Her Name Was Annie by Beth Rinyu (the little red hen read aloud txt) 📕

She spelled out the word like I had done so many times before when broaching the subject with her. “Even though the thought of my mother and father doing it makes me want to bleach my eyeballs.”

I wasn’t going to take the bait and give her the answer she was fishing for. Kara and I were comfortable talking about a lot of things, but what had happened last night was something I wanted to keep between Jack and me. “Kara, you seem to forget the vision you wish to bleach from your eyes is the whole reason you’re standing here today.”

“Exactly…so what’s the big secret?” She grinned.

“I’m going to take a shower now!” I shouted as I headed up the stairs.

“Mom!” Kara called when I reached the top of the staircase.

“Yes, my love!” I gazed down at her standing on the bottom steps.

“You know, I’m just joking. I’d be totally okay with you and Dad...well, you know. In fact, I’m really happy you guys are talking again.”

She looked so grown up as I stared down at her. “Yeah, I’m kind of glad we’re talking again too.”

“Just don’t be getting yourself pregnant. You’re much too old for that, and I don’t want to be stuck raising the kid.” Just when I thought she was being mature—the jokester came out in her once again.

“Brat!” I shouted, unable to hold back my laughter.

Chapter 21

MY HAND TREMBLED when I placed it on the coffee shop door. Pausing briefly while removing my gloves, I tried to pull it together. I still had a fleeing moment. I could run back to my car, drive away, and forget this woman ever existed. I had lived this long without knowing her, so why did it matter now? I shook my head and gave myself an internal pep talk. I had to do this. There were questions I had for her, not ones I needed to know the answer to, but ones I wanted to know.

I yanked on my scarf, pulling it loose when a flash of heat overtook me, then shoved my gloves in my coat pocket. Taking a deep breath, I pushed on the door and entered. It was easy to spot her in the quaint little coffee shop where Kara and I would frequent often on the weekends for their chocolate croissants and the best cappuccinos around. I wasn’t sure what it was that made me recognize her instantly. Maybe it was because she was the only woman sitting by herself at one of the bistro-style tables, or maybe it was because I really did feel a connection to her, even though I’d never met her before in my life. Our eyes locked, and in that moment, it was as if I was staring into the mirror at the same deep brown, almond-shaped ones that stared back at me each day.

She wore her hair in a stylish blunt-cut. It was the same dark brown color as mine, but lacking the natural wave mine had. I was a little surprised by her height when she stood up. She couldn’t have been much over five feet, the same height as my mother. But unlike my mother’s thin frame, she was portlier. I don’t know why I was expecting her to be tall and slim. Maybe because of my own height and build and her other daughter’s as well.

“Stephanie.” She smiled as tears simultaneously ran down her face. I nodded and smiled back, trying to keep my feelings at bay. I had told myself on the drive there that I wasn’t going to be led by my emotions. I wasn’t going to cry, but as I stood there, staring at this woman who resembled me in many ways, I put myself in her situation, and it was impossible to keep my promise. What if circumstances had forced me to give up Kara, and I was the one meeting her for the first time almost fifty years later?

“Can I—do you mind if I—” She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into her embrace before she could even get the rest of her words out or wait for my reply. Oddly, it didn’t feel as if I was hugging a stranger. Instead it felt as normal as could be. “You’re just as I had always imagined you to look for the past forty-eight years.” She placed her hands on my shoulders and gazed up at me with tear-filled eyes. I didn’t know what to say. She had forty-eight years to prepare for this moment as opposed to the short amount of time I had.

“I’m sorry if I seem a little aloof. I just found out I was adopted about a week ago,” I murmured.

She nodded. “I know. Jennifer told me.” We both took a seat as Rita, the coffee shop owner, walked over to our table.

“Hi, Steph. How are you?” she greeted.

“I’m well, thanks,” I replied as I took off my coat and hung it on the back of the chair.

“Is Kara home for break?”

I nodded and smiled, finding comfort in just thinking about my life and the people who were familiar to me. Part of me was wishing I had taken Kara up on her offer to join me for support. “I’m very excited to have her all to myself for the next few weeks.”

“I bet you are.” Rita smiled.

Rita looked at the woman sitting across from me, waiting for an introduction, and I found myself getting flustered.

“I’m Francesca,” she introduced herself, taking the burden off me.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you. Is this your first time here?” Rita’s coffee shop was such a huge success, partly because she had the best coffee and baked goods around, and the other part because she was such a personable business owner who really got to know her customers. I admired her for that when so many other small business owners couldn’t care less about their patrons, just the money they were bringing in to them.

“It is,” Francesca answered.

“Oh, well, then