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Robyn clasped her hands together. “Oh, Darcy. You’re absolutely beautiful!”
“Thank you,” Darcy said. “Would it be okay if I hugged you?”
Robyn nodded, and her eyes glimmered as she opened her arms. Darcy stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the woman who had brought her into the world. She breathed in her scent—lavender mixed with soap—and couldn’t stop her tears from flowing. She’d waited nearly her entire life for this moment.
“I’m so happy to meet you,” Robyn whispered. “I’ve waited so long for this.”
Darcy laughed. “I was just thinking the same thing.” She stepped out of her embrace. “Thank you.”
“Sweetie, you don’t need to thank me.” Robyn squeezed her shoulder. “Let’s sit.”
They found a bench in front of a line of stores and sat down. The August morning was hazy, hot, and humid as the sun beat down on Darcy’s shoulders and neck. Birds sang in nearby trees, and the fresh scent of flowers from nearby planters floated over her. Darcy’s heartbeat took flight as she looked at her birth mother, and questions churned inside her.
“So,” Robyn said. “How are you today?”
Darcy laughed. “Great.”
“Tell me about your parents,” Robyn said. “All I know about them is that they were older.”
“Their names are Ross and Josie. They were in their forties when they adopted me, and they had tried for years to have a child. They’ve given me an amazing life.” Darcy shared how her parents had run their own orthodontic practice and then sold it about ten years ago. She talked about growing up in Marvin, spending vacations at the beach house, traveling around the world, and going to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
“Are you close to your folks?”
“Yes, very close.”
Robyn nodded, and her expression seemed wistful. “I always prayed you had a good life. I’m grateful to hear that you do.”
“I definitely do, and I appreciate everything they’ve done for me. I’ve always known they love and support me.” She paused. “I just always felt like I didn’t fit in. It’s nothing my parents did or said. I just always felt different from them—like I didn’t belong.
“They never pressured me to be like them. That was all pressure I put on myself. For example, I felt I should go into the medical field because that’s what they did, but turns out, I’m not cut out for that. I know it’s okay to be different. They love me for who I am, and I’m so thankful to have their love and support.” She was silent again, trying to find the right words. “But I also think it’s natural to wonder about where you came from. Something always seemed to be missing in my life, and I think that missing piece might have been you.”
Robyn sniffed and blotted her eye with a tissue. “I begged my parents to let me keep you, but they insisted it would be best if I gave you up since I was only sixteen. Still, it broke my heart.”
Darcy moved her finger over the edge of the worn wooden seat. “Would you tell me about my father?”
“Of course.” Robyn folded her hands in her lap. “His name was Stuart Bost. I met him at a friend’s birthday party. He was very handsome. He was tall, brown-haired, and had stunning blue eyes that reminded me of the Carolina sky. I was smitten the first time I met him.” She shook her head. “He was a couple of years older than me, and we went out on a few dates. I thought I was in love, and... well, you know.” A sigh sifted through her lips. “Next thing I knew, I was pregnant.”
Robyn frowned. “I was terrified to tell my parents because I knew I had let them down.” She fidgeted with her purse strap. “And then I couldn’t find Stuart to tell him the news. I called the house, and his mother said he had left for boot camp.”
“He joined the military?”
Robyn shrugged. “That’s what his mother told me. I don’t know if it was true or if she just said it to get me to stop calling. I dropped by the house, wrote him, and tried to track him down in the military, but I couldn’t find him. Then I gave it another shot after you were born. I wanted him to know that you existed, but my efforts were in vain. I have a feeling his mother blocked me the best way she could, even though I told her about you.”
“I’m sorry he hurt you.” Darcy took Robyn’s hands in hers.
She smiled. “Thank you, but it all worked out. I got my GED and then went to college, and that’s where I met Graham. He’s very supportive and loving, and we adore our two boys.” She gave Darcy’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I’ve waited a lifetime to find you, and now I have.”
“I feel the same way.”
“Tell me about Carter,” Robyn said.
Darcy couldn’t stop her smile. “He’s wonderful.” She shared a brief version of how they met and started dating. “We just seemed to click. Something about him just felt familiar.” She sighed. “He’s kind, sweet, easy to talk to, and has a great sense of humor.” She chuckled, recalling how he’d joked about watching reality TV when she’d picked up her car at his shop.
“And handsome,” Robyn added with a grin.
“Oh yeah, he’s very handsome,” Darcy agreed. “Will you tell me about my brothers?” Happiness whirled through her. “I’m so excited to have siblings.”
“Well, they are very athletic, but they get that from their father,” Robyn began. “They both play football on their high school team. They’re very competitive.”
