Page 61 of Forever Endeavor

Cal was slow to answer. “Yes, yes I can.”

“I have some news for you, sir. It’s about someone who is very interested in seeing you.”

“You found her!” Billie gasped. “Who is she? What’s her name? We’re dying to know.”

“First, I need you to verify that she’s actually the woman you’ve been searching for. You see, when I asked her to provide details not included in the original Star-Crossed Connections post, she did one better and sent over a photo. It’s date stamped December 24, 1982.”

“A photo!” Billie beamed, shaking Cal’s shoulder. “You ready for this?”

Cal smiled nervously. “Ready as I’ll ever be. Fire away.”

The three of them huddled close, waiting on tenterhooks for the image to appear on Billie’s screen. Sonny couldn’t believe how quickly he’d been swept up in this crazy soap opera, but here he was, holding his breath too.

Ting!It arrived, taking a few more seconds to download. “This is it,” she whispered. Their three heads nearly collided as the photo popped open. It was a picture of a petite Asian woman in an elegant blue gown. Her shiny black hair was braided around her head like a crown, decorated with little gold flowers that matched the embellishments on her dress. She was looking straight ahead, her eyes dark, her lips unsmiling.

Cal sucked in a gulp. “That’s her! By God, I’d know her anywhere.”

Billie tilted her head. “She’s beautiful, Cal, but you told me she had freckles on her shoulders. All along I was picturing her to be of Irish or Scottish descent. At least that’s how I wrote her character to be. Oh, never mind, that isn’t important. What is important is that you and …and? Fielder, for godssake tell us, what’s her name? Cal’s been waiting forty years to learn her name.”

“Her name is Liona Li,” Fielder said, spelling it out at Billie’s request. She wrote it down.

“Lee-own-ah.” Cal had tears in his eyes as he deliberately sounded out each syllable on his lips for the very first time. “What a beautiful name.”

Billie’s chin trembled and Sonny had to admit that seeing his uncle’s reaction to the revelation had him choking back emotion too.

“She’s expressed an interest in connecting with you, Mr. Hayes.”

“That’s incredible,” Cal marveled. “What else can you tell us about her?”

“I don’t want to spoil the reunion. I’d rather the reaction be completely organic when you finally meet again,” Fielder said.

“How soon can you arrange for them to get together?” Sonny jumped in.

“Is the end of the week too soon? I’d like to sit down with him and Miss Li for an exclusive. That’s why you can’t talk to anyone else. This is my story, you understand?”

Cal nodded. “Yes, but—”

“Our network affiliate will be there Wednesday to set up and get some B-roll. I’ll pick up Miss Li in Madison on my way to Janus Lake Thursday afternoon.”

“Network affiliate? But I thought you worked for a newspaper?”

“I did…I do. But now that this story is breaking nationally, I’ve got a shot to jump to network and with any luck, this will be coast to coast on the Friday evening news. Meanwhile, lay low and do not talk to anyone until I get there, understand?”

Fielder ended the call, as the three of them stared at each other in silence. Billie raised her eyebrows, finally saying what they were all thinking. “Wow.”

“Liona Li,” Cal recited dreamily. “Isn’t that something? I’m not sure what I imagined. Vivian or Diane maybe. Or Susan. But Liona suits her perfectly.”

“Until you get the chance to meet, we’ll have to hunker down here for a couple of days.”

Sonny poked a finger in the air. “I have a better idea. How about I take Cal over to Stan and Bernice’s place? I’m sure they won’t mind and Cal can fill them in on everything.”

“But what about you and me?” Billie asked. “Who knows how many news vans will be parked outside the house tonight?”

“We’ll be fine right here. I’ve got to stick around in case I get an emergency tow call and you need to write. After all, you have a book to finish, don’t you? Seems to me like your characters might get their happy ending after all.”

Cal cleared his throat. “Um…I don’t mean to sound ungrateful after all you’ve done, Sunshine, but…”

Billie’s eyebrows caved. “But?”

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