❄The Christmas Card Lost to Time❄

I've been SO excited to roll out this chapter and...many of you will know why. :smirk:

@Pary this one is for you. :blush: Well, the entire story is for you, but you'll see why I know you'll enjoy this. :p

Enjoy my friends. :)

-----------------------------------------------------


❄Chapter 3❄

Early that next morning, Maureen hit the computer to do some more searching and then phoned her mom about all that she discovered in the past 24 hours.

“Stanley may still be alive!” she excitedly concluded.
“What!?” came the reply.
“Yeah! You understood all that I just told you right?”
“Well, yes but--”
“And I found his only known address in Brighton. So I’m going to head over there today and if he’s still alive, visit with him to get the whole story! Doesn’t that sound great?”



“No,” her mother frankly answered. “Maureen think about what you’re attempting to do?” she sighed. “Say he is still alive. You’re going to make a frail, 70 something year old man dig up 50 years worth of hurt over Grandma. If he loved her as much as it sounds like he did, not marrying her is probably something he never got over. Do you really think it’s a good idea to--”
“I know mom, but I HAVE to know what happened between them!” she nearly whined. “Stanley sounded like the perfect guy! I mean, no offense to Grandpa or anything. If he tells me what happened then maybe I could explain to him why Grandma did what she did because I know her so well!”
“No,” her mother said again, shaking her head. “No good will come of this Maureen, I feel such a pit in my stomach thinking about it.” She expelled a giant sigh. “I know you’re curious honey, but maybe you should just try to find Grandma’s old journals to get the answers you seek instead of doing this.”

The thought had crossed Maureen’s mind earlier, but she honestly didn’t know where her Grandma’s old journals were. The only place she could think they would be is somewhere deep in the cottage attic and there’s no WAY she was heading up into that dark and spider infested space! Finding and talking to Stanley was the easier, and more preferable, thing to do! Plus she just had to meet the man.

“Mom...I’m doing this,” she calmly declared. “It’s not just because of my curiosity it’s,” she paused, “I can’t really explain it. I feel like this is something I’m supposed to do...like there’s a reason for it. Why else would that old card turn up NOW at this point in time? And I dunno if it’s Grandma’s spirit or God trying to tell me something it’s just...I have to do this. I have to go to Brighton and find Stanley Edwards. It just feels right.”



Maureen’s mom scratched her head and once again surrendered to her daughter’s tenacious spirit. She certainly couldn’t argue with those kinds of feelings. “Alright honey...and what if Stanley is dead?”
“Then,” she sighed, “I guess I’ll take to Grandma’s old journals. Not without bug bombing that attic first!”
Her mom chuckled.
I could try talking to Joseph again too, Maureen thought. He clearly knows more since Grandpa was the Englishman he was referring to. But would he remember everything correctly?
“I just don’t like the idea of you going over there alone,” her mom said, interrupting her thoughts.
“Mom, I’ll be fine,” she assured.



“Just be careful and...make sure you’re carrying pepper spray or a gun or something.”
“MOM!”

Most Evansville folks would’ve called Maureen crazy for travelling two hours to the big city just to meet a complete stranger who may or may not still be alive, but she wouldn’t have even cared! This was a mystery that hit too close to home and she would not rest until it was solved!



After making arrangements with her mom to come over and feed Maya while she was gone, she snuggled and kissed her wonderful feline companion and then went on her way.







In the car, she drummed her thumbs on the steering wheel while rocking out to music on the radio, especially when good songs came on like, “Life is a Highway.”

“Woo!” she cheered along with the song. “This is gonna be a great day! I can feel it!” Tiny rock pebbles crash landed onto the road, kicked up from behind the car wheels as she hastily made her way to the big city of Brighton.



Stanley’s home was located in one of the suburbs of the city, near the railroad tracks, and Maureen preferred that compared to finding a place to park in the city! It was darn near impossible sometimes. Plus she didn’t want to hear the rustle and bustle of city life in the background while in deep conversation with Stanley...if he was still alive and still living there.

