Full Circle
Authors: Mona Ingram
Full
Circle
by
Mona Ingram
Copyright © 2011 Mona Ingram
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction.
Names, characters, places
and incidents are either the
product of the author’s
imagination, or are
used fictitiously, and
any resemblance to actual
persons, living or dead,
business establishments,
events or locations
is entirely coincidental.
The private
jet had been descending for several minutes. Bella shuffled the papers she’d
been holding and put them away in her briefcase. Attempting to study the
reports had been a waste of time...a futile attempt to divert her thoughts. She
looked across the low table and into the eyes of the man who had been her
partner for the past fifteen years. Sometimes it angered her that he could read
her so well whereas she rarely knew what he was thinking. Those dark eyes
studied her now, and she thought she caught a hint of sadness behind the
sweeping black lashes.
The cabin
attendant paused between their chairs. “The captain has asked me to inform you
that we’ll be landing in ten minutes.”
Bella glanced
up at the young woman. “Thank you, Laura. Would you ask the captain if he could
circle Willow Bend before we land? I’d like to see it from the air.” The flight
would land at a nearby airport, the Willow Bend facility having been closed long
since.
“Certainly,
Miss Thompson.” The attendant nodded and went forward.
Bella looked
out the window. “I’ve never seen Willow Bend from the air,” she murmured. “I
wonder if I’ll be able to see any changes since the last time I was here.”
Rafael watched
her closely but he remained silent; she hadn’t really expected him to answer.
The aircraft
made a slight change of course, then dropped one wing and commenced a slow
circle around the town. Sun glinted off the river and an invisible hand
tightened around Bella’s heart. There were times when it seemed like yesterday
that she’d confronted Jeffrey beside that river. She forced herself to continue
looking and spotted the high school with its adjoining football field and
bleachers. A few blocks beyond that was the section of town where she’d grown
up but she couldn’t spot her parents’ home among the jumble of roofs. On the
gentle rise across the river the homes were statelier; here and there swimming
pools flashed brilliant blue in the late afternoon sun.
And there it
was. The old Lambert textile mill. Silent these past ten years. She didn’t know
what she’d expected to feel when she saw it. After all, her father had worked
there most of his life and had lost his job along with hundreds of others in
the town. She edged forward on her seat to get a closer look. The heavy wire
fence that had once encircled the mill was gone. In its place, strategically
placed trees and shrubs lifted their leaves to the sunshine. A few cars and
several pickup trucks were parked between the bright yellow lines in the newly
paved lot. For the first time since leaving California earlier today, Bella
experienced a surge of excitement. Excitement mixed with apprehension.
“You’re sure
we’re doing the right thing?” she asked, uncharacteristically nervous. “It’s
such a big step, opening a new production facility.”
“Bella.” She
loved the way he said her name. “We’ve been over this many times.” He looked at
her and his gaze softened for a moment. “What you’re doing is a wonderful
thing. You’re giving this town a chance to get back on its feet.” He didn’t
need to look down at the mill; he’d been here half a dozen times already.
“Besides, it’s too late now.”
Twenty
years earlier.
It was
overcast the day Bella found out she was pregnant. Madonna was singing
Papa
Don’t Preach
on her bedside radio and she gave a strangled laugh as the
words filtered into her consciousness. She held the stick in her hand, backed
up unsteadily and sat down on the edge of her bed.
The test
confirmed what she already knew. The signs had been there for weeks now, but she’d
clung to hope the way a man clings to a life raft in stormy seas. And her life
was about to get stormy; she knew that for a fact. With one hand on her stomach
she rocked back and forth, slowly accepting the reality of her situation.
She wondered
what Jeffrey was doing right now. They didn’t see each other every day, but
today was Friday, and they usually grabbed cold drinks and went to “their
place” by the river; a quiet, sheltered spot carpeted with pine needles. They
jokingly referred to it as their love nest, but it was in fact a place where
they dared to dream of a future together. It wouldn’t be easy; they knew that. Bella’s
mother was a skilled dressmaker who worked at home, and her father worked at
Lambert Textiles, whereas Jeffrey was the son of Edward and Judith Lambert, owners
of Lambert Textiles and Willow Bend’s largest employer.
She and
Jeffrey had been together since the spring, when he’d broken up with Angela
Sterling. At first she couldn’t believe that Jeffrey was interested in her; she
didn’t consider herself beautiful like many of the other girls, or
sophisticated, like Angela. She smiled to herself, recalling how she’d been so
nervous around him at first. But as the days got warmer and she began to know
him better, she relaxed and accepted the fact that he was interested in
her...
in
what she thought and had to say. The sex had been a natural extension of their
growing affection for one another. Bella thought of it as “making love” even
though Jeffrey had never used the same term. Come to think of it, he’d never
called it anything. She glanced at her watch. He’d be getting out of school and
wondering where she was. She’d never lied to him before, but she’d made an excuse
for missing school this afternoon, saying she had a Doctor’s appointment. He’d
forgive her when she told him the news.
Another nervous
spasm gripped her stomach; a clear indication that it was time to find him and
get it over with. The longer she waited, the harder it would be. She had no
idea what she was going to say, or how he would respond. They often finished
each other’s sentences, as though they’d been together forever, but today was
different. She didn’t have the faintest idea what to expect when she made the
big announcement.
