrote an e-mail to all of us and called each of us individually. She found a place she fit, she was happy, and she was starting a new career. If we didn’t bug her about where she was, she would continue with the e-mails and phone calls. Growing up as Wanda got older, she became more stubborn.” Doug smiled fondly at the photo of his sister. “We knew if we pressured her, she would do it. By it, we knew she would cut us off, and we’d only hear from her on her terms, so we agreed. However, we have no clue where she is. The last e-mail I got was a couple of days ago. A few weeks ago, she sent one saying she was going to be extremely busy and couldn’t do the weekly e-mails and phone calls, but would write when she got a minute. Nothing in her e-mails sent up any red flags, so we shrugged it off of as Wanda being Wanda.”
“Do you think she’d lie to you? That she might be sick someplace and didn’t want to tell you?”
“No,” Brian spoke up. When everyone looked at him, he shrugged. “She told me once that if it weren’t for her family, she wouldn’t be alive. I was younger and had a fight with Mom and Dad, she told me thatmy parents were the most important people in my life, and yes, life was hard, but as long as I had a loving family, I could get through anything. Then she went on to explain about not sweating the small stuff. A couple of days later I made up with Mom and Dad, and I’m not as angry anymore. I think if she were sick, she’d be here with bells on knowing she’d have her family’s support.”
Christopher watched as Brandon wiped his eyes then reached over and laid his hand on his son’s shoulder. “You really have no idea where she is?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
“Why is it so important you find Aunt Wanda?”
“Because according to this paper, we’re legally married. It means we can’t marry anyone until the issue is resolved.”
“Mom and Dad and Fern are away for a few days,” Brandon said. “Why don’t you come to stay with us until they return and maybe we can figure out something together?”
“I don’t want to put you out.”
“You won’t be. Doug lives next door to us, and we have plenty of room, but if you want your privacy, Fern and I have an apartment above our garage that’s empty.”
“I’ll take that if you are sure I won’t be putting you out.”
“I’m sure. Doug, why don’t you go with him and bring him out to the house?” They broke up, and on the way back to the hotel, Doug and Christopher played the ‘remember when’ game.
Chapter 8
“Looks like you have company,” Randall Perkins said as he pulled into his daughter’s driveway. “Don’t recognize the car.”
“Neither do I,” Fern said, and exited her father’s truck. “You coming in?”
“Sure, I like good gossip.” Angie grinned as she got out of the vehicle. Together they gathered Fern’s things and went into the house to loud male laughter coming from the kitchen.
“Mommy!” Sarah yelled, and jumped down from the chair she had been sitting in, and ran to her mother. “You’re home, and guess what? Uncle Christopher came to visit us. He’s looking for Aunt Wanda.” Fern didn’t think she heard right and looked up and saw the three men in her family, her husband, son, and brother standing next to a very, very handsome and virile man.
Brandon approached his wife and hugged her, twirled her and kissed her soundly. When he released her, she felt her cheeks flush. With his arm around his wife, he turned to the stranger and spoke. “Christopher, I don’t know if you remember her or not, but this is my wife, Fern Perkins Carmichael and my in-laws, Angie and Randall Perkins.” He stepped back to see their reactions as he continued. “Fern, Mom, Dad, this is Christopher Evans.”
“Evans, Evans, where do I know that name?” Randall said as he shook the man’s hand.
“He married Aunt Wanda!” Sarah giggled. “This is her husband.”
“Oh my god,” Angie said, and rushed forward, gave him a hug and stood back and stared at him.
Christopher accepted the warm greetings and noticed that Fern held herself back. He didn’t blame her.
“Come in and sit down and we’ll explain everything,” Brandon said, and watched as his wife took over the duty of making more coffee and putting out cookies for everyone. When everyone was settled, Christopher gave his tale, and he had the license and pictures to back it up. When he was done, he stared into three shocked faces.
“You left her.” Fern blurted out. “After you left, Wanda fell into a funk when Dad asked what was wrong, she said that you didn’t believe in the ‘in sickness and health’ part of the vows.”
“I was only five, and it was supposed to be pretend, how did I know this was going to happen?” he demanded as he pounded his fist on the license. Fern had come at him with anger in her expression and voice, and Christopher gave it right back to her.
“What do you want?”
“To find Wanda and get this matter resolved. With this hanging over our heads neither one of us can marry anyone else and if it was a shock to me, what’s her reaction going to be if she finds someone she wants to marry and can’t?”
