One Look Ch. 06

He took her hand and slipped the ring on her finger. "Well, just wear this for now, so that you'll know I want a life with you. And we can work on the rest together."

Her gaze dropped to the gorgeous ring sparkling on her finger. Then she looked back at up him. "Your mother didn't buy this, did she?"

Chuckling, he shook his head and pulled out his phone and showed her. "No. But she took a picture of the one you said you liked, since I'd already told her that you were the one I was hoping to marry."

After he'd pressed a kiss to her lips and wiped the tears from her cheeks, he said, "Why don't we go back inside, and whenever you've had enough, we can leave."

Once she felt steady enough, she drew in a shaky breath, took his hand, and let him lead her back into the ballroom.

Inside, all their friends looked relieved when they saw them walking back in hand-in-hand. Even Roxanne looked happy for them. His mother's face broke into a smile, when she saw that everything was okay and that they were still together.

The moment Clark introduced Jamie to Gia, Gia being the emotional type, instantly pulled her in for a hug, kissed both her cheeks and declared, "You two just look so perfect together." She smiled up at Clark. "She's beautiful, Clark. And I can see why you fell for her."

As the two women chatted, and quickly became fast friends, relieved, Clark rolled his eyes glad that things had worked out, when he was afraid he'd almost lost her.

Later, when dinner was served, everyone commented that the gourmet Asian-European fusion mix was amazing. Not surprisingly, considering it was the creation of some of the top chefs from both sides of the harbor, who were always more than happy to show off their skills for Victoria's annual charity ball.

After Victoria thanked everyone for their support and the band struck up again, Clark and Jamie had a few more dances, said goodnight to everyone and then headed up to their room.

With his arms wrapped around Jamie, gazing out the window together, admiring the stunning view of the city illuminating the night sky in a riot of colorful neon, reflecting off the water, they took their time exchanging kisses and slowly stripping each other off.

Once they finally got to bed, Jamie curled into Clark's side and he held her for the longest time, just stroking his hand across her back, until she looked into his eyes and whispered, "Make love to me, Clark."

More than happy to do just that, with his gaze locked on hers, he took his time and made slow, sweet love to her, deliberately drawing out their pleasure. Until finally, once they'd both collapsed in a shuddering climax, they dozed off wrapped in each other's arms, wearing identical smiles, just happy to still be together.

------

Back at work Monday morning, Jamie was at her desk looking over a client's investment portfolio when her cell phoned pinged with an email. When she took a look and saw what it was, her hand started shaking. Too afraid to even open it, she decided she'd better call Clark. She tried to keep her voice level, though she could feel her whole body starting to tremble. "Clark, it looks like the results just came in on the DNA test I sent in. And now I'm not sure I have the nerve to open it and see what it says. Will you look at for me, and let me know if you think I'd want to see it?"

"Of course. Why don't I come and get you, and we can sit down and look it over together when we get home."

At his flat in his study, Clark sat her in his lap while he opened the email on her lap top. Then they both stared wide-eyed, looking stunned when they saw the results.

It said that she had... a sister.

Not a half-sister, but an actual sister, with the same set of parents.

Eyes wide, Jamie turned and looked at him, shocked. "But how can that be? If we have the same parents, does that mean they kept her, and gave me away, because they didn't want me?"

"I have no idea what it means. But she could probably tell you, if you want to contact her and ask. You would never have to meet her if you didn't want to, but at least you'd know what happened."

Staring at the screen for the longest time, finally she started to nod, deciding she had to do it, because she had to know.

Though her hands were shaking, she wrote and told her that according to the DNA results, the two of them shared the same parents, and she wondered how that was possible.

Susan wrote back, sounding thrilled to have found her long lost sister. "Oh, my god! I can't believe it's you! I've always heard you were out there somewhere. You have to come and meet our mother, and she'll tell you everything. I just hope you live around Toronto, so you can finally meet her. She'll be so happy, to see you. She's been hoping to find you forever."

Starting to feel excited, Jamie wrote back, "Actually, right now I live in Hong Kong. But I think I would like to meet both of you."

