An '80s Tale: No Way Back (To Love)

Mr. Felton's tone carried the teasing lilt friends often used with each other.

Dominic stiffened at his words.

It wasn't until Mr. Felton sensed the change in the air that he noticed me standing behind Dominic.

Realizing his blunder, he scrambled for a way out. "Oh, Valerie's here too, huh? Well, my wife's calling. You two enjoy your shopping."

A flicker of guilt crossed Dominic's face. "Don't get the wrong idea, Val," he said. "It's my stepdad. He was worried Kat might be short on cash in Belcaster, so he asked me to send it."

"I get it," I replied. "I didn't take it the wrong way."

He studied me. Once he saw I wasn't angry, he he finally relaxed a little.

Just then, the clothing factory's assistant rushed over to tell him a few business partners had arrived.

Dominic drove me home and headed straight back to the factory to meet them.

I gave Pauline Woods, our maid, the dinner plan and went to the bedroom. On the way, I picked up the daily newspaper he subscribed to and brought it into the study.

After I set it down, I noticed the drawer that was usually locked sitting slightly ajar. I pulled it open and found a stack of neatly clipped newspaper pieces.

They were every piece Katherine had ever published as a professor. Dominic had saved each one with painstaking care.

There were remittance slips too. My hands shook as I flipped through them. They started at 500 dollars, then 5,000 dollars, and eventually exceeded 10,000 dollars.

Dominic had claimed he had blown his savings to save me. In truth, he had wired every last dollar to Katherine.

While he worried over her tuition, I had lived on bread and counted pennies. To ease his burden, I had taken on piecework—even with one hand gone—just to keep the household afloat.

I had even pawned the emerald pendant my father left me to help fund his startup. By the time I reached the last slip, my heart had gone cold.

I stumbled out of the study, hollowed out, when my phone rang.

It was Mom.

Hearing how off I sounded, she was immediately worried. "What's wrong, Val? Did Dominic give you a hard time? If he's mistreating you, tell me. I'll book a ticket right now and set him straight!"

I tried to sound calm, but the catch in my voice gave me away. "I'm fine, Mom. I just got homesick. Will you come get me in seven days?"

Seven days were all I needed to part with the past seven years.

Mom didn't press. She simply agreed and said she'd be waiting for me to come home.

I'd barely hung up when the front door swung open. Dominic walked in with a little girl in his arms.

A bright, sugary voice came right behind him. "Long time no see, Sister Valerie."

It was Katherine, wearing the latest dress from Dominic's clothing factory. After a breezy hello, she handed her bag to Pauline without a second thought.

"Jenny, say hi to your aunt."

Jenny, pressed against Dominic's chest, whispered shyly, "Hi, Aunt Valerie."

Then she looked at him. "Daddy, I'm starving. Can we eat now?"

My breath hitched at the way she called him "Daddy".

Unease crossed Dominic's face. He looked away but left it uncorrected.

Katherine stepped in, pretending to scold as she pinched Jenny's cheek. "Jenny, how many times have I told you? It's Uncle Dominic."

"No!" Jenny cried. "I want him to be my dad."

Dominic's eyes were tender as he tried to cheer her out of her fit.

I chuckled softly. I wasn't going to fight with a child.

"Hi, Jenny. Now that you're back, why don't we have dinner first?"