Page 64 of The Clause in Christmas
“Oh, he thought it was wonderful. He’d take your mother fishing and teach her how to shoot a pellet gun. In some ways, it was like he had a sonanda daughter. That is, until…”
“Until what?” Cassie had completely forgotten about the Christmas cards and scooted toward the edge of the chair, the wicker creaking as she shifted her weight.
“Until she grew up,” Maggie said softly. “Seemingly overnight, she developed into a young woman. An incredibly beautiful one, at that. And her tastes for adventure went off in a… different direction.”
“Boys?” Cassie asked, already confident of the answer.
“Among… other things,” Maggie answered tactfully.
It didn’t take much imagination for Cassie to guess what Maggie meant. She’d long suspected her mother’s drinking endeavors had started early. “That must have been difficult for her parents.”
“It was. They did their best. But your mother…” Maggie trailed off, the cookies long forgotten.
“Had a mind of her own?” Cassie finished.
“Things only got worse when your grandfather passed away.”
“How old was my mom?”
“Barely seventeen.”
Cassie’s throat tightened. Never having met her own father, she could only imagine the pain of losing someone you loved. “How awful.”
“Your poor mother seemed to completely lose herself after that. She got pregnant a few months later. Which nearly broke your grandmother’s heart.”
“Was she angry?”
“More scared, I think. Of course, I can only guess. I wasn’t privy to all of this information when it happened. I heard rumors. But I suspect the fact that she’d just lost her husband, her own health was fragile, and your mother was still a child, all factored into your grandmother’s decision to…” Maggie hesitated.
“To what?” Cassie sat so close to the edge of the chair she might as well have been sitting on the floor.
Maggie closed her eyes, her features strained. When she finally opened them, her eyes sparkled with tears. “She asked your mother to give you up for adoption.”
All the air drained from Cassie’s lungs, and she collapsed against the back of the chair.
“Oh, honey.” Wiping her hands on her apron, Maggie rushed over and sank into the chair beside her. Placing her palms over Cassie’s hands, she gave them a reassuring squeeze. “Your grandmother loved you dearly. I’m certain she did.”
A tear slid down Cassie’s cheek as she forced a thin-lipped smile. During her time in Poppy Creek, she’d come to believe her grandmother loved her, even though she’d never been a part of her life. But now, Cassie didn’t know what to think.
“When people are afraid,” Maggie said slowly, “they tend to do things they wouldn’t normally do. And I think your grandmother was terrified she and your mother couldn’t give you the life you deserved.”
Cassie nodded, although her heart physically ached. The life she deserved? What did that even mean? All she wanted was a family—someone who loved her. What more did she need?
“I’m so sorry,” Maggie whispered, her own tears falling freely. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have told you.”
Cassie interlocked her fingers with Maggie’s, squeezing back. “I’m glad you did. Truly. It helps to finally have some answers, even though I still don’t understand why my mother left Poppy Creek.”
“No one knows. The suspicion is that your grandmother gave her an ultimatum and your mother refused. A few months after you were born, your mother disappeared, taking you with her.”
“It just doesn’t make sense.” Cassie released Maggie’s hands, pressing her fingertips to her throbbing temple. “Whydidn’tmy mom give me up for adoption? She doesn’t exactly relish the role of motherhood.”
“I’m sure it was because she loves you and didn’t want to give you up,” Maggie said simply.
Cassie frowned, but an inkling of hope pricked her heart. Could that really be true? Cassie wanted to believe it. But something deep in her gut told her there had to be more to the story.
“Do you know who my father is?” she asked.
“I wish I did, but I’m afraid I have no idea. No one else in town seems to know, either. Your mother never told you?”
