Chapter 200 +5
Maya, brimming with excitement, packed her bag for her trip to Husla, anticipating good news from Liam. One of her life mottos was always be prepared. She’d barely slept, consumed by thoughts of meeting her older brother. She wondered how he’d fared over the years, if he'd had a good life, how much he remembered, and if he’d recognize her. Was he married? Did he have children? The thought of gaining a brother, sister-in-law, nieces, and nephews made her giddy.
This joyful anticipation paused as she remembered she hadn’t told Evelyn about this recent development. She’d never mentioned having a brother, or her mother’s revelations before she passed. She’d only told Liam because it had become a heavy burden, intensified by recently seeing a locket.
Her phone rang, and she answered Liam’s call.
“Good morning, Liam. I’ve been waiting for your call,” she said excitedly.
Liam smiled. “You sound pretty excited.”
“I am! Did you hear back from the orphanage? Have you found my brother?” Maya asked hopefully.
Liam sighed. “About that… the man inquiring at the orphanage was hired by your brother. For some reason, he doesn’t want to reveal his identity. He prefers to meet you in person.” Maya frowned. “Perhaps he’s someone important?” she wondered.
“I considered that. But to be safe, I scheduled a meeting for you. You don’t have to reveal your identity until you meet him,” Liam said, and Maya laughed.
“I’m not important. My identity doesn’t matter,” Maya said. Liam raised an eyebrow.
“You are important. You’re important to Evelyn and Samantha. And you’re my friend, so you’re important to me, too,” Liam said. Maya rolled her eyes, but smiled.
“You know what I meant,” she said, sighing. “How soon can I meet him? He probably won’t give his contact details either. Maybe he wants to see me first and decide if he wants me in his life.”
“Let’s not overthink it. He wants to meet as soon as possible. Since he knows you’re in Husla, I expect he’d want to see you today, if he’s also in Husla,” Liam said. Maya checked her watch.
“If I leave for Husla today, I can see him in two days. Let’s set the meeting for Saturday,” she said. Liam agreed.
“Have you told Evelyn?” he asked. She sighed.
“No. I’m not sure I want to tell her until I’ve met him and I’m sure he wants me in his life.” Liam paused.
“Are you always this cautious?”
She shrugged. “I’d rather prepare for the worst and be pleasantly surprised.”
“He wouldn’t be trying to find you if he didn’t want you in his life,” Liam pointed out.
“Maybe. But I’ll tell Evelyn after I reunite with him,” Maya said. Liam nodded.
“Okay. I’ll set up a Saturday meeting at a restaurant; I’ll send you and him the details. Let me know before you leave for Husla.”
“Thank you so much, Liam. I never imagined depending on you like this,” she said gratefully.
“Just don’t forget you owe me a hangout,” he said before hanging up, making her laugh.
Throwing her phone on the bed, Maya took a deep breath, preparing to tell Evelyn about her impromptu trip.
Meanwhile, in Derek’s bedroom, Evelyn spoke to Derek after hanging up. “We’ll go together. You don’t have to do this alone,” she said firmly. Derek’s throat tightened. “Are you sure? You have so much going on at work. And your mom…”
She smiled. “My mom’s fine and much better. My dad can care for her. Work can wait. Nothing else matters right now. Finding her does,” Evelyn said softly.
“What about Samantha?”
“I’m sure Maya won’t mind watching her, and…” A knock interrupted.
“Excuse me,” Evelyn said, answering the door. “Maya? Is everything alright?” Maya nodded.
“Yes. Something urgent came up, and I need to go to Husla. I was going to tell you last night, but…” Maya began, then Evelyn’s eyebrows furrowed.
“Husla? Is everything alright?”
Maya smiled and nodded. “Yes. Something came up, but I can’t give details now. I promise to tell you everything when I get back.” Her reassuring smile eased Evelyn’s concerns.
“Have you booked your flight?” Evelyn asked. Maya shook her head.
“No. I wanted to talk to you first.”
“Alright. Can you wait a couple of minutes while I talk to Derek? Don’t book a flight yet,” Evelyn said. Maya, though puzzled, nodded. “I’ll be in my room,” she said, leaving.
“Who was at the door?” Derek asked. Evelyn sighed.
“Maya. She needs to make an impromptu trip to Husla,” Evelyn explained. Derek frowned.
“All of a sudden?” He thought of the locket she’d worn the night before.
“Yes. Why don’t we all go together? I’ll call the school and let them know Samantha will stay with your parents for a couple of days. You can call your mom to explain.”
Derek hesitated. “Don’t you think she’ll be worried if we leave suddenly?”
“She’ll be fine, trust me. She’ll be too excited about the dolls your parents got her to worry about anything else. We’ll be back before she misses us,” Evelyn said confidently. Derek considered it, then nodded. “Thank you, Eve. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Evelyn brushed hair from his forehead. “You were doing pretty well before I showed up,” she said, smiling, already mentally planning.
“Alright. Let’s go together. I’ll arrange a flight immediately.”
“We don't need to book flights or pack much. I'll have the jet ready within the hour. Just grab what you need, and we'll leave. We can get anything else there.”
Evelyn blinked, surprised. In the whirlwind, she’d forgotten Derek’s resources. “Right. Of course.”
“I’ll let Maya know she can fly with us,” Evelyn said, heading for the door. Derek called his pilot.
When Evelyn knocked on Maya’s door, Maya opened it, wondering what Evelyn wanted to say.
“You don’t need to book a flight. Something came up, and Derek and I are flying to Husla. You can come with us in his jet,” Evelyn said. Maya beamed.
“Really? What a coincidence!”
“Yes. Get your things ready. I’ll let you know when we leave.” Maya nodded, relieved about the flight expense and comfortable travel. The universe was on her side, she thought happily.
Back in the bedroom, Derek said, “The jet will be ready soon.” They called Derek’s mother and Samantha’s school; arrangements were made. An hour later, they left for the airport.