The Legacy - The Legacy Saga

Legacy - Part 28

"You know," Jacob continues, "his wife eventually died of a heart attack after years of alcoholism. He tried contacting Mama after that, but she would have nothing to do with him because it would've hurt too much to start things up with him again. Then years ago Mama heard he had died. I can't remember if it was from cancer or AIDS. I just remember mama crying." He shrugs his shoulders. "That's the way things go sometimes."

As he moves to another topic of conversation, for some reason my mind echoes over again the last thing he said. "I can't remember if it was from cancer or AIDS."And the wife was an alcoholic and died of a heart attack?

I lightly touch a hand to my hammering heart. I feel the squeeze of Adagio's hand and turn to find his expression mirroring mine. I chuckle inwardly. You've got to be kidding me!

It is Adagio who finally asks, "Jacob, do you by chance remember your father's name?" My grip on his hand tightens in anticipation of his answer.

"Yeah. His name was Alton Matthews."

We stare at him in silence. Only after the words have been spoken do I see it. Jacob has my father's eyes, and his smile. I can't believe I didn't see it before!

"Cisely, Adagio," Andrea says, breaking the silence, "are you all right?" She glances over at Jacob, who also looks concerned.

I am suddenly so emotional, I can't speak. I press a hand to my mouth and the tears come. Adagio puts an arm around me, holding me close.

"It is all right, amore," he whispers. Raising his teary eyes to Jacob, he says, "Forgive us. My wife felt that we needed to come back to North Carolina for some reason, but this is something we never saw coming." He chuckles emotionally. "You see, except for a couple of relatives, we thought all of Cisely's family had passed on, and now . . . we find out that you two have the same father."

I look at Jacob, and I can tell it is taking a few seconds for his mind to process what Adagio just said. Then I watch his brown eyes grow large and teary. He looks over at me, his expression turning melancholy.

"So, you're the sister I never got the chance to know."

I swallow hard, tears falling down my face. "Not until now." With that, the two of us stand and move into each other's embrace. We hold onto one another and cry.

Over Jacob's shoulder, I watch Adagio and Andrea look at each other and smile, tears streaking their faces as well. I finally move back a little, pressing a hand to my brother's face. "This is a most unexpected blessing."

"For me too," he says, squeezing my hand.

 * * * 

We stay with Jacob until late, talking and sharing our lives. I can't believe I actually have a brother! When I was a child, I wished for a sibling, then as I got older, I figured it had been for the best because of what the child would have been subjected to had it been a girl. And now to find out after all this time that I have a brother is more wonderful than I can possibly say. I know without a doubt, my prompting to come back to North Carolina was to bring our family together.

 * * * 

As Andrea listens to Adagio sharing how he and Cisely came to be together, she is amazed. They are two of the best people she has ever had the privilege of knowing.

"Yours sounds like a marriage made in heaven," Jacob says, taking of sip of hot chocolate.

Adagio looks into Cisely's eyes, pressing a kiss to her hand. "It is."

Jacob watches the two and smiles, a hint of sadness filling him. If things had gone the way he'd wanted in his life, he would be married with grown children of his own.