While Clark went and made them something to eat, the pair of them emailed back and forth, and Jamie decided that she had to meet her, since they were so much alike and even shared the same sense of humor. Even as she typed, she still couldn't believe that she not only had a family, but that she'd actually been lucky enough to find them...

But now she wondered if she actually had the nerve to get on a plane and cross the world to go and meet them. Because it would be an awfully long flight back, if for some reason it turned out badly.

------

Though she'd told him she could handle the trip to Toronto on her own, Jamie had to admit, having Clark at her side in the taxi, stroking his thumb over her hand in her lap, she was glad he was there for her. And on the long flight over too, since he'd kissed her till her head spun, for both the take-off and landing, just to keep her from freaking out. Smiling across at him, truth was though, thanks to him, she'd got so lost in their kiss she'd almost forgotten she was on a plane.

As they drove north for what felt like forever along busy Yonge Street, the dividing line that ran from the lake up through the center of city, it occurred to her that the neighborhood they were passing through was pretty nice. Trendy upscale boutiques, unique little shops and bistros lined the street for miles, as she remembered being told that it was the longest street in the world.

But when the driver put on his signal and turned down a quiet leafy boulevard full of big stately looking homes, her brow wrinkled, looking confused. Somehow she'd always assumed the woman who'd given birth to her was an unwed mother down on her luck, which was why she'd had to give her up -- and not that she'd come from a neighborhood like this.

When they pulled over in front of a gorgeous two story beige Tudor-style home with leaded glass windows, surrounded by lush green gardens with two big pots of bright yellow mums sitting on the front steps, it just looked so beautiful she wondered if the driver had the right house.

After he'd paid the fare, Clark reached for her hand and helped her out of the cab. Then both of them just stood for a moment and stared silently at the house, wondering what awaited her.

Clarke was the one who broke the spell when he turned and faced her, tipped up her chin and looked right into her eyes. "Jamie, if you're sure you want to do this, remember I'll be right beside you. And if you want to leave, for any reason, just say the word and we'll go."

She nodded, took a deep breath and gave him a tepid smile as she straightened her spine and told herself she could do it. After all, how bad could it be? And now that she was this close to finally finding out who she was, she knew she had no choice but to follow through. With a nod of her head, she said for both their sakes, "I can do this."

It wasn't long after they rang the doorbell that a very pretty, slender blonde in a stylish navy blue patterned dress and heels, who looked to be somewhere in her late forties, pulled open the door, took one look at Jamie -- and then instantly started to cry. "Oh, I can't believe it's you," she said weeping as she wiped at her eyes. She went to reach for her, then looking unsure, she stepped back, shook her head, and said, "Where are manners? Please, please come in."

With Clark's steady hand on her back, Jamie stepped over the threshold and silently followed the woman inside.

Looking a little flummoxed, the woman held out her hand and said on a shaky breath, "I'm Miriam Buchanan, and... I'm your mother, Jamie."

Feeling more than a little stunned, Jamie extended her hand, not too sure if she wanted to hug her or not. For the longest moment she just stared at the woman's hand in hers, then back up at her tear filled eyes. Her own eyes starting to mist over, Jamie swallowed hard as she recognized the distinctive color looking back at her. "I have your eyes," she whispered, which confirmed it. The woman was definitely her mother, with the same heather-blue eyes, blonde hair and slender frame. She couldn't be anyone else.

Then remembering he was standing behind her, Jamie looked up at Clark and said, "And this is Clark Philips, my um... boyfriend."

Miriam smiled and said, "Lovely to meet you, Clark." But she never let go of Jamie's hand. Finally with a little nod, she let go, heaved a breath and said, "I still can't believe you're here. After all these years to finally be able to see you with my own eyes, is like a dream come true. But we should go in and sit, shouldn't we?"

She walked them through the beautifully appointed old house to the living room, where she turned, indicating the white couch and said, "Please makes yourselves at home. I didn't know if you'd be hungry after your trip, so I just put together some sandwiches and made a few cookies. And I'll pour us some tea, if that's okay?"

Considering the size of the knot in her stomach threating to rise up and choke her, Jamie didn't know what to say, but rather than offend her, she politely said, "Sure, that would be nice, thank you."

