Stolen Love (5 page)

Ashley sat down on the couch. Marley stood in front of her holding onto her daddy saying, “Daddy told me my mother was very young when I was born and still in school. Your mother wanted you to finish school.”

“That's why I lived with Grandma and Grandpa while Daddy finished school. When I asked Daddy about you he said I would see you someday. He promised and now you’re here!” she exclaimed.

Ashley was shocked that Charles had spoken so highly of her. She looked up at Charles and saw the two people that loved her most in this world were right in the room.

Marley asked, “Are you moving in the house now?”

Ashley said, “I would like to stay in the guesthouse for a while. If that's okay with you, Charles.”

He answered, “Yes, that is fine.”

Marley said, “When you were in the hospital me and Daddy went to see you. Daddy went to talk to the doctor, and I stayed in your room with you.”

“I remember the day you were hit by that car, you reached out for me. So, I held your hand and it felt funny. You squeezed my hand and then you woke up and stared at me. I came everyday to sit with you.” Marley recalled.

“When the doctor said you could go home I asked Daddy if you could stay with us until you remembered who you were, and he said you could!”

“The next day when me, and Daddy came to get you, Daddy went to sign you out. I went into your room and you asked me if I was your daughter. I said, ‘No.’ But, I was wrong!”

Marley started to cry, asking, “Mama, can I hug you?”

Ashley, crying too, reached for her little girl.

Marley climbed in her mother's lap and hugged her saying, “I feel it again.”

Ashley saying, “I feel it, too.”

Charles kneeled down in front of them and said, “I love you, Ashley. I love you both.” Ashley touched Charles face and said to him, “I need time.”

Marley looked at her daddy and said, “Remember, Daddy, you said to give her time.”

Ashley smiled at Charles.

Marley hugged her father and said, “You promised me I would be with my mother and she's here. Thanks, Daddy.”

Charles looked at Ashley and nodded his head yes, then kissed both of his girls on the forehead and said to them, “Let's have lunch.”

Marley asked, “After lunch, can we go visit Grandma and Grandpa’s grave?”

“I want to tell them my mama is home!”

So, they ate lunch and went to visit his parents’ grave.

Chapter Four

Charles and Ashley were sitting on a bench. Marley was at the graves.

Charles told Ashley about his parents and how much his mother wanted him to look for her. He said they loved Marley so much and she loved following her grandpa around the ranch. They would take long evening walks together.

Ashley smiles and says, “Look at my baby, I told Tiffany my baby died. It hurt me to tell her a lie like that.”

Charles said, “Tiffany knows. When they came over after the funeral, everyone thought Marley’s mother was from around here and left the baby with my parents and took off.”

“That's what my mom said to tell them, everyone but Marley.”

“One evening, Tiffany asked me to take a walk with her. She asked me who named Marley.”

When I said her mother did, she said, “Ashley did.”

“Tiffany knew then that I was the one that attacked you that night. I asked her how she possibly knew.”

“She said, ‘Marley was Ashley's twin sister. She died in a fire when they were four years old.’”

“She said, ‘Marley looks like Ashley and Ashley thought the baby died.’”

“She wanted to know how I got Marley. I told her how I found the baby and adopted her.”

“I tried to explain that night but she got angry. She said, she would never tell Dru, because that was a promise she made to you. She said you didn't know it was me.”

Charles added, “I didn't know you were a twin.”

Ashley said, “I really can't remember her, we were only four. That's how I got the burn on my face.”

“I only remember her name and Tiffany only remembers what my parents told us. That's how she knew the name Marley.”

Charles said, “She told me that no matter what you wanted to do about Marley, she would stand by you.”

“Tiffany warmed up to me later. She stays in touch with Marley.”

Ashley said, “When I said I wanted to find you she was trying to tell me something. I guess she was waiting for me to tell her.”

“I was so angry with you when I saw you standing with Marley at the feed store.”

Marley came back over to where her parents were and asked her father, “Why didn't you know who my mom was when she was in the hospital?”

Ashley said, “I had a scar removed from my face. It made my face look different because the doctors had to pull back the skin on my face.”

“I had long beautiful hair like yours.”

Then she told her daughter about her twin sister. “That's how you got your name.”

Charles said to Marley, “I haven't seen your mother in a long time, but I see her now. I still love what I see.”

“Let's go out tonight, we can go shopping. I would love to take my girls shopping and then to the amusement park.”

“We can have dinner in town.”

They spent the evening out together when they returned home it was late and Marley was sleepy.

She kissed her parents goodnight, then she went upstairs to get ready for bed.

Charles and Ashley talked for a little while longer. They were both getting tired.

Ashley asked him “Could I go upstairs to check on Marley?”

Charles said, “Sure you can.” Charles started locking up downstairs.

After awhile he noticed that Ashley never came back down the stairs. He went upstairs and he found her asleep in the bed with Marley. He kissed them goodnight and went to his own bed.

The next morning was Sunday. They had breakfast and went to church together.

When they got back from church, Charles said to Marley, “Let's get changed and check on the colts, and you can feed the animals.”

Marley went to change, Ashley asked, “Can I use your computer?”

“I need to check on my accounts because of my purse being stolen and I need to make some calls.”

Charles said, “Go ahead.”

He went upstairs to change. Charles and Marley went out to the stables.

Later Charles came back in the house and heard Ashley talking to her ex-husband. He told her he had cancelled her credit cards because someone was trying to use them, but that her bank account was okay.

He said that he had been trying to call her for months. He asked her if she was okay.

She answered him, “Yes.” She talked with him for a while longer and then hung up and she put her head down on the desk.

Charles asked, “Is everything ok? Are you alright.”

She said, “Yes, I'm fine.”

She walked to the couch and said to Charles, “You told me that if the DNA test said Marley wasn't your child, you would have taken her anyways because she was a part of me.”

Charles sat down beside her, asking, “What's wrong?”

She said, “When we found out I couldn't have kids I told my husband we could adopt. He said he didn't want someone else’s child. That he would never take care of a child that was not his.” Ashley continued. “All the love I had for him died at that moment.”

Charles asked her, “Why didn't you look for her when you finished college?”

“What if I had, not knowing he felt that way?” Ashley laid her head on his shoulder and said, “I'm glad she was with you.”

He hugged Ashley and said, “I'm glad you are with us! I love you, and I want us to be a family.”

He added, “I want to marry you. I've always loved you.”

“Every time I look at Marley I love you even more. If you need time, then, Baby, take your time, but don't leave here.”

“I want you here. You can get a job at the firm, anything to keep you in my life.”

“I lost you once. That was my fault.”

“I don't want to think about that. Let that be our past.” she replied. “Can we start now, as a family?”

Marley came in saying she was hungry and sat down on her mother's lap.

Charles kissed Marley on her cheek and said, “You two relax. I'll make lunch.”

Ashley told Marley, “I need to go and change clothes. Come with me.”

While Ashley was changing, Marley asked her mother “Where are your parent? I’ve never met them.”

“Grandma said that when you came you would tell me about them.”

“Do you think one day they will come visit?”

She told Ashley, “I have two sets of great grandparents. They all live in
Texas
.”

“Grams lives on a ranch, too. They are daddy's mother’s mama. My other grams don’t live far from them, they are granddaddy's parents.”

“They all came when Grandma and Grandpa died. Last summer me and Daddy went to visit them. We usually go with Grandpa and Grandma, but it was just me and Daddy last summer.”

“Uncle Andrew and Aunt Linda live there. My cousin, Dru, and his wife came, too. Her name is Tiffany, she was very nice to me. She even took me shopping.”