Leftover Baggage from Llanview

14

Dorian:

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving Risa and I fly up to Addie's by chartered plane and are delighted to see Blair, Starr, Hope, Cassie, her husband, Andrew, his wife and Adriana and her kids and husband there. Langston and Jill are there as well.

Kelly texts and lets me know that her flight is arriving a bit later tonight.

I smile softly when I see Cassie and Andrew embrace Risa, although I can tell that her parents are getting used to seeing her earrings and skirt.

Cassie, Adriana, Langston and I hug for a long minute.

Addie and I rush into each other's arms, hugging deeply.

Risa, Starr and Langston are also in a tight group hug, already chatting away.

"How're you feeling, dear?" Addie asks me softly. "Therapy started well?"

I nod.

"That's good." Addie says.

Addie and I corral the others into the living room where she pours sparking cider for us.

We spend several hours catching up over cheese, crackers, celery sticks and cider.

I'm especially glad to see that Hope seems to be enjoying herself.

Late in the afternoon, Kelly rings Addie and texts the rest of us to let us know that her plane has landed in the nearby airport and that she is on the way to getting a cab.

"Great, we're meeting the newest Cramer!" Adriana crows.

On impulse, since Addie has her phone on speaker, I offer to ride on over and pick Kelly up myself.

Blair offers her car and keys, so Addie and I ride to the airport...I drive since Addie never drives.

It's a very pretty late autumn sunset in deep purple and magenta.

"I'm glad a therapist is helping you," Addie tells me.

"Me too," I say. "Oh, Addie, thank you for your support...I finally feel like I have a family again after all those years."

"Me too, Dori," Addie says. "For years, I was afraid you, Melinda and Blair were dead...some of the other patients back in that state hospital had visitors and I wished I did...it was a dream come true when my girl, then you came back into my life."

"I was relieved when I could move you into Saint Anne's instead of that dreadful state hospital," I say.

"Dori...I remember how I scared you so much at first...I'm sorry I scared you that time in the gazebo."

"It's all right..." I say softly. "You didn't know...and back then, you had been taught to distrust everyone, so you had no reason to trust me either."

I remember how back in 1991, how shocked and scared I had been when the sister my parents had told me was "dead" suddenly lunged out of the shadows at me with that knife.

"My earliest memory, Dori, was your birth," Addie tells me. "It was early evening and drizzling...Sonya started shouting...she came out of the side room...I think she'd been playing the piano when her labor pain started.

"Charlotte Stonecliff came running...ordered me to my room...I went but since the door didn't close properly, I was able to see everything...Lou came home just as you were coming out feet first.

"I remember feeling happy that I had a new sister...you were tinier than a doll and squalled right away...I stepped back into my room when Lou went to get a towel...I looked out the window and saw that the rain had stopped and it was almost dark.