While Miriam was busy in the kitchen, sitting close beside her on the couch, Clark soothingly ran his hand up and down her back, tipped his head to look into her eyes and quietly asked, "You doing okay?"

Jamie turned and met his gazed and quietly said, "To be honest, I'm not sure what I'm feeling. It seems almost surreal to finally be able to meet her. I don't know I was expecting. But it's still a bit of a shock to be able to see her face to face, when I had all these ideas in my head of what she might be like."

"Well, just looking at her, I can tell she's your mother. And she seems nice, too."

Jamie nodded, looking hopeful. "She does, doesn't she? But it's just so strange to finally be able to know what she looks like, and to hear her voice. All my life I've wondered what it would be like to know where I came from and this isn't anything like what I pictured -- with her living in a house like this." As she glanced around at the nicely appointed room, Clark looked around then, too.

When Clark looked up and saw Miriam walking in carrying a heavy silver tray laden with a full white china tea service, he shot to his feet and took it from her. She quickly smiled and said, "Thank you, Clark."

And a moment later she returned with plates full of sandwiches and cookies. After she'd sat and poured them all some tea, Miriam looked at Jamie. "I imagine you must have a lot of questions."

Jamie nodded, realizing there was no other way to ask, so she blew out a shaky breath and said, "I do. I guess mostly I'd like to know why you gave me up."

Carefully eyeing her daughter, Miriam heaved a heavy sigh, looking like she might start crying again as her gaze dropped to the carpet. Finally she managed to compose herself looked up at Jamie and told her what had happened. "Unfortunately, I wasn't really given a choice. I had just turned twenty and was still in university studying to be an accountant, when I discovered I was expecting you. When I finally found the courage to tell my parents that I was pregnant my father was so angry and disappointed in me, I thought he was going to have a heart attack. Your grandfather was a very powerful man, accustomed to getting his way. And though I hate to admit it, he was also a bit of a bully. So I knew when I told him that he'd be really upset about me having a baby, especially with me being single.

"He was in provincial politics, hoping to take over as the head of his party, and he said that he did not need a scandal like an unplanned pregnancy in his family hurting his chances. So, he told me in no uncertain terms that I was giving you up. I wasn't married to your father. And your dad back then was hardly in a position at the time to support us, since he was training to become a mechanic earning minimum wage. I hated the idea of giving you away, but no one even asked me if I wanted to keep you, which of course I did. The night I went into labor, my father drove me to the private hospital that he'd already arranged for the delivery. Refusing to even look at me, he just dropped me off at the door and drove away. And you were born about an hour after I got there."

She reached for a tissue and wiped at her eyes, her voice shaking with emotion as she looked over at her daughter. "And all I was told was that I'd had a healthy seven pound baby girl, and then they hustled you away and I wasn't even allowed to see you. For some reason, when I was expecting you, because I was carrying low and all out in front, I felt sure I was carrying a boy. So I'd brought a blue baby blanket with me, hoping I'd get a chance to wrap you in it and hold you, even for a few minutes. But I wasn't allowed to even touch you, or get a peek at your little face. The way I was sobbing after they'd taken you from me, one of the nurses felt so badly for me, she took the blanket and promised she'd wrap you in it for me, so that at least you'd know I cared. And when I went home the next day, I was told to forget all about you and just put it all behind me. But of course I never did, and I always wondered what became of you."

As the realization struck, Jamie's eyes went big and she looked at Clark and mouthed, "That's the blanket." She stared blankly across the room, hardly able to believe that the little blue scrap she'd been hanging onto her whole life had been given to her by her birth mother, which might explain why she couldn't part with it, though there was almost nothing left of it now.

Hardly able to believe it, she looked over at her mother. "I have a little piece of a blue blanket that I've had for as long as I can remember. And I've got a feeling it might be the same one that I was wrapped in."

Her mother's eyes went big. "Really? Oh, my goodness. And you kept it all this time?" Miriam started tearing up again, and she held her arms open to her daughter.

