* * *
"Hey Mom, what's up?" Ken responded with his customary
enthusiasm upon answering her call.
"Hi, honey. I am sorry to bother you while you're on the road. I
know how swamped you've been with work."
"Never too busy for my mom," he assured her. She smiled on her
end of the line.
"Well, honey I was just calling to let you know that a letter arrived
here for you today. There's no name on it, just a return address of 27
Royal Palm Way. I don't know why whoever wrote it mailed it to me, but
it'll be here whenever you have time to pick it up. Perhaps it's a belated
birthday card?"
His heart skipped a beat as he remembered that Madeline lived in
Boca Bayou. In fact, she was the only person he knew who lived in that
community. Could it be that she somehow sensed that he'd been trying to
find her? Or did she just want to wish an old friend with whom she
shared the same birthday, a year of happiness? That would be kind of odd,
since Maddy had never previously done that.
"Ken?" Paula wondered if they'd been disconnected.
"Yes, I'm here, Mom. Sorry about that, my phone must've cut out."
He didn't want her to know he was lost in thought and emotion at the
prospect of Madeline possibly coming back into his life.
"Do you have any idea who might have sent this to you?"
"Not really. Maybe it's an old friend from college, or even the Navy.
I'm really curious, now, but I doubt I can get over there until sometime
this weekend."
"Ok hon, it'll be here waiting for you."
"Thanks, Mom."
"Ken?"
"Yes?"
"I don't know why, but I have a really good feeling about this."
* * *
Ken took a deep breath and dialed the number he'd located on
Google a few short weeks ago. After he'd hung up with his mother, he'd
pulled into a shopping center to collect his thoughts; he had 20 minutes to
get to his next appointment, which was less than two miles away, creating
a golden opportunity to make at least a brief contact. Funny, he'd been
waiting for some sort of sign, and now that the Universe had delivered,
using his mom as the messenger, he knew he had to act quickly.
However, an urgent incoming call from the office-informing him of
a hot new lead-promptly put an end to his plans. No problem. It was
probably better to call her over the weekend anyway, when they would both have more
time to talk.As he pulled onto I-95 from Hillsboro Boulevard, images of
Madeline's smiling face flooded his brain and stirred his soul, even as he
maneuvered through the daunting South Florida traffic.