Once she pulled up to the house, parking on the curb, her heart started beating rapidly as the nervousness finally kicked in over the decision she made. And it wasn’t just over the fact of meeting her Grandmother’s long lost lover, it was with how run down the house looked. Add in the fading light from an early sunset and some fog and the place would look like a haunted house! Overgrown bushes, combined with a few of those “weed trees” as her father liked to call them - Elms - outlined the whole front of the covered porch, obscuring a couple of windows and beams. Crispy fall leaves of brown, red, and yellow dotted the porch landing and rustled a bit in the gentle wind. The screen door had a big rip at the base of it and the entire off-white exterior paint on the house was chipping. Numerous shingles were missing all around the two dormers on the greenish grayish roof and Maureen could only assume the green tint was patches of algae or lichen. The air around the house suggested it’d been vacant for years. But when she took notice of a rather new, expensive car in the driveway, Interesting, she thought, her spirits lifted a bit.



Gripping the wheel, she drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out while closing her eyes and whispering to herself, “You can do this Maureen. There’s nothing to be afraid of. Just tell him the honest truth as to why you are here. He can’t argue with a curious granddaughter, especially one as charming as yourself,” she smirked and then chuckled. A little humor always helped to dispel the nervousness. “Alright!” she breathed loudly and stepped out of the car.

As she made her way up the creaky deck stairs leading to the door, she could hear what sounded like someone sweeping from within.



She figured the screen door would make all kinds of noise if she opened it to knock, that always made her feel uncomfortable, so she just firmly knocked on the edge of it instead.

The sweeping stopped and her heart pounded faster as she heard footsteps coming toward the door. She gulped.



A man opened the door...but not an old man like she fully expected. This man was probably around the same age as her, maybe a hair bit older, and an extremely attractive one at that! Maureen tried not to gape at his beautifully sculpted face with those bright hazel eyes that stood out over the blackness of his short, spike-tipped hair and fair skin. It didn’t help that he had an excellent physique and was wearing a rather revealing tank top above a pair of faded jean shorts. His whole body glistened with sweat drops. She could’ve sworn she lost a breath there as she unknowingly rubbed at her collar bone.

“Can I help you?” the man asked her.



For the first time in a long time Maureen felt speechless. And naturally in a moment like this she would say something stupid. “Uhh...Stanley?”
“Huh?”
Geez! “I mean, is Stanley home?” she recovered. “Stanley Edwards?”
The man’s confused expression softened a bit. “No,” he replied. “He passed away almost three years ago.”



A surge of disappointment pierced Maureen’s spirit. “Oh…” Darn it! How did I miss an obituary!? “I’m sorry, I’m forgetting my manners,” she expressed, holding out her hand. “I’m Maureen Young. And you are?”
The man now stared at her in curiosity as he opened the screen door and took her hand. “Alan,” he simply replied.
He sure had a firm handshake and she enjoyed the feel of his soft skin. “It’s nice to meet you Alan. I’m sorry to disturb you like this. Did you, uh, happen to know Mr. Edwards?”
“Yeah,” he replied, “he is my Grandpa.”

Maureen nearly choked on her own spit. “Really?”



“Yeah,” he said again, continuing to gaze at her inquisitively. “How do you know my Grandpa?”



“Well…,” she began, rubbing at the back of her neck, “it’s kind of a long story.”
A smile played across Alan’s lips. “I got time,” he said, stepping out a bit to prop the screen door open with his butt and folded his arms, giving her his undivided attention. “I could use a break from fixing up this dump.”



He looked so handsome standing there like that that Maureen had to stop herself from staring, or even drooling, and going speechless again.

She started at the beginning; how the 50 year old Christmas card landed in her mailbox. She handed it to Alan to see as proof and read. Then she informed him that the Maureen the card was addressed to was her Grandmother, who had also passed away.