Her own eyes filling with tears, Jamie got up, crossed over and sat on the love seat beside her, wrapped her in her arms and both of them broke down and sobbed.

Holding her close, Miriam stroked her hair and told her, "All these years I've been hoping to find you, and now that you're finally here, I can hardly believe it's happened." Finally managing a smile, she pulled back, and wiped the tears away from Jamie's cheeks. As she looked into her eyes, she said, "Just wait until your sister sees you, she'll be so happy to finally meet you. She's flying in from Ottawa, and she should be here soon."

Jamie sat up straighter and wiped at her eyes. "That's the other thing I didn't understand. The DNA records I saw online said that we're actual sisters, not half-sisters, but full sisters with the same set of parents. But how is that even possible? When I emailed Susan to tell her who I was, and that we were related, and that I was hoping to come and see you, she said she'd let you explain."

Her cheeks flushing, Miriam bit into her lip, the same way Jamie always did whenever she felt a little unsure of herself. Finally with a nod of her head, she began to explain. "Well, living under my father's thumb for most of my life, soon after I had you, I think to keep me out of trouble, I was pushed into marrying a man I never cared for. He was a widower friend of my dad's, who was old enough to be my father. Though he was never cruel or anything; it was never a love match. We never even shared a bed. We just lived in the same house together and barely ever spoke. And I acted as hostess whenever he had friends over, which I think was all he wanted out of the marriage, was someone to act as his wife. George was also heavily involved in politics, which I think was why my father chose him for me. I was young and lonely and feeling abandoned in my marriage. He spent all his time in meetings, rarely even bothering to come home for dinner. So most nights I ate alone, resenting both he and my father with every bite I took."

She shrugged. "So, one day I decided I'd look up your dad, just to see how he was doing. After we broke up, at the insistence of my father, I accepted that we were done. Though what we had was so special, I knew I'd never be able to forget him. Your father eventually met someone else, and they got married and had twin boys. But he told me that he and his wife had split up that Christmas and she'd taken his sons and gone to live out west with her mother. So, in a way we were both on our own, though I was stuck in a loveless marriage. Of course I was thrilled when he asked to see me again, and I didn't think twice." She grinned, wiggling her eyebrows. "And we kept seeing each on the sly, and before I knew it... I found myself pregnant with your sister."

Jamie's mouth fell open. "Oh, wow. So that's why the test said that we're actual sisters with the same parents."

Miriam nodded. "You see, my husband George never knew I was pregnant. When he died a couple months after she was conceived of a heart attack in his bed one night, everyone just assumed Susan was his daughter. And since I never told anyone otherwise, that's why she's a Buchanan, and carries his name."

Jamie blinked, trying to take it all in. Then she looked at her mother. "So, I'm not a Buchanan?"

Her mother shook her head. "No, you're not, and neither is Susan, really."

Just then Miriam's phone chimed and when she looked at the call display, she said, "I've been waiting for him to call." She smiled at Jamie and reached for her hand as she told the person on the other end of the phone, "I'm sitting with her right now, and she's absolutely beautiful. And I think it's safe to say she'd be happy to meet you." She listened for a moment and nodded and said, "Okay, we'll see you then." Then she put the phone down and told her, "That was your father. He wasn't sure if you'd want to meet him, since he's always felt guilty because he wasn't able to take care of us, that you were given away. But he's on his way here now, and he's dying to meet you. Hopefully your sister will get here soon, and you'll finally get to see her, too. And I'm sure your father can arrange for you to meet your half-brothers while you're here. They're in school studying law in the city and are both very bright young men."

Jamie looked over at Clark, who was watching her carefully. He knew it was a lot for her to take in. Hell, it was even a lot for him to take in. Now she had an entire family, and not just a mother, like she'd assumed. And it looked like they all wanted to meet her, which he was glad to hear. But he knew she still had to be feeling overwhelmed.

Finally Jamie blew out a breath, looked at her mother and said, "I can't believe this is happening, and I've actually got a sister, brothers and a mom and dad. It's almost too hard to believe. I thought I'd be lucky to meet you one day, but I never dreamed that I'd find I had a whole family just waiting to meet me."