A wave of shock ricocheted through him. “You mean he left a six-year-old alone all night?”
“Yes, but it was okay. I was happier when he wasn’t there, and I’d learned to be self-sufficient.”
Anger bubbled up inside him.
That was a lesson no six-year-old should ever have to learn.
“How did you end up in the foster system?”
“My father had always been a drinker, but after my mother died, he hit the bottle harder. He was killed in a DUI when I was six and a half. I didn’t have any relatives—or none who wanted to take me—so I entered the foster system. Several months later, Mom and Dad took me in, God bless them.” She blinked, as if to clear her vision. “Do you have good parents, Brad?”
“The best.”
“Then you know about the power of that kind of love.” She glanced at his hand atop hers. “I wouldn’t have blamed them if they’d given up on me in those first months. They were already caring for two foster children from troubled backgrounds—my sister and brother, Bri and Jack—and taking on a child who didn’t communicate had to have been a huge leap.”
“I assume they called in pros to help?”
“Yes. They arranged for therapists to work with me on speech, since I wasn’t verbal at all. They also got me a cochlear implant in one ear and a hearing aid for the ear that had a tiny bit of hearing. I went through months of auditory rehab after the implant, learning how to hear in a new way. Mom and Dad worked with me hours on end too. The second cochlear implant didn’t come until later, after the hearing in that ear failed too. But the whole process was a slow slog until Mom came up with the idea of enrolling me in ballet lessons.”
“I’m surprised she thought of that. It seems like a stretch for someone with hearing issues.”
Cara’s lips flexed. “Mom was all about thinking outside the box, especially where her kids were concerned. And she and Dad didn’t want any limits imposed on us—by society or by ourselves.”
“An admirable attitude. But she definitely pushed the boundaries with ballet.”
“Tell me about it. In the end, though, it proved to be aninspired idea. I could pick up the musical beats far better than I could hear voices, and ballet opened a whole new world to me. I discovered I could express all the feelings I’d been bottling up inside through movement and music. It was freeing and an absolute breakthrough. It became my lifeline. In some ways, it still is. My Saturday morning lessons are sacrosanct.”
“And you dance in between too.”
“Every day—but usually not for an audience.” She flashed him a smile. “Anyway, ballet was the turning point. I began to speak more and to open up to people who’d earned my trust. All thanks to Mom and Dad. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know where I’d be. Certainly not a professor of historical anthropology who gets up in front of large groups and lectures about the forces that shape people and cultures.”
As Cara concluded, one word strobed through Brad’s mind.
Amazing.
There was no other way to describe this woman, who’d turned out so grounded despite all the bad things that had happened to her.
“To borrow your earlier comment to me, I’m impressed. Not only by all your accomplishments, but by your resilience.”
“I had excellent role models in Bri and Jack. The three of us formed an incredible bond. Stronger than the one shared by many siblings related by blood. Again, thanks to Mom and Dad.” She exhaled. “So now you know my history—and why I come with challenges.”
He left his hand over hers and locked onto her gaze. “I’m not afraid of challenges.”
Hope kindled in her eyes, warring with caution. “I don’t want to get hurt, Brad.”
“Neither do I.” That was the truth. He’d had enough heartache and loss to last two lifetimes. “So why don’t we take it slow and easy, see what develops? Play it safe?”
“I’m not certain safe is part of the equation in any relationship.”She took a deep breath. “But I’m willing to take a chance with you.”
Pressure built in his throat. “Thank you.”
“Thankyou. For your interest and your honesty.” She eased her hand free and checked her watch. “I suppose we should call it a night.”
“I’ll walk you back to the cottage.”
“You don’t have to do that. I’m used to making the trip alone.”
“I promised Natalie I would. And I always keep my promises.”
