his staff. “That’s amazing. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. I was notified a few weeks ago that you were planning to donate your old house for parents to use. I was a little slow to make the connection, I admit, but when I saw Katie’s name… I figured out it was you. I wanted to call and thank you personally, Caroline. Um, Carol. You signed the letter Carol.”
She couldn’t believe she was going to say this, but the words came from her before she could stop them. “You can call me Caroline.”
“What?” Judith asked harshly from across the table. Carol hadn’t uttered those words in over twenty-four years. She’d left Caroline in Ohio with John and had started a new life as Carol a long time ago.
Carol put a hand to her ear, drowning out her mom and aunt so she could focus on the phone call.
“Good, because I’m not sure I could stop if I wanted to,” Simon said with a warmth in his voice that soothed her nerves now as much as it had so long ago. “Usually the president of the board shows up at these things, but I thought if you didn’t mind, I’d swing by the dedication as well. I’d like to see you.”
Her heart dropped again. Simon? At the ceremony? To see her? The last time he’d seen her, she was a complete disaster. She’d never, not once, considered that she’d ever see him again. A strange mixture of fear and excitement exploded in her chest like a firecracker.
“If you’d rather I didn’t—” Simon said.
“I’d love for you to be there,” she spit out. She closed her eyes and shook her head. She’d spoken too fast. More slowly, more controlled, she said, “I’d love to catch up with you. It’s been too long.”
“Yes, it has,” he said, his tone softer and sounding much less anxious.
“I don’t think the details for the ceremony have been finalized yet, but I have family coming in from out of state, so I’m sure I’ll be at the house most of the day. So…whenever you can make it… I’d love to see you.” She hadn’t grasped how true that was until she’d said the words.
“Good. I was afraid you wouldn’t want me there.”
Carol closed her eyes. As he’d always done, Simon somehow brought a calm to her mind. “I do. I’m glad you called. Thank you for reaching out to me.”
He laughed quietly. “I would have as soon as I realized this was you, but I wasn’t sure if I should. Once we were notified the house was almost done, I knew if I kept chickening out, I was going to miss my chance to see you.”
“Well, kudos for your bravery.”
“I’ll see you soon, Caroline.”
“See you, Simon.”
She pulled the phone from her ear but didn’t have time to end the call before her aunt tugged at her arm to get her attention.
“Who is Simon?” Ellen demanded. “And don’t you dare tell me no one. I saw your face when you heard his voice.”
A sense of shame hit Carol hard. The only other person she’d ever confessed this to was John, and only then just because he had all but told her he suspected she’d had an affair. She looked from her aunt to her mom and then to her phone. “We, um… We worked together at the hospital in Dayton before I moved.”
“So,” Judith said, the word dripping with suspicion. “He was a co-worker?”
“Um, yeah. Yes.” Carol sat taller and cleared her throat. “He was a pediatric pulmonologist.”
“Hmm.” Judith’s little muttering sounded more like an accusation. Probably because she had her lips pressed tight and one eyebrow quirked.
The heat in Carol’s cheeks started to burn like a scarlet letter.
“I think someone had a crush on the pediatric pulmonologist,” Ellen teased. “Maybe she still does.”
Carol darted her eyes to her aunt, but there was no point in denying what was bound to become obvious. If not now, then when they met the man. “I’m not… I’m not proud of this, but a long time ago…”
Ellen gasped. “You had an affair with the pediatric pulmonologist?”
Carol gawked at her. “Why do you keep saying his specialty like that?”
“Because it’s fun.” Ellen laughed as she bumped into Carol and looked across the table. “Your daughter was doing bad things with the pulmonologist.”
Judith frowned and shook her head. “Carol. I may not have liked John, but you were married.”
“Yes, Mother, I’m aware. Simon…” She shook her head lightly. “He was so perfect. So amazingly perfect. You would have