“My Grandma married my Grandpa two weeks after that card was written,” she went on, “which I thought was odd so I turned to my mom for some answers, but she’d never heard of a Stanley in her mom’s life. So that got me crazy curious to find out more about your Grandpa. I thought that maybe he died in the war and that’s why my Grandma moved on so quickly - strangely - but I discovered he didn’t so that’s why I came here looking for him for answers and,” she paused for a breath, “now he’s gone.” She lowered her head. “I just want to know what happened between them; why they didn’t get married. They were clearly in love. Something about it seems fishy.”
Alan glanced up at her from the card with an arched brow. “Fishy in what way?”



Uneasiness showered over Maureen as she said, “Oh I dunno. Like maybe my Grandma was in love with two men at the same time or, she was forbidden to marry your Grandpa or he her, and there’s no WAY she would’ve gotten pregnant out of wedlock! I’m pretty sure of that so--”
“Hold on,” Alan interrupted, flipping the card over and back again a couple of times studying it. “Is this thing legit?”
Maureen blinked a few times at his rather dumb question. “Yeah. It’s got both of our Grandparent’s names on there and it’s even got that vintage look and antique smell to it.”
He seemed to pay it no mind. “You sure this isn’t some kind of prank? Because how does a card get lost in the mail from THAT long ago?”



“I dunno,” she shrugged, “I’m just as surprised as you there. And it’s too accurate to be a prank.” Seriously!
“Are you sure this wasn’t from a different Stanley Edwards?”
“No,” she sighed. “I’ve done a bit of research and everything points to your Grandpa. He’s it.”
Alan glanced down at his watch. “Yeah, I dunno. I think you got the wrong Stanley,” he said, firmly handing the card back to her and closing the door. He reached into his pocket to fetch his car keys and stepped off the porch.

“What!?” Maureen expressed, now calling out to him as he headed for his car. “Your Grandpa lived in Evansville before he moved here right? I’M from Evansville! That’s where he and my Grandma met. Any of that ringing a bell?”



Alan stopped and turned toward her. “Look,” he started, “I don’t know much about my Grandpa’s life okay. He and I weren’t exactly close…



...But I do know that he was indeed in the war and happily married to my Grandma for 40 something years. They built a life here in Brighton, in this very house, and when she died...he kinda went downhill.” Maureen frowned. “They were inseparable; loyal to each other to the very end. If he had some other lover that he corresponded with while he was in the war I think I would’ve heard something about that during our many family reunions.”
“Right!?” Maureen exclaimed, stepping closer to the edge of the porch. “I had some deep conversations with my Grandma night after night before she died and she NEVER mentioned your Grandpa to me! Yet, here it is,” she said, holding the card in the air. “A card from another man who loved her so much he wanted to marry her. But that didn’t happen! That’s the thing, why? And why has their story been kept a secret in both of our families for all these years?”



Alan had to stop himself from saying what he really thought, it would’ve greatly insulted Maureen’s Grandmother. “Look,” he said, glancing at his watch again. “I don’t have time to concern myself with this. Nor do I care.”
Maureen gaped. Her impression of him just plummeted. “So you aren’t going to help me find out, even when I came all this way?” she asked. “Aren’t you the least bit curious?”



“No,” he bluntly answered, after opening his car door. “Just let it go alright? It was a long time ago. I’m sure you have better things to do with your time.”



Then he slid into the car and shut the door. It didn’t take long for the engine to start roaring, the tires kicking up a cloud of dust toward Maureen’s face as she watched him speed off down the road.

Her blood boiled. “Oh the nerve of him!” she said through gritted teeth.



She huffed as she stepped off the porch toward her car. She wasn’t going to give up that easily! He was too good of a lead. “I swear there’s something he’s not telling me,” she said to herself, “or I nicked a sensitive spot and that’s why he was being a je'rk!” Then her feet came to a halt. There was a worn For Sale sign at the front of the lot and somehow she missed seeing it when she drove up. It had a Realtor’s name and contact information at the bottom.

A devious smile played across her lips.