She shoved
all evidence of the pregnancy kit in her bag, checked her appearance in the
mirror and crept downstairs. A murmur of voices reached her from the dining
room...or it used to be the dining room before her mother converted it to her
workshop and consultation room. When Mom had mentioned a bridal fitting this
afternoon Bella had sighed with relief. It was the perfect opportunity to sneak
in the back door, go upstairs, and do the test.
The back door
closed quietly after her and she went through the gate at the back of the yard
and down the lane that ran along the back of the properties on this side of
town. Clouds scudded across the sky and she shivered, even though it was the
warmest part of the day. Within minutes she was approaching the river, and her
steps quickened.
Jeffrey’s car
was parked in the usual spot, partly hidden behind some bushes a quarter of a
mile from where they usually met. Her pulse quickened as she pictured him there,
sitting on the blanket he always brought, waiting for her.
He wasn’t
there, and the blanket wasn’t spread out under the pines. She opened her mouth
to call, and then spotted a flash of color down by the river. He’d worn her favorite
shirt to school this morning; pale blue denim. She took a few more silent steps
on the pine needles and paused for a moment to drink in the sight of him. Dark
brown hair curled at the back of his neck, and what she could see of his skin
was bronzed with an early summer tan. He bent and picked up a handful of
stones, sorted through them and started to skip them on the tranquil waters of
the slowly-moving river. Watching him she frowned; his movements were jerky and
un-coordinated. Something was bothering him. Maybe his father had been on his
case again; asserting himself was a constant battle for Jeffrey. His father
expected him to take over the business, but Jeffrey had no interest in the
textile mill. He loved animals, and wanted to be a veterinarian. Bella had a
feeling his father would win that battle.
She took a
few steps closer and he seemed to sense her presence. He turned slowly and she
could see at once that he was troubled. Dark smudges of color under his eyes
gave him a haunted look and as his gaze met hers the ground shifted beneath her
feet. Did he know? Her fingers unconsciously clutched at her bag.
“Jeffrey?”
she said tentatively. “Are you okay?”
He looked at
her for a long moment, then shook his head. “No,” he replied, his voice little
more than a whisper. He closed the gap between them and took her hand. “Come
on, let’s go sit on those big rocks,” he said, drawing her along the bank of
the river. “We have to talk.”
She followed
him, heart pounding in her chest. This wasn’t the way this conversation was
supposed to go. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He was
definitely stressed. As a matter of fact, he didn’t look anything like the
Jeffrey she knew.
He settled
her on a flat rock and sat down across from her. When he finally raised his
eyes he looked at her as though he was trying to memorize her face. Prickles of
apprehension crept up Bella’s spine.
The silence
lengthened until she could no longer stand it. “What is it?” she asked, knowing
instinctively that the answer would change her life. Even more than it had
already been changed today.
“There’s no
easy way to tell you this, Bella.” His gaze met hers for an instant, and then
shifted away. “I’m getting married.”
Bella must
have heard wrong, because she thought he said he was getting married. “I’m
sorry, what did you say?” Her voice was surprisingly calm, but her heart was
thundering in her chest.
His eyes
closed for a moment. “I’m going to get married. To Angela.”
Bella
couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Angela Sterling?”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
She could hear the plaintive tone in her voice, but she didn’t care. It was a
fair question, and she deserved an answer.
He lowered
his head into both hands. “She’s pregnant,” he mumbled. “I found out last night
when she came over to the house with her parents.”
This wasn’t
happening! Bella leafed through a calendar in her mind. “But how can that be?”
she cried. “You broke up with her months ago. How come you’re just finding out
now?”
He sat up,
his gaze darting around before landing on her face. “She asked me to drive her
home after football practice one day last month and we...I...” The words
started to tumble out. “She wanted to get back together; she was begging me and
I was saying no, but she...” He blushed. “She got me at a weak moment, and we
had sex.”
The silence
was broken only by the sound of a bumblebee and the river lapping against the
shore. “Let me get this straight,” said Bella slowly, fighting for composure. “You
had sex. While you were supposed to be with me. And now she’s pregnant.”
He nodded.
“And you’re
going to marry her.” It pained her to say the words, but she had to make sure
she wasn’t dreaming.
She stared at
him and it was as if she were looking at a stranger. How could he do this to
her? Strangely enough, she could picture him marrying Angela. “And how does
Angela feel about all this?”
“I don’t
know.” He raked his fingers though his hair. “No, that’s not true. Actually, she
seems quite happy about it.”
Bella could
imagine the triumphant look on Angela’s face.
“I’m sorry, Bella.”
“I’ll just
bet you are.” Where had that come from? Within the space of a few moments she’d
found a backbone she didn’t know she had. She stood up and grabbed the bag that
held the confirmation of the life growing within her. “You know something,
Jeffrey Lambert?” She stuck her face inches away from his. “You’re not only a
cheat but you’re a spineless asshole.” She climbed the bank until she stood
over him. “You may think you’re sorry now, but that’s nothing compared to how
you’re going to feel when I get through with you.”
“What do you
mean?” He looked genuinely concerned.
“Don’t worry.
I’m not going to tell anyone about our little love nest. But some day I’m going
to make you pay for this. I don’t know how or when, but trust me, you’ll pay.”
He looked at
her as though she’d grown horns. And maybe she had. She gave him one last look
then turned and walked away. It wasn’t until she got closer to home that she
started to shake. How could she have gone from loving him to hating him in the
space of seconds? It had been surprisingly easy, and she had the feeling that she’d
need every ounce of anger she could dredge up to help her though the next few
weeks.